Things are wrapping up. My first quarter as a student teacher in NYC ends this Friday. It's been a wild ride at International Community High School, and I'm ready for a break. I've just got a few more papers and a few more more math problems between me and a Thanksgiving coma.
Of course, none of that is getting done right this minute. I've just spent an hour crawling the web for video and photos of the OWS eviction that went on in the early am of Tuesday morning. Protesters are promising an exciting day in NYC tomorrow, including attempts to shut down wall street and crowd into busy subway terminals. My guess is that union square and grand central are going to be interesting tomorrow evening. I've posted a video above from the Occupy website. If you haven't been watching this, now is as good a time as any to start.
On OWS:
I visited Zuccotti park for the first time last month, and I was kind of overwhelmed. On that day, there was a march from Washington Square park. Just a few days earlier, the AFL-CIO had released a statement of official support for the movement. The result of this was a sort of chaos, and it really bothered me. To my left, a group representing the voice of several freedom movements were screaming for the release of political prisoners--mostly members of the Black Panther Party. On my right, a 60-year-old man who could have been my high school English teacher, with spectacles halfway down his nose and all, was spouting Noam Chomsky to anyone who would listen. It was confusing. I felt let down. There was a lot of energy around me, but I couldn't hold on to any of it. I couldn't identify with the movement at all. I remember thinking
"Yah, sure. I think some things are fucked up, too. I'd love to point my finger at someone, and Wall Street does seem like a good bet."
But what do I know? If anyone in charge of the shuffling of millions (or billions) of dollars around is anything like Gordon Gekko, it wouldn't be hard to get me pissed off about it--but I just don't know enough. As of right now, I'm trying to change that. Having a lady like Anna P. around helps. When I need a dose of social conscience, she's my gal. She turned me on to bits and pieces of the the history of banking structures, including the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act. Pretty crazy stuff. The words "speculation" and "savings account" just don't seem to sit well together. Here's to finding out more once the dust from this quarter settles.
I visited Zuccotti park for the first time last month, and I was kind of overwhelmed. On that day, there was a march from Washington Square park. Just a few days earlier, the AFL-CIO had released a statement of official support for the movement. The result of this was a sort of chaos, and it really bothered me. To my left, a group representing the voice of several freedom movements were screaming for the release of political prisoners--mostly members of the Black Panther Party. On my right, a 60-year-old man who could have been my high school English teacher, with spectacles halfway down his nose and all, was spouting Noam Chomsky to anyone who would listen. It was confusing. I felt let down. There was a lot of energy around me, but I couldn't hold on to any of it. I couldn't identify with the movement at all. I remember thinking
"Yah, sure. I think some things are fucked up, too. I'd love to point my finger at someone, and Wall Street does seem like a good bet."
But what do I know? If anyone in charge of the shuffling of millions (or billions) of dollars around is anything like Gordon Gekko, it wouldn't be hard to get me pissed off about it--but I just don't know enough. As of right now, I'm trying to change that. Having a lady like Anna P. around helps. When I need a dose of social conscience, she's my gal. She turned me on to bits and pieces of the the history of banking structures, including the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act. Pretty crazy stuff. The words "speculation" and "savings account" just don't seem to sit well together. Here's to finding out more once the dust from this quarter settles.
To do list:
1.) Learn more
2.) Learn enough to get as upset as I felt tonight on a daily basis
3.) Muster up some civil disobedience*
4.) Occupy
2.) Learn enough to get as upset as I felt tonight on a daily basis
3.) Muster up some civil disobedience*
4.) Occupy
5.) Find a liberal high school in New York that supports a legit, non-superficial social justice mathematics curriculum**
*Seriously, I don't want to get arrested. If I've learned anything from reading the NYT over the last few months, it's that the NYPD has serious issues.
*Seriously, I don't want to get arrested. If I've learned anything from reading the NYT over the last few months, it's that the NYPD has serious issues.
**Dunno how educators view misdemeanors, but it's probs best not to have a record. If I don't get hired this next year, I'm out 50 grand to Math for America.
2 responses to 144
Well I"m happy to go down there with you for number 4. I still haven't checked out.
I'm trying to find info on their LGBTQ working committee and I can't find any.
Yeah, don't get arrested. However, disorderly conduct < misdemeanor in NY. Not sure about civil disobedience or anything like that.
And yeah, second that feeling from the park. It'll be interesting to see what happens tomorrow/this weekend.
Lastly, I thought when I saw this on fb that you had 144 blog entries. Then I figured it out.
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