NYSEC

Professor Stearns, Jack, James, Dave, Chrissy, Dawn and I presented at the NYSEC conference earlier today. The conference was held in a fancy hotel in Albany. Inside the hotel, it was like a little village. I attended an interesting presentation on analyzing the juxtaposition of text and image in Maus and Persepolis. Overall, their analysis was both thorough and insightful. However, it was disappointing that the presenters of Persepolis, who have been using Persepolis in the classroom, admittedly know very little about the historical context. Having an informed understanding of the historical context, especially when dealing with Iran in our current political climate, can really aid students in dispelling certain stereotypes.

We had a great turnout for our presentation; our small room was packed. Professor Stearns did a great job getting things started and bringing closure to our presentation. The bulk of the presentation consisted of us leading small group discussions on applying nontraditional topics into the English classroom. My presentation was on graphic novels. I felt satisfied with my performance in terms of answering teachers’ questions, recommending appropriate texts, and representing this expanding medium.

But my NYSEC experience also taught me how to how to crash a wine tasting:

1: Walk past the registration table at the door with authority.
2: Mingle.
3: Find a glass; it is your admission ticket.
4: Mingle, study the vender’s wines, and find a friendly wine vendor.
5: Say “that’s bold,” or swish the wine in your mouth.
6: If asked: “Do you own a store or a vineyard?” Owning a store in Binghamton or Cortland are acceptable answers.
7: When revealing any further personal information to a vendor consult James.
8: When in doubt, abort wine tasting and go to NYSEC sponsored cocktail.

Great conference

Dave, you were a good roomate, but you can't steal my jacket.