Hi everybody.
Last Friday, I took part in a seminar that grouped me, a bunch of high school English teachers, and a bunch of college English professors together to grade a bunch of 11th graders’ term papers.
Each student chose a “notable American” and wrote about his/her contributions to society. Some of these papers were quite . . . illuminating - so illuminating that many of us had tears in our eyes and were unable to breathe due to the intensity of our emotional responses.
Did you know:
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Albert Einstein was born in 1789 and died in 1955?
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Emily Dickenson was painfully shy and often depreciated in front of strangers.
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Muhammad Ali did not earn a college degree, but the student’s neighbor informed him that Ali had attended the University of Hard Knocks. The student was, unfortunately, unable to confirm this information.
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Jackie Robinson was especially noteworthy for serving as vice-president of Chock-Ful-O-Nuts and playing football in college. [The paper made no mention of the fact that Robinson was the first Black man to play in baseball’s major leagues.]
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Susan B. Anthony was hung in Ephigy and later buried in Syracuse.
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Ted Turner suffers from bipolar disorder, violent mood swings, an insatiable sexual appetite, and cyclothmania. However, despite these few setbacks, he is an excellent sailor.
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Charlie Chaplin faced several challenging obstacles in his life: several divorces, disapproval of his politics, and hobo-faced homosexuals.
You know, I’m so thrilled to be a part of education. Goddess knows, I could never come up with this stuff on my own.