I strongly associate my writing with my own personal identity. I’m extremely thoughtful and nothing lets me express my thoughts like writing does. I’ve been interested in literature and writing for as long as I can remember, but middle school—when I joined my first school newspaper and developed my skills for essay writing was probably when I first saw writing as a possible career path.
I am a perfectionist by nature, and so I apply diligence, integrity, and thoughtfulness into everything that I do. I am detail-oriented and thorough, which helps my writing stand out and makes me a great editor. I’m persistent and focused with any task I am working on and have an excellent grasp of the English language. I know how to express exactly what I mean through my writing. I have very good analytic skills, and I can work quickly once I get a clear sense of my task. I’m reasonably good at problem-solving, which helps me work with other writers and editors to accomplish our goals. I like to lead by example, which I believe I do successfully. I have a great eye for editing and can help others improve their writing.
I received the International Baccalaureate Diploma in high school—a prestigious and internationally recognized award—and won the J.P. McCaskey award for English: the school’s highest honor for a male English student. Since graduating high school, I am quite proud of my blog site for entertainment analysis and review that I have maintained for five years. I have been a section editor and co-editor-in-chief of The Vidette in high school, and an associate section editor, associate copy editor, and head copy editor of The Snapper in college. I graduated from Millersville University in fall 2020 with a degree in English and a minor in Journalism.
I do have one distinctive and significant characteristic: namely, the immense rarity of my medical conditions. I have lived my whole life with an exceptionally complex congenital heart condition, and I suffered a massive stroke during my fourth heart surgery. I have an excellent grasp of my own limitations; I have worked hard through careful practice of my writing skills to overcome my medical challenges and continue progressing in my education. My conditions give me a wholly unique perspective on life that few others possess.
I have two major career goals. One is to become an established film critic, and the other is to be an editor for a print or digital publication. I will be happy if I accomplish either goal, but ideally I would accomplish the first goal and then the second. To start, I’m looking for freelance or part-time as a writer or editor that do not exceed 100$ per month.
The Lancaster County Historical Society, located on 230 N. President Ave. in Lancaster Photo by Colin Vanden Berg
In 1791, the Massachusetts Historical Society formed, sparking a tradition of preserving and showcasing local history which continues to this day in towns and cities across the country. In 2019, the Lancaster County Historical Society continues the tradition of preserving and presenting local history by opening a new exhibit titled, “Lancaster in the 1960s.” A closer look at the history of local historical societies in America and a visit to Lancaster Historical Society in fall 2019 thoroughly illustrates the important work they do for their communities.
American Historical Society co-founder John Franklin lists six main objectives of American Historical societies in his 1897 book “The Functions of State and Local Historical Societies.” According to Franklin, United States historical societies have six main functions: collecting/preserving historical materials such as printed manuscripts; maintaining well-cataloged libraries and museums, keeping the public engaged and informed, keeping alive “a patriotic regard for local history,” organizing events celebrating local history, accumulating biographical and obituary records, and finally, attracting money and members.
For context, most American historical societies follow the blueprint established by the Massachusetts Historical Society, which, according to historian Julian Boyd in the 1934 edition of “The Historical Review,” derived from the New Englanders’ clear understanding of how their history and heritage influenced their present situation.
Boyd explains that half of the society’s founders included ministers, and that the adherence to religious doctrines and their insight into history’s impact on the present motivated the founders of the first historical society more than “provincial pride in local and ancestral achievement.” However, Boyd later describes how patriotism spurred public interest and funding and research.
The first of Franklin’s stated goals for local historical societies—collecting and preserving historical documents—proved both a major reason for the founding of local historical societies as well as a source of concern for later critics of historical societies. For instance, Franklin voices this concern in his book, believing that the historical society which devotes itself more to strictly local history than exploring such history’s national significance, “fails of the best part of its mission.”
Boyd links the founding of the historical society in Massachusetts and the subsequent rise of historical societies across the country to the “spirit of inquiry” which eighteenth century scholar Charles Thompson described in response to not only the founding of historical societies, but societies for scientific research such as the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
As Boyd explains, the Massachusetts Historical Society formed with humble beginnings, which he denoted as typical for most early historical societies. The original furnishings were sparse, says Boyd, and the organization could afford neither a salaried librarian nor even un-borrowed books.
Boyd states that a decade after the Massachusetts Historical Societies’ methods for historical research and preservation became more organized and sophisticated,
the New York Historical Society formed, following the blueprint established by the one in Massachusetts. New York’s society proved just as influential, as Boyd explains that its founders expanded the society’s broad interests to include fields like “natural history, science, religion, racial elements, and humanities.” Boyd describes this new structure as an “academy for the promotion of general knowledge,” complete with special committees for zoology, botany, and minerology. While many of these new departments in both New York and Massachusetts didn’t last (Massachusetts later sold its mineral collection), Boyd states that the New York Historical Society introduced “a broad and inclusive definition of history” which later societies echoed. The Lancaster Historical society website, for example, features published articles on a variety of topics including recreating historical garments from contributor Stephanie Celiberti. By the time leading historians founded the American Historical Association in 1886, Boyd explains that about 200 historical societies had been founded.
He explains that in 1904, the American Historical Association established an annual conference of the roughly 400 state and local societies to gather a report on how certain standards were being met.
Boyd ends his 1934 paper with a plea for a more formalized body of state and local historical societies, because all the American Historical Association could do was gather and report information.
According to Robert B. Townsend in the Autumn 2014 edition of History News magazine, that organization arrived in the form of The American Association for State and Local History (AASSLH). The first annual meeting, according to Townsend, convened in 1941 and addressed such issues as, “Raising the Standards of Historical Society Work,” and “a publication Program for Historical Societies.” Townsend lists Boyd, the then manuscripts curator of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, as one of the premiere architects of the AASLH’s split from the American Historical Association (AHA). Townsend states that the founding members of the AHA came mostly from the New England area and were shaped by the often those societies’ often outdated traditions, such as the Massachusetts Historical Society’s tendency to collect and publish materials about only a select few families.
Townsend credits Boyd’s writings for galvanizing historians to form a separate organization but notes that the realities of the Great Depression stalled their enthusiasm. Boyd and his fellow archivists, say Townsend, had broken away from the AHA in 1936, and by 1939 the firmer finances and organization of the societies made a formal break with the AHA possible.
Historian William T. Alderson Jr. writes in the April 1970 edition of Western Historical Quarterly that the AHA’s forming of the Conference of State and Local Historical Societies in 1904 proved possible partly because by the turn of the century, “nostalgia was overcoming the bitterness of the Civil War,” he says, “ and a sense of national destiny was overcoming the comic features of war with Spain.”
American state and local historical societies had therefore begun to solidify their societal purpose and how best to accomplish these goals. In the 1937 edition of the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, Herbert A. Kellar writes that the “first and fundamental” function of a local historical society is the “the collection of historical materials related to the community.” His next important function is the preservation of those historical materials. Kellar’s list also includes the use, arrangement and listing of historical materials collected by the organization.
Although not directly associated with the AHA or the AASLH, the Lancaster County historical Society, formed in 1880, nonetheless meets all these requirements listed by Kellar. According to the society’s website, the Research Center is full of “genealogical and local materials, containing over 16,000 volumes and 2 million manuscripts including maps, microfilm, family files, and much more.”
Martha Abel, the director of the library and archives at the Lancaster Historical Society, explains during a site visit that her interest in working there began when she stopped in one time to see the exhibits, and she was struck by how the Society could bring history to light as well as to life.
Library assistant Marianne Heckles’ interest began much sooner, as she grew up loving history and earned a degree in history. She answers research requests from people in the community and helps organize the photo collection by scanning photos and adding them to the database. Abel helps show people how to find the research material or other information they are looking for. She also reads old documents in the archives to increase her understanding and better help her assist people. “We read the handwriting, so you don’t have to,” she explains.
Heckles answers research questions from people in the community, along with gathering photo collections and adding documents to the database. She says the most common requests she receives from people are for genealogical research and finding an ancestor’s gravestone.
According to Abel, most people who ask them for help are retired, seeking assistance with either family histories or property research. Both Abel and Heckles find the opportunities for discovery to be the most rewarding aspect of their jobs. Abel likes exploring “the many interesting facts about The County and people who lived here.”
Meanwhile, Heckles enjoys the thrill of finding a piece of information for someone, especially “if you’ve been looking for something for a long time and you find that thing for him.” Likewise, she states that one of the most challenging aspects of her job is instances of needing to help a researcher who “hit a brick wall.”
Abel also describes the difficulties of being able to find the desired information, though she doesn’t have as much contact with the public. For example, she explains that sometimes the relevant documents weren’t saved or were lost in a fire. Also, even available documents sometimes reference outdated terms such as comb-maker, huckster, and other objects/occupations that no longer exist in the vernacular.
Occurrences such as lost documents or outdated phrases can complicate her ability to archive or to make maps, which another one of her responsibilities. “We can’t answer all the questions.” she explains.
Nonetheless, Heckles describes a mostly positive public reaction to the services she and Abel provide. “I think in general we get a lot of positive feedback.”
As if on cue, a man exploring the building asks the two if the old clocks in the back room are donations. “Most are,” Able answers, “some to the historical society and some to the Heritage Center museum that used to be downtown. When that museum closed, we took over their collection.”
Old clock donated to The Lancaster County Historical Society. Photo by Colin Vanden Berg
He seems satisfied with the response and makes his way back to the entrance.
Heckles explains that people come into the building almost daily to either ask for research help or to ask simple questions like that one.
Heckles feels that the Historical Society’s most important function is, “preserving history, especially local history.” Abel agrees, but adds another responsibility: “presenting history.”
A 2016 article by an AASLH contributor describes how local historical societies cannot sustain catering only to the retiring Boomer and Generation X populations. They therefore suggest catering to Generation Y (also known as Millennials). He/she states that, “exhibits will have to become less static, more digital.”
On that note, Heckles explains that one of the ways the Lancaster Historical Society has adapted to changes in society is to expand its online presence. She also said that because so much information is freely accessible online and that people are understanding more about history than they used to, that most people can answer “the easy questions” themselves. Therefore, the kinds of questions they ask are more complex and specific. Another issue is that the website doesn’t show most of the collections, which creates more confusion. Heckles states that she and others have undertaken a digital humanities project to strengthen the reach of the society’s educational initiatives. “You’d think history isn’t obsolete,” she says, “but the technology changes.”
Abel believes that most local historical societies function similarly to the Lancaster Historical Society.
Lancaster History Vice President Robin Sarrat supervises all fundraising and marketing, facilities management and work with exhibitions. She likes working with donors, because people who are interested in history make it possible for the society to achieve its goals. Sarrat explains that her key challenge is that their staff is “mid-size” at best, which forces them to creatively maximize their time and efforts—particularly under time constraints. “Organizations like ours,” she says, are always watching the budget to make sure they have enough resources.
In the 2012 edition of the magazine of the American Historical Association, Debbie Anne Doyle writes that small historical societies, “play an important role in in protecting and preserving the historical record and also interpret the past to the public.” She states that the future of local historical societies, “is entwined with the future of the historical profession.”
Doyle explains that the financial crisis at the end of the last decade left historical societies facing, “Draconian budget cuts, while competing for an ever-shrinking pool of private and government grant money.”
Sarratt notes that, “often we are pulling people from other departments, using staff creatively, and exploring paths to diversify income streams.”
Sarratt echoes Heckles’s sentiments about the all the positive response from the local community. “We get really great feedback from the public,” she says. “I think we have a reputation for good customer service and quality programs locally and regionally.”
For instance, Sarratt described encouraging responses to a recent exhibit on the 275 history of St. James Episcopal Church, as well as the African American Heritage Walking Tour.
Lancaster County Historical Society’s “Treasure Journey” Exhibit Photo by Colin Vanden Berg
For Sarratt, the most important duty of he Lancaster Historical and is to, “protect and preserve the stories and histories of Lancaster County, and to educate the people about their history and teaching how to be good citizens.” She further describes that the last point about teaching civics exemplifies a change in the society’s goals over the past decade. Citing growing division in political discourse, she praised steps that the society has taken to better educate the public, such as establishing an education department. She believes that Lancaster history provides unique opportunities for such education, citing the progressive social politics of House Speaker Thaddeus Stevens, and the regressive social politics of President James Buchannan. Buchanan placated the South in the years leading up to the Civil War, while Stevens orchestrated and passed the thirteenth amendment which formally freed the African American slaves.
Excerpts on Lancaster natives James Buchan and Thaddeus Stevens in the “Lancaster in the 60’s exhibit. Photo by Colin Vanden Berg
On November 22, 2019, The Lancaster County Historical Society opened a new exhibit, hosted a lecture, and launched a fundraiser. The Lancaster History website explains that the “Lancaster in the ‘60s” exhibit “examines the issues of conflict, resolution, and protest against the backdrop of four pivotal decades—the 1660’s 1760’s 1860’s, and 1960’s.” It also follows the stories of “ordinary Lancastrians who lived through extraordinary times.”
At 4 p.m—hours after the exhibit opening—Dr. Joshua A. Lunn, assistant professor of Civil War history at Eastern Kentucky University, gave a lecture on how James Buchannan and other Democrats, “influenced the populist politics of racial and gender backlash” which “still echo in modern day American politics.”
At twelve midnight on September 19, the society also launches The Extraordinary Give, a 24-hour digital donation drive.
Speaking before the openings, Sarratt explains that this busy period perfectly exemplifies, “how we use our staff creatively and with teamwork.” Two staffers lead the fundraiser both on-site and on-site, with backup support from two other teammates. “Another three of us,” says Sarratt, the Director of Education, the Assistant Curator, and the Meuseam Associate, will be “holding down the fort for the exhibition opening.”
The Director of Wheatland—James Buchanan’s historical home where the society bases its operations—would manage the lecture, with the help of other colleges assembled using a sign-up app. These colleagues would serve as hosts, parking assistants, and IT roles “to make sure the lecture comes off without a hitch.” The staff comprises 18 members in total.
In Sarratt’s view, “The key to our success is that while everyone has their own responsibilities and accountabilities, we are pretty adaptable and can fill multiple roles.”
Sarratt feels that the Lancaster County Historical meets most of Franklin’s stated functions for a local historical However, she felt that Franklin’s goal of keeping alive “a patriotic regard for local history,” serves little purpose to the Lancaster Society, which concerns itself far more with education than promoting local pride: a function she reserves for larger historical societies with better funds and broader scopes.
Source list
Interviews:
Martha Abel, director of the library and archives Lancaster Historical Society. Face-to-face interview, November 9 2019
Alderson, William T. “The American Association for State and Local History.” Western Historical Quarterly Vol. 1, No. 2 (Apr., 1970). Accessed at https://www.jstor.org/stable/967859?seq=1 November 17 2019
Kellar, Herbert A. “The Functions of a Local Historical Society.” Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society Vol 29, issue 4 Jan 1937. Accessed at https://www.jstor.org/stable/40187464?seq=1 November 17, 2019
Contextual Analysis: This is an ethnography that I wrote for my Advanced Composition class, where I presented myself as both an insider and outsider and explored the culture of neurorehabilitation centers. I observed the neurorehabilitation clinic I have attended since 2011, and complied a report based on observations of group therapy sessions and interviews with clinical staff. This sample shows that I have a willingness and capacity to go the extra mile to explore a topic from all possible angles, and will thus go in the “Dynamic Reporter section of my portfolio where I highlight other skills besides writing that I hope to utilize in my future professions.
Colin Vanden Berg
Engl 311
Ethnographic Essay Draft 2
Living with Two Birth Dates: The Culture of Neuro-rehabilitation Clients
The human brain divided by function (image courtesy of Wikipedia.
On April 6, 2011, I spoke what I now consider to be my first words: “Hi Mom, they put this thing in my mouth, and now I can talk, and I want a slushy.” “They” were my doctors, and “this thing” was a Passy-Muir Valve[i], which enabled me to speak for the first time following my massive stroke and three-month coma. Until that day, I had no reason to learn of the complex and underrepresented world of rehabilitation therapy. Over the course my recovery process, I have come to learn a great deal about the subculture of rehabilitation clinics.
A thorough analysis of clinical neurorehabilitation may shed some light on this underrepresented subculture. My observation of the local neurological rehabilitation Clinic Acadia, as well as secondary research, provided me with a fresh perspective on the key issues, needs and concerns of clients and therapists of this subculture.
Preconceptions
I have received rehabilitation therapy at Acadia since October 2011. Due in part to my youth, I attained an uncommonly sophisticated comprehension of my own impairments—and the general rehab process—considering the severity of my brain injury.
I can only speculate as to the public perceptions and misconceptions of my subculture, as I have not interviewed any true outsiders. I suppose that most people are as oblivious to the details of clinical subculture as I was pre-injury. To my knowledge, the most enduring cultural image of neurological-rehabilitation clinics is the film One Flew Over The Cuckoo’sNest[ii].The film follows McMurphy, a man who admits himself into such a clinic. McMurphy ingratiates himself with the other clients, and a mutual respect forms between them. However, as the clients gain a greater sense of self-worth, the domineering head nurse, Nurse Ratchet, asserts greater control over the clients and clinic practices. Ultimately, McMurphy is lobotomized for his attempt at Nurse Ratchet’s life. I can conclusively say that there are no Nurse Ratchets at Acadia, and as a whole the culture at Acadia is vastly more inclusive. However, I will discuss the few similarities between the film’s representation of clinic culture and the culture of Acadia during my Key Issues section of this paper.
Brain Injury Facts and Statistics
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to living brain tissue, sustained through head trauma. An acquired brain injury (ABI), which is sustained after normal development, is an insult to the brain which results in impairment of brain function.[iii] For clarification, my brain injury was acquired, because I sustained it during surgery rather than via a blow to the head. In contrast, Brett, an Acadia client, revealed via interview that his brain injury was sustained in a motor-vehicle accident.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 1.7 million Americas sustain a TBI annually. Of them, 52,000 die, 275,000 are hospitalized, and nearly 80%, are treated and released from an emergency department. TBI rates for higher in males than females. Children aged 0 to four, adolescents aged 15 to 19, and adults aged 65 and older are most likely than other groups to sustain a brain injury. [iv]
Acadia: Site Description and Rituals:
Acadia has three entrance doors, each on the same side of the building, which faces out against the highway. On the wall to the left of the center door is a small motion detector. Waving your hand in front of this sensor opens the door to the Media Room, which is the main entrance for clients. The Media Room also doubles as a primary location for group therapy sessions. When clients enter the room, to their immediate right is a coat-rack placed adjacent to the wall. Taped to many of the coat-hangers are name-tags for frequent clients. Placed against the wall to the left are cubes, which are labeled by name of the corresponding clients. These cubes can be used as storage for the clients, and also contain each client’s weekly schedule. These papers tell the clients when they have scheduled appointments with individual cognitive therapists. These schedules may also include the times for group therapy sessions which the clients are scheduled to attend.
According to the official website, services at Acadia include: “neuropsychology, cognitive rehabilitation therapy, counseling and behavior management, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy.”[v] Clients are scheduled for one-hour therapy sessions depending on their needs. For example, clients are only scheduled for physical therapy if they have significant physical impairments such as the need to use a wheelchair.
Laurie, a cognitive rehabilitation therapist, explains that cognitive rehabilitation therapists “work individually with clients to develop strategies to achieve their individual goals.” These goals depend on the individual client. Based on my experience and what I have heard from therapists, speech therapy covers a wide range of executive functioning tasks, as well as treating impaired language capabilities which some people acquire following brain injuries.
Physiological/Behavioral therapy is the most personal of the individual therapies and involves private one-on sessions between the client and a certified counselor. These sessions focus more on emotional health than cognitive health and help the client with strategies for coping with—and gaining acceptance of—the various instances in which the client’s injury impacted their life. The group therapy sessions I observed included Martial Arts Group, Card Sharks, as well as a group which I do not believe had a name, and instead was listed as a company.
Common Symptoms and Other Defining Features
The symptoms—and the severity of those symptoms—vary drastically among people with brain injuries.The chapter “Variables Contributing to Neurological and Neurobehavioral Recovery” in the book Cognitive Rehabilitation: An Integrative NeuropsychologicalApproach [vi] offered insight into why different clients can demonstrate various degrees of cognitive abilities.
According to the chapter, the optimal age for recovery from a brain injury is young adults, because a brain injury can cause further complications to a child’s brain—which is still developing—or to an older person, whose body is experiencing the debilitative effects associated with aging. Also, intelligence and education levels prior to injury can impact the level and impairment, as well as possibly the individual’s aptitude for, and engagement in, recovery-related activities. [iv] Most of the clients studied reportedly had at least had a high school education. Some clients do not have a high school diploma, some have a college diploma or some college education, and at least one has a Masters’ Degree.
Clients manifest these symptoms and others in a variety of ways, and the degrees to which clients adapt to these impairments often depend on a number of factors. Sarah, a cognitive therapist, distinguishes between “high function” and “low functioning” clients. The majority of the clients in the group therapy sessions which I observed fit into the high-functioning category. These groups included clients who were young adults, as well as some slightly older clients who at the very least could follow the instructions of the clinical staff with minimal difficulty.
Linda, a cognitive therapist at Acadia, identified three common symptoms which manifest in most clients with brain injuries.
Memory
In the groups I observed, some clients so sometimes asked the therapists/interns leading the groups to repeat instructions. Oftentimes therapists who led the groups would begin the hour by reviewing the activities of the previous session. “According to Linda, “[memory impairments] can play out in a variety of ways but many TBI/ABI clients benefit from goals addressing adaptive memory strategies.”
Executive Functioning
Second, clients commonly exhibit “impairments in “executive functioning skills like planning and problem-solving” “Goals [which address these impairments are] related to helping clients establish then practice specific, sequential-step procedures to implement when planning functional tasks and processing every-day problems.”All of the groups I observed addressed these functional goals in various ways. For example, Card Sharks group is a staff-supervised opportunity for clients to sit together and play various card and/or board games. When I observed the Card Sharks group, the clients sat on two different circular tables. Linda and staff intern Adam helped them set up a game of Monopoly at one table, and a game of Things at the other table, which was supervised by one of the Occupational Therapists. During my observation, the clients who played the game Things required a few explanations to make sure everyone at the table understood the rules. Once they got the hang of the game, however, they played it enthusiastically, with no side conversations taking place. According to Adam, “I have seen that the clients work on complex tasks and problem-solving within the context of these games. These factors are all helpful in other parts of their lives and the goal is for them to learn to apply these experiences and skills in their daily lives.”
Social Behaviors
The third common symptom or feature which Linda describes is “maladaptive social behavior that interferes with daily functioning,” She explains that clients often exibit behaviors like asking others very personal questions or sharing too much personal information, “hyper-verbosity, becoming argumentative or angry at perceived slights as well as other types of behavior that are characterized by a lack of restraint.”.
While I observed the game of Things, which was running smoothly, I noticed a disruption at the other table. The clients were arguing over one client’s choice to listen to music on a personal music player while participating in the game. The argument escalated to the point that the dissenting client slammed the table and walked out of the door.
The behavior of the client who argued over music offered a first-hand example of exactly the kind of behavior Linda describes. Adam said he did not experience incidents such as that one often; however, Linda said that “Incidents where clients become upset with staff occur fairly frequently.”
According to Linda, groups such as Card Sharks “provide a setting to practice and implement social skills discussed in other groups. There are naturally occurring opportunities for therapists to remind clients to use or consider specific ways to interact or respond to a variety of social interaction scenarios like disagreements, hurt feelings, perceived insults etc. [Also,] many people have difficulty finding, initiating and pursuing leisure activities so a group of this type provides examples and practice with finding socially acceptable recreational activities.” According to Adam, “First, [groups such as Card Sharks] allow the clients to socialize while playing. They also work towards certain goals within games, either as a team or individually.”
For privacy reasons I was not permitted to observe individual sessions besides my own, so my research focused on group therapy sessions, of which there are several varieties. The group therapy sessions I observed besides Card Sharks included Martial Arts Group, as well as a group which I do not believe had a name, and instead was listed as a company.
Needs/Concerns of Neurological-Rehab Clients
Clients who attend rehabilitation clinics such as Acadia have a variety of needs which are addressed by the clinical staff and even the design of the building.
Physical Needs
Sarah, a cognitive therapist, described several of these concerns to me. Perhaps the most apparent of these concerns is the physical needs of many clients. Brain injuries can cause several physical disabilities. While physical therapy can assist clients in regaining some of these capabilities, many clients cannot move without the use of a wheelchair. Sarah explains that wheelchair use is a consideration in group planning, particularly when planning group outings for residential and day treatment clients. For example, extra time for loading clients wheel-chair-bound onto the vans is accounted for. As described in the “Description of Acadia” section, the door to the client entrance features a sliding door and motion sensor so clients in wheelchairs can enter without assistance. Also, the door leading to the Media Room can be accessed via a ramp on the left side of the building as well as via a set of steps. Another common physical need which the clinic addresses is the ability to easily address medical emergencies. The staff nurse and all therapists are aware of any medications which clients need to take. The therapists can assist clients if they need help or reminders to take their medication. Sarah describes “spontaneous medical needs” which may occur with clients who have falls due to impaired balance or impaired vision.
Lost Independence
Perhaps the most pressing need and concern for clients with brain injuries is the loss of independence. According to Sarah, clients often need to re-learn how to perform basic tasks such as bathing and some clients continue to need reminders to—and/or assistance with—bathing, dressing, brushing teeth, and doing laundry among other tasks. Sarah emphasizes that such assistance is not meant to create dependency, but to promote learning for eventual independent living. “We don’t want to create an institution; we want to create a life.”
A key example of this independence issue from my observations occurred in “Let’s be Independent” group, which was labeled as a company. Maggie, a psychological/behavioral therapist led the group. She openly discussed issues related to independence with the clients. As part of a larger discussion about independence, he spoke with Colleen, a client who receives part time-services, works part-time, and lives in the clinic’s residential building. Maggie explained to Colleen that she could only work so much until it becomes monetarily unsustainable to keep her in the residence given her infrequent attendance. At a certain point the clinic’s budgeting office may decide that she no longer needs residential services, because her working would show a level of independence that would imply that 24-hour care would no longer be necessary. I got the impression that Colleen understood what Maggie was saying, and that she would heed Maggie’s advice to scale back on either work or volunteering. Maggie informs me that there is significant need for an intermediate level of service for people who no longer need 24-hour care but don’t have the resources to live independently.
Key Issues:
Imposed Schedule
The first key which I noticed was the clients’ strict schedule. These schedules are arranged the preceding week, and clients are expected to follow these schedules almost exactly as they are written. The clients I spoke to did not seem to have any difficulties with follow their schedules, or concerns over the expectation that will go where—and do what—the piece of paper tells them to do. “I just go with flow, man,” says Mr. Dude. Molly Ross, another client, said, “I like when the schedules change. The current format with more community outings helps me a lot.” Jason, another client, said, “I’m aware that I have the ability to question [the schedule], but I trust that the team here to do what’s best for me.”
Expected compliance
Another key issue I noted was the staff’s hope and expectation that the clients would cooperate with them concerning any aspect of their care. Linda’s statement that disagreements between clients and staff—such as the incident in Card Sharks group—happen regularly indicated to me a culture with a clear hierarchy. This element of the culture is the only resemblance I noted between modern clinic culture and the environment shown in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In the film, the clients are required to follow the instructions of the staff. The key difference between the film and the culture at Acadia is the increased level of control that clients at rehab clinics have gained over their own care. According to Acadia clinical director Anne Howenwater, clients have much greater influences over their own treatment practices than they did in 1970’s when the film was produced. For example, unlike McMurphy, whose lobotomy was dictated by Nurse Ratchet, modern clients have the right to refuse services, and even assist in the drafting of their own therapy goals. Jason’s awareness of his own client rights demonstrates this change in clinic culture compared to the time of the famous film.
Final Assessment
According to Clinical Director Anne Howenwater, Acadia is a “community-integrated provider of clinical day-treatment services for adults with post-acute brain injury and neuro-developmental disorders.” By noting community-integrated services, Anne is providing contrast to past practices, specifically the environment depicted in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. “There has been a huge trend towards home and community based programs as opposed to hospitals like in the film. People with disabilities aren’t housed or segregated from the community,” she says. The clients I interviewed particularly enjoyed the community-integrated element of Acadia’s services. For Instance, client Molly Ross said that “I like community outings because they help me look for a job.”
While rehabilitation and community re-integration was discussed by both clients and staff, Anne tells me that Acadia is not a true vocational rehab clinic. “Many of our day-treatment and residential clients require services over the long-term to maintain the skills they have post-injury, so they stay in our program for years, with life-long funding through the Medicaid waivers to support that. Of the top of my head, I believe our annual discharge rate for all clients total is around 10%….only 4 clients were discharged, out of 63 people receiving services in 2016.”
True vocational rehab clinics do exist, but as I could only study Acadia I don’t know if the culture at these clinics is the same or different. In a study of a vocational rehab clinic for clients with brain injuries, in England, (Foy, Catherine M. L.). Over half the clients in the study had attained a positive vocational outcome (working or receiving formal education and/or work training one-to-nine years post-discharge). Anne said that Acadia does not follow up on clients post-discharge, so I could not make comparable claims about my field-site. Overall, however, I got the impression that clients at rehabilitation clinics had reason to be optimistic about their lives post-injury.
Despite Acadia’s low discharge numbers, it was my impression that the clients I observed were overall quite satisfied with the care offered by the rehab clinic. Indeed, clients like Brett and Molly-Ross were optimistic that through their rehabilitation at the clinic, they could one day lead happy and independent lives.
[i] Support, SiteExecutive. “Tracheostomy and a Passy-Muir Valve.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, Based in Baltimore, Maryland. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 08 Apr. 2016. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.
[ii] Milos Forman, director. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Warner Brothers, 1975.
[iv] Site Admin. “Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: A Report to Congress.” PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2010, doi:10.1037/e721212007-001. Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.
[v] Site Admin. “About Acadia.” Avbout Us | Acadia Inc. AcadiaInc., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017.
[vi] Mateer, Catherine A. “Variables Contributing to Neurological and Neurobehavioral Revovery.”Cognitive Rehabilitation: An Integrative Neuropsychological Approach. By McKay Moore Salberg. 2nd ed. New York: Gulford, 2001. 59-83. Print.
Contextual Analysis: Since one of my career goals is to be an editor of a publication, I decided to include a sample of some editing revisions I made into my portfolio section titled: Analytic Thinker. I’ve redacted the name of the writer to be on the safe side, but I did get permission from that person to use the edits in my portfolio. Right now, I have it as two separate documents, but I intend to combine them into one document with visible edits.
This is an example of my copy-editing style. (Image courtesy of Pixnio).
CopyEdit Sample 1, edited March 3 2020
The coronavirus isn’t an excuse to be racist
By: Redacted
On January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency due to the coronavirus. This virus, first detected in China, spread to over 50 countries, the United States included. This has caused Chinese people and others of Asian descent to be on the receiving end of verbal and physical attacks. In light of the situation, it is still inexcusable to be racist.
Newspapers and news stations continue to report on the verbal abuse Chinese American citizens have been facing in the past month since the coronavirus outbreak began. In New York City, a man verbally assaulted a Chinese woman who was wearing a facemask, and called her and all Chinese people diseased. On a subway in Los Angeles, a man started yelling, claiming that Chinese people are filthy and that all diseases have come from China. Beyond being inaccurate, this verbal abuse eventually escalates and leads to physical attacks on Asians.
According to CNN, a 23-year-old Chinese man was physically assaulted in London because of his race. After getting punched in the face, Jonathan Mok, received a few fractures and may even need to get reconstructive surgery to fix the damage.
All of these hate crime attacks occurred because of the xenophobic mindset surrounding those fearful of the coronavirus.
Financially, Chinese restaurants have also taken a blow from the racist accusations. There has been a decline in foot traffic visiting Chinese businesses in both Los Angeles and New York City. Locals as well as tourists have been refraining from visiting these shops out of fear and ignorance, worried they will contract a disease that is not there. Chinatowns and other Asian communities are not harboring this virus. Merchants have been getting hit and some have even had to close their businesses because of lack of customers.
America claims to be about acceptance, yet it doesn’t seem accepting to lash out at a group of people based on misinformation and fear. Anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, can contract the coronavirus. Chinese Americans aren’t any more susceptible to it compared to any other race. It is ignorant to believe that they are automatically carriers of this new virus.
It is inexcusable to be hateful towards people who can’t control the outbreak that has been occurring since the end of January. The coronavirus may be a threat to the public, but Chinese citizens are not.
Copy Edit Sample 1 Revisions, edited March 3, 2020
The coronavirus isn’t an excuse to be racist
By: Redacted
On January 30, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency due to the coronavirus. This virus, first detected in China, spread to over 50 countries including the United States. This spread has caused Chinese people and others of Asian descent to be on the receiving end of verbal and physical attacks. Considering the situation, it is still inexcusable to be racist.
Newspapers and news stations continue to report on the verbal abuse that Chinese American citizens have been facing in the past month since the coronavirus outbreak began. NBC News reported in February that in New York City, a man verbally assaulted a Chinese woman who was wearing a facemask and called her and all Chinese people diseased. CNN highlighted a subway in Los Angeles, when a man started yelling that Chinese people are filthy and that all diseases have come from China. Basilides being inaccurate, this verbal abuse eventually escalates and leads to physical attacks on Asians.
According to CNN, a 23-year-old Chinese man was physically assaulted in London because of his race. After getting punched in the face, Jonathan Mok, received a few fractures and may even need to get reconstructive surgery to fix the damage.
All these hate-fueled attacks occurred because of the xenophobic mindset surrounding those fearful of the coronavirus.
Financially, Chinese restaurants have also taken a blow from the racist accusations. The Guardian and the New York Times report a recent decline in foot traffic visiting Chinese businesses in both Los Angeles and New York City. Locals as well as tourists have been refraining from visiting these shops out of fear and ignorance, worried they will contract a disease that is not there. Chinatowns and other Asian communities are not harboring this virus. Merchants have been getting hit and some have even had to close their businesses because of lack of customers.
America claims to be about acceptance, yet it doesn’t seem accepting for Americans to lash out at a group of people based on misinformation and fear. Anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, can contract the coronavirus. Chinese Americans aren’t any more susceptible to it compared to any other race. It is ignorant to believe that they are automatically carriers of this new virus.
It is inexcusable to be hateful towards people who can’t control the outbreak that has been occurring since the end of January. The coronavirus may be a threat to the public, but Chinese citizens are not.
Contextual Framework: I plan to place this sample in my “Analytical Thinker” tab, because it shows that I can craft an original thesis and support it well. I’d like to add some context on the literary work that I’m analyzing and a few other adjustments to the writing, but I feel that this work showcases my research abilities and to use sources effectively: both of which are necessary skills for journalists.
“Cunewulf and Cyneheard” is an an ancient Anglo-Saxon story that I critiqued (image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
“Cynewulf and Cynrheard” is a narrative piece—typically referred to as an annal—found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle which has garnered ample critical attention in the almost one thousand years since its publication. The story is a description of three different kings of Wessex, and the bloody history of how the throne passed from Sighebright to Cynewulf and finally Cyneheard. Despite the story’s enduring dramatics, the most interesting elements of “Cynewulf And Cyneheard,” from the perspective of modern critical literacy analysis, are considered inconsequential by the original author: the secondary characters that offer greater dramatic impact and thematic intrigue than the primary characters of the story.
Before analyzing “Cynewulf and Cynaheard” for plot, character, and theme, it’s necessary to state the criteria for analysis that will be utilized. According to literary theorist Peter Barry, “[in structuralist critique,] we are looking for factors [such as parallels, reflections, and patterns], and we expect to find them in parts of the tale [such as plot, structure, character/motive, and situation/circumstance.]”[i] Although the annal was written centuries before the advent of modern literary criticism, the story, characters, and themes are universal enough to allow for criticism in the vein of modern structuralists.
Following the structuralist school of analysis, leads to the conclusion that Cynawulf’s guards; the nameless swineherd, Cynewulf’s retainer Osric, Cyneewulf’s mistress, all play significant roles in the story—and offer insights into the work’s themes—despite the author’s limited devotion to establishing/exploring their characters.
The story of Cynewulf and Cyneheard begins with Cynewulf’s deposition of the king Sigebryht following Sigebryht’s murder of his closest advisor (alderman),[ii] according to James Wilson, contributor to Papers on Language and Literature. Sigebryht dies after being driven to a forest, where he is murdered by a swineherd seeking revenge for the slain alderman. Cynewulf then rules successfully for 31 years, until an incident in which he absconds with a nameless woman. The king has with him only a small band or warriors, who appear to be separated from him. This turn of events gives Sigebryht’s brother Cyneheard the chance to corner Cynewulf and have him killed.
Hearing the screams of the woman, Cynewulf’s men arrive at the house, and this group of guards is slain or captured by Cyneheard’s men. A second group of thanes (retainers)—led by his alderman Osric—arrives the next day. After refusing Cyneheard’s bribes—and his warnings against killing their captured fellow retainers—Osric and his thanes slay Cyneheard.
Wilson supposes that Cynewulf, Cyneheard, and Sigebryht are all related by blood, and that Cyneheard was likely next in line for the throne before Cynewulf’s uprising. The relationship between the kings explains their worthiness for the throne, and motivations. However, this explanation offers little insight into their characters or connection to the themes of the story.
The story of the three kings represents several themes, which their story alone is not enough to fully demonstrate. As Wilson explains, many scholars focus on the themes of “comitatus” (loyalty to a lord),1 as on two separate occasions Cynewulf’s retainers refuse Cyneheard’s offers of riches in exchange for their silence; a decision which costs most of them their lives. Wilson, however, gives little thought to the retainers and more on the major characters: the kings. He argues that the anonymous author of story chose to highlight that specific instance of royal conflict as warning against instability in the time of King Alfred.1 All three men, he says, are guilty of some crime unbefitting a king: Sigebryht of treachery, Cynewulf of “usurpation…wrath and lust,”1 and Cyneheard of faulty leadership and resorting to petty bribery. Thus, they are doomed to their fates.
While the story of the three kings is perhaps the most dramatic, it in fact offers little in the advancement of the theme of comitatus. Each king acts as a cautionary tale to a certain degree, but only one of them betrays comitatus (i.e. Sigebryht, when he kills his loyal servant).
While Wilson mentions “comitatus,” as a trait which the narrative praises, he neglects to clarify which characters actually exemplify these characteristics. The first is the swineheard, who slays Sigebryht due to loyalty to the alderman that Sigebryht slays. Wilson describes Sigebryht’s fate as the most “ignoble”1 of the three kings but does not elaborate on why. Sigebryht’s death at the hands of a peasant is perhaps the most significant warning against betraying commitatus in the entire work. The swineheard receives no name, and only a slight backstory in his unexplained familiarity with the alderman that Sigebryht slew. Nevertheless, the swineherd influences the story to a greater extent than Sigebryht does.
The swineherd is the first character in the story to truly demonstrate comitatus by displaying loyalty to the lord whom Sigebryht presumably betrayed. Thus, the swinheard exemplifies theme greater than any of the kings, the erstwhile protagonists. This trait—coupled with his decisive and plot-affecting action—make the swineherd a more interesting and important character to the story than Sigebryht, or even Cynaheard. Although Sigebryht sets the story in motion by betraying commitatus, his motivations are less clear than the nameless swineherd.
The same sense of comitatus can be ascribed to the lords who fought to avenge Cynewulf. They refuse Cyneheard’s bribes—and pleas to not harm their captured kinsman, because their lord was “more beloved”1 to them than treasure, or even their fellow thanes. As David Mathisen explains in his Master’s thesis on the cultural traditions present in Anglo-Saxon literature, lords and thanes form the ‘comitatus,’ or ‘body of retainers,’” in which there was a reciprocal relation between lord and his band of warriors: the retainers give their service to the king in exchange for gifts of weapons, armor, and banquets.[iii] The king’s retainers—according to Mathisen’s reading of a famous text—are obliged protect their king for fear of “lifelong infamy (strong societal negative sanction)””iii for anyone who outlives their king because they retreated from battle. While the nameless guards and retainers of the king receive no defining characteristics, their motivations for fighting to the death for their king are more clearly stated in the text than Sigebryht’s motivations to execute his closest advisor.
Of the king’s retainers, the only named character is Osric, whom Wilson infers inherits the throne due to likely being second in command to Cynewulf. Wilson reaches this conclusion because Osric was sent to stay behind, away from the king. Osric embodies the themes of comitatus just as much as the kings’ guards, and—unlike them—was important enough to the story to receive a name.
As Wilson explains: “[Osric] is in a way the hero, but…in spite of the fact that he represents order and authority he is a relatively uninteresting character.” While all these assertions/assumptions about Osric are most likely true, given what little explanations there are; contrary to Wilson’s assessment, Osric has all the makings of an interesting character. He is the leader of Cynewulf’s retainers, and presumably the key decision-maker and most loyal of all said retainers. In fact, Wilson posits that Osric’s thin characterization serves the story: “the joy vicariously shared in his victory over violence is not nearly so intense as the sadness at the deaths of Cynewulf and Cyneheard.”1 In other words, by modern standards Oscric is the perfect supporting character, whose role enhances the character arcs of the protagonists.
Oscric is arguably a more active presence in the story than Cynewulf, whose main function is to be betrayed by his own vices and die. Cynewulf is presumably a good king, but it his status—and not his actions—that drives the plot of the story. The author however, declined to give him any defining characteristics that would befit his integral role in the narrative.
The last influential supporting character is the nameless woman who Cynewulf visits—and therefore makes himself vulnerable. In Philological Quarterly, Nina Rulon-Miller explains that the work’s use of the ambiguous pronoun wifcyʠʠe to describe the woman in Cynawulf’s company has led to multiple interpretations concerning her role in the story.[iv] Citing another critic, Rulon-Miller explains that ‘while wif’ “is normally a neutral term, later critics tended to interpret the term as referring to Cynawulf’s concubine or mistress after the work was translated into Latin.
Rulon-Miller describes the use ‘wif’ in the compound in wifcyppe’ as “disturbing”” because “it speaks of the woman as an event, not as an active and independent character [as is the case with] Cynewulf and Cyneheard, or Osric…”ii Rulon-Miller later cites another critic by describing the how the term ‘wif’ in the Anglo-Saxon vernacular changed from an exclusively he term ‘wif’ evolved from an exclusively neutral term to include more sexually explicit variation; mainly due to the influence of Christianity on Anglo-Saxon culture. For example, the compound word ‘wifcuppe’ combines with the term for ‘concubine.’ Rulon-Miller poses the question of what exactly the woman’s relationship is to Cynawulf. She also describes how the annals’ many ambiguities in the syntax, grammar, and descriptions create crotocal confusion and divergent translations.
Rulon-Miller concludes that the because the ambiguous language—particularly various possible translations of the phrase ‘wifes geboerum’ (the woman’s screams/outcry, or alternately, ‘the woman’s behavior/attitude’)—make perfectly valid the possibility that the woman played an more active role in the story in the story previous interpretations suggest.
The legitimacy of interpretations like Rulon-Miller’concerning the nameless woman’s actions/motives s illustrates why the woman represents another character worthy of a stronger depiction than the annal provides. She plays an integral part in the story, by acting not only as the catalyst for events; but also the reason that Cynawulf’s men respond as quickly as they do to his murder.
For the sake of this analysis, the woman will be understood as Cynawulf’s mistress, who clearly views him affectionately due her actions being severe enough to alert Cynawulf’s men; who were not in the village at the time of his assassination. The true nature of her actions won’t be guessed at; however, her affection for Cynawulf can be inferred by his choice to visit her unguarded, and by her outcry carrying enough volume/anguish to reach the ears of Cynawulf’s retainers.
The woman therefore joins the swineherd and Osric as characters more instrumental to the narrative than Cynawulf himself. Her motivations are the least known of the three, but her direct relationship to Cynawulf designates her as character worthy of further discussion. In Rulon-Miller’s translation of the annal, the woman’s screams caused the nearby soldiers to come to the king’s aid “each as he got ready and as quickly as possible.”iv The alacrity at which the nearby guards prepared for combat lends credence to Rulon-Miller’s interpretation that the woman was a more active participant in this story than most criticisms would suggest.
“Cynewulf and Cyneheard: at its core, is a story about three kings—Sigebryht Cynewulf, and Cyneheard—and they ways they each fell to their respective dooms. However, of these kings the only one receiving anything resembling a character arc or more than one defining characteristic is Cynewulf. However, using techniques of character analysis described by Barry, it can be determined that Cynewulf’s motivations, traits, and relationship to theme pales in comparison to several ostensibly minor characters such as his own retainers and mistress. Sigebryht and Cyneheard, meanwhile, embody interesting characteristics only through their relationship to the characters of the swineherd, Cynewulfs, guard, and Osric.
Cynewulf’s mistress, for example, presumably shares his motivations of desire/intimacy, but the very enigma of her character offers more intrigue than even Cynewulf’s unexplained reasons for his dalliance or even the fact of his apparently successful reign.
Furthermore, Osric also prves himself a character worthy of greater explanation by his pivotal role in the story and his greater illustration of the theme of comitatus than Cynewulf himself. Cynewulf’s loyal guards share this trait, but to a lesser extent.
Finally, the humble swineherd proves himself to be just as much of an enigma as Cynawulf’s mistress. He also exemplifies the theme of comitatus, and his backstory is and connection to Sighebright’s advisor highlights—perhaps more than any character in the annal—how richly full of unexplored potential “Cynewulf and Cyneheard” really is.
[i] Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Third ed. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2009. P. 51. Print
[ii] Wilson, James. “”Cynewulf and Cyneheard:” The Fall of Princes”. Papers on Langauge and Literature.” Vol. 13 , Issue 3, 1997, pp. 312-318.
[iii] Mathisen, David. Words, Deeds, and the Combat decision in old English Literature. 2001.Texas A&M University. Masters Thesis..
[iv] Rulon-Miller, Nina. “”Cynewulf and Cyneheard”: A Woman Screams.” Philological Quarterly, vol. 76, 1997, pp. p113-132.
Colin Vanden Berg Digital Portfolio 