KC

**"The Vietnam War Changed My Life": an interview with Dr. Christian Wilhjelm** Dr. Wilhjelm sat down, hands clasped together - casual yet respectful - right next to me. His friendly smile set up a mood of comfort; I eased my way in to the first question. I can tell from the beginning that **[|the Vietnam War]** was more than an experience, more than history. The war affected the person he has become. Dr. Bill is the concert and marching band conductor at Pascack Hills High School. He, also, takes part in performing with professional musicians, as well as conducting them at the **[|Ridgewood Concert Band]**. He is also very passionate about learning; his favorite subject being history (doubtful Vietnam War is a fun topic to go over in class with him). Being an avid learner, the fact that the Vietnam war drastically changed much of Dr. Bill's high school and college years is one he can not forgive Vietnam for, much like Tim O'Brien. O'Brien was drafted around that time of transition from high school to college similar to Dr. Bill. "I graduated from high school in '68, and **[|'68]** seemed to be a very big year in the war . It was a full blown war at that point," he answered scrunching his face and nodding his head shamefully. Throughout much of the interview, Dr. Bill gazed off in to the distance lost in memory. He fished out a story about a classmate from his jumble of memories and shared with a timid voice. "I remember very well for a classmate, Phil Hassen was his name..." (he was very good at remembering all the names and specific events down to its little details). "...so I remember very vividly, that tree planting ceremony, and that was for a guy we all knew," The pain and sorrow that the war brought in his life was fully apparent on his face and body language. Phil was not a classmate he knew personally, just a face he saw at another desk. Even though they were not close friends, the loss of his distant classmate still affected him very much. Looking down to the floor, his usually loud and optimistic voice was no where to be found. At first, taken aback by the different side of my band conductor, I hesitated for a split second of continuing on. Luckily, Dr. Bill continued to share his experience despite the unpleasant memories. His life, he claims, would be completely different if the Vietnam War did not happen. If there was no war, there would not have been riots, protests, or anger. "I think anybody who was in college, at that time, had the greatest impact," **[|The riots]** full of hate, anger, and disapproval of the war bothered his studies. Nonetheless, Dr. Bill, himself, took part in these protest marches. A huge protest march in Boston - involving all colleges and universities in the Boston area - is an **[|event]** Dr. Bill could never erase from his mind. Even after numerous decades, he was able to list the route the students had taken along with all the schools they stopped at. The hectic day, he claims, was exciting yet angry at the same time. "All classes were cancelled, no student showed up so what was the point?" he chuckled for the first time during the interview, but he did so in such a way that it was clear how he felt about the war today: bitter. As he listed all the schools, the routes, the actions, and the emotion apparent in the march, every word dropped to the ground with immense weight. Although the march was exciting and rowdy, it was not a happy time; war was not a happy time. Clearly, the effect of the war on a civilian compared to that of a soldier is different. If the same questions were asked in an interview with Tim O'Brien, author of **[|The Things They Carried]**, fragments of his memories would flash through his head. Dr. Bill, on the other hand, has complete films of memories that play over and over again. His memory of the Vietnam War is a complete movie, safely kept throughout those numerous years, never faded away. Dr. Bill's opinion on the actual combat of war itself is also different from the way Tim O'Brien views war. "...in order to win that war, we were bombing cities and villages of, you know, village people. We were doing a lot of things that were...**[|immoral]** ." He says that if, ever, a draft had happened where he had the option to fight or not, he wouldn't, and he couldn't fight in the war. And this decision, he stated proudly and firmly. Oddly, O'Brien, a veteran, would think such a statement as cowardly and unpatriotic. O'Brien thought he had to go to war because it was the right decision; Dr. Bill thought he couldn't go to war because it was inhumane (makes me wonder what Dr. Bill would've said if he were to have gone to Vietnam to fight). Dr. Bill's response could very well be similar to Tim O'Brien's if Dr. Bill had actually fought in the war. He told me about his friends who were part of the military band to show their patriotism, but even the activity that enlightens his life, music, could not draw him to combat. As Dr. Bill saw the horrors of the war through television, newspapers, and other means of communication, he was never affected deeply to an extent that O'Brien had felt. O'Brien was around these pictures, videos, and tales constantly. The instant he woke up as a soldier, he was prepared for murder. Dr. Bill would wake up, safely in his bed, as a civilian, he was prepared for ordinary life. It would be unfair and unjust to point fingers at one specific type of persuasion that affected a soldier differently than a civilian, but it is very apparent that two sides of the war are very different from each other. The man at war: broken. The man at home: angry.

**VIDEO**

 This video is a compilation of clips from the Vietnam War. These clips show bombs dropped from American planes. You can see that these bombs are not landing just on military bases, but in villages and cities; normal everyday citizens were being killed as well. This is the kind of immorality that Dr. Bill is so against. media type="youtube" key="4KIvAXPEcaE" height="344" width="425"

**PODCAST**

 This is a **[|podcast]** recorded in the year of 2007. On that exact date this podcast was created, in 1968 there was a Democratic Party Convention. The speaker discusses the issues raised at the convention, which shows the nation's mood and concerns of that time. Although Vietnam War was the dominating subject, there were other happenings in the country that further added to the people's concerns for the US.

=1984 Lesson Plans =

   > >>>   >>>
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">BOOK 1: Importance of Language **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Standard **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> __Speaking 3.A.2. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Support, modify, or refute a position in small or large-group discussions. __
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Expectations **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">My group would understand how important freedom of speech is to a person
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">My grop will be able to understand why language and thought is so carefully watched in 1984
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">My group will be able to connect the importance of language from the book to events today
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Materials **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Laptop
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Google Docs
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Opening **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">First, we will read the small excerpt from a website I found discussing the protection of certan rights.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">available on Google Docs
 * http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgj38vrh_68z9p8j8dh
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Middle **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">After reading the article, we will discuss the importance of language and freedom of speech in 1984
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">How does the oppression of freedom of speech oppress the freedom to think
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">If relevant, connect to doublethink
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Examples of doublethink in the book?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Recent examples of doublethink in history?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">How does having the freedom of speech free a person?
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Ending **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">End with a reflection
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">worksheet (printed)

** BOOK 2: The Detrimental Price For Technology: Reality or Fiction? ** >>   __ >>  __ >  >>>>  >>  >>>  >>>  >>>  >>>  >>>  >>>  >>>>  >>  >>>  >>  >>>   **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">BOOK 3: "My Way or the Highway"  **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> >> __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> > >>  >>> >> >>> >>> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"> >> >>> >>> >>>> >> >>> >> >>  >>>
 * __** Standard  **__
 * __ Writing 3.B.1    Analyzing characteristics, structures, tone, and features of language of selected genres and apply this knowledge to own writing.
 * __ Reading 3.G.1 Identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize the central ideas in informational texts
 * __ Speaking 3.A.2  [|Support, modify, or refute a position in small or large-group discussions.]__
 * __** Expectations  **__
 * Students will be able to fully understand the logic behind the government's decisions
 * Students will be able to connect to the book better and feel as if they are a part of the book
 * Students will be able to analyze the characters and study them more closely
 * __** Materials  **__
 * Laptop
 * Book for reference
 * __** Opening  **__
 * First, the class will read an article explaining the difficulty of protecting certain freedoms as technology grows and advances.
 * http://www.eff.org/about/history
 * After reading, the class will discuss one general question
 * Is it possible to maintain one's freedoms in a technologically advanced world in the future?
 * __** Middle  **__
 * Discussion from the opening will switch its focus to the novel with this question
 * Does the difficulty of keeping one's freedoms apply in the book 1984?
 * Discussion will then lead in to the different kinds of characters in the book
 * Winston
 * Julia
 * Thoughtpolice
 * "Big Brother"
 * O'Brien
 * Average Comrades
 * They will organize this on a worksheet available on google docs
 * http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgj38vrh_72d4vxc8c8
 * Rewrite a constitution in the view of certain characters
 * each student may be assigned a specific character from the book
 * or each student will be assigned to a specific characteristic
 * __** Ending  **__
 * Compare the constitution created to the constitution of the United States
 * Through technological advances in the US, do you think this constitution we created might become a reality?
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Standard **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Speaking 3.A.2. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Support, modify, or refute a position in small or large-group discussions.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Reading 3.G.1 Identify, describe, evaluate, and synthesize the central ideas in informational texts __
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Expectations **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">My group will understand the absolute power presented in the book
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">My grop will be able to clearly see the message Orwell tries to send to the readers regarding absolute power
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">My group will be able to connect the power in the book to present day events.
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Materials **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Laptop
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Opening **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Read the article about the "absolute democracy" in New York.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">http://nyceducator.com/2009/01/absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely.html
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Then discuss about the article.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Is the author wrong to say that our democracy is not equal?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Does the author's view point towards the society and politics of 1984?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Does Mr.Bloomberg's idea of "my way or the highway" equivalent to Big Brother?
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Middle **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Further discuss about power
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">"My way or the highway" this quote shows absolute power. What do you think absolute power really is? Is it limited to physical power or does it reach out to emotion and thoughts as well?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Can the absolute power of Big Brother ever become a reality?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Readers of 1984 know that a revolution had taken place, but would a revolution in the real world allow Big Brother?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">One of the things controlled in 1984 is memory and thought, which can rewrite history so the world would be perfect in the favor or the Party
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">If memories and thoughts are controlled as it is in 1984, is there a point in studying history?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Together, brainstorm ideas on how a powerful dictator such as Big Brother would change history
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Write down on paper (or board)
 * __**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Ending **__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">End with an article explaining the lies about past president's successes
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-cirincione/twisted-history-false-cla_b_157444.html
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">Is Orwell's prediction of absolute power in rewriting history coming to life bit by bit?