MS

A Look at the Past in the Eyes of Kevin Schlussel

I have never seen my father cry. Furthermore, I rarely see him show true, deep emotion. But as I sit down at the kitchen table asking questions about his past memories during the Vietnam War, a 56 year- old man is transformed into a scrawny, frightened teenager. He avoids looking directly into my eyes as he pets my Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, who is begging for a scrap of tonight’s dinner. He looks at me. Looks down. Looks at me. Looks down. It was the year 1970. Kevin (my dad), Jay, and Victor (his two best friends) were sitting in front of the television awaiting their fate. “The threat of being drafted was a 24 hour a day experience. If you did not stay in college you were going to get drafted.” He stared at me blankly, almost quivering, thinking what would have happened if drafted. [|Being draft number 169], the fear grew immensely as the days went on. Luckily neither him nor his friends were drafted, and were able to attend college without the fear of going to war. Although my father did not actually go overseas, life at home was not a fairytale story. War protests occurred, while civil liberties were being taken away. There was an ample sense of panic throughout the country. “100 percent,” my father stated without hesitation. “We were constantly in a state of fear.” Feelings of concern and anxiety rose as the war lingered on; the mainstream media did not aid in the situation. “ [The media] depicted Americans bombing, a form of power that the US was inflicting on the Vietnamese, and showed that we were winning, never downfall.” The press sensationalized the war; it gave the people a false sense of what was happening. My father is always prepared: for a hurricane, a big family dinner, and being drafted to war. He always has a plan, just incase. And so, it did not surprise me that my dad had a plan just incase he was drafted. In his junior year in college, my father [|“fled]” to Israel to study there for a semester. “I strategically went to Israel exactly at the time when lottery numbers were given.” He stated nervously, “If drafted, I had the option to stay in [|Israel] or go and serve.” If drafted, he could of gone to war or gained Israeli citizenship. Images raced through my father’s mind. He reminisced about the war protests, politics, and documentaries. He was a hippy. Anti-war. But opposite to my beliefs, he did not attend anti-war protests and rallies. Looking at me slyly, it seemed he was hiding a piece of information that he did not want to share about the crazy times in history. “I never publicly showed my opinion,” he stated sharply, “I only voted for who was going to get us out of the war.” Unfortunately, it took a long time for that person to come into office. “Most of the presidents and politicians were in favor of the war, sending troops into a foreign soil to defend what they considered the rights of people to have democracy. [The government] thought we should be a police power in the world. We went in without an exit strategy.” He fidgeted in his chair, knowing that the times have not changed. History has repeated itself. As the war in Iraq continues on, the memories of Vietnam reoccur in his mind. At the conclusion of the interview, I could sense a feeling of relief from my father. He seemed more relaxed, as if a burden was taken off of his shoulders. Even though it may not be as heavy compared to soldiers who fought, the Vietnam War had a major impact on his life. Something that still affects him today. .



media type="custom" key="2383057" Poet Lorna Dee Cervantes reads a new poem, “A Viet Nam War Poem (The First Draft)” written December 6, 2006.
 * PODCAST:**


 * BLOGS: **

[|Vietnam War Draft Stories] media type="youtube" key="n0Cp3PbzpZY" height="349" width="425"
 * VIDEOS:**

media type="youtube" key="30W3iRL48gQ" height="349" width="425"

LESSON PLANS

 * BOOK 1: The Future of Eugenics**
 * __**Standard**__
 * STANDARD 3.2 (Writing) All students will write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes.


 * __**Expectations**__
 * My group will be able to show their understanding of the history of eugenics in the United States.
 * They will be able to compare the differences between sexual bannings in 1984 and in the past.
 * They will show their understanding of writing a letter, persuading the government


 * __**Materials**__
 * Newspaper article: [|It's All Scary Stuff; Whether It's Clowns, Beards or Sex, Our Fears and Phobias Just Seem to Know No Bounds.]
 * [|Hand out on google docs]
 * Wiki space
 * Microsoft word

>
 * __**Opening**__
 * I will open up my lesson plan with an article on forced sterilizations of women in the first half of the 20th century.
 * __**Middle**__
 * The group will then use the information learned in the article to answer questions on the hand out.
 * After individually answering the questions, everyone will come together to discussing their answers to the questions.
 * The group will then individually construct a persuasive letter to the government, requesting the pardoning of female sterilization and pleas to change their ways.
 * I will contribute to the discussions in the groups.


 * __**Ending**__
 * The group will then read allowed their letters to the rest of the group.

More information about [|eugenics]


 * BOOK 2: The Role of Secret Revolutionary Societies**
 * __**Standard**__
 * Reading 3.1.G.5 - Analyze how works of a given period reflect historical and social events and conditions.
 * Viewing and Media LIteracy 3.5.A.1 - Understand that messages are representations of social reality and vary by historic time periods and parts of the world.


 * __**Expectations**__
 * My group will be able to show their understanding an revolution by reading a speech by Russian anarchsit, Mikhail Bakunin
 * They will be able to use the information learned in order to compare the of secret society planned by Bakunin to the "Brotherhood" in __1984.__
 * They will show their understanding of a ven diagram by comparing and contrasting the two groups.

 >
 * __**Materials**__
 * Posterboard
 * Markers
 * Link to creating a proper [|Venn diagram]
 * [|Hand out on Google Docs]
 * __**Opening**__
 * Students will first read the section, "[|About Mikhail Bakunin]", in order to learn about him and his goals to change the society that he lived in.
 * Then they will read the article, "[|Bakunin to Nechayev on the role of secret revolutionary societies]" to further understand his opinions




 * __**Middle**__
 * Using the handout provided on Google Docs, students will make a Venn Diagram comparing the secret society of Bakunin to the secret society created in __1984__
 * Following the creation of the Venn Diagram, they will answer various questions provided
 * I will help with any questions the group needs to be answered, or anything that may be confusing.


 * __**Ending**__
 * The individuals will bring their ideas together and create one large Venn Diagram on the poster board provided.


 * BOOK 3: "Torturephobia"**
 * __**Standard**__
 * STANDARD 3.5.A.l (Viewing Media and Literacy) - Understand that messages are representations of social reality and vary by historic time periods and parts of the world.


 * __**Expectations**__
 * My group will be able to show their understanding of various phobias and how they affect people
 * They will also be able to see how phobias are used for torture today
 * They will be able to understand the deeper meaning behind Winston's phobia of rats, and how it changed his future with Julia and the ideals of the government


 * __**Materials**__
 * Newspaper article: **"[|It's All Scary Stuff; Whether It's Clowns, Beards or Sex, Our Fears and Phobias Just Seem to Know No Bounds]"**
 * Wiki space
 * Microsoft word
 * [|Handout on Google Docs]

>
 * __**Opening**__
 * I will open up my lesson plan with an article about various phobias and how they truly are able to effect people's way of life.


 * __**Middle**__
 * The group will then read a passage from a journal article about phobias used as torture in war.
 * They will then answer the questions comparing what they have read to the torture in 1984
 * Individuals will then take some time to think and write down their thoughts on their phobias and what would be their toture.
 * I will contribute to the discussions in the groups.


 * __**Ending**__
 * Everyone will then come together and discuss their ultimate fears and phobia

[|A list of all kinds of phobias]