​Completed by CPH's Graduate Assistant, Michelle Janosik, MSW, LSW
            “I originally became interested in holistic health and well-being while completing my undergraduate degree at Kent State University. It was here where I was initially exposed to the "non-traditional approaches to medicine", such as yoga, autogenic training, and mindful breathing. Years later, I began working as a Social Worker within my community after receiving my master’s degree from Youngstown State University. I found myself actively working with individuals who had been enmeshed in a world of trauma, chronic pain, abuse, neglect, and even addiction. While working together as a team, I began to teach stress-management techniques, deep breathing, active stretching, and guided imagery in order to reduce stress and promote healing. 
              Dan, (Dr. Winkle) is a previous co-worker, and a wonderful friend of mine. I began to see how intertwined he became in the subject of holistic health and healing, and I decided to join his up-and-coming Mind-Body Medicine group that he was facilitating. The techniques I had grown to love for my patients were now front and center within my own personal journey, and I immersed myself even further. As a Doctor of Occupational Therapy student at Slippery Rock University, my interests are primarily centered around mental health, anxiety reduction, and holistic well-being in regards to medicine, which is explained in great detail throughout our interview noted below”. 
 

​Completed by CPH's Graduate Assistant, Michelle Janosik, MSW, LSW
Personal Website: www.eagleseyehealing.com
             
“I am a physician trained in allopathic medicine (MD) that currently resides in the bay area of northern California.  I received my medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine and then studied Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at The Ohio State University.  I have always been interested in studying and expanding the promotion of health beyond what is offered with medications.  My interest in PM&R was fueled by the inherently integrative approach to the specialty and its willingness to embrace multiple paths to healing beyond just medication or surgical means.  Recently I have completed certification process in mind body medicine through the Centers for Mind Body Medicine and working on local program development.  This page was inspired by a desire to teach and provide a collection of material that can start to inspire true healing.  
​          In addition to an interest in medicine and healing I have had an intense interest in philosophy and spirituality which has influenced my approach to healing immensely. I have had the pleasure to volunteer and lead a rehabilitation focused medical mission for Mission of Love.  During our adventure, I was able to learn from the indigenous Mayan people of Guatemala native forms of healing with ancient roots”.  

        Rachel graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. Rachel has worked with children, teens, adults, the elderly, and groups since 2006. She has been employed as a clinician, supervisor, educator, and clinical director in community mental health agencies, private practices, universities, colleges, and substance abuse agencies.

Currently, she is a contracted Social Work lecturer/professor, clinical internship liaison, and supervisor at The Ohio State University. (In addition to being the owner and CEO of WiseMind Consulting & Wellness LLC). As a social work and chemical dependency supervisor, Rachel provides ongoing guidance and supervision to students, interns, and clinicians; both within and outside of her private practice. Expanding knowledge within the field, she presents continuing education workshops on topics such as DBT, EMDR, supervision, ethics, cultural humility, DSM-5, and many more.
 
Her certifications and training include:
·    First woman in the state of Ohio certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy
·    Certified in EMDR (and an EMDRIA Approved Consultant)
·    Certified Dancing Mindfulness Facilitator
·    Registered (Certified) Expressive Arts Therapist
·    Registered Yoga Teacher 200hr
 
Regarding holistic and healing modalities, Rachel is an ordained minister/reverend through The Church of Radiant Lights and is approved to perform marriages within the state of Ohio. She is also a Reiki Master-Teacher. She believes that holistic and complementary treatment approaches make for the best outcomes and sustained recovery. (Presently, Rachel is a doctoral student getting her PhD in Integrative Health & Psychology.)
​
Rachel's Principles
Rachel's aim is to create a collaborative, person-centered relationship. In this relationship, you can explore and find your unique tools, techniques, and personal strengths to heal and discover your authentic self. Her intention in all levels of her work is to show up as actively anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-oppression, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and sex-positive individual. She is dedicated to the continuous engagement–both in her professional and personal life–that this requires.
 
Question 1: What project(s) are you currently working on?
I am currently working on two “projects”. One is a collaborate art journal between me and 5 other Expressive Arts Therapists. We started it this past December 2020 with the theme of Hindsight. We each choose a book to turn into an altered journal. Each month we mail our art book to the next individual who completes a piece of artwork in the book and then send it on to the next person, and so on until we all get our original books back.
The second project I am working on is my dissertation – I am calling for an expanded Phase 2 (Resourcing) in EMDR Therapy; this is to include the expressive arts, spiritual practices, body-based practices, energy work, indigenous healing practices, intentionality, etc. [In order to better serve clients who need a wide variety of preparation skills before they can begin EMDR Therapy Reprocessing in Phase 4].
 
Question 2: Why do you believe that the humanities are important for everyone, and not just individuals in academia?  
History, literature, languages, art, and philosophy are the corner stones of what it is to be human and exist within a community. Without these various forms of communication and expression – society as humanity as we know it would crumble.
 
Question 3: What inspires you in your current position/role? 
Being passionate about seeing people heal and recovery from whatever life has thrown their way (whether that be mental health issues, substance use issues, or any other problematic concern). Supporting this healing through the use of the above-mentioned modalities.
 
Question 4: What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you (hobby, skill, interesting story)? 
I was a vocal operatic performance major before switching to psychology. I sang opera throughout my years in high school and won the state championship in Indiana when I was a senior. I am also an avid horror movie fan, true crime fan, and serial killer buff.
 
Question 5: What are you currently watching on Netflix right now?  
Unfortunately, I’ve been super busy with preparing to move to Costa Rica in May this year (along with working full time and getting my PhD full time) that I haven’t watched a lot of Netflix. However, I LOVE Schitts Creek.

 
    Detective Edward Doyle-Gillespie has spent over a decade as a police officer serving with the Baltimore City Police Department working in many high-crime areas of the city. While teaching at the Baltimore City Police Academy, Doyle-Gillespie turned to poetry to cope with the high stress nature of the job. He writes about what he and his fellow officers experience while working on the streets of Baltimore. In this interview, Detective Doyle-Gillespie shares with us his inspirations and the values he places on the humanities.

What inspires you in your current position/role?
"A business owner noticed me reading a philosophy book one day, and he stopped to talked to me about it. We chatted and, as we prepared to go our separate ways, he shook his head incredulously. He pointed at my uniform and frowned. 'A young man with all of that education and so much intellect should be making six figures and not wasting his time with this. I run a paper company. Who cares, right? Just give me a call. We will need some new, young executives in the new year.'
He enthusiastically shook my head and graciously excused himself.
Whenever I come to the question of what inspires me, I always recall the executive who, essentially, told me that he had an uninspiring job for me. There was good money to be made, but “who cares?”
I have learned that I simply cannot function in a job that only fills those first and second-level Maslow’s needs. Inspiration, for me, comes from knowing that I am contributing to positive change in our society. I have to see my work speak to the micro-level thinking of my students, and the macro-level of the work that they do when they go into the world. Reconnecting public servants with the ethos of humanism allows me to do that."

Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia?
"The name speaks for itself. The humanities are about each of us. They can be, must be, nurtured in the greenhouse of academia, but they are practical tools that allow each of us to lead examined lives. They give us examples, questions, and answers about the human condition. The humanities are about people."

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you (hobby, skill, interesting story)?
"I have a black belt in Hapkido."

What's a book you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to?
"I love magical realism. I need to read One Hundred Years of Solitude."

In what ways have the arts influenced your life and the lives of your community?  
"I count the arts as a cord that binds me to my community. It’s our lingua franca. It’s our on-going conversation. We write. We read. We share books.  The most important thing is, I’d say, is that we teach each other. The people that are in my karass, as Kurt Vonnegut would call it, show love for each other by teaching and challenging each other to become more immersed in the arts and, thus, more insightful about the human condition."

How can the humanities be integrated into every part of life?
"I was in a subway in St. Petersburg, Russia. Not only was it immaculate, but it was adorned with a statue of Pushkin. The commuter can honor the role of the arts in their national identity, their cultural identity. I would say that everyone who is devoted to the arts and humanities can be as persistent about them and their importance as are people who see only a value in the commute and the schedule of the trains. Always ask whether there is a point to be made about the humanities when the fog of day-to-day threatens to push them out."
​

On Tuesday October 29th, about 50 members of the Slippery Rock and Grove City communities gathered at Beans on Broad, a coffee shop in downtown Grove City, to hear from three storytellers. 

At its core, the event aimed to celebrate and demonstrate the myriad ways storytelling is a central part of our lives.  “Plot Device” set out to break the stereotypes of storytelling and expand our audience’s notions of who storytellers are.  Storytelling is an art as old as the human race.  We have an innate compulsion to tell stories.  While the forms of storytelling evolve with the advent of new technologies, the drive remains the same. We want our stories to be heard, passed down, told and retold.

Student leaders from Slippery Rock University began the program by sharing opportunities for storytelling through their organizations.  Jenna Moses, senior Professional and Creative Writing major and co-managing editor of SLAB Literary Magazine, spoke about SLAB’s wide-reaching audience and their inclusivity of unique narrative forms.  Piper Jones, junior Gender Studies and Social Work major and co-president of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, promoted FMLA’s monologue writing and performance collection coming Spring 2020. 

You can find out more about SLAB & FMLA by following them on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook @slab.lit.mag and @fmlasru

Our first storyteller, Thomas Thompson, a recent SRU graduate, is the creator and writer of the “Dirty History” podcast.  Thomas joined us virtually via video chat and his co-creator, Andrew Henley, assisted in asking and answering questions.  His podcast focuses on the lesser known, unpleasant aspects of history that are frequently left out of public history.  Thomas shared about his process of finding material and creating narratives, explaining that the stories he shares already exist and merely need to be uncovered.  Thomas and Andrew spoke about how media and technology has changed storytelling, pointing out that podcasts are simply a modern continuation of the ancient tradition of oral storytelling.  When asked why it is important to tell these stories, Thomas defended the “dirty” side of history by saying that it is often misrepresented.  He said these stories deserve a place in history as they are without “sensationalizing or fetishizing them.” 
​
You can find Thomas’s work here: Dirty History Podcast or follow him on social media @dirtyhistorypod

We transitioned to our next storyteller, the sensitive and soft-spoken Stephanie Strasburg.  Stephanie is a Pittsburgh-based photojournalist who is “drawn to explore the evolving landscape, economy, and sociopolitical conditions of the Rust Belt and is interested in developing new ways for stories to be found and shared in her community.”  Stephanie shared her long-term storytelling process, displaying photos and videos from some of the many stories she has given voice to.  She spoke about building trust with the subjects of her stories, which requires great empathy and respect for the people whose stories she tells.  Stephanie shared about the complexity of every person – no one is simply black and white, but rather we are gray, messy, fragile people. 

Find the story she shared at the event here: Life and Death on Santron Avenue
You can find Stephanie’s work here: Stephanie Strasburg Photo or follow her on social media @stephaniestrasburg

Our final storyteller, Joe Wos, is a professional cartoonist, maze creator, and author.  Joe is a dynamic speaker, incorporating live drawing, personal stories, and audience interaction.  Joe spoke about his journey as a cartoonist, demonstrating his drawing skills with a live illustration of one of the first stories he ever wrote.  He said that people are drawn to stories because there is something in every story that relates to us personally.  When asked by an audience member why he believes people respond so well to cartoons, Joe explained that cartoons do two contrasting things: they exaggerate and they simplify. Cartoons help us see ourselves and others in a more understandable way. 

You can find Joe’s work here: Maze Toons or follow him on social media @mazetoons

“Plot Device: Media & Storytelling” was an incredible evening.  Stay tuned for future Stone House Center for Public Humanities collaborative community programs!

Every October, we celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month.  This October, we are hosting an event called "Plot Device: Media & Storytelling."  This event will explore the idea of storytelling in the age of technology, featuring three speakers who construct their narratives through unorthodox and unique mediums.  

In preparation for our event, we asked Dr. Skeele, a theater professor at Slippery Rock University who teaches acting and playwriting and has directed over 40 shows, to share his thoughts on the arts and the importance of storytelling:

What drew you to the arts?

"The answer ties completely to the idea of story! I was obsessed with story from my very earliest years. My parents read to us and told us stories nightly, and it was the best and most important part of my whole day. I had a big wooden box filled with action figures and little plastic army men and cowboys and Indians, and I would spend untold hours creating scenarios with them. I lived in a wooded rural area, so trees and boulders and rocks in a stream became fantastical 'sets.' When I started school, I was way ahead of almost everyone when it came to reading, but I absolutely floundered in my understanding of math--and that was because abstract symbols were completely meaningless to me. However, give me a word problem where I could imagine the scene with people or animals--in other words, frame it as a story--and it became not only meaningful but exciting."

Do you consider yourself a storyteller?

"Absolutely! It drives everything I do as a writer, an actor and a director. In some ways, I feel I'm still out there on rocks in a stream, guiding characters through epic battles!"

Why is it important to you to tell stories?

"Stories are important to EVERYONE. They are what make sense of the total chaos of stimuli that is everyday life. They give us order and meaning and without them we would go completely insane."

What is your advice to arts students?

"Dig deep into yourself, be honest, be brave! I think artists are some of the bravest people on earth, and I admire them all. Also the luckiest and ultimately the sanest, because of the great relief it gives us to be able to hold our terrors and joys out at arms length and examine them. Not everyone is able to make a living as an art practitioner, but make sure that if you are one of those who is lucky and brave and sane enough to be driven to create, that you never stop creating!"

What inspires you?

"I just never know what is going to inspire me. Sometimes it's a news item, or sometimes it's a show where I start thinking what would happen if Character X did this instead of that? "

Why do you believe the arts are important to everyone, not just those in academia?

"I sometimes get students in my intro level theatre class who are skeptical about the importance of the arts, and we do an exercise where they are asked to consider every moment where they encounter the arts in a single day, from opening their eyes in the morning to closing them at night, and they can't believe how integral the arts are to their existence. In my opinion, the idea that the arts are some elitist, ivory-tower activity is idiotic. None of us can live without them; they are SO interwoven into the fabric of our existence."

What is something interesting that people might be surprised to learn about you?

"I love fresh-water snorkeling: my ideal retirement would involve lots of time exploring lakes and rivers looking for trout and bass and perch."

We hope you can join us next Tuesday, October 29th at 7:30 pm at Beans on Broad as we discuss and discover the multi-faceted nature of storytelling!
​

The Humanities Ladder has been one of the Center’s programs since 2015.  Slippery Rock University faculty and local high schools collaborate to overcome social and cultural barriers to success in higher education.  Humanities Ladder students are afforded the opportunity to expand their horizons through exposure to college-level curriculum.  Dr. Yukako Ishimaru, a Humanities Ladder professor, and Ms. Diana Borowski, a Humanities Ladder classroom teacher, share their experiences with and highlight the value of the Humanities Ladder program.
​
Dr. Yukako Ishimaru is a professor of Modern Languages and Cultures here at Slippery Rock University as well as a Humanities Ladder faculty at Union High School:

What is your role as a Humanities Ladder faculty?

“I teach Japanese culture in different contexts including schools, language, and traditional culture.”

Why did you choose to be a part of the Humanities Ladder program?

“I took this HL teaching opportunity as I wanted to provide an opportunity for the high school students to learn about other cultures, especially something like Japanese as they may have a chance to be exposed to Spanish and French culture/ language; however, there is hardly any opportunity when it comes to Asia in this area.”
 
What subjects and activities do you lead as part of the program?
 
“My class gives many hands-on activities such as calligraphy, tea ceremony, Japanese kimono try-on, etc.  One of the weeks, I take the visiting students from Saga University, an SRU partner university in Japan, to Union High School to have them meet and interact with Japanese people in their age.  They discuss several topics in groups.  Every time we do this, they learn that Japanese people, who they originally thought that would be very different from themselves, are no different.  That, I believe, is a strong learning experience, being able to relate themselves to something or someone so different.”
 
What do you see as the value of the Humanities Ladder program?
 
“The HL is a promising project with high impact.  HL has been able to give these students a valuable opportunity that they would not have had without HL.  Half of the class may be considering to pursue a higher education; however, at least the other half does not even think about it.  HL can be a life-changing moment for those students by connecting them to a higher education as its title suggests.  I am very honored to be a part of this project and will keep striving to improve my service.”
 
Ms. Diana Borowski is a History and English teacher at Union High School in New Castle as well as a classroom teacher with the Humanities Ladder:

What is your role as part of the Humanities Ladder program?
 
“When a professor from SRU is chosen to come into my classroom, it is my job to coordinate calendars with the professor, and also keep the professor up do date on any calendar and schedule changes within the high school. Last year my students were lucky enough to attend a field trip to Pittsburgh with the Humanities Ladder, so I also acted as the school liaison to SRU, coordinating permission slips, lunch menus, etc.  ”
 
What do you see as the value of the Humanities Ladder program?
 
“I think the Humanities Ladder allows my students to see a wider world beyond our small township.  I found that my students are very intrigued and excited when the professors are scheduled to attend class, and they sincerely look forward to those days.”

Why did you choose to be a part of the Humanities Ladder program?

“3 years ago, my administration came to me with the proposal to bring the Humanities Ladder into my classroom, and after gathering the information, I was intrigued by the possibilities SRU could bring to my class.  As an SRU Alumna, I know first-hand the level of education SRU can provide, and I was excited to be able to share a bit of that education with my sophomores.”

​Today we remember the 2,996 people from all over the world who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks 18 years ago, along with their loved ones. We also honor all the first responders who have suffered as a result of the attack, both mentally and physically. Since that day, 1,140 people around the World Trade Centers were diagnosed with cancer from the toxins at Ground Zero along with 1,400 rescue workers having died. It was not only the US who was affected that day, but the entire world changed. Everyone who was old enough to remember the attacks remember where they were when they found out. Freshman this academic year were born after the attacks, so it is important to help keep the memory of the event alive so we can continue to learn and grow from the tragedy.
​
Four planes were hijacked, with two being flown into the North and South World Trade Center towers, which no longer stand. The site became known as Ground Zero, and there is now a memorial to those who lost their lives that day. A third plane flew into the pentagon, where there is a memorial. The fourth plane, suspected to be heading to Washington DC, crashed in Stony Creek Township about two hours south of Slippery Rock. The passengers and crew of Flight 93 fought back against the hijackers, knowing they would not survive. The memorial for Flight 93 is located in Stoystown, PA at the site of the crash.

Below are links to the websites for the memorials:

National 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero

National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial

Flight 93 Memorial

“But what’s the point?” seems to be the lens through which we view most of life in the 21st century.  We don’t like to waste time, effort, or money if there is not a tangible product.  We live borderline utilitarian lives, asking ourselves “how does this serve me?” and quick to move on if the answer eludes us. 
 
The trouble is that most of life takes place in gray areas.  The places where we cannot hold an easy answer or result in our hands and say “look what I learned.”  The places where we have to be content to dwell in ambiguity and simply shrug our shoulders.  These gray areas are where the bulk of the humanities reside. 
 
We’ve gotten stuck in a pattern of defending the humanities by attempting to prove their relevance, function, and appeal.  In taking this stance, we fall into the same utilitarian mentality, trying to shove the humanities into a neat category by giving them a purpose. 
 
But perhaps the humanities are not a means to an end.  Perhaps they are an end in themselves.  Perhaps certain things are worth doing, worth studying, worth investing in, worth loving, simply because people exist who are passionate about those very things. 
 
In our society, we have built a hierarchy of value when it comes to work and education.  Education is a means to an end, a necessary launching pad to a career in which one becomes a contributing member of society.  But if education is only a means to an end, we have failed to recognize its intrinsic value, failed to honor that some things are simply worth knowing.
 
The real tragedy, then, is not the steady decline of the humanities, but the lost love of learning.  True learners seldom ask “what’s the point?” and instead, as Mary Oliver wrote, “say, ‘Look!,’ and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads.” Maybe this is what our society has lost – a sense of wonder, astonishment, and delight in learning and leaning into what have not yet discovered. 
 
The humanities do not require a comprehensive list of their attributes, a complex philosophical argument, or even empirical proof of their benefits.  The humanities simply need passionate learners.  Justin Stover drives home this crucial point in his article “There is No Case for the Humanities:”
 
​    The humanities and the university do need defenders, and the way to defend the humanities is to      practice them. Vast expanses of humanistic inquiry are still in need of scholars and scholarship.        Whole fields remain untilled. We do not need to spend our time justifying our existence. All we          need to do is put our hand to the plow.

Still unconvinced?  Here are some cold, hard facts:
 
LinkedIn lists creativity, persuasion, collaboration, and adaptability as the most desirable soft skills in 2019.
 
Humanities students do just as well as, or outperform, traditional STEM majors on the MCAT, and for the Graduate Management Admissions Test, Humanities majors average a score of 40 points higher than Business majors.
- Humanities Indicators, 2011: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
 
Over the course of their careers, humanities majors’ earnings equal or slightly exceed those of pre-professional and professional majors.
- Association of American Colleges & Universities
 
The top 10% of earners with history and philosophy backgrounds do better than those in computer sciences…Those in senior roles tend to have skills that are aligned with the arts.
- Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project

“When you’re falling in a forest and there’s nobody around, do you ever really crash or even make a sound?”

The touring cast of hit Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen” graced Pittsburgh audiences with their talent and profundity this May.  Despite the mistakes and misunderstandings made by the lonely and desperate protagonist, Evan Hansen, the assurance that serves as the musical’s theme, “you will be found,” is more potent than any misdirection.

Among the droves that filled Heinz Hall were nineteen students accompanied by three chaperones from Union High School.  The Humanities Ladder program enables students to attend and participate in cultural experiences, thus expanding their imaginations, knowledge, and introducing them to new passions.  The trip was funded by grants provided through Grable, PNC, and the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of the Center’s Humanities Ladder Program. 
What might a musical matinee provide for young students?  For some in the group, this field trip was their first time in Pittsburgh.  The students got to be more than passive observers.  In the morning, they had a private tour of Heinz History Center where they learned how immigrants impacted the formation of Pittsburgh

Following lunch, they attended a pre-show talk with two members of the “Dear Evan Hansen” cast, including the actress who played the role of Zoe Murphy that afternoon.  The students had the opportunity to ask the cast members questions and learn about the behind-the-scenes process of putting on a musical and touring the country.  Most of the students in the group were thespians themselves and enthusiastic to hear the insights and experiences of professional actresses. 
​
The performing arts provide a unique space for storytelling – a space in which audience and cast members alike find themselves represented and understood.  As such a powerful medium, it is truly a valuable thing to give young students opportunities to think about, question, and enjoy the arts.  

By: William Bergmann
 
“It’s about being able to read,” calls out one exasperated student, and others follow in punctuated style amid the whispers.

“It’s about reading comprehension….” “It’s about grades….”

Then, over the murmur, comes another answer: “It’s about being able to understand things after we graduate.”

This is a good moment, though certainly not one I had planned when I walked into Aliquippa Senior High School for the weekly Humanities Ladder session.

This isn’t even supposed to be the discussion, according to my neat lesson plan. Instead, the students are slated to discuss Michel Foucault’s theory of power. We have fallen behind and I have an ambitious lesson plan to catch up. The most recent sessions have gone well and I feel that my student mentor, Jordan Hare, and I have built a good rapport with the students. I am optimistic.
Then we arrive at class.

A small rebellion has taken root. It was the last day of the grading period and the most recent test has not gone well. A handful of students are arguing over their scores, others wander into the confusion and join the ranks of the dissatisfied. The energy escalates even as the bell rings, marking the start of class. Jordan and I look at each other and I mutter, “I don’t think this is going to go well today.” She agrees.

After some minutes, a curt instruction ends the overt protest and sends the students to their assigned seats so we can begin. This is not the seamless transition we experienced in past weeks. Chattering students find their spots, while others already in place shake their heads and exchange anxious looks

For the moment I am lost. I have no idea what to do. My entire lesson plan is shot. There is no way I am going to convince these students to dive into a discussion of power relations and the handout I had put together is a dead letter.

Not knowing where to go from here, I start where they are.

I ask them what the test was about. Students look dismissively out the windows, at their desks, or at each other. “Reading comprehension,” someone spouts.

A wash of relief spreads through me. With this starting point, I can lead them to Foucault’s relations of power.

I begin by following up: “What was the test really about?” I ask.

One irked female student offers a narrative overview of the test structure and nature of the questions.

I press them to use a wider lens. What was the test was really testing? What was it really about in the bigger picture?

Here’s where I began this post. The students are frustrated, but they are talking and starting to view reading comprehension not as task or test, but as a necessary skill.

Using their ideas, we start to talk about problems of going to court; that courts are hard to deal with and understand; how there are behavioral expectations there; that the bureaucratic system is difficult to understand and navigate; that the law is arcane. In all, I lead them down a path to see the courts as a set of specialized knowledge systems, and that those knowledge systems are expressions of institutional power. We briefly repeat the exercise looking at hospitals.

Now that they are looking at the problem using a lens of power, I bring them back to school. The previous week, we had talked about the school as having institutional power, but now we transition to consider schools as providing introductions to knowledge systems, training them to navigate the latticework of knowledge systems that will shape their lives. They settle into the idea of knowledge as power.

They begin to see that the test was not about the story they read, or the questions asked, or the grades they received. Their education is about being empowered to grapple with a court system, digest complexities of hospitals and insurance, to figure out their taxes.
I bring them back to Foucault

“Relations of power are not in a position of exteriority with respect to other types of relationships (economic processes, knowledge relationships, sexual relations), but are immanent in the latter; they are the immediate effects of the divisions, inequalities, and disequilibriums which occur in the latter….”

We spend the rest of the class working through these ideas.

As I look back, I’m fairly certain I didn’t convince them to disregard grades in favor of a sense of empowerment. But they did walk out of class thinking differently about tests, school, themselves, knowledge, and power.