We have yet to see what happens in the episode, what the school will do to Richie who wants to stay at Whitman High where he clearly flourishes. But we do get a quick introduction to the world of Walt Whitman High School, a big urban institution that is clearly diverse in terms of its student body and teachers. The plight of urban American schools was clearly on the mind of educational experts and social scientists at this time—1969—just as the Civil Rights era was peaking.
What we would like you to do is address one of the following questions, one about the opening and the other about the protagonist of the show, American History teacher Pete Dixon, and then address the third question.
1. The opening: what does it say to us about the world that we are entering into by watching this show? How does the imagery—the shots of the students, the way the main characters are introduced, the music even—create this effect?
Or:
2. Who is Pete Dixon? He is clearly the main character, the protagonist, and as such, he embodies certain traits and behaviors that mark him as our hero. So what are those traits and behaviors that so clearly make him the hero of the show? He is a type that we will see again and again in our study this term. What is that type?
And everyone:
3. Ask your one or both of your parents what is their most vivid memory of high school. Sharing as much as you feel comfortable sharing, what is that memory? And are you surprised by their answer? Why or why not?
Write a couple hundred words in all for the two questions. That's enough to start the term. Good class today, guys.
Write a couple hundred words answering one of these two questions. Be sure to click on the comment icon below to post your comment.
I think we can tell Pete Dixon is the hero because he has really good traits like honesty, kindness, intelligence, and he sticks by his beliefs. He also knows which battles he wants to fight. For example he doesn't get mad at the student teacher for making slightly racist remarks, instead he realizes that she doesn't mean to offend him and helps her figure out what is ok to say and not say as well as helping her realize when she is making an offensive remark and why the remark is offensive. He deals with the remarks with good humor and politely calling her out when she does make a racist comment. On the other hand, Pete Dixon does fight for Richie's right to stay in the high school instead of being sent back to his district. Mr. Dixon cares about his students and really wants to help Richie because he wants Richie to have his best chance of succeeding.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad's most vivid memories were when one of his friends sat on the steps of the library across from the high school and told everyone that the library was closed, or when he would walk across the street from the main building to a smaller one between classes and people using the opportunity to smoke cigarettes. He called the walk "a built in cigarette break". My Mom remembers hanging out with her friends between classes by the lockers, and cheering for her school at football and basketball games
Pete seems to me like a really empathetic character. He knows what Richie's plight will be if he has to go back to the other high school and wants him to be able to get the best education he possibly can because he so clearly enjoys learning. Another trait that makes him appear to be the hero is the fact that he stands up for what he believes in, which in this case is keeping Richie at Whitman High School, despite what the rules may be. He seems to connect with Richie a lot because he went to the same school that Richie would have to go to, which doesn't sound like a terribly great school. The fact that he doesn't belittle what Richie is experiencing also makes him seem more heroic. When Richie says that Pete is just going to say that since he went to Tyler, Richie can do it, too, and Pete doesn't say that, it seems like Pete understands that his and Richie's experiences are different and what he was able to do, Richie may not be able to do.
ReplyDeleteMy mom said that her most vivid memory of high school was spending time with her really good friends; she didn't go into a terrible amount of detail. I wasn't really surprised by her answer because I can see how all the academic aspects of high school can become a blur, especially since I can't even totally remember stuff that happened to me a couple months ago, let alone decades ago.
The opening title sequence of the show shows cutaways to happy students as joyful music plays in the background. It leads the audience to believe they are watching a portrayal of an almost perfect and happy school, even in the midst of the Civil Rights Era. Even in the bit of the episode we watched today, we saw students that were bubbly and eager to learn. The viewer begins to believe that this is a naturally happy environment.
ReplyDeleteMy dad’s most vivid high school memory was when workers for the 1964 National Lampoon High School Yearbook Parody came to his school. He said that on that day, barbers came in and put people in chairs in the gymnasium to cut their hair for pictures. He didn’t go too much into detail about the experience, but he still has the yearbook today.
Zach, that is hilarious. I have a copy of the yearbook in my room. If your father is in it, you need to show us who he is.
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ReplyDeleteThe opening of this show portrays a bunch of high school students entering a fairly new building with green grass and fancy cars surrounding it. The school appears to be very safe and wealthy, and the students look privileged and well dressed. The music sounds almost like a fanfare, with the trumpets rising in the background, which adds to this feel of status. However, they still manage to make the music casual enough so as to make the school appear happy and laid back. The school also seems to have a very diverse population, something that would have been rather progressive during this place and time. The area in this scene is almost its own secure little world, with a mix of eager children and respected teachers-the ideal situation.
ReplyDeleteMy fathers most vivid high school memory was writing for two school papers, having to choose between the two, and then having the one he chose fold after one more issue. My mother mostly remembers writing notes during class, then passing them between class, and saving them. She mostly remembers this as she still has many of these notes, including a 20 page long one from a friend, saved away.
Pete Dixon is kind and noble like many main characters. His decision to try to do what is best for Richie regardless of the opinion of his lady love shows the audience that Dixon is willing to face conflict and take the hard route. His actions show that Dixon is a man driven by true justice. He applies his morals to other aspects of his life, as shown by his interaction with the lightly obnoxious student teacher. I predict, as a hero-type, Dixon will face tough decisions and be tempted to give in to his superior's commands, but he won't. He will then lose something as a result of his noble deed but, in the end, his righteousness will be taken into account and his decisions finally will be understood and accepted by his superior, his lady love, and whoever else he comes into conflict with.
ReplyDeleteMy dad's most vivid memory in high school was finding out his seventeen year old girlfriend was pregnant. I knew he was going to say it before he opened his mouth because I've known my father for a long time and, when I put myself in his white Reebok high tops, I feel like that moment would stick out in my mind as well.
My stepmom's most vivid memory in high school was learning that her best friend has been in a car accident. This answer did surprise me because my stepmom doesn't usually talk about high school and I'd had no idea that she'd experienced something as difficult as that in high school.
As viewers, we see the beginning as a stereotypical high school. People are laughing, playing, hanging out with friends; we see all of these as normal high school aspects. The opening scene is happy and fun. Even the music is playful. There are no images of students stressed or in conflict. The students are introduced in a bright and cheerful way. They appear like they are enjoying themselves and enjoying school. The lawn is perfectly manicured and the people are perfectly content with where they are. Everything about the school and the people in the school is perfect. This opening scene sets up the show as a high school utopia.
ReplyDeleteWhen I asked my father what his most vivid high school memory was, he laughed and said there were so many he did not know which one to choose. I told him to pick one. He told me how he was taking a Russian history course, and his teacher was very intense yet hilarious. My dad explained how the teacher used to pretend to throw a grenade at students when they got the answer wrong. When I asked my mother the same question, she told me she had a lot of memories of high school as well. That surprised me a little bit more, because I did not think she enjoyed high school very much. She told me a story about how she was trying to hide a note in class from this crazy teacher she had. When the teacher caught her, the teacher chased her around the room and then tackled her. My father tells funny high school stories all the time, so it did not surprise me that he had many to choose from. My mother did surprise me on the other hand, because she does not share much about her high school experience.
It also surprised me that they shared academic stories rather than social stories.
ReplyDeletePete Dixon is a likeable character, and very soon after he is introduced as a character it is clear that he will be the protagonist of the story. He is clearly the hero of the story and we see this through many of the things he does. He is very polite to the new student teacher, even when she seems a bit kooky and racist, and he seems to be very passionate about giving Richie the best education he can get. Pete assumes the role of a sort of father figure to Richie and tries his very best to keep him at Whitman High School instead of being transferred back to Tyler High School, the one in his district.
ReplyDeleteThe most vivid memories my mom has from high school are attending wrestling tournaments to watch and support “the team” (her boyfriend), driving her boyfriend’s Camaro home from school while he was at Football practice and then coming to pick him up when practice was over and him driving her back home, “And to round it out” having lots of good friends. These didn’t surprise me very much, because she has told me the stories about the Camaro and wrestling tournaments, and I have met some of her High School friends.
My Dad’s most vivid High School memories include attending high school football games with friends, and the sheer size of the school (big) and that there were so many people that lunchtime was 2,000 people. These surprised me a little bit just because he never really talks about High School.
Pete Dixon is clearly defined as the hero of the story by his entrance. He is the first person who speaks; clearly he holds some important role in the story. He is first seen smiling and talking with the students. He seems to have formed solid relationships with his students and is well liked. He appears to be kind to the students. He wants them to do well. He tries to make his class as interesting as possible, while still learning. He is clearly making an effort to help a student get the best education possible, even if it means breaking the rules. However, despite all of his actions to make school a place where people want to be, I'm not convinced that he's a particularly effective hero. He does (so far) do his best to keep Richie at Whitman, and he does act as a mentor for Richie. He does not, however, do what he probably should to help Richie in the long run. As we saw, Richie is borderline obsessed with Pete. He takes off his jacket when Pete does. He copies Pete and does his best to please him (by taking role, answering questions in class, etc.), but this is not how others think Richie should act. Yes, people are encouraged to act however they want, no matter what other people think, but when he's the one person trying this hard to please Pete, it's a problem with the other students. They see him as a classic teacher's pet. It doesn't help that he is african american. The other students want him to dress and act a certain way, and because he is not dressing or acting in this way, he is not going to be accepted. With the civil rights movement starting, it makes sense that he doesn't act in the way that people want him to, but his actions are not seen as something to be respected by the other students; he is not doing something to help everyone else. His choices to act in the way that he does are purely for himself, and Pete encourages these actions.
ReplyDeleteMy mother's most vivid memory of high school is her algebra 2 teacher. Every day at the beginning of class, he would say, "climb aboard the algebra train." He also would often say to her, "Miss Currey, I would suggest you find a different chair, preferably at the front of the room" because the chair she sat in "did not work for [her] older sister." I thought this was hilarious. None of my teachers have ever had a catch phrase, especially one so hilarious. Also, teachers now don't usually talk about siblings' success in a class. They might say that they had someone's sibling, but they won't tell someone to move because that was where their sibling sat.
The opening shows a lot of happy high schoolers who seem to go to nice public school in a wealthy neighborhood. The students briskly walk to class like they are eager to learn.Even the music is extremely cheerful and upbeat which gives the viewer the idea that Walt Whitman High School is a really nice place to be. When we see a classroom environment, we see that the students are engaged and excited.
ReplyDeleteMy dad's most vivid memories from high school were his varsity basketball games. He describes the gyms as "packed to the rafters with the whole town." When he was a junior, he was the Channel 4 Player of the week after scoring twenty eight points against his arch rival, Cass High in the region championship. He recalls scoring four points in two seconds. Besides his basketball games, my dad really doesn't remember anything else from high school.This really doesn't surprise me at all and I also expect to only remember my basketball games.
I think the opening is really trying to portray what is supposed to be a good typical high school, whether this portrayal is accurate or not. The kids are nicely dressed in bright colors, the music is cheery, the sun is shining, and everyone is smiling. We are entering a world that is a happy place, where teenagers can learn, laugh, and frolic with their friends during free periods. It seems like no one in the picture has any problems or worries whatsoever; they are all just so excited to go and learn about civil war generals!
ReplyDeleteMy mom said that her most vivid memory from high school is dissecting frogs, mostly because it was disgusting. She says she also remembers there being a solar eclipse during lunch, and everyone was talking about how it was a "once and a lifetime opportunity" to go and watch it because that certain type of eclipse wasn't going to happen for another 3,000 years. She also remembers her freshman year when one of the kids at her school got at a fight at a party with a kid from another school, and was stabbed to death. I am slightly surprised that the first thing she said was dissecting frogs, mostly because that doesn't seem like it would be very important in the overall high school experience. I'm not surprised that she remembers the eclipse, since it was a "once in a lifetime" thing, and I am not surprised at all that she remembers a stabbing. That would be something I don't think anyone could really forget. She wasn't there when it happened, but it would be really strange to go to school the next day.
Throughout the show, Pete clearly stands above the rest of the characters. In the classroom he commands respect from the students who otherwise seem mischievous. He calmly throws aside the student-teacher’s thoughtless remarks. He recognizes Richie’s potential and tries to fight for him. People around Pete are drawn to his charisma, especially the teacher that discovers Richie’s lie. You can tell she looks up to Pete and respects his opinion on Richie’s situation.
ReplyDeleteAs my dad was leaving Omaha Tech High school after a basketball game, he, Howie Katzman, and Dale Mann, were jumped. My dad was pushed to the ground, and instead of getting up, he lay motionless on the ground. He looked up and saw a very small teenager jump on Howie, a pretty large guy, and hang on his shoulders and pound the top of Howie’s head like a drum. My dad remembers rolling on the ground laughing at the sight of a little guy bopping Howie as his friends were scared shitless.
There is no such thing as a perfect school, but according to the opening scenes of Room 222, Whitman High seems like it would be cutting it close. The music is cheerful and upbeat, signifying that the students are happy and eager to be at school. Smiles remain plastered on people's faces as they enter the school buildings, and laughter and chatter echo through hallways as students adoringly address their teachers. It immediately strikes the audience as an unrealistic and slightly comical school setting, with kids completely behaved and without a worry in the world. The student body seems diverse and upperclass, and nothing strikes the viewer as being wrong or distasteful.
ReplyDeleteMy parents actually went to the same white-trash high school in Akron, Ohio. My mom's best memories from high school are definitely based on the social aspect of her four years. She constantly brags, to this day, about being Prom Queen, but she also joking adds that she was horrified when she showed up to Prom wearing the same exact dress as her "arch enemy". My dad has memories of school sports like baseball and football, and doing awful pranks to people's houses around the neighborhood. Both of my parents remember a lot about their social lives, but not the academics.
The setting of the film reminded me of most public schools that I have been to. The social interactions within this school portrayed display certain notable features: teachers and students have distant relations caused by the school policies that influenced their behaviors to various situations. When the teachers discovered that Richie belonged to a different school district, they instantly prioritized school policy that Richie should be sent back to where he came from. In addition, students also share distant relations with each other. The film featured the students walking past each other in the hallway with little concern for each other, and they never seemed to encourage each other or have good intentions towards each other. As a student, Richie appears to be different from the other students, and the students do not seem to treat him well for that reason. What can referred to way society works from this film is that policies and rules influence the behaviors of people and the way they view each other. Students in this environment are growing up in a society where people do not easily help and encourage each other in difficult situations, and that becomes a very important factor of pressure in their lives.
ReplyDeleteI asked my mom about her life in high school. She lived in China during the Communist period, and her school(s) worked different from most school systems in America. She faced a lot of pressure from the student ranking system, which ranked students individually based on their scores on the final examinations. This kind of examination was nation-wide, so it can be viewed as a sort of national standardized test, but it was very difficult, and students were ranked in school only on how well they did on the exam compared to each other. This meant that most of the grades and school performance of students during the school year did not actually matter, but the final examination was the single determinant of which college you could get in to. While my mom was an exceptional student in the class, she was not the best test taker, so she faced a lot of pressure from the final examination. She watched other students who never did very well in school but decided to put effort into the final examinations, and managed to get into better colleges than my mom did due to their higher scores. I personally thought this different aspect of schools in China even today from American schools is interesting because most colleges in America take into account every aspect of a student, whole most schools in foreign countries-especially Asia-judge you based on one test score. Yet whether or not there is less pressure in this kind of system is debatable.
He is the do-gooder type of hero. He sticks up for the underdogs and really cares for those who need help to reach their goals. He is loyal to those he cares about, never quick to get angry, and helps everyone around him become their best selves, no matter how cheesy that sounds. The influence he puts out by never being angry and always attempting to do the right thing rubs off on those around him. These qualities allow him to gain respect from everyone, even his students.
ReplyDeleteOne of my mother’s most prominent memories of high school took place when she was a freshman in math class. There were strict rules that her teacher put in place about talking during tests and even moving from your seat. One day, while taking a test, my mother’s friend Beth whispered my mother’s name until my mom was forced to turn around. Beth needed a pencil since her pen had run out of ink. As soon as my mother turns back around to hand Beth the pencil, her teacher called out her name to come to the front of the room and hand in her test. My mother was furious that she had to be made the example of his rules, when only attempting to give a pencil to a friend. This story didn’t surprise me much since it goes by the person my mom is today.
1) The sunlight and pleasant, but anticipatory music of the opening sequence shows the school in a very idealistic light where the students are happy, but eager and ready to learn. When the camera zooms in on students walking in pairs, you can clearly see that Walt Whitman High is diverse for a public high school in 1969, and that perhaps the school truly values the students are individuals with their own convictions, (the camera shows students talking to each other) not just all apart of the masses. The zoomed out bits show a large, but spread-out group of people heading inside the school, and some are even running to get there. This again struck me as the students wanting to be there, joining together to engage in school. Next, see the main characters of the show, starting with Pete Dixon. When he confidently pulls up in his burnt orange car after “ROOM 222” has flashed across the screen, you get the sense that this idealistic, happy portrayal of the high school is what he goes to school every day believing it is, what it should be, and what he tries to make it. The next characters presented also give me the idea that this opening sequence is from his eyes because we soon see the woman most important to him, the object of his affection, then the less-important principal who still plays a key role in high day-to-day life at the school, and finally his teaching assistant, a bit naïve, but someone also who he will have to encounter and learn to work with. Basically, I got the sense that the main sequence was from his perspective, showing how he has a passion for teaching and believes in this idealistic version of the school, and how the administrators aren’t evil figures, and that they really see the students as individuals.
ReplyDelete3) My mom went to a large public high school in California in the late 60s. Her most vivid memory from high school was her French teacher. According to her, he was “totally inspiring” and managed to really connect with the students, even at their age. He got them riled up, passionate, and got them to think beyond the classroom, about a bigger world beyond their small town in California. (this worked because it correlated to learning French and such) He was also “subversive” because he would have the students listen to French music with headphones (headphones were pretty revolutionary at the time.) When the principal would walk by, he probably just assumed the students were listening to French dialogue, but her French teacher really believed that by listening to French music, they would truly learn the language. Once again, very passionate. He also organized a trip at the end of the 10th grade year for some students to go to France, and though my mom’s family couldn’t afford to send her, he inspired her enough to get the money through odd jobs, like sewing and ironing, which she did throughout her sophomore year. She has always described the trip to France as life-changing. Her teacher broadened her horizons and enabled her to think of a world much bigger than herself, and also made my mom believe in herself like no one else had.
Pete Dixon is made out to be a hero because of the way in which he interacts with his students and faculty. He is cordial and mature and respects those around him. He doesn't tolerate any nonsense, he's a "no drama" man. The kids respect him, they like him, and that gives him the aura that he has, that he is so liked by everyone--including the student teacher, who wants to do everything to be like him. He is the type that earns the respect of those around him. The type that genuinely wants what's best for his students (fighting for Richie to stay at Whitman). The type that wants to and knows how to be engaged and involved with his students without pushing them away.
ReplyDeleteBoth my parents went to high school in India. They mostly remember college experiences, but my dad happened to remember a particular event I enjoyed hearing. He remembered how he and his friend used to prank each other, eventually creating this ongoing prank duel throughout the year. It was my dad's turn. He found a dead squirrel near the road side and wrapped it up in cloth. He tied it to his friend's ceiling fan and carefully placed a suicide not in between its paws. My dad hid in the room and said his friend screamed like a girl when he entered. I'm not surprised that my dad's memory has absolutely nothing to do with math or English or teachers. It's these types of crazy things we do with friends, that we will remember for a long time.
I think Pete Dixon is supposed to represent the ideal understanding and kind teacher. Pete is clearly a really good guy, and most importantly, you can tell that he honestly wants his students to learn and wants the best for them—you can see by the way he fights for Richie. Another “heroic” trait he has is his charisma and enthusiasm in the classroom. It makes his students actually want to pay attention.
ReplyDeleteMy dad says that his most vivid moment of high school is when he was captain of the soccer team his senior year and they won the state championship. He says he remembers the whole soccer team walking in to school the next day with their medals and varsity jackets and everyone clapping. I thought that was an interesting memory because it’s so stereotypical high school, almost to the point of being corny, and I don’t think of those classic high school moments as actually happening in real life, but I guess they do.
2) I think it is pretty clear that Pete Dixon is the hero of the show, as well as the main character. He is labeled as such because of his redeeming qualities which include honesty, integrity, pride, and most importantly respect and care. It is clear that Dixon cares when he sides with Richie and fights for him to stay in the school. Clearly, Pete has empathy and a certain respect for the lives of his students. I think this is what makes him very unique and a hero.
ReplyDelete3) My mom most remembers walking from the school to the fields for lacrosse practice with her close friend. I thought this was neat because it shows a tight bond that she had with someone. It was also interesting to me that this was her memory because it is not so much a huge deal or something that many people would remember but I liked how she remembered the nice moment with her and her friend. I think that’s one of the more positive aspects to high school is the real friendships that you make. Also, I found it interesting how everyone would walk places back then as opposed to being bussed around or having their parents drive them everywhere.
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