MWA 1 Table Connections

One commonality that my table members and I have written about in out first MWA is genuineness. Throughout all of our essays, we spoke of words and phrases that have changed our perspectives on the world or on life, but all of our papers were also about how genuine these words or phrases were in our lives. Jacob spoke about his and his family's struggle during his father's battle with cancer with a lot of raw emotion. Cancer is a terrible affliction that can often seem poisonous or dehumanizing, but Jacob speaks about how his dad constantly sought to take care of his family and reassure others despite the struggle going on in his life. He talks about how his dad had a positive impact on the lives of his family and others in his final months. Jacob’s father was a very kind and genuine man who remained so even in his death, and Jacob’s views on the word “cancer” seem far more true and genuine after having it affect him so closely. Chandler chose to write about his Jesuit Dallas all boys high school and the community that he found there after a history of constant moving due to his parents’ jobs. He describes the family-like atmosphere founded on several traditions, including a long history, familial lineage, and a tradition called The Yell which is a sort of chant that they did at every event in their school. The connection that Chandler formed with other boys at his school seemed to be a very genuine one founded on principles of tradition and friendship rooted in their school’s mission. Lastly, Jimmy wrote about the Midwestern phrase “oap” and how it is a sound uttered after any apologetic phrase spoken by a Midwesterner. However, he put specific emphasis on how “oap” is only let slip if the apology is truly meant or felt. “Oap” is a phrase that shows sincerity and genuineness in any Midwesterner and is a uniting factor to all that hail from that region. This basis we all have of writing about genuine words—about words that truly mean something and that we feel strongly about—and it is obvious from all of our papers that despite our different diverse backgrounds, genuineness and sincerity is something that we all value strongly.