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After listening to Rob I look at my own family stuff differently. I wonder what small object holds our shared moments and which parts of it will become the fuel for my own memories. Rob Goodwin taught me that passion can turn the everyday into something unforgettable.

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Listening to Red Shaydez at Fitchburg State felt like a spark in a dark room. She spoke from a place of struggle. She talked about growing up with doors slamming in her face and nights wondering if she would ever break free. She said she had to dig deep and pull herself out of the mud day after day.

Her voice was steady when she told us how she found hope in small wins. She spoke of that first moment she looked in the mirror and decided she was worth the fight. From there she built each step one at a time. She went back to school. She reached for every chance to learn. She refused to let her past define her future.

What hit me most was how she used her pain as fuel. She did not hide the scars. She held them up as proof she could survive. She showed us that no matter how deep we sink we can climb out. Now every time I face something hard I think of Red Shaydez and how she dug her way out of the mud and rose above.

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This oral storytelling class felt like a fresh start. Other courses drained me with endless problem sets and heavy readings. Chemistry and statistics left me racing from one deadline to the next and I had nothing left for creativity.

Here I learned to slow down and connect. I discovered the power of a pause. Letting a moment breathe before the key line gave my story space to grow. Timing mattered more than I knew. A short wait before the climax made my words land with more weight.

Now I know that great storytelling lives in the silence between words the rhythm of each line and the truth I bring to every moment. This class taught me to breathe into each story and share it from the heart.

o4-mini

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Learning about various cultures, the past, and values can be exciting and welcoming when accomplished through oral traditions. I figured out how people have passed down their skills and identities for years through oral tradition such as songs and stories. Making use of oral traditions to teach useful teachings was among the most interesting things I found. Folktales, for instance, often teach morals about reliability, bravery, or respect to elders, which makes learning both fun and important. Understanding how oral traditions vary across cultures yet retain general concepts like survival, family, and learning was a joy to me. It was amazing to observe how these customs, free of books or writing, connect people throughout time and space. I found that storytelling is an effective tool for keeping languages, remember the past, and passing traditions. The way oral traditions merge people was an aspect I valued. Singing songs or listening to stories together creates a feeling of community and shared identity. It proved to me the value of each person's story. I also discovered the significance of griots, or storytellers, who preserve history and culture by acting as living libraries.

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I do believe that I was able to understand storytelling and oral tradition in a different way after taking this class. I do like storytelling and learning about different cultures, but some of the presenters really helped me with this such as Mr. Todd Goodwin and Mr. Kai Fay. As for artifacts, another presenter helped me with this, I she had mentioned a bracelet that held special meaning and history, I know others hold something like this, I do as well. I mostly took this class to help me with my writing, and I don't know if it's because I like reading, because of once again Mr. Todd Goodwin, or past knowledge, but storytelling is something fun but also kind of hard for me to do, but it's still enjoyable. As for research, I do like it, and I have learned to use the library and the librarians more.

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Naturally in a time when trust in experts decreases, oral storytelling is still a key weapon in the hunt for knowledge and for the truth. In her article "The Essential Role of Storytelling in the Search for Truth," Lise Saffran points out the importance of authenticity and personal connection as society's trust in facts. The oral storytelling makes hard or general information easier to understand due to the presentation of the persons Pov and experiences. Some people are better at listening rather than reading.

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This class has helped me grow in both my understanding of storytelling and my confidence in expressing myself. One of the most important things I’ve taken away is that stories are not just about what happens, but how they are told. I’ve learned how structure, character, voice, and other techniques work together to create meaning and emotion.

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When I had initially signed up for this course, I was unsure of what to expect in the long term. From previous class experiences regarding oral history, I had a vague idea of some cultural aspects and histories we would discuss, but not to the extent that we ended up exploring them. I was continually impressed with the depth that each guest added to the overall course experience, in a variety of ways. Learning not just a deeper understanding of how oral tradition factors into different cultures, but within the class environment gave me a much better appreciation for storytelling as a practice. Overall, I can safely say I very much enjoyed the bulk of our course content, along with the collective experiences within the classroom.

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This course has expanded my mind and brought me new opportunities to build on my knowledge. I really enjoyed studying the different stories we looked at and took away important information regarding how stories are told all around the world. I definitely got the learning outcomes through the podcast assignment which I also enjoyed letting my creativity flow through storytelling. The research process was different than I have done in the past because of the specific nature of the class. Overall it taught me the importance of storytelling and the preservation of knowledge. Having the finished podcast result to take with me as a reminder of this course aligns with that preservation. Having the different speakers throughout the course while also reading different stories was nice to intake all sorts of different information and trying to make sense of it all.

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Coming into the class, I didn't really know what to expect or what I would improve on. I initially thought that it would mostly help with oral presentation, but the big skill for me was improving my ability to research and put together an in depth discussion on a topic.

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Coming into this class, I wasn’t sure about how long I would last. It felt like the workload was crazy, and things weren’t gonna go as planned, but as time went on, I grew to enjoy the process, and the podcast itself was a pleasure.

The addition of in class activities compared to my other classes was something I enjoyed. It took the overall pressure of sitting in class for an hour or so off our shoulders and it made classes more bearable.

So thank you.

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I am old! And I have spent a long time here at FSU, and this course was one of my absolute favorites I have taken! I not only learned about how other cultures tell their stories, but how they preserve them. I learned so much about what makes one an effective communicator and storyteller. I also learned a great deal about research, especially after digging around in the archives and newspapers. This course also gave me a new found passion for being a falcon. At the end of four years where I struggled immensely, and ultimately found out I would have to come back for an additional semester and graduate in Spring 2026, rather than with my class and my cohort, the last thing I wanted to be truthfully was a falcon. But learning about our history as an institution and as a department (because we are cool & trail blazers!) I found a new passion and motivation to make the best of my time here. I also learned that every story we have no matter how big or small is a place to invite people in, to gather and to connect. In a world where we are disconnected from each other, this class was a pocket of peace and inspiration in many ways. Grateful isn't enough of a word!

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Throughout this course, I feel that I have learned a lot about the importance of storytelling in preserving cultural heritage. Prior to taking this class, I never had any interest in history and always thought that it had its purpose, but not a purpose that had any relevance whatsoever to my life and future goals. This course showed me the complete opposite! From the activities, lectures, and lessons in the past semester, I have gained much greater knowledge of the importance of history in relation to storytelling and the development of a story’s contents. I have found that history not only shapes the narratives we tell but also provides a deeper understanding of the cultural values and societal norms that influence these stories. I now feel more inspired to listen to the stories of others to understand that underlying message. We learn from each other, so by listening and observing more, I hope to learn more ways to improve my own storytelling abilities.

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Going through this course, the main thing I feel like I learned was how to appreciate where I came from. Going through so many different realms of life, seeing everyone appreciate and use their cultures to be themselves, and have a sense of belonging. I feel like I improved my levels of understanding and listening in terms of getting to know people's situations and why certain cultures have certain traditions. Ultimately, I learned how to be ok with being myself even if I wasn't the most confident.

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Getting to hear from Red Shydez and also to read about her is inspiring. To see that an Alumni from Fitchburg State University get so far into the music industry through time and effort. It shows that anyone is able to get where they want to in life by putting in the time and effort. From her interview in the Falcon Pub, she presented herself for who she is and not putting on a mask to hide her true identity. By doing this, I feel she was able to connect to the audience on a much more personal level and be more meaningful. Red Shydez will forever be an inspirational figure to anyone, showingg that they can do what their heart truly desires.

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I really enjoyed hearing some of the speakers discussing various subjects. I will admit, I did not go into it thinking it would be as political as it was. The two presentations that stuck out to me the most were Executive Orders, Access to Information, and Local Impacts and Modern (Mis)Appropriations of Ancient and Medieval Symbols. I know we had discusses the misappropriations in class before, but I did find it enlightening to see the audiences reactions and see content that would have never been shown in class (like the tweet.) As for the other presentation, it was disheartening to hear how limited access may come from our current government and political atmosphere. I hope this becomes an annual event so more people can attend in the future years.

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Over the course of the semester, I feel the learning outcome that I learned the most about is how important it is to study storytelling and oral traditions. Hearing about how vital of a role it plays in various cultures and in people's lives. I would say I do need to continue to develop my skills on identifying aspects of storytelling so I can better analyze stories and how they are told. I did my best to adapt what we learned of how to tell stories to my podcast when writing the script. I am excited to see what more I can learn about this new lens that I have acquired from this course.

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When I first started this class, I wasn't sure what we were going to be doing. I at first thought it was just a better way to improve my speaking skills as a business major. But I soon learned it was much more through the stories and interactions we shared. This class helped me a lot with my writing skills and my interpretation skills, especially when guest speakers were involved. It was also very interesting to see how people went about certain things, like drawing or even acted stuff out. But overall, I really enjoyed this class.

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When I started this course I wasn't sure what to expect. I can say now that I am glad that I took this class. I enjoyed talking with my class mates about the different stories, and the opportunity it gave me to look into some topics I was interested in. I wish I had told a story of my own. One of my goals was to gain a better idea as to how I should tell my own stories. Overall there were some amazing people that I got to meet and questions I've never considered before this, and to that I'm glad I did this.

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Red Shaydez is a great example of an FSU Alumni. Not only is she driven and passionate about her work, she also does what she can to give back to the community that fostered her creativity. Shaydez has an wealth of knowledge in her field and seems very open to anyone who would have questions for doing what she does. As someone who is trying to learn about the students that come to FSU, She is someone that I would point to as a great example of the mindset and passion you can find here in this community. I really appreciated her open honesty with the question that were asked from the audience. Overall I'm glad that I could make it to the live podcast since it gave me a clear idea as to the culture FSU cultivates.

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I did learn a lot and being in a class that is called oral storytelling I would have thought of this class as something that would be a class were its just telling stories. But in this class, it opened my eyes when it comes to storytelling and there is more than just telling a story by reading but you can create with your mind on how you can tell a story even more than I expected I am glad that I took this class because I was more interested in how interactive this class is.

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For my summary, I want to start by saying how much I loved this class and how it really amazed me with how much I learned! I feel like all course goals were met for me, storytelling has impacted me a lot this semester, and I even saw myself outside of this class using the things I learned in class in many different ways out of class. I feel like I have definitely improved in writing as a whole, and on top of that, I think my way of telling/showcasing a story has improved a lot as well. I thank Dr. Tracy and all my classmates for such an enjoyable class and a great learning experience.

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Just to introduce that she is an amazing artist and Red has had a lot of impact as an alumni. Shaydez, always obsessed with hip-hop, wrote poetry as a teen and produced homemade mixtapes exploring different musical styles. She has won so many awards and showed how much of an impact and was really important towards working hard with all her work. she’s a community advocate, business strategist for arts organizations, and educator, currently teaching a Hip-Hop collaboration course at MIT. Beyond her music career, Shaydez is also an entrepreneur and public speaker.

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So many things that I have learned and mainly about the different presentations from all the guests were impactful. I would honestly just want to continue to work on my writing and storytelling skills.That this is one of my favorite classes that I have taken over my time at Fitchburg State.

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For the podcast event of Red Shaydez, I did enjoy seeing it. I did like some topics that were brought up like the connection she had with Fitchburg and her shades, but if I remember correctly then there were I think three points where I think did not need to be brought up, and instead of these points, these points should have been more about her. I did like that she said that things were made in the past and to amplify it. I also think that we should be wary of being influenced, she mentioned that we are influenced, but I am on the side that I think we should be careful with this as we can unknowingly be impacted in a bad way.

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It is always interesting to learn about Fitchburg State alumni and definitely sparks motivation to finish the semester strong. It is cool to see someone use their interests to also advocate for change and raise awareness on things you are passionate about. She mentions her music is catchy and that sometimes you have to listen more closely to understand what she is talking about which is similar to other stories that have so many different meanings below the surface.

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Thank you for sharing your story with us in such a creative and engaging way. Using music to introduce yourself and inviting us to sing along helped show how powerful shared experiences and storytelling can be in building connections. Your story about you, your brothers, and your dad’s old car highlighted how personal memories can carry deeper meanings and reflect broader themes like family, identity, and heritage. It was a great reminder of how storytelling especially when interactive can make history and memory come alive.

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Thank you, Kai, for sharing your insights on how storytelling evolves overtime. It was fascinating to consider how narratives shift depending on who is telling them, when, and why. Your discussion highlighted the fluid nature of history and memory, and how stories can be reclaimed, reinterpreted, or even silenced across generations. It reminded me of the responsibility we have to question dominant narratives and seek out voices that have been left out.

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Thank you, Patrice, for engaging the class in such a thoughtful discussion on cultural landscapes and public memory. Your emphasis on storytelling in public spaces and the importance of exploring our surroundings to uncover hidden histories was especially impactful. Encouraging us to go out and engage with the landscape firsthand added a valuable, practical layer to the conversation.

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It was very interesting to get to know red Shaydez and knowing that she was just starting her music career and she was a Fitchburg student during the time when she freshly started it, and it would make sense when it came to her music selection and inspirations which was the 90's era and her heritage and mix in her background into the interview.

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To start, I want to say how amazing I think she is! Putting so much effort and time into music can be hard but she does it for the love of it. She also has a great way of presenting herself by the moves when she dances or just the visual look she puts out there. It is amazing for me to see as someone who loves that kinda stuff. Besides all that though, her work is getting her out there and getting awards, which is so cool and inspiring due to the fact that she is doing what she loves truly. Lastly, I think the whole message of what she is doing and why is really important and can even get overlooked sometimes when an artist doesn’t realise, but Red Shaydes makes it clear what her message is through all that she does.

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I definitely enjoyed Mr Goodwin's company and speaking. You can tell her is a showman and is overall a joy to be around. I could tell he is very prideful and wants the best out of those who are genuine. My favorite part about this visit was his family car journey. From when his father had the car to when they sold the car, even when they had to track the car down which took them some time to do. They did it though and through what they did they made a living out of it. With their infamous license plate and green car as their logo, he puts his family pride on display and that, I was grateful for.

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Kai Fay's topic was very interesting. The mix of Japanese culture with the culture of religion, specifically being Christianity this go around. Through the many images and connections that Kai made we were clearly able to see this sort of faith that Japan had in Christ in these earlier time periods. Also when Kai mentioned how they express these faiths through many forms of tangible things that you could make your own interpretation out of it. I also can not forget about the hiku we performed as well. This ties back to us being able to make our own perspective and have our own understanding of just one item.

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Attend and post a response here!

"Scholars on Tap"

Tuesday May 6th, 7 - 9:30PM

Falcon Hub

Free food with alcohol for purchase.

The scholars:

Dr. J.J. Sylvia IV: Fascism Then and Now

Dr. Eric Budd: The State of Democracy

Dr. Ben Railton: History of American Immigration Law & Policy

Dr. Eileen Kirk: Due Process 101

Dr. Zachary Miner: The Stigmatization of Trans Folx and How We Can Hasten Equality

Dr. Chris Picone: Environmental Impacts of the Most Scientifically Illiterate POTUS in History

Dr. Heather Urbanski: Organizational Responses to Destructive Executive Orders

Olivia Rossetti and Lori Steckervetz: Executive Orders, Access to Information, and Local Impacts

Dr. Kisha Tracy and Reneé Fratantonio: Modern (Mis)appropriations of Ancient and Medieval Symbols

Dr. Katy Covino and Reneé Fratantonio: Critical Curriculum Design and AI

Dr. DeMisty Bellinger: Alternative Avenues of Funding on Campus

Dr. Kyle Moody: Social Media for Democratic Rhetoric

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What makes Story telling important? There are a lot of things that bring value to studying story telling. It's a way of spreading knowledge, warnings and overall life lessons. A powerful tool for linking generations, cultures, and even people is storytelling. It allows people to communicate principles, emotions and knowledge in a way that relates with others. Storytelling has an effective teaching and learning tool which makes tricky ideas easier to understand. By allowing the viewers to see the world from a different viewpoint, it builds empathy, compassion, and open-mindedness. Storytelling helps maintain and create identities in groups of people by retaining customs and history. It helps improves dialog, involvement and encourages actions. They maintain the common good while giving laughter, knowledge, and persuasion. Basically, storytelling is a vital part of what allows us to connect, grow, and relate to one another it is not simply an avenue of expression.

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Throughout Patrice’s presentation I thought the information she was giving us about the Historical spots and stories from this area of New England were very cool. But her presentation skills were a little bit lackluster and at some points it felt a little bit rude. I liked that she showed us the app and website that they have because those are cool ways to learn about and see some of New England's history. It is also cool how detailed the website and app are and how much stuff they have collected and have in their database.

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A few things stood out to me about Patrice’s presentation. On one hand, I thought she gave an interesting insight to the challenges surrounding accessibility of resources in a digital age, especially when it comes to older generations who may not be as technologically savvy as they’d like to be. I think the importance of presentation style, along with the conscious effort to ensure information is easily approachable for all audiences, was a factor that I had never really considered before Patrice’s presentation. It will definitely be something I am mindful of going forward with my podcast, and in life relationships, too. However, on the other hand, I felt that Patrice did an excellent job at unintentionally exemplifying how that same lack of audience consideration can hinder information accessibility. Upon hearing her third, fourth, or even fifth, insult about intellectual credibility hurled at our audience, I was overcome with the sudden sensation of wanting to tune out the rest of her presentation. Patrice’s tendency to repeatedly denigrate our classroom made for palpable moments of disdain and disinterest from me, and from the looks of my peer’s responses here, from the audience, as well. Insulting the intelligence of a college student feels equivalent to condemning a doctor for getting sick. In a positive spin, I think her conceited verbosity helped convey the notion that audience awareness plays such a huge role in information retention. I will absolutely refrain from offending my podcast audience, as I would like for them to enjoy my presentation and hopefully feel invited and equal enough to finish hearing the story I want to tell.

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For this presentation, I was able to note that Ms. Patrice did seem to really care about the work she was doing and even sharing. I was interested to learn about some new places to look into, I was also interested in seeing the way she presented, by this I mean her hand movements, which is what I’ve been told good speakers have. Though it did seem she was a bit disappointed in our class, possibly thinking that we had not been paying attention or did not care too much?

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Freedom’s Way National Parks strives to tell stories of the region through diversity and heritage as all of these worlds come together through storytelling. The guest speaker, Patrice Todisco, emphasized the use of communication and collaboration to connect these stories into the region and make the stories more accessable to people through ebooks and podcasts. An interesting thing I learned during the presentation was that you can trace back heritage to stories from the regions rich heritage by creating an understanding of what the people of the past were seeing and what they were experiencing. I personally believe that with the current state of the world today, it is important to think also of how these historical events have impacted the world and contributed to todays world. However, she also highlights the disbelief in historical storytelling. Some historical events are so unbelievably difficult for modern society to comprehend. Storytelling helps to convey the true societal impact and cultural significance of these historic events. I feel more intrigued to visit some of these national monuments and landmarks for a reason beyond a cool photo opp or something like that. I feel like things such as Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone Valley, though not being necessarily part of our region, are seen by many as a cool road trip sight or place to post on social media. I feel more enthusiastic about knowing the importance and significance of these landmarks as well as going to see them in real life.

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I think that what Patrice said had me feel kind of awkward and uncomfortable. It sounded like she was acting like we didn't know what we were doing and it made me feel low on my self-esteem. I felt like she was talking down to us when trying to teach us on what we needed to do. For the first time ever a presentation was a good one but made me feel in a negative way. I hope that I never feel like this again in future presentations that I might need to watch.

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Patrice showed her strong views on the work she does and you could tell she genuinely cares about the conservation work. New England monuments or places that show culture and where we came from is interesting because as we move into the digital age its important to preserve the physical world.

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Patrice Todisco's presentation on her work and what she does left me with some mixed feelings. The work she does with her organization are amazing and requires more work to keep alive than most things. The website and app has a lot of information that doesn't get brought to peoples attention as much as it should be. I will personally say that my knowledge on history is very poor and it was very much felt in this presentation. Much of this has come form my own personal disinterest when learning about history though my life. These stories about our local surrounding towns give the feeling that there is so much more to our environment around us than we think there is. That's about all I can say about the positives because I felt somewhat judged on some ideas that I presented. I will say now that I don't agree with how our society has developed this necessity for short form entertainment. BUT that doesn't mean that since I disagree with it that it should be thrown out all together. There is so much information that I learned about from this type of entertainment that planted the seed for some of my favorite activities. If you are struggling to get information out with the platforms you have right now, then adapt you strategies to what we know works. It was said by the presenter themselves. Since we aren't as "verbose" as generations before us, they adapted their manner of speaking to accommodated the platform they were presenting their information on. Overall the presentation brings to peoples attention many good resources and ideas to people that are looking for it.

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Kai Fay's presentation on Japan's Hidden Christians was something completely new to me. I wasn't expecting such a long and complex history on Christianity to come from Japan especially from 1549. During the 250 year long ban of outsiders and other religions, bore an almost completely different branch of religion that identified as Cristian. While listening that was one of my main questions when thinking about how they would preserve these ideas. Just from the activity I did with my group, the thought I had was almost completely confirmed with how badly we translated our texts (Which I thought was really funny). I thought about how unreliable our brains can be when remembering information since every time we remember something we actually change it in our brains. I know there were some local communities that could more openly cultivate the religion which makes me question how long that took to happen. One question I have is how they translated this religion in the very beginning? Did the teachings of Christianity truly get translated correctly from the beginning? How different was the two groups when Japan was opened? How did these stories differ from the originals? This topic was super interesting and I would be interested in finding more information on this topic.

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Thank you Professor Renée,  your presentation on accessing library tools. I found it really helpful to learn about the various resources and tools the library provides, especially how they can enhance our research and academic work. The way you explained the process for accessing online databases, citation tools, and specialized software was very clear and made me realize how many valuable resources are at our disposal. I especially appreciated the tips on how to effectively navigate the library’s website and the importance of utilizing library staff for support. It’s clear that mastering these tools can make a significant difference in the quality and efficiency of our research

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I found it fascinating how you explored the symbiotic relationship between the academic community and the surrounding urban environment. The idea that students and faculty both influence and are influenced by the city was particularly striking. It made me think about how the university is not just an isolated institution but a vibrant part of the city's social, cultural, and economic fabric.

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First of all, thank you for showing me the archives it was really interesting! I was amazed by the wealth of historical materials and the depth of the university’s past. It was fascinating to see how much history is preserved and how each item, from old yearbooks to photographs, tells a unique story about the institution’s growth and the people who shaped it. I feel like I gained a much deeper understanding of the university’s evolution, and it was an eye opening experience to connect the past with the present. I’m definitely eager to explore more of what the archives have to offer!

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I found your discussion on the importance of understanding and embracing diverse cultural perspectives particularly thought provoking. The examples you shared about how cultural differences can influence communication, work styles, and social interactions highlighted the need for a more inclusive approach in both personal and professional settings. I especially appreciated how you touched on the benefits of diversity, not only in terms of broader perspectives but also how it can drive innovation and creativity. Your talk made me more aware of the complexities of cultural dynamics and the importance of fostering an environment that values diversity in all its forms.

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This was a fun class, I found the idea of Japanese interpretation was fun yet very complex at the same time, it was interesting because it focused on the personal translation, which in this case are completely wrong. I think it was important to do this activity because it shows the difference between our form of storytelling in comparison to them, I also feel like the way that they write the stories, including the format which I feel is different which made a difficult as a whole. She also gave a backstory on it and how Christianity was banned all throughout their country therefore they couldn't express religious beliefs and could possibly face prosecution. Kai Fay gave an in depth overview. It was a presentation I really enjoyed and would be willing to listen to again thank you. It was Top 5!!!!

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Kai is awesome! It was a pleasure to have him! I very much enjoyed learning about hidden Christianity in Japan, as well as the activity we did about decoding words and assigning them new meanings. In a time where we unfortunately as people have to be mindful of what we say and how we show up in certain places because of the dangers of what could happen, this activity was a light hearted access point into a topic that is particularly heavy. In a world where education, accessibility, agency among so many other things are under fire this activity in a small way showed me ways we can cope. Speaking out is so important, but being able to mobilize and meet together over a common goal to keep a belief alive is amazing too.

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Kai Fay taught a really cool and interesting idea about hidden religion in Japan. I never knew anything about that before, so it definitely got my attention. He talked about how Japan was closed off from the world for a while and how religion wasn’t allowed people could actually get punished for it. So they had to hide it through secret texts, symbols, and even secret meetings. One thing he said that stuck with me was how people used words that sounded like other words to create a hidden story that made sense to the people around them but not to the officials. The activity we did in class really showed how that worked, and it was actually kind of funny trying to make our own haiku with hidden meanings. I didn’t think I’d ever do something like that, and it’s definitely something I won’t forget. He also made a good point if everyone was using different code words, it could get so hidden that even they might not understand it anymore. I liked how he broke down the poems too, it made it easier to get what was going on.

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Kai Fay's presentation on Japanese haiku culture and history was particularly fascinating to me, due to its connections and overlaps with western culture. I had little knowledge prior to Kai's presentation pertaining to the influence of Christianity and Christian missionaries present in Japan centuries prior. The language barrier in presenting Christian texts to Japanese speakers was a particularly trying hurdle to overcome in 15-16th century Japan, and Kai's interactive way of presenting their traditional methods of translation solidified that fact. Kai had noted that the Christian sects of Japan that had lived in secrecy, and held unique traditions, continued to exist even after practicing Christianity was legalized in Japan. These sects had long been branched off from the church of Christianity; where they experienced a strong disconnect in traditions, as Kai noted. This was a point I was particularly keen on following up on, as such a specific class of Christian Japanese citizens upholding a unique tradition was quite fascinating to me. Lastly, Kai's activity made it clear how traditions can easily split off from one another due to a variety of factors. This linguistic activity made that aspect of the divide abundantly clear to me in participating.

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I personally had no idea that Christianity was outlawed in Japan at any point in history. I think it’s fascinating that the translations and reinterpretations of religious texts are like a game of telephone. What starts as one phrase or story can evolve significantly based on the cultural, political, and/or personal lenses through which the text is filtered. I noticed that the steps of a text being translated is followed by a reinterpretation and lastly is retold as a story. The guest speaker, Kai Fay, helped us understand that through reinterpretations, such as the ones of Christian scriptures, stories and texts can be remembered. The outlaw of Christian practices in Japan helped reinforce the art of storytelling. The in-class assignment showed a good example of the reconstruction of a story through personal and cultural interpretations. The exercise also showed us how extreme the results of these translations, and distortions can be over time.  It’s so important to remember the hidden story behind a story. The deeper meaning of what a story is trying to convey may be different than the initial understanding of a text.

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Kia Fay talked about some very interesting topics in the hidden groups of Christianity in Japan. The stories about how they would practice Christianity in secret so they wouldn't get in trouble were really cool. I thought it was very smart how they would interpret the text into something that doesn't really relate to it as a way to hide it because if you didn't know what the interpretation was then you would have not know what it was actually about. The last part of his topics that I thought was interesting was the fact that when Christianity was reallowed back in Japan a lot of these groups had strayed so far away from basic Christianity that they kind of formed their own religious sub group. This was because of all the interpretations of the bible and other text and how these interpretations changed over time.

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This special guest was very interacting and very interesting when it comes to it, and this was very fun to do when it comes to the class and having the translations when we had to break down the haiku it was very interesting to break or try and break it down in our own language and learning what they mean was very interesting. It was cool to learn what he did for studies and what he has learned from it which was also cool as well. It was a very good topic to talk about and bring up.

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To start off, I wanted to say that I enjoyed Kai’s way of involving us in his story. He incorporated us into his story through games and interaction with our fellow classmates. I never thought that I could get so much out of a class, but I truly did here with Kai. I felt like so much information about the Japanese language and Christian history really clicked with me. Having us write our sentence and make it sound like what we thought it would be was my favorite part. During this, we had to take a Japanese sentence and break it down into something that was easier for us to understand. Then we learned what it really meant and how it is truly said in its actual language.

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Unfortunately, I was absent for Kai Fay's guest speaking lecture, but after having discussed it with another student from our class (as well as reading from some reflections here) I think I was able to get a pretty decent gist of the ideas that Kai presented. The theme of context and translation was the most appealing to me, as Kai pointed out that their relationship is often never mutually exclusive; they are two concepts that work in tangent together, and sometimes in ways we can't outright see at first. My love for literature has also given me a contempt for subtext, as I frequently misinterpret symbolic themes and hidden references, but Kai's way of weaving the language translation barrier in was especially interesting. It made me realize that there's SO many different words (not to mention different dialects, languages, etc.) that are contingent on their respective meanings, but can also create a brand new context through specific interpretation.

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I liked how we got to learn a bit about Christian faith. I also liked how we got to learn this for a different country. Learning some history from a bit of places has always fascinated me. The project we did was also an enjoyable one, I had enjoyed this presentation.

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Reflecting on our guest visit from Kai Fay, I really enjoyed trying to translate different haikus based upon the pronunciation. By doing this, it gets people involved and actually wants to learn how, but what I liked most is learning about what it actually meant and the way that I could kind of connect the sounds of the Japanese words to the English words only after I knew what the real translation was. I also liked the way I could tell Kai was very knowledgeable about what he was talking about. There were very few moments I was not paying attention. I never knew that christianity was suppressed in Japan and then when they started recognizing it, the churches were shunned by the christians, as well. It was incredibly interesting to hear about this and I believe it is mostly because when I think of Japan, I think of shinto practices and events and parades they have to honor their ancestors. While it has occured to me that people did practice the christian belief, I never really thought it had such an impact on the history of Japan. I do like that the lesson was about how they keep the texts alive there. Overall, this is one of the better lessons I have sat through and would not mind him coming back and teaching again.

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To begin, I really enjoyed Kai Fay as a guest speaker. It was really interesting to see how there are different ways of translating, and how interpretation can really be left open-ended when not having the right knowledge or skills. Also, it was even better to see it first hand with the activities we did, you got to see in writing, speaking, and demonstrating our interpretations of the short phrases we got. Then it was also nice to hear the back story of how religion was outlawed. Even though it was outlawed, people still practiced it in secret meetings but also in disguise. Overall, I really enjoyed Kai Fay as a guest speaker and the look he gave us into the background of religion in Japanese culture.

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Kai Fay was talking a lot about hidden messages in hiku for the Japanese culture. The activity where we had to try to translate our own hiku was very funny. I never thought that I would do something like that and definitely an unforgettable memory that I have. This class keeps on teaching me different things and I keep finding something new with every story that is told. That the presentation really got me to think about how much these types of words change over time. That people also have to change and evolve so that we can continue to learn about these new translations.

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I thought that it was really interesting to learn from Kai the ways that Christianity was hidden and altered during the time period where its practice was banned. It ties into the theme of our class in how oral traditions are subject to changes as they are passed down through generations, but the creation of stories around the phonetics of how Latin sounds to someone who speaks Japanese adds a new layer to how the stories change. It also ties into how people are better able to remember stories than just random strings of information, and the in class activity showed how different interpretations of what words sound like creates something entirely separate from the original meaning.

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I LOVED this activity with Kai. I have had the privilege of seeing him come into Dr. Tracy's course five times now, and this activity takes the #1 spot. I really enjoyed making a phrase in English to help remember what was said in Japanese. I feel we all had really fun with it and took our own creative views on how to present our saying. The connecting of this activity to how storytelling can cause significant miscommunication was impactful. It now makes sense how we could have so many branches on Christianity, and how the hidden Japanese communities who practiced christianity could have reformed it. As I am a fan of medieval times and just history revolving around said time period, I enjoyed hearing about how power transitioned between the samurai and the emperor in Japan. As I will be taking the Bible as Literature next semester, I am curious to see what Kai's next activity will be.

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Kai Fay was an interesting speaker and showed his interests through his speaking. You could tell he enjoyed the subject and his knowledge on the topics was very good. The activities he had us go through were tricky but actively demonstrated the context of the lesson of how you would translate things when you cant directly say them. Pulling in how transforming things into stories to recite them is interesting to think about and integrate with the different types of storytelling we discuss in class. Kai mentioning how certain lingo or slang being used is also a factor of whether people would be able to translate things was insightful with how modern language evolves.

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Kai Fay taught a very interesting and cool idea of the hidden religion in Japan. He mentioned how Japan was closed off from basically the entire world from a period of time and how religion was not allowed or else there was punishment. For example, he talked about how people would have hidden texts, meetings, symbols, and celebrations. The activity we did in class was a great example of how it was done without getting caught by using words that sound similar to other words and eventually make a story out of it that would be understood by people around but not to officials. He also made a good point to where; if everyone was doing this same thing but with different code words then it would become too hidden to the point they might not even know what they're talking about anymore. Overall, it is a very interesting topic and one that I had never heard about or knew about and the way he presented.... especially with the poems how he dissected it to make it easier understood was cool.

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I attended the poster portion of the Undergraduate Research Conference. My original intention was to support my friend Carolina as she was presenting during this portion; however, while walking around we saw some fairly interesting posters. One of the ones that stood out to me was the DEI in Admissions presented by Campbell Greely. I will hold my personal opinions on this poster. Another one that stood out to me was around the Aesthetics of Trump. The reason this caught my attention is because of the current political climate and how controversial it can be. There were a lot of great presentations shown during this conference.

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If you cannot make the podcast recording on May 6th at 11AM in the Main Lounge (trading for our regular class period), then you can reflect on the information about Red Shaydez and her music:

“About Red Shaydez”

“Music Can Change the World: Shalayah Washington '14 Makes Music That Matters”

Music examples

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Attend all or part of the Undergraduate Research Conference on 4/17. Write a response here for 5 Extra Credit Activity points.

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I have lost count of how many times I have gotten the chance to hear from our lovely librarian Renee... I always find her presentation very informative and helpful when looking for sources. As this course is focused around storytelling, with one of the most current forms being podcasts. Learning how to look through transcripts to find the sources they used. She truly showcased how she is truly a well of knowledge in the field.

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I may have only been able to visit the archives once, but I felt the visit I was present for showcased the importance of having a University Archives. There is so much historical information around not only the university, but also the local community sitting, waiting to be read. While there, I got the chance to look at a blueprint of what our campus had looked like many years ago. From this, I found it fascinating how much our campus has grown and developed. We also got the chance to hear of other texts they held within their small nook. I am curious to see what tomes they may hold with information on first-generation college students.

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Todd Goodwin taught me more about the objectives of storytelling in a short amount of time than I have my whole life. I identify myself as someone who can express personal stories through writing. Oral stories, however, have never been my strong suit. My hands get clammy, my heart starts to race, I stutter. All of these points prevent me from wanting to stand up in front of a crowd and tell stories. Goodwin got up there and started singing, which was strange to me because all of the other guests who have come to speak– respectfully– did not grab my attention just as much as he did. I believe what was so wonderful about his talent is that he was able to keep me focused by having us sing along with him, use our hands to make motions, and passing around the pictures. Without such action that he took to assure our attention, I do not believe I would have been so provoked to keep my eyes on him and listen to what he had to say. The story itself was not what kept me there but instead the unknowing thought in my head of what he might have us do next. I didn’t want to miss it. I also wanted to point out that I am sure speaking in front of crowds is something that he has gotten used to and probably a class he had to take. He has seemed to master public speaking through the years of his storytelling which also helps keep people’s attention. The absolute dismissal of any kind of nervousness and anxiety of talking in front of a crowd is impressive and admirable. Overall, I enjoyed his storytelling and the way he portrayed himself to us. I loved the way he included us in his story, having us sing, and using that singing to foreshadow a significant fact in his story, which is that the car had no radio, so he and his family would sing, instead. I would love for him to come back and do this again.

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Todd Goodwin is a professional storyteller and it shows in how he incorporates the audience among other practices. Not only is he able to paint a picture with details but also support those with inclusions of physical pictures. When telling a story it is important to make it memorable to the listeners so they can share those experiences with others. After the presentation I wanted to ask him more questions about how he chose his stories and some advice on how to tell them more effectively. One of the pieces of advice he told me was to “repeat and practice”. Telling a good story on the first try is difficult so practice in a mirror. I’ve heard this same advice when taking a speech course. This is something that is easy to understand but can also not be the first thing you think about. For me, when it comes to situations where I’m with my friends, which stories do I want to talk about? When I asked this question to Todd he told me to “tell the ones that are interesting to you”. I think a lot of the problems I have when it comes to storytelling is I myself don’t think anything I do is interesting to others. I say this and yet Todd tells a story about an old car to a room of people where I don’t think even 10% of them know much about cars other than how to drive them. Looking at some of the reflections, one of the most remembered aspects of his talk was the green car. I think I can learn something about his storytelling just from that alone. In the future I want to incorporate an aspect into my storytelling that includes something akin to the green car and see how it comes across.

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I thought Mr. Goodwin was GREATwin for our storytelling class! From his attention grabbing harmonica intro, to the multiple physical photos that were passed around to help visualize and give context to the Studebaker’s history, Todd was masterful in how he presented himself and his stories. I especially liked how he consistently incorporated the audience (making us sing, asking questions, warming up with the invisible fire, etc.) which I believe helped his narrative come to life and stick into our audience’s minds. This high level of participation, coupled with his heartfelt and sincere engagement with the crowd, made it feel as if we were a part of his friend group (or even his family) which made the impact of the Studebaker story much stronger, as we all felt as if we had gone on the car’s journey with him! I think his enthusiasm was extremely admirable, considering he’s probably told this story countless times by now, and helped prove that if you’re dedicated enough- any story, told any amount of times, can remain as fresh and indelible as the day it all happened. I will definitely be taking cues from his presentation to incorporate into my podcast. I also really loved the idea of how Mr. Goodwin was able to find his family Studebaker again after years of it’s disappearance, which proves that something lost to history can possibly be recovered again over time if one has the right amount of passion and commitment to searching for answers.

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It was really interesting to hear how Todd Goodwin was able to turn simple stories from his childhood about things like his dad’s car into a larger story that is able to draw you in. The use of images helped the audience to connect with the stories he was telling, as well as using a very expressive style of storytelling. I enjoyed hearing stories about Fitchburg from around the time that my dad was growing up in the area. The storytelling was well connected by the through line of the Studebaker, and it was neat to hear about its history and connection to the family.

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Mr Goodwin was a very unique presenter, his way of telling the stories and the stories he was telling were very personal to him which made them extremely unique. Starting off his stories by playing the harmonica was a really good way to get the audience's attention. Once he had my attention his storytelling style and the stories he was telling kept me interested and helped my attention. I had never heard stories like these before because this stuff happened before my generation so hearing these was very interesting. I thought the story about how he was the radio while his brother was driving a girl around on a date was really funny. The songs that he kept singing were also really funny and a good way to keep my attention.

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I really appreciated Mr. Goodwin’s presentation! I was super excited to meet someone from President Hammond era! He was also just such a light! I appreciated the singing, and the visuals he used to bring us into his stories. His anecdote at the end about how doing what you love is not “work” really resonated with me. At the tail end of my time at the University it really reminded me to center myself in my why! He was a great speaker, and really captivated the space.

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The way he told the stories I could see the images in my mid and he was an amazing story teller. I liked how he got us to join in with the songs and didn't just tell the story. But he showed us the true depth of a story and I felt like I was there when he was telling it and I feel that is every story tellers goal. When talking to a small or big group of people keeping everyone engaged is a very hard thing to do. But he definitely showed all of us a great experience I will never forget.

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Todd Goodwin was a very wonderful speaker and brought joy into the classroom. His stories incorporated many aspects that were engaging and made time go by fast because he brought fun into his stories. His use of pictures throughout was good because it allowed us to see examples of the people and things he talked about which helps with comprehension and retention just like the acting out we did in the previous class. I was really intrigued with the story of the car and how much some things can mean to people. That car is most definitely apart of Todd’s culture or heritage because it stands in a special place in his heart and in his family.

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When reflecting on Todd Goodwin, the first thing that comes to mind is confidence. A confident person, in my opinion, is someone who is not afraid to be unique. Todd immediately demonstrated his harmonica and singing abilities. This was a real eye-opener and a good example of how we should behave. We should not be concerned with other people's opinions of us; instead, we should be concerned with our own and God's opinions. Overall, I enjoyed Todd Goodwin's appearance in the classroom. His confidence, combined with his excellent storytelling abilities, was a valuable addition to the class.

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Reflecting on this, I was amazed by this wonderful speaker/storyteller. From the start, I was hooked on his great ways of telling and showcasing a story. His whole story was shown through words, songs, games, and even pictures he brought. All of these are great and sweet, and they all truly helped me understand his story from a deeper level. Todd’s openness to his true self and story helped him deliver such a beautiful story to all of us. Again, I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to listen to such a great example of why storytelling is important and why it is so beautiful in the ways you can showcase it.

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To begin, Mr.Goodwin was very entertaining in his version of story telling. To start with the harmonica it was something I never expected, you know. It got my attention right away, and he kept my attention through his singing and dancing, somewhat. It was interesting to also learn about his old school family car and the adventures they had in it. It was also interesting to see the visual part of storytelling he brought with his pictures. It made you stay engaged and want to ask more questions, whether it be about the car itself, the journey of getting it back, or just the memories he had created in it with his family. Overall, it was very nice to have Mr.Goodiwn in class and to be able to experience his unique way of storytelling.

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I really valued the personal story told by the guest speaker in class. I felt connected to the speaker by his sharing of the personal stories of his childhood and family life. I like how he began with an explanation of the significance and origin of his family car. It was fascinating how the car wasn’t just a mode of transportation but a symbol of his family's journey and the memories they created together. His reflections on the role the car played in bringing his family closer, whether during long road trips or day-to-day moments, resonated with me. I believe the car was a studebaker and I’m not a very big fan of cars, but his story reminded me of how much my great uncle Steve loves cars. We had so many of our own family adventures in his car growing up and his brother had a race car so we would occasionally get to go on rides in the race car! I interpreted the relevance of his family car as being a part of the speakers cultural heritage. Hearing how crucial the role of the car was in his life really amazes me and makes me think more about my own family traditions and cultural heritage.

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I want to start off by saying how disappointed I am for missing this class and sleeping through my alarm.... but being able to read my other peers work helped me paint a picture with how the class went. Todd Goodwin seemed to be a good guest and helped hook the student in. Others stated he was very engaging and gave really good visuals. I like when people are able to create a image in others heads with just words because it helps me personally remember those things a lot better. I am displeased in myself for missing this class and not being able to meet our guest. I do appreciate my classmates for adding their experiences because it helped me understand how that class went.

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I really enjoyed this class! Our guest was very kind and helped us with a better understanding when it comes to finding certain things. I likes when she provided us a google form that helped us open our eyes after the fact of watching and listening to the video she provided. She taught me and my other classmates to always keep trying and trying, to never give up when you can find a certain link or book, anything in that sort. She also taught us how to go to different websites and to keep digging even if it is a little bit tedious.

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The ideas and topics on our 2nd guest panel I want to start off with it the school and Fitchburg. There are many different connections between the two and how this city has a lot more different facts we don't know. Fitchburg is seen as not the best but what people forget is Fitchburg has a place when it comes to the history we don't know about. It is very overlooked.

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After watching and listening to this video it taught me some things that I never knew about the demographics. The first thing I want to start of with is how I didn't know it actually how many student were first generations. I really liked to see how 39% is first generations because I am also a first gen, it amazes me how we know we are capable of doing what we know most of our adults in out lives couldn't or didn't want to do. I really enjoy this one because it helps me realize we can change things around within our families. As well as seeing how 93% of our new up coming freshmen will be working during their first semester. Coming into a new place especially a school with different values and aspects than a high school and wanting to work is quite amazing. I just really enjoyed watching the demographics because its nice to know all the different facts within Fitchburg State.

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Mr. Todd Goodwin had shown a tremendous stage presence. I gathered that his presentation was mainly focused on teaching storytelling and his family. Mr. Todd Goodwin first grabbed our attention by playing a harmonica, he then gathers us as a class to build an imaginary fire, after this we sing a song. He then gives us a bit of history on his family’s car, some printed photos, and he then dives right into telling stories about his family and the car. I really enjoyed his guest appearance in our class, I had also been wondering how I should go about voicing my podcast and he was a wonderful example to see for this. His storytelling abilities were great to see, engaging, and informative. While learning about him and his family it was nice to hear and see that his brother and the woman (I apologize, I forgot her name) had married one another, they got the car back, and he still used language not from our time. I highly enjoyed his presentation, and I also think he could be a possible guest for my podcast.

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I want to say that Mr. Todd Goodwin was a very expressive person. It was very fascinating that he told us stories about an old model car and was interesting on it as well. He was very engaging and funny, and I feel like there are times that people do need people like Mr. Todd Goodwin because he would brighten up your day. I am glad that he was there that day because I had a rough day the day before and he cheered me up.

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Mr. Todd Goodwin was a wonderful fresh of air, he was a mix of storytelling, fun, singing, and visuals. Most importantly he tells a story about an old 1941 green car that entails a story of a family and childhood. Realizing that oral story telling is very important and very easy to understand especially if you keep the audience engaged such as Mr. Goodwin did, on top of telling the story be gave visuals which gave the story a sense of life and help thicken the imaginations of the people who are listening and witnessing this as in if ones part of the story aswell. I am grateful for the opportunity to have listen and watched him tell a story.

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I enjoyed her presentation and reflection; she was able to help me find good and very insightful views on things. The importance that this hold is clearly large because she can help us apply this to a multitude of things in the academic world such as researching and writing papers and for general learning skills. I really appreciated here charisma, energy, and mind. It was great and I am thankful for the opportunity.

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Rennee did a great job explaining to all of us the differences between a good source (and where to find it) and a horrible source (and not where to look). At first, I was scared of the thought of creating a bibliography from other sources. Bibliographies in general scare me but Rennee soothed any bad thought with her guidance. I was a google source user coming into this school and people like Rennee help weed out what is what.

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Rennee is lovely as always and I appreciated her presentation. I found it very informative and helpful to have a quick refresher on the best ways to search for information when it is used for research. I was also super helpful to learn how to search newspapers as that was something I did not entirely understand or know how to do. I feel prepared to do my bibliography that is upcoming soon.

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Renee was very resourceful. She gave us many tools and supplies to help find not only sources that may be credible and relevant but sources that are also reliable. We got some hands on practice as well with the search engine of different sites.

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I had actually enjoyed Ms. Renee Fratantonio's presentation. She showed us a way on how to make a podcast bibliography by using another podcast. This was useful to me and got me thinking on ways to make a trascript when the time comes.

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From Renee's presentation, I was able to successfully take away both a better awareness of secondary source placement in text, but in an oral sense as well. I had also gained a sense of the broad range of sources that can be used in a podcast, which added a new level of depth for me personally, regarding podcasts as a means of research. Renee's exercise of keeping a keen ear for any mention of these sources allowed me to be a more active listener when absorbing such forms of media in the future as well. Lastly, as simple as it seems, Renee introduced me to the level of quality that is contained in both a transcript, and notes of a podcast. The scholarly structure of the podcast which she presented to us, served as an example for which other podcasts should model after.

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Reflecting on our guest speaker, Renee Frantantonio, I really appreciated the new approach she introduced to help us find and discuss sources when creating our own podcasts. As someone who learns best through hands-on experience, I found it helpful to track key words each time a source was mentioned. This method made the process much clearer for me. When she provided the transcript, I was able to highlight those sources and easily search for them online, which made the entire experience even more practical.

What really stood out to me was Renee's confidence and expertise in navigating various resources—whether it's podcasts, books, or archives. Her ability to seamlessly find and reference credible sources made it seem effortless, which, in turn, helped me feel more at ease with the task. I also appreciated her honest feedback, which was always constructive and encouraging. She made sure we felt capable of finding and using these sources on our own, without making us feel overwhelmed. Overall, Renee's teaching style created an environment where I felt confident in my ability to apply what I learned to my own podcasting work.

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I thought that the slide show was very insightful about what to do with the podcast. When it talked about the Washington post it helped me understand the depth I have to put into my podcast. The work that she showed and the images I feel like it stayed more with me because of the way that she was showing us in the classroom.

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I thought it was interesting that she basically gave us an example of how to talk and speak when it comes to the podcast like when it comes to the evidence portion then that's where it's kind of important because it expresses how we can cite and say that we cited it without trying to copy write or anything.

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To begin, Renee Frantantonio helped alot when it came to a new way of learning. You know a lot of the time with our generation we just Google something to get an answer. But Renee provided an insightful way to be able to find valuable information/sources to help us. Also, it wasn't the fact that it was any source, it was that they were credible sources which are harder to find as more and more misinformation is put out there on the web.

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To reflect I wanted to start off by staying Renee did a great job at helping differ from biased articles compared to real ones. This is important when writing a paper and just in general for your learning use, because you should always want the real answers from true sources so you can know that you are putting your best work out there. I also want to say thank you for Renee on giving me some good strategies on researching different topics for my various papers.

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Renee Fratantonio did a great job introducing a different way of learning today. Starting by listening to the podcast was an interesting approach for a guest speaker. It taught us how to search for different information, especially those that give us trouble through payments. Her energy was also a helping factor in her lessons, it grabbed our attention and I appreciate Renee's time and efforts in today's class. Lastly, the podcast she shared with us gave us a new perspective on how we could do our podcasts and I thank her for that. Overall, Renee was very handy and it helped us all get one step closer to the final podcast project.