Henry's Junior English Blog

In Song of Solomon, there are many challenges that the reader faces, which is why this book can be difficult to read at certain points. The biggest challenge that I have faced while reading this book is trying to understand character’s pasts and relationships between different people. Perhaps the biggest relationships that are called into question are Macon and Ruth’s marriage, and the one between Macon and Pilate. There are questions that can be asked about these, such as why do Macon and Ruth have such a poor marriage, and why does Macon have a strong sense of hate towards his sister (Pilate). Morrison eventually fills the reader in on both of these areas, but for a while the reader is not able to understand why certain relationships are the way they are. Once we learn why the relationships are like this, it can be difficult to understand why they have come to be like this, and what the characters did in their past. For example, what went through Macon’s head so that he felt it was ...

    My name, Henry Kalil-Felbinger, has both stories and origins behind it. My last name is a combination of my mom’s and dad’s last names, and both have originated in different countries. My mom’s last name is Kalil and is a very popular Syrian last name. At one point, it probably would have changed from Khalil to Kalil, as Khalil is a very common spelling of the name. My dad’s last name is Felbinger and has German origins, but it is not as popular in the country as my mom’s is. My first name does not have any relation to family members, but instead has an interesting story behind it. My mom’s best friend growing up was named Henry, and she felt that because this person was so important to her as a child, she would name her first son Henry. My family came to America from many countries in Europe. My dad’s side of the came from Germany, Ireland, and England. On my mom’s side, there is the overlap of Ireland, and other relatives came from Lithuania and Syria. The fi...

     Last week, another shooting took place in our nation. This horrific event happened at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California, where a former Marine veteran (with mental health issues) open fired, killing 12 people and eventually himself. (Click  Here  to read more about this tragedy). That same weekend, NBA players in games taking place in California wore shirts during warm-ups that read Enough, with the names of the victims of the shooting on the back of the shirt. Not only was this act honoring the victims, it was also a form of the players expressing their beliefs on the issue of gun violence in our society.    Though this story could be perceived as civilians exercising their First Amendment rights, it is important to notice that the people voicing an opinion are professional athletes. There is a debate as to how much action these athletes (who represent an organization) can take when it comes to politics in our nation. There have been instances...

This past week, there was an interesting issue related to an ongoing trial in a federal court. Certain people (with testimony by expert witness Richard Kahlenberg) accused Harvard University of favoring certain groups of students during the admissions process, such as those with a family member connected to the college and who are predominantly white and wealthy. The plaintiffs called for “race-neutral alternatives” that Harvard could use during the admissions process to ensure class diversity, but the college refused these, arguing they would not work. One of the plaintiffs’ main arguments was that Harvard was “squeezing out” many highly qualified Asian-Americans because they were giving preference to the students with connections. Kahlenberg also believed that the university should give a stronger preference to the low-income students, as Harvard had not done a good job of admitting skilled students who were in poverty. Under the plaintiffs’ proposal, they believed that the percent...

This past week the Senate held a hearing for the appointment of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The hearing was unique because it dealt with the testimony of a woman (Dr. Christine Blasey Ford) who had recently accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct during their high school years. ( Click here   to watch a brief recap of the hearing.) The hearing on Thursday showed how divided we are as a nation, both politically and by gender. In the past year, many women have come forward about sexual assault or harassment, with Dr. Ford being the latest example of this #MeToo Movement. The reactions to this hearing were very mixed: whereas many Republicans (especially men) describe the accusations as part of a “smear campaign,” Democrats applauded Ford’s courage and claimed her appearance before the committee helped her credibility. A position on the Supreme Court is one of the most important jobs in the United States, so the anger and disagreement among the Senators and national p...