Cover Statement

§ December 19th, 2008 § Filed under Portfolio: Cultural Passport

This semester, I visited the King Manor Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian for my Cultural Passport journeys. This collection reflects my interest in history, which probably developed during my internship at The Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. I like discovering new facts and ideas, especially outside the classroom and textbooks. Visiting historical museums allowed me to explore subjects without rigid boundaries and my enjoyment was reflected across my writing.
My writing depends upon my thinking and view of the subject matter. If the topic is boring, my writing suffers because my disinterest is obvious. I become careless about grammar and the content, jotting down anything that comes to mind. For several of my high school and college courses, I wrote research papers, droning on fact after fact and keeping my personal feelings separate. Usually, the research topics were assigned and even if I disliked them, I was powerless to change them. However, when papers were assigned about subjects I passionately liked or disliked, my writing improved and became more focused. By using the Cultural Passport, I could explore cultural institutions of my choosing and disclose personal feelings and express my thoughts. Rather than staying neutral, I could select a side and explore it further.
Initially, it was difficult to break away from my research-paper mode. I was used to being told which topic to write about and the format to write it in. Now, suddenly, there was this freedom to choose and I struggled to figure out the topic and tone of my writing. I wondered what would happen if I disliked what I saw. Was criticism acceptable or should I hold back, staying positive throughout? In this situation, I learned not to restrain criticism and clarify why I disliked certain artifacts. However, since my journeys involved museums I found interesting, my writing turned out mostly positive anyways.
I explored the King Manor Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian because despite walking past them quite often, I rarely glanced up. During my visits, I paid greater attention to artifacts and their detail to provide better descriptions in my writing. It helped me appreciate the artistry and history behind the artifacts, and gain new perspectives. Through my journeys, I developed a better understanding of New York City’s history and improved my descriptive and reflective writing.

-Ramandeep Singh