I continued to work with Olivia to solve equations where at least one of the two sides contains a logarithmic or an exponential function of the variable. The equations had to be solved using the one-to-one or inverse method or a combination of more than one. We did many problems.There was no assignment.

Following up on yesterday's session on executive privilege , we studied the case of US v Nixon whrerein the Court rejected the president's assertion of executive privilege with respect to criminal activity. Olivia studied arguments made by each side and identified which arguments supported the president's claims and which supported the prosecution's side. We then discussed the controversy surrounding the current president's claim of executive privilege with respect to the investigations surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 election . We also reviewed Olivia's work on the study guide defining amnesty, reprieve, and pardon, all presidential prerogatives. By way of example, I referenced how Nixon resigned once he lost his court case and upon Ford becoming president he pardoned Nixon and granted amnesty to young men who avoided the draft by moving to Canada . Later, we discussed presidential "executive orders" which have the effect of law but can be repealed by any successor . Last, we listed the numerous roles of the president such as party leader, commander in chief, diplomat in chief, and economic leader. For homework, I assigned reading pages 290-295 and answering 3 study guide questions.

In order to assist Olivia in analyzing the novel and answering exam essays, I provided notes on notable metaphorical motifs found in the end of chapter 4: 1. Mules 2. The Pear tree 3. New clothes and 4. the power of the word. We examined Hurston's poetic style by discussing the more prosaic diction that might describe the character's emotional state and then comparing prosaic diction to the author's metaphorical poetic prose. Olivia further commented on the connection between the theme of self-discovery and Jannie Crawford's change of clothes and names as she discards her farm clothes, leaves her first husband and marries Joe Stark. In Chapter 5, the novel switches location to Eatonville, Florida, Zora Hurston's hometown in Florida. As such, we looked at pictures of Eatonville in the 1930's ,including locations mentioned in the novel, to assist Olivia in visualizing the novel's setting . We were able to view the house the character,Jannie Crawford, occupies and the general store where she and her husband worked. I last emphasized the power of the spoken voice in the novel as Jannie discovers her own self or her own voice in the face of a patriarchal society's ongoing effort to silence her. For homework ,I assigned reading through page 60.

I instructed Olivia about how to solve equations involving logarithms and exponents. We used two strategies: one-to-one relationships involving equal bases and inverse operations to undo logarithms using exponents and to undo exponents using logarithms. We also investigated problems where there were solutions that did not satisfy the original equations. There was no assignment.

Our examination of Art II began with listing the express powers of the president. We examined the text of Art II and noted the brevity and vagueness of its descriptions of presidential power. Consequently, presidents have urged that they possess inherent powers . Olivia noted in her study guide responses how during times of crisis presidents have invoked their inherent powers, and we then discussed the scope of presidential power during the current coronavirus public health crisis. I introduced the purpose of the National Emergency Act of the 1970s as an attempt to curb the president's use of these inherent powers. Next, we began a review of executive privilege . We will study the operative Supreme Court case of US v Nixon tomorrow and expand that discussion to include President Trump's ongoing assertion of the privilege in response to Congressional subpoenae. For homework I assigned reading pages 268-270 and defining "amnesty, pardon, reprieve, and executive order".

Examining the main character's family history, we discussed the role of miscegenation (which I defined)in Southern literature . Jannie Crawford is the product of the rape of her grandmother by a white slave owner . Olivia did a good job tracing the family story back to the pre-Civil War era and noting how the slave owner's wife blames the victim for her husband's misconduct. We then examined Jannie's disillusionment with her first marriage, and the role of the "mule" motif / metaphor that reappears in the novel . Olivia noted how Jannie's first husband oppresses her just as he would a farm animal. We last examined the feminist philosophy underlying the novel. Jannie's grandmother offers an eloquent explanation of a woman's diminished role in Black society explaining that while White society oppresses Black men, Black men in turn oppress and mistreat women. We discussed that due to this negative portrayal , of African-American society, other African-American writers and intellectuals ostracized Zora Thurston and minimized her literary contributions. Using a textual analysis, we highlighted the author's point of view that avoided direct criticism of White society for the socio-economic condition of Black society in the 1930s. The take home Huck Finn test is due tomorrow.

My lesson with Olivia consisted of contracting and expanding logarithmic expressions using the properties of logarithms. When expanding the logarithm of the product of two or more variables, for example, it becomes the sum of the two logarithms. The contraction is the opposite process. The lesson started 15 minutes late because she was late getting on line. There was no assignment.

After reviewing the definition of a "PAC" and ' interest group," we studied the controversial US Supreme Court decision of Citizens United vs FEC wherein the Court held that labor unions and corporations can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support causes and issues as long as no specific candidate was mentioned or endorsed. Olivia identified the competing interests of the First Amendment and free elections ,and we delved into the background of limiting campaign contributions as means of ensuring a fair election process. After reviewing a summary of the case, I elaborated on the difference between a PAC that raises money for a specific candidate and the type of so called "independent political speech" that was the subject of the case. We noted how these independent ads or broadcasts are very clearly an endorsement notwithstanding that no specific candidate is mentioned. Last, Olivia analyzed a political cartoon criticizing the Citizens United decision. For homework , I assigned reading pages 260-265 and answering 4 study guide questions.

After defining the term "motif", we examined the first chapters of the novel wherein I highlighted motifs that will recur throughout the novel such as references to "mules" as a metaphor for a burdened life and allusions to a " pear tree" as a metaphor for romance and sexuality.. I directed Olivia to portions of the novel that employed literary devices we previously studied such as figurative language and the use of a change of clothing as a metaphor for wearing a new and perhaps more evolved identity. Olivia ,in class discussion , provided examples of the author's use of figurative language and elaborated on the poetic comparisons offered by the author. We noted the novel's reference to the African -American tradition of oral story telling, as well as the novel's feminist focus which portrays the struggle of a woman to discover her own identity outside of the relationship with a man. For homework, I assigned reading chapter 4. The "Huck Finn " take-home test is due on Friday.

I worked with Olivia to solve problems about converting the bases of logarithms into base-ten and base-e, about simplifying logarithmic expressions, and condensing other logarithmic expressions. There was no assignment.