Author: Samantha Manheimer

Owen Burns, Lily Churchill, Samantha Manheimer, Alexander Stayoch, David Sweeney, Colin Waring

In June 2021, Jesse Stommel published an article titled Ungrading: An Introduction. In the article, he describes the process of “ungrading”, which he defines as, “raising an eyebrow at grades as a systemic practice,” and how he went about moving from a traditional grading system to this new method. As with many things, however, this change comes with an element of tension, along with risks and rewards for both the students and the instructors. By examining the article alongside a piece we are familiar with, Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild”, which also features tensions, risks, and rewards, we can use Bloodchild to help illuminate those elements within the process of ungrading.

Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild” presents systemic issues through the lens of the Tlic and the Terrans. In this alien world, the human-like Terrans have been forced into a society with the alien Tlic where Terrans are sold “to the rich and powerful for their political support” (Butler 5). After years of living together, they reach certain agreements to create a more peaceful connection between them. Despite these agreements though, certain systemic issues still arose that created turmoil between the two species. The story follows the Terran, Gan, who has been chosen by the Tlic T’Gatoi to eventually bear her eggs. Gan was chosen when young and has struggled with this choice for a long time. As part of their agreement, Terrans must give one of their young to bear Tlic eggs. Gan is shown “diagrams and [drawings” (Butler 13) of the process and is assured that it is very safe yet after seeing a Tlic birth go wrong, Gan questions the good that these “diagrams and drawings” (Butler 13) can do. He was never truly prepared for the process, he “wasn’t ready to see it” (Butler 17) and pleads with T’Gatoi for some sort of change for every other Terran that must go through the birthing process. He calls for systemic change, asking that Terrans have the ability to actually _see_ a birth in person, not just on paper. He wants the process to be “‘Shown.’” (Butler 29), multiple times throughout a Terrans life so they can grow truly comfortable with it, easing the tensions between the two species.

In Bloodchild we see a conflict that is a lot more alien then the tensions present in school and the grading format. From the book we observe Gan and T’Gatoi having issues that still present an interesting parallel to those tensions of grading. Gan and the practice of ungrading both have the same goal of fixing a systemic issue that has large negative consequences throughout society. With Tilc births in Bloodchild, the main issue is that Terrans are not properly prepared for the births they have never seen or have been educated on. Traditional grading provides a similar issue, letter grades simply aren’t good enough to prepare students for a future. A letter grade does not provide the feedback that is necessary for students to succeed. The practice of ungrading fixes this issue because it breaks an ongoing systemic practice.

Ungrading is a system of grading that moves away from the traditional A-F/1-100 letter/number grading system, and focuses on the feedback the student receives and the growth that comes from it. Within the article, Stommel references the pandemic as a well-known and recent example where the traditional grading system fails. He states, “If your institution just continued grading during the pandemic, ‘business as usual,’ here’s what all those grades were measuring: how well students and teachers ‘pivoted’ to online, whether students had necessary access and support at home, and the ability of students to ‘perform’ in a crisis” (Stommel, Ungrading: An Introduction). Stommel mentions that the act of ungrading seeks to target a larger systemic issue, not simply solve problems here and there from classroom to classroom. “‘Ungrading’ means raising an eyebrow at grades as a systemic practice, distinct from simply ‘not grading.’ The word is a present participle, an ongoing process, not a static set of practices’ ‘ (Stommel, Ungrading: An Introduction). Stommel suggests that the way to start the ungrading process is to talk to students about their grades. “Demystifying grades (and the culture around them) gives students a sense of ownership over their own education” (Stommel, Ungrading: An Introduction). This idea of ‘demystifying’ goes hand in hand with what Gan says to T’Gatoi at the end of Bloodchild. “Shown. Shown when we’re young kids, and shown more than once. Gatoi, no Terran ever sees a birth that goes right. All we see is N’Tlic–pain and terror and maybe death” (Butler 29). Gan is suggesting a way to alleviate some of the tensions between the two species–and that is to give the Terrans a deeper understanding of the relationship between the two, much like Stommel suggests with his demystifying method. We as students have grown up with the traditional grading system, just like how Terrans in Bloodchild have only ever known that they are ‘supposed to’ get implanted by Tlics and incubate the eggs inside of them. Both practices have many flaws; the practice of traditional grading causes problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, overcompetitiveness, tendencies to cheat/plagarize and more, and the practice of Tlics implanting Terrans can fail sometimes, harming the Terran. Both practices are seen as the normal way of life, so not much is being done to change them. However, some people are realizing the problems. In Bloodchild Gan talks to T’Gatoi about how the relationship between Tlics and Terrans can change. And in our lives, different forms of ungrading are beginning to be talked about and put into practice.

There are some rewards and many risks that are associated with traditional grading, and some offer ungrading as a solution. When giving ungrading as a solution, it is important to note the risks and the rewards of an ungrading system, for both students and instructors.

There are a few risks associated with a system of ungrading that may be overlooked when searching for a solution to the risks of a traditional grading system. For both students and instructors, a large risk of switching to an ungrading system is the unfamiliarity that both parties have in ungrading. Just as if the Tlic and Terrans in _Bloodchild _were to switch from their traditional system of life, just because switching from a way of life you have always known might be better, it is not easy to transition. Another risk of ungrading is that students may lack motivation due to not having a clear goal (as in a goal of getting an A+). For instructors, a large risk is that you still have to find a way to translate your ungrading system into a final letter/number grade as schools still require you to give students a final grade. Another risk for instructors that comes with ungrading is that you have to consider that students may be taking advantage of the ungrading system and acting in bad faith.

With risks, come rewards, and for ungrading there are a good amount of rewards. For instructors, a worthwhile reward is that you get to know your students better. With the various systems of ungrading, instructors give well thought out insight and feedback on a student’s work, rather than just a simple number or letter grade. This also benefits students because students can actually understand their mistakes better and grow, as well as develop a good relationship with their instructors. This fundamental idea of understanding is something that is imperative to Gan in Bloodchild as well. While ungrading forms a greater understanding with students and instructors, Gan also seeks to create a better sense of understanding between Terran and Tlic. Another reward, mainly for students, is a lower incentive to cheat or plagiarize under a system of ungrading since students don’t need to get a perfect score by any means necessary. Another reward that comes with ungrading is a less competitive and more relaxed classroom. Since students are no longer squeezing out every ounce of effort in their body to get 100 (or cheating), they can relax and actually learn.

This matters because _Bloodchild _outlines and connects to the importance of communication and the dangers of the truth not being fully exposed. Gan struggles with the fact that being unaware of how the procedure really is and the risks it causes. This connects the ungrading because a students negative grade could show a different result then what the truth actually is, a student could have cheated out of bad faith and recieved a good score or a very good student could have been sick and not done so well even if he knew the material. This is also very important because everything we have covered is related to risks and rewards. We understand that it is a part of life to make mistakes and ungrading is just a suggestion on how to solve a discovered problem. People make mistakes all the time and as time goes on, solutions will be found. It’s an endless cycle of messing things up and then fixing them. That’s what helps us in life in the mistakes because we can learn from them and try to strive and not let history repeat itself. This does matter because for example this is a self graded class therefore we can call this a more academically reformed classroom because we move away from right and wrong and focus on things like are we caring for are learning? Are we being respectful and helpful in our peers’ learning? And are we striving to participate, engage and take something valuable out of this course. We believe that Geneseo education is trying to teach us that there are risks and rewards in every move we make and that being judged solely on our actions, like grading, should not defy us as a person because we are human and make mistakes. It’s about being aware and understanding the risks and rewards of learning and living here at SUNY Geneseo.

When you hear the phrase “coming of age” I imagine that most people think about the transition from childhood to adulthood. There are all kinds of stories on different streaming platforms and in books that have a coming of age plot to them and for the most part, they are all pretty wholesome. There have been some stories involving symbols of coming of age, whether it be from religion with bat or bar mitzvahs, or cultural events including quinceañeras, sweet sixteens, etc. Those specific moments are more perceptible to the audience but coming of age stories aren’t just limited to them. There’s also more hidden symbols of coming of age including a character having to overcome a big moment or challenge in their life. Sometimes it can be about love and relationships or it could be about their peers and friendships. A lot of the time there’s also subplots within the main story which could be about a sport or academic struggle. There’s so many things you can do with a coming of age story and as we read the book, Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia Butler, we get to see how Butler puts her twist on it.

The story is about the relationship between two distinct species: the Tlic, Space aliens that resemble something similar to a centipede, and the Terrans, humans inhabiting the alien planet. We are introduced to the main character Gan while he is eating eggs which possess the ability to prolong life. We explore the contrasting lifestyles between the Terrans and the Tlic through Gan’s point of view. This moment, in the beginning of the story is significant because he refers to it as his last night of childhood. We find out the reason why later on in the story. Shortly after, the story introduces T’gatoi, who is described as having some political power within the Tlic world. T’gatoi’s relationship with Gan is interesting. They appear to be very close and find comfort in each other. In a world that wasn’t created for the Terrans, T’gatoi, in a couple ways, serves as a support to Gan’s life. T’gatoi keeps Gan’s family safe and provides them a sense of security and reassurance due to the power she has.

We later learn about the breeding process for the Tlics and it’s not the prettiest thing. The price of the Terrans being allowed to live symbiotically with the Tlics is the body of one of their children. The process appears to be very similar to a symbiotic relationship like a parasite, similar to lice. Lice lives in areas on human bodies that have hair. They feed on blood and lay their eggs underneath the skin surface. It’s very gross and not very fun to think about. Though, the Tlic do a similar thing by laying their eggs inside the human body. T’gatoi cut open a character named Lomas and took out a bunch of grubs from his body. Similar to the reproduction process with sea horses using males to carry the children, the Tlics use biological male human beings to hold onto their offspring but then perform a sort of cesarean section to birth their young.

Some people could probably argue that rather than them having a parasitic symbiotic relationship, they actually have a mutualistic relationship. Meaning that they both benefit from each other when they work together. They aren’t just taking risks and rent paying, they’re also gaining a reward. In the breeding process itself, it definitely seems purely parasitic but when you look at the big picture, it’s only a price they pay in order to come to an agreement with the Tlic. The Terrans have to surrender their lives/bodies and their freedoms, including: weapons like guns and freedom of mobility to explore the Tlic planet. In return, they are fed eggs that are capable of extending life along with providing them with youth. They also get the feeling of comfort and security by being a part of the family. T’gatoi being in the position of having political power also gives Gan’s family political protection. To take away from this, their relationship could be considered mutualistic because the Tlic get to reproduce and the Terrans are provided with a sense of safety.

There will always be risks and rewards when going to a new place. Some of the risks involving going into the unknown are feeling unprepared and being scared of adjustment. The summer before 7th grade, I moved to Syracuse, New York and throughout the years I’ve made very close friends. Moving to SUNY Geneseo reminds me of how I felt at the time, all over again and one of the things that I have to adjust to is making new friends again. Having a supportive friend group is something that I value and need to help me feel like what I’m doing is worth doing. When bad things happen, it really helps lighten things up knowing that I have a group of people supporting me, wanting me to succeed. Moving to a new place again and losing the support of my friends and family is one of the things that I’m giving up in order to be here.

Besides just friends and family, there are some more tangible things that have been given up in return for these new experiences. Although not everyone will undergo the same exact situations, there are some that other people can probably relate to. Moving to college could possibly lead to losing a room in your home. I’ve heard about parents turning the old room into something new, usually an office, sometimes a gym, anything you could think of. With that, most people don’t want to bring every single thing they own into their college dorm, so there’s a lot of stuff that gets thrown out or donated which can make it feel like you’re leaving your childhood behind. Even though there are probably an endless amount of things that could be thought of that students give up when they move to college or any new place in general, in the end there’s always going to be a benefit or reward when you come out of it.

Coming to Geneseo is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone. I’d argue that being forced to live outside of my comfort zone is my reward because it allows me to experience new things, meet new people, and get me started on my future. In “Bloodchild”, the Terrans are in a new world and everything is unknown. Putting yourself into new situations like that helps a person gain new perspectives on the world and become a more sympathetic person. It’s ironic because in the story, the Terrans gain a place of security and comfort but here at SUNY Geneseo, I feel like I’ve lost it. Something I’ve been thinking about every single day since I’ve been here is I can’t wait to create a space where I feel comfortable and able to be myself. I’ve never really had one consistent place I can call my home and I believe the reward of going through college will be finding myself a secure job and a place to have a home with the people I’ve met along the way.