In Mr. Antoch’s and Ms. Castagna’s English class an excellent personal connection was made to the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker.  The story deals with the sentimental value that comes with family heirlooms such as quilts.  Many of the students in the class had no real sense of what went into the art of quilting and how meaningful these items can be for different families.  Thus, Susan Cassioppo, a veteran quilter, came in as a guest speaker.  She was able to bring much of the story to life in demonstrating the time and effort it takes to quilt and sharing some of her personal quilts that she had constructed.  The students in the class were able to feel the quilts and truly get a better sense of what quilting is all about.