Blog 70: Letter

Dear English 110 student,

You don’t have to be Mark Twain to get a good grade in your first year writing course. What you do need to be is a hard worker. I’m guessing that very few of you are English majors, but that doesn’t mean you won’t do well in this class. Before this class I thought I was a great student and a pretty good writer, I won an essay contest once and got good grades on all my papers. However, after I got back the first few assignments I got a reality check. You will learn a lot in this class; like when you make a claim you better have the evidence to back it up. I think I am a better writer because of this class and because of the Writing Center. Timeliness, relevancy, and compellingness mean something to me now (you’ll see what I mean once you read Commonplace). I feel like after this class my future papers will have a better argument, better structure, and better writing in general.

First and foremost I want to let you know that this class is a lot of writing! Blogging everyday can sometime be a pain, but if you put time into your blog especially when it’s about a paper you’re writing it pays off. Be sure to do all your blogs and make all your comments (and don’t wait until the last minute). They are the easiest points to get and you’re going to need them! Another way to boost your grade if you don’t do as well as you had hoped on an assignment, which will happen, go to the Writing Center. It’s just a little bit of time out of your day and the bonus and advice you get in return is well worth your time.

Don’t get discouraged when you’re faced with your analytical research paper. It’s a lot of work, but if you do a little at a time it’s manageable. Another thing about your ARP is to make sure you get as close to the page requirement as possible in your rough draft. If you put the time and hard work into your rough draft you will get a better grade, better feedback, and have something solid to take to the Writing Center for help. When it comes time for your final draft, due exam week, you will be thankful you put in the hard work on your rough draft. Also, doing a good job on your rough draft will help with your Commonplace paper.

One last bit of advice, don’t get hung up on the course theme; whether you enjoy SciFi or hate it, give it a chance, it might just surprise you.

Blog 69: ¡Fiesta!

Latin culture is so fascinating to me. From what I can tell they seem to have it all figured out. They are religious, they value family, and they take naps during the day! I love all the bright colors and delicious food in the culture as well as well as their music, dance, and art. I also think that Latin architecture is some of the most beautiful there is, whether it is ancient architecture or modern day architecture.

Spanish was one of my favorite classes in high school. I learned a decent amount of the language, but we learned a lot about the history and culture. We listened to music, went to concerts, watched movies like Man of La Mancha and El Cid, participated in the Foreign Language Olympics where I was in the food and art categories, went to restaurants, had a food day, etc. I have cooked Three Kings Bread, Bread of the Dead, fajitas, and a classic Puerto Rican meal of roasted pork shoulder with rice and black beans and fried sweet plantains. The recipe for the Puerto Rican meal was from Food Network and the link is at the end of my blog if you like to cook and want to try something delicious. I also painted a picture of the Panamanian Golden Frog and learned how important it is to their culture. The frog is thought to be good luck, and when it dies it is said to turn to gold. The frog can also be found on their lottery tickets and is celebrated on August 14^th which is National Golden Frog Day. I loved learning about Simon Bolivar, who freed many Latin counties, including Bolivia, from Spanish rule. We learned about the Spanish and the Moors and the Spanish conquering the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs. We learned about the Day of the Dead and many other holidays and traditions. It was a great class and I learned a lot!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/puerto-rican-style-roasted-pork-shoulder-with-rice-and-black-beans-and-fried-sweet-plantains-recipe/index.html

Blog 68: Losing My Phone

Losing my phone scares me; I know that sounds silly. I guess I could blog about how I’m scared of things that will probably never even happen to me, but losing my phone is much more realistic. I don’t know what I would do if I lost my phone; I have my life in that thing. I have so many numbers in my phone that I should really get backed up. Also, there are so many memories in there. On my memory card there are so many pictures and videos that I would hate to lose. I have notes to remind myself of things and birthdays and events stored in my calendar. I would be lost without my phone. I’m always using it for something: texting, talking, taking pictures, etc.

There have been a few times when I have misplaced it and it’s so scary! I get such a sick feeling in my stomach and my heart starts pounding.  Once I was at the mall shopping for prom and I was in Claire’s getting jewels to put in my hair. When I went up to pay and got the money out of my wallet I set my phone down on the counter. After I got my change and the cashier handed me the bag, I just walked out and left it there on the counter. When we were in line at Auntie Anne’s I realized my phone was gone. I literally ran back to Claire’s and there it was, just where I left it. Thank God!

Blog 67: God Help the U.S.A.!

What’s happening in America concerns me. I love the U.S.A. but I have no idea what’s going on with us right now. They say all good things come to an end; the fall of the Roman Empire is the classic example. It’s like no one really knows what’s going on and no one cares; we just let the big wigs in D.C. run the show. They are supposed to be representing the people that elected them, but instead they all have their own agenda.

American government is supposed to be “of the people, by the people, for the people.” Instead, it’s of the politicians, by the politicians, for the politicians. Being a politician was never meant to be your full time job; politics were supposed to be handled by real people. If Abraham Lincoln was still alive today he would have to eat the words of his famous Gettysburg Address, “…these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” The truth is men and women die in vain for the ungrateful people of this country all the time. People want to take God out of everything; off of our currency, out of our pledge, etc. Our freedoms are being slowly and discretely taken away from us. And the people have no say in what’s happening in this country. Well, that’s all I have to rant about at the moment. God help the United States of America!

Blog 66: Who I Am

I am a daughter. My parents gave me life, love, everything I ever needed, and almost everything I have ever wanted. I do my best to be a good daughter, to make them proud. I think I’ve done a pretty good job thus far; I graduated high school as the salutatorian of my class, I’m going to college (my mom’s Alma Mater), and I stay out of trouble.

I am an aunt. My nephew Cayden is the cutest little guy ever! I love him so much; he is so full of joy and so well behaved. I don’t get to see him as much as I would like because of distance and busy schedules. Every moment I spend with him is so precious, just like him. I can’t wait until the day he can call me Aunty Alex.

I am a girlfriend. My boyfriend Blaine and I have been together for over a year now. He makes me so happy. He loves me so much and I love him too! He loves me whether I’m in PJ’s with no makeup and my hair up or all done up. We live an about an hour away since I left for college, but we are making it work.

I am a best friend. Macy and I have been best friends since the fifth grade. We always have a blast together! We laugh at the same things, finish each other’s sentences, and I think we share a brain. We say we have morphed because over the years it’s like we’ve become one person.

Blog 65: The Roaring 20’s

If I were born in a different time, I know I wouldn’t be the same person I am now. The time you’re in shapes who you are in so many ways.  I like to imagine myself back in the 1920’s. The roaring 20’s were my favorite time to learn about in American history. I know the 20’s were just after World War 1 and that would’ve sucked. Also it was right before the Great Depression, which also would have sucked. But the 20’s themselves seem pretty great!

I was a flapper for Halloween this past year and I loved it! The dress was so fun to wear. I would love to wear that kind of clothing everyday instead of as a costume. Also I would want to live in New York, so I could watch the Babe and the rest of the Yankees in all their glory. Another great thing about the 20’s is Art Deco! I love Art Deco; in my opinion it was the coolest style there has ever been. I would love to visit Miami Beach and stay in the Colony Hotel. I would drive up and down the streets at night in my convertible to see Art Deco at its finest.

I think if I would’ve lived in this time I would’ve been care free. I would’ve dressed up every day, gone to Yankees games, taken trips to Miami, and gone to clubs to hear jazz at night. I probably would’ve had a lot of fun. I would have driven one of the really cool cars, like a 1928 Lincoln Coupe Roadster. Basically, I wouldn’t be in college stressing about everything like I am now.

Blog 64: Speeding

The biggest mistake I have ever made was speeding. Let me explain, it was senior year and I was at my best friend Macy’s house, getting all decked out in purple and gold for the football game that night. Our school’s football team rocks and we were out there every game cheering them on. Some of our best guy friends were on the team and we were always there when they came out of that locker room ready for battle. However, that night Macy and I were running a little late. It was an away game, about an hour away from Mechanicsburg.

After we were all ready we rushed out of the house and into my car. Once we were on our way we felt like we were going to make it just in time! Then the worst thing ever happened; a slow person pulled out in front of us. The road we were on was curvy and hilly and I wasn’t even going to try to pass them; especially since we would be turning of the road soon. Then our luck got worse; they turned down the same road. Once we got to our next turn and finally broke free, we were definitely late. I thought I would make up for the lost time, so I sped. That was such a mistake! There was a cop sitting there just waiting on me, and I think about five other people from Mechanicsburg. We all got speeding tickets that night. It was the first time I had ever been pulled over, but I didn’t get a warning. I got a ticket, a court date, court fees, my license taken away for one month, and six months of probation. Oh, and we were late to the game.

Blog 63: BFF

My best friend is Macy Wallen. I met her when I moved from Mt. Gilead to Mechanicsburg in the fifth grade. She was one of the first friends I made at my new school and the best friend I have ever had! I love this girl so much. We always joke about how we have morphed into the same person over the years; it’s like we share a brain! We agree on everything, finish each other’s sentences, laugh at the same things, you get the point. Even when our teachers would refer to us they would say “the girls” and that meant us; everyone knew that. In junior high and high school we were pretty much inseparable. We were basically president and vice president of everything; the dynamic duo, if you will. We did most of the same activities and had almost the same schedule. Macy (along with my other friends) made school worth getting up for every morning.

Since we go to different colleges it’s hard to see each other, but we make time. Every time we are together you can bet it will be a good time! I’m so grateful to have a best friend like Macy. She has always been there for me; through thick and thin. Before I signed the lease for my apartment Macy had to see it, before I decided on a car Macy needed to see it, and before I date a guy Macy knows all about him. I really don’t know what I would do without her; she’s my partner in crime, my shoulder to cry on, and my best friend of all time.

Blog 62: Our Spot

I’m not sure I can pick a favorite place; favorites have never been my strong suit. I don’t have a favorite song, movie, or food. But for the sake of this blog, I will chose a favorite place. In North Lewisburg, Ohio there is a trail next to the North Lewisburg Park. It’s about ten minutes from my mom’s house. You can go during any season and it’s always a beautiful place for a stroll. The path is paved so it’s good for walking, jogging, or bike riding. The trail runs alongside a creek and is surrounded by trees, flowers, raspberry bushes, and wheat, corn, and bean fields.

My boyfriend and I have been there multiple times. The first time we went was on December 14^th, his birthday. We actually weren’t dating at the time, but he asked me to be his girlfriend the next day. Even though it was December, it was a beautiful day and we went on a walk before having lunch at Crabill’s Hamburgers, in Urbana, Ohio. While we were walking along we saw an off-road path and decided to see where it went. It led us to the creek beside the trail. There was a large tree that had fallen, and we sat there and watched the water flow over the rocks. It’s such a beautiful and romantic place. That was one of my most memorable experiences, I guess that’s why that is my favorite place. You could probably even say that’s mine and Blaine’s “spot.”

Blog 61: Story time!

Beware of What’s Lurking in the Shallow Waters

Many years ago my family took a trip to San Diego, California. It was during summer vacation, in the month of June. Our first day there we went to the beach and there was an odd chill in the air. Since it wasn’t very warm when my stepsister and I waded out into the Pacific Ocean we didn’t let the water go any higher than mid-thigh. While wading around in the shallow water we were trying our best to avoid the multitude of seaweed floating in the water. Little did I know I should’ve been trying to avoid a greater evil, jellyfish! All of a sudden, my calf began to burn and I thought it was a cut from the saw-like edges of the seaweed. I ran quickly onto the beach to inspect my leg and saw what looked like rug burn, but was really a jellyfish sting. My leg burned for hours; stupid jellyfish!

Attacked by a Killer Parrot

About a decade ago, my mother and I took our cat to the vet’s office for some routine shots. While we were waiting to be taken back to the exam room, we were being entertained by a lively parrot. The parrot was kept in a cage in the waiting room. The receptionist saw how amused we were by the parrot, and told us that we could get him out of his cage if we wanted. She came around from her desk and showed me how to put my arm out for him to walk up to my shoulder. Once he was up there, I looked over at my mom and said, “Hey mom look, I’m a pirate.” Next thing I knew, I was being attacked! The parrot had sunk its beak into my neck muscle and his talons into my shoulder. The receptionist threw a towel over him and removed him. Who would’ve thought that a trip to the animal doctor for my cat’s shots would lead to a trip to the doctor for my tetanus shot?

Ants in My Pants Really Made Me Dance

One day I was out in the yard, thinking about what a beautiful day it was. I decided to go inside and get my camera to take a few pictures. I looked up at the sky and saw how puffy the clouds were. I proceeded to lie down in the grass, stare up at the sky, and take a few snap shots. Out of nowhere I felt a sting on my lower back. I jumped up and brushed an ant off my back. Thank God that was over, right? Wrong. I then felt stinging sensations on my butt and legs. I ran in the house, threw my pants to the ground, and found multiple ants crawling all over me! I slapped at them trying to kill them all and then saw that they had crawled out of my pants and were all over the hardwood floor. I stomped on them until they were all dead. Next, I threw my pants in the bathtub and filled it with water, to hopefully drown any that had survived. After I had massacred the ants, I collapsed on the floor while my ant bites swelled to perfection. I guess they showed me for lying in the grass and watching the clouds go by!

Blog 60: DUDE!

The word “dude” has got to be one of the most popular words in American culture. You may say that this is something that started with California surfers back in the 70’s. However, I found that the word dude can be dated back to 1883, in New York City. The word dude can be found on album covers, in song titles, in musical artist’s stage names, in musical’s titles, on the cover of books, as the name of magazines, in film titles, in commercials, and so on. I know people that actually start off the majority of their sentences with the word dude. So, you may ask yourself, what does this word that can be spoken, heard, or seen from coast to coast mean?

The word dude can be defined as slang for any man, a man who is overly concerned with his appearance, or a man from an urban environment. However, we all know the word dude has so many meanings in day to day life. A great example of the versatility of the word dude can be found in the last link. The link will take you to a montage of Bud Light commercials on YouTube.com. For example, dude can mean: you’re in my personal space, stop, check that out, help, what are you doing, ew, are you kidding me, shit, over here, get lost, are you there, hey, wait, whoa,  uh oh, that’s awesome, etc! Trust me, this video is very funny and illustrates my point better than I could have ever hoped for. Enjoy dude!

http://www.google.com/search?sclient=psy&hl=en&q=define%3A+dude&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xBQHA7ZKU4

Blog 59: My Major

I actually haven’t actually declared my major yet, so I’m in University Exploration. However, I am close to a decision. I always thought I might end up being a teacher, but I never knew for sure, or what age range. I know that I don’t want to teach high school, but I’m torn between early and middle childhood education. Early childhood education ranges from age 3 to grade 3 and middle childhood education ranges from grade 4 to grade 9. Both are under the Human Development and Family Science major in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

As of right now I am leaning towards early childhood education because I think I would enjoy a career that dealt with that age group. I think kids are great and I would love to be a positive role model in their lives and teach them things they will need to know to move forward in their education and in their lives. Right now everything I have taken has applied to the course work for both majors, since I haven’t truly decided. I hope to make a decision by autumn quarter. In order to declare the pre-major there is an application to fill out and an information session to attend; I plan to do this spring quarter. I also plan to apply to participate in the First Education Experience Program (FEEP) during spring quarter. I hope that after the application process I will be able to participate in the program autumn quarter. I also hope that FEEP will help me make my final decision to declare my major.

Blog 58: Conference

Blog 57: Dreams

This blog is a tough one for me. I can’t remember any of my dreams. I usually remember them when I wake up, but later that day it’s hopeless. I’m sure a lot of people probably have certain dreams that they remember, but not me. I guess the only dreams I have to talk about is the one from last night and the night before. Since I saw this blog was coming up, I wrote down what I could remember of my dreams when I woke up.

The night before last I had a dream about the Writing Center. That morning I had an appointment at the Writing Center, so I think that must have something to do with the dream. In my dream, I was late to my appointment and tried to make it in before my time was up. I walked in just as my appointment would have ended; I felt so badly for taking up the appointment time. Also, I was worried that it would have an effect on me scheduling future appointments with the Writing Center. Although I can’t remember my dreams, I do remember that they usually have to do with something that I have to do that I’m anxious about.

When I woke up this morning I was all ready to jot down my dream, like I had the morning before. The only problem was, I couldn’t remember anything. Sorry to disappoint! I wish I had some epic dream that could be mistaken for a blockbuster movie, but unfortunately that is just not the case.

Blog 56: Practice Memo

Blog 55: Glaciers

There are so many fascinating things in nature; from thunderstorms to volcanoes to butterflies. It’s amazing how nature just “knows” what to do. Humans have always been obsessed with figuring out why something happens and how it all works. Something that fascinates me in nature is glaciers. They are such huge chunks of ice! They have shaped our world and hold so much of our fresh water. Did you know there is such a thing as Glaciology?

 What amazes me the most about glaciers are some of their locations. They can be found on every continent besides Australia! When I think about glaciers I think of the polar ice caps; I think no way is there a glacier in South America or Africa; it has got to be way too hot! However, it doesn’t have much to do with the continent’s proximity to the equator, but rather with the altitude—as many glaciers can be found high in mountain ranges.

These are two great sites to take a look at if you’re interested in learning more. The first is just general information, but the second is all about a specific glacier in Argentina. This glacier is actually one of the Seven Natural Wonders of South America. According to the website, there are three Patagonian glaciers not retreating and this is one of them. The glacier is three miles wide and about 197 feet tall on average. Its greatest depth is 2,297 feet, it covers 97 square miles, and is 19 miles in length. The glacier can be found in Los Glaciares National Park.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier

http://sevennaturalwonders.org/south-america/perito-moreno-glacier

Blog 54: Puppy Love

I had my first crush in elementary. There was this boy who was new at my school and all the girls were crushin’! He was tan, had brown eyes, and brown hair with blonde high lights. He was really different from all the other boys in our class. Just so you know, I went to Gilead Christian in elementary, and there were maybe 32 people in the whole class; so it was a very small school and we all knew each other. He was like a little rebel from the public schools that we had never known before. He skate boarded and had a smart mouth on him. We would tease each other, a lot. You know, the typical little kid crush stuff.

Well that was my first crush, and there’s not much more to say. I’m going to tell you about my first boyfriend now. I was going to Mechanicsburg Junior High at the time, and was in the seventh grade; he was in the eighth grade. Once again, he was the new kid and was a bit of a bad boy (I never noticed the common theme until now). But on with it, we dated for awhile and he was my first kiss. Then he moved to Florida and it broke my little heart. However, everything worked out the way it was supposed to. J.J. from elementary and Claddie from junior high are a thing of the past, and now I have an amazing boyfriend, Blaine, who I am totally in love with!

Blog 53: Pet Peeves

I know I have plenty of things that annoy me, but I can’t really think of any good ones.  I’m not even sure if I can talk for 250 words about just one of them. Ok here it goes, I hate when my socks get wet; it’s the worst in the winter. First of all, I always have on socks because my feet are freezing. Second of all, people track in snow and then it melts and I step in it. It drives me crazy! I hate the feeling and then I have to change my socks, which sucks because my feet were already warm and cozy in the first pair. Well, I can’t really say anymore about my wet socks.

Another pet peeve of mine is when someone leaves the light on when they aren’t in the room. It didn’t bother me as much when I wasn’t the one paying the electric bill, but now it definitely does. My boyfriend is super bad about it. I love him and all, but I still lecture him about leaving the lights on. I will say, “Hey Blaine, are you still in the kitchen?” He is obviously sitting on the couch in the living room, but I still ask just to be a smartass.

Ok, so wet socks and leaving the lights on, what else? Oh! I hate when people rev their engines like they’re Jeff Gordon or something. No one is impressed by how much noise your car can make, so be quiet for goodness’ sake!

Blog 52: New York

I have been on a lot of trips, to a lot of different places. It’s hard to decide which one meant the most to me. Since I have to pick just one, I guess I’ll go with my trip to New York. In July of 2007, my dad and I went to New York. We were there about a week, and there was so much to do, in so little time. I had just bought a new camera; and good thing I did because I took hundreds of pictures.

We left for New York after dinner and got there in time for breakfast! We ate at this amazing place in New Jersey, the Brownstone Diner and Pancake Factory. It was so delicious! Then we drove into the city and the skyscrapers were masked by the morning fog. We checked into our hotel and went out on the town! During that week the only time spent in the hotel was to sleep. We went to Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Central Park, Little Italy, Greenwich Village, etc. In Greenwich Village we found the best restaurant in the world, The Cornelia Street Café.

The best part of the whole trip was taking the subway to the Bronx for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox 4^th of July series. It was my first and last time in Old Yankee Stadium. After the game on the 4^th we saw the fireworks in Manhattan. It was a very memorable trip; I’m just going to stop myself right now because I could go on about it forever!

Blog 51: Jane Addams

I’m not sure how many have heard of Jane Addams, but if she were still alive, I would love to meet her because I think she was a magnificent human being. When I was in elementary, maybe second grade, we had to read a biography and I read Jane Addams’ biography. It was a lot for my second grade brain to handle, but it was some good stuff. I actually did another report on Jane Addams in my American History class in high school.

In case you have no idea who I’m talking about, let me just get you up to speed. Jane was born in Cedarville, Illinois in 1860. She got tuberculosis of the spine as a child, and it left her spine curved. She was very ashamed of her deformity; however, it didn’t stop her from achieving great things. Jane attended college at a time when there were very few colleges for women. She went on to open Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago. Hull House started off small and ended up as 13 buildings. They offered many things: continuing education for adults, kindergarten classes, a library, a gym, a kitchen, a bathhouse, etc. She was also national chairman of the Women’s Peace Party and President of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She supported women’s suffrage, immigrants, and was a member of the NAACP. As you can see, Jane Addams was part of so much American history. She was even the first American woman awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize.

I would love to meet Jane Addams because she had such an interesting life and accomplished so much. It would make my day to sit down with her and discuss her life and hear the stories straight from her; a true American.

Blog 50: My Car

The best present I have ever been given would have to be my car. My dad bought me a car for my high school graduation and I am very, very grateful! I definitely did not want to have to buy my own car. Cars are so expensive, and it would’ve drained my savings to have to buy one on my own. Plus, I definitely wouldn’t have spent what he did. My car is a white, 2006, Kia Spectra. It gets pretty good gas mileage and is a good looking car. It has power locks and windows, cruise control, and a CD player. The car had about 50,000 miles on it when we bought it. There is nothing wrong with it; and yes, we did ask for the CARFAX.

I remember the day we went car shopping like it was yesterday. It was July, and it was HOT! We looked all over Columbus and ended up at Hatfield Kia. I had no intention whatsoever of buying a car that day. However, when you find a deal, you have to move on it quickly. I never make decisions that fast. I always think about everything very carefully before I decide, but it was towards the end of the day, and they were about to close, so I felt some major pressure. I decided that was the car for me and that was that. I’ve had it for 7 months now and it runs perfectly, just like the day I took it home!

Blog 49: Babysitting

I haven’t ever had a “real” job. But the past two summers I have babysat for my doctor’s nephews, Lucas and Henry. They were 6 and 8 the first summer and 7 and 9 the second summer. The summer of 2009, they lived in Marysville, which was a 20 minute drive. However, in the summer of 2010, they had moved to Ostrander, which was like a 35 minute drive. I had already told them I would watch the boys the next summer, so I drove the extra 15 minutes.

The boys were very well behaved for me, but not so much for their parents. They were allowed to go to a few of their friend’s houses for a couple hours and so some days I would hardly see them. On the flip side, sometimes their friends would come over to their house and I would have double the kids to watch. The family told me that I was welcome to eat whatever they had, so I didn’t have to pack a lunch or snacks, which was really nice. Basically, I got paid to watch TV and eat their food; I had it pretty easy. I did actually work though. I would cook for the boys, play outside or play video games with them, and I even took them to the pool a few times. All in all, I would say it was a great first “job.” But, this summer I want something I can put on my résumé, so I’m not going to be babysitting for them.

Blog 48: My Grandma

My grandma is my inspiration; I think she is a saint. My grandma is such a good person; she treats everyone like a friend. She is from a small village in Yugoslavia where she met my grandpa and had two children, my aunt and uncle. Later, they moved to Italy where she had my dad. Soon after my dad was born they moved to Switzerland and then came to America. My grandpa passed away when my dad was four and my grandma was left to care for my special needs uncle and my dad all on her own. She then moved to Columbus to raise my dad. After my mom and dad got married we all moved to Arizona.

My grandma has always had to work hard and I have never heard her complain once; she has had a very hard life, and yet she doesn’t act like anything is owed to her. She came to this country with virtually nothing and knowing no English, all to make a better life for her and her family. I am very thankful that she came to America. If it weren’t for her I wouldn’t be here today with so many opportunities right at my fingertips. My grandma has been in the United States for about 44 years now and her English is pretty good now. Here are a few fun facts about her: her accent is adorable, she lives in Arizona yet her yard looks like the Garden of Eden, she is an amazing chef, she likes to knit socks, she has never driven a car, and she wears a babushka.

Blog 47: 8 Surprising Habits Ruining Your Health

So, yesterday my blog was about some myths that we hear every day about our health. Today, I decided to write my blog about another article from MSN; this time it’s about some things that actually are bad for your health. In the article they discussed eight things, but I am only going to touch on three of them. However, at the end of my blog is the link if you would like to read more.

The first thing that I found interesting was something that I do all the time, stretching my back when I first wake up; who doesn’t?! Here’s the doctor’s perspective on this, "At night when you sleep, the discs in your spine gain water," according to Ted Dreisinger, PhD. Apparently, the water puts pressure on your discs and when you stretch it adds even more pressure to them. What’s recommended is to go about your business for about the first ten minutes after waking up, and then stretching. The next little fact is something I’m sure we all do, holding your pee. I never thought I would discuss the bathroom in my blog; but here it goes. When you put off going to the bathroom it could stretch out your bladder, which is not good for many reasons. Lastly, for those of us who would rather use the elliptical or a bicycle to get in our daily cardio, we could be in trouble. The trouble isn’t with the cardio or even with our muscles, but with our bones. If you want to strengthen your bones, your best bet is to work in some walking or running; either on the treadmill or out there in the great outdoors.

That’s all for today, read the article if you thought what I discussed was interesting!

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/oral-care/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100267248&imageindex=1

Blog 46: 9 Things to Stop Worrying About

Today I read an article from MSN. It was about some common misconceptions; things that we are all taught are “bad” for our health. This article is claiming that they’re all myths. I’m only going to discuss three of them, but if you want to read more I provided the link at the end of my blog.

The first example was that we should drink 8 glasses of water a day. However, the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board said we should drink 8 glasses of fluid a day. That means we can drink virtually anything; not just water. I always try to drink plenty of water and juice; I feel like it’s probably better for me than pop, coffee, and energy drinks. But, who knows? The next example is that reading in dim lighting is bad for your eyes and could cause long term damage. Turns out, it can make your eyes tired, but after you rest up everything is back to normal! Personally, I’m very happy about this one because I read in bad light sometimes and I always worry that I’ll pay for it at my next eye exam. The last myth I’m going to discuss is that being cold, means you’ll catch a cold. Ha! I should show this to my mom. Every time I left my coat in the car because I didn’t want to carry it around the mall I got a speech about how I was going to get sick from being in the cold. Turns out, mom was wrong!

http://health.msn.com/healthy-living/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100268897&gt1=31036

Blog 45: Job

I really need to start looking for a summer job. I’m kind of nervous that I won’t be able to find anything that’s seasonal. I would like it to start right around the middle of June and end around the middle of September. I know that’s kind of unrealistic, but boy would it be nice! If the stars align and everything works out; I will find a job that has something to do with children. I guess now would be a good time to tell you that I want to be a teacher.

Anyway, if it started in the middle of June then after exam week, I could go visit my grandma out in Arizona for a week. I always go see my grandma during the summer and I know that if I start working before I go visit I may not be able to get time off. However, there is another road block because my mom and step dad’s birthday is June 13^th. Now, if exams are over on June 9^th and I leave on the 10^th and come back around the 17^th or 18^th I will get to see my grandma, but I will miss their birthday! Also, my nephew’s first birthday is the 23^rd so I really can’t miss that.

It’s all such a mess! It’s like no matter what I do I’m going to miss something: seeing my grandma, my mom and step dad’s birthday, and possibly my nephew’s birthday if I have work that day.

Blog 44: Life!

Ah how I love blogging about anything! So, I’m sick and I’ve been sick for the past few days. It is horrible, but the good news is that I haven’t been sick since like last April. At least I almost made it a year! Well, enough about that. I had an appointment with an advisor today; it went really well. I basically have my schedule for next quarter all figured out. My scheduling appointment is next Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. I know that I am going to take a sociology class, an earth science class, and a human development and family science class. The only thing left is to figure out the specifics. I think it’s going to be a good mix of classes for the spring, so I’m pretty excited.

Ok, I thought it was going to be warm today… It’s definitely a little chilly and I’m disappointed. Right now I’m inside; so it doesn’t really matter. I’m waiting on the second floor of the Psychology Building to do an REP hour. This is my last one so I’m psyched! Pun intended. After this I think I’m going to go back to my apartment until my doctor’s appointment. You might think it’s because I’m sick, but it’s actually for my allergy shot. Apparently these immunotherapy shots are going to make my allergies disappear or something. Thing is, it’s been like over three years now and I don’t really notice a difference. Maybe it’s just go gradual that you don’t notice it’s happening; who knows?!

Blog 43: Everybody Loves a Phony

Thanks for the feedback on my title and opening sentence today; I got some good responses! I think I’m going to stick with my original title, Everybody Loves a Phony. I actually thought of it while watching Everybody Loves Raymond. I like the title because I think it’s ironic and something that would make me want to find out more. Well, here’s my introduction:

The dating world can easily be compared to Hollywood: full of people putting on an act, like they’re getting paid for it. So you may ask yourself, if it’s a world full of phonies, how can I find someone real? The answer is, if you want someone to be open and honest with you, try doing it yourself. I know it’s hard to be yourself when you meet someone new; you want to make a good first impression. However, who says you can’t make a good first impression by being yourself? If your plan is to have a long-lasting relationship, then don’t start it off with secrets and lies. Now, I’m not saying that the first time you meet someone is the time to unleash all your “crazy” on them. We all have our quarks and our emotional baggage, but it should be unleashed gradually. In my opinion, once that person knows everything about you, and sticks around, you’ve got yourself something pretty special.

Well that’s what I’m thinking for my opening paragraph and title. I guess I have a whole lot more work ahead of me. Wish me luck and good luck to everyone!

Blog 42: Relevant

According to Common Place before you even worry about being timely and compelling you have to focus on being relevant. This makes sense to me because if someone thinks what you are discussing in your article does not apply to them, why would they take the time to read it? I guess being relevant is what draws someone in and then timely and compelling is what keeps them around.

I feel that my topic is relevant to anyone and everyone. Since we are all in a relationship or looking for one, my topic of, the problems hiding who you are can cause in a relationship, applies to us all. In my article am going to focus on intimate relationships. However, I am sure that if you wanted to, you could apply what I say about personal relationships to a friendship.

Common Place says that if your article doesn’t appear to be relevant to the editors it probably won’t make it to publication. So basically, you could write the best article in the world, but if it’s about something the editors don’t feel is relevant, that’s the end of the road for you. Luckily, our editors are our peers and our audience is our peers. I feel like this makes not only being relevant easier, but the entire process easier. It is much easier to write something that relates to your peers because they are more than likely dealing with the same issues as you are. I think that if your article is about something that you can relate to and find to be relevant, our audience will likely feel the same.

Blog 41: Compelling

In order to make my Common Place article compelling I am going to have to make the reader believe that I know what I’m talking about and that I am someone they think is a credible source that they could take advice from. To do this I plan to use a combination of what we have been discussing in class as of late: ethos, pathos, and logos. I’m not sure which I will rely on the most, since I have not started my paper yet. However, after my Psychology midterm on Wednesday morning I am going to be all over it! If I could tell the future, I would guess that I am more than likely going to rely on pathos the most.

Since my topic is, the problems hiding who you are can cause in a relationship, I feel that relying heavily on pathos is probably the best decision. Relationships are very emotional issues which is why pathos is what I plan to use. I will also throw some logos and ethos in there as well. I plan to do this by using some logical examples, like the personal anecdote and the hypothetical scenario. Once I do this I will have achieved my style, tone, word choice, and so on; that is all part of being compelling. Since I know my audience will be mostly composed of my peers, it will be easier to write a compelling article; much easier than having to imagine who my audience will be.

Blog 40: Timely

Today I have to argue about why my Common Place topic of, the problems hiding who you are can cause in a relationship, is timely. Being timely basically means that the argument is worth hearing at this point in time. For example, it wouldn’t be logical to argue that women in America should have the right to vote. Obviously women have had that right for almost a century now, so arguing about it now would be silly. Timeliness means being current.

I believe that my topic for my article is timely because I feel it is a current issue. You can turn on the radio and hear Rihanna singing “Take a Bow,” a song about a man putting on a huge act and breaking her heart. You can turn on the television or go to the big screen and see it there. I actually just saw, Just Go With It, which is a very good example; a little extreme, but a good example nonetheless. In my opinion, today’s music, television shows, and movies reflect today’s issues.

I feel as though now is good time to discuss this topic because so many people lie and hide things about themselves to get the person they want and then lose them once the truth comes out. If people were just themselves this would not be an issue. However, the world is full of actors and actresses, and I’m not talking about Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, I’m talking about the normal people you see and meet every day.

Blog 39: Hypothetical Scenario

Ok, so here’s an example of a hypothetical scenario that I could use in my Common Place article based on the topic, the problems hiding who you are can cause in a relationship.

Let’s say you’re at a party and you start talking to this guy. He is ruggedly handsome, and you really hope that by the end of the night he asks you to go out with him sometime. Since you really want to make him like you, you listen intently to everything he says and when he talks about his hobbies you say oh yeah I love that too! Let’s just say that he is talking about how much he loves the outdoors; especially fly-fishing. Now you don’t know a damn thing about fly fishing, for all you know they are fishing for flies, but you say oh yeah fly fishing is great. He looks surprised; probably the first time he has ever heard that come out of a girl’s mouth. By the end of the night, he asks for your number and if you would like to go out with him, Thursday at 8. Of course, you’re ecstatic because you got what you wanted.

So, you get home from the party and think, I better brush up on my fly-fishing facts for next Thursday. Before your date you look up some information so you don’t look stupid; and good thing you did because he brings it up over dinner. You impress him with your knowledge, and then he asks you if you would like to come with him this Sunday, for a fishing trip. Now what? You’re in a little over your head. You don’t like the outdoors, flies, or fish. You would much rather go to the mall and get your nails done this Sunday. However, you lied, perpetuated that lie, and now you have to hope to God that you don’t make a total fool of yourself. Not to mention the last minute Saturday shopping trip to Bass Pro Shop to make sure you’ve got everything you need for Sunday.

As you can see hiding the fact that you are a girly girl and lying about having a common interest has gotten you into quite the sticky situation.

Blog 38: Personal Anecdote

Alright well here it goes, a personal anecdote based on my Common Place topic of, the problems hiding who you are can cause in a relationship.

I used to date this guy Matt in high school. He didn’t go to my high school, but he went to a nearby school. We met at a track meet and he asked for my number. So, we did the usual routine: texting all the time, then you start talking every night on the phone, next you hang out a few times, and then he asked me to be his girlfriend. Of course, you know, I said yes. I thought I knew him pretty well after talking to him for a couple months and going on some dates. Also, I knew some of his friends and they were cool guys.

But, boy was I wrong. After dating him about a month, he started acting weird. He didn’t want to hang out as much and I couldn’t help but feel like he was hiding something from me. I didn’t understand why he didn’t want to see me one Friday night, after we hadn’t seen each other the whole week. The next week, someone from my high school said that they had seen him at a party Friday night and asked me why I wasn’t there. I told them, well because I didn’t even know about it. They got that “oh shit” look on their face. You know the one I’m talking about. The one where you just said something you had no idea would put you in the situation you end up in. Now that I knew about the party I couldn’t help but want to find out more. So, I did some asking around and turns out Matt was a total stoner. You might think, yeah so what? Thing is he didn’t just smoke pot; he drank, did shrooms, air duster, and the list goes on. Now, to top it all off, he dealt drugs as well. What a winner, right?!

I often wonder how I didn’t realize any of this before I agreed to be his girlfriend. Turns out when someone doesn’t want you to know something about them they are pretty good at hiding it. He never said anything that led me to believe that this was who he was.  I guess he figured that to get a girl like me, the class president that gets straight A’s type, he would have to act like the kind of guy I would want. Let me tell you, the man should get a freakin’ Academy Award!

Blog 37: Underground Attractions

Today I read an article about underground attractions all around the world, and it was really very interesting. These underground attractions vary widely in purpose, from tombs to war shelters and mines to underground cities. They are also all over to globe, in the U.S., Ireland, England, Italy, Vietnam, and the list goes on. All of the sites are of historical value; some are only decades old while others are thousands of years old.

To me the oldest places seem the most interesting because it’s crazy to think that there were people digging underground thousands of years ago. Not only did they dig underground, but they did some very interesting and technologically advanced stuff once they got down there. For example, under Naples, Italy, there are about 250 miles of tunnels and caverns. As if what’s above ground isn’t enough of a reason to visit, when you add this into the mix it’s practically irresistible. The Greeks actually dug down beneath Naples to access water. One of the more recent sites is in West Virginia; a fallout shelter built for Congress in 1958, during the Cold War. It’s actually built beneath the Greenbrier Resort, which is very rich in U.S. history as well.

I find underground places to be very intriguing because some of them aren’t discovered for decades or more. Just think, all that time people were walking around thinking there was nothing but dirt under their feet! I would really like to visit some of the places on the list. Some of the sites only offer tours of the premises. However, some of them have restaurants and a place to stay the night, right on site. I would definitely recommend this article if you are even remotely interested in history or travel.

http://www.bing.com/travel/content/search?q=Underground+Attractions%3a+Cu+Chi+Tunnels%2c+Vietnam&FORM=TRSSPG

Blog 36: CP Idea

Alright! Well, after looking over the list of ideas we made today in class I decided I am going to write about the problems hiding who you are can cause in a relationship. This is a spinoff of my analytical research paper topic of people hiding who they really are to get what they want. I believe that one of the main reasons that relationships don’t work out is because many of us are dishonest right off the bat.

No one likes being lied to or having things kept from them. So why is it that almost everyone under the sun is guilty of doing just that? When you are meeting someone for the first time and you really want them to like you and it’s easy to agree with things they’re saying (whether you truly agree or not). Also, you may keep certain facts about yourself a secret because you think someone else would find it undesirable or judge you. The problem with this is that it leads to an unhealthy relationship.

If you don’t like the opera don’t agree with them when they tell you how much they love the opera. More than likely you will find yourself there on a date in the future and be forced to perpetuate your lie. Another thing is if you are totally in love with sitting in front of the TV and playing Madden, why hide it? For all you know they love video games just as much as you. Basically, the message that I want people to take home with them after reading my Common Place article is to be yourself because that’s the only way you will find someone that likes you for you.

Blog 35: Going Green: Just Another Act?

The article that I read on Common Place today was about celebrities participating in the “going green” movement. I chose the Culture category and saw the article titled: Going Green: Jut Another Act. This title got me interested because after reading No Impact Man, as all incoming freshman at The Ohio State University were supposed to, I am now interested in reading other pieces about “going green.”

This article discussed how the Environmental Media Association (EMA) encourages celebrities to live a more environmentally friendly life so that their followers will do just that, follow. Now I’m not stupid. I know that just because someone drives a hybrid or uses reusable grocery bags doesn’t mean they always put the environment first. Maybe these same people produce more trash in a week than I do in a month or maybe they rack up more air miles in a month than I will in my entire life. These negative things make a much larger impact than the little positive things that are done.

The argument of this article was that the same celebs that claim they are “green” are really just putting on an act. I feel this is a timely issue because in the past decade or so of my life I have watched the world flip out over “global warming” and so the “green” movement came to be. Everything is “green” now: cars, grocery bags, cleaning products, etc. The author had a compelling argument because she used real-life examples of hypocritical “green” celebrities. This is a relevant argument because it is something that affects all of us in present day society. I mean, I actually feel guilty every time I take the elevator instead of using the stairs.

Blog 34: Comfort Food

The article that I read on Common Place today was about plastic surgery, and titled "Comfort Food." I chose the Society category and saw the sentence, “Plastic surgery is the new ice cream and people are eating it up.” This sentence caught my eye and sparked my interest. I think it is a very interesting metaphor. That one sentence pretty much says it all. It surprised me how one sentence could be so short and sweet, but so full of meaning.

The article talked about different reasons why people get plastic surgery: medical, to please themselves, but mostly to please someone else. It discussed how we live in a world that expects perfection when we all know it’s unattainable. The pressure from society to be perfect drives millions to get plastic surgery. It discussed two women who are obsessed with plastic surgery, Heidi Montag, a celebrity from The Hills and a regular woman who appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Jenny. It also made it clear that plastic surgery is not only for women; many men are also lining up at the plastic surgeon’s office.

I would say that this article is very timely, compelling, and relevant. Timely because it is a current issue; something we are dealing with in the here and now. It’s compelling because the author used scientific findings such as statistics and real-life examples to back up her argument. The article is relevant because living in society this is an issue we all deal with. Since Common Place is mostly read by college students I think this is a good target audience for this subject.

One of my personal experiences that relates to plastic surgery is when I got my tonsils and adenoids removed recently. When I was at the surgeon’s office for my consultation and to do some paperwork, one of the forms on the clip board surprised me; it was a form for a plastic surgeon. The form listed so many procedures; ones I never even knew existed. From what I gathered from skimming over the form it was there in case you wanted to get plastic surgery done while they had you under for your medical surgery. To this day it still bothers me that I was even presented with this form.

Blog 33: About My Paper

My rough draft is officially completed and oh what a wonderful feeling! I am pleased with the way it turned out, but I feel like there is definitely some room for improvement. I’m sure I’m going to have plenty of corrections to make, as well as adding another page and a half. I will definitely be making another trip on over to the writing center after we get our rough drafts handed back. I just hope that I didn’t accidentally bomb this assignment. Nothing is worse than feeling like you did a pretty good job and then being shot down. That’s basically how I felt about the episode analysis.

One thing that I wondered about was if we had to do an annotated bibliography for the rough draft. I mean it’s not on the rubric she handed out to us, but I wonder if it’s something we are supposed to just know. So, I went ahead and included the annotation in my bibliography just to be on the safe side. I feel like I did a decent job covering all the points on the rubric, but in the end it’s not up to me, so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see!

Personally, I’m just glad I managed to get this done this weekend between visiting with family, my boyfriend having a party, filling out the FAFSA, and the Super Bowl. This was definitely a jam packed weekend! I am so happy this is the last blog I have to write about my rough draft; I was seriously running out of things to talk about!

Blog 32: About My Paper

So here is how I’m feeling today, I feel like I’m not going to do so hot on this rough draft. It seems like such a jumbled mess, and every time I try to make it better I think I manage to make it worse. If I’m not impressed with this paper I know that the professor definitely won’t be. After I got torn up on the episode analysis, I can’t help but feel the same will happen with this draft. I probably sound like the most pessimistic person if you read this, but I’m just not very optimistic when it comes to school assignments, especially big papers like this one.

It’s really hard to concentrate when I’m home but that’s what I get for waiting until the last minute; like usual. But, I had a good time with my family last night and it was really good to see my sister and nephew. Also, we got to meet her new boyfriend. The problem is I got virtually nothing done.

I always have things all planned out in my head, but then they never turn out the way I think they will. Another thing is that I always think I have so much time and then it turns out there is never enough of it. I say to myself well how long could this possibly take, like three hours; then it turns into five or six. I wonder if everyone has the same problems that I do. I wonder if everyone sits down in front of their computer and blanks or gets sidetracked. I wonder if everyone reads through their paper a dozen times and continues to find things wrong with it. It gets so frustrating!

Blog 31: About My Paper

So I started my paper. I’m not in love with it, but I think by Sunday it should be good and ready to turn in. I’m home for the weekend, so it’s going to be hard to concentrate on my paper with my mom, step dad, sister, nephew, and my boyfriend all wanting my attention. In retrospect I probably should’ve worked on it a lot more this past week. But I’ll get it done; I always do.

So far I’ve used a lot of stuff from my blogs. Mostly the blogs where we integrated the quotes; those are very good for copying and pasting! Also, the episode analysis came in handy. When I put all that together it gave me a good deal of pages and so now I just have to fill in some information, teak some things, and pull a couple more pages out of nowhere.

Changing my argument has definitely given me a bit of a handicap. Since I had already found secondary sources, read them, and blogged about them, for the old argument it’s a pain to find new stuff. I had to do research all over again, read the articles, and now I’m going to have to do the annotated bibliography over again. I do like my new argument better thought, so I guess all the extra work is worth it. Another thing is that I have been thinking about the episode and about my paper from the view point of my old argument for so long it’s been hard to shift gears.

Well that’s all about my highs and lows for today!

Blog 30: About My Paper

Today I went to the writing center; it went alright I guess. They say you can go at any point in the writing process, but I think it is probably best to go once you have your rough draft back with the instructor’s comments; that way they can help you fix what’s wrong. We just went over the rubric and tried to look up some secondary sources that would support my argument. We didn’t exactly have the best of luck, but hey, I got two bonus points. So there is a bright side! I definitely plan on going back after we get our rough drafts handed back. I think they will be able to help me out more at that point.

I think I better start writing my paper right after I’m done with this blog. I’m just kind of overwhelmed and don’t really know where to start. I feel like everything I do is wrong; it’s pretty depressing. Every time I write a paper I feel like I am just bullshitting the whole thing. But, I guess that’s what writing is all about; just making stuff up as you go along and hoping for the best. I mean, I have a basic idea of what I want to say, I just have problems putting it on paper. Well, on a screen I guess.

Okay, I should probably get started on this thing and stop talking about it. Wish me luck, because I’m definitely going to need as much as I can get!

Blog 29: About My Paper

It’s like I can think of nothing but this paper. It’s constantly hanging over my head, but the idea of sitting down and actually writing it makes me feel sick. I would like to go ahead and get it over with, but I always wait until the last minute and then freak out. That’s just me. I want to change; maybe the Writing Center will fix me up! I made an appointment at the Writing Center for tomorrow. I hope that they will be able to get me on the right track. I’ve never been there, so I’m not too sure what to expect.

I personally don’t think that I’m the greatest writer in the world. So, I’m pretty worried about writing this paper. I’m worried about it not being long enough, having poor structure, being repetitive, or just having a weak argument. Whenever I wrote papers in high school, I feel like the teachers would just slap an A on it and call it a day. I know my papers weren’t perfect, but I always got A’s; even when I did post secondary, and so far in college, I have gotten A’s on all my papers. However, I would like to have gotten some sort of constructive criticism.

Another thing that’s holding me back is that I recently changed my argument after my conference. So, all the information I had looked up is now useless. I’ve been trying to find new information to support my argument, but I have been having a hard time with that. Most of the article titles that sound promising end up not having a PDF, which makes things even more difficult. Well, wish me luck!

Blog 28: Quote 5

The fact of the matter is no one wants to be alone. So, we are all out looking to find that special someone. If anything, we can all agree that it’s a long and difficult road. However, for those that don’t love themselves, finding someone to love them can be even more of a challenge. If you can’t accept who you are, then being in social situations where you are meeting new people and trying to impress them can be a very trying task. “People with higher social anxiety attempt to conceal aspects of themselves that they believe others will find unattractive or will reject. Such behaviors also seem likely to relate to interpersonal dysfunction, particularly in close relationships” (Rodebaugh, 91). Basically, if you are uncomfortable with yourself it could show. Or even worse it could be obvious that you are trying to hide something. This usually leads someone to believe that you must be hiding something truly awful, when it could be something perfectly normal.

People will love you for the way they think you are and if you are putting on a show to get them and then reveal the true you, you could risk potentially losing them. Just being you can solve this problem. Everyone has their quarks and it’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Certainly, the first time you meet someone isn’t the time to tell them everything little thing that’s wrong with you or to unload your emotional baggage. It’s a delicate balance of being you and making a good first impression so that there is a chance for them to learn all there is to know and love about you.

Rodebaugh, Thomas. "Hiding the Self and Social Anxiety: The Core Extrusion Schema Measure." Cognitive Therapy & Research 33.1 (2009): 90-109. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.

Blog 27: Quote 4

If you cannot accept yourself, then you assume that others will not be able to either. This belief is what leads one to hide who they really are. "The distinctive attributes of unconditional self-acceptance are that the individuals are able to fully and unconditionally accept themselves whether or not they behave correctly or whether other people approve of them" (Macinnes, 484). What this means is that you should absolutely accept yourself no matter what; even if someone else does not. Self-acceptance and self-esteem have been shown to have a high positive correlation (484). Therefore, if you accept yourself you will in turn feel more confident in yourself and hopefully won’t feel the need to hide your true self. For all you know, the person you’re hiding from would accept you with all your “flaws.”

 I think sometimes we forget that no one is perfect and we hold ourselves or others to an unfair high standard. Most likely, if you meet someone and you really connect with them you will be able to over look a few things. For example, an annoying habit or something temporary that will soon change. Just think, if you know that you are willing to do this for someone, they are probably going to do the same. So the moral of the story is, to accept yourself and let others see the true you. Only the people who stick around after that are worth your time. Who wants to be around someone who they always have to put a show on for anyway? Not me.

MACINNES, D. L. "Self-esteem and self-acceptance: an examination into their relationship and their effect on psychological health." Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing 13.5 (2006): 483-489. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 1 Feb. 2011.

Blog 26: Quote 3

In, “Lonely Hearts” Doyle says, “Well you’re in the big bad city now, where everyone’s a stranger; hidin’ behind walls, keepin’ secrets.” What he means by this is, when you’re in a new place where you know no one, people can keep their true selves a secret and put on a false persona. I find this somewhat ironic, since Doyle is doing just that; not only in this episode, but in all of the episodes to follow until his death. He kept his half demon self a secret from Cordelia, the one he loved. He felt that if she was to ever love him back, that he would have to hide who he truly was. This is something that I find strange, especially since Cordelia is so accepting of Angel. Why wouldn't she also be accepting of Doyle?

I think this is something a lot of us do. While we aren’t hiding a half demon side, we do tend to hide other things. For example, people hide things like drug addictions, diseases, their financial status, their marriage, their children, the fact they live with their parents, and the list goes on and on. Anything that you are ashamed of or think that someone else would look down upon is something you will likely hide. If you cannot accept yourself for who you are, you most likely believe that someone else will not be able to accept the true you either. In some cases this may be true. However, you can only hide these things for so long before the truth comes out and in the end everyone is hurt and disappointed.

Blog 25: Quote 2

In episode two of Angel, “Lonely Hearts” Angel meets Kate at a bar in Los Angeles. Angel is a vampire; being a vampire, Angel is immortal and has been around the world wreaking havoc for hundreds of years. However, what sets him apart from all the rest is that he was cursed by gypsies; cursed with a soul. Because of this Angel is overwhelmed with regret for all the lives he has taken or ruined. This sets the basis for the entire series. Kate is a female Los Angeles police officer.

When they meet in the bar Kate is there after work having a few drinks and looking to make a connection with someone. Angel is there to see if anyone needs his help and ends up having a conversation with Kate. While they are talking, Kate says, “I guess I just, I just have a hard time, you know, trusting people. Male people particularly. A place like this, it’s not like anybody’s gonna come up and show you who they really are. Everybody’s too busy trying to get, whatever it is they’re looking for.”

This is virtually the argument of the episode. In this episode, everyone is lying about who they really are: Angel, Doyle, and worst of all, the burrowing demon. I will get further in depth with each of their stories later. To sum it up Angel is hiding the fact that he is a vampire from Kate, Doyle is hiding his half demon side from Cordelia, and the burrower is hiding inside human bodies to find his next victim. While they all have different reasons for hiding who they really are, some more innocent than others, they are all doing so to get what they want.

Blog 24: Quote 1

I changed my argument; so I thought I should explain what’s going on here. My new argument is that people hide who they are to get what they want. For example, if you want someone to like you, you will likely hide the things you believe to be negative attributes and stress the positive ones.

We’ve all met someone new and thought, this person doesn’t know anything about me; I could literally tell them whatever I want. But, why isn’t who you really are good enough, or interesting enough? We all have things about ourselves that we are ashamed of or something we wish we could change. However, when you are making a first impression, you don’t want that to be apparent. Because we want to make ourselves seem interesting, intelligent, and like we’ve got it going on, we may hide certain attributes or tell a white lie. There has been a significant amount of research done in the field of psychology as to why we feel the need to act in this way. According to Thomas Rodebaugh, Ph.D. “If one assumes that any negative evaluation one receives will be accurate and stem from one’s personal properties, it seems natural to avoid evoking such evaluation, potentially by hiding one’s personal characteristics (91). What he means by this is that if we perceive that showing a certain characteristic or telling someone something about ourselves will result in them judging us in a negative fashion, we tend to stay away from revealing these things about ourselves. No one wants to be looked down on or treated like they are abnormal somehow. This is why people put on a bit of a show the first time you meet them, or even in the beginning of your relationship. Whether the relationship is strictly a friendship, or something more, after you have known that individual for some time, it usually becomes apparent all the negative qualities that they hid away in the beginning.

Rodebaugh, Thomas. "Hiding the Self and Social Anxiety: The Core Extrusion Schema Measure." Cognitive Therapy & Research 33.1 (2009): 90-109. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 28 Jan. 2011.

Blog 23: Conference

Blog 22: Article 5

Last night I read the article, “Evidence-Based Crime Prevention: Conclusions and Directions for a Safer Society.” To be honest I don’t think I am going to use any of the information from this article. I chose it for one of my preliminary sources because at the time I was just reading the title of the article and skimming through it quickly.

The article was about how we need to choose the crime prevention programs of today based on what has been proven to work, or what they refer to as evidence-based crime prevention. It was more scientific than I would have guessed, and talked about the different ways of scientifically proving if a so called prevention is actually preventing anything or just soaking up our tax dollars. The example they used was the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in schools that has a very minimal effect.

The article discussed what has been proven to work for children, offenders, victims, and in high crime areas. One of the things I found most interesting was how well increased street lighting works at preventing crime. They reported a 22% decrease in the experimental area compared to the control area. Another thing dealt with in the article, was how getting what does work to be put into action and getting what has failed out of here, is one big political game. They said that convincing the politicians is one of the hardest parts because there is so much else on their plate. While this information was interesting, I don’t believe it will be something I use in my paper.

Welsh, Brandon C., and David P. Farrington. "Evidence-Based Crime Prevention: Conclusions and Directions for a Safer Society." Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice 47.2 (2005): 337-354. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 21 Jan. 2011.

Blog 21: Article 4

Today I read "Sexual Violence on the College Campus: A Template for Compliance With Federal Policy." This article related not only to the article I read yesterday but also to the first article I read. The article focused on sexual assault that takes place on college campuses. It discusses the Clery Act and how the National Institute of Justices asses Institutes of Higher Education on their implementation of this act. Before 1988, fewer than four percent of American colleges publically reported the crimes that took place on campus. Now they must, “(1) make public their on-campus crime statistics, (2) publicize prevention and actions designed to respond to crime,(3) institute crime logs, and (4) demonstrate that the rights of victims of sexual assault are preserved.”

Jeanne Clery was a college student in Pennsylvania who was tortured, raped, and murdered in her dorm room in 1986. After this, her parents made sure that campus safety was improved on a national scale. I plan to do further research on the Clery Act for my paper. This article explained to me the contents of The Ohio State University Department of Public Safety’s 2009 Annual Campus Security Report, that I read as article one. I now know why so much information about the university’s crime rates were provided; along with prevention methods and contact information for reporting crimes and for victim support. If I would have known of this document previously to shopping around for a college, it most definitely would have played a major role in my selection.

This article was very informative and provided me not only with information I plan to use in my paper, but also with information I would like to complete further research on.

McMahon, Patricia Pasky. "Sexual Violence on the College Campus: A Template for Compliance With Federal Policy." Journal of American College Health 57.3 (2008): 361-366. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 21 Jan. 2011.

Blog 20: Article 3

Today I read the results of a study, “Rape Myth Beliefs and Bystander Attitudes Among Incoming College Students.” While the article was interesting I’m not sure how much of the information I will be able to use in my paper. The article focused on rape myths and how acceptance of rape myths could correlate to bystander attitudes. The study was done at a northeastern university and surveyed 2,338 incoming freshman.

One of the things that this article introduced me to was the bystander attitude. I have previously heard of the finding that, the more people who are present at the scene of a crime or emergency, the less likely someone is to help. However, I had not thought about incorporating that idea into my paper until after reading this article.

I do plan on using some of the information from this article because it relates the article from my last blog. In my last blog the article I read suggested that women are more fearful of crime because it could lead to rape. This article gives some insight as to why women are fearful of rape. The findings from the survey are that the more accepting a person is of rape myths the less likely they are to intervene as a bystander to a possible rape or a situation that could lead to rape. Therefore, the two have a negative correlation; as acceptance goes up, bystander attitudes go down.

It’s no wonder based on this study, why women are so afraid of being a victim of sexual assault; especially rape. Not only is the act a scary enough concept, but then you find that many people are accepting of rape myths, such as: she’s lying about being raped, she asked for it because she was acting/dressed slutty, he didn’t mean to because he was drunk and didn’t know what he was doing, etc. Also the likelihood that a bystander will step in if they see a woman being taken advantage of is slim.

McMahon, Sarah. "Rape Myth Beliefs and Bystander Attitudes Among Incoming College Students." Journal of American College Health 59.1 (2010): 3-11. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 21 Jan. 2011.