Last Free Write--Future

This weekend is going to be a crazy one! After this school week is over with is when all the fun is going to begin. This Thursday I have a hug lab practical in my biology class. I cannot wait until this is over because then it’s all downhill from there. The rest of the year will be so much easier. After taking that test, I am going to come back to our apartment and clean with my roommate. On Friday, my cousin, grandma, and aunt are coming down to Evansville for my cousin’s orientation here at USI. I am going to meet up with them after my one class on Friday. Then I am going to drive the hour and a half back home to pick up a purse I ordered about a month ago. After that I will probably go grocery shopping with my mom, and possibly tanning. On Saturday I might go walk five miles at a local park. That evening we are going to take pictures of my brother and his girlfriend at prom. The “grand march” starts at 7 and goes until 7:30. After that, parents and family members leave and the dancing begins at prom. Her dress is purple, which is my favorite color. I cannot wait to see them together once they are dressed and ready to take pictures. After taking pictures of them during grand march, I am going to the movies with my best friend and her boyfriend. We are going to see The Lucky One which is a Nicholas Sparks book made into a movie. The trailers on TV make the movie look so good. I just it’s as good as they say it’s going to be. I cannot wait to see this movie! When my brother and his girlfriend are at post-prom, I will be sleeping. They are thinking about staying up all night because they make their confirmation in the morning. After going to church and watching them make their confirmation, I will probably do some homework. I cannot wait until school is done for this year. Summer is going to be so relaxing. I will be working all summer and hanging out with my friends. Next school year is going to be so much different and enjoyable. This freshman year has been chaotic and stressful. I will be living with my current roommate, my cousin who is going to be a freshman, and a friend from work who is transferring. Next year will be calmer and less stressful. I will be around people who I can actually talk to and be myself around. It will be so much better and we will all go to events on campus together. I am looking forward to this weekend, this summer, and next school year.

Mercury Reader-Black Men and Public Space-Response

It is crazy how so many people accuse innocent ones each year of committing crimes and doing horrible things. I know they may mistake some for ones who actually do it, but people need to stop judging people just because of the way they dress or act. Not everyone is a bad person and it is hard to tell the difference between the innocent and guilty. People need to stop racial profiling, being racist, and stereotyping. Just because someone looks like they could commit a crime, does not mean they are going to. People should be cautious and aware of their surroundings, but not to the point where they accuse everyone they see of doing something bad in the future. Some people cannot afford brand new looking clothes and fancy things. People are too quick to judge others, especially ones wearing certain clothes. People fear some things they shouldn’t just to be safe. I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. Some, however, take it a little too far. They judge immediately upon meeting or seeing a person and they do things to avoid them. Some people need to just get to know people before they should be allowed to judge. Innocent people should not have to sing classical songs just to show the rest of the world they are not bad people that will commit a crime in the future.

Mercury Reader-Me Talk Pretty One Day-Response

The teacher in this reading was very sarcastic and harsh to the students. I believe the teacher wanted the students to learn the language and keep up with the work in her class. She just wanted her students to do their best and make sure they learned the language in the country as soon as possible. The sooner the students learned the language of the country, the faster they would be able to communicate with others in the country. The students, however, took this as an insult and didn’t care for the teacher. I believe the instructor’s way of teaching these students caused them to work harder. They knew this was the only way to get by in this class; therefore, they began to fulfill the teacher’s expectations and work harder to learn the language. If I was put in this situation, I do not think I could go to college in a different country unless I knew someone from back home that was going with me. That person would also need to speak the same language as me so I could have someone to talk to in our native language. I believe, however, that if one person goes to another country by themselves they will be forced to learn the language even faster so they can communicate effectively with instructors, students, and other people in the country. If I were going to school in another country, I do believe I could learn the language. This would be the only way to talk to everyone, especially if everyone spoke that language. Some students would think the teacher is rude, but everyone has different views on how people should act. The teacher may have been raised different from the students. This could be her way of getting the students to work hard and learn the language.

Debate: Are Tough Interrogations Necessary?

Initial thoughts about topic:
I believe tough interrogations are necessary in today’s world. Under pressure, most guilty people break down and tell the truth. It shouldn’t bother innocent people because they shouldn’t have anything to hide. Tough interrogations show the interrogators certain things to look for in people who lie or tell the truth. Ones who are guilty usually don’t make eye contact and are really fidgety. The more pressure you put on a guilty person , the more they will feel the need to break down and tell the truth.

Thoughts after hearing debate:
I was speechless after watching the whole debate. I didn’t know all of that was going on. When I read the topic of the debate I figured it just meant interrogators talking intensely to the subjects. I didn’t realize they were doing other things to figure out the truth from lies. I don’t even know which side to believe now because they both brought up good points. Some facts seemed sketchy and I don’t know if I believe what some of the debaters said. Some of the things were harsh and needed to be said. Now, after hearing the whole thing, I believe tough interrogations are necessary but not ones that are torturing. This torturing that they say is going on is very cruel. I cannot imagine those things being done to my family or me. If these things are true, something has to change. We cannot torture human beings just to get information out of them. I believe there should be another way to receive information from people who may know things. Killing innocent people just to find out the truth is horrible to hear and watch. I cannot believe these things are going on throughout the world today. This info could be life-saving as one of the debaters said, but I do not think it is worth the harsh punishment and torture. People should not be allowed to abuse the interrogation rules. The side for tough interrogations didn’t exactly have real facts like the opposite side did. The debaters who were against the tough interrogations had many more stories and facts in their speeches. People listen to these facts and assume they are real. I just hope these things they said were true. I don’t know who would lie about that, so hopefully they were all being truthful. In the end, I believe all of the debaters came together and decided they all wanted some sort of effective means of receiving crucial information. Some of the debaters for tough interrogations didn’t seem to care that those harsh things were going on. They seemed to brush it aside and divert the conversation to something else entirely. This is one reason why I changed my mind in the end. I didn’t feel like they had enough information to persuade me that tough interrogations were okay in the world. One person for it stated that people were tortured in every single war. I believe this should not happen anymore. It should end right now. I believe you do learn as much from lying as you do from the truth. The studies that one debater talked about showed that innocent people are dying because we want to find out who is lying. Some people are good at lying; therefore, we don’t get anywhere and innocent people are dying because of it. I believe this should stop since interrogators, in the end, cannot determine which ones are lying and which ones are telling the truth. One debaters against tough interrogations talked about extreme measures and how it is not effective. He stated that we haven’t seen the worst yet—revenge. This could come back to haunt our country. We need to stop the torturing and find a more effective way for interrogators to decide between truth and fiction. Tough interrogations should not be allowed anymore. They are not necessary and do not accomplish anything except killing more innocent people.

Free Write #2 Week 12

This picture is of my best friend Kaci and me after our high school graduation ceremony. We met and started hanging out together on weekends towards the end of sophomore year in high school. We were on the softball team together so we spent a lot of time together and slowly got to know one another. We have always been there for each other through the past 2 or so years. During the summer after sophomore year, she had a job but I didn’t. This meant we hung out whenever she didn’t have to work on the weekends. When she wanted to hang out with her boyfriend, though, we either all hung out or it was those two by themselves. I hated not doing anything on weekends because it was so boring. We eventually started moving apart once senior year rolled around. In between work and her boyfriends she didn’t have much time to hang out with her best friend anymore. We didn’t have many classes together senior year, but we were still best friends. Once graduation came, we knew seeing each other every day was not going to happen anymore. Near graduation, she started dating my brother’s best friend for the second time. She knew I didn’t like this especially since they met each other at my house. It made it awkward and we hardly hung out on weekends because we had so much going on then. Graduation came and went. We both went to different colleges about two hours away from each other. We still kept in touch, but I felt it just wasn’t the same anymore. We still hung out some weekends when we were home and weren’t busy. She began dating this guy I didn’t exactly think was good for her so we began talking a little less because she was busy with him. Since then we have been closer. One day she told me some information that would change our lives forever. Now we have been hanging out almost every weekend and texting almost every day again. I feel like so many things have changed with each of us, but yet everything is the same. We still know each other’s secrets and that has brought us closer together since college has started. I can finally call her my best friend again. I just wish she would choose better guys. She deserves so much more and her parents even agree. No one wants to see her keep getting hurt by this guy, but apparently there’s nothing we can do. She’s going to date him again and there is nothing I can do about it. The last time they broke up I was there and witnessed it. I hate how much he lies right to her face and wish she could see that he’s not worth it. I’m just glad we are best friends again and hope that no guy comes between our friendship ever again.

Free Write #1 Week 12

Today I am meeting with my advisor about scheduling my classes for next semester. I cannot decide if I want to change my major or not. If I do change my major, the thing is I don’t know what I would change it to. Right now I am majoring in Radiology. I want to stay in the medical field, but I don’t know what would be good for me to major in if I change it from Radiology. One of the reasons I am thinking about changing it is because the anatomy and physiology classes I am taking are very difficult. I already have to re-take the first semester of it because I got a low grade. I am in the second semester right now, but I do not have that high of a grade and I am afraid I will have to re-take this again too. This means I will be behind in where I wanted to be with my classes and credits. If I do decide to stick with this major, it will be hard. I will have to work extremely hard if I re-take those classes so that I can pass them and move on. I have to have a C or higher in them and they are difficult. Every week you have lecture and lab. Usually you learn almost the same thing in lab and lecture, but lab goes more in depth with the labels and identifying things. Lecture is more of just information. I am doing okay in lecture, but lab is killing me. I just wish I could be done with this class and have a high enough grade to move on. I want to learn the stuff and be able to know it in the future very well, but there is a lot of information to take in all at once. To get a good grade I need to study more and prepare myself better. It would also be easier if I had a study partner or a friend in the same class. One of my friends from work is coming here next year and majoring in radiology, too. Hopefully we can get in the same class and help each other pass it if I decide to stick with this major. Hopefully my advisor can help me and give me some tips, too. I know I should go to a tutor or something for this biology class but I hate knowing I need help from someone else. I don’t like relying on other people too much, especially if it is a one-on-one situation. This is why I don’t know what to do right now. Hopefully, I will know soon. I hate not knowing what is going to happen with this situation.

Questions for Writing and Discussion pg. 567

The UFCW site believes it is a voice for working America. The United Food and Commercial International Union is North America’s Neighborhood Union. The group is 1.3 million members standing together to improve the lives and livelihoods of workers, families, and communities according to the site. The UFCW is focused on making jobs better. The union works with the employees on what they want out of their job such as pay, hours, and job security. This site uses mostly logic and reason because they want to work with the workers and give them a voice within the workplace. Everyone wants to be able to give their opinion on work matters. This allows them to do that. This is helping workers with time off for sick leave, paid vacation, and employer-paid health insurance. If this program wasn’t in place, workers would be treated horrible and would not have much say in anything. The main thing is that this organization and the workers both have to compromise.


The Illegal Aliens site believes those 'undocumented' are actually 'highly documented' with fraudulent documents our government readily accepts. The site also believes there should be no debate over illegal invasion. It gives you information, but how can you tell it’s a fact? I believe this site is based solely on emotion and prejudice. Obviously, the person who created this site highly relies on emotion and what they think is right. They have no facts based on the other person’s point of view. It is all based on theirs because they don’t believe the topic is debatable. They want the public to defeat future amnesties (never having immigration enforcement).

Free Write--Week 11

Today is a beautiful day on USI’s campus. The weather is nice: sunny, a high in the 70s, and slightly breezy. This is the perfect day to go outside. Students are out walking around all day long. Many people walk to class instead of riding the crowded bus. This is wonderful day to exercise outside or go down to the river. When I went to class this morning, I noticed the brightly colored tulips in full bloom. I remember when the USI staff first planted the bulbs, but now they are finally starting to pop out of the ground. The week before, I remember seeing green leaves and stems coming out but that was all. The people who planted them did a great job. The color combinations around campus are amazing. Sitting here looking out my window I can see red and pink ones spread out together in the flower beds near the C-store. Another place on campus has yellow, white, and orange tulips together. Closer to campus I spotted some red and purple flowers combined in the same flower area. These flowers remind everyone that spring is finally here. The trees are getting all their leaves back and everything around us is green. This symbolizes new growth and life. Winter is over, and spring is here to stay. The warmer temperatures make me want to just sit outside and not do any of my homework. Many people feel the same way because there are always students playing basketball at the C-store court. This weather also makes my roommate and I want to go shopping for new spring and summer clothes. Some students are excited to finally be able to do stuff outside. In the past few weeks we have had a lot of storms and rain. We will soon smell freshly cut grass around campus since it is growing at an alarming rate. Campus maintenance is out driving around their small golf-cart-like vehicles searching for things to fix. Since spring is here, so are the bugs. In the past two weeks we have killed about 6 bugs, some of them spiders and others were silverfish creatures. Bugs are disgusting and we wanted them out of our apartment. We called the housing people and they said they would send someone to caulk the windows shut and fix our air conditioner on the wall. Since we moved in, one of the bedroom air systems had a huge crack in it and we could see outside. We figured the bugs were coming inside in that location and near the windows. After they fixed that, they sent a person to spray for the bugs. Since this happened, we have only had to kill one spider. Hopefully, the bug problem will be solved. Thankfully, we only have about 5 more weeks of school to go. This weather makes everyone crazy and ready for summer. I am ready for summer, too. I am looking forward to having a wonderful summer at home where I can enjoy the weather.

Room for Debate--Being Alone Together

Each side in this debate has its pros and cons. Living alone allows people to do what they want and when they want. They don’t have to feel “tied down” and can make their own decisions by themselves. They don’t have to negotiate or compromise with another person. They have to be independent enough and they need to have friends or family to socialize with. This lifestyle could get boring easily if there isn’t someone close that you can talk to. I believe everyone needs to socialize and talk to other people, especially if they are living by themselves. We need to talk and express what we feel to people who are close to us. One good thing about this situation is that you don’t have to rely on anyone else. If you have a job, the money you earn is all yours. You don’t have to share anything. I believe this, however, makes a person less able to share in the future and it may drive them away from other people they meet. They may not be able to functionally socialize with workers or family after living by themselves for so long. The communications cannot be cut off from other people if you live alone.

On the other side of this debate, people need to have other people around every day to get through life. They need someone to talk to and confide in when there is no one else. Your money is shared with your spouse and you have someone else to help make decisions with. Living alone, especially with a kid, could be much easier when you have a spouse there for both of you. You all rely on each other for support. They would also understand that all of you need your space every so often, too. Living with someone else will cause conflict in the relationship at some point. You just have to realize that the relationship is more important than the argument. Living with another person will teach one to share and come together during rough times. The good thing is that there will always be someone there for you, especially when you come home from a bad day at work. Having that support helps us as human beings so we can cope and go on with our lives. We learn to compromise and give a little when we live with other people.

Living in separate homes, but being "together" with someone else is stupid. Yes, you do have your own space and everything, but is that enough? I feel as if the people will not be as close as they could be. They could keep secrets from the other person and they may both live in fear. I don't think I would be able to fully trust the other person.

Journal Exercise pg. 525

Students working for one year between high school and college would be beneficial. They will be able to get the feel for working somewhere and realize what they have to do to keep a job. They should then be motivated enough to go and study at college so they can get a better job and get paid more in the future. While saving up money for college, they can get to know what it’s like to be in the work force. They will then learn more in college that will help them in the future when they want to get another job related to their major. Getting a job in between high school and college is good because you get put in the “real world” right away. You might even be lucky and your employer will let you work on breaks during college. I wish I could have worked for a whole year in between high school and college so I could save more money before going to college. I feel like the summer between high school and college went way too fast because I was working. I would have rather worked a whole year so I could save up even more money to pay for college.

Claim: Students should work for one year between high school and college. It would be helpful and a win-win situation. While saving up money for college, students will gain valuable information and skills that they can develop even better while in college.

Arguments for: Money will be saved to pay for college; skills will be developed in the work force, preparing you for college and what you will learn

Arguments against: Students need to go straight to college after graduating high school; making money isn’t the main thing in life; you will get your degree faster if you don’t work for a whole year

Essay 3 Outline

Teen Outback

Description: Place where K-12 kids can go to hang out that does not include alcohol or drugs. Many games and different activities are available for all ages. This place is used for a lot of things throughout the year including private parties, Zumba classes, and school events/dances.

Thesis: Teen Outback offers a great place for all ages, but many aspects go into this decision including the setting, activities, schedule, and age categories that this building offers.

Criteria:
Setting-This building offers a relaxing and fun atmosphere for kids.
Activities-There are a vast number of activities and games for children to participate in.
Schedule-This place allows people to plan private parties in the facility, school functions such as dances, and group Zumba/Yoga classes for the public. More activities should be added, though.
Ages-Mainly youth are invited to participate in most of the activities such as the Basketball shooting and playing kid's games on the Wii. When schools or after-school programs reserve the building only youth are allowed in. There are chaperones and volunteers that assist the children, though.

Overall Claim-This building was made for the youth of the community and has proved to be outstanding. Some flaws are present, but very few looking at the amount of time it has been open thoughout the years. This is a great place for kids to hang out and socialize with others the same age. The building also is used for private parties such as Bridal showers or Christmas parties. This shows how versatile this place can be.

Journal Exercise pg. 461 (16)

I do love to shop, but what girl doesn’t? I try to hold back as much as I can when shopping because I do not want to spend too much money. Since I haven’t been shopping in a while, I am excited to go. I love to shop for new clothes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the most expensive stuff around, but just good enough to satisfy my shopping itch. It can be a simple, cheap spring shirt or an expensive pair of jeans I saw a few months ago. Buying just one piece of clothing or pair of shoes usually does the trick when I want to go shopping. Some people, however, do not know when to stop. This can become a problem. This pastime that I enjoy could turn into a nightmare. If I spent way too much, the people around me would notice and they wouldn’t be happy with me. They will say I am wasting my money and that I could buy things that I actually need instead of want. From another person’s view, they could say I should put that money to a good cause. If it’s something I don’t need, they would tell me not to buy it. When I do find something I would like to buy, it takes me awhile do decide if I really want it or not. This could be a problem because I could end up spending a lot of money on clothes and shoes without even really thinking about it. Usually I am a smart shopper and only buy something when I need it or know I will wear it more than just once. Sometimes, though, I end up buying too much that I won’t even wear that many times. A person outside of my life might say I may go into debt later in the future. This could also be a huge problem down the road. Many people are in financial debt and keeping up every week may be a challenge if I shop regularly and spend way too much. I am pretty good at holding back, though. I make sure I don’t go shopping when I can’t afford something or if I don’t need it. I stay far away from the stores. Eventually, I have waited so long to go shopping that I feel the urge and need to go. I let myself go, but only spend a certain amount of money. This helps me hold back and not spend too much in the long run. Usually when I am excited to go shopping, I end up not even getting anything. So maybe it’s better to stay away from the stores because then I get more ideas of things I think I have to have. In conclusion, I see how people’s shopping pastime can get out of hand. They should have someone with them who will tell them what they don’t need to buy. Having that person there allows for less money spent.

Favorite Song (15)

Bruno Mars' song "Just the Way You Are" makes me feel happy and comfortable with my place in this world. He talks about what he sees in this beautiful girl and how he sees her in his eyes. He wants her to know she is perfect for him just the way she is. The things she does unknowingly made him fall for her. He compares her and some of the things about her to beautiful and magical moments and things in the world. He tells in this song how he tells her how beautiful she is and how he will say how amazing she is no matter what. He doesn't want anything changed about her. This is how I think people should view everyone else. Forget about what other people think and just be yourself. Someone will love you for who are you. The video goes along perfectly with the lyrics. It shows Bruno Mars making pictures out of cassette film of a woman, portraying her attributes and what he loves about her. He thinks she is amazing just the way she is and that she shouldn't change. He doesn't think people should change themselves just for someone else. Be who you want to be and be proud of it. Don't let anyone change your mind about yourself, especially if you have a positive view of yourself.

Steak 'n Shake (14)

This picture was taken in the summer of 2011 at the east side Evansville Steak ‘n Shake.  My cousin Taylor and I decided to go Evansville to go shopping.  On the way to Evansville, though, my tire had lost its tread in the middle of the interstate.  A huge chunk of tire went flying back while we were in the middle of passing a pick-up truck.  We had left in the morning and it was now almost the afternoon.  By the time the wrecker arrived to fix my tire, we were starving.  After getting my tire temporarily fixed, we drove it to the nearest Wal-Mart in Evansville to the tire shop.  They put a whole new tire on, but we had to wait about an hour and a half.  In the meantime, we decided to walk around in Wal-Mart and get some lunch.  When my car was done, we went shopping.  After shopping for about four hours, we wanted to eat supper somewhere, but couldn’t decide on where to eat.  We passed this restaurant and figured we should try it.  We had heard good things about it and were soon walking in the door to the diner.  If I had been here before it was when I was much younger because I did not remember ever eating here.  We live about an hour and a half away from Evansville and we do not have a Steak ‘n Shake anywhere near us.  This is the closest one to us.  After walking in, we noticed how much different it was than most restaurants that we have where we live.  The way everything was set up and the diner look of the walls and booths was very interesting to see for the first time.  It was a change of pace for once.  All restaurants started to look the same to me because we don’t have very many where we live.  The places we do have were getting boring.  After looking at the menu, we had finally decided what we wanted to eat.  My cousin ordered the chicken strips and French fries.  I, on the other hand, ordered a single Steak burger with a pickle on it and French fries.  After filling our stomachs with the delicious food, we decided to try a dessert.  My cousin got the Oreo specialty shake and I ordered the Reese’s specialty shake.  Since we could not finish them because they were huge, we took them to go.  When we got our checks, we were pleasantly surprised.  We didn’t expect our bills to be so cheap.  This is another reason why we will come back to Steak ‘n Shake more often.  The food is great, especially the desserts, and it is fairly cheap.  I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves restaurants and food like this.

Journal Exercise # 5 pg 412 (13)

Rural King’s Carhartts

Business Criteria and Evidence:

1.       Affordable for the company

2.       Expect to sell many of the item

3.       Expect to sell item quickly

4.       Use past sales of item to predict new year’s selling number

5.       Presentable to customers

6.       Cheap to customers/fair price

7.       Variety of colors for customer to choose

8.       Great presentation look/durability (may be in the middle so customers buy more)

9.       Pleases all ages

Customer Criteria and Evidence:

1.       Cheap/inexpensive for the buyer

2.       Durable/Heavy material to help in colder weather

3.       Lasts long/won’t have to buy another one for a long time

4.       Other customer’s experience with them

5.       Variation in colors so not everyone has the same one

6.       Warmth without being too bulky

7.       Comfortable/easy to work in

8.       Online reviews help form customer’s opinions

9.       “fashionable” for all ages

10.   Place to store valuable items (don’t want them to get wet)

The sets of criteria and evidence are not exactly identical.  They have similarities and differences.  The company wants what is best for them, while still meeting most of the customer’s needs/wants.  The customer wants the best quality for their money and they are determined to get it.  The company wants cheaper ones because then they can charge the customer more for it and still make a profit.  They want the customer’s to give good reviews, though, so other people come in and buy them too.

Roommates (12)

This is a picture of my newest roommate Krista and me.  When I first came to USI in the fall of 2011 as a freshman, I moved into a freshman-only apartment.  Since my high school teachers encouraged us to get random roommates instead of rooming with friends, I decided to go random with all my roommates the first year.  This was a bad mistake on my part.  I ended up talking to Krista (my roommate right now) that I went to high school with.  She said her roommate never moved in at the beginning of the year because she had gotten pregnant.  Krista was worried of who would eventually move in there.  We started talking and I told her I hated where I lived.  I did not like my roommates and two of them always left me alone with the fourth roommate.  I could not live where I lived anymore and my dad called the housing lady and talked to her.  I then had to go down and talk to her and tell her what was going on.  She then gave me a key to my new apartment and that night I moved out of my old apartment and into the new one.  My new roommates came and helped me move everything within a half an hour.  I was then, and still am, living with Krista and her other suitemates.  This picture was taken during the fall when our other roommates talked us into watching Jersey Shore.  They watched it every week and wanted us to watch it too.  We all decided to dress in black yoga pants.  Our Resident Assistant (RA) decided to have a Jersey Shore party in the C-store since they watched it every week.  We all went to the C-store together and watched the episode with our RA and other building members.  Our resident assistant bought pizza and soft drinks for us during the show.  This was a great time to bond as roommates and to meet other residents in our apartment building.  Krista and I get along very well since I moved in.  It is a relief to finally live with someone who feels the same way as you do.  We grew up about 5 minutes from each other and went to the same school.  We did not really hang out together much during grade school or high school, but being roommates now has definitely brought us closer.  We know more about each other and understand each other well.   Since we were brought up in the same lifestyle we feel like we connect.  We know right from wrong and it is so good to know I live with someone who cares and knows what’s going on.  Since then, one of our roommates moved out and back home.  That left only one and we don’t get along with her that well.  Since then, we got a new roommate, but she moved out at the beginning of the spring semester.  Now that it’s just us 3, we seem to be getting along better.  I hope the rest of this semester goes smoothly.

Halloween Party 2011 (11)

This is a picture of my friends Shaelyn and Kaci, and me.  It was taken senior year of high school one evening when we hosted a children’s Halloween party.  One of the clubs we were involved in, FCCLA, had a Halloween party for kids.  As members of the group, we put on a party for any kids who wanted to come.  We invited children we knew and we had games and food for them.  Since we set everything up beforehand in our sponsor’s classroom, we did not have to show up too early.  When we arrived, we made sure everything was good to go before any of the kids showed up.  Once the kids started coming in the door, they were amazed at all the Halloween decorations we put up.  There were streamers, spiders, and ghosts hanging from the ceilings.  In the back of the room there were laminated numbers stuck to the floor for the cupcake walk.  When the music starts playing, the kids would walk around the circle of numbers and when it stopped they would stop on a number.  A number was then drawn and the kid who was on the number said won a chocolate or vanilla Halloween cupcake.  The icing on the cupcakes was dark purple and included a Halloween ring on the top of it.  Another game involved the child rolling a plastic bowling ball into the pins and trying to knock all of them down.  If they knocked some down they were rewarded with a piece of candy.  There was a basketball goal in the room next door and children received pieces of candy and small toys if they made a basket.  My favorite game to play with the children was the fishing game.  There was a curtain on one side and the child was on the other with a fishing pole.  They threw the pole over the curtain and the FCCLA member clamped a shiny necklace to the pole and the child brought the pole back over the curtain to their side.  They were excited to see they got a prize by fishing behind the curtain.  There was also plenty of food for everyone.  There were sugar cookies, chips, chocolate chip cookies, and many more desserts.  We also had fruit punch for everyone to drink.  This event was great and our teacher even let us dress up because the kids were dressing up for it too.



Journal Exercise #2 pg 352 (10)

FREEDOM:

Surely Americans know what freedom is.  It is the line that forms in the middle.  Some do not take advantage enough of their freedom and they hide.  Others take too much advantage of it and cause unnecessary uproar.  It is the line that is gone from the drinking fountains.  It is the vanishing of the segregation on the bus systems.   It is the equal chance each person has to become President.   It is the words of the “I Have a Dream” speech.  It is the fulfilling feeling of having the right to vote.  Freedom is the possibility that anyone can do anything they set their mind to.

Journal Exercise # 1 pg 352 (9)

            Solomon Asch’s line study in 1951 was where people set up an experiment with one person who didn’t know the experiment was taking place.  The other participants were in on the experiment and were “playing” along with the tests.  A number of cards were held up with 3 or 4 different lengths of lines on them and the instructor asked which line was the shortest or longest.  The people who were in on it started answering, but instead of answering with the correct answer they said a different line was the correct line.  The person who wasn’t in on it began conforming to the group and was answering the same answers as the rest of the group, even though they were wrong.  This person answered the same as the group for the rest of the experiment.  This showed how people conform to society and the group.  It shows how people start thinking like each other and not thinking for themselves.  Asch said this was the social pressure conformity experiment.

Journal Exercise #2 pg 294 (8)

I want to learn about all of these topics and I cannot wait to later on in this class.  As this class progresses, I seem to like the topics we cover.  I think the topics we have already covered are interesting and I want to learn more about this class and all it has to offer.  Communication is a key skill I need to have when applying for the program I want to graduate from here at USI.  I believe everyone should take this class to learn about relationships and interpersonal communication.  Your future employer is going to look for many of the skills that are learned in this class.  If you have the chance to take it, go for it.  You never know what could come out of this class or how it will help in your future.  I am glad I am enrolled in the class right now so I can’t learn about all of these topics.

 

The topics that I could investigate more include--

                Broadly held social views

                The Attachment styles

                Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

                The Self

                The Process of Human Perception

                Prototypes, personal constructs, stereotypes

                Interpretations

                Perceptions

                Speech Communities

                Improving Verbal Communication

                Types of Nonverbal Communication

                The Listening Process

                Forms of Nonlistening

                Understanding Emotions

                Features of Satisfying Relationships

                Managing Conflict in Relationships

                Principles of Conflict

                The Nature of Friendship

                The Development of Friendship

                Pressures on Friendships

                Styles of Loving

                The Development of Romantic Relationships

                Cultural Diversity of Family Forms

                Relationship Types

                The family Life Cycle

                Diversity in Family Life

                Why we communicate

Journal Exercise #1 pg 294 (7)

My top five authority topics are softball, Radiology, the Cardinal’s baseball team, Colorado Royal Gorge, and Rural King.  I have been playing softball since I was six years old.  I am studying at USI right now to become a Radiologic Technologist.  My family and I went to Colorado in 2001 for a family vacation.  My family and I saw the St. Louis Cardinals play every year until Scott Rolen was traded.

               

Key questions I can answer about softball:

How many players of the same team are on the field at once?

A batter is out after how many strikes?

What is the name of the softball area that the game is played on?

After how many balls does a batter walk to first base?

What/where is the strike zone?

Key questions I can answer about Radiology:

When was the x-ray first discovered and by who?

The use of the MRI was first used in the US in what year?

How do radiologists prevent unnecessary radiation exposure?

What skills are required for a successful career as a Radiologic Technologist?

 Key questions I can answer about Colorado’s Royal Gorge:

When was the Gorge first created?

What river runs beneath the Royal Gorge Bridge?

How many feet wide is the canyon at the bottom?

The Royal Gorge Bridge is how high above the river?

What type of bridge is this?

How long and wide is the bridge?

How many planks make up the bridge?

What city is the Royal Gorge Bridge in?

 Key questions I can answer about the St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball team:

What year were the Cardinals founded as an American Association Team and what was the name of the team?

How many former Cardinal players and managers are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York?

How many World Series championships have the Cardinals won?

What year was the team name finally changed to the “Cardinals”?

Hot 96 (6)

This is a picture of my mom, Atom, Shawnda, and me.  It was taken at the Subway in Jasper, IN.  I heard on the radio that Atom and Shawnda were coming near where we lived for their “Nothing Ever Happens in My City” tour.  Since we usually listen to the Hot 96 radio station, based in Evansville, IN, we were informed that they would be there on Sunday, June 19, 2011.  I then went on their website to see what time they would be there.  I was planning on going by myself, but later talked my mom into coming with me.  Since she listens to Hot 96 also, we were excited to be meeting the people on the radio that we here every day.  We arrived about 45 minutes early and we were the first ones there.  The radio hosts didn’t show up until a little after 1:00.  A guy in the Hot 96 SUV showed up about 30 minutes before Atom and Shawnda and he got everything ready for when they arrived.  He started setting up the free stuff inside the Subway while playing loud Hot 96 music in his SUV.  We saw that there was a limited number of Hot 96 T-shirts and tank tops.  A mini-van pulled up next to us and we knew they were here for the same reason.  We wanted to make sure we were first in line so we got out and formed a line in front of the Subway door.  They followed and stood behind us until they arrived.  A whole line of people had formed before Atom and Shawnda even got there.  The mini-van lady’s kids were hyper and went inside to check out what the guy was setting up inside.  When Atom and Shawnda finally arrived in a hot 96 truck, the kids behind us started to get excited.  The two radio hosts walked up to us and asked how we were doing and talked about how they had to get ready in the dark because their power had went out from the storm.  When Atom and Shawnda went inside, the guy setting the stuff up came out and let us inside in groups of about 10 at a time.  The kids that were in there had stayed inside the Subway; therefore, they were the first ones to go through the line and to receive a free T-shirt.  This made us a little angry that their mom didn’t stop them and make them wait in line.  We were told to come in next and were relieved that there were still T-shirts left because there weren’t many.  We told them what size we wanted and they gave us free Hot 96 stickers.  They told us to register for the contest they had going.  My mom and I both registered for a chance to win 4 Holiday World tickets.  After receiving our free shirts, we took this picture with the two radio hosts.  We introduced ourselves and had a short conversation before leaving.  My mom and I were excited that we were the first ones in line and had gotten a free Hot 96 shirt!

Senior Year Prom (5)

This is a picture of my friend and I in our school parking lot after prom had ended.  We were waiting to go inside the school for post-prom.  The theme for this year’s after party was western.  When we were finally allowed to go in, teacher and parents asked for our names and handed us a bag full of goodies.  They put a bracelet around our wrists to signify we were allowed to be there.  We started walking towards the cafeteria where we knew there would be free food like last year.  We got sidetracked by all of the randomly placed pictures of the students on the walls.  All of them had a western border and it said the student’s name beside the picture.  We decided to find each of ours and it took about 10 minutes before we finally found one of them.  After looking at it, we decided to go eat something.  There were tons of different foods to choose from such as pizza, nachos, ice cream (with decorate-your-own toppings), cheeseburgers, and Little Debbie snacks.  After we were done eating, we decided to go explore the rest of the school.  We saw where each game or activity was set up and we began to play them.  The main game we played most of the night was where you slide a quarter and tried to get it closest to the wall.  If you got it closest to the wall without it touching, you won all the quarters on the ground.  We played it at least 20 times that night!  Another game we enjoyed playing was where there were tables set up in a square and there were 3 sets of the numbers 1-9 spread out on three tables.  You had to put your hand on one of the numbers and then the parent working spun a wheel on the wall and it landed on the number.  If you had your hand on that number, then you got a ticket to fill out.  At the end of post-prom all of the tickets were thrown together and tickets were chosen at random to win prizes.  Once it was 3 o’clock in the morning, they made an announcement for everyone to meet in the auditorium so that prizes could be given away.  As soon as people came into the auditorium, kids were obsessing over the prizes they saw.  Flat screen TVs, recliners, and Apple iPods would be given away.  While we were waiting for them to start giving stuff away, I decided to count the quarter I had won throughout the night.  I ended up with about 10 or 12 dollars in quarters!  Everyone kept asking me how I had won that many, but my only reason was because I kept playing it over and over again.  Once they started giving out prizes people were freaking out over what they were winning.  Besides the quarters, my name was drawn randomly from the senior class and I won the newest, black Apple iPod touch!  My friends were freaking out because this was the second year in a row I had won an iPod touch!  This was one of the best nights of my life and I went home to later show my family what I had won.  Since I now had two of them, I decided to give my brother the one from last year.  Hopefully my brother is as lucky this year as post-prom as I was my junior and senior year!

Pumpkin Patch (4)

              This is a picture of my younger cousin Taylor and me. It was taken in October of 2011. On a sunny Saturday, we went to visit Lark Ranch in Loogootee, Indiana. This place is huge! It has a 15 acre corn maze, hay ride, barnyard animals, pony rides, mining of gems site, and a pumpkin patch. The pony rides and extra seating/food were new this year. When we arrived, it was packed with little kids, parents, and teenagers since it is only open for the month of October. The admission cost was 6 dollars which included a hay ride to the pumpkin patch and entrance to the corn maze. Once we paid, we took in the site of everything. To our right was the corn maze and we decided to go through it first. It was in the shape of the Colt’s football team name and a picture from overhead. We were given a map of the maze so we walked cautiously through it. We soon decided it would be way too hard to go through it all and found our way back out. Since it was extremely sunny outside, I took off my glasses and hung them on the front of my sweatshirt and put on my sunglasses instead. We then walked around some more and took a few pictures. Starving, we went into the newly established food place and got something to eat. After filling our stomachs, we decided to walk to the pumpkin patch instead of taking the hay ride. We were set on finding the perfect pumpkin to purchase and take home. My cousin found hers after walking for about 10 minutes. I, on the other hand, could not find one! I bent down many times to turn pumpkins over to see if I liked them, but something ended up being wrong with every single one of them. After finally finding one, we waited for the hay ridge to come back so we could ride it back. While waiting, we took this picture with our pumpkins. Since the ride filled up quickly, we weren’t able to go on it; therefore, we walked all the way back to the barn where we had to purchase the pumpkins. After buying them, we had to leave to make it on time to see a movie that was playing at a theater about 45 minutes away. Since the sun had gone away, I decided to take my sunglasses off and put my glasses back on. When I reached for them on my sweatshirt, they were gone. Do you see the glasses on the front of my sweatshirt by my neck in this picture? I apparently still had them when we finished picking our pumpkin. So unfortunately, I lost them somewhere at Lark Ranch. I immediately panicked and didn’t know what to do. I had to drive home later in the dark and I wouldn’t be able to see well enough to get home. I called Lark Ranch while we were driving away and told them to be on the look-out for a pair of eye glasses that I lost. They didn’t find them so I had to buy a whole new pair of glasses.

Remembering (3)

               Throwing our dark green caps in the air and briskly walking out the gym doors to our school song was bittersweet.  My graduating class was one of the smartest and focused groups to go through our school.  The teachers loved us as a whole and there were very few problems throughout the four years we were there.  Knowing this day was going to eventually come, I took in the sounds and sights of that day.

                On May 28, 2011 I graduated from Forest Park High School in Ferdinand, Indiana.  My graduating class had 111 students and the gym was packed with our families and friends waiting to see us accomplish one of our goals.  The day before, my whole class had pictures and practiced for the actual ceremony.  We had pizza, chips, and drinks for lunch instead of the cafeteria food.  Since it had snowed earlier in the year, we had to come to school on a Saturday and have a “Reality Store” day where people came in to talk to us about our futures.  We had to choose an occupation, figure out the salary, and plan accordingly.  They brought in people who told us about expenses and insurance policies.  We had a group session where we listened to a lady from Jasper Engines and Transmissions who talked to us about resumes and what to (and what not to) put on applications in the future.  She gave us ideas of how to tell the employer why you want the job and what is important to wear.  This day opened many of our eyes and showed us what life would be like in the future.

                Graduation day came and went quickly.  Putting all that effort into my four years of high school made everything worth it.  I graduated with the Indiana Academic Honors diploma and received an honor medallion. I learned a lot throughout my years at Forest Park and the teachers were a big part of that.  They helped me realize my strengths and weaknesses and helped shape who I am today.  They prepared me for college well and guided me along.  Graduation day will forever be in my memory as one of the best days ever.  I, along with the rest of my class, accomplished one of our main goals:  graduating from high school.  Most of us went off to college and are going to have many more goals to accomplish as we get older.  One thing that will be bittersweet, just like high school graduation, is college graduation.  We will then finally be able to get where we were going and to find a job in our career field.

Writing and Education (2)

               As a college student I feel writing is a big part of my life.  With having to write many papers in almost every one of my classes, I know it takes up a large amount of time.  It is how I communicate with my peers, professors, and myself.  This is why I need to focus more on how I say what is on my mind so other people can understand.  In my first college English class, I learned how to write badly and to just let the words flow onto the page.  I realized I had a problem with this because I usually thought too much about the paper and what I wanted to say; therefore, I couldn’t get started.  If I let myself write whatever comes to my mind, I end up changing less when I revise the writing.  Writing badly showed me that I can get everything onto the page and then worry about editing it later.  I also learned that I need to save more time for revising my papers after typing the first draft and before turning it in.  I feel that writing is always going to be a big part of my life.  Everyone communicates through writing and speaking.  Being able to hear some of other people’s personal writings shows me who they are as an individual and how they have gotten to where they are now.  Every paper that I write in my classes helps me realize new things and what I need to change for my next writing.  I still don’t understand why we write so much, though.  I know everyone says practice makes perfect, but will there ever be a perfect paper?

                So far, my experience with education has been pretty good.  I graduated high school with the academic honors diploma and I am in my first year of college.  My teacher and professors so far have been very helpful in showing me how to change things and make certain things better.  I have learned a lot especially in my English classes over the years.  From “be” verbs and semicolons to writing badly and peer editing, I have learned many new rules.  I thought some of my English teachers in high school were strict and asked too much, but I now understand why they did what they did.  They always told us things to be prepared for college and I can actually say most of what I learned has helped me.  Throughout my years of education so far, I feel like I have learned very important things to help me in the future.  With each paper I compose, I learn more about my writing style and ways I can better the next paper I write.  I also learn more about myself through my writings.

Who are you? (1)

Most people perceive me as the shy, quiet girl.  Some may see me as stuck up or rude, but I am very far from it.  In reality I’m the girl people want to be friends with after meeting for the first time.  I care about people and would do anything not to hurt my friends or family.  I would consider myself like the fly on a wall at your local restaurant.  I observe people and how they react in situations.  I love to be quiet and laid back so I can just watch people and my surroundings.  I would really like to become more outgoing, however.  It takes me awhile to get to know someone and become very open with them.  I am better in one-on-one situations than with groups.  If I am talking to one person it seems easier to come out and say what I want or what is on my mind.  With a group, I don’t feel comfortable just blurting out what I think in front of the class.  I guess it’s because I care too much what people think about me and what I say.

                     I’m the 19 year old girl who’s in her first year of college trying her best to do what is right.  I play by the rules as much as I can.  I don’t want to be just another college student who drops out of college; therefore, I am working my hardest this year at school.  I do not usually act on impulse, but I do make wise and thought-out decisions.  I sometimes feel like I think too much about certain situations.  I worry a little too much about things that I shouldn’t.  I’m the girl who does all of her homework.  I’m one who wants to make the best out of everything no matter what the conditions. 

                     After getting to know people, I open up and I am myself around them.  Not many people get to see this side of me.  My family and close friends know the real me.  I’m more outgoing and talkative once I know a person and I say what I think.  I try my best not to hurt any feelings and I expect the same in return.  I am the type of person who loves to have fun and I usually do in just about anything I do with family and friends.  I am the type of person to forgive easily, but some people take advantage of that.  I feel like that is the reason why I am so shy.  I care too much what people think and I know what it’s like for people to betray me.  I am guarded and I just need to meet the right people who will slowly break down those “walls”.  This is who I am and I hope you take the time to meet the real me!