Conclusion?

Well here it is. The end of the semester is finally here and summer is about to start for a full 4 months. I've learned a lot about myself over the past month, and I am happy that I came away to college. Getting to know myself is the best thing that I have ever done, and I think that I will be able to live a more productive and happy life as a result of my experience.
This blog has tracked my progress since the first week of the Spring semester, and I have answered each question or assignment to the degree in which I see fit. Obviously questions that require an opinion or some type of political input are the entries in which I write the most, maybe I just like to spill my feelings all over the place but that is what I enjoy writing about the most. It might be selfish, but its how I get through writing assignments. Looking back on past blog posts is somewhat nostalgic due to the fact that it feels like I've been in college for an eternity, but at the same time I feel like I was in high school last week. Perhaps I will continue on with a separate one, or keep this one alive. Blogging is a new tool of the 21st century, and maybe it can benefit me in some way.

Do I feel any differently about public speaking?

As far as public speaking goes, I have always been fairly comfortable with the task. I am not a shy person so it is easy for me to be comfortable in front of groups of people. I've never spoken in front of a large audience though, I guess that will be my next challenge.
My favorite presentation over the past week was the one about diet fads. While demonstrating an interesting point, the speaker also exposed most of the phony diet gimmicks for what they really are. The hands on component for the taste test for the celebrity cleanse diet was really original and I think everyone in the class really got a kick out of that. Not only was he a good public speaker, but he was entertaining as well.

Apprehensions about Public Speaking

To be honest, I am very comfortable about public speaking. Doing a presentation for a class is nothing new to me, because I took many courses throughout high school and college that have had heavy public speaking requirements. However what I do have apprehensions about is the material that I will be presenting. At my professor's suggestion I took on the harder of the two topics to write my multi-draft presentation on. The information detailed in "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell is sometimes very confusing and I hope that I can accurately portray my topic using his ideas and definitions correctly. Overall, I know that I can do well if I have all of the necessary material correct and in order.

Cartoon Assignment

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Tipping Point

Some things that I liked about Malcolm Gladwell's the "Tipping Point" were his strange ways of explaining simple spikes in social and biological trends. He has the unique ability to put a topic in an interesting and simple context. This method of writing causes The Tipping Point to be an easy read. The creative terms that Gladwell creates a new way of learning that kept my interest throughout.
Some of the negative aspects of The Tipping Point are that it sometimes gets too complex to completely stay on track. Furthermore, the reader may lose concentration when Gladwell becomes complex and repetitive. Overall, I consider the book a usual read. A simple remedy for when the book gets complicated is to just re-read the pages that contain the problems. Since no one has patience these days i'm sure that many people will be confused after reading The Tipping Point.

2 Goals for my second multi-draft

Two goals that I have for my second multi draft assignment are to get a better grade, and to improve my own writing skills. I did pretty good on the last one, which gives me a good feel on how I should write the upcoming assignment. Ways I can improve my writing and my grades are to use less un-cited rhetoric, explain key points more thoroughly, and use less passive voice. If I can change these vital things than i'm sure that my skills and grades will benefit, further setting me up for better writing in the future.

Sticky Ad

Target: Libya

In the ABCnews online broadcast of "Target Libya", (http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/target-libya-gadhafi-target-missile-us-obama-war-president-13181038) I observed some small examples of bias as well as why no one watches ABC news. The broadcast seemed to be portraying the situation as aggressive on the part of the United States. Conservative sources would likely disagree on this statement. Also, many parallels were made with this situation and the situation in Iraq back in the 90s and early 2000s. Noticeable signs of bias were seen in some of the facial expressions of the news anchors as mentioned in Tipping Point. You could obviously see the change in tone and expression when talking about the Iraq war or how the United States launched more missles into Libya than any other nation of the Coalition. And as for why no one watches ABC news, it is not because of its liberal bias. It is simply a horrible news report. The anchors are ugly, have bad hair, and in my opinion show less emotion than a jar. If I wanted news with a liberal bias, I'd watch MSNBC, at least they do it right. Personally I'll stick with Fox news, I enjoy my conservative news.

Am I fashionable?

Fashion is something that I've begun to care less and less about since I've gotten to college. In high school I was always buying the newest things like shoes, t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and hats; all of which were expensive. However, I think that most of those things were just to fit in. Since entering college I've learned to care about myself a little more and to care a little less about what others think. As a result, I don't mind wearing solid t-shirts (although they do seem to be making a comeback) and jeans from target. I'm happier, and so is my wallet. Also, I've had a girlfriend for about three years now, so who am I trying to impress anyway? You don't have to dress like the latest ad in Esquire to have a good life, impress people, or make friends. Maybe one day when I'm making six figures, I'll have the money for a nice Armani wardrobe, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Fashionable clothing is not a necessity, but who wouldn't want a pair of pre-ripped 400 dollar jeans?

First Multi Draft Conference

My first multi-draft conference with Dr. Sprouls didn't go exactly how I planned. Thinking that I had written a pretty decent essay, I went into class optimistic. She helped to point out to me that my paper was far from perfect. However, I definitely realized after a few minutes that Dr. Sprouls was absolutely right. My paper was very spotty; I strayed from topic to topic far too often. I did like that the negative issues of my essay were brought to my attention. Too often I am too proud of my own work to see errors, which is why proofreading, peer evaluation, and conferences such as these are essential to writing a complete and satisfactory work. I thought that she was fair in her criticisms, pointing out that my thesis had nothing to do with the rest of the essay. It is pretty hard to refute a concrete observation like that. Hopefully when I turn in the final draft I have improved my work so that it stays on one issue, and each component of it contributes to the work as a whole. The conference was very fair, and I have much improving to do.

In Response to Immigration News

The blog post, "Immigrants Gaining Jobs, Native Born Americans Aren't" from http://iirl-immigration-news.blogspot.com/, the article originally from the Christian Science Monitor discusses how over 13 million immigrants both legal and illegal have shown job growth. This is contrary to native born Americans, who have shown job loss in the recent years. I find this to be typical of how our nation works. Although some may shout that there is racial injustice in the workplace, I find this false. Clearly, business owners have found a way to give jobs to immigrants, who will usually accept a position at a lower wage than their white counterparts. These business owners think with their wallets. If it were white, native born Americans accepting lower wages, than they would probably be the ones getting the jobs. One thing I don't like about the information in this article is that as many as six million illegal immigrants have jobs here in the United States. Although this is a low estimate compared with other figures, 6 million people American citizens could have those jobs. It might take a few more years of a bad economy for some Americans to get off their high horses and actually take these "immigrant jobs" that should be done by our own citizens. Fences, invasive laws, and tougher border control may stifle illegal immigration, but a less lazy, picky America would allow us to employ our own tax-paying citizens, possibly contributing to the economy and slowing the major flow of illegal citizens into the country.

Silko's Predicament

In The Border Patrol State, Leslie Marmon Silko recounts an experience of when she and her companion Gus were stopped and harassed by Border Patrol Agents. A person of American Indian descent, Silko feels that the United States Government is today continuing to drive the Indians out of America, and finally fulfill "Manifest Destiny" once and for all. Personally, I see this issue much differently. The United States Government is not an all powerful racist machine that wishes to drive people of color in the American southwest back across the border into Mexico. However, illegal immigration (mostly from south of the border) is a very large financial problem for the United States. While America is the land of opportunity and the only realistic chance for a good life for many people, crossing the border to work under the table robs tax paying citizens all over the nation. Now, is the answer gestapo-like Border Patrol Agents? No. Is the answer full out amnesty? Probably not. But perhaps the system of emigrating to the United States needs a complete reform. Maybe instead of searching "people of color" even though they have documents, the system just requires a valid social security number for each piece of identification, removing any doubt of a suspect not being a citizen. There is much room for debate on this issue, but experiences like that of Silko are clearly unjust.

My Mother: The Accountant

For fifteen years now, my mother has been then owner and operator of Teresa Marron LLC, which is her personal accounting business. She became a Certified Public Accountant in 1994 and worked for several accounting firms before realizing that she could be her own boss and make triple the money. In 1997 she started working from home and purchased her first computer, which was sure to change the accounting industry as nearly all records today are kept electronically. Through this profession she has taught me many lessons over the course of my life, including basic business principles and how to manage money. It was also always nice to have her working at home, because for a long period of time my dad worked the overnight shift at a Newspaper company, and was rarely home himself, unless it was to sleep. Having my mother around the house at all times as well as her doing an excellent job supporting our family really helped make my childhood carefree.
Throughout our whole family, my mom is the one that everyone goes to for advice and counsel. The only one to go to college (besides me) in our entire family, everyone looks up to her. The job of being an accountant brings much respect to her name, especially in the current economic times. As businesses fail, my mom's prospers as she finds clients new ways to save money every day. Her identity as a result of this job is someone strong who can lead the way for others in the most important part of many people's lives; their wallet.

A TV Series that Centers Around Work

One television show that is centered around work is the Discovery Channel hit show, Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. The premise of the show is to show viewers the most demeaning, filthy, and tedious jobs in the United States. Then the host, Mike Rowe, representing the "average" American must try to perform this jobs tasks for a full day. It is often too much to handle for Rowe, thus bringing a sense of appreciation to these primitive and dignity lacking jobs. Every episode opens with the quote, "we search across America to find the people who make civilized life possible for the rest of us". At times the series does follow the occupations of migrant workers(in many instances the labor is cheap). At times these migrant workers are the proprietors of businesses, and other times they are at the lowest tier of the working class pyramid. However, they do not define the show; they are included nonetheless as Americans who work towards the benefit of themselves and the nation. In my opinion Dirty Jobs does an excellent job of shedding light on the people who work the hardest in our country, and how we could not go about our daily lives the same without the hard work that they put in. It is sometimes important to take a sobering glance into an unfamiliar world that may lie right in our backyard.

Time Management Thus Far

If there is one thing I have learned at college so far, it is that I have to manage my time properly. After a long and relaxing winter break, it has been somewhat hard to adjust to the new "hustle and bustle" routine of a full time student. Reluctant to finish work and assignments until the very last minute, my first two weeks have been fun as well as stressful. I always put off tasks until I absolutely have to take care of them, at which time I wonder why the hell I didn't finish this two or three nights ago. However, as the schedule begins to sink in to my internal clock, I am more conscious of how much time I need to allot to certain things. Going to parties and hanging out with friends can wait until I have completed all of my assignments. After all, I am here to study, not socialize.

My Reaction to the Learning Style Inventory

The learning style inventory exercise was an interesting experience that gave me a new perspective on my personal learning style. The information that I gathered showed me that I learn through memorization and through visual aids. This will certainly be helpful information for me in the future.

Comparing College with High School

Thus far in my experiences at Richard Stockton College, I have seen that the slow paced lethargy of senior year is nowhere to be found on this campus. Like many other of my peers in the freshman class, I received a serious reality check a few weeks into a fast paced college curriculum. It sounds strange to me now, but I was surprised that I "actually had to study" and had to spend "hours" and not "minutes" nightly on homework. However, there is a greater goal here other than working hard to acheive success. One thing that I see parallel to success is maturity. Learning to manage time, keep appointments, and create daily routines are all components of becoming a mature, self-sufficient adult. Of course, its not healthy to always be completely regimented, but when it comes to school, "proper planning prevents piss poor performance."

How Do I Read?

When I read, it is in solitude. I make sure that the door is locked, with no distractions of course, and a nice hot cup of coffee. Each of my senses must be fixated on the topic that my mind is slowly interpreting. Speed is not of the essence when reading, but comprehension is the pinnacle of the experience. Reading is a journey that takes us far away from the strong realities of the day. It could take me to a distant field, an unfamiliar country, or a place that puts me at ease. I read in a way that puts me in a happy place, where I can forget the various nuisances that trouble my brain. Reading is a route of escape and when I open a book I follow that familiar road to a alternate reality of my own.

What do I expect from myself at Stockton?

I came to the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey to learn more about my passion, Biology. However, the liberal arts atmosphere of the school also appealed to me because I believe that in order to be successful in any area, one must be well rounded. After a tough first semester with 6 courses, I have learned how to manage my time and get work done efficiently. What I expect from myself is to become a more educated individual, while excelling in the field of biology, hopefully to one day become a Physical Therapist. For several years now, this has been my prospective career and I hope to achieve that while attending this school.