I've found, over this week-long break, that I quite enjoy college. I hadn't necessarily realized it until I began to write my French paper for this week. The prompt was "a cultural conflict" and it's been so long since I was in France that I couldn't remember any from there. So I made the brash decision to write it about my life at college versus my life at school.
I was going to include it in this post, but it's obviously in French and I don't want to translate it all. If you come and see me in the dorm when we get back I'll pull it out and read it to you, aight?
Anyways, the main idea behind it is that the things I miss from college are my freedom and my friends. It's not that I don't have either here, it's just that they're...different.
I love my friends from back home to death. You guys met Madison and Andrew and you'll agree they're pretty awesome. But the thing is, even when I'm home they're not physically as close as my #thirdfloorscholars friends are. I wrote in my paper about how when I want to talk to someone at midnight at school, I walk down the hallway and make Evan talk to me for a couple hours which of course keeps Hemraj and Andrew up. There! That's three people I've affected with my presence at midnight. If I want to talk to someone at midnight at my house, I have to call someone and then my entire family can hear my conversation through the walls and I might as well have just talked to them in the first place. Yick.
This is the second time I've stayed at home since being at college. Though I had to go back a bunch for my wisdom teeth, I always came back that evening (after doing my laundry and eating delicious food). Why? Because I love you guys!
I learned a lot about myself over Thanksgiving break. I realized that the last couple weeks I haven't been giving thanks at all. My general prayers are "Thank you God, for making the flute choir music easy" or "Thank you God, for my mug not having mold in it." But when everyone was talking about how they were thankful for this and that and the other thing, I realized I hadn't been giving thanks for a while. New plan! Give thanks more! Aight, got that settled.
Next problem: I learned some stuff about my friends this week that I can't say I especially wanted to know, but was rather offended that no one had told me themselves about it. Then I figured that I needed to be more open. My opinions of such things are very clear and honest, but I don't care if other people go against my values. I want y'all to know that.
WHATEVER YOU DO, I WILL NOT JUDGE! Y'all stop being worried about what I would do, or say, or think about you. Everyone is the same under the "not Sara" umbrella. Are you me? No? Then you can do whatever you want! I just personally will not partake, and I might have to remove myself from the situation.
This all lead to a semi-mental breakdown about whether I should be having more fun. Have I already missed out on these life experiences? Do I need to be doing more with my life? I'm only going to be 18 for two more months!
I decided no. I told Emma the other day (it was actually quite a long time ago) that I was having fun and if she wanted to have more she should be hanging out with me. I'm having fun, and I'm doing it legally and in a morally sound fashion! Oooh I should get a bumper sticker of that! Or learn to say it in Wolof and post it on our door.
The tie-in between these two problems is that I was having a mental breakdown and I didn't have Evan to run down the hallway to to complain to about how life is hard and I'm so boring and everyone hates me. Unfortunately for him (and Hemraj and Andrew by default) I solved that problem by being totally fine in every way. Darn, he'll never get to have that conversation.
Aight, y'all have a nice day now!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
People
I love people! Some people I don't 100% like, but I've realized that the longer I'm with someone the more I like them. This isn't usually how it works for other people. Even people I was neutral about at the beginning of the year I can't imagine how I would live without them.
Like Clay, for instance. At the start I was like, oh yeah that's Clay, whatever. But now I'm like "yay Clay!" He brought me Oreos the other night after Cara tweeted about how I wanted some. I'm going to miss the bajeezus out of him and I see him, what, like, twice a day tops?
I think maybe my excessive love of people has some biological basis to how easily I get addicted to things. As Emily is very well aware, I am addicted to cracking my knuckles. And my back. And my elbows. It's awful and rather disgusting. Yet, I continue to do it. Something in me cannot, simply cannot go on unless I do it. I suppose it's better than doing opiates or something of that sort.
I'm also addicted to Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate. I like to eat it at least once a day.
I think I might seriously die if Karleigh left. Or Cara. Or Evan. Or Gabby. Or Andrew. Or Emma. Or Emily. Or Leah. Or really anybody on the floor. Or my stand partner. Or anyone in my lab group. OH MY FREAKING GOD I LOVE EVERYONE!
What's this leading up to? I don't know. I didn't want to go to bed yet, and writing a blog seemed like a better use of my time than working on my romance novel (which totals probably 2 pages).
No one close to me has died. I wrote about that in a French paper. That might be why I have a fairly lax view of death in general. I'm not afraid of death. One thing I recently have gotten a little afraid of is things that happen to my body after death.
I've always wanted to donate my body to a body farm, where they use it to study environmental effects and stuff like that. About a week ago I decided I definitely wanted to give my brain to research, but it worries me. What if there's something in my brain that makes headlines and then my entire life is broadcast publicly to figure out how my brain turned out that way?
I stand confidently behind all of my past life decisions, just as I stand confidently behind every single thing I do in the present. However, as Karleigh helped me realize last night when I had a mental breakdown, my confidence is what makes me do well. Whether I'm doing something right or wrong, people will believe me and I become more confident. If I put that confidence into everything I do (eg my flute lesson) I WILL succeed. No question of it.
However, if I'm not around to be confident or explain, what will people dig up on me? I've never done something inherently bad, but as we discussed in French class, you can take a secret to your grave but after you're dead it doesn't belong to you anymore.
I don't like that approach at all.
When Herve Guibert revealed that Michel Foucault died of AIDS and was gay, it changed that entire generation's perception of him.
When I'm not around anymore, what are people going to say about me? Not people in my immediate life, but like in the future. Oh my God, things I do now are going to be around forever! People might know who I am in 1000000000 years! This isn't okay!
I think I need to go talk to someone. Aight.
Like Clay, for instance. At the start I was like, oh yeah that's Clay, whatever. But now I'm like "yay Clay!" He brought me Oreos the other night after Cara tweeted about how I wanted some. I'm going to miss the bajeezus out of him and I see him, what, like, twice a day tops?
I think maybe my excessive love of people has some biological basis to how easily I get addicted to things. As Emily is very well aware, I am addicted to cracking my knuckles. And my back. And my elbows. It's awful and rather disgusting. Yet, I continue to do it. Something in me cannot, simply cannot go on unless I do it. I suppose it's better than doing opiates or something of that sort.
I'm also addicted to Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate. I like to eat it at least once a day.
I think I might seriously die if Karleigh left. Or Cara. Or Evan. Or Gabby. Or Andrew. Or Emma. Or Emily. Or Leah. Or really anybody on the floor. Or my stand partner. Or anyone in my lab group. OH MY FREAKING GOD I LOVE EVERYONE!
What's this leading up to? I don't know. I didn't want to go to bed yet, and writing a blog seemed like a better use of my time than working on my romance novel (which totals probably 2 pages).
No one close to me has died. I wrote about that in a French paper. That might be why I have a fairly lax view of death in general. I'm not afraid of death. One thing I recently have gotten a little afraid of is things that happen to my body after death.
I've always wanted to donate my body to a body farm, where they use it to study environmental effects and stuff like that. About a week ago I decided I definitely wanted to give my brain to research, but it worries me. What if there's something in my brain that makes headlines and then my entire life is broadcast publicly to figure out how my brain turned out that way?
I stand confidently behind all of my past life decisions, just as I stand confidently behind every single thing I do in the present. However, as Karleigh helped me realize last night when I had a mental breakdown, my confidence is what makes me do well. Whether I'm doing something right or wrong, people will believe me and I become more confident. If I put that confidence into everything I do (eg my flute lesson) I WILL succeed. No question of it.
However, if I'm not around to be confident or explain, what will people dig up on me? I've never done something inherently bad, but as we discussed in French class, you can take a secret to your grave but after you're dead it doesn't belong to you anymore.
I don't like that approach at all.
When Herve Guibert revealed that Michel Foucault died of AIDS and was gay, it changed that entire generation's perception of him.
When I'm not around anymore, what are people going to say about me? Not people in my immediate life, but like in the future. Oh my God, things I do now are going to be around forever! People might know who I am in 1000000000 years! This isn't okay!
I think I need to go talk to someone. Aight.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Classical Piano Sonatinas
Now I don't know how many people know this about me, but I love to play classical piano sonatas and sonatinas. I like to play them really loud and really really fast. I guarantee that about half of the FAC could hear me just about 10 minutes ago.
The question is, if you like to play classical piano so much, why don't you ever play it in a professional setting? Or at least have a lesson or something?
And the answer is because as of the last year or so, I only play classical music when I'm really upset. I will play contemporary or romantic music if I'm just in a bad mood and need uplifting, and I will play Christian music when I'm in a good mood. But I only ever play classical when I need to cool down or stop myself from crying.
But wait, Sara, why is this the only time you've played classical this year so far? That's because I haven't really been upset until now. Not upset as in angry, upset as in heart racing, palms sweating, can't talk, suddenly become depressed upset.
So here's what went down today:
1:15 went to Scholar's
1:15-1:45 went into emotional turmoil
1:45-2:15 symptoms began to decrease
2:15-2:20 sudden reoccurrance of symptoms
2:20-2:25 got piano books
2:30-2:50 played classical music very loud and very fast
3:00 began writing blog
Let's break it down even further between 2:30 and 2:50.
I began with a song I knew I had under my fingers, and might still be memorized:
Sonata No. 6 in C Minor third movement by Giovanni Battista Pescetti
While playing this I started thinking about why I was upset. "What's going on? Why is this bothering me so much? What can I do about it?"
I still don't have any answers.
I thought for a challenge I would move to:
Invention in A Minor by JS Bach
Ok, I admit it, JS Bach is not a classical composer, he is a baroque composer. I still like him, and the tricky notes and fingerings kept me from getting more upset. I never completely mastered this song for a recital so I only have motor memory for some very difficult sections.
From Foreign Lands and Places [or people] by Robert Schumann
I actually had forgotten that I had ever learned to play this song and was pleasantly surprised at how well my body remembered it. It allowed for a lot of thinking.
I hypothesized that I was probably upset because of some other stuff that has happened in my life previously. I also have a problem with conflict, even if I am not the target of the aggression. I spoke up in class only because I was confident that my information was correct and that it tied directly to the conversation and was a viable theory.
I also thought about how this song was kind of like my emotions today. There's a nice gentle first section which you repeat. Then in the middle there's a louder kind of clankier section (that's scholars class) then you end all nice and soft again.
Waltz in B Minor by Frederic Chopin
Chopin is also not a classical composer. This doesn't matter because I only got through the first page of this song before I had had enough of it. I worked this song up probably five or so years ago and was so proud of it. Since then I haven't really played it and I was not impressed with my skill level.
Sonatina in C Major by Friedrich Kuhlau
This is by far my go-to unhappy song. I have distinct memories of coming home from school right after my first boyfriend broke up with me and not even talking to my mother, just going straight to the piano and playing this over and over again.
It's only a C-level piece and I've played it for years so it led to more thinking.
"Why does playing piano make me feel better?" Because I always play piano when I'm upset. It's something I can do that doesn't require anyone else.
"Should I become a performance major if I get so much enjoyment out of this?" No. I play piano for me, and me alone. Never will I subject myself to someone else's willy-nilly concert they want me to play at. I will play whatever I want, whenever I want, with whomever I want.
Sonatina in D Major by Muzio Clementi
This is the last piece I played, and I picked it to go last because it was one of my proudest accomplishments in piano. While not actually all that difficult now, when I picked it it was far longer and technical than I expected when I decided to memorize it for a competition.
Anyways, what should one get out of this blog post? That I really like to play classical music and I'm sorry if I interrupted anyone's practice in the FAC. Also, that I don't really want to discuss what happened in Scholar's today and thank the Lord [Gandhi's in the sky] that today is almost over and yesterday will never come back.
The question is, if you like to play classical piano so much, why don't you ever play it in a professional setting? Or at least have a lesson or something?
And the answer is because as of the last year or so, I only play classical music when I'm really upset. I will play contemporary or romantic music if I'm just in a bad mood and need uplifting, and I will play Christian music when I'm in a good mood. But I only ever play classical when I need to cool down or stop myself from crying.
But wait, Sara, why is this the only time you've played classical this year so far? That's because I haven't really been upset until now. Not upset as in angry, upset as in heart racing, palms sweating, can't talk, suddenly become depressed upset.
So here's what went down today:
1:15 went to Scholar's
1:15-1:45 went into emotional turmoil
1:45-2:15 symptoms began to decrease
2:15-2:20 sudden reoccurrance of symptoms
2:20-2:25 got piano books
2:30-2:50 played classical music very loud and very fast
3:00 began writing blog
Let's break it down even further between 2:30 and 2:50.
I began with a song I knew I had under my fingers, and might still be memorized:
Sonata No. 6 in C Minor third movement by Giovanni Battista Pescetti
While playing this I started thinking about why I was upset. "What's going on? Why is this bothering me so much? What can I do about it?"
I still don't have any answers.
I thought for a challenge I would move to:
Invention in A Minor by JS Bach
Ok, I admit it, JS Bach is not a classical composer, he is a baroque composer. I still like him, and the tricky notes and fingerings kept me from getting more upset. I never completely mastered this song for a recital so I only have motor memory for some very difficult sections.
From Foreign Lands and Places [or people] by Robert Schumann
I actually had forgotten that I had ever learned to play this song and was pleasantly surprised at how well my body remembered it. It allowed for a lot of thinking.
I hypothesized that I was probably upset because of some other stuff that has happened in my life previously. I also have a problem with conflict, even if I am not the target of the aggression. I spoke up in class only because I was confident that my information was correct and that it tied directly to the conversation and was a viable theory.
I also thought about how this song was kind of like my emotions today. There's a nice gentle first section which you repeat. Then in the middle there's a louder kind of clankier section (that's scholars class) then you end all nice and soft again.
Waltz in B Minor by Frederic Chopin
Chopin is also not a classical composer. This doesn't matter because I only got through the first page of this song before I had had enough of it. I worked this song up probably five or so years ago and was so proud of it. Since then I haven't really played it and I was not impressed with my skill level.
Sonatina in C Major by Friedrich Kuhlau
This is by far my go-to unhappy song. I have distinct memories of coming home from school right after my first boyfriend broke up with me and not even talking to my mother, just going straight to the piano and playing this over and over again.
It's only a C-level piece and I've played it for years so it led to more thinking.
"Why does playing piano make me feel better?" Because I always play piano when I'm upset. It's something I can do that doesn't require anyone else.
"Should I become a performance major if I get so much enjoyment out of this?" No. I play piano for me, and me alone. Never will I subject myself to someone else's willy-nilly concert they want me to play at. I will play whatever I want, whenever I want, with whomever I want.
Sonatina in D Major by Muzio Clementi
This is the last piece I played, and I picked it to go last because it was one of my proudest accomplishments in piano. While not actually all that difficult now, when I picked it it was far longer and technical than I expected when I decided to memorize it for a competition.
Anyways, what should one get out of this blog post? That I really like to play classical music and I'm sorry if I interrupted anyone's practice in the FAC. Also, that I don't really want to discuss what happened in Scholar's today and thank the Lord [Gandhi's in the sky] that today is almost over and yesterday will never come back.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Evolution Assignment for Biology
We had to do an assignment for Biology 151 due on Friday about evolution and how it fits in with creationism. It doesn't. I think it's a stupid topic to discuss and this new professor we will have (starting Friday) has officially made everyone hate her. Don't get me wrong, I really like her and she seems really nice, but that's only because I know her from lab.
Anyways, my views on evolution. It's real. It happened. Everyone has their own beliefs, get over it if you don't like them.
For your perusal, I have included my evolution assignment that I just wrote right now.
My personal point of
view is that creationism and evolution both strive to explain the unexplainable
and choosing between them is a moot point.
Darwin’s theory of natural selection entirely destroys the idea of
creationism. In the bible, whether you
read the first creation story or the second, man and animals were created
distinctly separate. The only animal
created from another animal was Eve who was taken from Adam’s rib. As no one knows what God’s image is, besides
the fact that humans were made in it, one can assume God looks just like a
human and they are distinct from animals.
Thus, Darwin’s theory discounts humans as being in God’s image.
The value of the Bible is what one puts into it. There are many laws in Leviticus no one
follows anymore, but as a people Christians still put value in the Bible. If, in fact, the Bible is incorrect about the
age of the Earth, does it matter since so many other facts have been
discounted?
If a person believed the Earth is only 6,000 years old,
they clearly do not understand natural sciences in the least part. If they do not truly understand the sciences,
their view will be skewed and the scientific community has no reason to take
part in their tomfoolery. A person will
believe what they wish to believe. As
psychological sciences have found, belief perseverance will occur and said
person will continually find information that contributes to their belief and
will forget or negate information against it.
Creationism has been trying to refute evolution since its
inception, but until there is an answer everyone can agree on, neither side is
truly wrong.
Friday, November 8, 2013
AIDS
The book I've been reading in French class has really made me think more about AIDS and how it's discussed and thought of in different cultures. The book is called "A l'ami qui ne m'a pas sauve la vie" which means "to the friend who didn't save my life."
This book is semi-autobiographical like all the other books we've read this semester. The author Herve Guibert, discusses his diagnosis (with AIDS) and how his life changes dramatically afterwards. I believe this book was written in 1988, just three years before Herve's death.
Hearing about Herve's struggles with the disease makes me wonder why we have the ridiculous stereotype that only gay men get AIDS. I know now why we have that. It's because we never talk about anyone else!
I originally hated this book. Why on earth do we have to keep reading about people who die! I want to read about happy people! Not dead people! Goodness gracious!
As I read Herve's acceptance of death and his symptoms, I begin to like him more as a character. As compared to his partner, Herve is a more easily sympathize-able character.
My perception of gay men with AIDS changed again on Thursday in class when we began the movie "Les Nuits Fauves" which translates to "the savage nights." I thought I would like this movie way more... however I did not.
Last Tuesday, we discussed the director/author/protagonist Cyril Collard in class. His movie, originally a book, is also semi-autobiographical about a bisexual man who discovers he has AIDS. After hearing some of his history (this was produced about the same time as "A l'ami...") I thought I would much prefer Cyril over Herve any day. I have a favorite quote from him which I wrote in my book:
"Certains s'ecroulent parce qu'ils se laissent ecrouler par la maladie. D'autres se battent."
"Some are crushed because they let themselves be crumbled by the illness. Others fight."
Cyril said this in response to Herve's book. He thought that Herve was just waiting for death and didn't care about life anymore. I agree with him somewhat. Herve died from complications from attempted suicide. It makes sense to me to not let your illness get the better of you. You should fight against it!
However, from what I've seen from Cyril's movie, I absolutely detest him as a person. He told his girlfriend after having sexual relations on multiple occasions that he had AIDS and he had known all along. He purposefully lets her get into dangerous situations in addition to giving her AIDS. Cyril's male partner also has a girlfriend that he is cheating on.
None of this is acceptable to me. Nonetheless, after Cyril's death (two years after Herve's) the president of France declared it a loss of a great cultural influence. If this is your culture, I'd rather not be a part of it!
Herve, after learning his diagnosis, immediately tells his partner and is careful. I support his decision about this. Maybe he's accepting death, or maybe he realizes his previous behavior would be risky for others and so JUST CALMS IT DOWN. I feel sympathy for Herve, but I've none to spare for Cyril. Maybe he's "living" but he doesn't have to do it like that.
As I write this, I'm listening to the soundtrack to RENT, one of my favorite musicals. A great many of the characters have AIDS and they do stupid things as well, but none of them are vicious and they never purposefully put harm upon one another. As a line from one of the songs goes:
"Living with, living with, not dying from disease!"
It's all how you put things into perspective. But I don't think perspective is a reason to dislike someone else's personal work or put other people in danger.
I'm glad the war on AIDS continues, and hopefully some day they will find either a cure or enough preventative measures to help everyone in the world. Maybe in the future no one will have to write an autobiography about AIDS ever again.
This book is semi-autobiographical like all the other books we've read this semester. The author Herve Guibert, discusses his diagnosis (with AIDS) and how his life changes dramatically afterwards. I believe this book was written in 1988, just three years before Herve's death.
Hearing about Herve's struggles with the disease makes me wonder why we have the ridiculous stereotype that only gay men get AIDS. I know now why we have that. It's because we never talk about anyone else!
I originally hated this book. Why on earth do we have to keep reading about people who die! I want to read about happy people! Not dead people! Goodness gracious!
As I read Herve's acceptance of death and his symptoms, I begin to like him more as a character. As compared to his partner, Herve is a more easily sympathize-able character.
My perception of gay men with AIDS changed again on Thursday in class when we began the movie "Les Nuits Fauves" which translates to "the savage nights." I thought I would like this movie way more... however I did not.
Last Tuesday, we discussed the director/author/protagonist Cyril Collard in class. His movie, originally a book, is also semi-autobiographical about a bisexual man who discovers he has AIDS. After hearing some of his history (this was produced about the same time as "A l'ami...") I thought I would much prefer Cyril over Herve any day. I have a favorite quote from him which I wrote in my book:
"Certains s'ecroulent parce qu'ils se laissent ecrouler par la maladie. D'autres se battent."
"Some are crushed because they let themselves be crumbled by the illness. Others fight."
Cyril said this in response to Herve's book. He thought that Herve was just waiting for death and didn't care about life anymore. I agree with him somewhat. Herve died from complications from attempted suicide. It makes sense to me to not let your illness get the better of you. You should fight against it!
However, from what I've seen from Cyril's movie, I absolutely detest him as a person. He told his girlfriend after having sexual relations on multiple occasions that he had AIDS and he had known all along. He purposefully lets her get into dangerous situations in addition to giving her AIDS. Cyril's male partner also has a girlfriend that he is cheating on.
None of this is acceptable to me. Nonetheless, after Cyril's death (two years after Herve's) the president of France declared it a loss of a great cultural influence. If this is your culture, I'd rather not be a part of it!
Herve, after learning his diagnosis, immediately tells his partner and is careful. I support his decision about this. Maybe he's accepting death, or maybe he realizes his previous behavior would be risky for others and so JUST CALMS IT DOWN. I feel sympathy for Herve, but I've none to spare for Cyril. Maybe he's "living" but he doesn't have to do it like that.
As I write this, I'm listening to the soundtrack to RENT, one of my favorite musicals. A great many of the characters have AIDS and they do stupid things as well, but none of them are vicious and they never purposefully put harm upon one another. As a line from one of the songs goes:
"Living with, living with, not dying from disease!"
It's all how you put things into perspective. But I don't think perspective is a reason to dislike someone else's personal work or put other people in danger.
I'm glad the war on AIDS continues, and hopefully some day they will find either a cure or enough preventative measures to help everyone in the world. Maybe in the future no one will have to write an autobiography about AIDS ever again.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Abortion
Now as everyone knows, I tend to have very strong views on a lot of things. As I discovered during French class today, it doesn't matter what language I'm speaking in, I believe everyone deserves respect for their own choices.
"Vrai ou Faux: Herve a raison de ne pas vouloir annoncer sa seropositivite a ses parents."
True or false: Herve had reason to not announce his positivity [for AIDS] to his parents.
After a long discussion to Tiffany about how I thought this question wasn't even relevant because "sa raison est sa raison. S'il est notre raison ca sera different" my response was:
"Il a toujours le droit de l'avouer a les personnes qu'il a choisi. C'est pas notre place pour le juger."
He always has the right to confess it to the people he has chosen. It's not our place to judge.
Now, the main idea behind this question was to talk about how he revealed having AIDS to the entire world through his book but not to his parents in person. However, I got totally off and only wanted to talk about how it's not for us to decide whether his reasons were valid because he had already done it and we don't need to discuss whether he had reasons because OBVIOUSLY HE DID in order to do it.
What does this have to do with abortion?
Absolutely everything.
I, personally, believe that everyone has the right to their own bodies. I am 100% pro-choice. I know that people are going to have abortions whether or not I like it; so I think that there should be safe, available, legal options.
I know that I would never undergo an abortion, but I also know that I will never put myself in that situation in the first place. I don't believe in pre-marital sex and I believe that God will give me a child if He has the desire to do so.
That being said, I don't have the authority to tell someone they can't do what they want with their bodies. No one is going to physically murder their baby, that's just ridiculous. People that have abortions have them for reasons or THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THEM.
Yes. I am yelling about this. Aren't you?
Here's the next little tidbit (it comes directly from my mother):
[to be said in a derogatory mother-like tone]
"If the Catholic church, or anyone else for that matter, is going to tell those girls they can't have an abortion they need to support them BEFORE they get pregnant, DURING the pregnancy, and AFTER they have the child. They need to help them, not take away their options without a replacement option."
Oh goodness gracious I totally agree with my mother and it's frightening. Dislike.
Anyways, that's what I think about abortion and respect for personal choices. Aight.
"Vrai ou Faux: Herve a raison de ne pas vouloir annoncer sa seropositivite a ses parents."
True or false: Herve had reason to not announce his positivity [for AIDS] to his parents.
After a long discussion to Tiffany about how I thought this question wasn't even relevant because "sa raison est sa raison. S'il est notre raison ca sera different" my response was:
"Il a toujours le droit de l'avouer a les personnes qu'il a choisi. C'est pas notre place pour le juger."
He always has the right to confess it to the people he has chosen. It's not our place to judge.
Now, the main idea behind this question was to talk about how he revealed having AIDS to the entire world through his book but not to his parents in person. However, I got totally off and only wanted to talk about how it's not for us to decide whether his reasons were valid because he had already done it and we don't need to discuss whether he had reasons because OBVIOUSLY HE DID in order to do it.
What does this have to do with abortion?
Absolutely everything.
I, personally, believe that everyone has the right to their own bodies. I am 100% pro-choice. I know that people are going to have abortions whether or not I like it; so I think that there should be safe, available, legal options.
I know that I would never undergo an abortion, but I also know that I will never put myself in that situation in the first place. I don't believe in pre-marital sex and I believe that God will give me a child if He has the desire to do so.
That being said, I don't have the authority to tell someone they can't do what they want with their bodies. No one is going to physically murder their baby, that's just ridiculous. People that have abortions have them for reasons or THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THEM.
Yes. I am yelling about this. Aren't you?
Here's the next little tidbit (it comes directly from my mother):
[to be said in a derogatory mother-like tone]
"If the Catholic church, or anyone else for that matter, is going to tell those girls they can't have an abortion they need to support them BEFORE they get pregnant, DURING the pregnancy, and AFTER they have the child. They need to help them, not take away their options without a replacement option."
Oh goodness gracious I totally agree with my mother and it's frightening. Dislike.
Anyways, that's what I think about abortion and respect for personal choices. Aight.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Just Take a Sec
Let's just take a sec to acknowledge how much I love presenting. Cuz it's soooooo much!!!
I would say there are very few things in this world that I like more than presenting about a topic with which I am both familiar and passionate. Or really about anything. In speech class last year we had to give an impromptu speech and it was one of my favorite things during the year. It didn't have to be factual, as long as it related to the topic. Mine was "organ donation". As with anything else, I had a very strong passion for a couple months about knife throwing. I love knife throwing. I think it is such an amazing art form/method of defense. I really really wanted to learn how to throw knives. I wanted to do it so much I wrote an angsty poem about how mad I was that my mother wouldn't let me buy a set. Sadly, that was on my old phone and I don't have easy access to it anymore to share it with the world. Heck I still want to learn how to throw knives! What does this have to do with organ donation? In truth, nothing. But in my speech I described the (totally fictional) history of organ donation.
You see, what happened was that back in the day people would have knife-throwing competitions. A whole bunch of people would gather together and they would all throw knives at each other. When people got cut with knives their organs tended to fall out. At that time, they didn't realize that organs are important, and so they would just try to fill the hole in the person with straw and mud. Obviously, that person wouldn't live very long (unless it was their appendix that fell out). One day, this guy's liver fell out, but there wasn't anything to patch the hole with except another guy's liver that was on the floor. So his friends took this other liver and shoved it inside the first guy. And that's the history of organ donation.
Now I know what you're thinking, "Sara, we really don't care." But in all truth and technicality, you really do care. The fact that you're reading these words means either you really want to hear me ramble on about stuff, or that you're super bored.
Today I got to present to the bio class about Mendelian genetics AND I got to present about my all-time favorite topic, addiction.
I really do love addiction. But if you guys really want I can go be passionate about something else. The stuff we talked about in Neuroscience today wasn't all that interesting, so that kind of sucks.
I have some things that I am really looking forward to discussing at the next Controversial Coffee Conversation. Here's a sneak preview:
Would you want to know how you contracted AIDS?
If you knew your child would have a genetic disorder, would you still choose to have biological children?--this is pre-conception btw
Should employers require exercising?
I'm really excited to hear people's opinions. I know I'm vain, but I know I know a lot of things, and I love it when I get to learn something new from someone who is just as passionate as me about something.
Have you ever realized how often I use the word really? Did you realize how agressively happy I was/am today? Does that bother you? It kind of bothers me. I don't want to be this excited all the time, but I just can't help it. I love presenting! I love learning new things! I love feeling good! I love being happy! I love having fun and anticipating having fun! I love this sweater! Goodness gracious I need to calm down. I should go to something relaxing.
OH but btw, a guy from my french class is presenting a paper on Saturday at 1:15 in WBC 116 and I will be there. I would like to have a lot of other people with me there to support him. I think it is so cool he gets to present his research just like I did today, except to very important people and in French. Please come with me!
I would say there are very few things in this world that I like more than presenting about a topic with which I am both familiar and passionate. Or really about anything. In speech class last year we had to give an impromptu speech and it was one of my favorite things during the year. It didn't have to be factual, as long as it related to the topic. Mine was "organ donation". As with anything else, I had a very strong passion for a couple months about knife throwing. I love knife throwing. I think it is such an amazing art form/method of defense. I really really wanted to learn how to throw knives. I wanted to do it so much I wrote an angsty poem about how mad I was that my mother wouldn't let me buy a set. Sadly, that was on my old phone and I don't have easy access to it anymore to share it with the world. Heck I still want to learn how to throw knives! What does this have to do with organ donation? In truth, nothing. But in my speech I described the (totally fictional) history of organ donation.
You see, what happened was that back in the day people would have knife-throwing competitions. A whole bunch of people would gather together and they would all throw knives at each other. When people got cut with knives their organs tended to fall out. At that time, they didn't realize that organs are important, and so they would just try to fill the hole in the person with straw and mud. Obviously, that person wouldn't live very long (unless it was their appendix that fell out). One day, this guy's liver fell out, but there wasn't anything to patch the hole with except another guy's liver that was on the floor. So his friends took this other liver and shoved it inside the first guy. And that's the history of organ donation.
Now I know what you're thinking, "Sara, we really don't care." But in all truth and technicality, you really do care. The fact that you're reading these words means either you really want to hear me ramble on about stuff, or that you're super bored.
Today I got to present to the bio class about Mendelian genetics AND I got to present about my all-time favorite topic, addiction.
I really do love addiction. But if you guys really want I can go be passionate about something else. The stuff we talked about in Neuroscience today wasn't all that interesting, so that kind of sucks.
I have some things that I am really looking forward to discussing at the next Controversial Coffee Conversation. Here's a sneak preview:
Would you want to know how you contracted AIDS?
If you knew your child would have a genetic disorder, would you still choose to have biological children?--this is pre-conception btw
Should employers require exercising?
I'm really excited to hear people's opinions. I know I'm vain, but I know I know a lot of things, and I love it when I get to learn something new from someone who is just as passionate as me about something.
Have you ever realized how often I use the word really? Did you realize how agressively happy I was/am today? Does that bother you? It kind of bothers me. I don't want to be this excited all the time, but I just can't help it. I love presenting! I love learning new things! I love feeling good! I love being happy! I love having fun and anticipating having fun! I love this sweater! Goodness gracious I need to calm down. I should go to something relaxing.
OH but btw, a guy from my french class is presenting a paper on Saturday at 1:15 in WBC 116 and I will be there. I would like to have a lot of other people with me there to support him. I think it is so cool he gets to present his research just like I did today, except to very important people and in French. Please come with me!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Colorado Service Trip Response
I had an amazing time on the Colorado service trip! It was really nice to go back in a smaller group with less of an itinerary. Trying sushi was so much fun and absolutely delicious. While I did miss having late-night soul-bearing discussions, that's not the kind of trip we were on... though I might try to implement that on the next trip.
Service was really fun, I generally do wish that I was stronger and more tank-like, but I suppose I should take it one step at a time to achieve a Leah-like work ability. It was nice to be outside again, I didn't realize how much I have missed the sun.
Just as I knew I would, I packed too many clothes (but no deodorant), and I definitely need to work on the amount of stuff that I have in my life on a day-to-day basis. That being said had I brought my swimsuit, I could have sat in the hot tub at the last hotel, but I obviously did fine without that.
There was no part of the trip that was bad. The ride down and back was a smidge long, but none of the music played was offensive and no one was annoying at all. I was never afraid for my life, so that's awesome.
I would have liked to have gotten more (if any) homework done, but as I didn't plan to originally, I'm not upset about it. Everything I would have done I got done on Monday night so I'm not even stressed out about anything anymore.
On this service trip, I learned more about what is needed for flood recovery and how difficult it is to dig out and detangle a plastic fence from around a tree. I know that's a life-skill so I'm pretty excited I have that down now. I also learned about my body's own tolerance for manual labor. Apparently, it exceeds the work that we did on the trip as I didn't occur any lasting injuries or PTSD from it.
I would definitely encourage everyone to go on the next scholars service trip. It was an excellent opportunity to both explore a new city, volunteer, and get to know your fellow scholars on a very different level. Once you've confused someone's head for an alarm clock there is nothing weirder you could possibly do, so you don't even need to worry about that. I do wish, however, that we would have been able to go to more scientific museums (perhaps something about opiates?) but, I also really enjoyed the activities we did at night... so I don't know if I would have traded them up.
Anyways, the overall concept of this reflection is that I had a really good time on the Colorado service trip and I am so glad that I went!
Medical Justice Issue
Justice for prisoners
in the penal system has many facets. One
of those is the treatment of addiction and mental disorders. The National Institute of Health requests
that all prisoners be screened for disorders upon admittance (NIH 2010). However, this has not been implemented due to
the extent of the prison system and non-regulation. According to the National Bureau of Justice
Statistics 18% of inmates who met the criteria for drug dependence were treated
on admittance in 2002 (BJS 2005). Many
believe that prisoners should be punished for the crimes and not treated
medically on the federal dollar. Studies
show that treatment for addiction can prevent relapse and therefore prevent
re-incarceration for drug-related crimes after release.
A flaw in the National Institute of Health’s plan is the
physical screening of the prisoners. A
study done by Lee and Antin tested the categorization and naming of drugs by drug
users as opposed to researchers. They
found that drug users tended to categorize their drug use by consumption method
or social situation than by a common chemical name like “meths” or “cocaines”. Another potential problem was found with
personal drug reporting. Drug users
could recognize the street name of a drug they had used, but not knowing the
contents they would not be able to report it on a standardized survey under a
medical name. This causes biased
reporting, as the user could have taken for example “thizz” but would not list
it under “Ecstasy” though they have the same components (Lee and Antin 2011). Inaccurate reporting could lead to improper
treatment and a failure of the entire endeavor.
The
best way to treat addiction remains unknown.
There are hundreds of treatment options available, all based on three
main theories of addiction. The
Physical-Dependence theory says that people are addicted because they are
avoiding withdrawal symptoms. The
Positive-Incentive theory is the opposite, people are addicted because they
like the positive effects of the drug.
Finally, the Incentive-Sensitization theory states that people are
addicted because they anticipate liking the positive, even if the drug no longer
produces the positive effects (Pinel 2007).
Each of these theories have both strong evidence and clear
weaknesses. Treatments are generally
chosen for addicts based on which theory their specialist believes fits their specific
addiction.
The amount of treatment time would also differ between
prisoners. Addiction has two main
components: pharmacological and
behavioral. Pharmacological refers to
the physical changes in the brain which cause withdrawal. Using treatment methods such as drug
substitutes can help the brain return to homeostasis at a slower pace and
reduce withdrawal symptoms. However,
behavioral effects of addiction can last longer than pharmacological. If an addict is conditioned to always do
drugs in a specific location or with specific paraphernalia, after leaving prison
returning to those stimuli will provoke the addiction again (Solis 2013). Therefore, treatment must begin as soon as
addiction is detected, and continue through re-entry into society.
Providing prisoners with treatment options for a long
period of time could be expensive for the state and federal government. As of 2011, the National Bureau of Justice
Statistics states that the request for the drug control budget was 15,552
million dollars (BJS 2011). Implementing
the NIHs plan of required screening and treatment would greatly increase that
amount. However, treatment of addicts
has been shown to reduce future crime.
In an article published by the Journal of Experimental Criminology, drug
users were placed in either a “drug court” where they received intervention
methods or a “comparison group” which received little to no treatment. After an 18-month tracking period the data
showed “drug court participants averaging less than half as many criminal acts
(52.5 vs. 110.1) and drug-related criminal acts (38.1 vs. 100.4) as the
comparison group” (Green et al 2012).
Requiring screening and treatment for addiction in prison
systems is a complex issue. The justice
of medical treatment coincides with the lack of funding and social support for
the issue. More statistics need to be
known about both sides of the topic before an obligation can be set for
prisons.
Literature Cited
[NIH] National
Institute of Health. 2010. Fact Sheet:
Addiction and the Criminal Justice System.
[BJS] Bureau of Justice
Statistics. 2005. Substance Dependence, Abuse, and Treatment of
Jail Inmates, 2002.
Lee J and Antin T. 2011.
How do researchers categorize drugs and how do drug users categorize
them? Contemporary Drug Problems. 38:387-426.
Pinel J. 2007. Basics of Biopsychology. University of British Columbia: Pearson.
Solis M. 2013.
A lifeline for addicts.
Scientific American Mind. 24(1).
[BJS] Bureau of Justice Statistics. 2010.
ONDCP National Drug Control Budget:
FY 2011 Funding Highlights.
Green M, Kralstein D, and Rempel M. 2012. J Exp Criminol. 8:165-192.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Notre Gouvernement
Our government never ceases to confuse me. I was required to take government in high school, but I didn't take AP Gov so I got 100% in the class by doodling every day. While in class today I was trying to wrap my brain around it, and I think I have a solid model going now.
Our government is like a group project.
I know what you're thinking, "OH GOD NO SARA I HATE GROUP PROJECTS THEY MAKE ME WANT TO MURDER EVERYONE AND PULL OUT ALL MY HAIR AND THEN MAKE IT INTO A PILLOW SO I CAN SUFFOCATE EVERYONE I FORGOT TO MURDER THE FIRST TIME"
This is a valid response.
But now think, how do you feel about our government right now? About the same?
Let's get to the root of the problem: Why do we hate group projects? Because everyone is stupider than us and never does their work. Not only that, but they refuse to go along with your ideas which you know are better than theirs. Then it's the night before the project is due and you have to re-do the entire assignment because the other people didn't do it right, and you can't turn something that bad with your name on it.
What did the government do? They thought everyone else's ideas sucked so they stuck to their own and as soon as one person finally did something, the next round of people changed it and no one agrees on anything again. Therein lies the problem. But what's the solution? Obviously we can't solve it the way we do in Bio lab and go behind everyone's backs and re-do it and turn it in before anyone else sees.
Now what if we change the situation a smidge. It isn't a group project for the final, it's the very first draft of your project--where you doodle down a poster set-up and maybe include an outline for the information.
I think this is how we should treat our government. It will never be finished, it will always be a draft. So instead of staying up all night and plotting how to kill your group members, or emailing your teacher to get them out of your group, we could just give in a little to their stupid ideas and work really hard to change it for the next draft.
Come on people, lighten up. It's not the end. Get something done already.
Our government is like a group project.
I know what you're thinking, "OH GOD NO SARA I HATE GROUP PROJECTS THEY MAKE ME WANT TO MURDER EVERYONE AND PULL OUT ALL MY HAIR AND THEN MAKE IT INTO A PILLOW SO I CAN SUFFOCATE EVERYONE I FORGOT TO MURDER THE FIRST TIME"
This is a valid response.
But now think, how do you feel about our government right now? About the same?
Let's get to the root of the problem: Why do we hate group projects? Because everyone is stupider than us and never does their work. Not only that, but they refuse to go along with your ideas which you know are better than theirs. Then it's the night before the project is due and you have to re-do the entire assignment because the other people didn't do it right, and you can't turn something that bad with your name on it.
What did the government do? They thought everyone else's ideas sucked so they stuck to their own and as soon as one person finally did something, the next round of people changed it and no one agrees on anything again. Therein lies the problem. But what's the solution? Obviously we can't solve it the way we do in Bio lab and go behind everyone's backs and re-do it and turn it in before anyone else sees.
Now what if we change the situation a smidge. It isn't a group project for the final, it's the very first draft of your project--where you doodle down a poster set-up and maybe include an outline for the information.
I think this is how we should treat our government. It will never be finished, it will always be a draft. So instead of staying up all night and plotting how to kill your group members, or emailing your teacher to get them out of your group, we could just give in a little to their stupid ideas and work really hard to change it for the next draft.
Come on people, lighten up. It's not the end. Get something done already.
Monday, October 14, 2013
What was I going to talk about?
When I got out my computer I had an idea of what to blog about, but first it had to "configure windows" and then take about a thousand years to get on the internet. Obviously the point of that sentence was to state that I have forgotten what I was going to blog about.
Let's blog about my style of writing.
I have a very conversational style which I think mimics my personality well. However, I often feel as though I am being too informal. Well the joke's on you life because my French teacher loves my style. I believe that writing should be done for one's own personal enjoyment and that you don't always have to have a reason behind what you're writing. In a perfect world I would be a fiction novelist. That's always been my dream. I've long since given up on it as I've never finished a novel. I've written a few volumes of "My Mostly Fictional Narrative" where I take the things my friends and I do and spice them up a bit so it seems like we are super illegal all the time. Now that I'm in college though I don't feel like anyone would get what I'm going for, and I can't use my friends from home as I am no longer at home.
Actually, let's get legit: in a perfect world I would have infinite time. But it wouldn't be the normal infinite time where you just live forever, it would be the ability to suddenly say you want more time right then. So like I could decide after Scholar's to have time slow down so that I could finish all my biology reading before I go to band. However, band would still be at the same time. So you still have all the same amount of time in your life, you can just take specific parts and stretch the time out. As an example, I was just on the phone with my friend and instead of spending an hour doing that, I could have stretched out that hour to include both the phone call and the time this blog post would take.
Outfly. I want it to be Thursday.
My favorite thing about my life right now is that I did really good on my neuroscience test and I have my four-year plan almost entirely figured out. Oh darn that's two things.
Politics I think are rather overrated. Although they definitely have their place in society, I think society needs to put a muzzle on the dog we call politicians. Animals should not live in your house, though they can be a beloved family member or even an unpaid employee. We should treat our politicians as sheepdogs. We give the commands and they follow orders using specialized skills. At the end of the day we feed them well and put them to bed in their own miniature house.
As that last paragraph is on topic, I'm going to end this here before it gets worse. However, I would like to continue to make note that I am still angry about my fingernail that broke off when I fell down the stairs. Aight.
Let's blog about my style of writing.
I have a very conversational style which I think mimics my personality well. However, I often feel as though I am being too informal. Well the joke's on you life because my French teacher loves my style. I believe that writing should be done for one's own personal enjoyment and that you don't always have to have a reason behind what you're writing. In a perfect world I would be a fiction novelist. That's always been my dream. I've long since given up on it as I've never finished a novel. I've written a few volumes of "My Mostly Fictional Narrative" where I take the things my friends and I do and spice them up a bit so it seems like we are super illegal all the time. Now that I'm in college though I don't feel like anyone would get what I'm going for, and I can't use my friends from home as I am no longer at home.
Actually, let's get legit: in a perfect world I would have infinite time. But it wouldn't be the normal infinite time where you just live forever, it would be the ability to suddenly say you want more time right then. So like I could decide after Scholar's to have time slow down so that I could finish all my biology reading before I go to band. However, band would still be at the same time. So you still have all the same amount of time in your life, you can just take specific parts and stretch the time out. As an example, I was just on the phone with my friend and instead of spending an hour doing that, I could have stretched out that hour to include both the phone call and the time this blog post would take.
Outfly. I want it to be Thursday.
My favorite thing about my life right now is that I did really good on my neuroscience test and I have my four-year plan almost entirely figured out. Oh darn that's two things.
Politics I think are rather overrated. Although they definitely have their place in society, I think society needs to put a muzzle on the dog we call politicians. Animals should not live in your house, though they can be a beloved family member or even an unpaid employee. We should treat our politicians as sheepdogs. We give the commands and they follow orders using specialized skills. At the end of the day we feed them well and put them to bed in their own miniature house.
As that last paragraph is on topic, I'm going to end this here before it gets worse. However, I would like to continue to make note that I am still angry about my fingernail that broke off when I fell down the stairs. Aight.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Independent Project
As with anything we discuss, I feel as though my views are fairly well known on every topic as soon as we leave Scholars. To this point, it might be a smidge on the moot side to continue to discuss my opinion with the rest of the world. As such, I'ma do it anyways because even though my blog is entirely fascinating no one actually reads it.
Anyways, the independent project.
I did an independent study in high school, and it was probably the best class I took all four years. I worked with an English teacher and my TAG teacher on a class that didn't have enough people enrolled so it was dropped for the year. It was a Selected Authors: Dickens class and so I just read Dickens and then I did a project. I obviously got an A+ in the class but it was amazing. I got to work at whatever pace I wanted and choose how I wanted to be graded.
The downside to this of course was that I had no discussion and that I could slack off as much as I wanted. I presented to the English II class about David Copperfield without having actually read the last 100 pages until the night before.... Though I did a lot of extra work researching Dickens' style and writing a "mimicry paper" in the same way, it still wasn't nearly as much work as some other classes I've taken, and there was no one holding me accountable day-to-day.
Honestly, my only real memories of that class are:
1. Sitting at my desk in the corner of the TAG room with my feet on the support bars and spinning from side to side in my roll-y chair while reading.
2. Making and frosting gingerbread men to look like the characters.
3. Watching people in the mall to get ideas of something to write.
4. Laying on the couch reading David Copperfield furiously.
So, in conclusion, I think to participate in the independent project you would definitely need to be extremely dedicated and passionate. And probably not be an interest-spaz like me. Do you guys want to hear about drugs? I can talk about them for a while cuz that's what I crammed for last night. Action potentials? No? Fine then, but I'm going to keep talking about something else.
AMATEUR DANCE CLUB
I had this awesome idea a couple weeks ago to start an amateur dance club. What would happen is that there would be nights where you would go to learn a dance and then once a month there would be a formal dance, preferably with a live band, where everyone could go and dance and they wouldn't even have to be good at it or anything.
The dances would vary in style (ie line dancing, swing dancing, foxtrot, disco) to keep everyone interested.
It wouldn't matter if you were good at dancing or not, because it's just for fun!
Everyone who loves dancing would go, and people who like to just get out and not study, and also people who enjoy a work out that is way more fun than running.
I really am going to try to get this started. Everyone I've talked to thinks it's a good idea, so there definitely would be support for it. However, I still need a faculty adviser and a plan for implementation.
Oh and it also needs a new name because Emily doesn't like this one. I've yet to find any better ones though.
So if I were in independent project, I would try to do all of my questions about amateur dance club and eventually it would become real.
Anyways, the independent project.
I did an independent study in high school, and it was probably the best class I took all four years. I worked with an English teacher and my TAG teacher on a class that didn't have enough people enrolled so it was dropped for the year. It was a Selected Authors: Dickens class and so I just read Dickens and then I did a project. I obviously got an A+ in the class but it was amazing. I got to work at whatever pace I wanted and choose how I wanted to be graded.
The downside to this of course was that I had no discussion and that I could slack off as much as I wanted. I presented to the English II class about David Copperfield without having actually read the last 100 pages until the night before.... Though I did a lot of extra work researching Dickens' style and writing a "mimicry paper" in the same way, it still wasn't nearly as much work as some other classes I've taken, and there was no one holding me accountable day-to-day.
Honestly, my only real memories of that class are:
1. Sitting at my desk in the corner of the TAG room with my feet on the support bars and spinning from side to side in my roll-y chair while reading.
2. Making and frosting gingerbread men to look like the characters.
3. Watching people in the mall to get ideas of something to write.
4. Laying on the couch reading David Copperfield furiously.
So, in conclusion, I think to participate in the independent project you would definitely need to be extremely dedicated and passionate. And probably not be an interest-spaz like me. Do you guys want to hear about drugs? I can talk about them for a while cuz that's what I crammed for last night. Action potentials? No? Fine then, but I'm going to keep talking about something else.
AMATEUR DANCE CLUB
I had this awesome idea a couple weeks ago to start an amateur dance club. What would happen is that there would be nights where you would go to learn a dance and then once a month there would be a formal dance, preferably with a live band, where everyone could go and dance and they wouldn't even have to be good at it or anything.
The dances would vary in style (ie line dancing, swing dancing, foxtrot, disco) to keep everyone interested.
It wouldn't matter if you were good at dancing or not, because it's just for fun!
Everyone who loves dancing would go, and people who like to just get out and not study, and also people who enjoy a work out that is way more fun than running.
I really am going to try to get this started. Everyone I've talked to thinks it's a good idea, so there definitely would be support for it. However, I still need a faculty adviser and a plan for implementation.
Oh and it also needs a new name because Emily doesn't like this one. I've yet to find any better ones though.
So if I were in independent project, I would try to do all of my questions about amateur dance club and eventually it would become real.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Blog Post about Blogging
Sitting here, right now on my futon, I am trying to help Leah with her blog account. She apparently has two google plus accounts which take her in circles. She also has a blogger account that says she has no blogs. However, one of her google accounts has the posts from that very same blog which does not apparently exist. It is impossible to delete blogs (except in cases where the blog is removed due to spam or whatever) and so therefore her blog must exist somewhere. But it doesn't. Then she has two accounts and neither of them are connected to her blog anymore. It's physically not possible. We also tried to downgrade from google plus, but that does not appear to work either, as the google plus still is there. Maybe someday she will be able to blog again.
Anyways, the moral of the story is that technology makes me want to tear my hair out and then sleep until it all grows back in. I think that might actually be a good plan.
Anyways, the moral of the story is that technology makes me want to tear my hair out and then sleep until it all grows back in. I think that might actually be a good plan.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Ca m'enerve!
The following is my day written in French. Please do not be upset by the lack of accents.
I wrote it to practice. Also, if placed in Google Translate it gets kinda funny sounding.
Je ne peux pas ajouter les accents dans cette blogue, donc vous devez juste les imaginer. Desolee.
Si quelqu'un me demande "qu'est-ce qui s'est passe aujourd'hui?" J'aurais beaucoup de choses pour lui expliquer. Aujourd'hui, j'ai du prendre le petit dejeuner seule. Je deteste etre seule. Plus que etre froid ou avoir faim. Apres, je suis allee a mon labo de neuroscience. C'etait bon parce qu'on faisait les experiences avec la memoire et j'aime bien choses comme ca. J'allais a Clinton pour attendre Cara, mais ils sont deja au dejeuner! Ouais. Mais, ca c'est bon parce que je n'avais pas beaucoup de devoirs, et il etait possible que je peux les faire apres. A une heure, je suis allee a mon cours de francais et c'etait bon. Je n'ai pas reussi a l'interro, mais elle est just quatre points.
Maintenant, pour la partie qui m'enerve! Mes dents. Encore. Je les deteste et je ne veux plus de dents. Je vais avoir une personne qui mange ma nourriture et puis je le mange aussi. Degoutant, mais, meilleur que la situation. Demain, je dois aller au medecin de dents a Cedar Rapids encore. Je dois sauter la classe de Scholars, et aussi la classe de bande. Ca m'enerve. J'en ai marre avec mes dents. En plus, je ne me sens pas tres bien. J'ai mal a la tete, a la gorge, et au tout mon corps. Je dois quelqu'un pour me faire un calin. Ce que me manque c'est ca.
Je sais que personne ne va pas ce lire. Ce n'est important a moi. Je me sens un peu mieux par l'ecrire. Merci pour ecouter, ordinateur. Je t'aime.
I wrote it to practice. Also, if placed in Google Translate it gets kinda funny sounding.
Je ne peux pas ajouter les accents dans cette blogue, donc vous devez juste les imaginer. Desolee.
Si quelqu'un me demande "qu'est-ce qui s'est passe aujourd'hui?" J'aurais beaucoup de choses pour lui expliquer. Aujourd'hui, j'ai du prendre le petit dejeuner seule. Je deteste etre seule. Plus que etre froid ou avoir faim. Apres, je suis allee a mon labo de neuroscience. C'etait bon parce qu'on faisait les experiences avec la memoire et j'aime bien choses comme ca. J'allais a Clinton pour attendre Cara, mais ils sont deja au dejeuner! Ouais. Mais, ca c'est bon parce que je n'avais pas beaucoup de devoirs, et il etait possible que je peux les faire apres. A une heure, je suis allee a mon cours de francais et c'etait bon. Je n'ai pas reussi a l'interro, mais elle est just quatre points.
Maintenant, pour la partie qui m'enerve! Mes dents. Encore. Je les deteste et je ne veux plus de dents. Je vais avoir une personne qui mange ma nourriture et puis je le mange aussi. Degoutant, mais, meilleur que la situation. Demain, je dois aller au medecin de dents a Cedar Rapids encore. Je dois sauter la classe de Scholars, et aussi la classe de bande. Ca m'enerve. J'en ai marre avec mes dents. En plus, je ne me sens pas tres bien. J'ai mal a la tete, a la gorge, et au tout mon corps. Je dois quelqu'un pour me faire un calin. Ce que me manque c'est ca.
Je sais que personne ne va pas ce lire. Ce n'est important a moi. Je me sens un peu mieux par l'ecrire. Merci pour ecouter, ordinateur. Je t'aime.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Response to Life
Life. I've really nothing else to say about it. I'm doing my best to figure it out, but somehow it seems to elude me. I can do everything else in the world except plan out the rest of my life.
For my scholar's midterm project I plan to write my four-year plan. I've already decided on a couple of steps to complete this.
1. Decide when to do study abroad.
a. What does this mean for band tours?
b. What does this mean for chemistry and other coursework?
c. What does this mean for May terms?
2. Write down classes required for majors.
a. Cross off which classes have been completed.
b. Sort which classes must be taken in specific years.
3. Write down list of gen ed courses.
a. Cross off which classes have received transfer credit.
b. Decide (if choices applicable) which classes to take.
c. Sort which classes must be taken in specific years.
d. Choose classes to complete at Kirkwood for transfer credit.
4. Write down list of classes strongly desired.
a. Decide passions.
b. Pick classes within each passion.
c. Choose May terms.
d. Figure out how to take these classes without overloading.
5. Pick extra-curricular activities.
a. Decide passions.
b. Pick activities within each passion.
c. Join or create the activities.
6. Get everything to fit into a schedule.
7. Show adviser #1.
8. Edit.
9. Show adviser #1.
10. Show adviser #2.
11. Edit.
12. Show adviser #1.
13. Show adviser #2.
14. Submit as scholar's midterm project.
15. Do a happy dance.
a. Realize how many hours this took.
b. Do a dance from as many decades as hours it took.
c. Be really pleased that you have a plan.
16. Find internships and research opportunities to accompany said plan.
17. Do another happy dance.
18. Follow through on plan.
As you can see, this project is going to take quite a lot of effort, but I will be extremely pleased with myself when it is complete. As of right now, I am already pleased with my list of steps and am probably going to print it off to use as a reference.
For my scholar's midterm project I plan to write my four-year plan. I've already decided on a couple of steps to complete this.
1. Decide when to do study abroad.
a. What does this mean for band tours?
b. What does this mean for chemistry and other coursework?
c. What does this mean for May terms?
2. Write down classes required for majors.
a. Cross off which classes have been completed.
b. Sort which classes must be taken in specific years.
3. Write down list of gen ed courses.
a. Cross off which classes have received transfer credit.
b. Decide (if choices applicable) which classes to take.
c. Sort which classes must be taken in specific years.
d. Choose classes to complete at Kirkwood for transfer credit.
4. Write down list of classes strongly desired.
a. Decide passions.
b. Pick classes within each passion.
c. Choose May terms.
d. Figure out how to take these classes without overloading.
5. Pick extra-curricular activities.
a. Decide passions.
b. Pick activities within each passion.
c. Join or create the activities.
6. Get everything to fit into a schedule.
7. Show adviser #1.
8. Edit.
9. Show adviser #1.
10. Show adviser #2.
11. Edit.
12. Show adviser #1.
13. Show adviser #2.
14. Submit as scholar's midterm project.
15. Do a happy dance.
a. Realize how many hours this took.
b. Do a dance from as many decades as hours it took.
c. Be really pleased that you have a plan.
16. Find internships and research opportunities to accompany said plan.
17. Do another happy dance.
18. Follow through on plan.
As you can see, this project is going to take quite a lot of effort, but I will be extremely pleased with myself when it is complete. As of right now, I am already pleased with my list of steps and am probably going to print it off to use as a reference.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
"White Man's Burden"
As a person who knew nothing about White Man's Burden before watching it today in class, I assumed it would be in some way about student welfare. Obviously it wasn't. Then I was confused about why the racial stereotypes were switched and, I confess, I did not realize they had done it on purpose to make a statement until we discussed it. An embarrassing fact, but true nonetheless.
Ever since AP Psych my junior year in high school, I've been working very hard on the "Fundamental Attribution Error" and I think it has changed the way I sympathize with people. For those who don't know, the Fundamental Attribution Error is a psychological theory which states that people overestimate the effect of a person's disposition in their behavior and overlook the situational factors. An example of this would be someone cutting in front of you in traffic. You automatically assume that that person is a total [insert word here] when in fact they might be rushing to the hospital to see their significant other that just returned from the army with a debilitating injury.
Anyways, I try to combat the Fundamental Attribution Error by creating vivid descriptions of the situations people are in when I really want to hate them for being [insert word here]s. I think this may have skewed my view of the characters in White Man's Burden. I felt sympathy for John Travolta's character throughout the movie. I had some problems with his kidnapping the president of the company, but then I realized he probably was having a mental breakdown being away from his family and was so frustrated by his life situation that he couldn't think clearly. We shouldn't look down on people who make bad life choices, we should help them find a way out.
Ok, let's get legit people, I felt sympathy for every single character in the movie. Maybe that's why I cry all the time, because I have too much sympathy and I read too far into things.
John Travolta's wife: I felt bad for her because John Travolta wouldn't let her work when she wanted to. However, he said something in the movie about "how are you doing" which I read into to mean that she had had some kind of health (maybe mental health) issue that could have been brought on from too much stress and he was just trying to keep her healthy.
John Travolta's wife's mother: Even though she acts awfully towards John Travolta, it is possible that she was just really pissed about her daughter having married him in the first place and now that she had to come rescue her daughter she still couldn't believe that he was around and such a schmuck for getting them into that situation.
Lionel (the manager at the factory): Lionel was just trying to keep up his reputation with the president. He had to let John Travolta go even though he respected his work and might have promoted him to foreman. It's possible that he misunderstood what the president was saying about the delivery boy, and thought he was required to fire him in order to follow instructions.
The president: He used nice words about the delivery boy even though he was rather vague about what steps the manager should take. His wife was also a bit touchy about showing up for the modelling thing and I felt kind of bad for him. Oh and also he got kidnapped.
The skinhead (?) that got shot: He was probably peer pressured by his situation to join a gang and his friends helped him develop life skills so as not to just die from a lack of love.
The old man who shot him: His restaurant used to be a profitable business, but because the gangs came there all the time he no longer made money and was tired of them attacking people. A momentary judgement had a lasting effect.
The moral of the story is that I try to see every point of view everywhere, and that's why I was at 92% on the opinion scale on that sheet about our personalities that we got back the other day. I disliked the movie in general because it made me sad and uncomfortable inside. However, I feel that way about anything that has any form of "literary merit" which is why I hated AP English. Aight.
Ever since AP Psych my junior year in high school, I've been working very hard on the "Fundamental Attribution Error" and I think it has changed the way I sympathize with people. For those who don't know, the Fundamental Attribution Error is a psychological theory which states that people overestimate the effect of a person's disposition in their behavior and overlook the situational factors. An example of this would be someone cutting in front of you in traffic. You automatically assume that that person is a total [insert word here] when in fact they might be rushing to the hospital to see their significant other that just returned from the army with a debilitating injury.
Anyways, I try to combat the Fundamental Attribution Error by creating vivid descriptions of the situations people are in when I really want to hate them for being [insert word here]s. I think this may have skewed my view of the characters in White Man's Burden. I felt sympathy for John Travolta's character throughout the movie. I had some problems with his kidnapping the president of the company, but then I realized he probably was having a mental breakdown being away from his family and was so frustrated by his life situation that he couldn't think clearly. We shouldn't look down on people who make bad life choices, we should help them find a way out.
Ok, let's get legit people, I felt sympathy for every single character in the movie. Maybe that's why I cry all the time, because I have too much sympathy and I read too far into things.
John Travolta's wife: I felt bad for her because John Travolta wouldn't let her work when she wanted to. However, he said something in the movie about "how are you doing" which I read into to mean that she had had some kind of health (maybe mental health) issue that could have been brought on from too much stress and he was just trying to keep her healthy.
John Travolta's wife's mother: Even though she acts awfully towards John Travolta, it is possible that she was just really pissed about her daughter having married him in the first place and now that she had to come rescue her daughter she still couldn't believe that he was around and such a schmuck for getting them into that situation.
Lionel (the manager at the factory): Lionel was just trying to keep up his reputation with the president. He had to let John Travolta go even though he respected his work and might have promoted him to foreman. It's possible that he misunderstood what the president was saying about the delivery boy, and thought he was required to fire him in order to follow instructions.
The president: He used nice words about the delivery boy even though he was rather vague about what steps the manager should take. His wife was also a bit touchy about showing up for the modelling thing and I felt kind of bad for him. Oh and also he got kidnapped.
The skinhead (?) that got shot: He was probably peer pressured by his situation to join a gang and his friends helped him develop life skills so as not to just die from a lack of love.
The old man who shot him: His restaurant used to be a profitable business, but because the gangs came there all the time he no longer made money and was tired of them attacking people. A momentary judgement had a lasting effect.
The moral of the story is that I try to see every point of view everywhere, and that's why I was at 92% on the opinion scale on that sheet about our personalities that we got back the other day. I disliked the movie in general because it made me sad and uncomfortable inside. However, I feel that way about anything that has any form of "literary merit" which is why I hated AP English. Aight.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Student Welfare Response
On request from Cara, my response about student welfare will involve wasps.
We have wasps in our room. Like for real. And it's not OK. Two nights ago, I moved my study book to make room for my giant French dictionary, and there was a wasp... RIGHT THERE. On my bed! And it was definitely not OK. In no way, shape, or form should there ever be a wasp on my bed. Thinking the wasp was dead, I did not inform Cara and got a paper towel to clean it up with. After putting the paper towel on the wasp, IT MOVED! It was very much so not dead. So I got our wasp cup (we've had three wasps so there's a special cup to capture them in now), and trapped the wasp under the cup under the paper towel, and then informed Cara that we had a wasp. Then I put my French Dictionary on top.
Cara went out to find ONE person to help us deal with the wasp problem. I expected she would get Leah. About five minutes later Cara comes back with FIVE men to take care of a single, already caught wasp. Blaise went on to squish the wasp and life was suddenly better.
How does this relate to student welfare? Well, last week maintenance came and fixed our window screen so that it actually attached to the window and we would have less wasps. We pay tuition to have people who can come and fix our major problems like wasps.
I will probably make a different post relating to my feelings about student welfare, but for the moment, all I can think about is wasps. Aight.
We have wasps in our room. Like for real. And it's not OK. Two nights ago, I moved my study book to make room for my giant French dictionary, and there was a wasp... RIGHT THERE. On my bed! And it was definitely not OK. In no way, shape, or form should there ever be a wasp on my bed. Thinking the wasp was dead, I did not inform Cara and got a paper towel to clean it up with. After putting the paper towel on the wasp, IT MOVED! It was very much so not dead. So I got our wasp cup (we've had three wasps so there's a special cup to capture them in now), and trapped the wasp under the cup under the paper towel, and then informed Cara that we had a wasp. Then I put my French Dictionary on top.
Cara went out to find ONE person to help us deal with the wasp problem. I expected she would get Leah. About five minutes later Cara comes back with FIVE men to take care of a single, already caught wasp. Blaise went on to squish the wasp and life was suddenly better.
How does this relate to student welfare? Well, last week maintenance came and fixed our window screen so that it actually attached to the window and we would have less wasps. We pay tuition to have people who can come and fix our major problems like wasps.
I will probably make a different post relating to my feelings about student welfare, but for the moment, all I can think about is wasps. Aight.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Welfare Response
I am not 100% sure what the style/content of this blog post should be, so I will just continue how I would respond if we were still in class.
I believe that overall welfare is a very excellent thing. Obviously, I am not a welfare expert, or really an expert on anything.
However, I have rather strong opinions on life in general:
1. Everyone has a right to do what they want with their bodies.
2. No one should ever be bullied into anything.
3. Respect for privacy is an utmost priority.
4. Help everyone you can.
There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. In the case of illegality or bodily harm my opinion changes drastically. I realize now that this has very little to do with welfare, and more to do with my personal ideas about society. I also believe that society should take care of people, but not to the point that people no longer take care of themselves. I think people from Iowa have a certain kind of work ethic that is unparalleled. I also don't really think that sentence made sense but it took me like three minutes to figure out how to spell "unparalleled" so I'm not going to change it. Anyways, I personally think I would exhaust all other options before going on welfare. It's not something to take lightly, and the fact that people abuse it is sickening. People who need it should be on it, no doubt about it. But I would like to think people don't just go on it for fun. It's a lot of paperwork and it is embarrassing. No one wants to admit they can't take care of their family, so we should just give them a little shove in the right direction and send them on their way. That's how I think welfare should be.
My ideals for a perfect society aren't actually solutions. Or critiques really. Honestly, they are in no way helpful to anyone at all. I personally am not informed enough to find a solution. And those who have insider knowledge typically don't have the resources to make their solutions known.
Oh wait! Hang on a sec, I have a personal anecdote relating to welfare. One of my friends has many chronic illnesses. She has a problem with the muscles around her lungs that cause her to feel as though she is having a heart attack. She also just learned (last month) that her body cannot process the metals in the air. Because of this, she has deposits of metals sitting in her body and literally poisoning her from the inside out. To deal with this, she is on a strict diet and has to take a specific medication to flush out the metals. However, the medication (last I heard) cost $200 dollars for a two week supply, and she needs to be on it for at least two years. Because of her personal situation, she is eligible for Disability. The disability money does not cover the amount that her treatments cost though, so she has to work instead. Working enough to pay for both her medications and college tuition inflames her other symptoms and creates a vicious cycle.
Last weekend when I went home I learned that she had dropped out of UNI and is now taking online classes from home at Kirkwood. That my friend cannot have the awesome college experience that I'm having simply because Disability can't cover her enough really infuriates me. I don't know if anyone has ever seen me actually upset, but I can guarantee you wouldn't like it. Somebody needs to get on the shtick and fix this.
I believe that overall welfare is a very excellent thing. Obviously, I am not a welfare expert, or really an expert on anything.
However, I have rather strong opinions on life in general:
1. Everyone has a right to do what they want with their bodies.
2. No one should ever be bullied into anything.
3. Respect for privacy is an utmost priority.
4. Help everyone you can.
There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. In the case of illegality or bodily harm my opinion changes drastically. I realize now that this has very little to do with welfare, and more to do with my personal ideas about society. I also believe that society should take care of people, but not to the point that people no longer take care of themselves. I think people from Iowa have a certain kind of work ethic that is unparalleled. I also don't really think that sentence made sense but it took me like three minutes to figure out how to spell "unparalleled" so I'm not going to change it. Anyways, I personally think I would exhaust all other options before going on welfare. It's not something to take lightly, and the fact that people abuse it is sickening. People who need it should be on it, no doubt about it. But I would like to think people don't just go on it for fun. It's a lot of paperwork and it is embarrassing. No one wants to admit they can't take care of their family, so we should just give them a little shove in the right direction and send them on their way. That's how I think welfare should be.
My ideals for a perfect society aren't actually solutions. Or critiques really. Honestly, they are in no way helpful to anyone at all. I personally am not informed enough to find a solution. And those who have insider knowledge typically don't have the resources to make their solutions known.
Oh wait! Hang on a sec, I have a personal anecdote relating to welfare. One of my friends has many chronic illnesses. She has a problem with the muscles around her lungs that cause her to feel as though she is having a heart attack. She also just learned (last month) that her body cannot process the metals in the air. Because of this, she has deposits of metals sitting in her body and literally poisoning her from the inside out. To deal with this, she is on a strict diet and has to take a specific medication to flush out the metals. However, the medication (last I heard) cost $200 dollars for a two week supply, and she needs to be on it for at least two years. Because of her personal situation, she is eligible for Disability. The disability money does not cover the amount that her treatments cost though, so she has to work instead. Working enough to pay for both her medications and college tuition inflames her other symptoms and creates a vicious cycle.
Last weekend when I went home I learned that she had dropped out of UNI and is now taking online classes from home at Kirkwood. That my friend cannot have the awesome college experience that I'm having simply because Disability can't cover her enough really infuriates me. I don't know if anyone has ever seen me actually upset, but I can guarantee you wouldn't like it. Somebody needs to get on the shtick and fix this.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Response to Friday's Class
I saved this blog post for today (Sunday) mostly because I was gone all weekend, but also so I would have more time to reflect on what happened in class. Honestly, I can't remember much except how excited I am about the Scholar's service trip. I've never been on a trip solely based on service. I have, however, had my fair share of mission trip experiences. Mission trips are basically service trips plus God.
For the past three summers, the most meaningful experiences have been the mission trips I've been on. I didn't go with the church I am a member of, because, well, it's a long story. Ask me in person if you have a super strong desire to know. Anyways, the moral of the story is that I was a Lutheran amongst a sea of Presbyterians, which also has no real effect on anyone's life. (Just try to fit "those who trespass against us" into "our debtors" and you'll see my main problem).
The blending of service and God created the strongest bond I've ever had with a group of people. Furthermore, it is the strangest bond I have with anyone. There's my best friend, the hipster, the druggie, the horseback rider, the popular girl, the jock, the bossy twins, and the girl who got pregnant at 14; just to name a few. Those are the best people I have ever met in my whole life, and I know I could call them up right now and they would sit and talk to me, about anything. They know more about me than anyone else in the world, both faith-related and not. We know we are all different, but through service we know we can all make a difference.
The idea that the Scholars do a service trip makes me both nervous and excited. To quote the Linn-Mar Marching Lions saxophone section: "no expectations." I don't mean that quite in the same way though. The altos needed an excuse to not march well, whereas I need an excuse not to let my imagination run wild. I know the Scholars won't sit around in a circle on a church floor at three in the morning eating Ritz crackers and talking about how God works through sexual assault. But I am fairly confident that we can grow closer through service to others.
And that's how I felt about class on Friday. Though we didn't really talk about it. Aight.
For the past three summers, the most meaningful experiences have been the mission trips I've been on. I didn't go with the church I am a member of, because, well, it's a long story. Ask me in person if you have a super strong desire to know. Anyways, the moral of the story is that I was a Lutheran amongst a sea of Presbyterians, which also has no real effect on anyone's life. (Just try to fit "those who trespass against us" into "our debtors" and you'll see my main problem).
The blending of service and God created the strongest bond I've ever had with a group of people. Furthermore, it is the strangest bond I have with anyone. There's my best friend, the hipster, the druggie, the horseback rider, the popular girl, the jock, the bossy twins, and the girl who got pregnant at 14; just to name a few. Those are the best people I have ever met in my whole life, and I know I could call them up right now and they would sit and talk to me, about anything. They know more about me than anyone else in the world, both faith-related and not. We know we are all different, but through service we know we can all make a difference.
The idea that the Scholars do a service trip makes me both nervous and excited. To quote the Linn-Mar Marching Lions saxophone section: "no expectations." I don't mean that quite in the same way though. The altos needed an excuse to not march well, whereas I need an excuse not to let my imagination run wild. I know the Scholars won't sit around in a circle on a church floor at three in the morning eating Ritz crackers and talking about how God works through sexual assault. But I am fairly confident that we can grow closer through service to others.
And that's how I felt about class on Friday. Though we didn't really talk about it. Aight.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Environmental Justice Essay
The movie Gandhi directed by Richard Attenborough showcases Gandhi supporting and creating homespun fabrics. According to the film, his reasoning is almost purely economic. However, spinning, dyeing, or sewing your own clothing has many positive environmental effects as well.
The modern process of manufacturing textiles is highly pollutant. ”According to the 1995 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data, 339 textile facilities reporting SIC 22, released (to the air, water, or land) and transferred (shipped off-site or discharged to sewers) a total of 25 million pounds of toxic chemicals during calendar year 1995” (epa.gov). Dyeing fabric uses excess water, and dye fixatives end up in sewers that leak into rivers. Cloth is bleached using dioxin-producing chlorine compounds. Artificial fibers such as nylon, polyester, and rayon tend to be non-biodegradable and are treated with harsh chemicals (Goodchoices.org). However, natural fibers use pesticides which are also harmful to workers, livestock, and the soil. According to the USDA, cotton crops account for about one-quarter of all pesticides in the United States. The Pesticide Action Network is fighting against the use of pesticides by informing about and supporting the Organic Cotton movement (panna.org). Buying and using organic cotton and other sustainable materials cuts down on pollution and waste.
According to the EPA’s Office of Solid Waste, 68 pounds of clothing and textiles are thrown away by the average American every year. That’s about 4% of the total solid waste in the United States (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). The Technical Textile Markets report that the demand for man-made fibers has nearly doubled in the last fifteen years. In her article “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry” Luz Claudio attributes this rise to the fashion agency’s ever-increasing output and society’s consumerist view of “disposable clothing” (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
Looking back to the 19th century view on textiles, reuse and recycling was an important factor in everyday life. Clothes were sewn, handed down, handed down again, ripped apart and sewn into something else, then quilted or turned to rags. How then, has our 21st century society come to this point? Dr. Susan Strasser discusses this answer, along with many other now “disposable” items in her book Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash.
Reusing was not as common during the early 1900s, but women still remembered, and kept alive, their mothers’ and grandmothers’ traditions. However, when World War Two rolled around, items around the house and neighborhood that might have been reused were sent to scrap drives to benefit the war effort. Dr. Strasser states, “Paradoxically, the very emphasis on scrap reinforced not the traditional stewardship of objects but the newer habits of throwing things away.” After the war ended, people wanted to spend, and many had forgotten the 19th century ideals of reuse.
The 1950s was an age of disposal. Pre-packaged food and manufactured clothing began to greatly outweigh their handmade counterparts (Strasser). From this point on, our modern perspective has changed drastically from our recycling roots, and we continue to waste more than ever.
There is a New England proverb, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” Using this as a guide, society should take on a new role. Making your own clothing from sustainable fabrics cuts down on manufacturing pollution and material transportation. Selecting locally grown materials, or buying handmade from local venders contributes as well. Shopping thriftily and altering clothing reduces waste. Upcycling clothing into fabric lowers demand for new material. And finally, creating anything for yourself provides satisfaction.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Thrill of Decision
Thrill of Decision
I’ve always had a problem deciding
what to do with my future. The way I see
it, as soon as you commit to a path, something else interests you. It’s like the Thrill of the Chase, except
it’s the Thrill of Decision. I’m very
interested and passionate in both of my majors, but French and Neuroscience
don’t lend themselves to an inter-disciplinary career. My interests have always been spread thin,
and I do worry that I will find something that will interest me more than
becoming a neuroscientist. Because of
this, I believe I have two alternate dreams:
one slowly becoming more realistic, and the other attainable, but not
worthwhile.
I will begin with my academic dreams. The study of language interests me greatly, and through my majors I have two different pathways I could take. Becoming a French professor is always an option, but nothing lower than college-level. I would need to teach someone with a desire to learn French, not teenagers who take it in high school because their friends did. On the other side of the spectrum would be becoming a neuroscientist who studies the acquisition of language. That’s the dream I always tell people about. I’m never specific about what that means because I haven’t decided quite where I want to go with it. I’ve decided just to let it play out.
My other dream began in eighth grade when I wrote my National History Day paper on Betty Friedan. A famous women’s rights leader in the 1950s, she supported getting women out of the home and into society as equals. Her book, The Feminine Mystique, really intrigued me; and I did a great deal of research on housewives in the 1950s. As anti-feminist as this sounds, the advertised glory of being a housewife during that time made me want to become one. I long for the day I can vacuum my house in a shape-flattering dress and pin-curls. My bread-winning husband comes home from work and sits down to eat the meal I spent all day preparing. I know the actual 1950s housewives felt no such glory, and that real life differs substantially from the ideals in Redbook; but still, those women did so much for their families with very little thanks from anyone.
Being a 1950s housewife in 2013 is
physically not possible, well, because we don’t live in the 1950s anymore. However, my dreams aren’t entirely mutually
exclusive. My dream dream for my future
is to become an academic of some sort combined with a Domestic Goddess. Without the ideal housewife propaganda, this would
include anything I wanted to do. This
new dream allows me to combine my love of learning with my love of crocheting
doilies.
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