WhAtS NeW??

ENC 1102 "Last Blogging Assignment on Oral Presentations"

2005-04-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day of class, as well as our last day of presenting our "social actions" to the class. We had 2 presenters, focusing on "Hazing" in fraternities and sororities and "standardized testing in public schools." In my opinion, these 2 presentations had to be the most interesting out of all i have seen these past few weeks. In a way i could relate to both of their presentations. I have always been interested in joining a sorority and will be doing so in the fall. Hearing some interesting facts on hazing and why he joined a fraternity gave me a better insight on the Greek Life at this university. I have heard many stories involving hazing at other schools, in particular Florida State University, they are known to have the worst hazing rituals ever. Gilberts presentation was very informative and knowledgeable. The second presentation was by Azizah. She made the presentation very real, starting right off by putting the class in a testing atmosphere, her powerpoint was very informative. I thought it was funny on her last powerpoint slide, when it said "this page was left blank intentionally." I remember the FCAT and SAT/ ACT booklets had many of those on their pages, it just seemed to fit her presentation very well, with a perfect ending slide. She spoke very clear and it was an enjoyment to learn and to be able to be more knowledgeable on this everchanging issue in todays society.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

2005-04-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

The oral presentations for tuesday the 26th were however very knowledgeable and interesting. The 3 presenters covered topics on Pro Euthanasia, funding for stem cell research, and Desalination of water. The presentation on fuding for research was very factual i must say, Julie targeted on some of the issues i had covered in my presentation on cloning. She knew the material very well, explaining all issues regarding her stance on funding. Her powerpoint was definently an attention grabber with great visuals etc. The second presentation on Euthanasia also had a great powerpoint, she could have used a handout to better give the audience some facts etc, but other than that she spoke verbally well. I really thought this was a good social action topic because it is a topic in question today. I have had an interest in the elderly for a long time and this is a common issue with the aging in todays society regardingtheir illnesses etc. The third presenter focused on a very unique social action, Asha talked about the Desalination of water. I had no idea what that was until she spoke about it in her presentation. She did extensive research and had great facts that were from the local water plants in the tampa bay area. In my opinion i would take this into consideration with my own water, it seems to have some great advantages, such as reducing the dependency on the florida everglades and would help reduce sinkholes. I am certainly gonna find out more information on this issue.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

2005-04-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

Thursdays oral presentations were very interesting, alot more visual than other presentations i have seen. Sami did his presentation on Pro Cloning, very nervous, he still stuck to his topic very well and explained thoroughly what each aspect he was covering on cloning. He drew each step from beginning to end about cloning and its counterparts. I did my oral presentation against cloning and he did however cover most of my parts on cloning. He gave his stance on his issue and left it open for the audience to decide what he or she thought of in all the aspects of cloning. Staying away from the scientific aspect was the best idea, i focused more scientifically and i think i lost part of the audience because they did not understand. But, he expalined it very efficiently in terms that the whole audience could understand not knowing anything about cloning. The 2nd presentation was good as well on Gay Marriage. Frank had a hard task, since a few people were for gay marriage including himself in his research paper. He had to change his stance for oral presentation purposes, going against gay marriage when he really was for it. I think that took alot of time and effort, he could of fooled me.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

2005-04-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

For Tuesdays Oral Presentations I only saw Tiffany Rileys on The Death Penalty. I unfortunately had to leave early so i could only see hers. As she went up to do her presentation, she seemed to be very carefree and knowledgeable about what she was talkign about. She gave a great facts handout which she explained very well while doing her oral presentation. When giving her oral presentation she spoke very clear and crisp to the audience making her ethos and pathos voice sound strong and appealing. I found it very interesting that capital trial is very expensive. It is a very costly measure when going to trial, perhaps this is why some states are against it. Despite all of the various capital punishments "electric chair, lethal injection, and gas chamber," all 13 executions that occured in 2005 were all by lethal injection. Which i thought was very shocking. About a 2 to 1 ratio of whites to blacks that were executed in 2003, which i thought was very interesting because most people assume that blacks are the more likely to recieve the death penalty. She did an excellent job of conveying and presenting the information. It was very interesting and factual.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

2005-04-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

The oral presentations for thursday included, abortion, social security reform, and involving "god" in the pledge of allegiance. I would have to say that this week's oral presentations were the most interesting to me so far. Two of the presenters used powerpoint, which in my opinion works alot better in getting your point across to your audience and is more professional. I never really understood or knew alot of knowledge regarding social security and with Jackie Kravitz's presentation, she knew alot on her topic, explained it very thoroughly. In the end i agreed with her social action for privatized acounts, which i think would benefit our generation greatly in the long run. The abortion presentation caught me in awe, Kaylan knew so much of her information and with her very visual and bright powerpoint she definently caught my attention. Her facts were startling i couldnt believe some of the information she handed out in the handout. Obviously being a girl and hearing about abortion and all the issues that go along with sex and preventative measures in sex raises a message to all of us. It is constantly an issue in todays society since so many teen girls are not waiting till marriage to have sex. In the handouts as well, i was completely shocked on one of the articles that stated a baby girl was aborted from a form of abortion and ended up living through the process. I cant believe something liek that happened, its crazy how things end up working in life.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

2005-04-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, :::sigh of relief:::, what a load off my shoulders. On tuesday i was the very first person to give my oral presentation on "Cloning." I used a powerpoint and some facts that i passed around to the class with useful information to back up several of my arguements. It was nerveraacking for a little bit, but once i got into my explanations it was not so bad. The other two presenters had very interesting oral presentations as well. I learned alot from Andrews arguement, he stated his position very clearly on the cycle of animals being slaughtered and confinement issues before they are fed or brought into the market of society. It was really upsetting how they slaugher the animals, i mean i am not a vegetarian by any means but i do feel terrible, they castrate them cut off body parts while their still alive its just wrong. In a way it makes me not want to eat meat anymore. Andrew also went over contamination issues, for instance anitbiotics to promote faster growth in animals therefore making certain strains of bacteria resistant to anitbiotics, cooking the meat and passing it to us humans. It really made me think alot about these issues. We could be prevent so many illnesses etc as well as banning or making a less harsher system in kill animals. I agree with the whole using anesthesia and making confinment bigger for a larger amount of animals... it is definently something worth changing and to think about for that matter in the future.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

2005-04-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday, the second day of oral presentations in class, was very knowledgeable to me. The topics were on, Nuclear Power, Evolution, and Marijuana. To be honest i did not know alot about Nuclear Power, but with the presented material given to the class i understood alot of ideas and issues i never knew about regarding nuclear power. The presentation on creation and evolution was very confsuing to me. I guess i am not that interested in the topic or it was just to in depth for me with all of the theorys and court cases he was talking about, but he did know his topic very well i must say. The third presentation was on marijuana, which had to be my favorite. Hazel put alot of work into presenting her oral presentation and used alot of variety in making the class understand her side etc. The best part was when she had a little skit right before her oral, she even had music playing that would go along with her topic. It was definently an attention grabber from the audience and it broke the ice to understanding her topic in a fun manner. I was however shocked about one particular fact, how it is only illegal to possess marijuana but a person cannot get into trouble if he/she were intoxicated on marijuana. I do agree with her that they should legalize marijuana, because if they do i think it honestly wont be a bigger issue than when it is illegal. Not as many people will try and do it because it is a legalized thing, and persay not have a reason to be cool doing it under the law. It is definently something to thinka bout. Overall the presentations were great and i look forward to presenting mine on tuesday.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

2005-04-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

The first day of oral presentations went very well. It was very interesting i would have to say. The first 3 presentations were set up perfectly, they all were prepared and spoke without any worries. Which i must say is very good for doing an oral presentation for the first time in our class. The topics were gay adoption, abortion, and adoption in general. The topic i found to be of more interest was gay adoption. I agreed with Kathryn when she was saying that even though she is a christian and is against the whole gay marriage issue, in her eyes it would still be a issue to consider when gays want to adopt children. For the childrens best interest she would rather have them placed with a family or a couple that is willing to take care of the children then have them placed on the streets without someone that cares or would be willing to care for them. She had some intersting myths to her presentation as well, that i thought was a valuable assett to her presentation such as one in particular, children raised by gay parents will grow up gay themselves. I find that very harsh and offensive to the gay community, even though i am not fully for gay marriage i do think that the society is changing everyday socially and that the gay community will be even more excepting in the near future. I do agree that adoption should be open for gay couples, i mean even celebrity couples are doing it, that tells you alot right there. Overall, all of the presnetations and powerpoints were great, it was a wonderful learnign experience.

ENC 1102 " 5 Q/A Assignment"

2005-04-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

For my upcoming oral presentation on my "social action" on cloning, i am truly eased with presenting my material to the class. It helped when you gave us a brief lecture on presenting things in general, knowing that everyone feels the exact same way as i do shy, hesitant, scared..it certainly made all the difference to hear that. But back to my topic of the cloning.. everyone has numerous views ..very different i might add..i think alot of people are for cloning. Yet i am neutral and have certain aspect where im against and for it, i have a couple really good issues to discuss, which i hope in the end changes a few minds or even made my audience take a deeper look on cloning. As far as the 5 questions i think i will be asked.. i think it will vary greatly .. but one i think that i will get targeted with is the issue on1) how using animals for organ transplants in humans could affect humans... 2)possibly a question on how i personally would feel if i was in a position or in need for a organ transplant if fighting a life threatening disease or illness what my stand would be on it .. 3) what i would consider the outcome of clonign to be.. regarding banning or making legal? 4) out of the 3 types of cloning, what ones would be most harmful or what ones i would be against, my thought on the clonign process? 5) lastly, i think in all honesty alot of people are goign to be against my opinion, and there is no problem there, but if i am unprepared on a certain subject or if the audience is wanting to be more in depth, that might present a problem .. i think i could have had alot more resources to back up my own opinions. but maybe the last question would be a personal issue..what made me choose this action out of all the others and why? Bring on the oral presentation!!

ENC 1102 "Chapter 9 Assignment"

2005-04-01T21:36:00.000-08:00

When reading chapter 9 in the textbook it gave me a great insight on some ideas for my upcomign oral presentation and final essay. It explained basic ideas that would capture an audiences attention, such as fonts, posters, visuals etc. One thing that i really saw in this chapter that caught my attention was the advertisements or advocacy ads. They stood out with their big, bold letters and symbols, they have great graphics as well. For our final essay on ad campaigns of the 50's to the present era I gathered information that was rather beneficial throughtout chapter 9. Such as when looking at a particular ad you can interpret alot of things to make an arguement or point to the audience. I need to get the audiences attention, so by picking out a specific article i should be able to tell what the advertisement is meaning or coming across as, how it might have caught my attention, who could the advertisment be directed towards. I am very excited about this last project, it should be fun more than anything. Also i might want to add in that taking a look at the periodicals was very interesting. Just to use something i would have never even thought of helped to ease the pressure of the final paper. I think chapter 9 and the periodicals willl be of great help in making the transition of my thoughts and words onto my paper, while presenting a clear depiction to my audience.

ENC 1102 "Oral Presentation Assignment"

2005-03-25T17:16:00.000-08:00

Getting towards the end of writing our social action paper has been a grueling process. Now, all we have left to do is make an oral presentation to the class describing our social action in a way that the class is familiar with our topics. I honestly am teriffied to speak in front of class, it has always been an issue with me, getting in front of class, let alone speaking about thoughts point blank. As long as i understand my topic i should be fine explaining it to the class, also depending on my topic or how broad or in depth it is to start off with, will all depend on my overall presentation. I was thinking about including a powerpoint with my presentation, for one to help me remember the topics i will be discussing since my topic is sooo in depth, and also to better understand my presentation to the class and what i will be discussing in general. I am however, excited to state my view to the class, even though i am neutral to the whole issue of cloning i still have great points in giving the class as well as anyone, to possibly familarize them with what is going on in todays society involving this social action. I might even go as far as writing a objective paper to present to the class regarding key points i will discuss in my 5 to 10 minute presentation. I think the presentation should be 5 minutes, it is just the perfect amount of time to be clear, cut and straight to the point, also as well as giving the class a brief presentation of what real life issues society could be placed with in the near future.

ENC 1102 "Teacher Comments"

2005-03-25T16:55:00.000-08:00

Feedback, in general is extremely helpful, i think. When in the process of writing a rough draft, it is always valuable to get anothers' opinion as well as advice on improvements. I have not always been a great writer and any advice i get is of major importance to my final paper. The comments you have given throughtout my paper was extremely helpful. I did not see the minor mistakes i had made previously and get a better idea of what i overlooked or did not fully explain. In addition i feel that peer reviews are also a great aid in helping to make the transition of our rough drafts to final drafts. I have improved such things as grammar, sentence structure, and my own personal thought involving the overall paper. As far as my overall final draft, i plan on revising a lot. From reviewing the comments i better understood that in a research paper, i need to use more of my own words followed by backing up some resources. So in my final paper i will be focusing more on my views towards the cloning debate, as well as rewriting a few paragraphs in order to make a better progression of my paper. Also, grammatical errors will be looked and fixed, to better aid the transition and flow of my paper. I have alot of good resources for my paper, however i will be needing an opposing source to backup my opinion and views etc. This has been a great experience of first hand writing a research paper.

ENC 1102 Assignment "View on SUV's"

2005-02-27T18:57:00.000-08:00

Reading about SUV's and many of their counterparts, i foudn myself relating with an abundance of issues. First of all my very first car was an SUV and still is. Traveling anywhere in my explorer sport certainly brings up the money issue. My car as well as any SUV has never been good fuel efficiency wise. I pay an arm and leg everytime i need gas. Reading the article on "Gas and Gasbags..or, the open road and its enemies," i found that i agree with Bush's view regarding hydrogen power fuel-cell vehicles. By doing this, this could benefit our country greatly, taking an ease off of foreign oil and even opening a door to many other improvements with car/ fuel efficiency. But, without government consent these plans wont be used, therefore still making gasoline our number one choice. When choosing my first car, i honestly did not care what i got. My dad actually made the choice for me, surprising me with a ford explorer sport. He chose an SUV because they are among the top safest cars to drive. As well as offering independence like any other car, "SUV's simply provide more protection than a smaller car does," as stated in the American Dream article. I think SUV's are a major advantage, i wouldnt trade it for the world. As long as it offers me the protection and reliability i am looking for then, i dont see a problem arising. But, yet one thing that still has me neutral over this aspect of SUV's is their fuel efficiency mentioned above. I would like to see an improvement in that area.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Beneficial Chapter"

2005-02-27T18:36:00.000-08:00

When writing my social action paper on Cloning, i think the chapter that will benefit me the most is Chapter 16. This chapter includes, "Finding and evaluating resources," it has helped me a great deal in starting my report. So far I have gone to the library for research, picking up numerous books here and there. When reading this chapter it gave me a better insight, makign me look deeper into my research for accuracy and opposing / and non opposing views. In an indepth research report that requires alot of facts and information to back up what you are trying to get across in your paper needs the required tools such as quotes, paraphrases and summarization of your topic or issue. This chapter has helped me to better understand the critequing process of a website and or book to evaluate the information needed for my paper. Such as specific accuracy, the right amount of coverage on the topic, biases and views etc. Since most of my information will be straight from the internet because for one it is alot easier and faster, i needed to know how and where to get valuable facts online. I have been using the librarys search databases some of them include Lexis Nexis, Wilson Omnifile, and CQ Researcher. With this chapter as well as the USF's library's reference materials and search engine online i have gained beneficial information. This has helped me better my resources as well as the overall production of my paper.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Social Action Continued Thoughts"

2005-02-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

For my "social action" i decided to research cloning-the negative effects. In my paper i will include a variety of sources making an ethical arguement for both my paper and my oral presentation. At first when picking cloning i was going to talk about humans and their reprocussions if cloned as well as the turn out of animals being cloned. But i realized after some reviewing of sources and cites i looked up, it came to me that not always is cloning bad in some cases. It has both its positive and negative effects. But, in my paper i will be talking more about the dangerous effects as well as unknown information involving cloning in my paper. I will be convering the cloning of food, humans, as well as animals. Focusing more on how cloning anything in general is eliminating a variety of resources we already have right at our fingertips, how with cloning we are limiting our levels. In other words if we clone or mutate food persay, we dont know if 10 or 15 years down the road how it will effect our economy, we wont know the outcome, for all we know there could be some chemical in the food when altering it that could potentially harm the society. We just dont know the reprocussions of it all. Also say in fact cloning a person, we would constantly be controlling ourselves we would all be the same people,with no unique diversity. So say that in the years to come people could end up choosing what their baby would look like eyes, hair , personality even, we could all turn out to be the same, pick the same. We need to benefit the society and economy, just benefiting ourselves in those ways could totally lead us somewhere we would never imagine.

ENC 1102 Assignment"Peer Review Reaction"

2005-02-17T21:48:00.000-08:00

Doing peer reviews in my composition 1 class last year, was a very interesting and worthwhile experience. But, honestly I did not take the time to grade the papers of my peers to my full advantage. Our teacher did not grade our reviews and we did not have to turn them in so it is alot different then our composition 2 class. We would have our fellow classmates in our assigned group go over the paper and half of them didnt even correct anything. In this class I like how it is required and we actually get a grade for the review, we now know that we have to work for a grade and in that know our peer reviewers have to actually review our papers in turn for their grade as well. Peer review has always helped me with my papers. I have not been the best in my tenses when writing papers or the usage of commas and other punctuation. So any helpful tips from my peer reviewers is and will always be beneficial to my papers. They have improved my writing in numerous ways, through a better understanding of what i am writing, my thesis, punctuation, and even a better viewpoint i may have overlooked when my peers give me their opinion on my paper. To me this has been a very much worthwhile exercise, it has opened my eyes to the things i might have missed, didnt understand, and even helped me with my overall writing technique, which i must say is improving everyday.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Continued Social Action"

2005-02-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

Cloning is a serious issue that society has been faced with. Due to the fact that Cloning has valuable information that would be help me with my pape, I think it will be the perfect topic. I have always had a strong viewpoint towards cloning, the opinion to never harm a human being in that sense. On the other hand, other topics i am interested in are sexually transmitted diseases, obesity, sex education in schools, nursing home care, and racism. I am still unsure about my topic all of the above seem to fit the criteria of a social action and have strong viewpoints i could target in my paper. Nursing home care is a major issue today with the elderly society, working firsthand in a nursing home for 3 years has taught me a new profound knowledge of care the elderly need. I was lucky enough to witness a positive nursing home environment while at my job at this specific nursing home. Taking the time last week to get valuable information at the library, certainly helped me gather my thoughts for my "Social Action" paper. I was further gained with the knowledge of useful websites or searches for my various topics on the library website. A specific website can even cite your resources for you, which i thought was very interesting and not to mention useful. Knowing that i have the library to aid me with factual information on my social action, will certainly benefit me in producing a stronger paper.

ENC 1102 Preferred Chapter Assignment

2005-02-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

Out of chapters 6 and 8 in the textbook, I found that chapter 8 was more useful in gathering my thoughts on arguments for my "social action" paper. It guided me with valuable insight as to what kind of argument I will be making. Focusing on the audience in any argument paper is a must to Bring views together and to even help you understand your point. I found out that u can either bring about a one-sided argument or include multiple arguments. For my paper I am going to be making multiple arguments, they tend to make the audience more open to your views as well as reflecting on their own on the specific issue discussed. I think it is better to be more open with your audience, bringing in a variety of sources on a issue. This in turn makes a clear depict statement considering the fairness of all opposing sides. By reading this chapter I was aided in the valuable information I found describing the "Rogerian Argument." It is in turn focusing more on audiences that are resistant to ones views or opinions. Listenign to others views, morals, and opinions before basing your opinion, without judging that persons views immediately. Also, to gather your audiences attention, i learned that humor can be a worthwhile affect in ones writing. By brining a new outlook to ones perception or to further add a spark to a thesis or even to the point of expressing concern or anger. In turn this helped me gather my thoughts for the upcomign assignment, even preparing me for future interviews and specific guidelines I will need to start my "social action" assignment.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Social Action"

2005-02-05T14:04:00.000-08:00

For our second English assignment concerning"Social Action, " I had quite a few interests when it came to choosing this diverse topic. I think this assignment will be of great interest to everyone since they have to choose a issue primarily on their own opinion and statement of individual arguments. One inparticular issue stands out, cocerning Cloning. Ever since I was able to understand the issue of this social action, it really made my opinion on it stronger then ever. I personally don't think cloning is a good moral or ethical principle. It does not need to be evident or considered in the society today, everyone is unique and I think nothing good can become of this. On the other hand, there could be a positive benefit to this social action, the better understanding of the human species, the intricate human body, further testing and evaluation, possible theory's or future observations. There could be a wide array of positive outcomes with this action, as well as negative ones concerning any important topic in society. This seems more important to make a statement about concerning my opinion on this matter as well as the societal views. Other topics I am also interested in is the abortion issue, private schools; should there be a separation of private and public schooling?, death penalty and legalization of drugs. Bringing on a more clear picture of my thoughts as well as my future sources for my paper, this could be one interesting "Social Action," to look forward to.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Chapter that benefited Me the Most"

2005-02-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

While in preparation of writing my first essay, I needed a good, solid review of an overall argument and its persuasiveness to the audience. The textbook's Chapter 7 on "Moving Your Audience-Ethos and Pathos," guided me in many ways in making my first essay more appealing and capturing to the audience. Since I had first started writing papers, I always seemed to need help when it came to presenting my paper, delivering the thesis, etc to the audience. While reading about Ethos in this chapter, it helped me to better equip myself with my own issue I was discussing. I needed to have adequate knowledge about my own topic and provide examples in making a stronger,vivid point. Not only did I have to state my view for this argument essay, but I did need to have an alternative view, taking in to consideration, the opinion of others. After reading this, I could see clearly my side that I was stating to the audience, and found out that it is crucial to have 2 sides and I even gained a better perception of my own views as well. Looking over Pathos in this chapter guided me with a more effective appeal. I learned that to make your writing have a stronger point, and to create a better image, examples should be shown throughout your paper. Examples provided me with many ways to improve my argumentative essay, it certainly made my point stronger, and captured my essay, holding a more emotional persona. Writing a 2 sided paper can be very challenging, especially when you have to involve yourself in moral and ethical issues, for example in the movie "Charly." It was evident that I needed to make my strong points to further benefit the outcome of my paper and in doing so this chapter helped me greatly in laying out a strong foundation to my writing.

--VeRy LaSt BlOg--

2004-12-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

Well, what can i say.. its my very last blog. I actually enjoyed writing in these things, at first i was very hesitant and thought it would constantly be a hassle but, it grew on me. I can't believe school is almost over with for this semester. It has flown by so fast, im getting ready to pick my new classes for spring and start a whole new year. Christmas break is upon us and i cant wait till christmas eve. We always have a huge family get together.. this year it is going to be in North Carolina, we are renting a cabin there with a few of my aunts and uncles and meeting with my grandparents. The best part about the holidays is traveling.. for me it is the best thing going to a different state driving in the car relaxing till you reach your destination. We always travel up to ohio as well to visit more family, my mom ahs a big side to her family 7 brothers and sisters and their familys.. it adds up. Skiing is the family thing.. when we go to North Carolina we always hit the slopes.. i have been skiing since i was young enough to walk, its the best sport in the world, i love snow so out on the snow exercising doign something i love is the best feeling. Im gonna try and master snowboarding with my brother... that should be a challenge.... we will have to see ... wishing all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Comp Assignment ENC1101 "As a Writer"

2004-12-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

This semester has gone by so fast, writing essays.... papers and more papers, is finally coming down to the end. As for my writing in the beginning of the semester i had alot of faults, i have never been that great at punctuation and using past and present tense as well as pronouns ....the list goes on. Now that the semester is almost over i feel that i have had the necessary writing skills through constantly writing papers, peer reviews, and writing in these blogs. I can now gather my thoughts alot quicker beign more creative and open minded than i was before. I used to have a problem with transitioning my papers when talking abotu different issues in one paper, i would always get stuck starting a paper the opening paragraph was and still is a pain in the butt. I have gotten better i must say but it still and i think always will be a problem with my writing. I have definently seen a difference thought and it has made me more knowledgeable and aware of further errors i have had in my writing. But, one thing that i have noticed when it comes to writing papers, is that i am really good at spelling and vocabulary. Ever since i was little i would always win those spelling bees and ace those vocab tests. I think with the help of my peers and resources i have understood my own writing technique alot better and further grasped a wide array of cencpets invovled in english and throught written papers.

STRESS!!!

2004-11-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

Well, nows the time to stress. Why might you ask.. studying..exams...morestudying....and hmmm loads of work. Next week is final exams for some students. Its crazy how much stress there is when it comes to school. Hoping to pass the class you have worked hard in, atleast from my point of view.. and hoping to achieve a high grade to keep the grade you previously had in the class before the exam. I don't understand the point of exams honestly.. you work so hard during the 3 months and have exams and are quizzed, yet you have to remember everything again when you take the final. Its crazy one week i wont have any work to do then the next is like im swamped, its unreal. Once you think your ahead your wrong your right back where u started and are behind for that matter. I have an exam this thursday, one next wednesday and the other next friday. I am trying to balance it all out though, work on some homework for a few hours then get a change of scenery for a little. Taking a break is a must, i would probably go crazy. The only thing that is keeping me sane right now is the fact that christmas break is coming up 38 days of total freedom. YEAHHHH!!!!... after next week there will be no stress.. christmas here we come.........

Over the Break

2004-11-30T17:15:00.000-08:00

Over Thanksgiving break i kept busy doing everything but homework. I enjoyed the change of scenery for a few days leaving the hectic dorm life and going home to a much relaxed atmosphere. I was always doing something over the break either with one of my friends or hanign out with my family. My best friend Kevin came down from florida state university, so i spent everyday haning out with him. I went to go see the "grudge," which i have to say is one of the freakiest movies i have ever seen. Thanksgiving night was alot of fun i came back to tampa to show a few of my friends where my dorm was and the area around campus, then the fun began. We all ended up going to ybor thursday night, not thinking it was going to be packed we showed up alittle later than usual. Boy was i wrong it was sooo packed it took us like 30 minutes just to get into a club. We met up with a few of my friends fraternity brothers and had a blast. I really didnt realize that there is nothing to do where i live, except the usual movies, dinner, and the occasional ybor, which happens rarely, but there really isnt anything to do. However i did enjoy hanging out with my friends and family. I was looking forward to it for a while and will get the chance again in a week.. christmas break YEAHHHH

The American Girl

2004-11-23T23:56:00.000-08:00

Earlier today as i was flicking through the channels, i realized that one particular movie caught my eye. Samantha, the true american dream doll, in a movie this time. Ever since i was little i could remember recieving news letters as well as phone calls and letters asking if i was interested in getting a doll. The doll represented so many things, mainly a true young american girl. Bringing back so many memories when i was younger, it made me realize how something like that a doll was so important to me. To come to think of it i dont remember where the doll went after all these years. Watching the movie with my roomate, made me really appreciate what i have. It had a few scenes showing a bunch of orphans and how they were treated so terribly, finding work at such a young age and fending for themselves when there familys were not around or without any family at all. It made me take a step back from reality looking back at times when ive treated people unfairly without respect. We all tend to think about ourselves fairly to often at times being selfish. This movie in turn showed me how to truly take a deeper look at myself as a better person. It truly idealizes how the american girl should be portrayed.

ENC1101 Comp Assignment-"Blog Writing"

2004-11-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

Blog Writing.....hmm well when i first heard of this assignment i thought oh my this is going to be a pain writing a thousand words a week, 4 blogs, not gonna be fun. I was thinking how would i ever have the time to write even more in comp, doing the essays and even trying to balance all of my other classes and their work as well. Well, i have come to realize that writing a 250 word blog is not bad at all. It has worked out perfectly. I have enough time each day to set aside one blog still with enough time for my other class asignments. When starting the blogs in the beginning, i would get really critical on myself, but now that i have written so amny of them its not as hard and i am not that critical. Since starting the blogs, it has made my grammar and focus more bright. It is easier for me to get a topic and think of what to say. For my papers that i do now, i dont think as much and come with enough information to sufffice the topic. I have learned alot through my blogs, it has opened up my comprehension as well as my overall thought and process of words. It has been a great tool.

Brittany-"Jackie"

2004-11-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

Since the very first day here at USF, i have come to find that having a roomate is not as bad as i thought it would be. I first met my roomate brittany while going out to dinner with both of our familys one night. Come to find we had a lot in common with each other. For instance, she has the same birthday as my dad, and we both have tremendous allergies. Also, something that i found to be very odd and yet interesting was how we bought the same jacket at the same store the previous day. I think we were just meant to be roomates. We are so much alike, yet she brings out the best in me, im glad it worked out the way it did. Her nickname is "Jackie" because she likes to shorten peoples names for instance my name is natalie for short im ntizzle, and our roomate megan is megster. I dont know if the name Jackie goes well pertaining to how she shortens peoples names, but its a name that just stuck with her. This year has been a great one so far, we get along perfectly, and our 2 suitemates are just as sincere as she is. She has tought me to not stress out so much, take one step at a time. Im glad shes here to enjoy my college experience with me, i wouldnt trade it.

Weekend Events!!

2004-11-22T17:01:00.001-08:00

My weekend was very relaxing. Although, i had so much homework assigned, i still managed to enjoy the most of my weekend. My weekend actually started on wednesday, i had a early morning class and my second class of the day was cancelled. Thursday I had no classes, it was an assigned reading day, so i just enjoyed the day laying out by the pool. Friday was really interesting. My roomates and i were trying to figure out what we all wanted to do, ice skating, bowling, movies were some of the things we wanted to try. Finally last minute we decided to go to The Meridian (Hookah Lounge), it is located on 56th street and many of my friends have tryed it or have gone there. The hookah lounge is a neat place to go to relax in there velvet seat cushions, enjoy a variety of music, while smoking a flavored tobacco called shish. Hookahs are large pipes that involve a water/charcoal effect, when you inhale the mist made of water vapor and flavoring you get a very light relaxation feeling. It was developed five years ago in Turkey and is very different from ciggarette tobacco. It involves other ingredients consisting of a sweet vapor aroma. I honestly did not care for it, when i inhaled it left a bad aftertaste that really made me want to gag. I wont be going back there anytime soon thats for sure. I will find something else to do in the meantime.

Weekend Events!!

2004-11-22T17:01:00.000-08:00

Movie Night/ Roundup

2004-11-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Today has been a very laid back day. I had one class today, my second class was cancelled. My weekend is already starting with no classes tomorrow i am on a role. Me and the roomies decided to rent a few movies at blockbuster for the night. We rented the "Elf" i have already seen it, it is definently a great comedy, with Will Farrel noone can beat him. I remember "A night at the roxbury" that was hilarious Will definently made the movie. The rest of our night will be spent making popcorn and having a girls night in for once. Tomorrow is going to be the best time ever. I used to go to this line dancing place where i live, its called Roundup, it is located near Palm Harbor close to Oldsmar. It is a country line dancing bar/ dancefloor. Even though i dont like country music its a nice place to go to , good atmosphere, and a safe place to hang out, other than Ybor. I am going with a bunch of people from both my highschool and friends here at USF. Its going to be a awesome weekend. Even though i have so much school work to do, you gotta have fun sometime. Till next time.. stay tuned

ENC 1101 Comp Assignment: Movie Review/ Book Report

2004-11-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

Both a movie review and book report are very different. One involves the review of a movie by means of a visual presentation, and a book review involves reading and is taken to be more of a comprehension based review. A movie review can involve many issues and is a broad based topic you can discuss when writing a review on. Anywhere from critequing to analyzing the plot or issue, flow of movie, screenplay, and picture of how the film and scenes are portayed. A book review only involves previous reading and can be done with a brief summary and analyzation of the context of the story. However, a majority of ones own opinion and other perceptions of of others' review can be better interptreted through ones written movie review. You can include alot of your own thoughts and ideas about a movie by writing a summarization or review. Writing a book report basically involves one to summarize, interpreting what one comprehended when reading the material. They both hold seperate ideas and can be explained as very different entities. Including the paper we just wrote on film reviews, i find it alot easier to watch a film then reading a book, to me it is more captivating when you see it visually rather than reflecting back on what you have -read.

Beat the Bulge!!

2004-11-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is coming up next week. Many people try and stay away from carbs/sweets during the holidays. As an effort to further stay in shape, i devised a exercise plan similar to my exercise routine that i follow each week. I have stepped up to the bar you might say, working out twice a day. I have even motivated many of my suitemates and friends on my floor to join in. Monday through friday i am at the gym, on monday, wednesday, and friday i do an hour of cardio and lift weights, concentrating on my upper body. On tuesdsay and thursday i do 45 mintues of cardio, and doing leg weights. I do abs which i include in my everyday exercise routine as well. Since the weather has been really nice during the late evening, i usually run at night. Considering i go to the gym everyday and atleast do an hour of cardio, the nighttime is when i take it easy doing a light jog anywhere from 2 to 3 miles. I don't know where i get the motivation from, i guess being involved in so many sports throughout the years has really made me realize how much i love being athletic and how it makes me feel when i know i have accomplished something. I am a much better person when i put an effort to something that i really enjoy, and it even helps with the stressful tension, especially around exam times, school in general i might add. Stay Tuned...

West Palm Weekend!!!

2004-11-16T16:45:00.000-08:00

Over Veteran's Day weekend, i went to West Palm. I went with one of my friends to go see her family. We stayed for about 4 days and had a blast, a nice change of scenery. My weekend events included going to the mall, which i very rarely do, going out to dinner and hanging out at home. The drive wasn't bad at all, only 3 in a half hours there and back, we drove at night hoping to not hit the traffic, but as we got on the road to go there wednesday night our luck was ruined. There was alot of construction on I-75 so we had to take a couple detours. I dont mind driving at all, as long as its a smooth ride i love traveling so i will go anywhere. Anyways, the rest of my weekend was boring. Came back on saturday night and did homework, while watching a few movies. It was nice to take a break from the caos here at school, now that exams are coming up soon, its gonna be even more stressfull. i cant wait for thanksgiving break, another well needed vacation, then off for about a month for christmas break. Wow, thats the life. off to the gym... stay tuned for more updated info.

ENC 1101 " 2 Movie Reviews/CompAssignment"

2004-11-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

The movie I chose to review is called Erin Brokovich, which is not a new movie, an older film which has been out for atleast 3 to 4 years. When asked to review a film this came to mind first, i reviewed 2 different reviews on this movie, both stating 2 different sides. For the first review i went to http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/ErinBrok.htm, it was a review made by a guy named John, he stated that the film was fairly good (2 in a hald stars) due to the fact that Erin Brokovich, played by Julia Roberts, lit up the screen with her fascinating skills and essential qualitys to better bring out the real/true Erin. Some negative turning points he pointed out explained how Erin's love life is vaguely touched upon and the script of how her children are being handled in the balancing act of career and family life. The techniques he used to base his own opinion was by watching the movie and critequement himself. The plot and some scenes are a little sketchy but if you like Julia Roberts, then this movie might just be for you. The 2nd review i found was at http://www.moviefreak.com/reviews/e/erinbrokovich.htm, it was reviewed by Dan Peters who gave the movie a total of 3.5 out of 4 stars. He stated that the director Steven Soderbergh, truly made the movie, with his brilliant direction of casting the actors Julia Roberts and Albert Finney, the film is good all throught the story line and plot. He also stated that one of the negative impressions he got while reviwing the movie, was how Julia Roberts and Aaron Eckhart had no chemistry whatsoever, which i dont agree on. All in all, the movie is a must see and deserves to be seen, through the eyes of both my reviewers and myself.

Veterans Weekend

2004-11-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

Since Thursday is Veterans Day, the university will be closed, giving the students an extra day to finish necessary assignments. I also have no class on friday, therefore giving me a 5 day weekend to relax and enjoy. It's nice not having class on fridays, i can always get extra work done before the weekend. Im hoping i can still have fridays free next semester, it is a nice break to have. My weekend is going to be nice. Heading off to West Palm Beach with a friend of mine. We are going to visit her family for the weekend. I have lived in Florida all of my life and have never been to West Palm or even remotely close to that part of Florida before. I am excited to go somewhere a change of scenery you might say. The bad part about going to West Palm is that we are driving and it will be approximately 3 to 4 hours. During the weekend, our plans are to go shopping, go out to dinner, which is nice because i am so sick of eating the food here, same old stuff. Since my dad is a chef, it is so nice to go back home and have decent food. I used to be so spoiled, you never knew how good you have it until you dont have it anymore. Anyways, my weekend should be fun and stress free, im hoping. Till next time, have a great Veterans Day!!!

Exercise Routine!!!!!!

2004-11-10T02:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, has the weather been wonderful or what. If it wasn't for this cooler weather at night, i wouldnt be running as much as i do. For the past week, since the drop out of being on the crew team, i have been motivating myself with all of the running i have been doing. I run anywhere from 3 to 5 miles a day, sprinting periodically in between each mile, to increase my cardiovascular fitness. Sprinting is tremendously hard, especially for me becuase i have always been a long distance runner and transitioning from long distance to sprints really wears you out. My weekly routine this week consisted of.. 3 miles on monday plus an extra couple hundred yards of sprints on monday, on tuesday i did 3 in half miles with some extra core strength exercises after running, for today, wednesday i plan on going for a quick run around 3 miles at a steady pace, saving tomorrow for some extra sprints. I usually get sick of running real fast, so i try and combine running with some other cardiovascular exercise later during the week and especially during the weekends because it is hard to motivate myself, when i have so many things going on. Other sports i enjoy doing are playing volleball, swimming, and playing soccer. I have also been thinking of a major in sports medicine, since i enjoy athletics and sports so much... but who knows..

"Weekend Events"

2004-11-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

Over the past weekend I was extra busy with school work and coming to and from my house in Palm Harbor. On thursday I ended up going home and went out to dinner with a few of my highschool friends. I have to say, the Olive Garden is the best restaurant ever, i'm 75% Italian and melt when it comes to Italian food. I ended up sharing the "Tour of Italy" with one of my friends, which consisted of Fettucini Alfredo, Lasagana, and Chicken Parmesan. It was nice to go home, go out for that matter and eat something different, besides the same old food on campus. I think everyone can agree with me on that one when it comes to the school food. On friday my roomys and i went bowling. W stayed for cosmic bowling which starts after 11 and ends at 3, it has disco lights and a variety of music is played throughout the night. Saturday was a relaxing day, i did everything possible to not start my homework, i ended up watching a movie called "Love Actually," which was a great movie starring Hugh Grant. It was a perfect romantic comedy, taking place during the christmas holiday. On sunday I went to the pool to catch some rays. The weekend weather was perfect, cold at night and breezy during the day, i wish it was like this all year.

Winter Holidays

2004-11-03T13:44:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it, its already November. Before you know it Thanksgiving and Chrismas will be upon us. The only downside to the holidays, here in Florida, is the weather. Alright, it is the first week in November and still hot as it is in the summer, yes we do get a slight breeze at night if were lucky, but face it the weather here is terrible at least to me. I guess i have lived here in Florida all my life, for so long, that i am just tired of the heat and humidity. So, during the holidays my family and i usually go up north for skiing and visiting the relatives. Most of my moms side of the family lives in ohio and north carolina, so its nice to visit durign the holidays and especially enjoying the weather... the snowy weather i might add. Since i was little being in the cold and in the snow has been my favorite place and thing to do that i thoroughly enjoy being around. When goign up north with my family i enjoy skiing and i want to try snowboarding one day. After i graduate college and need to find a job i am looking into going up north for work and to be on my own raising a family and what not. I believe the holidays especially christmas with snow, is the best time and actually liven up the holidays, its not the same without snow.. Hopefully we will atleast see some cold weather our way soon.. stay tuned..

To Quit or Not to Quit????

2004-11-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

Well, as you all know I am on the crew team, or was. Due to the fact that I have extremely early classes four days out of the week, I decided to stop going to the practices. I am trying to adjust to classes, new classes for that matter and college life in general. I really love attending the practices but i am stressing myself out with everything else, it is just making it worse. Next semester i plan on getting later classes so i can attend the practices and actually be on the team. But, in the meantime i am running as well as going to the gym. It is easier in my schedule to run later in the evening than at the crack of dawn in the morning. I could only do it for so long. My workout schedule consists of, on mondays, wednesdays and fridays running from 3-5 miles, tuesdsay and thuursday going to the gym to do a total body workout with weights and resistance. On the weekends i plan on doing somethign different whether it involves swimming, playing soccer, or volleyball. Since my family is coming down for the holidays and i will be seeing them all i want to look like i havent gained those famous freshmen 15 pounds. It is definently a goal of mine and it has worked out so far, had good luck you might say. More updates on my newest workout schedule. See ya

ENC 1101 "Movie Review Assignment"

2004-11-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

For this blog assignment, I chose the review on a movie called "The Notebook". "The Notebook," stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel Mcadams, as well as many other talented actors and actresses. When reviewing a review on the internet pertaining to this movie, I definently found myself relating to the movie reviewer, Rebecca Murray. When I watched the movie for the first time in theaters, I thought it was perfectly setup, good beginning, middle, and end, i could follow the movie, it wasnt the least bit confusing when switching from present to past and vice versa. I would say just like the reviewer that it had great substance, it might be known as a "chick flick," but anyone could watch it, it is not stereotyped to fit a particular person you might say. It was so good i had to see it a few times and never got old watching it. Yet, i did get jeolous while watching the movie because it was the perfect romantic on screen setup, perfect couple, perfect scence and phrases. However, when comparing my review to the authors review i did not agree with her statement saying that the movie would have been fit with a better audience had it been released later in the year. I thought the movie came out in the perefect time mid june, when i saw the movie a few times i saw a diverse group of audience members, summer was the perfect time kids and young teens had no school, the older generation would be able to watch it. To me it just fit the best scenario, however i do agree on the rating she gave the movie, a B+ is well sufficient. I would consider this movie to be a love story in its own time, full of captivating moments and memories. The website is http://romanticmovies.about.com/od/thenotebook/a/notebook062504.htm
Take a look and state your view... Enjoy!!

Halloween Weekend!!

2004-11-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

Wow, this year was the first time that it didn't feel like Halloween. It wasn't the same, compared to being back at home giving out candy or even taking my brother and his friends trick or treating like i would normally do every year. During the weekend, i ended up going to see the movie "Saw" back at my home town in Palm Harbor. All i can say, was how disgusting my stomach felt after watching it. The movie itself was good, but yet gory and disgusting. I went on a friday with a bunch of my friends and it so happened to be the opening night, we ended up sitting in the 3rd row, which was terrible because it was a scary movie and i eventually ended up with a headache towards the middle of the movie. But all in all it wasnt to bad, definently left you with suspense. Saturday i came back over to tampa and had a few friends over and watched "The Butterfly Effect" with Ashton Kutcher. I saw it before and it wasnt to bad kinda creepy though. Sunday ended up being a homeowork day as usual, waiting last minute for accomplishing the good ole homework. This weekend i plan on seeing this other movie called the "Grudge" with Sarah Michelle Gellar, the previews look soooo incredibly scary, i heard from alot of people that it was really good. Ill have to see for myself.. stay tuned

Pre-Halloween Event!!

2004-10-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Living in a residence hall, does have its advantages. This past week, we (meaning my hall groupies) have been decorating the floor with halloween decorations for the upcoming event, we are having this week. Our R.A (resident assistant) told us about an event, involving less fortunate children in the nearby area, trick or treating on each floor of Cypress Hall. It gives the kids a safe environment to be surrounded in while trick or treating, going to each dorm room. Out of all the five floors here at Cypress i think ours is the best decorated. We used toilet paper, confetti, stuffed pumpkins, cobwebs, you name it we have it. I think this event is goign to turn out well, knowing that we have helped these children have a better, more safer Halloween brings a smile to my face. But, with the rest of the my weekend Halloween events i think i might be going back home to one of my friends Halloween partys, she throws every year. I was plannign on going to Guavaween at Ybor, but i heard it is not asafe place around this time. My friend does have a social or sorority preview at a club there on friday, so i might go early and that will save me the trouble. Happy Halloween, stay tuned for further updates

Crew Update # 3

2004-10-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, what can i say. I haven' t been able to go to crew for atleast a week in a half, due to a bad cold. I have been trying to run on the side a few times here and there, but i don't have the motivation as much anymore. This week we split into three different groups and we are actually starting water practice. The groups are splitting up into areas involving water exercises, erging, and weights. We are doing the water exercises at the University of Tampa this week, actually having practices on saturdays now, but allowing our assigned group one day off during the week. I have been debating whether or not i should still continue with Crew. I like it and really enjoy exercising and the practices, but waking up that early in the morning takes alot of strength. Since the semester is almost up, which went by fast i should say, i have been studying alot more...exams are coming up. The timing just isnt right. We will see, if i cant do it this semester i think i will try our for the spring.. Definently making my classes later in the day so i can wake up early go to practice and sleep. Stay tuned for another update!

ENC 1101 Sect 256 Assignment "Cognition/ Intuition"

2004-10-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

In response to the Article on "Cognition and Intuition," i found that i could relate to the quotes and phrases authors were mentioning. It involved isssues on decision making, ones intuition, problem solving, and self discovery. I could relate to E.M. Forester when he stated that "I write because I don't know what i think until i read what i say." That phrase definently made me think and compare myself to his phrase, for example when i think of something to write or have to write about a certain assigned topic, i just start writing not knowing if it makes any sense. In the end i read it aloud to myself understanding the concept, not looking to in depth. I think this article is based on writing comprehension and understanding ones writing abilitys. It made me take a deeper look, judging my own writing, finding how i can write, what my certain strategies for writing and skills that i apply to my writing. When i gather my thoughts in writing, i do find that i look to much in depth on the related topic. It takes me a while to gather the throughts needed to start a ceratin paper, but once i get started on it theres no stopping me,its like what Robin Williams said, "Suddenly these things are coming out of you, you're in control, but your not." Very true on my part, i could relate greatly.

Weekend EXTRAVAGANZA!!

2004-10-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the best ive had in a long time. I met up with a few of my friends from highschool and went to ybor thursday night. We went to Parana and had a total blast till about 3:30 in the morning. I must say though, that i have been going to ybor alot lately, almsot a weekly weekend event. On friday, I met up with my cousin Matt from gainseville, his band called the Golden Vanity was playing at the Brass Mugg, just off of Fletcher near the university of SOuth Florida. I took a couple of my friends with me and they really enjoyed it, the music is kind of punk/ alternative rock. I have been to a few of their band gigs but not in a while, it was also nice to see a couple people from my dorm come out to hear the band. Later on that night a bunch of my friends and i met up with my cousin and his band mates at the fabulous ybor yet again. This time we went Amphitheater, which was techno night, not one of the best nights to go but we ended up having a great time. That was the extent of my partying part of the weekend, i went home saturday to see the family and visited with some family friends over the rest of my weekend. It turned out to be a really good break, a much needed one i might add. see ya

Major Undecided???

2004-10-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

Since the the 8th grade i have always wanted to major somewhere in the medical field. Either in gerontology(elderly) or in the genetic lab department. Ever since coming to college, not even 2 months ago i have already begun to consider the option of changing my major. Know that i am here in college, i am realizing that there are certain prerequisites for my major and they all take a considerable amount of time and effort to pass. Its not that im doubting myself, its just that if i consider going to medical school and fully becoming a doctor it takes a long time up to 4 years in medical school, and residency anywhere from 2-9 years. Taking into consideration that i want a family as i get older, i am not sure if this career would work out to well with my other future plans. I am considering a major in International Business because i would love to travel while doing work and a business major does not involve numerous science or biology requirements. I am also interested in Pre-Pharmacy which has been another interest of mine for the past year, I dont have to go to medical school just pharmacy school for 4 years and get my A.A degree which is 2 years and then im finished. I still have time to choose my major i have another whole year to decide, in the meantime i am going to the career center on campus in an effort to find a specific oriented major.

ENC 1101 "Community" Assignment

2004-10-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

For my paper on a chosen group or community for the upcoming assigned project," I researched 3 different aspects of Sororities. I chose to include both the positive and negative aspects,as well as a sorority i might be interested in joining. I chose to research sororities because i have had a great interest in them and upon joining learned that it can be a great opportunity to meet new people and interact with the university and its affiliated organizations. I have alot of friends that have joined a sorority this year, I have been able to get alot of information regarding the money issue when joining, more social intakes, the taking on more leadership developments, and interactions with other groups or organizations. I could picture myself in a sorority one day, but i have to really consider if i want to be apart of a group such as this, it will take alot of my time and full attention. Also, you have to think that what if you dont get along with the group you join, i have to really consider what group i would fit into and feel comfortable in. If i did join one it would be next fall semester. Going through the process is very stressful but if it is something i really wanted to do you just gotta go through with it. Being a sorority does have many aspects to consider, more pros then cons i would say... do some research.. maybe greek life is something for you.

Hmwk Assignment "Crew"

2004-10-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Crew, other wise known as Rowing, has been around for over 2,000 years. It became an Olympic sport in 1900. Here at the University of South Florida, it became an affiliated tax free exempt organization in 1998. Practices are usually held monday through friday and generally take place in the gym from 6:15 to 7:30 a.m, yes i know in the early morning. I have always been involved in some kind of sport, whether it was running cross country or playing soccer for my highschool and recreation team. Usually every other thursday we have meetings that are located in the 2nd floor ballroom of the Marshall Center. Its purpose is to help people understand the sport of rowing here at USF, and to encourage participation and cooperation with rowing. It is a great way to meet new people while participating in a very athletic, cardio, whole body workout. Along with my school work and academic load, it has balanced really well for me.. i can still do the work assigned and social interactions are not a distraction. The team is always open to new memberships, you can contact Chris Paulus by phone at (813) 810-1696 or by email at paulus@eng.usf.edu. For any further information the team website is www.rowusf.com stop by and take a look.

RoUnDuP

2004-10-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

I had the best weekend EVER!! A couple of my florida state buddys came down to visit me this weekend. We went to a place called Roundup, which is a country line dancing place. It is located in oldsmar and during the summer i was found their like every weekend, it was a weekly ordeal with my friends. It is a nice place to go meet people, and its not intimidating to go out there trying to learn the dance moves. Everytime i go there, there is a good amount of people on the dance floor. At first when i started going i was like there is no way u are going to see me out there, i dont care for country music at all and i just dont go on the floor to dance that fast. The music is a mix of both country and techno, it is very interesting, not a bad beat to line dance to. I would have to say i am a pretty good linedancer as well. I went on a friday this time and it wasnt as packed, probably because it is not summer and alot of kids are away at school. The age group varies on the night in particular, like on a thursday there are more teenagers around the age of 18 to 20 fridays are a mix of older adults and teens, and saturdays are just teens. They have break sessions on the floor where they have swing dancers, since watching them i have wanted to take lessons for a while. I just want to go out and do what they are doing.. but lessons may need to be required. Well that was part of my weekend. Stay tuned for next post.

ENC1101-256 "How to choose a Major and Investigate a Career"

2004-10-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

In response to the reading on "How to choose a Major and Investigate Careers," I could definently relate to the article, as a student trying to figure out my major. The article gave useful information on when you should decide on your major, which is later in your junior year. Also, after you are done with your schooling would their be a job available with your certain major in mind. I never knew that ones major should be decided around the time their general education requirements are met. It is best to decide very early on what your intended major might be because some majors may have you attending school for more than four years. It is extremely important in your college years to have a relationship with your advisers and/or guidance counselors to start your career process. A college degree can help one in the workforce but not necessarily lead one into the job of their choice. If you are an undecided major, it is best to explore your options visiting information sessions and/or undergraduate advising. The whole college experience is such an important part of ones life, deciding on the career of your choice, getting valuable insight on specific skills, and finding yourself. The most important advice i got from the article is don't be quick to decide your major, take time and explore all of your open options.

Crew Update #2

2004-10-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Not a bad week for once. I have only gone to one practice this week, the issue with getting up so early is still a hassle, but it comes along with being apart of the crew team. Anyways, our practice consisted of splitting into 4 different groups, dividing up the team seperately. Luckily I am on the team with all of my friends, that will definently give me some motivation there. The nice thing is, each seperate group gets one day off a week, giving us a break from the insanity of waking up so early. We have been talking about fundraisers and starting our own newspaper column, so I am looking forward to that. If I dont end up going to crew practice, I end up running around the perimeter of the school or usually the 2 in a half mile long trail that is located in the back of the track and football field. I am still waiting to go into the water, to actually row. It has been alot of hard, strenuous cardio work that we have been doing for the past 2 months, i know when i actually start rowing i will be in so much pain because you are working your whole entire body all at once and i have never done that or rowing for that matter. We will see what next week will bring.. lifting weights.. circuit training o joy ... till next time

Transitioning?!?!?!?!?!?!?

2004-10-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Looking back on my highschool years, I was the most studious, nerdy, no party kind of girl. On the weekends I would be either doing my homework, studying, or involved in some kind of sport recreation or at school. Noone would have ever thought that i would be the first person to actaully go to a party and not do the usual school work for once. Since coming to college alot has changed. It has changed me for the good and for the bad. I am now finally realizing that I am on my own, making my own decisions, doing my own thing. It matters to me and what i think will benefit me, making decisions for myself and realizing some of the decisions I made weren't the best, but you live and learn. My college experience has been an interesting one, I should be more into my studys, I am trying to do so many things at once, that its all finally coming down to a stump. I used to make straight A's in highschool, no problem, not alot of studying was required, but now in college I have to study constantly, its like I dont ever get a break. I have been lacking on the homework side of things lately, going to alot more partys on the weekends, hitting ybor city almost every weekend. Some of those things are so addicting once you start, its hard to stop. I need to focus more, which was always somethign I never seemed to have a problem with. I do think that getting away from the parents was a wise decision, its time for me to finally find me and face my own choices face to face.

Howl O Scream!!!!!!!!

2004-10-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Halloween, just from hearing the word makes me jump. It is the scariest time of year and for me just hearing a sound freaks me out. Over the weekend a bunch of my friends and I went to the Busch Gardens "Howl O Scream." I have been there the past 2 years in a row and I would have to say it has been better each year. Yes, Horror nights at Universal Studios is by far the scariest of them all, but after going twice, paying a numerous amount of money, and long lines ranging about 2 hours long. It doesn't sound like a worthwhile experience, not to mention driving 2 hours to get there. Anyways, on the topic of Howl O Scream I had a discount for admission which was nice $29.95 compared to $53.95, it made all the difference. The longest line was about 5 minutes, for all the haunted houses we got right in and out. I would have to say Gwazi, the wooden roller coaster was the best, making my stomach drop though thats another story. The best haunted house had to be the "Mortuary" it was the freakiest one of them all, it's nice to go with a big group of people because there is not always that same person going first in the Haunted Houses. It was a total blast... i can't wait till next year. Maybe it will be even better.

Crew Update!!

2004-10-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

I have survived a whole month of crew. Pain and Suffering and now we are finally getting into the sport. We have been doing cardiovascular training for the whole month. Finally starting to lift weights and getting into the water. Today in practice we were seperated into different groups, one group doing the URG, which is a machine that imitates the rowing motion, one running, lifting weights, and doing circuits. I am already sore.. I have been training double time in the morning and running at night to get ready for our first meet in about a month or so. It is still hard waking up early, bright and early 5:50. For a while I questioned if I still wanted to participate on the crew team. I have been so stressed out lately and deprived of sleep.. getting 3-5 hours a night who can function on that. I know that if I do end up taking a break from crew, I dont necessarily want to call it quiting, but I know next year that I will schedule later classes so I can work out in the morning and have time to sleep before the start of my classes. One thing I couldn't believe was how expensive bathing suits for swimming are. I needed to get one for our swimming days in crew, a one piece is so expensive. If you want a durable and reliable one they cost anywhere from $40 and up. Expensive huh.. We are supposed to be looking at body uniforms for our meets in the next month.. a body suit... basically like what the people wear at sea world when working with animals.. That should be interesting.. Stay tuned for more info..

Relay For Life!!

2004-10-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Relay For Life, is apart of the American Cancer Society, an Organization motivating people to raise money for cancer research and funding. You have a captain and anywhere from 5-15 team members, putting together fundraisers, meetings, tag days, and even going up to businesses asking for donations. I recently heard from my roomate that they were having an informational meeting here at USF, trying to get the word out about cancer and possible ways of preventitive measures. Putting together a few teams to join this year. I have been apart of the Relay for Life in Tarpon Springs for about 4 years. I started when i was a freshmen in highschool, my mom informed me about it and since i had many relatives and family members that lost their lives to a form of cancer i decided to fight against it, knowing the many devastating effects it has caused many people. It happens once a year, you start sometime in November and raise money all the way to March or April. When the deadline comes around to turn in the raised money, you share a special night with your team and many others from your local city, camping out staying up all night, while one of your team members walks the track. Switching team members that is.. it gets tiring after a while.. but it is worth it in the long run. Knowing that you have raised money for a special organization such as this, makes me feel like i have accomplished something, even though it might not be much it all helps out in the end.

ENC1101-256 "Is the Curriculum Biased?"

2004-10-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

While reading the article "Is the Curriculum Biased", written by the National Association of Scholars I realized that they are making to much of an issue out of the curriculum, being racist and sexist. They say the curriculum is leaving out certain cultures and ethnic groups, which I don't see how they are. I realize that every school is different regarding their own general curriculum at that school, but I personally dont see a major fuss with racism by any means. I have read many curriculums and they seem to all be following the same requirements and courses (standards). I think they could be open to a new change in interpreting the curriculum information but, already debating and wanting to change or revise core courses is just not right. I dont see the point. They focus on 4 issues and go into discussion about race, gender and class being altered or percieved differently, being biased or stereotyped. To me the curriculum focuses on a set of courses students would need to take, ALL students, not categorizing any in particular and objectives that need to be covered as well. All undergraduates should take a cours in womens studies and/or monority studies should be up to the choice of the student when choosing his/her own classes. They state in one of their issues that it should be required to take one on those courses while being an undergraduate student. There was one major justification that i thought could have been partly true, it stated that in order to overcome their own prejudices males must be more knowledgeable about other cultures and ethnic groups as well as concerning women of all races. That could be true to a certain extent, but on the topic of being biased i don't think the curriculum would fit in that box, i guess it just depends on what the person feels is necessary or not.

Weekend Events

2004-10-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

I had such a relaxing weekend, still stressed from the heavy work load I have been getting though. Since this weekend was parents weekend and my parents couldn't come here I decided to go to them. Friday was a mother/daughter day getting hair done and out for dinner. Later on that night I had plans to get together with the good old highschool buddys. It nice to go to a university away from home even if it's only 45 minutes away.. if I would have went to St. Petersburg College nearby in Palm Harbor where a majority of my friends go I would go absolutely crazy. There is nothing to do whatsoever where I live either going out to clubs but your driving a good distance or the occasional movies, bowling routine. Anyways, saturday I went out on my friends boat to clearwater beach and basked in the sun. We ate at this neat resturant called Frenchy's and right next door from the restuarant was their very own gift shop, it had the most interesting gadgets in there, I only wish I had money to spare. Did I mention I am so totally broke from college and all the expenses. So my saturday turned out to be a pretty good day. When I come home for the weekend I usually hang out with my friends, I can tell that my parents are feeling left out a bit or just miss hanging out with their daughter.. there not yet adjusted to the change of letting their first born child go off and explore her own means of exploration. It is hard not just for them but for me because I realize how much I am changing to. Anyways back to the topic again... Sunday I went shopping with mom dad wasn't in much of a shopping mood, dads never really are....bought a few new outfits and some cool dorm stuff for the dorm. But other than that it was a relaxing weekend.. I will have to make up for it cause I won't have another weekend like that in a good while.. WORK WORK WORK.. well off to class yet again more assignments... see ya

Still Rowing!!

2004-09-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

I have been such a slacker this week in practice. Can't seem to go to bed at a reasonable hour or wake up at 5 o'clock in the morning for that matter. I missed 2 days worth of practice and now since I am getting a heavier work load it's hard to juggle everything. At practice we have the usual group of people still coming to workout, there is still the average 20 of us. Now that the practices have gotten a little harder I am very surprised that we still have the big group that we first started out with. Practices are getting longer, more strenuous, and tiring. I find that it's really hard to have enough energy to accomplish all of the given workouts in the early morning hours. Getting in the water should be the best part and the most significance to Rowing.. seeing how all our hard work and dedication will pay off when actually starting the sport. Being cardiovascular fit is just something that comes along with the involvment in a sport of low impact. Today in practice we had to run 2 times around our circular running course, which starts in front of the gym all the way around the football and soccer fields through the dorms and back around by the tennis courts. It gets tiring due to the up and down hills of the course. We also did a set of our circuits, which involved jumping jacks, abs, stair climbing, and squats. I already feel my muscles ache.. here we go again......

College Life

2004-09-29T02:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I am finally starting a new chapter in my life. My college days are just beginning full of adventure and excitement, I can't wait to find out where the journey will take me. It seems like yesterday I was just starting high school. I chose to come to the University of South Florida because my parents are both alumni's of this university and it was not that far of a distance from my house. I didn't want to go clear across the state; not having my family by my side was something that I couldn't do without. But, now that I am on my own making my own decisions and finding out what I really want to accomplish... it doesn't seem to be such a bad idea of actually going to a further university. It's weird how experience can lead someone to have a different view, when they were so adamantly sticking to their previous decision before. Since the start of college, I have met a lot of great people, new friends, joined a sports team (crew) and I am currently thinking of changing my major. I originally wanted to go pre-med but I don't think its for me anymore.. blood and gore ahhh no thanks. Pre-Pharmacy has really interested me all of a sudden and you don't have to go to medical school, I don't think I could stand on going to school for 8 years or more. All of a sudden it really hit me, coming to a university, taking hard classes, and the experience of having no life (literally), really led my view to change regarding certain college majors and following my own career aspirations differently. I have never written so many papers in my life.. homework is very different from high school, you don't get busy work you just have assignments due later that are worth more. Adjusting to the whole college experience has definitely been an interesting challenge, it has opened my eyes to bigger and better things I would have never thought possible.

Another Hurricane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2004-09-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

I am so annoyed with all of these hurricanes we have been getting the past month. It seems like every week we have a new one headed straight for us. Hurricane Bonnie, Charlie, Frances.. did i leave any out? Packing up my personal belongings and driving to and from my house every other weekend gets old very fast, it's starting to become a weekend routine. As you all know I live in Palm Harbor, living in a stilt house really isn't the safest place to be when the winds pick up speed. It certainly does benefit though when flooding occurs but it is however unsafe when you have palm trees and powerlines surrounding your house in all directions. I honestly did not find out about Hurricane Jeanne until my roomate brought it up last friday, I heard that it was circling out in the Atlanic ocean but didn't notice that it was eventually headed for Florida.. yet again. Back at home there wasn't any major damaging flooding.. but I did actually see the gulf water rise above the sea wall, so people living right on the water, had some flooding almost reaching up to their back doors. The one thing that sucked about this weekend was coming back to school, I had to leave last minute sunday night because I wasn't sure if we were going to have classes monday. I actually found out as I was on my way to USF that night that they did come up with the decision and decided to have classes. The weather was so bad coming here, power outages everywhere it was extremely scary, I thought there would have been alot more accidents then there were, it took me atleast an hour and a half to finally get on campus. Well that was my fun filled weekend.. wonder what this weekend will bring.. cross your fingers.....

Comp Assignment: "I Just Wanna Be Average" ENC1101 256

2004-09-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

While reading the required text material on Mike Roses', "I just Wanna Be Average," he covered instances throughout his educational career, including needs of all students regarding their own personal educational encounters. I noticed that he discussed some of his own childhood experiences, meeting people, work ethics, and sources of learning material in his partial autobiography. One of the things that I grasped from reading this material was how much of an impact say, an acquaintance Mike Rose met or a clique he was involved in during school. He would discuss their own work ethics and relate it to his own, bringing up both negative and positive developments. While on the topic of school in general, he briefly spoke about growing up and how schooling (curciculum and your vocational track) becomes a vital part of you and in his terms, describing school as a "liberating yet a disorienting place." I could definently relate when Rose was discusing this topic, high school was not an easy time for anyone, I think a majority will agree, you are in the process of finding who you are, what you like, while trying to fit in and say be "average." Like Rose said you are going to encounter things in your life when you are not going to feel comfortable and ideas that you don't agree or fully comprehend, it's a learning experience and you have to take it for what it's worth. Rely on your own beliefs and values, while throwing in a bit of your own good judgments.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2004-09-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

I have never been in sooooooo much pain in my life. Waking up at 5:30 in the morning Monday through Friday, doing a million jumping jacks, squats, and a zillion crunches a day. .. what fun huh? The first day I couldnt even walk up the stairs and god knows how many stairs their are on this campus. But actually I really enjoy the discipline and the fact of exercising on a daily basis while getting fit. Since coming to USF, I have wanted to try a new sport, something new. I have always been involved in some sort of club at school or doing a recreation sport whether it is running cross country, track, or even playing soccer. Sure the pain hurts, but it goes away....... eventually. Waking up early does have its benefits, it actually gets me more energized and hyped up for a full day of classes. I am constantly on a roll all day that I can guiltlessly go out and eat all the chocolate and sweets that I want because I know I have accomplished my daily exercise routine. Chocolate is the best thing in the world. I am a very healthy person other than the fact that I eat chocolate like it's water. These past few weeks have gone by very fast. I have met so many great new people....running 5 miles about every other day and meeting people that have the same interests I do. If you haven't figured it out yet, I am on the Crew Team, why I put up with the pain, who knows, but stay tuned.......

Techwit:Catch in Technology Assignment

2004-09-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

While reading the article on the College Writing website I found it very interesting it was based on the novelist William Tell and his past experiences with technology and its "catches" or in other words obsessions. William Tell, who is a protagonist, stated that "catches" come in multiples of eleven, and in each "catch" he refers to technology and its many known truths. While reading this article i found myself relating to all of the "catches" he specifically covered. It really made me think about how much of a fixation i have with technology and how it has influenced my life. Making it simpler, convenient, and just having it there right at my own fingertips. Knowing that it is close by and in the norm of society is extremely helpful. While referring to a similar example that William Tell gave on "catch 77" stating that technology makes us do things whether we need them or not, I remember when I got my very own car. I recall going out and wasting gas and time on things that weren't even necessary, for example such as driving an extra 20 minutes out of the way to go pick up my brother in New Port Richey, when I live in Palm Harbor. It's like we have to have ahold of some posession or means of technology, otherwise it makes us a "paranoid wreck," in my terms. We are used to technology and what it presents us with, that we become less knowledgeable or oblivious to the surrounding society. By taking the time to read this, I was presented with a deeper approach on the supporting truths technology has brought out in myself. I never realized how much of an impact it has had on me. I am surrounded in the technicality age, where at times I don't have any ethical reason behind all of the "catches" that I am further used to in my daily life.

Blog Assignment ENC 1101

2004-09-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

When reading about Blogs on the College Writing website i found it to be very interesting and informational. It is basically an online diary where you can post your thoughts on information and write about assigned topics given. Blogging has become more high tech throughout the past couple of years, which honestly i had no idea about them till i was assigned this short paper. Writing a Blog is very fast and efficient, it took me all of 5 mintues to set up my website, three easy steps; create an account, choose a name, and design a template. I think my writing will benefit from using this greatly, i will be required to write at least a 250 word assignment four days a week. Constantly thinking about writing and certain topics for Blogging will make it alot easier when it comes down to writing major papers. Another thing i like is how you can get insight on what other people think based on your writing, they can post responses on your site, even getting homework assignments will be easier, and talking with peers are just a few of the many conveniences you will encounter. One thing though that i will have to get used to is when writing a post and talking about personal thoughts, many people will have access to read it, i am not used to letting everyone see all of my responses on certain areas of conversation for that matter. However, though it is a great way to get feedback and recieve constructive criticism for future writing assignments.

My 1st Blog

2004-09-14T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone, wow this whole blogging thing is really awesome kind of like a journal, very cool. Well anyways heres a little bit about myself, i am currently a freshmen at the University of South Florida, majoring as of right now in Pre-Med, but things might change in that area. I was born in Tampa, Florida and grew up in Palm Harbor about 45 minutes away from Tampa. My highschool experience flew by yet was somewhat stressful but got through it, i was involved in many activites such as Key Club, National Honor Society, cross country, soccer, and track just to name a few. The whole college experience seems to be going pretty well for me so far i am meeting alot of great people and enjoying the atmosphere, living on my own especially away from the parents for a while, need the space but am a very family oriented person. This is my first experience dorming and i have to say its not bad at all actually working out well i have a roomate as well as 2 suitmates which are the best. If im not in class you can usually find me at the gym, i am very athletic and just recently joined the USF Crew(rowing) team. Other sports i enjoy are running, volleyball, soccer, skiing etc. I absolutely love the cold weather, not much of a florida girl, hate this hot weather and humidity all the time. In my free time i love going to the movies, the occasional party, and just hanging out with friends. Well thats a little info about myself, if you ever wanna talk i would love the responses. See ya!!

WhAtS NeW??

ENC 1102 "Last Blogging Assignment on Oral Presentations"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

ENC 1102 " 5 Q/A Assignment"

ENC 1102 "Chapter 9 Assignment"

ENC 1102 "Oral Presentation Assignment"

ENC 1102 "Teacher Comments"

ENC 1102 Assignment "View on SUV's"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Beneficial Chapter"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Social Action Continued Thoughts"

ENC 1102 Assignment"Peer Review Reaction"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Continued Social Action"

ENC 1102 Preferred Chapter Assignment

ENC 1102 Assignment "Social Action"

ENC 1102 Assignment "Chapter that benefited Me the Most"

--VeRy LaSt BlOg--

Comp Assignment ENC1101 "As a Writer"

STRESS!!!

Over the Break

The American Girl

ENC1101 Comp Assignment-"Blog Writing"

Brittany-"Jackie"

Weekend Events!!

Weekend Events!!

Movie Night/ Roundup

ENC 1101 Comp Assignment: Movie Review/ Book Report

Beat the Bulge!!

West Palm Weekend!!!

ENC 1101 " 2 Movie Reviews/CompAssignment"

Veterans Weekend

Exercise Routine!!!!!!

"Weekend Events"

*Winter Holidays*

To Quit or Not to Quit????

ENC 1101 "Movie Review Assignment"

Halloween Weekend!!

Pre-Halloween Event!!

Crew Update # 3

ENC 1101 Sect 256 Assignment "Cognition/ Intuition"

Weekend EXTRAVAGANZA!!

Major Undecided???

ENC 1101 "Community" Assignment

Hmwk Assignment "Crew"

*RoUnDuP*

ENC1101-256 "How to choose a Major and Investigate a Career"

Crew Update #2

Transitioning?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Howl O Scream!!!!!!!!

Crew Update!!

Relay For Life!!

ENC1101-256 "Is the Curriculum Biased?"

Weekend Events

Still Rowing!!

College Life

Another Hurricane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comp Assignment: "I Just Wanna Be Average" ENC1101 256

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Techwit:Catch in Technology Assignment

Blog Assignment ENC 1101

My 1st Blog

Winter Holidays

RoUnDuP