Issues Paper Topic

I have some ideas I was thinking about:

I need y'all to give me opinions please!

1- How nursing is portrayed in the media, specifically tv shows. Or how hospitals are portrayed as a social place.

2- How ratings for movies are not at the same standards as they use to be. For example a P13 movie today would have well been a R movies decades ago.

3- How alcohol for underage people is promoted and glorified in tv shows. Makes it look enticing and fun and essentially okay to do.

4- How music artists have free range of what to sing in their songs. Most of today's songs are about sex, drugs, backstabbing, or getting drunk.

Issues Paper topic ideas

My idea is: If iTunes expanded its market to allow foreign music to be accessible to buy for foreigners, it would increase its sales. (<-- This doesn't seem very controversial though. Advice would be appreciated.)

With this, I would have to research how many people buy foreign music, how much foreign music is uploaded on iTunes (or other musical interpretations using the same tune), and what the laws are regarding licensing the music and stuff like that. I also want to include something about it lessening the stereotype of "arrogant Americans" only knowing English, because it will broaden their horizons. I really don't know where this will go, except I want to argue for iTunes including foreign music so I don't have to buy the whole CDs which can be expensive imports. The way I see it, the future is headed that direction anyway. I could talk about people exporting foreign itunes gift cards (of foreign money) and therefore people are able to access stuff that is licensed properly and getting the proper money: but it's not accessible unless they have their billing address in that country, or something.

This would be really interesting for me to learn about, about the licensing laws and stuff, since I really want this to happen!

Another idea: Something about hulu. I don't know what. It's like my current back-up plan.

Another backup plan: Putting too much info on social networking sites promotes identity theft and other crimes. (Pretty broad so far.)

I would choose this as a backup plan because it'd be interesting to research and learn about, since it's practical to know.

(Week 9) Wedding Rings

As I thought about a topic I wanted to research, I happen to be playing with a ring I always where on the middle finger of my left hand (yes, my CTR ring) and I decided I would research the adoption of ring wearing… more specifically, the origin of the wedding ring. We all understand that the wearing of a wedding ring is symbolic of commitment between two people. But have you ever wondered how it was that such a symbolic tradition came about? I did some research on the subject and came to a better understanding of this very topic.

For centuries, people of all nations have seen the wedding ring as a pledge of love and stands as an emblem of steadfast devotion and eternity. This idea comes from the circular shape that rings take. The ancient Egyptians established the tradition of putting a ring on his wife’s finger. The implementation of the ring was a sign that a man trusted his wife to care for his home. At this same point in time, the Roman and the Greek grooms would give rings to the fathers of their brides as a symbol of the purchase made for the woman. As Roman culture progressed, Roman brides were given gold rings, only to be worn in public. They were not allowed to wear their rings in the house because while in the home they were expected to tend to ‘womanly duties’ (cooking, cleaning etc.) which were inappropriate times to wear such a special and sacred symbol. As these traditions spread by word of mouth from nation to nation, such customs were adopted in one for or another by many who felt the ring was a respected symbol of devotion. It was in 860 that the Christians implemented the ring into matrimony. When the Christians first began using the ring as a symbol of marriage, the rings they used had engravings such as doves, lyres, or two linked hands to exemplify the bond made by such a physical and spiritual bond. These specially engraved rings however, were property of the church and used only for the ceremony, after which the ring was returned to the church and used again in another marriage ceremony. Through time we have adopted a more permanent application of the ring.

It is unsure how it became custom to place the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand but it is an ancient belief that it originated from the idea that a specific vein or nerve ran from that particular finger strait to the heart. Another myth is that during the ancient wedding ceremonies, the priest would touch the three fingers on the left hand in completion of the ceremony and say after touching each of them “in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost” and the ring was placed on the last finger touched- what is known today as the wedding finger. No matter how such a tradition came about, it is one that has survived, I can imagine, since before our records can even allude to.

Fascinating isn’t it, the history of such a common tradition we all are so accustomed to today?

Shank, A.M. "Marriage and the Wedding Ring." Bible Views. Rod and Staff Publishers, Inc., 08/10/2008. Web. 27 Feb 2011. <http://www.bibleviews.com/wr.html>.

Paper Topic

Okay so I think this paper is going to be really fun to write if I can think of a good topic. I've been playing around with some ideas but I think what I'm going to go with is how the media portrays popularity in adolescents. Specifically Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

Free Week - Team

Here in Oklahoma City, I have had an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of team. A team is a group of individuals with a common goal. That goal could be to win a Conference Championship, or to help each other succeed at an individual level. A team will pick you up when you are down. If you have a bad swim, they will try to get you going again, whether it is by telling you to let it go and move on, or by yelling at you to try and pump you up. Members of a team will back each other up. They will defend and support one another because they fight for a common cause. A team celebrates the victories of the individual, and sorrows when the individual falls short. No matter how good you are doing individually, you will not leave a meet fully satisfied if the team performs poorly as a whole. On the other hand, a poor individual performance can be forgotten in the joy of team success. My team is a team of brothers. We have experienced the high of high's together, but also felt the sting of defeat. These experiences, both good and bad, have made us a stronger team. We had to rely on each other when the chips were down and against us. We held each other up after each defeat. And when we were successful, we all shared in the excitement that was ours. Though some contributed more than others, no win this season could have come with one less person. Single races were the difference in all but two of our meets this season. We have gone to battle together, and returned both victoriously and in defeat, but shared the spoils and the disappointment together. That is what a team is all about.

Free Week- Family

One thing I thought I would never admit is that I would be homesick when I went to college. For the months leading up to college I could not have been more excited. I honestly dreamt about the day I would be on my own, making my own decisions, and being in charge of my own schedule. I even applied for summer term because I wanted to get out of my house so bad. I wasn't sick of my family, I just was ready for a change. For the first months it was bliss. Being on my own was a dream come true. I didn't need to tell anyone where I was going or what I was doing. That was the case from June to December. I am here to admit that about mid January I was homesick! I missed being home with my family, I missed California, I missed my house/ bed, and I missed my friends. This week/ weekend was a very unlucky and lucky week for me. I got really sick on Monday and I was supposed to be flying to Portland on Friday to visit my best friend for the weekend. I waited until Wednesday and when I had only gotten worse and the doctor said I would be sick for 10 days, I decided I was going to have to cancel my flight. I was so disappointed but my mom felt bad that I was sick and had to cancel my flight she decided to fly me home for the weekend. So I hobbled along to the airport where I flew home. So I am now sitting at my house sick, but feeling so happy I am here with my family and not in the snow storm in Provo. Being home makes me realize how much I love my family and how I took for granted the love I feel here. I hope when I return back to school after the weekend I will be rejuvenated all rejuvenated and ready to finish the semester. So yes, I was homesick and I love my family.

Week 8: Why I am now a Morning Person (Free week)

So, lately I have become a morning person. There are many benefits to being up early in the morning and going to bed early at night. Let me go through some of the details.

I woke up at five today, and exercised/stretched for an hour. In order to do this sort of thing in the morning, you have to make time for it before classes, so being a morning person is convenient. It gets the blood pumping for an invigorating educational day, plus prepares me to be sitting down most of the day without feeling such an urge to stretch/go running. It's also nice because then I can shower right afterwards.

When I was getting ready, I was the only one in the bathroom the whole time I was in it. That felt like my parents house, when I was the only one waking up for high school that early. (I felt like I wasn't sharing a bathroom, when in reality I shared it with ... like 25 other girls.)

When I went to school, I really felt like I owned the place: like that was my driveway, my front yard, because there was a nice layer of snow and only a few or so people had left tracks in it. That made it feel like it wasn’t as commonly-used of a walkway as it really was.

When I got to the math lab at 7:30 am, it was empty. Being so quiet and in an academic environment, it was a very efficient hour of studying. Only a small amount of people came in after me (before I left). It was so empty, I bet I could have sat in any section I wanted and no one would have told me to move. I could even sit in the upper-level math sections if I wanted, in that cool mysterious corner. And, since I normally wouldn’t have been on campus that early, it felt like I was getting ahead: bonus catch-up time. Even if I work the same hours on homework as I do being a night-owl, it had a good, positive psychological effect.

Last but not least, once places like the math lab shut down, or TAs hours end, that is when I am tired enough to go to sleep. When my hours of wakefulness line up with the open times of campus resources, life seems so much easier and convenient. Not to mention, in the mornings a lot of things are better service, like little to no wait time or line to get help from TAs. It's wonderful.

Free Week

I can't think of any deep provoking topics to blog about tonight. So, I've decided instead to just list off a bunch of things that I love. Here goes.
I love clean socks. New music. Laughing. Finding money. Notes and cards. Tan lines. Quotes. Animal print. Napping. Boating. Gum. Disney movies. Winning. Jamba juice. Jeans. Spandex. Babies. Lotion. Candles. Toms. Things that glow in the dark. Back scratches. Big words. Books. Fresh linens. Cold pillows. Dreaming. Ranch dressing. Cool scars. Freckles. "That's what she said." Lists. Hiking. The color blue. Nicknames. Intervals of 5's and 10's. I Love Lucy. Snowboarding. Paper towels. Highlighters. Blue eyes. Riddles. Tasteful sarcasm. Free t-shirts. Volleyball. White teeth. Inside jokes. New contacts. New car smell. Kissing. Accents. The temple. Stories. Hair ties. Bobby pins. Bear Lake. Propel. Free stuff. Pirate talk. Justice League. Tramplines. Crushed ice. Unnecessary road signs. Rock climbing. Matching hangers. Snakes. Cabins. Putting floaties on your feet. Fugitive. Summer nights. Sleeping in. High tide. Ironed clothes. Seat warmers. Pictures. Blankets. People with stupid names. History Channel. Crunchy leaves. Straws. Getting out of class early. Four wheeling. Guns. Dimples. Scones. Toe socks. Honey butter. Butterflies. New phones. Playing with fire. Flowers. Perfect circles. Cartoons. Christmas morning. Home-made bread. Bad jokes. Grandmas and grandpas. Things that are reversible. Family parties. Spooning. Winning a bet. Itching a really bad itch. Brian Regan. Concerts. Naughty kids in sacrament meeting. Fat people who insist on wearing bootie shorts and fanny packs at Disney Land. Confidence. Chia pets. Ch-ch-ch-chia. Easy bake. SNL. A good slow clap. Arrested Development. The word “moxie.” When someone leans back too far on their chair and falls off. Waking up and realizing you have at least 2-3 more hours before you have to get up. Barnes & Noble. Phineas and Ferb. Collections. A well-timed “shut up.” Open book/open note tests. When someone says “Don’t burn the plastic, it’s toxic” and everyone still throws their cup and fork into the fire pit. Series Finales. Guitar Hero. A really wonderful excuse. Children’s books. The first day of Summer. Cracking eggs. Puddles. Short hymns. Overly aggressive church choristers.
This came from my list of Simple Pleasures. There’s about 600 more but these are some of my favorites!!!

Week 8: Lacrosse

After today's class is got me thinking about an issue that plagued my high school years. My freshmen year I started playing girls' lacrosse and fell in love with the sport... but not with the rules.
If anyone knows the difference between girls' and boys' lacrosse, you would be aware of the complete difference in the sports. Boys wear padding comparable to that of a football player: helmet, shoulder pads, arm pads and goalies have optional thigh and calf protection. Their rules allow them to "check" or hit each other with their sticks and their sticks are actually completely different from girls'. Girls only wear eye goggles and mouth guards.
I'm a pretty competitive person, but when I practically have to curtsey to the goalie before I shoot a goal, it kind of ticks me off. There is actually a rule in girls' lacrosse, but not in boys', that is called a "dangerous propel." Essentially if the referee believes that the shooter aimed for the goalie on purpose (specifically the head) she could be penalized for hurting the goalie. What?!?!
I don't like when girls' are treated so extremely fragile, especially in sports. I'm not an extreme feminist... but I don't like feeling unequal.

(Week 8) India

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I have visited India in the past couple of years to do some philanthropy work with the lepers of that poor country. I would like to share with you one of the greatest lessons I learned from that experience. In the months leading up to our trip to India, my friends and I trained to be English teachers and nurses in preparation to work within various leprosy colonies. I had no expectations entering this trip. I did however, have a lot of reservations. Among other things, I was worried we wouldn’t accomplish the goals we had set for ourselves. I was worried we wouldn’t end up being able to help the people of India in the way we had hoped to. I also feared my own incapability’s would prevent me from fully portraying the love I already felt for the people of India. These insecurities changed the moment I met the lepers of India.

Most people aren’t aware that it still exists in the world but is extremely prevalent in India. Leprosy is a difficult thing to witness. Those affected by leprosy have the disease spread from one limb to the other. I will spare you the specific details, but with the loss of limbs comes the loss of both self-sufficiency and potentially self worth. For those of you who are unaware of the cultural traditions in India pertaining to leprosy, allow me to explain. Leprosy is seen as a curse from god as the result of a serious sin and is incurable. They believe that leprosy is the ultimate punishment from god. When someone in India develops leprosy, they are shunned by the entire community including their own families and cast out to live the remainder of their lives in leprosy colonies far from the reset of society. The lepers are referred to as ‘the untouchables’. As we walked and talked among these people, I saw as they helped one another to overcome the sadness and despair that comes with being an outcast. They reminded each other that there was hope for their lives and their futures. They had faith that god still loved them and watching over them at all times. As we reached out and touched the very disease that was affecting their lives, we could feel the peace and compassion that emanated from them and it was our hope that they could feel the same from us.

It took me a while to grasp this concept, but one of the many things I took away from that experience is that we are all affected by leprosy. Perhaps our own individual leprosy’s aren’t physically deteriorating to us, but they often do affect our health, or our interactions with others. There is something in all of our lives, at one point or another that keeps us, even for a short while, from moving forward. There is a cure for leprosy however. It is the love and compassion of our father in heaven portrayed through us, his servants, here on earth. The ways in which we keep leprosy from spreading is by reaching out to others and never ceasing to do good in our own lives as well as the lives of others. Looking back on my life and my own trials, I have defined many of the things that have contributed to my own leprosy, but I have also seen those who have touched my life and cared for me in the process of curing my leprosy; for that I am grateful.

Week 7: I know it's too late, but why not?

I understand I missed the opportunity to do this post twice now, but this song has been on my mind lately. Or rather my mind has been on this song lately. So I apologize if this is mere annoyance to you. I ask your forgiveness.

Stolen by Dashboard Confessional

We watch the season pull up its own stakes
And catch the last weekend of the last week
Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced,
Another sun soaked season fades away

You have stolen my heart
You have stolen my heart

Invitation only, grand farewells
Crash the best one, of the best ones
Clear liquor and cloudy eyed, too early to say goodnight

You have stolen my heart
You have stolen my heart

And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration
One good stretch before our hibernation
Our dreams assured and we all, will sleep well

Sleep well(x4)

You have stolen
You have stolen
You have stolen my heart

I watch you spin around in your highest heels
You are the best one, of the best ones
We all look like we feel

You have stolen my
You have stolen my
You have stolen my heart

As this post no longer holds any weight for the class, I don't really know how much analyzing is going to happen. But I'll talk about it for a while and why I've been thinking about this song a lot.

I don't know if everyone knows this feeling, but I'm sure a few of you do. It's that intense frustration that comes from being strongly attracted to someone but you are restrained from expressing it. Literally, it feels as if my metaphorical heart has been stolen. I know the irony of that sentence, don't worry. I can't like this Someone right now, and I don't want to; I'm really not looking for any relationship deeper than friendship. The worst part is that I'm pretty sure I talked myself into this hole. You know how you think you might feel something and then you tell someone that you might feel that way, and the mere act of saying you might feel that way propelled that feeling from 'I think I might like her' into 'I can't stop thinking about her?' Yeah, that's what happened. And now, the more you talk about it, the deeper the emotion runs, but if you don't talk about it you'll implode. You wish you could go back in time and stop yourself from saying to your friend 'I think I might like her' and thus prevent this cyclical torment. Unfortunately, you can't, so you're stuck drowning in affection for this person, while she continues unabated (to the best of your knowledge) living life happily. Eventually, frustration turns into irrational anger. You feel angry at your Someone because they're so attractive to you emotionally, spiritually, physically while you remain trapped in a glass prison of your own emotions. And in the cinematic metaphor she comes over to your glass prison, phases through the glass, reaches into your chest and pulls out your heart and leaves the prison. But you can't follow her out. And so you're stuck.

Whew. Sorry about that. Super personal. I don't know if I'll actually end up posting this. We'll see. That was incredibly cathartic.

So yeah, that's been the inside of my brain for a short while. I apologize if anyone is frightened by it. Sometimes I am, but honestly it makes for an interesting life. I'm rarely bored. "Poo-tee-weet" i suppose. I've decided that I will post this because 1) I remember someone in class saying it'd be cool to get to know one another through this blog, 2) I'm pretty sure I recall Ms. Roper saying something about it being okay to post non-class related things if we so desire, and 3) I'm sure some of you can relate to this and it's nice to know you're not the only one. Oh, and 4) if anyone has been in this situation and has any advice for me, that be SUPER awesome of you. Thanks!

Week 7

I am also going to be doing the week five prompt. There is a movie that came out about a year ago that has a message that has really stuck with me. The movie is called “Forever Strong”, many people also know it as “the rugby movie.” Some of this movie was actually filmed at my high school, so naturally it was a huge thing within my community. As a result, I have seen this movie a few times. Something that they say quite a few times in the movie really stuck out to me the first time I saw it, and live my life a little differently because of it. The quote is something along the lines of, “Never do anything that would embarrass yourself, your team, or your family.” I will give a general idea of the movie, for those who haven't seen it. A rugby player from Arizona gets in trouble for a couple of DUIs, and gets sent to a juvenile detention center in Utah. While he is there he is put on the Highland rugby team, and because it's Utah, the team and coaches all do everything according to the church guidelines. This puts the troubled teen a little bit on edge at first. This is where the quote comes in. This simple sentence had the power turn around a kid who, at first, couldn't care less. After watching this movie, I now think harder about some of the choices I make. Not only do I think about the decision being good or bad, but I think about embarrassing, not only myself, but also my family. If I embarrass myself, I can live with that. It's the latter that I have to worry about. If I choose to do something that embarrasses my family, not only will I have to live with that, but they will also have to suffer. That is something that I can't live with, that is also why I now think a lot harder when making decisions. That one quote, in this one movie has shaped me more than I could ever imagine, and it is something that I'm glad I paid attention to.

Week 7

Growing up I was a big time daddies girl and I still consider myself his little baby girl. One of my favorite things to do with my dad when I was little was listen to music. Because of him, my taste in music is a little old fashion. The Beatles, The Turtles, and The Beach Boys were some of our all time favorites. One song in particular that I that we loved to listen to was Don't Worry Baby, by the Beach Boys. When I think of this song I think of me and my dad dancing around in the living room with this song loudly being played through the whole house. During finals week this semester I called my dad complaining about how hard finals were and how stressed out I was. I thought that the week would never end and that I was just going to fail every single test. A few minutes later my dad called me back and had Don't Worry Baby playing the back ground. The moment that song came on I went back to the image of me and my dad dancing together. The sound of the song itself is so slow and relaxing. My dad turned up the song where it says, " Don't worry baby, everything will alright." He told me to just do my best and that things will work out. I love my dad so much, and this song will always remind me of my dad and remind me that even when things are bad it will all be alright.
Lyrics: Don't Worry Baby
Well its been building up inside of me
For oh I don't know how long
I don't know why
But I keep thinking
Something's bound to go wrong

But she looks in my eyes
And makes me realize
And she says "Don't worry baby"
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Everything will turn out alright

Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby

I guess I should've kept my mouth shut
When I started to brag about my car
But I can't back down now because
I pushed the other guys too far
She makes me come alive
And makes me wanna drive
When she says "Don't worry baby"
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Everything will turn out alright
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
Don't worry baby
She told me "Baby, when you race today
Just take along my love with you
And if you knew how much I loved you
Baby nothing could go wrong with you"

Week 7 (using week 5's prompt): Helaman Halls

I don’t mean to complain, but I am tired of living in Helaman Halls. It may seem nice, to have a dining plan and a “buffet,” not have to do dishes, and only clean one room (yours) for cleaning checks. Well, let me tell you some things you might not have realized about Helaman Halls.

About the cafeteria… have you ever wanted to be a pig, but are embarrassed with everyone watching you? When you were a kid, did you used to like eating a bowl of ice cream in front of the TV, in the privacy of your own home? Well, how would you like to eat all of your meals with people you know seeing you, and judging you by who you sit with, if you sit alone, if you choose not to sit with them, etcetera?

So, you get to clean only one room. Well, how would you like it if your living room was your roommate’s bedroom? That’s what it’s like. How are you supposed to work out with a DVD at six a.m, in the comfort of your own home, (as opposed to walking in the scary dark to the RB), if your roommate is sleeping in until 8:15? You would have to go to some public area, like the basement. Moreover, you’d have to do it sneakily, because you aren’t allowed to watch movies in public dorm places. (I’m assuming Workout DVDs count.)

Being a young adult having barely moved out, of course I tend to desire freedom to choose my own recipes and to be able to have a part of residence designated for people who are awake. Being introvert, of course I like solitude once in a while. Perhaps that’s why I am attracted to the house apartments, which are just houses, because I want to be able to escape from the social atmosphere of college once in a while. Dorms just remind one of college. Houses can let you forget and pretend you are an independent working adult. I have been warned that I might not like living in a house (instead of an apartment complex), but because of these reasons, I am biased towards the houses and see them in quite a good light.

Confused

So in looking at Week 5 and Week 7, I've decided that I sorta screwed up my Week 7 post during Week 5 and pushed them together. I decided I wanted to redo Week 5 more than Week 7, so here we go. I think one of the movies from my youth that had a profound effect on me was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. We all have times where we wonder, why me? This question is often followed by another: what should I do now? The answer to these questions, at least for me, was found in a response Gandalf made to Frodo. Frodo had expressed his dismay over having ever come into contact with the ring. He told Gandalf that he wished "none of this had happened." Gandalf responded that everybody feels that way during hard times, "But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." Sometimes decisions are easy and straightforward, sometimes they are very difficult. When hard times come, and tough decisions must be made, it is then that we will find out who we really are. From a Gospel viewpoint, that is why the Lord allows us to have trials, so that we can know for ourselves where we are on the pathway to perfection. I like to think that everytime we are placed in a circumstance we would rather not be in, that the Lord has had a hand in it. This isn't because I want to believe that he is hoping we will fail, or that we will mess up. Instead I like to think that He has given me an opportunity to prove to myself that when things are bad and everything is going against me, I will choose to do something positive with the opportunity that has been given to me, no matter how bleak things may seem in the present. That is why I like that movie so much. It teaches us that although unwanted things may come our way and push us right to our breaking point, it is still our decision that counts. We still have the ability to make a choice. The best choice will rarely be the easiest, but in the end, it will be the most rewarding.

Week 7

Okay, I'm also going to go ahead and do the week five thing. This isn't going to be a super serious post, and it may be hard to explain everything I'm trying to say, so I hope it works well. My family is obsessed with movies. Like, ridiculously. When movies come out, we go see them the day of or soon after; when they come out on DVD/BluRay, we get them the day of or soon after. We have around 500 movies, but I haven't counted them recently (I'm not as patient as a few years ago!), and a movie room with almost a 9 foot screen, on which we watch movies very frequently. So, now that you have an idea of how obsessive we are, I'll get to the point. The Master of Disguise, one of the THE most absurd and stupid films ever made, has had a profound influence on the way my family interacts with one another. The movie, about a slapstick Italian boy who finds out that he is actually the heir to a long line of masters of disguise, people who save the world by disguising themselves in ridiculous ways. He speaks in this over the top, goofy Italian accent all the time, saying words in weird ways, and talking very basically. Since viewing the movie, my family, typically my older brother Todd and I, always randomly communicate with each other in his voice. We also constantly quote the film with individual lines or what seems like beginning to end, and use other voices or words he uses during the movie while disguising himself. The disguises he uses include Michael Johnson, Jesse Ventura, Jessica Simpson, a henchman, a cow pie, a Peruvian dancer, a suave Englishman, a German constable, a cherry pie, and an Indian snake tamer. This may sound really dumb and juvenile, but if you knew my family, and saw it in practice, you'd completely understand!

Week 7: The Blind Side

So along with everyone else, I also already did the song lyrics so I will do week five’s assignment! A movie that has really influenced me is “The Blind Side”. First off, Sandra Bullock was an amazing actress for the part of (Leigh Anne). Second off, the movie was beyond inspiring. It makes me so happy every time I watch it because of the love and selflessness that her and her family have for Michael. They show true charity throughout the movie. What I love about Leigh Anne is although they are very wealthy, she is so humble. I also love how her husband treats her and how he has so much trust in her. He is always on her side showing love and support.

One scene that I love in the movie is when Collins is at the library and sees Michael studying at a table by himself. As she contemplates whether she should stay at her table of friends or go sit by Michael, you can see the anguish inside her eyes. It is the choice between her friends thinking she is weird or being a good friend to Michael. As she gets up, her friends ask her what does she think she is doing. She completely ignores them and sits down by Michael. Seeing Michael’s grin widen on his face brought tears to my eyes. That simple act of moving tables made a huge difference to Michael that Collins did not realize.

Another character that I really learned from in the movie was the one science teacher. Although all of the other teachers had thought that it was a joke to be giving Michael a chance in school, she did not. She studied extra with him and had faith in him. Her example rubbed off onto the other teachers as they slowly changed their attitudes towards Michael and began to help him succeed. It is important to always be a good example in life because we don’t know who is watching and what difference we can make in someone else’s life.

I believe that it is the little acts of kindness we do in life that make the difference. This movie is a great reminder to me of the love charity brings not only in other’s lives, but mine also.

Week 7

Since I kind of already did the the topic for week seven, I will do week five instead. A certain piece of entertainment that has shaped me as well as my family was hard to think about at first. Everyday we deal with some type of entertainment like music, art, movies, TV shows and books, but to pick one that has truly made an impact on my life was difficult to come up with. After pondering and some deep soul searching, I came up with one instance where some type of entertainment has directly influenced my life as well as my family's. A show made by the hilarious Brian Regan, "Epitome of Hyperbole" seems to represent a piece of my relationship with my family, especially my mom. I realize I have used Brian before in one of my other blog posts and I apologize, but this just proves how much this guy has shaped my family and I. In the show, Brian gives an instance where he went golfing with one of his buddies named Gary. After he returns home, Brian's wife asks him how Gary is doing. Brian tells his wife that he doesn't know. She doesn't understand how her husband can sit in a golf cart for four hours and not know how Gary, one of his best buds who just got divorced, is doing. After explaining that the conversation never came up, Brain did however seem to notice that Gary had some new golf clubs. This little segment in the show just goes to show you the difference between men and women. Women tend to ask as many questions as possible that seem to overflow the minds of men. I see this in my life all the time. I used to come home from hanging out with friends and my mom would ask how the night went. "Oh, it was good" is all I would respond. She would then proceed to try and get me to expound on every little detail that happened over the course of the night. For almost all of these questions, I would find that I honestly had no answer and she would be astonished that I didn't know simple details about my friends' lives. Guess it's just a guy thing. Now that my family has watched this show, whenever I get bombarded with questions from my mom I simply respond, "Mom... I really don't know how my roommate is doing, but I know he's got a new driver for golf!" This creates a laugh for us and my mom comes to realize that some conversations just don't come up between guys.

Week 7:Nutella

I didn't write about a song, but I felt this was appropriate because of what I've been through this week.
I really hope that no one else in our class has an allergy nearly as severe as mine but I wanted to share with you the experiences I have had with my best friend, hazelnuts.
My mom actually had an allergy to hazelnuts all growing up that would only result in an itchy throat and eyes, but doesn't have a problem with them anymore. The first time I had hazelnuts was when my Dad brought back chocolate from Europe and we were all gathered around the table listening to his stories about a business trip he had just returned from. I had some chocolate, alright maybe a lot of chocolate, but didn't notice anything bothering me at first. Then my throat felt like I had ants crawling up and down it that I wipe away and my eyes started to tear. My mom noticed first, gave me some benadryl, and before long I was asleep. Between then and now I have had 3 more occurrences with hazelnuts but nothing like the reaction I had over Thanksgiving break.

Nutella: the hazelnut spread. I went on a trip to Honduras for Thanksgiving with a medical team that performed mainly dental work on members there preparing for missions. I assisted my Grandpa, who is a dentist, on the trip and we worked out of a local stake center building there. For lunch we would go down to a room next to where oral surgery was performed and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Unfortunately one day someone brought Nutella and the knifes were traded between that and the peanut butter. I tried to be so careful; I got a new knife, checked the peanut butter for remnants of Nutella, but alas, I didn't know it, but my allergy had become very sensitive. I took one bite of my sandwich and the next thing I knew I couldn't breathe. I was going into anaphylactic shock.

I know Heavenly Father must have been watching out for me that day. Usually oral surgery was the most busy station at our little clinic but when I started to have a reaction, all the oral surgeons were in-between patients and waiting for equipment to come back from sterilization. The head oral surgeon is a nationally acclaimed and is responsible for saving my life. He pulled me into the recovery room and shouted, "I need everyone out, we only have 3 minutes." Before I knew what had happened I had an I.V. hooked up to my arm, a heart monitor and oxygen level read connected to my finger, a blood pressure band around my bicep, and an oxygen mask around my face. 20CC of benadryl later I came out of anaphylaxis but boy was I out of it. Supposedly the sister missionaries who were volunteering as translators were both registered nurses and recorded my vitals every 30 minutes for the next couple hours, but I slept through all of it.

This weekend I got to use my new EpiPen for the first time. I'm fine now but my allergy is getting steadily worse, though I don't know how much worse than 3 minutes from death you can be. I guess in essence I want to express my thanks for modern medicine, and Heavenly Father's hand in my life. Without it, I wouldn't be here today.

Week 7

I forgot to post last time everyone posted song lyrics so I'm glad I get a second chance because I thought it was a great idea. I don't love music. I FREAKING LOVE MUSIC! Specifically love songs. I'm a sucker for slow hits after midnight, especially songs that aren't super well known. The song I chose is one of those, it's called Try by Asher Book, it's from the movie "Fame" but I've never seen it. Because I don't know the context in which the song appears in the movie it's allowed me to make my own connections to it and think about what the lyrics mean to me personally.

TRY
Asher Book

If I walk would you run
If I stop would you come
If I say you’re the one would you believe me
If I ask you to stay would you show me the way
Tell me what to say so you don’t leave me
The world is catching up to you
while your running away to chase your dream
Its time for us to make a move cause we are asking one another to change
and maybe im not ready

CHORUS
but I'll try for your love
I can hide up above
I will try for your love
we’ve been hiding enough

if I sing you a song would you sing along
or wait till im gone , oh how we push and pull
if I give you my heart would you just play the part
or tell me it’s the start of something beautiful
am I catching up to you
while your running away , to chase your dreams
its time for us to face the truth cause we are coming to each other to change
and maybe im not ready

CHORUS
but I'll try for your love
I can hide up above
I will try for your love
we’ve been hiding enough

I will try for your love
I can hide up above

If I walk would you run
If I stop would you come
If I say you’re the one would you believe me


This is one of my top 3 favorite songs of all time. I heard it for the first time about 3 months ago and have listened to it a few times a day since then without fail. The words have meant different things to me at different times and I've spent hours in the car by myself trying to figure out the meaning of the lyrics. My conclusion is that this song is about that moment when you know you love someone and you don't know what they're going to do with that information or with your heart.If you're lucky, feelings will be reciprocated and they'll tell you "it's the start of something beautiful." There's always the risk though that they will "Just play the part." Worst case scenario, they'll run away to chase other dreams. Regardless of what happens though, that moment is always uncomfortable if you don't know what's going on in someone else's head. I think we've all been there, if you haven't then someday you probably will be. This song explains why it can be so hard. People aren't always ready, being on the same page is rare in new relationships where youre "asking one another to change." Sometimes is pays off and sometimes it doesn't. This song takes into account that it could go either way. In those situations all you can do is...Try. :)

Week 7: O Brother

Well since I already posted the week 7 prompt about song lyrics, I will discuss the week 5 prompt which I forwent about a movie that I obsess about and has somewhat shaped me into who I am. The movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? is my favorite movie of all time. It’s an acquired taste of humor, so most of the viewers either love it or hate it. I’ve seen the movie near 30 times and can probably quote any line right out of the script. What’s the reason I love the movie so much? Other than the matchlessly comical dialogue, top-notch actors including George Clooney, and an enrapturing plot, I think the reason I love it so much is because everyone in my family loves it as much as I do. I first saw the movie as we rented it and watched it as a family pretty soon after it came out. I didn’t particularly like or appreciate the movie at first, probably because well over half the elements I find funny today went way over my head. The family loved it and bought it the same week. The more I watched it with my family, the more humor I picked up, and the more I related to the movie. Not a week goes by that I say a quote from that movie during some random situation. And rarely will I say a quote and somebody picks up on it and says, “Hey, that’s from O Brother, Where Art Thou.” But when I say any line from that movie around any member of my family, on we go throwing out our favorite quotes and laughing till we can’t handle it. Quotes like “Pete, the personal rancor reflected in that remark I don't intend to dignify with comment. But I would like to address your general attitude of hopeless negativism” or “Cows! I hate cows worse than coppers!” Even going through the quotes online right now had me laughing hard, but I realized without context how they’d seem bland. I admonish you to give the movie a try if you haven’t. And if you like it a little the first time, watch it again and again until you fall madly in love with its Ol’ Timey feel and incredibly humorous quotes.

(Week 7) An Overly Opinionated Opinion

Forgive me, for the opinions I am about to write about are controversial among a variety of different people. Understand that despite my view of these topics, I have understood and continue to gain a greater understanding of the many different stances that can be taken on these subjects. I can be stubborn, but I’m open-minded…..

As it pertains to opinion in politics, the abortion issue particularly, I am pro choice. Where I'm from, this idea is extremely common (and often acted upon). Having been a member of the church my whole life, people often question why it is I am pro choice versus being pro life. Allow me to explain. I am NOT a supporter of abortion. I would never suggest nor participate in the act of abortion, but it is not something I am to judge. We have been raised our whole lives to come to appreciate and respectfully use the gift of agency. It is inevitable that there will be those in this world that abuse that gift, but it is not up to us to prevent them from using their agency in that way anyways. Understand that I am not not pro life (if that makes sense) but I am pro agency and therefore I am for a woman’s right to choose, even if that choice is consequently the ‘wrong one’. But that’s just it, I am not capable of of defining what is 'wrong' and what is 'right' simply based upon my own beliefs. I can’t tell anyone else what they should believe and I recognize that. This opinion of mine stems from the ideas and beliefs of my parents as well as those I have developed of my own accord over the years. I understand why there are many who are pro life. The life of a child, unborn or otherwise, is very special. It too is a gift that should be protected. It is a very noble thing for those who end up with unexpected pregnancies to raise these blessings, but it isn’t always a concept that is easy for people to understand. In my mind, it always comes back to the choices we make. For this reason, I have take the stance that I have.

Another issue that I know is often addressed and discussed here at BYU is that of what is considered a reasonable age to get married. I grew up in the east coast where being 35 years old and single is not an uncommon or uncomfortable idea. Having been surrounded by that way of thinking and living I came to BYU amazed that so many people get married so young. Growing up I always told myself I would be graduated from college before I even thought about getting married and believed everyone was wise to do the same. It had been in my experience that people I had met (college age people) were still too immature and unprepared to be married. I do have to say however, that after having been at BYU for the last 6 months, I have come to a different opinion on the topic. I still think that the ages of 18-24 are still young to get married, but I do believe that one of the special things that comes from being raised in the church is a unique maturity and preparedness for marriage. People get married all the time here at BYU and they live happy, complete lives with one another. I suppose, looking at the last opinion I wrote about, its hypocritical of me to judge the choices people here at BYU make pertaining to marriage but I have changed my views. People here seem to make it work and all I have to say at this point is good for them!

WEEK 6

An image that has been stuck in my mind for the past couple of days is the thought of visiting my best friend Sarah in Portland Oregon. Since 2nd grade my friend Sarah and I have been literally best friends. I have countless memories being with here and growing up together. Us going to different colleges after high school graduation was something we never wanted to think or talk about. I have finally planned a weekend trip to visit my basketball star best friend in Portland. The thought of flying there on my own, being picked up by her at the airport, and staying in her dorm for 3 nights is comparable to the thought of Christmas day as a young child. I am so eager, and filled with excitement for this weekend. Since I haven't actually gone there, all I do is visualize what it will be like. I just see happiness and joy as we are reunited and spending the weekend partying together! This is image is stuck in my head because it is something very important to me. It is also new and a fresh image. I cannot wait to experience this blissful image I have glued into my mind.

Week 6

I absolutely love being outside and enjoying what many people take for granted. I especially love sitting and watching the sun set. A few years ago my family took a trip to my grandparents house. They happen to live in Kimberly, Idaho. It is a very small, middle of nowhere, farm town. I love it when we take trips there, because it is so small and quiet. Being the outside person that I am, I spend the majority of the day outdoors. As a result of living in a small town my grandparents have close to no neighbors. This is to my advantage, because their front porch faces west, and there is nothing but fields within sight. I would always watch the sunset here. It was a warm summer evening and I was completely soaking in the warmth. It was getting pretty late and I assumed my usual position on the front steps. Within minutes of me settling in to my spot, my grandma came and sat down right next to me. We sat in completely silence, other than the slight breeze, with our faces drawn to the exact same spot on the horizon. It was as if we were both waiting for the same thing. Then it happened. The most beautiful sunset that I have ever seen. It was a magnificent mixture of pinks and oranges. In some areas there was even a slight mixture of purples. There was a slight layer of clouds sweeping across the sky, and the light that reflected off gave the clouds, something that I would describe as, a “silver lining.”Then, as soon as it had come, it was gone. The two of us sat there watching the remaining light drain from the sky. While the sunset lasted for a good amount of time, there was something special about those few minutes when the sun had hit the clouds just right, there was something that I will never forget. When my grandma and I are together, we always make it a habit to try to step away and watch the sunset. To this day I have never seen a sunset as amazing as that one on that remarkable summer evening. It is an image in my mind that stands out to me most, and always comes back into my mind.

Week 6

An image that has been stuck in my mind for the past couple of days has been that of when I went skiing last Saturday. Last Saturday was prime time for skiing. It was a gorgeous, sunny day with no clouds in the sky. It was so awesome to be able to get out of the valley smog that accumulates here in the winter. Breathing in the fresh air at the top of Sugarloaf lift at Alta Ski Resort was so relaxing. You feel as if you were on top of the world when you're up there. An almost celestial feeling overcomes me when I'm up there because of the beautiful scenery that surrounds you. You feel as if being on top of such a magnificent mountain that you are closer to heaven. What a wonderful place it is to be able to experience the world's greatest snow. Skiing itself is awesome, but when you are skiing with your buddies it makes it even more fun. My friends and I have been skiing together ever since we were young. Now that we have all gone our separate ways and go to different schools, it is a sweet feeling to get the crew back together to enjoy a day of some fresh powder. I believe this is why skiing has such a great impact on me because it brings back many old memories that my buds and I shared. I am edetically reminded of the times we had every time I put my ski boots on. Now by no means do I consider myself a phenomenal skier, but there is also no greater feeling than flying through the air. Now hopefully things work out and you don't end up face down in the snow when you've hit the ground. But, other than that it's a sweet feeling that cannot be accurately described. So much joy comes in determining who had the most gnarly wipe out at the end of the day. I'd like to say that I have never obtained this great honor, but indeed I have graciously accepted the award numerous times. There's nothing like a great day on the slopes...

Baby Grace

There are a lot of downfalls to being the baby of the family! No matter how old my siblings get the teasing never ends. I am also usually the one who gets blamed cause we all know who is mom going to believe. Although being the youngest is hard sometimes, there are a few things that I love about being the baby. My three nieces and two nephews are my favorite people on earth. On Friday I got a call from my mom saying that my sister was in the hospital having her baby. So, right after class that day I drove to Salt Lake to see her. When I walked into the room and saw her for the first time I could not have loved her more. There is nothing sweeter, more precious, or more perfect to me than a tiny new born baby. Grace was born a few weeks early so she was extra small. She was awake the entire time that I was there and I didn't ever hear her cry. This is the image that has been in my mind all week. Partly because i have pictures of her EVERYWHERE. She is the background on my computer, my phone, my i pod, and pretty much everywhere i look she is there. The other reason is because I love to think of how perfect she is. Not long ago baby Grace was in Heaven and now she gets to be here with us. She has never done a single thing wrong, she is just absolutely perfect. When I look at her I think about how even though I can't be as cute and adorable as she is, I can work to be as perfect as that again.

Week 6

This is kind of an image, but kind of not; I'm going with the more liberal view the class proposed on blog prompts this week. A picture is an image...so isn't a moving picture one? Anyway, I watched a movie trailer, which might seem lame or dumb at first, but it was for the next X-Men movie, called X-Men: First Class. A lot of people don't like the way that the directors have changed the movies around from their comic origins, but I find enjoyment in a good film, regardless of stupid biases or cultural uprising. The trailer began by showing pictures of a couple characters from the original X-Men movie trilogy, named Charles and Erik (Professor X and Magneto). And then after each showed pictures of them in their young age, in this film. This created both a feeling of nostalgia and a feeling of intrigue, along with increasing excitement to see what would happen next. The next part of the trailer had a presidential address from the Cuban missile crisis playing in the background (this is in the 60s) as everything else was occurring; images of that era's events, and of the characters and so on. From that point it gradually builds everything up, displaying unwillingness to adapt, the outsider nature of the mutants, and rising anger for injustice from Erik. There is not much dialogue through the trailer. The next part is just a montage of a lot of dramatic, action-filled scenes, designed to evoke excitement and shock in the audience. The final part of the trailer shows a small exchange between the friends, with Charles saying "Violence is not the way to peace," and Erik responding with "Peace was never an option." Immediately following this, the characters are shown standing in the loading bay of an airplane, hanging in mid-air, while Erik's hand is outstretched, his face contorted with effort and anger. He is lifting a submarine out of the ocean and suspending it in slow motion above the fleet pursuing them. I don't know about you, but that image instills one thing into my mind: see this movie.

Week 6: After Practice

The sun hangs in the orange sky, reclining on the treetops. Beneath the treetops are the hard paved streets in the fading evening haze. A school is basking in the orange glow; adjacent is a field of dirt of similar color – a diamond field surrounded by living grass. Amid the chirping summer insects quieting before their voices go to sleep, there are the sounds of people packing up bags in a cool, cement cave. Their clothes are dusty with dirt and their shoes stained green. Their cottony feet are fresh out of hot shoes into breezy sandals. Each breath invigorates them with as much oxygen as they could desire. Their hearts are sore, yet ready to pump quickly at a moment’s notice. Their stomachs are empty bowls, excitedly awaiting a warm meal. Their muscles feel sore, praising them for a job well done. The sound of their happy goodbyes echo moderately through the surrounding neighborhood, bouncing off of the front doors of houses until they fade into the peaceful summer day.

Their years are few, their futures full of hope. Their minds are free of worries, their social tanks are full. Their competitive natures have been satisfied in a wholesome way. One gazes at the sun and the treetops, and contemplates life. Why do we even exist, anyway? The thought stirs wonder and fantasy. Then memories of friendship, affection, and laughter come to mind. People who matter come to mind. That person who seems to put a spring in one’s step comes to mind.

The sun and treetops come back into focus, the sky extending into the universe. The person feels very small, but important nonetheless—aware of the joy of friendship that comes from a handful of people out of a bounty of individuals. The crackling sound of pavement as cars exit the parking lot tickles their ears, and their feet have dutifully walked them to their metal contraption. The steel bumpy-edged key is inserted into the crevasse. Before getting in, a last glance at the sky is taken, and eyes close to absorb the tranquility. Rumbling noise breaks loose as the ignition ignites, and the experience settles in to the deep pages of the memory, safe and sound.

My Mommy

My mom and I didn't always get along while I was in high school and there were countless times that we both said "One day we won't be together! College is going to happen! Then you'll be sorry you treated me like this!"...Haha. Looking back on these times we now laugh at the trivial things we fought about. She is one of my best friends now. I call my mom everyday, sometimes twice a day to ask for dating advice, tell her about upcoming tests and assignments I'm concerned about, and just to say hi because I miss her voice. The mom I grew up with was bullet proof. She knew who she was and managed to take care of herself while also taking care of everyone else. My mom has never left the house without full make-up and the woman dresses to kill. She's a fabulous cook and the cleanest person I've ever met. The perfect wife and mom.
In December if someone had asked me to describe my mom, they would have received this response in the present tense...Today if someone asked me to describe my mom, I would have to make a few adjustments. I got a phone call about a week after Winter Semester started from my mom. She told me that she had been diagnosed with severe anxiety and the doctor had decided she needed to be medicated. It took me a long time to process that information. The idea something could be wrong with my mom was ludicrous. If there was something, I would have noticed it. Right? Apparently not. After this revelation about my mom's mental health, I quickly started noticing subtle signs that we had missed. She had no desire to shop. She had mentioned this over Christmas Break. I thought it was because she shops like...EVERYDAY! She was burned out! Turns out she couldn't handle the crowds of people. She was losing insane amounts of weight. If l called her while stressed, instead of calming my nerves she would become panicked herself. The biggest red flag was when I told my mom I would be staying Spring and Summer semesters. She was incredibly upset, on the verge of tears. She begged me to reconsider because she misses me and can't handle having me so far away--I'm from Draper, 30 minutes away. Wait, what?! My mom was asking me to take a break from school so that I could be with her? That was the day I realized that this was not the woman I had grown up with. I worry about her constantly, not only because I love her but because I have three younger siblings. It makes me very sad that they don't have the mom I was so lucky to have. I hope her medication works and that she can someday snap out of it...if not though, it's something we will have to adjust to and keep loving her.

Week 6: Wishful Thinking

For the past couple of days, I've been thinking quite a bit about two friends of mine. Out of respect, names will be changed to Girl and Boy. Unfortunately, I can't post the picture because the particular event hasn't happened yet. It has been in my mind a lot, however, so it still counts. So, background: Girl likes Boy, who is going on a mission (he got his call last night!). Girl tells me the single-most romantic idea I've ever heard. Here it is: Girl's mom has a music box with "Return With Honor" engraved on it, and when you open it, it plays "Somewhere Out There" from An American Tale. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTc03M4lPXU) I love that song. She is going to give him this music box before he leaves. The last thing you must understand about me is that my mind is in the habit of dramatizing and romanticizing everything. So, the image. There is a lovestruck girl running through one of the biggest airports in the country with a music box in her hands, and catches the handsome young missionary right before he boards the plane, and explains in terms of best friendship that she's going to miss him, hands him the box and tells him to not forget to write him. He opens the box, and identifies the song, looks up and smiles at Girl. She smiles back. Click! goes my mental camera. Before you go all critical on her or tell me it’s an awful idea or even say anything, it won't happen like this in real life, and Girl might not actually go through with it. I know it might not be the best idea, but her object isn’t to profess her undying love or whatever, she just wants to let him know he means a lot to her and she’s going to miss her best friend. To be honest, I don’t know her plans for life whilst he’s off preaching the Good Word, but I know she’s not a stupid girl, and she will do what’s best. And everything always works out in the end, so no worries. But you look David Duchovny (my profile picture) in the eyes and tell me that’s not incredibly adorable.

Week 6 Dominick

I distinctly remember the first time I ever saw Dominick. I was sitting on my couch in my living room on a late winter night. It was sometime close to Christmas, but I cant remember the exact date. It was an unusually late to be receiving a phone call. It was sometime around eleven. When my parents told me that they were going to pick up another foster kid that night I was a little shocked. It had not been long since we had our last foster child, so it was unusual that we were asked to take another one so fast. My parents left me alone on the couch and left into the bitter cold night to go pick up the new boy. I was at the stage of half asleep and half awake. The stage where you are aware of whats around you but you just don't care. The sudden slam of my front door woke me up instantly. I sat up on the couch and waited. The first person to come through the hall into the living room was not my mom or dad it was Dominick. This scene of my life has been a still frame for a very long time now. I see an untidy living room full of Christmas decorations and toys for the new child. I see our old kitchen freshly cleaned. And I see a three year old boy in cut up jeans, worn out t shirt, and a winter coat that is too small. The messy dark hair and the dark eyes that are starring right back into mine. I the worn out blue bag that he is dragging behind him. It seemed like it was just me and him for a while, in pure silence. He didn't say a word to me even after I started talking to him. Well everything happens for a reason and Dominick in now officially apart of the Tschaggeny family. We adopted him about six years ago. It is strange how my mind knew that this was an important time in my life and remembers this very clearly.

Success

It has been a long time since this picture was taken, but I can't help but look at it. It reminds me that when things became the most difficult, it was then that I pushed through to my greatest successes. When I look at this picture, I remember what it felt like to be on Cloud 9, to be so happy, that it seemed nothing could bring you down at that moment. In utter disbelief, I raised my arms above my head, tears filled my eyes, and I lost the ability to speak. This was a small taste of joy, of accomplishment, of success, the kind that we only get to enjoy a few times during our lives. It only means something to me because I remember what it took to get there. Faith in Coaches who I had never worked with before, pushing myself beyond the limits that I had previously known, everyday I was in the pool, this reminds me that it was the journey, not the event, that I was celebrating in that moment. This image is plastered to my mind as the end of my swim season approaches this year. Unlike every other season for fourteen years, this one carries no definitive comeback date, no next season, no commitment beyond the finish. It is strange to think that I won't be training in the Summer. While many of my teammates, past and present, will train in the attempt to qualify or prepare for the next big meet, I will be training to become a member of the Lord's Army as one of His full-time representatives. So as I look forward to one last meet, I look back at all the meets that in any way can compare to this one. In searching my past, only two events come to mind: standing atop the podium as the co-captain of the Texas 5A State Championship Swim Team, and leaping for joy as a young and immature freshman in high school. They are happy memories, wonderful memories, and I can only hope that I have it in me to create one more.

Week 6: A Swift Kick

The image that I cannot seem to erase from my gray matter is that of one I first viewed a couple of days ago. The setting is an upper-aged, novice baseball game and the image has a side view of the batter, catcher, and umpire. The source of this image is actually a short video of the at bat, but the single image that is tattooed onto my brain is what happens after the umpire calls the 3rd strike. Without hesitation, the batter takes one backward hop, and while facing the pitcher, does a back kick into the catchers face, and instantly sprints forward. During the point of impact, the batter has one foot out front and one foot in the catcher’s grill. His torso faces forward at about a 100 degree angle to his legs, but his head is turned down and backwards so that he can view the targeted face and make an accurately placed kick. The rest of the video goes on to show the catcher toppling over, the batter dropping his bat, and charging the mound at an incredible rate in attempt to attack the pitcher. The image that sticks though is the exact moment when this frustrated batter’s foot is in the face of the catcher as he simultaneously faces his next target, the pitcher. I think the reason this image has taken such serious root in my brain is because of the absurdity of the entire situation. When I first watched this I could not believe my eyes! It would have been unbelievable to have been at the game in person. What provokes a player to do such an act is beyond me, but the entire occurrence had me literally “ROTFL”. It especially cracks me up that even before he has ended giving a swift kick to the catcher, he already knows he’s going to run at the pitcher. He has an agenda of punishment to hand out, and he wastes no time. It may not strike some people as humorous as I found it, but I just can’t seem to get it out of my head. Please, enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8lZLysEu1U

Weed 6: One Simple Text

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan is all that rings in my ear when I hear the word perfect. He is 25 years old and is my oldest brother. He is happily married to an amazing women, Whitney, and has a beyond beautiful daughter, Jadyn, who is one. Yes, no one is perfect and obviously my brother is not but I believe that he comes pretty close to it.

Ever since I was little I have always looked up to him and not just because of our difference in height. He has been a role model to me in many aspects of his life. Not only is he naturally intelligent, but he has strong work ethic. He is a motivated student, a loving and supportive brother, and an obedient son.

He graduated from BYU two years ago and is currently attending UTMB Medical School in Galveston, Texas. He has always made a 4.0 and can ace a test from reading over the material once. His photographic memory was something I was not blessed with. Besides playfully suffocating me in blankets when I was younger, I have loved the way he has always treated me. He never fails to show his endless love for our family. He obeys my parents, and was not one to get grounded or try out the whole “rebellious” stage. I have always strived to be like him in everything that I do, especially in school. I am taking anatomy (which he was a T.A. for and made a high A in the class) and every time I go in to take a test I think of him. He is my inspiration and motivation to do well in the class.

I often times find myself comparing myself to him which can have a negative outcome when I don’t do as well as he did. I remember so clearly when he sent me a text the other day saying “I am so proud of you Kenna”. Those seven simple words that formed this sentence brought the widest grin to my face. Reading that text made me feel so loved and supported because it was from my older brother who is such a great example to me. His text meant the world to me because he wasn’t saying he was proud of me just for my anatomy grades, but for everything I have done in different areas of my life. I don’t think he realized the affect that the text had on me, and I don’t know if he ever will. All that matters is the feeling I have when I think of him and how much he is proud of me. What he may not know is I am so proud of HIM and all of HIS accomplishments.

RA Thesis

Chosen Article: "Alcohol Advertising"

Thesis:

In George A. Hacker’s article, “Alcohol Advertising: Are Our Kids Collateral or Intended Targets?”, Hacker uses diction to negatively portray the alcoholic beverage companies and concrete examples to rally parents, through their evoked sense of indignity at the targeting of their children, to implement a campaign to end the youth-oriented marketing of alcohol.

RA Thesis

Alcohol Advertising: Are Our Kids Collateral or Intended Targets is an effective argument to convince parents in society that there is a need to shield their children from alcohol advertising because it uses persuasive diction, statistical logos, and questions to warn them against the alcohol advertising companies targeting of children.

RA Thesis

In the article, "Children, Violence and the Media: A Report for Parents and Policy Makers" by Senate Committee on the Judiciary, rhetorical strategies such as tone and word choice emotionally appeal to American parents to raise awareness on the effects of the media on children.

RA Thesis

"Children, Violence, and the Media: A Report for Parents and Policy Makers" creates a compelling argument to convince the adults and parents to make efforts to shield the next young generation from violence by using factual studies from credible sources, loaded terms with repetition, and rhetorical questions to create a desire among the "adult generation" to cut off the violence portrayed in the media from poisoning the minds of young people today.

RA Thesis

"Children, Violence and the Media: A Report for Parents and Policy Makers" is an effective argument to persuade parents and politicians to stop the decay of our nation's children because it uses statistical analysis, distinctive diction, and ethos to ultimately reduce the amount and degree of violence in our media.

Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement

"Alcohol Advertising: Are Our Kids Collateral or Intended Targets?" is an effective argument to convince parents and members of society to take more action against alcohol advertising because of its wide use of facts, effective word choice, and thought provoking statements to create a sense of seriousness and urgency.

Rhetorical Analysis Thesis

Richard Rhodes's "The Media Violence Myth" is an effective argument which convinces those under the impression that media violence directly causes real-world violence to alter their views and stop blaming the media on violence issues because it uses logic through statistics, with effective diction, and procatalepsis to ward off any negative emotion, in order to prove the lack of detrimental correlation between media and real-world violence.

RATS: Rhetorical Analysis Thesis Statement

Richard Rhodes destroys many popular arguments that media violence causes an increase in crime, child violence, and/or adult violence in The Media Violence Myth by utilizing extensive loaded diction, excessive lampooning, and a library of statistics to create a dual appeal to logic and emotion to convince the reader that media violence does not, in fact, cause real violence and may even prevent it.

RA Thesis

Alcohol Advertising: Are Our Kids Collateral or Intended Targets is an effective argument to convince the people and society to stand up and force the creation of new laws because of its use of facts, evidence, and ethos to create a sense of urgency that these laws need to made more strict in order to protect today’s youth.

RA Thesis Statement

Alcohol Advertising: Are Our Kids Collateral or Intended Targets is an effective argument to convince society to make stronger laws against alcohol advertising because it uses logos, evidence, and word choice to create a feeling of understanding.

Media Violence

“Children, Violence and the Media: A Report for Parents and Policy Makers” is an effective argument to convince lawmakers to pass resolutions that will better protect children from the detrimental influences of media violence. The use of relevant statistics, analogies, and diction is persuasive in addressing the negative effects that media violence has on America’s children.

RA Thesis

"Alcohol Advertising: Are Our Kids Collateral or Intended Targets" is an effective argument to convince parents to protect the American youth from alcohol advertising because it uses real-life examples, polls and statistics, and calls out specific advertisers to create awareness about the threat to their children.

RA Thesis

In Senate Committee’s “Excerpts from ‘Children, Violence, and the Media: A Report for Parents and Policy Makers’,” they effectively appoint tools such as factual evidence, diction, and metaphors to reasonably and emotionally portray how the media has an effect on adolescent violence and why it needs to be addressed.

(Week 5) An Image of Peace and Hope

Most Sundays, I go up to my parents house in Alpine, UT for dinner with my family. Alpine is not home to me; I grew up in New York and my family just recently moved to Alpine when I was a senior in high school. I go up to Alpine about once a week to spend time with my family. I have 5 younger siblings: Connor (17), Caden (14), Maddie (10), Carson (8), and Camden (7), and I love them all VERY much. This is last Sunday, I stuck around longer than I usually did after dinner, to specifically spend time with my siblings. We were planning on watching a movie together and of course a fight broke out over what movie to watch.

I decided I would leave it to them and went into the kitchen to make us some pop corn. When I returned to the media room to watch the movie they had picked out, there was sense of calm in the room that was somewhat unusual for my family. For just a second, I looked around and stared as I witnessed the peace that had suddenly fallen over all of them. In our media room there are three couches and a luv sac. However, they had all chosen to sit together, squeezed tight as can be, on the one couch facing the TV. My sister sat in Connor’s lap as he scratched her back. My baby brothers, right next to them, were both holding hands between the two and sucking their thumbs with the other hand, and Caden, who had seen me walk in, was attempting to make room for me on the same couch. Looking at that picture, the 5 of them on that couch, in that moment, made me so content and grateful.

The joy that comes from having seen that image of them stems from a lot of difficulties our family has had in the past. My siblings have been through the ringer, having been forced to move away from NY and dragged into my parents’ separation. The trials that we have all faced had been somewhat of a detriment to the relationships we had shared with one another until just recently. The gratitude I feel having witnessed such a tender moment comes from what used to be a fear we would never recover from the long haul we had pulled through. I had been wrong, and for that I could not be more appreciative. The image of them all peacefully sitting there was proof there had been a change among us. I remember that moment because I feel as though it represents what my siblings and I have accomplished and have yet to accomplish together. Despite what we may have been like in the past, we are there for each other now and always will be. Seeing them like that gives me a sense of hope and fills my heart with love. It reminds me of the strength that the 6 of us have in helping each other in overcoming mutual and individual obstacles. Though it may seem simple to most, that image will stick with me forever because of its significance in all of our lives.

Remedy - Jason Mraz

I love the song Remedy by Jason Mraz. Not only is it very catchy, but I particulary like it because of the overall message of the song. To me the song is about letting your light shine and not being worried about what others think of you. I think it is very important to always be yourself and not let what others think about you inhibit your personality. When I was in middle school I was one of those people that would hold back on being my complete self because I didn't know how others would think about me. I finally decided one day that I would not let this "worry" hold me back any longer. Ever since then I have become more and more comfortable with just being myself even around complete strangers. This song embodies this mentality and I first discovered it when I decided to change my own mentality.

Remedy by Jason Mraz

I saw fireworks from the freeway
and behind closed eyes I cannot make them go away
Cause you were born on the fourth of July, freedom ring
Now something on the surface it stings
That something on the surface it kind of makes me nervous
who says that you deserve this And what kind of guy would serve this?
We will cure this dirty old disease
Well if you've gots the poison I've gots the remedy

The remedy is the experience. This is a dangerous liaison
I says the comedy is that it's serious. This is a strange enough new play on words
I says the tragedy is how you're gonna spend
the rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends
when it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won't worry my life away, hey, oh oh oh
I won't worry my life away, hey, oh oh oh

Well I heard two men talking on the radio
in a cross fire kind of new reality show
Uncovering the ways to plan the next big attack
Well they were counting down the days to stab the brother in the
be right back after this The unavoidable kiss,
where the minty fresh death breath is sure to outlast this catastrophe
Dance with me, cause if you've gots the poison, I've gots the remedy

The remedy is the experience. This is a dangerous liaison
I says the comedy is that it's serious. This is a strange enough new play on words
I says the tragedy is how you're gonna spend
the rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends
when it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won't worry my life away, hey, oh oh oh
I won't worry my life away, hey oh oh oh

When I fall in love I take my time
There's no need to hurry when I'm making up my mind
You can turn off the sun but I'm still gonna shine and I'll tell you why

Because The remedy is the experience. This is a dangerous liaison
I says the comedy is that it's serious. This is a strange enough new play on words
I says the tragedy is how you're gonna spend
the rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends
when it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won't worry my life away, hey oh oh oh
I won't worry my life away, hey oh oh oh
I won't and I won't and I won't [etc.]