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Friday, June 3, 2011
Introduction: What's In My Purse
The very first blog assignment we had of the year for my English 101 class was to write about what was inside of our purse or wallet. Because I was brand new to the class, I was a bit hesitant to do this assignment as I was not familiar with a blog and I wasn't really sure I wanted to expose the mess of a purse I had! However, it turned out to be the most interesting blog of the class in my opinion because it really gave me a chance to analyze how something so simple as looking inside of a purse can be analyzed in so many different ways by different people. Judgments and assumptions can be made about a person, based simply off of the contents or even the organization of my purse. This blog posting has allowed me to realize that things aren't always as they seem and there may be more to the picture than what you see. It's like that old say, "Don't judge a book by it's cover."
Introduction: Traditions
Traditions was our topic for the next essay, and this was the one I looked forward to the most. As a Mexican-American I celebrate many cultural traditions so it was very fun to read about and research this subject and get a greater understanding of what exactly traditions meant to different people in different areas. After doing my reading, I realized that something as simple as family movie night is a tradition that my family has taken part in for as long as I can remember. This was the topic I decided to go with and I was able to mix this with the modern technology of instant and/or downloadable movies via the internet and came up with what I think was my best paper of the course. I think it illustrated my awareness to my audience and showcased my voice. It took a few essays, but I finally wrote an entire essay without the use of the word "you." It's pretty challenging to do that.
Introduction: Community
The second essay of my English 101 class was based around the topic of community. It was another topic I did not think I completely understood until of course the readings were all completed and then I definitely caught on to everything that was being asked of me. I enjoyed most of what I read and this made it more enjoyable to write. A community can mean so many different things, by researching and writing this paper, it really helped me fully understand the broad aspect of the topic. However, after writing this paper and receiving the peer edit comments and suggestions, large parts of the paper could be rewritten to allow for better flow and an overall understanding for the audience that reads it. This is the paper I chose as the one that demonstrated my skills at revision and reseeing my work. Now that I have progress with my skills as a writer, I believe the updated version of my essay on community is significantly better.
Introduction: Identity
The very first essay I had to do for this English 101 class was on the topic of Identity. I wasn't exactly thrilled with this topic at first because I did not know what types of things I would have to read and learn about and eventually write a several page paper on. However, after receiving the list of required readings from the book, it all became much easier to understand and I began looking forward to the actual paper. While writing the paper, I definitely think I demonstrated the most critical thinking because I was striving for it to be an A+ paper; I had definitely put more thought, time and energy into it than many other things in the past and tried to look at every aspect from all angles. In the end, I think I may have thought "too" far in to it because as I look back at the paper now, several months in to the course, there are many things that had to be changed or updated that just helped the overall flow of the paper and to make it easier to understand as the reader. This paper was the beginning of several more to come in which I improved on each that followed.
From The Outside Looking In
My purse is unorganized to say the very least. A variety of items are scattered along the bottom and my two most prized possessions, my debit card and drivers license, are somewhere within, but typically among the last of items I am able to find. My wallet is loaded with multiple department store credit cards, various gift cards and a ton of photographs of my little brother from high school dances as well as the array of sports he participates in. In addition, within my treasure chest, one would find, gum wrappers, useless receipts, lip-gloss, multiple tubes of chap stick, instant hand sanitizer, free perfume samples, lotions, and a bunch of other junk I could definitely do without.
The contents of my purse construct an image about me that is completely different from the person I am. Among finding my purse, one would think I am a mess and would likely think that if something of mine was to be missing; that it’s not first time that it has been lost. They would portray me as being girly, prude and probably assume that I am in debt because of the vast amount of plastic I have in my name; however, this is not true. These superficial assumptions make me laugh because, although I like to shop and take care of myself, I am a very hard working and responsible young woman with a job that can support my lifestyle. However messy or unorganized my purse may be; as long as I have my drivers license and debit card, I can make it through my day without hesitation. Making sure my purse is organized falls low on my priority list.
The person who may find my purse would be unaware that I have a great job and work full time in the healthcare industry and truly enjoy helping people. They would be unaware that I am attending community college to better myself and expand my education for my future. It would definitely be misinterpreted that I am a very organized individual who only wants to succeed, progress and be a productive member of society. Therefore, any judgments based off the objects in my purse, or anything similar in general, does not give a good representation of who I am or how I should be perceived. It is these mental assessments and assumptions of an individual, without knowing that person, that one makes up shrewd conclusions we call judgement.
The contents of my purse construct an image about me that is completely different from the person I am. Among finding my purse, one would think I am a mess and would likely think that if something of mine was to be missing; that it’s not first time that it has been lost. They would portray me as being girly, prude and probably assume that I am in debt because of the vast amount of plastic I have in my name; however, this is not true. These superficial assumptions make me laugh because, although I like to shop and take care of myself, I am a very hard working and responsible young woman with a job that can support my lifestyle. However messy or unorganized my purse may be; as long as I have my drivers license and debit card, I can make it through my day without hesitation. Making sure my purse is organized falls low on my priority list.
The person who may find my purse would be unaware that I have a great job and work full time in the healthcare industry and truly enjoy helping people. They would be unaware that I am attending community college to better myself and expand my education for my future. It would definitely be misinterpreted that I am a very organized individual who only wants to succeed, progress and be a productive member of society. Therefore, any judgments based off the objects in my purse, or anything similar in general, does not give a good representation of who I am or how I should be perceived. It is these mental assessments and assumptions of an individual, without knowing that person, that one makes up shrewd conclusions we call judgement.
Convenience of Modern Technology Brings Families Closer
Going to the movie theater is a family-filled tradition that many people all around the world have taken part in for over sixty years. It is something an entire family or group of friends can enjoy together and becomes not only a relaxing situation and environment for those who attend but also a place where one can take in the latest and greatest comedy or action flick. It’s an event that has brought families together year after year. With today’s modern technology such as the internet, the movie theater experience may quickly become a thing of the past. With available services like Netflix, RedBox, YouTube, onDemand and other online-streaming and movie rental options; instant in-home entertainment is quickly becoming the newest form of watching the latest films. Americans and other people all around the world are fascinated by the instant options these services present and with very little fees in comparison to a family of four outing to the Cineplex. These types of instant gratification in the form of downloadable and streaming movies are a positive addition to everyday life and greatly enhance a family’s movie night.
It’s undeniable that Americans are thirsty for instant, right here-right now gratification and it’s important to note that ability to stream or download movies make up a huge part of that desire and fulfills those needs we possess. Family’s all over the word use the form of a movie as medium to bring a family together. When going to a movie theater, while it may bring the family together, actual conversation does not usually take place within the theater itself because of common courtesy and respect for those watching the film around them. With these new forms of technology, it not only brings the families together more often, for less money and because these forms of media are viewed within the homes of the family it can create conversation during the movie because it gives the ability to stop and pause the movie at will if there are questions about what happened or to explain a scene to little ones in the family. It is traditions like these that can tighten the bond of families and bring them closer together.
All around the world people have countless memories of the movies they’ve watched and enjoyed over the years, many as family outings. Laugh lines have been carved out in the faces of some as well as deep wrinkles in foreheads caused by those movies that left them thinking “What the heck was that?” These are all priceless memories that have been built with the loves ones they are surrounded by. Something as simple as an enjoyable comedy can have a family reminiscing about the hilarious moments for many years. Serious and heartfelt conversation can also build after viewing a more thought-provoking film that brings members of the family closer together as they work in unison to understand a certain part of the film or while the parents explain a death or confusing scene to their younger children who may have a hard time comprehending without the help of their parents or older siblings.
The movie-going experience has typically been considered an expensive one whether it was the weekly trip to the movie theater with a family of four or the more reasonably priced trip to the brick and mortar Blockbuster video store to pick up the newest release as a two-day rental or purchasing the film to own. Regardless of how a family may choose to do partake in their family movie night, it often times cost a fortune. It is where these new technologies of instant, on-demand downloads and movie-streaming capabilities really hit it home in the heart of today’s modern family. Services such as Netflix give a family of any size, the ability to rent or instantly stream an unlimited amount of movies for a monthly price that is typically around the same price as just two tickets to a movie showing in a nearby theater. These services can be paused or stopped which also gives a great intermission to discuss what has taken place thus far. In the essay “This Is How We Live” by Ellen DeGeneres, she writes, “Everyone likes to talk about how advancements in technology will change the way we live forever. Frankly, I think modern technology is hurting us” (638). While an outing to the local cinema can be very memorable and bring families closer together it can break the bank at over ten dollars each for a movie ticket and nearly the same price for a tub of popcorn, which may not even feed the entire family. With the economy in the dire state that it is in, families are flocking to services like these so that the family movie night can continue to exist and keep the family bond that these nights create.
The bonds that are created in the traditional family movie night may not necessarily come from within the movie-viewing itself. Often, dinner before or after the film is also considered part of the tradition and is yet another opportunity for a family to sit down and talk about their day, their problems and usually the movie they’ve just watched or are about to watch. The movie is a conversation starter; and a plethora of topics can be talked about within the family ranging in all-ages from the adults, down to the toddlers who may have had their pick of “Toy Story” as the movie of the night. Regardless of the movie, something can be taken from each film and the conversation that it can carry does nothing more but help build strong bonds within the family’s and create feelings of togetherness.
Modern technology can definitely bring people a part and could hurt us, like DeGeneres wrote in her essay, however, when used properly and not abused, innovations from companies like Netflix and RedBox can certainly build families and keep the closer together. These inventions have brought the cost of viewing films down so drastically that a once-a-month movie night can now be once-a-week or more. In addition to the price being so low for said services, the fact that the services are now instant and very easy to use – it takes the hassle out of planning an outing in the car, paying for gas, and actually driving to the local theater. It’s as simple as a few clicks on the remote or computer that can have families gathered around; creating life-long memories that will be remembered for the rest of their lives – all while in their pajamas on their favorite couch or chair, and with the toddler’s favorite stuffed teddy bear. Langdon Winner, author of “Technological Somnambulism” writes, “Technologies are not merely aids to human activity, but also powerful forces acting to reshape that activity” (645). It is without question that the convenience of modern innovations and technology can definitely improve a family’s quality of life and create many more opportunities to build lasting relationships.
It’s undeniable that Americans are thirsty for instant, right here-right now gratification and it’s important to note that ability to stream or download movies make up a huge part of that desire and fulfills those needs we possess. Family’s all over the word use the form of a movie as medium to bring a family together. When going to a movie theater, while it may bring the family together, actual conversation does not usually take place within the theater itself because of common courtesy and respect for those watching the film around them. With these new forms of technology, it not only brings the families together more often, for less money and because these forms of media are viewed within the homes of the family it can create conversation during the movie because it gives the ability to stop and pause the movie at will if there are questions about what happened or to explain a scene to little ones in the family. It is traditions like these that can tighten the bond of families and bring them closer together.
All around the world people have countless memories of the movies they’ve watched and enjoyed over the years, many as family outings. Laugh lines have been carved out in the faces of some as well as deep wrinkles in foreheads caused by those movies that left them thinking “What the heck was that?” These are all priceless memories that have been built with the loves ones they are surrounded by. Something as simple as an enjoyable comedy can have a family reminiscing about the hilarious moments for many years. Serious and heartfelt conversation can also build after viewing a more thought-provoking film that brings members of the family closer together as they work in unison to understand a certain part of the film or while the parents explain a death or confusing scene to their younger children who may have a hard time comprehending without the help of their parents or older siblings.
The movie-going experience has typically been considered an expensive one whether it was the weekly trip to the movie theater with a family of four or the more reasonably priced trip to the brick and mortar Blockbuster video store to pick up the newest release as a two-day rental or purchasing the film to own. Regardless of how a family may choose to do partake in their family movie night, it often times cost a fortune. It is where these new technologies of instant, on-demand downloads and movie-streaming capabilities really hit it home in the heart of today’s modern family. Services such as Netflix give a family of any size, the ability to rent or instantly stream an unlimited amount of movies for a monthly price that is typically around the same price as just two tickets to a movie showing in a nearby theater. These services can be paused or stopped which also gives a great intermission to discuss what has taken place thus far. In the essay “This Is How We Live” by Ellen DeGeneres, she writes, “Everyone likes to talk about how advancements in technology will change the way we live forever. Frankly, I think modern technology is hurting us” (638). While an outing to the local cinema can be very memorable and bring families closer together it can break the bank at over ten dollars each for a movie ticket and nearly the same price for a tub of popcorn, which may not even feed the entire family. With the economy in the dire state that it is in, families are flocking to services like these so that the family movie night can continue to exist and keep the family bond that these nights create.
The bonds that are created in the traditional family movie night may not necessarily come from within the movie-viewing itself. Often, dinner before or after the film is also considered part of the tradition and is yet another opportunity for a family to sit down and talk about their day, their problems and usually the movie they’ve just watched or are about to watch. The movie is a conversation starter; and a plethora of topics can be talked about within the family ranging in all-ages from the adults, down to the toddlers who may have had their pick of “Toy Story” as the movie of the night. Regardless of the movie, something can be taken from each film and the conversation that it can carry does nothing more but help build strong bonds within the family’s and create feelings of togetherness.
Modern technology can definitely bring people a part and could hurt us, like DeGeneres wrote in her essay, however, when used properly and not abused, innovations from companies like Netflix and RedBox can certainly build families and keep the closer together. These inventions have brought the cost of viewing films down so drastically that a once-a-month movie night can now be once-a-week or more. In addition to the price being so low for said services, the fact that the services are now instant and very easy to use – it takes the hassle out of planning an outing in the car, paying for gas, and actually driving to the local theater. It’s as simple as a few clicks on the remote or computer that can have families gathered around; creating life-long memories that will be remembered for the rest of their lives – all while in their pajamas on their favorite couch or chair, and with the toddler’s favorite stuffed teddy bear. Langdon Winner, author of “Technological Somnambulism” writes, “Technologies are not merely aids to human activity, but also powerful forces acting to reshape that activity” (645). It is without question that the convenience of modern innovations and technology can definitely improve a family’s quality of life and create many more opportunities to build lasting relationships.
Works Cited
DeGeneres, Ellen. "This Is How We Live." Remix Ed. Catherine G. Latterell.
2nd ed. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2010. Print. 638-42
Winner, Langdon. “Technological Somnambulism.” Remix Ed. Catherine G. Latterell.
2nd ed. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2010. Print. 644-49.
Influences within Communities
ORIGINAL
REVISION
To define a community, the average person may perhaps say it’s “a group of people living in a particular area,” and while this is the general idea of a community, it is also vague in so many ways. We are surrounded by communities and the variety is endless. In this day and age; the internet alone is not only a nest, but a breeding ground, of an array of millions of different types of communities and the billions of people that make them up. Regardless of what the topic, situation, or scenario, one can find their own corner of the World Wide Web or a place in the real world itself, which they eventually become a part of. Once a group of people living or coinciding together exists, the community forms and begins to take on a life of its own as people feel more secure and begin to feel free enough to share their ideas and opinions and start to get along. Communities are often based on religion, race and in some cases, even sexual orientation – a plethora of different types. In addition to the World Wide Web, colleges are also a part of life that includes a large number of communities. The assortment of different fraternities, sororities and other groups of people within the campus thrive on those groups who are living and learning together as well as trying to get along while creating or expanding their personal identities. Choosing the right college or even city to live in is an important task and should not be taken lightly. Communities can create influences that can negatively affect one’s future.
In colleges all around the United States, students join and partake in an endless category of different groups. From band and choir, to major sports and educational study groups that take place before, during or after school; many of these extracurricular activities have a competitive edge to them, and this can often become the main aspect of what the student considers the most important part of college-life. Sororities and Fraternities can also be competitions, many trying to be the biggest or smartest or the one that stands out the most. These activities and elite groups become such a factor for a high school graduate when they are seeking out the perfect college that it can often skew one's decision when ultimately deciding on a college because they want to be on that winning sports team or in the more well-known Fraternity or Sorority. The students don’t just join college; they join tribes. This can be detrimental to one's future and can greatly influence it because of choosing the school based on non-educational aspects of it. “What endlessly impresses me is people losing sight of how arbitrary it is,” says Robert M. Sapolsky, a Stanford biologist who specializes in the links between social life and stress (Berreby 120). Choosing a great college that has great academic history and a superb lineup of professors and teachers should certainly outweigh choosing the school with that sorority that is known to drink the most amount of beer every weekend, all year long. Surprisingly, academics often get overlooked when it comes to something that appears to be more fun or competitive. Professor Sapolsky later describes this type of thinking as “nutty, but palpable” (Berreby 120). However, it is not always detrimental to one's future, these elite groups and activities, can also shape a student into a more responsible, sharp or well-rounded person because they’ve surrounded themselves with similar, like-minded individuals. While many of these groups are competitive-only, there are also many that are highly educationally-driven, with students majoring in the same or similar subjects, meeting together, and partaking in activities such as study groups and even partaking in “mock trials” for those studying law. These quality groups can bring out the best of these students and can positively influence ones future. Some students also pick their colleges strictly by the city or state they are located in. Those looking for sun, may be likely to choose Arizona State University or those looking to go skiing or snowboarding may be more prone to apply at Colorado State University to be closer to the prime mountains in Aspen. They are choosing a hobby or lifestyle, then their college, and this could certainly affect one's future, as they may be choosing location over academics.
The place of birth can also have an impact on lives. When it comes to the city or state that one grows up in, there are also a huge number of scenarios that can either help or hinder one’s future. Someone who may be very intellectual or creative may be born into a community that is very stereotypical and could be exposed to a life of violence, drugs and gangs. This person, while very smart with a huge amount of potential may be a prime candidate of falling victim to their surrounding peers and violent, drug-filled atmosphere. Because this is what they were born into and have been associated with, this may be their life as they know it - it then may become very hard for them to break out of this culture they’ve become adjusted to. It can happen all over the world, people with loads of potential being hindered by how they’ve been raised or where they were born. These communities are often a large percentage of the same race, income or education, and it takes a very strong-minded person with a huge will to break the mold of their peers and those in their community and be able to have a future using their smarts, intellectualism or creativeness they’re born with. Positive futures are more likely the outcome for those who are born within a community that provides a good educational school system, are limited on drugs, violence and gangs and that has an overall supportive community with their peers around them being productive members of society. Many people all over the world are born into positive communities such as these, although it’s troublesome that the place a person is born, that of which they have no choice, can also negatively affect their future.
From one generation to the next, people have been exposed to clichés such as “the smarter you are, the fewer friends you have.” It is widely believed that if you are book smart or cared about your education that you weren’t as fun or sociable. These are types of clichés and judgments that can also greatly affect one's future. The peers we are surrounded by within our community, be it school or neighborhood, can be both helpful and supportive of our educational aspirations or when portrayed negatively, it can be very discouraging to the individual who is consistently being paid attention to less or not at all, because they may place their education before their social life; however, they may want an equal balance of both, but are often not given the opportunity. “I’m a junior in high school and African-American. From a young age, I noticed that being book smart can make you unpopular. This is an especially difficult issue for minority youth, and in my opinion, affects the minds of black youth the most,” says Kumi Hodge, a high-achieving student at Alameda Community Learning Center (259). Stereotypes can also be detrimental to the future of some students; it is often thought that a black student that has interest in his education is acting “too white” or is trying to be a show off. Hodge goes on to say, “I’ve even read statistics from a public policy journal that say the popularity of black students slopes negatively when their GPA reaches 3.5” (259). This is a dominant stereotype that not only happens against the race of African Americans but others as well. It’s unfortunate that a person’s grades determine their social life. Kumi, decided his education was much more important than the temptation of fitting in or not being the butt of some jokes his peers were saying, ultimately saying “I’m not giving up” (259).
All of these stereotypes and situations that take place across the country and the world can be very discouraging and often make a person just want to give up and fall back into the mold they’ve nearly broke out of and back into the flow of how those around them act within their community, or race (in a situation like the latter). Each person needs to strive to be happy with who they are, reaching for their dreams and goals and not let their community determine and affect their futures; however tempting and likely it may be. Curt Johnson, a high school student of the 1970’s said, “I remember when I was in school. There were different groups and cliques, and to be honest, I was a part of some; but looking back now, nearly 30 years later, I realize that we were not allowing ourselves equal doses of reality. We were stuck within the realms of whatever group we were a part of. This can definitely shape or alter a person’s future, because they may not ever break out of the pack and will constantly be surrounded by the same people their entire lives. It’s important to break-free and take charge of your future.” It’s important to choose the right college, community, school groups or anything else one may have control over, thus surrounding themselves by good influences and other smart, like-minded individuals. This would certainly shape one's future, and more likely than not, it would be positively.
To define a community, the average person may perhaps say it’s “a group of people living in a particular area,” and while this is the general idea of a community, it is also vague is so many ways. We are surrounded by communities and the variety is endless. In this day and age; the internet alone is not only a nest, but a breeding ground, of an array of millions of different types of communities and the billions of people that make them up. Regardless of what the topic, situation, or scenario; one can find their own corner of the World Wide Web or a place in the real world itself, in which they eventually become a part of. Once a group of people living or coinciding together exists, the community forms and begins to take on a life of its own as people feel more secure and begin to feel free enough to share their ideas and opinions and start to get along. Communities are often based on religion, race and in some cases, even sexual orientation – a plethora of different types. In addition to the World Wide Web, colleges are also a part of life that includes a large number of communities. The assortment of different fraternities, sororities and other groups of people within the campus thrive on those groups who are living and learning together as well as trying to get along while creating or expanding their personal identities. Choosing the right college or even city to live in is an important task and should not be taken lightly because communities can create influences that can affect one’s future.
In colleges all around the United States, students join and partake in an endless category of different groups. From band and choir, to major sports and educational study groups that take place before, during or after school; many of these extracurricular activities have a competitive edge to them and this can often become the main aspect of what the student considers the most important part of college-life. Sororities and Fraternities can also be competitions; many trying to be the biggest or smartest or the one that stands out the most. These activities and elite groups become such a factor for a high school graduate when they are seeking out the perfect college that it can often skew ones decision when ultimately deciding on a college because they want to be on that winning sports team or in the more well-known Fraternity or Sorority. The students don’t just join college; they join tribes. This can be detrimental to ones future and can greatly influence it because of choosing the school based on non-educational aspects of it. “What endlessly impresses me is people losing sight of how arbitrary it is,” says Robert M. Sapolsky, a Stanford biologist who specializes in the links between social life and stress (Derreby 120). Choosing a great college that has great academic history and a superb lineup of professors and teachers should certainly outweigh choosing the school with that sorority that is known to drink the most amount of beer every weekend, all year long. Surprisingly, academics often get overlooked when it comes to something that appears to be more fun or competitive. Professor Sapolsky later describes this type of thinking as “nutty, but palpable” (Derreby 120). However, it is not always detrimental to ones future, these elite groups and activities, can also shape a student into a more responsible, sharp or well-rounded person because they’ve surrounded themselves with similar, like-minded individuals. While many of these groups are competitive-only, there are also many that are highly educationally-driven, with students majoring in the same or similar subjects, meeting together, and partaking in activities such as study groups and even partaking in “mock trials” for those studying law. These quality groups can bring out the best of these students and can positively influence ones future. Some students also pick their colleges strictly by the city or state they are located in. Those looking for sun, may be likely to choose Arizona State University or those looking to go skiing or snowboarding may be more prone to apply at Colorado State University to be closer to the prime mountains in Aspen. They are choosing a hobby or lifestyle, then their college, and this could certainly affect ones future as they may be choosing location over academics.
The place of birth can also have an impact on lives. When it comes to the city or state that one grows up in, there are also a huge number of scenarios that can either help or hinder one’s future. Someone who may be very intellectual or creative may be born into a community that is very stereotypical and could be exposed to a life of violence, drugs and gangs. This person, while very smart with a huge amount of potential may be a prime candidate of falling victim to their surrounding peers and violent, drug-filled atmosphere. Because this is what they were born into and have been associated with; this may be their life as they know it - it then may become very hard for them to break out of this culture they’ve become adjusted to. It can happen all over the world, people with loads of potential being hindered by how they’ve been raised or where they were born. These communities are often a large percentage of the same race, income or education and it takes a very strong-minded person with a huge will to break the mold of their peers and those in their community and be able to have a future using their smarts, intellectualism or creativeness they’re born with. Positive futures are more likely the outcome for those who are born within a community that provides a good educational school system, are limited on drugs, violence and gangs and that has an overall supportive community with their peers around them being productive members of society. Many people all over the world are born into positive communities such as these although it’s troublesome that the place a person is born, that of which they have no choice, can also negatively affect their future.
From one generation to the next, people have been exposed to clichés, such as “the smarter you are, the fewer friends you have.” It is widely believed, that if you are book smart or cared about your education that you weren’t as fun or sociable. These are types of clichés and judgments that can also greatly affect ones future. The peers we are surrounded by within our community, be it school or neighborhood, can be both helpful and supportive of our educational aspirations or when portrayed negatively, it can be very discouraging to the individual who is consistently being paid attention to less or not at all, because they may place their education before their social life; however, they may want an equal balance of both, but are often not given the opportunity. “I’m a junior in high school and African-American. From a young age, I noticed that being book smart can make you unpopular. This is an especially difficult issue for minority youth, and in my opinion, affects the minds of black youth the most,” says Kumi Hodge a high-achieving student at Alameda Community Learning Center (259). Stereotypes can also be detrimental to the future of some students; because it is often thought that a black student that has interest in his education is acting “too white” or is trying to be a show off. Kumi goes on to say, “I’ve even read statistics from a public policy journal that say the popularity of black students slopes negatively when their GPA reaches 3.5” (259). This is a dominant stereotype that not only happens against the race of African Americans, but others as well. It’s unfortunate that a person’s grades determine their social life. Kumi, decided his education was much more important than the temptation of fitting in or not being the butt of some jokes his peers were saying, ultimately saying “I’m not giving up” (259).
All of these stereotypes and situations that take place across the country and the world can be very discouraging and often makes a person just want to give up and fall back into the mold they’ve nearly broke out of and back into the flow of how those around them act within their community, or race (in a situation like the later). Each person needs to strive to be happy with whom they are, reaching for their dreams and goals and not let their community determine and affect their futures; however tempting and likely it may be. Curt Johnson, a high school student of the 1970’s said, “I remember when I was in school, there were different groups and cliques, and to be honest, I was a part of some; but looking back now, nearly 30 years later, I realize that we were not allowing ourselves equal doses of reality. We were stuck within the realms of whatever group we were a part of. This can definitely shape or alter a person’s future, because they may not ever break out of the pack and will constantly be surrounded by the same people their entire lives. It’s important to break-free and take charge of your future.” It’s important to choose the right college, community, school groups or anything else one may have control over, thus surrounding themselves by good influences and other smart, like-minded individuals. This would certainly shape ones future, and more likely than not, it would be positively.
REVISION
To define a community, the average person may perhaps say it’s “a group of people living in a particular area,” and while this is the general idea of a community, it is also vague in so many ways. We are surrounded by communities and the variety is endless. In this day and age; the internet alone is not only a nest, but a breeding ground, of an array of millions of different types of communities and the billions of people that make them up. Regardless of what the topic, situation, or scenario, one can find their own corner of the World Wide Web or a place in the real world itself, which they eventually become a part of. Once a group of people living or coinciding together exists, the community forms and begins to take on a life of its own as people feel more secure and begin to feel free enough to share their ideas and opinions and start to get along. Communities are often based on religion, race and in some cases, even sexual orientation – a plethora of different types. In addition to the World Wide Web, colleges are also a part of life that includes a large number of communities. The assortment of different fraternities, sororities and other groups of people within the campus thrive on those groups who are living and learning together as well as trying to get along while creating or expanding their personal identities. Choosing the right college or even city to live in is an important task and should not be taken lightly. Communities can create influences that can negatively affect one’s future.
In colleges all around the United States, students join and partake in an endless category of different groups. From band and choir, to major sports and educational study groups that take place before, during or after school; many of these extracurricular activities have a competitive edge to them, and this can often become the main aspect of what the student considers the most important part of college-life. Sororities and Fraternities can also be competitions, many trying to be the biggest or smartest or the one that stands out the most. These activities and elite groups become such a factor for a high school graduate when they are seeking out the perfect college that it can often skew one's decision when ultimately deciding on a college because they want to be on that winning sports team or in the more well-known Fraternity or Sorority. The students don’t just join college; they join tribes. This can be detrimental to one's future and can greatly influence it because of choosing the school based on non-educational aspects of it. “What endlessly impresses me is people losing sight of how arbitrary it is,” says Robert M. Sapolsky, a Stanford biologist who specializes in the links between social life and stress (Berreby 120). Choosing a great college that has great academic history and a superb lineup of professors and teachers should certainly outweigh choosing the school with that sorority that is known to drink the most amount of beer every weekend, all year long. Surprisingly, academics often get overlooked when it comes to something that appears to be more fun or competitive. Professor Sapolsky later describes this type of thinking as “nutty, but palpable” (Berreby 120). However, it is not always detrimental to one's future, these elite groups and activities, can also shape a student into a more responsible, sharp or well-rounded person because they’ve surrounded themselves with similar, like-minded individuals. While many of these groups are competitive-only, there are also many that are highly educationally-driven, with students majoring in the same or similar subjects, meeting together, and partaking in activities such as study groups and even partaking in “mock trials” for those studying law. These quality groups can bring out the best of these students and can positively influence ones future. Some students also pick their colleges strictly by the city or state they are located in. Those looking for sun, may be likely to choose Arizona State University or those looking to go skiing or snowboarding may be more prone to apply at Colorado State University to be closer to the prime mountains in Aspen. They are choosing a hobby or lifestyle, then their college, and this could certainly affect one's future, as they may be choosing location over academics.
The place of birth can also have an impact on lives. When it comes to the city or state that one grows up in, there are also a huge number of scenarios that can either help or hinder one’s future. Someone who may be very intellectual or creative may be born into a community that is very stereotypical and could be exposed to a life of violence, drugs and gangs. This person, while very smart with a huge amount of potential may be a prime candidate of falling victim to their surrounding peers and violent, drug-filled atmosphere. Because this is what they were born into and have been associated with, this may be their life as they know it - it then may become very hard for them to break out of this culture they’ve become adjusted to. It can happen all over the world, people with loads of potential being hindered by how they’ve been raised or where they were born. These communities are often a large percentage of the same race, income or education, and it takes a very strong-minded person with a huge will to break the mold of their peers and those in their community and be able to have a future using their smarts, intellectualism or creativeness they’re born with. Positive futures are more likely the outcome for those who are born within a community that provides a good educational school system, are limited on drugs, violence and gangs and that has an overall supportive community with their peers around them being productive members of society. Many people all over the world are born into positive communities such as these, although it’s troublesome that the place a person is born, that of which they have no choice, can also negatively affect their future.
From one generation to the next, people have been exposed to clichés such as “the smarter you are, the fewer friends you have.” It is widely believed that if you are book smart or cared about your education that you weren’t as fun or sociable. These are types of clichés and judgments that can also greatly affect one's future. The peers we are surrounded by within our community, be it school or neighborhood, can be both helpful and supportive of our educational aspirations or when portrayed negatively, it can be very discouraging to the individual who is consistently being paid attention to less or not at all, because they may place their education before their social life; however, they may want an equal balance of both, but are often not given the opportunity. “I’m a junior in high school and African-American. From a young age, I noticed that being book smart can make you unpopular. This is an especially difficult issue for minority youth, and in my opinion, affects the minds of black youth the most,” says Kumi Hodge, a high-achieving student at Alameda Community Learning Center (259). Stereotypes can also be detrimental to the future of some students; it is often thought that a black student that has interest in his education is acting “too white” or is trying to be a show off. Hodge goes on to say, “I’ve even read statistics from a public policy journal that say the popularity of black students slopes negatively when their GPA reaches 3.5” (259). This is a dominant stereotype that not only happens against the race of African Americans but others as well. It’s unfortunate that a person’s grades determine their social life. Kumi, decided his education was much more important than the temptation of fitting in or not being the butt of some jokes his peers were saying, ultimately saying “I’m not giving up” (259).
All of these stereotypes and situations that take place across the country and the world can be very discouraging and often make a person just want to give up and fall back into the mold they’ve nearly broke out of and back into the flow of how those around them act within their community, or race (in a situation like the latter). Each person needs to strive to be happy with who they are, reaching for their dreams and goals and not let their community determine and affect their futures; however tempting and likely it may be. Curt Johnson, a high school student of the 1970’s said, “I remember when I was in school. There were different groups and cliques, and to be honest, I was a part of some; but looking back now, nearly 30 years later, I realize that we were not allowing ourselves equal doses of reality. We were stuck within the realms of whatever group we were a part of. This can definitely shape or alter a person’s future, because they may not ever break out of the pack and will constantly be surrounded by the same people their entire lives. It’s important to break-free and take charge of your future.” It’s important to choose the right college, community, school groups or anything else one may have control over, thus surrounding themselves by good influences and other smart, like-minded individuals. This would certainly shape one's future, and more likely than not, it would be positively.
Works Cited
Berreby, David. “It Takes a Tribe.” Remix. Catherine G. Latterell. 2nd ed.
Boston: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2010. 119-123.
Hodge, Kumi. “Making The Grade.” Remix. Catherine G. Latterell. 2nd ed.
Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2010. 259-260
Johnson, Curt. Personal Interview. 25 April 2011.
Life Experiences Define One's Identity
In the book, “The Overachievers,” journalist turned author, Alexandra Robbins tells a story about what it’s like for many young adults in the high school world today. Throughout the book, she goes on to explain how high school can often times no longer be a place for the standard learning environment and the exploration of daily education, but that it becomes a “competitive frenzy” that gives students “intense pressures to succeed” and “paralyzing fears of failure.” These feelings are sometimes planted in the minds of these individuals by other students around them that are striving to be the best and the smartest. However, more often than not it’s the parents of these students that, with or without knowing, pressure their children into becoming the overachievers that many become which can define ones identity (250).
Like Alexandra Robbins says, high school has become a “competitive frenzy” and not-so-much about the daily curriculum of learning and exploring about the topics and things that the student likes or dislikes, or trying to find out what type of vocational skills he or she is interested in learning more about to better fit their chosen career path. It has become so much more in the recent years with the ongoing social influences students are surrounded with from early ages in addition to the extreme amount of pressure many parents unknowingly place upon their child or children (250, 251). “Students (and parents) begin to pile on advanced placement studies, activity after activity, and acclaim after acclaim,” this is all done with one simple goal in mind: College Admissions (Robbins 250). They are striving for a beefy high school resume. Parents often don’t realize the amount of stress this can put upon these kids because it is outweighed by the mere fact of them believing their student is succeeding and being the best at everything they take on – while this is manageable for a lot of teenagers, this can be too much to handle for some and can often result in rebellion or complete loss of interest in learning all together. Although, with the proper drive and motivation, it can also lead to the life of driven, career minded young adults that will succeed and become the overachievers they were bred to be. In “Who You Callin’ a Bitch,” author Queen Latifah wrote, “My mother believed in me before I even believed in myself.” This is a choice example of how the parents can often be the driver behind the wheel of their children.
Everyone has heard of peer pressure and in today’s world it runs rampant in every school, in every state, in every city, not only nationwide, but worldwide. It’s amazing to think how certain adolescent experiences can be so life changing. That one friend the child may meet could ultimately change the person’s life forever in either a positive or negative way. Drugs are one example of how a student’s life can be affected negatively by meeting or running with the wrong crowd; and while he or she may be ultimately making the decision themselves to take the drugs; it is likely this new friend or individual that introduced them to substances once unknown to them in the first place. This is a very common situation of adolescent experiences and peer pressure that can define ones identity in a negative way. It fits well with the saying, “wrong place at the wrong time.”
It’s amazing how much positivity can come out of peer pressure as well, when more often than not, one would associate negative behaviors when associated with the term “peer pressure.” The peers that one is surrounding themselves with are also capable of positively peer pressuring one into productive and healthy activities and experiences. As an example, if they are hanging around with a group of friends who enjoy playing sports, then he or she is far more likely to join a team or play as well. This same situation can be applied to most any positive activity or special interest. Those you associate yourself with are often responsible for ones ultimate career decisions. These are all positive influences or pressures that can define ones identity as well.
It is clear that a person’s life can be defined by an outside source through adolescent experiences or social pressure; including those exuded by friends or family members. It is important that though these influences may be positive, it is known that negative pressures exist as well, and that it is wise for each individual to make sure that they themselves define who they are and not somebody else.
Like Alexandra Robbins says, high school has become a “competitive frenzy” and not-so-much about the daily curriculum of learning and exploring about the topics and things that the student likes or dislikes, or trying to find out what type of vocational skills he or she is interested in learning more about to better fit their chosen career path. It has become so much more in the recent years with the ongoing social influences students are surrounded with from early ages in addition to the extreme amount of pressure many parents unknowingly place upon their child or children (250, 251). “Students (and parents) begin to pile on advanced placement studies, activity after activity, and acclaim after acclaim,” this is all done with one simple goal in mind: College Admissions (Robbins 250). They are striving for a beefy high school resume. Parents often don’t realize the amount of stress this can put upon these kids because it is outweighed by the mere fact of them believing their student is succeeding and being the best at everything they take on – while this is manageable for a lot of teenagers, this can be too much to handle for some and can often result in rebellion or complete loss of interest in learning all together. Although, with the proper drive and motivation, it can also lead to the life of driven, career minded young adults that will succeed and become the overachievers they were bred to be. In “Who You Callin’ a Bitch,” author Queen Latifah wrote, “My mother believed in me before I even believed in myself.” This is a choice example of how the parents can often be the driver behind the wheel of their children.
Everyone has heard of peer pressure and in today’s world it runs rampant in every school, in every state, in every city, not only nationwide, but worldwide. It’s amazing to think how certain adolescent experiences can be so life changing. That one friend the child may meet could ultimately change the person’s life forever in either a positive or negative way. Drugs are one example of how a student’s life can be affected negatively by meeting or running with the wrong crowd; and while he or she may be ultimately making the decision themselves to take the drugs; it is likely this new friend or individual that introduced them to substances once unknown to them in the first place. This is a very common situation of adolescent experiences and peer pressure that can define ones identity in a negative way. It fits well with the saying, “wrong place at the wrong time.”
It’s amazing how much positivity can come out of peer pressure as well, when more often than not, one would associate negative behaviors when associated with the term “peer pressure.” The peers that one is surrounding themselves with are also capable of positively peer pressuring one into productive and healthy activities and experiences. As an example, if they are hanging around with a group of friends who enjoy playing sports, then he or she is far more likely to join a team or play as well. This same situation can be applied to most any positive activity or special interest. Those you associate yourself with are often responsible for ones ultimate career decisions. These are all positive influences or pressures that can define ones identity as well.
It is clear that a person’s life can be defined by an outside source through adolescent experiences or social pressure; including those exuded by friends or family members. It is important that though these influences may be positive, it is known that negative pressures exist as well, and that it is wise for each individual to make sure that they themselves define who they are and not somebody else.
Works Cited
Robbins, Alexandra. Quotes from “The Overachievers: The Secret Life of Drive Kids.”
Copyright @ 2006 by Alexandra Robbins. Published by Hyperion Publishing Company.
All right reserved.
Queen Latifah. “Who You Callin’ a Bitch?” Remix. Catherine G. Latterell. Second Edition
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Reflection Letter
It has always been a struggle for me to describe myself when asked. I’m not sure exactly why this is, perhaps it’s because I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging or “tooting my own horn.” As I get older, I realize that this should be one of the easiest things I should be able to do. I am myself, so why is this so hard? I am a person who is constantly changing and trying to better myself day after day. I have been through so much in my life, so many highs and unfortunately so many lows. But these are things everybody as a human being goes through. It’s part of life. When I was young, I considered myself somewhat shy, but as I grew older, I broke out of that mold and became more open and sociable and began to take on new activities and hobbies. Beginning at a fairly young age, my father got me involved in quarter-midget sprint car racing. This was a hobby that I grew to love, year after year until I was about fourteen. At that age, I kind of grew out of my passion for racing and moved in to my high school life. I had a lot of friends in school and started to party a lot. Drinking on the weekends, smoking pot, and basically being hell on wheels for my parents – except these weren’t the wheels on my race car anymore! I have always considered myself smart, with a good head on my shoulders, but I definitely liked to have fun, however I was able to maintain good grades throughout all of this. My senior year of high school, my boyfriend I had at the time and I became addicted to pain killers. This was a journey that lasted well over a year and was a struggle for me to beat. However, after the breakup of my boyfriend and I, I decided it was time to quite screwing around and just do it. By no means, was it easy – but I beat an addiction, that as some of the lowest points of it, I never thought I would. I was one of the lucky ones, I didn’t require rehab – I was strong enough to do it on my own with the proper support of my friends and family around me. I never touched those painkillers again and this is something I take great pride in. Through all of these mistakes that I made, I learned a lot about myself. I had every opportunity to go to a 4 year college out of high school, but because of life I fell into those few years, that wasn’t a priority at the time. After I got clean, I realized I had a passion for helping people and it was then that I decided to go to Everest College to get an education to become a Medical Assistant. It was 8 long, hard months of school but I graduated and was on the Dean’s list most of the months I was there. This is an accomplishment that I am very proud of. Immediately following my graduation from Everest, I was hired on as a Medical Assistant at Everett Clinic and have remained at that job for the last three years. After working there for some time, the doctors I worked for noticed that I was a hard worker and took pride in the work I did and gave me the opportunity to work as a casting technician. I immediately accepted their proposal to not only work as an MA, but also as a casting technician. I was very proud that I was given this opportunity and a nice raise came with it. Over the course of working for The Everett Clinic, I realized I’d like to pursue my education with the possibility of becoming a registered nurse and recently applied for some classes at Everett Community College to begin some of my prerequisites for the more difficult classes that relate to my career field of choice. So here I am, in English 101.
English was never my strong suit and was definitely not my favorite of the classes I took in high school; in fact, it was one of my least. I was not looking forward to taking English 101, but now, as I work on the final assignments, I look back and realize it has not been so bad after all. I have enjoyed the way assignments were presented to us and like how it involved reading essays from the book. I’ve actually read many more essays than what were required, because there were so many interesting ones to read. Earlier, when I said it was difficult to define myself, I believe taking this class has made that easier because we worked so much with Identity, Community and Traditions. These are all topics that define who we are as individuals. The first essay we did was on Identity, and while I struggled with this, it really made me think about things I had not thought about before and look at them with different perspectives. After writing the assignment, which I believed at the time was an A+ paper, I received my grade and teachers notes, and now that I’ve completed all of the other essays and have grown as a writer, I can see so many changes that I could’ve made to it and a boat load of new material I could write into it. But like so many other things in life, we grow and progress and it takes time for us to learn new skills and become better at different things. I believe I demonstrated the most critical thinking in this paper. The second essay I wrote was on Community. I was not sure about this topic as I did not understand what community really was and even when I looked up the definition, it was still very broad. After being given the selection of movies to choose from, I decided to go with one that I normally would not have, hoping to break out of my shell yet again, and possibly learn something additional by doing this. I’m very glad I chose the movie “District 9,” because it opened up my mind a great deal and really did help me understand the meaning behind community and that there are so many different ideas and aspects of one. This movie showed how human beings can treat one another as well as what they consider “outsiders.” It helped me understand that communities are not always accepting of one another and that often times, people search their entire lives to find a community in which they feel accepted. It made me feel blessed that I am a part of a community that I am comfortable in and knowing that I try my very hardest to treat everyone with the same respect I would like to be treated with. I was so surprised that a movie full of special effects and science fiction could have such a strong story built into it; I would have never expected that if I judged the movie by its cover. I definitely feel as though I was able to improve this paper with the help of the peer-edit, as well. Next came Traditions, at this point I had began to feel I had grown significantly as a writer and that I would earn my best grade yet on this paper, but after reading the essays on this topic, I realized that there are so many things that could be considered traditions – that really it was open ended as to what I wrote about. I decide to go with a tradition that has been a passion of my families for as long as I remember – movie night. After creating a thesis that I believe was arguable, I wrote what I considered my best paper of all of them, and was able to write four pages about how a modern innovation such as instant streaming or downloads of movies has positively enhanced our movie nights. While It has positively enhanced ours, I argued both sides, and talked about how it could negatively affect it as well. I had a good time writing this paper, and was very proud to not use the word “I” or “You” throughout the entire paper, and while this was challenging, I could now certainly see how this creates a better paper for a person to read. It flows much easier.
While the essays were a huge part of English 101, I feel I learned an exceptional amount from our on-going discussion boards and blogs. This was an area in which we were allowed to be more open and expressive and give our opinions about a variety of things, and pose questions as well. I consider myself very open minded, so it was easy for me to read everyone’s views and opinions and accept them, whether I agreed with them or not, and give proper feedback and responses to each individual. Our class had a lot of unique people in it and this made for some awesome discussions week after week. I learned a lot listening and responding to all of the different topics each week and it was awesome to be able to do this on such a personal level. It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone without ever actually having met them or seen them in person. I also enjoyed the blog postings we took place in. This was something that also done at such a personal level and allowed us to be creative in what we wrote about and I often wrote about things that mattered to me. Of the blogs, my favorite was the “What’s In Your Wallet” topic, and it was interesting to look at it from the perspective of someone else looking into it and judging you and making assumptions. It really made me realize that this is something can be done so easily be outer appearances and by not getting to know something or someone. With the essays, blogs and discussion boards, this English 101 class turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than I imagined it to be, and I learned so much from it by doing such a variety of different works.
Now as I near the completion of English 101, I have been putting together my e-portfolio, while this has been a daunting and time consuming task to say the least; it is also fun to look back at everything I’ve done. I’ve been reading all of the writings I’ve done and it’s interesting to look at the progress I’ve made as writer just over these few short months. As I complete this reflection letter to include in my e-portfolio it really makes me appreciate taking this class as it has really opened my mind about many subjects I might not think about too often. It has given me a clear understanding of Identity, Community and Tradition and has given me the opportunity to learn about and maintain a blog as well as gather feedback and suggestions from the other peers in my class and has helped me grow as a writer, overall. I put a lot of time and effort in to the pieces I’ve created and take pride in presenting them in the e-portfolio.
English was never my strong suit and was definitely not my favorite of the classes I took in high school; in fact, it was one of my least. I was not looking forward to taking English 101, but now, as I work on the final assignments, I look back and realize it has not been so bad after all. I have enjoyed the way assignments were presented to us and like how it involved reading essays from the book. I’ve actually read many more essays than what were required, because there were so many interesting ones to read. Earlier, when I said it was difficult to define myself, I believe taking this class has made that easier because we worked so much with Identity, Community and Traditions. These are all topics that define who we are as individuals. The first essay we did was on Identity, and while I struggled with this, it really made me think about things I had not thought about before and look at them with different perspectives. After writing the assignment, which I believed at the time was an A+ paper, I received my grade and teachers notes, and now that I’ve completed all of the other essays and have grown as a writer, I can see so many changes that I could’ve made to it and a boat load of new material I could write into it. But like so many other things in life, we grow and progress and it takes time for us to learn new skills and become better at different things. I believe I demonstrated the most critical thinking in this paper. The second essay I wrote was on Community. I was not sure about this topic as I did not understand what community really was and even when I looked up the definition, it was still very broad. After being given the selection of movies to choose from, I decided to go with one that I normally would not have, hoping to break out of my shell yet again, and possibly learn something additional by doing this. I’m very glad I chose the movie “District 9,” because it opened up my mind a great deal and really did help me understand the meaning behind community and that there are so many different ideas and aspects of one. This movie showed how human beings can treat one another as well as what they consider “outsiders.” It helped me understand that communities are not always accepting of one another and that often times, people search their entire lives to find a community in which they feel accepted. It made me feel blessed that I am a part of a community that I am comfortable in and knowing that I try my very hardest to treat everyone with the same respect I would like to be treated with. I was so surprised that a movie full of special effects and science fiction could have such a strong story built into it; I would have never expected that if I judged the movie by its cover. I definitely feel as though I was able to improve this paper with the help of the peer-edit, as well. Next came Traditions, at this point I had began to feel I had grown significantly as a writer and that I would earn my best grade yet on this paper, but after reading the essays on this topic, I realized that there are so many things that could be considered traditions – that really it was open ended as to what I wrote about. I decide to go with a tradition that has been a passion of my families for as long as I remember – movie night. After creating a thesis that I believe was arguable, I wrote what I considered my best paper of all of them, and was able to write four pages about how a modern innovation such as instant streaming or downloads of movies has positively enhanced our movie nights. While It has positively enhanced ours, I argued both sides, and talked about how it could negatively affect it as well. I had a good time writing this paper, and was very proud to not use the word “I” or “You” throughout the entire paper, and while this was challenging, I could now certainly see how this creates a better paper for a person to read. It flows much easier.
While the essays were a huge part of English 101, I feel I learned an exceptional amount from our on-going discussion boards and blogs. This was an area in which we were allowed to be more open and expressive and give our opinions about a variety of things, and pose questions as well. I consider myself very open minded, so it was easy for me to read everyone’s views and opinions and accept them, whether I agreed with them or not, and give proper feedback and responses to each individual. Our class had a lot of unique people in it and this made for some awesome discussions week after week. I learned a lot listening and responding to all of the different topics each week and it was awesome to be able to do this on such a personal level. It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone without ever actually having met them or seen them in person. I also enjoyed the blog postings we took place in. This was something that also done at such a personal level and allowed us to be creative in what we wrote about and I often wrote about things that mattered to me. Of the blogs, my favorite was the “What’s In Your Wallet” topic, and it was interesting to look at it from the perspective of someone else looking into it and judging you and making assumptions. It really made me realize that this is something can be done so easily be outer appearances and by not getting to know something or someone. With the essays, blogs and discussion boards, this English 101 class turned out to be a lot more enjoyable than I imagined it to be, and I learned so much from it by doing such a variety of different works.
Now as I near the completion of English 101, I have been putting together my e-portfolio, while this has been a daunting and time consuming task to say the least; it is also fun to look back at everything I’ve done. I’ve been reading all of the writings I’ve done and it’s interesting to look at the progress I’ve made as writer just over these few short months. As I complete this reflection letter to include in my e-portfolio it really makes me appreciate taking this class as it has really opened my mind about many subjects I might not think about too often. It has given me a clear understanding of Identity, Community and Tradition and has given me the opportunity to learn about and maintain a blog as well as gather feedback and suggestions from the other peers in my class and has helped me grow as a writer, overall. I put a lot of time and effort in to the pieces I’ve created and take pride in presenting them in the e-portfolio.
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