Spring Break!

I can not explain how excited I am that it is Spring Break!! I have been so busy with everything this semester that it will be nice to take a break from school and everything. Even though I am not really going anywhere, because I am so broke, I am just really excited to relax and catch up on sleep and stuff. I am really excited about the Rascal Flatts concert tomorrow night too!! They are like my favorite country singers so it is going to be amazing! And one of my best friends who goes to UT is coming in town for the concert too so we are going to Ole Miss Saturday to visit two or our other really good friends! I have not gotten to really see them or hang out with them since Christmas so it should be a lot of fun! Then the rest of spring break I do not have anything planned except to babysit so I will not be broke anymore! I really wish I could have gone somewhere but maybe next year! Well I hope all of you all have a great spring break and get to relax and not think about school too much!

Puerto Rico

Two summers ago I went on a mission trip to Puerto Rico. Since it was a United States territory I did not think that there could be such rough areas. I think that sometimes we do not realize how bad certain areas are just because we are in a routine and really only see where we live. So we went to a Arecibo, Puerto Rico and stayed in a small church for a week. Over the course of the week we were building a house, having a basketball camp, and taking food to what they called the “ghetto” or “projects.” The pastor of the church had explained that most of these people in this area were strung out on major drugs and could not live without these drugs. My day to take food was not until the very last day. I had heard that it was really rough and that it was very sad but I had no idea how hard it would hit me. As soon as we had the food set up and were ready to pass it out, the men, women, and children came running. I was amazed at the children. Most of them were running around with no shoes on, hardly any clothes, and looked like they had not eaten in days. They were so innocent and so generous for what we had for them. These children made me tear up because they had nothing but were so thankful for what we gave them. Just a smile made these kids so happy!

Littlemindedness

I think that most colleges focus on thinking outside the box. Colleges assume that the students coming into the school already know the basics and that they are here to not just know facts but be able to think critically and solve problems. Although I am only in my second semester, most of my professors are really into not just using the books as the material but getting deeper into the subjects. I think that colleges want you to learn math and writing but they also want to tie in things that are going on in the world because we are the future of this world. For instance, in this English class, instead of using a textbook we have been using the Atlantic Monthly and Harper’s Magazine to learn not only about issues that are going on in the world but also learn how to write and how to analyze. I particularly like doing this because I am not just reading and writing for a grade but I am also doing it for my own knowledge and understanding. Another aspect of college is most of the time it is young peoples’ first time out on their own. In college students not only deal with issues in the classroom but it is also a great learning experience for life in general.

Schools

I was reading the Watchdog and came across an article on the amount of money Memphis City Schools receive compared to Shelby County Schools. The writer says that the County’s debt has grown greatly because of the construction of schools. The city schools are getting more money because for every three dollars Memphis City receives to the dollar Shelby County gets. With that said, many Memphis City Schools are failing but why? Since they are receiving more money than the county schools you would think they would be doing better or at the same level. The writer was also trying to get some information on the two schools systems as well as the Metro Nashville School System but of course Memphis City Schools will not respond to him. There is obviously something they are ashamed of. Memphis City kids get $7390 per student, Shelby County gets $6390 per student, and Metro Nashville gets $7595 per student. This does not make any sense. Why should one student receive more money than another just because of the school they attend? Even though the students are not handed the money, this money affects their future. I think that since we all live in the same state and are under the same laws, each student should receive the exact same amount of money.

The Longest Day!!

So I decided that I was going to stay up all night long and go down to the forum at 4:30 am. When I finally got down there, there was already a line of about two hundred people. There was a lot of confusion on where we should line up because you were not supposed to be on the forum’s property until 6am so by the time we finally were lined up in the right spot I was in the very front! It was so cold and I felt like I was going to get hypothermia! After finally getting into Gameday I was already so cold and tired that I did not think that I would be able to wait in line for six more hours! So after Gameday they make you go line up again but this time you could leave the line for food and bathroom as long as someone saved your seat, so I went and sat down to have lunch and relax for a little while. Finally I went and got back in line and waited and waited and waited. Once it was 6pm everyone started get antsy and annoyed. When they finally opened the doors people started pushing and shoving to get inside. It took like 30 minutes just to get in the door. We got to our seats and it felt so good to sit down in the warm. Once the game started, the long day was so worth it. Even though the tigers lost it was still a super exciting game and I am really glad I went. I know the tigers will come back and be on top of their game now!

Freedom Writers

Since I am doing my paper on school assessment, I watched the movie Freedom Writers. This movie is about a young teacher who begins teaching in an “inner city” school with a lot of gangs, violence and race issues. Most of these students felt as if they had no one who actually cared about them.
Freedom Writers makes the you feel like you need to go and help out a community in need. This young woman made such an impact on these students’ lives because she took the time out to actually show them attention. Erin knew that with a little time and effort she could drastically help these students’ grades and attitude towards life.
Freedom Writers is a movie that shows how students who have no hope and no family can become someone or something. Although they may not be the most intelligent children, they have worked so hard to become something that they thought they could never be. No one else, not even their parents or administrators had hope in them like Erin did. All of these students had gone through experiences that we could not even imagine but still managed to become successful young adults with the help of an outstanding teacher.

Second part to exceptionalism

The tornado incident that happened this past week is another example. Many people took the storm lightly because they thought that it would not be that bad. Much to their surprise it not only killed many people, it also destroyed homes and buildings including Union University. This region is used to being told to be careful of the weather and nothing ever happens so they thought it would be just another storm. Sometimes it takes something like this to happen for people to realize that it does not matter where you are or how great you are, something unexceptional can always happen.
Hegemony is also a huge factor in the factor of exceptionalism. Every country wants to be the most dominant and have control, but that is not possible. Although many unexceptional things happen because of weather or other natural causes, many countries cause unexceptional things to happen so that they can have more power. Countries will try to tear down others so that they are more dominant. I think that all of the countries need to realize that it is impossible to have equality among the countries but that they all just need to try to settle things because within these unexceptional things that occur, innocent people are dying and land is being destroyed.

Failure writing prompt

“The failure of public schools is ruining society. The failure of society has ruined public schools.”
In my opinion this article goes both ways.

In the Memphis area many schools are not successful. The grades, test scores, and violence are all important issues that are ruining these schools. The crime is horrible and the test scores are low so if they can afford it, many people are sending their children to private schools. Parents want their children to get a great education but they also want to keep their children safe. Although I know that things happen at certain times and places for a reason, many people feel like they are just promoting the failing schools if they send their kids there.

On the other hand, society has to step up to make a change in the schools. The schools are not going to get any better if there are not dedicated teachers, strict rules, and the willingness of the students. Many students do not care about their school because it has bad ratings or is smeared across the news. I think that if the community worked together to keep a positive attitude about all the schools, then the students would have pride in their school and would therefore look forward to going to school and being apart of such a recognized school.

Memphis vs. Tennessee

So let’s just say that I am so excited about the game on Saturday. We all thought this game would be huge but now that Tennessee is number two and Memphis is number one, it makes it even bigger! With the scare on Saturday against UAB, I hope Memphis comes out pumped and ready to win. I hope that this scare has made the tigers want to show everyone how good they really are.
I think that it is really sad how discouraging some people are about Memphis and the team being number one. I was reading a blog on Commentaries and the writer is talking about someone is going to come along and beat Memphis by free throws. The writer later says how we should just enjoy being number one for now. I really think people should be more positive about the team. For once Memphis has an amazing team who has brought a lot of coverage to the University and the area. I am sure the team could be better in different areas but no one is perfect. I think that the tigers have just a good of chance as anyone else and we should be proud and be positive for them. I really just want people to root for the team instead of saying negative comments that can bring them down.

First Contact

I wish that babies could remember themselves coming into the world so that we may better understand the first encounter with something so unknown. Although we know that they can not, I wonder what we are thinking when we first come out. Although this is dealing with the meeting of two different cultures it is a lot similar when you meet someone new of your own culture. In today’s society, a first impression is everything. Although Americans seem judgmental when first meeting someone, I think that sometimes they are honestly just trying to get a feel for the person. In the movie “First Contact”, it showed two cultures meeting. The unfamiliar cultures face many problems. In order for these cultures to merge, there will probably be fighting and conflict over land, food, and defending their identity.
I think that the main problem when new people come in is that the original group feels as if they are losing their power. Just like when the Americans took over the Native Americans, the Native Americans began fighting to defend their territory. Not only do the cultures not want to lose their land, but where they live and how they live is often all they ever know. Therefore, when a new culture comes in doing things totally different, instead of compromising, they feel like they should fight. I think they are fighting for not only what they believe in but also their identity.

Good News!

Good News! So a few of you all read my post about my cousin Austin so I thought I would give you all an update. I went and saw him late last Friday afternoon. He was doing well but in quite a bit of pain. They finally let him go home from St. Jude on Sunday afternoon. He was told to rest for two weeks at least and to come back Tuesday for another chest x-ray. With this x-ray they just wanted to make sure his lungs were doing well because they did have to deflate one while in surgery. So Austin went back and the x-ray came out good. They also told Austin and his parents that they were pretty surethat the golf ball size tumor was not cancerous. It was such a relief! If all goes well, Austin should be recovered soon and will only have to check in with St. Jude a few more times and then should be released! We are so thankful and feel so blessed that he is doing so well. We hope that nothing else comes up and that he has a quick recovery so that he can be released. Thanks for you alls support and prayers.

Get out the Vote

What is in the newspapers and on television everyday? Politics and the upcoming presidential race have been smeared all over the media for months now. Being over the age of eighteen now, I know that I will get to vote in this huge race. I am so excited that my opinion actually matters now but the problem is that I do not even know who I would vote for right now. As the primaries drew close, I kept saying how I needed to start learning about all of the candidates.
Last Tuesday, when the primaries began, I said I would go vote. I do not know who I was going to even vote for but I thought I should since it is one of my rights. Although I ended up not voting because of the drive and the weather conditions, I had all intentions of going to vote for someone I knew nothing about. As I read Robert E. Coulson’s article “Let’s not get out the Vote” my opinion changed on voting and the principle of voting. After reading this article, I realized how important it is for me to learn about each candidate and the office he or she is running for so that my vote is worth giving. The candidates Americans are voting for are so important because they are the people who keep our country running smoothly. Although I think people should vote since it is our right, I also think that it is important to know information about the candidates so our country chooses the right people to hold these offices.
When I first heard the slogan “get out the vote”, I immediately saw campaigners on the side of the road holding up signs for their candidate. To me those people are so annoying. All they want is to encourage people to go vote for their particular candidate. Although I think voting is very important, I do not think that we should encourage people to go vote for someone just because of their name, age, or other unimportant aspect. I think that this article is geared for anyone who is eligible to vote. It does not matter your age or which party you are for, it matters that you know who you are voting for and why. The article is not geared to a specific person but just anyone who will and is willing to vote.
I knew voting had always been an issue in the United States but I would not have guessed that this article was written in 1955. When I think of the past I think of Americans being more involved with their country and its candidates. In history books, they tell only tell you how many people wanted to vote instead of telling us how many people actually voted. Back then, so many people were not even eligible to vote. I think that many of times we forget that at one time only white males could vote meaning no women or African Americans. I guess we forget that there are always struggles with getting people involved.
Unlike many countries, America has the privilege to vote. I think that many people are careless and lazy and do not want to get out and vote or keep up with politics. In America, it is so easy to keep up with politics too. Radio stations, television stations, and the newspapers are constantly posting new information on candidates and the upcoming elections. People just need to turn the radio on or pick up a newspaper and they will be so much more informed not only on the candidates’ views but also on the views of other Americans.
I personally, think that as Americans we have been given the right to vote so we should take advantage of this. I think that so many Americans take voting for granted. They just think that it will always be available and if you do not vote this election then you can in the next election. This article has not only made me want to vote but it has also made me want to vote intelligently. Instead of going out and voting for the party you most agree with, you should go out and vote for the individual you most agree with. In order for America to get people in the offices who are willing to make a change for the better, Americans must go vote for the candidate who they believe will be the most successful in that position. I do not think that people should be forced to vote but I also do not think that it is fair to complain if you did not even take time to learn about the candidates and give your opinion.

Exceptionalism

What do we do when something unexceptional happens to something exceptional? This question has really stuck with me because I had never really thought about it before. Although you do not realize it, but this happens quite often. Not only does it happen to countries, but it happens to people too. For instance what do we do when a celebrity or famous athlete goes to rehab or gets hurt. We initially freak out and act like the world is coming to an end. We are human and get stuck in a mindset that nothing bad can happen and we just continue living each day until something terrible happens to us or the people close to us.
When September 11th happened what did Americans do? People freaked out. Nothing this terrible had ever happened. We thought why did they target America and why did they choose to hit the World Trade Center? So many lives were changed that day. Not only did people lose loved ones, they also lost their jobs. The American government was also shocked and immediately said that we should go to war to find who did this. America had been hurt but we wanted to come back and be dominant still. Since the American government knew it had connection with Osama Bin Laden, they went directly for him. In Roy’s reading she says it was like Bin Laden vanished after America started to go after him. She also makes a joke towards the American government about how Tintin, a fictional character, could have found him. Instead of thinking hard and trying to figure out what would be the best way to take action, they immediately sent troops and we were off to war. This grand country that everyone thought could not be touched had something so terrible happen that caused many deaths and the cause of much disagreement within the country.

Thinking Mindfully

Although thinking is apart of everyday life, do we actually realize how much we base off of our thinking? It is not just what you think about but it is also how you think about it. I know a huge problem with our world today is thinking with mindlessness instead of mindfulness. Thinking with mindlessness means you have a fixed perspective instead of being open to new options. One huge problem with mindlessness is politics. Many people vote for a person based on the political party they are apart of instead of actually finding out information on particular candidates. People just care about the name instead of what they stand for. If people would actually listen to the candidates and learn about their campaigns, then Americans might actually become satisfied with the president.
If everyone thought mindfully, being open to new ideas, then the world would be more peaceful. Not only would this help in our government systems but this would also help with everyday life because people would stop thinking so selfishly. A question posed was why are students required to declare a major? Colleges across the United States are pushing thinking creatively and “outside the box.” Most colleges want the students to branch out and learn a variety of subjects. So what if a student liked many different subjects, why should he or she have to be so narrow in what he wants to study? I think it is crazy how much universities push people into declaring a major. I understand that people need to focus in different areas to keep the economy going but students should not have to be forced into a particular major. For instance, at the University of Memphis, students who are pursuing a career in the medical field usually declare biology or chemistry because there is not a pre-med program.

Japanese Imperialism

When Professor Phipps began her lecture and said she would be speaking on Japan and its imperialism in history, I thought why does this matter? Honestly all I really knew about Japan was its attack on Pearl Harbor and how that one attack affected our country so much. On top of not really knowing anything about Japan, I was not even sure of what imperialism meant. I never had thought to research how much Japan actually tried to conquer the world. After realizing how much Japan once had over our world, I also saw how cruel and misleading they had become.
When Professor Phipps began discussing the topics of “comfort women” or sex slaves, the Rape of Nanking, and the textbook controversaries, she immediately caught my attention. The thought of women being forced to do sexual behaviors made me cringe. I think that it is absolutely horrible that these innocent Korean women were forced into sexual relations with the Japanese military. It blows my mind how these men got away with this then and yet still have not apologized. If this were to happen today, there would be major consequences. I also thought that when Japan invaded China in the Rape of Nanking, I could not believe how many civilians lost their lives. Now, Japan will not even take responsibility for their actions but instead say that the Rape of Nanking is fiction. How can the country say that something is fiction when every other country knows the truth? Although Japan is ashamed of what they once did, it does not make the situation any better. In order for everyone to get along, every country must claim its actions and try to make things better.
After being misleading and cruel in other countries, Japan brought it into their own country. In Japan’s textbooks, they were posting false information to make themselves look better. How would this go over in America? What if America tried to ignore Vietnam and its impact? As I am aspiring to become a teacher in America, I hope that I will never be accused of teaching American children false information. I think that it is so important for not only American children but also the children of other countries to become well educated about every country because they will one day run the different countries. If every country was lying about mistakes they had made in the past, then we would no t know how to make these problems better.

My cousin

Last week we found out horrible news. My fifteen year old cousin has a tumor and it might be cancerous. We all freaked out because cancer runs heavy in our family. My grandmother died of ovarian cancer about four years ago. About two years later my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She survived and is doing well but we all know how hard cancer is on the body and family. So this morning they were set to remove the tumor labroscopically. I guess with the tumor being close to the aorta it was a little more difficult then they expected so they had to cut. After several hours of being in surgery, they finally came and told my uncle that he was doing fine. He will stay in St. Jude for a few days and then will be released. Hopefully the recovery will not be too difficult for him. The scary part is that they are still not sure what the tumor is. So they will be doing tons of lab work on it and hopefully will have good news by next Wednesday. I ask you all to pray for him and my family because he is so young and it is a hard time for him.

Judging Others

So every time I hear or see Hilary Clinton I usually change the channel or tune her out. I do not particularly like her. But why? I am not really sure. I do not know like anything about her or her political views. I am guessing that I do not like her because she is Bill Clinton’s husband and I did not think that he was that great of a president. So why should I not give her a chance? Just because I am not too fond of him, I automatically assume that I will not like her. This is a huge problem with Americans. Not just with political candidates but we do it with everyone. We judge people everyday! I guess we do this because we do not care to get to know them or are scared that we will not match. But that is ok we are all free to our own opinions. Just like with Hilary Clinton, I do not want to vote for her because of her husband and that is ridiculous. If I took the time to really listen to her views and what she could do for our country might change my mind on who I want to be the next president. I am already not very into politics so when I hear about them I usually tune it out and do not make a decision for myself but listen to who other people are going to vote for. I really need to begin to listen to each individual’s views so that I do not judge them but form an honest opinion based on what they believe and what I believe.

Schools in the News

Have you watched the news lately? Well I have been trying to more lately and realized how depressing it can be. Both Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools are all over the news. They are not just on the news for academics either, but it consists more of shootings and sexual assaults. Earlier this week a student at Hamilton High School in Memphis shot another student. Then an expelled student of Millington-Central High School in Shelby County sexually assaulted another student in the bathroom about an hour and a half after school was let out. This is insane and extremely disappointing. We need to do something about our two school systems. I know that these kinds of things can happen anywhere at anytime but I also think that if the schools were safer and had more supervision then these incidents would not occur. It seems as if the students no longer respect the teachers or students. It also seems like that police officers are no longer a threat. Why is this? I definitely think that there should be strict consequences when these incidents do occur so that maybe the students would be more afraid. Now I realize why I do not like to watch the news, it is too depressing.

Watching the News

So I am really horrible about keeping up with what is going on in our world. Not only do I not keep up with the world, but I do not even keep up with our own country. I know it is really sad. So I have decided that I need to start watching the news and listening to the news on the radio instead of automatically changing the channel. I know I need to do this for my own benefit but I also need to do it for my classes. Just like when we were discussing the shooting of the police officer, I did not know that it had even happened. Also in my Humanities and Global Challenges class that is all we talk about. My professor is really intelligent and knows a lot so it makes me not want to talk because I do not even know if I know enough to stand behind my opinion. Not only do I want to be able to speak up in my classes, but just like with the upcoming election, I do not know who I want to vote for because I do not know anything about the candidates. So I am going to start looking at the news online and watching it on tv so that I can stand up for what I believe.

Last Night

So last night was pretty scary! I usually like storms but I have to admit I did get a little freaked out last night. I knew that the weather was supposed to be bad but I had no idea it was going to be that bad. So at like 4:45 my boyfriend and I thought that we would try and go get something to eat before the weather got too bad. As we were driving his mom called to make sure we were safe, and when she found out we were out driving she said that we needed to turn around. Well I had been craving sushi so that’s what we were originally out to get but when we found out that it was going to be us hitting very soon we turned around. I was really upset that I was not going to get my sushi and that I had to settle for Wendy’s. Once we got to my house my boyfriend, Morgan, and I pilled up in the hallway. We had candles, the futon mattress, and tons of pillows. Let’s just say we were definitely prepared. Luckily the storm passed us and we were safe but it was still very scary!