MIscellaneous #8

        I had to sit out my freshman year from tearing my quad, but I decided to go out for basketball again my sophomore year. I knew that I would be on the varsity team for sure that year, so I was really excited to go for it. I went through the summer workouts and camps and also conditioning. During our very first practice, I could feel my quad pulling just like it had done the previous year. I tried to forget about it and not think about it, hoping the pain would go away, but it didn't. I kept practicing on it thinking maybe it would get better. I kept going to my family chiropractor for therapy and massage, but nothing seemed to help. My chiropractor, Shad, told me that it was the worst quad tear that he had every witnessed, so I knew it wasn't good. I had numerous MRI's from this injury and they all showed the same thing. My freshman year, I had a hematoma on the top of my quadricep muscle, which is similar to a blood clot. I went to the same doctor my sophomore year that I had went to my freshman year, and he sat me down and told me that I should not play basketball anymore. I can remember sitting in the doctors office with my godmother, because my mom or dad could not go with me. I sat on the table with my teeth clenched and tears in my eyes. I didn't want to cry in the doctors office, because I didn't want to be a baby. I was so angry at the time, but deep down I knew it was probably for the best. Basketball was my third favorite sport, and my doctor told me if I wanted to be healthy for volleyball and softball I need to give up basketball. As soon as I got in the car with my godmother after we left the doctors, I broke down and cried. I could not believe that I was never going to play in a basketball game again. One of the worst parts of the whole experience was having to walk in the gym during practice and telling coach that I could not play anymore. He knew how upset I was, so he took it well, but it was very hard. I felt like I was letting my team and coaches down, but they were very understanding.

Miscellaneous #7

      During high school, I went through a lot of different injuries. It was very rough since I played sports throughout my whole high school career. My freshman year, I played basketball. I had been playing basketball ever since I was in the 5th grade, because that was the youngest age that Crestview started having teams. My dad coached basketball for twenty years, so I was around it my whole childhood. Basketball was definitely my third favorite sport, but I still liked it. I was never really good at ball handling, but I was a pretty good shooter. My dad always told me I wasn't mean enough for basketball, and I never really knew how to take it. I tried to be nasty, but that just wasn't my style. I became more aggressive the older I got, because with age I became stronger. During conditioning my freshman year of basketball, we were running out on the football field and it was very cold that day. We were running 100 yard pyramids, and as I was running, I could feel my quad pulling more and more the harder I ran. I didn't want to sit out or stop running, because I didn't want the coaches or my teammates to think I was faking it. I stuck through it and throughout the rest of the season, I ended up tearing my quad all the way through. I would run on it during practices and just grit through the pain. If it got too bad I would ease up, but I never wanted to sit through games. My mom would massage it before games in her office with biofreeze and wrap it with ace bandages to keep it warm. It always helped a little bit, but never enough to keep it from pulling. Towards the middle of the season I went to the doctor and he made me sit out the rest of the season. Our team went to state that year, so it was really hard to sit out and not be able to be a part of that experience.

Miscellaneous #6

      I think it is so amazing how weather works. When I was young I always thought that I would be a weather woman. I wanted to be on TV and point at the map/green screen and talk about the upcoming weather. My uncle Rick is the Emergency Management Director for Van Wert County, so I feel like it is in my blood to be obsessed with what is going on outside. I love tornados and thunderstorms, even though they can be scary sometimes. The sound of rain is so incredibly peaceful, and I love falling asleep to it. It is crazy how warm it was outside, especially in December. I wore shorts outside comfortably, and I honestly can't remember the last time I did that during this time of year. Sometimes I wonder what it is like to live near the coasts where they get extreme weather all the time. I have never experienced an earthquake, but sometimes I wonder what it's like. I can't imagine going through something that drastic, because it is so scary! Can you imagine just watching the earth split apart right in front of your eyes? Thunderstorms are always fun and cool until it gets super windy and the lightning gets bad. High winds can be very scary, especially when the electric poles start falling, and trees start falling on cars. This past summer, we had a bad storm that took our power out for a week. It was very eye opening, because we have never been out of power for that long. I can't imagine what people go through when they lose power for weeks and even months. I really don't know how the amish do it! A couple years ago, one of our really big trees in our backyard got struck by lightning and split right down the middle. Part of the tree fell off but the other half stayed. It was amazing, because the whole tree was then dead and had no leaves on it even in the summer. It is crazy how God works, and all these storms and disasters remind us how he is in control and shows us how powerful he is.

Miscellaneous #5

      One of my favorite things about Christmas is the movies. I could name a ton of movies that are out there that I could watch over and over. I honestly have never watched a bad Christmas movie..have you? Some of my favorite ones are Elf, The Grinch, Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation, Home Alone- Lost in New York, and Christmas Shoes. I honestly have never been that big of a fan of Will Ferrel, but I think he is hilarious in Elf. A lot of people think he is always funny, but there are a lot of times when I think he's stupid and a little weird. In Elf, he acts as an Elf from the North Pole, because he was taken there as a baby. He thinks that he is a real elf, not knowing that he is really just a human. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of my other favorites. I could seriously quote that whole movie every time I watch it. Some people get mad at me because I don't shut up. Oh well!! Chevy Chase's Christmas vacation may be one of the oldest, funniest movies that I know. I used to watch it all the time when I was young, and my whole family quotes it all the time, and it cracks me up. Home Alone is also one of my favorites, along with Christmas Shoes. Home Alone is hilarious, but Christmas Shoes is more serious and sad. It actually is one of the saddest movies I have seen. It is about a little boy who wants to buy shoes for his mom who is probably going to die. He doesn't have enough money to buy them, so a gentleman at the store helps him out with the cost, and he is able to get the shoes for his mom. There is a song that goes with the movie, and they play it on the radio at Christmas time. If you ever get the chance to listen to it, I recommend doing so. It is very sad, but it reminds us what means the most at this time of year.

My Classes #7

      Today was my very last computer class, thank goodness! We walked in the class and there was a surprisingly large amount of students in the class. The reason for this was probably that it was our last class and we also had a test. There was always a lot of people who would skip this class, because it was kind of pointless. There were several older people in my class, so it was probably more challenging for them, since they didn't learn as much about computers at a young age like we did. We walked in like a normal day and sat down at our computers. We were supposed to sit at the same computers every class, because it was easier for our professor to take attendance. My roomie and I chose to sit in the very front row, because it made it a little easier to pay attention, and because I have horrible eyes. I have really bad astigmatism, therefore it is hard for me to see things that are far away, because my eye doctor can't find a prescription strong enough for my eyes. After we took our seats today, we still had about ten minutes before class actually started, so I got on the computer and emailed my parents. I told them to have a nice day. As soon as ten o'clock rolled around, our professor stood at the front of the class and told us that we could take some more time to study or finish our homework if we wanted. After about ten more minutes, we were finally handed the test. All we had to do was a short excel assignment and then save it to our jump drive and print out two copies of it. After all of our tests, we would hand in all of our homework assignments from that unit. The test was very easy today, which was kind of a relief because I didn't really know what to expect. I am now officially done with that class. Hallelujah!

My Classes #6

    Tomorrow I will be having my last class of Computer. Thank goodness! The class is really not bad, considering I already know what I am doing. What stinks about it is that I am very bored the whole time. I have always liked being on the computer, so I have never disliked these types of classes. I just get so bored so easily which makes it hard for me to pay attention. My professor is a nice lady, which is good. She helps her students a lot, which is nice to see. I wish all my professors were like that! In this class, we would review a part of Microsoft Office, and then she would give us in-class assignments followed by homework assignments. I never really had homework assignments because I would just get them done quickly at the end of class. In this class we went over Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. The biggest challenge for me was definitely Excel. In elementary and high school, I took computer classes, but we spent the least time on Excel. I understand it, but it isn't a breeze like the other two. The only thing that confuses me sometimes is the equations that you have to use to solve things. If you do not put the right symbol or number for something it messes the whole thing up. It is amazing how computers work, because it does all the calculations for you in a split second. I cannot wait to take this test tomorrow and be done with this class. I enjoyed it, but it really wasn't worth my time.

Miscellaneous #4-Christmas

      It blows my mind when I talk to people and they tell me their favorite holiday is not Christmas. I mean, it's the most wonderful time of the year literally! Everyone is always so happy and jolly which makes things so awesome. I love driving around during Christmas time and seeing everyone's Christmas lights up on their house. Along with all the pretty decorations and lights, the music and movies are amazing. There is nothing like turning on the radio and hearing all the Christmas classics on your favorite station. I love turning the TV on at night and being able to watch a movie. The classics are definitely my favorite, such as Home Alone, Elf, Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation, and Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. My mom likes to watch the Hallmark movies, but those are all too much alike sometimes.

     


     Not only are all these things great, but the most important thing to remember at Christmas is Jesus!!! How awesome is it that we can celebrate his birth every single year!! Pretty awesome if you ask me!! My brother, sister, and brother-in-law do not live around here, so it is always nice to spend some quality time with them around the Holidays. It is a blessing that we get along so well. My brothers are hilarious, so it is always a good time when we are all together. I really don't know what I would do without my family. There are several things that I am asking for this year for Christmas, but the main thing I want is a Northface coat. I don't have a coat that I can wear to class, so I would really appreciate one. I know they are expensive, but I think it would be worth it. Christmas is a blessed time, and I am really looking forward to it!

My Classes Post #5

       A couple weeks ago, OSU Lima and Rhodes students were allowed to start scheduling their classes for the spring semester of 2013. I was really excited to schedule these classes, because I am one of those people who love change. I love new experiences and meeting new people. It isn't that I don't like this semester, I am just looking forward to new ones. I am really looking forward to not having the same biology lecture as this semester, because as you know from my previous post about that class, I hate it. I will have a different professor than I do now in biology 1, and I can't wait. I will have the same professor next semester that I do now for my lab, which is a very good thing. She's a great professor and I am anxious to learn even more than I already have. I have to take a nutritious class next semester, and I will have my same professor that I have for lab now, because she teaches that class as well. Some other classes that I have to take next semester are sociology and chemistry. I have to take a chemistry lecture and a lab. On Mondays, I will have chemistry lecture for an hour and twenty minutes, and then on Wednesdays, I will have lecture for an hour and twenty minutes, and then a ten minute break and then lab right after that. My Wednesday nights will be long, but thats okay. I didn't have an evening class this semester, so it will be a new experience for me. I will not have an English class next semester, which will be nice, because I won't have a lot of reading or writing to do. I'm really looking forward to this next semester, and I really hope it goes well!

In Class Post #12

       As we were watching the videos, I was thinking to myself and I didn't realize that the artists and producers had copied that much material for their movies or songs. I always wondered how they could come up with those ideas for their works, but I guess it makes sense that they took the ideas from past movies and songs. It was funny, because a lot of the movies and songs that they talked about, I didnt know, because they were too old, but some of them I could recall what they were talking about. It was funny to see how the computer came about, because nowadays, we are so spoiled with the technology that we have. Everything works so fast, for example, the internet. There are so many people, especially from this generation who have no idea what it was like to live in the 19th century with slow internet and not a whole lot of technology. 

      Just listening to the tone of the dial up internet brings back a lot of memories full of frustration when having to wait for the internet to load. This is completely irrelevant, but I noticed that a lot of the songs that they used as examples were made by African Americans. I don't really know if that has anything to do with what they were trying to say, but I just noticed it. I am not a huge Star Wars fan, and to be completely honest, I haven't even watched a whole movie all the way through, but I didn't realize that they used a lot of different movies to get the plot of Star Wars. There are probably a lot of people out the who don't realize that there is so much information out there that is stolen. I don't really know what they meant when they said it was free information to be stolen. I am sure there are a lot of fans and big moviegoers out there who would be really disappointed if they knew these producers, directors, and artists didn't really come up with all these ideas on their own.

My Classes #4- Computer

      This fall semester I am taking a computer class, because it is required for my major. I had two options for which computer class I wanted to take, and I chose to take the harder one of the two. I have always been into computers my whole life. When I was young, I would always play learning games on the computer for countless hours. I also played games like Oregon Trail, Sims, and Barbie games. My parents would always get mad at me because I wanted to be on the computer all the time. I loved making cards for people on the computer, or making signs to hang up for the church or school. I do not know why, but those kinds of things always intrigued me. Due to my passion to be on the computer all the time as a little girl, my computer classes through elementary school and high school were a breeze. I always did well with microtype, because I had a head start. I still see people today who try to type with two fingers and it makes me giggle, because it would be so much easier for them if they just would have learned the right way at a young age. Now that I am in college, I have to take this computer class. In the class we have already went through Word and Powerpoint, and we are now working on Excel. This class may be one of my easiest classes, but it is also very boring. It is an easy A, but it is just frustrating that I have to sit through all the classes and do all the work when I really am not learning anything. Also, I don't understand why this class is required for my major. All I want to do is clean people's teeth. I understand some dentist offices have their workers work on the computer for scheduling, but I do not think a whole class is needed for that. Oh well, I guess these classes can't hurt you. I will just keep telling myself. The semester is almost over as well which really helps.

Miscellaneous #3- Kentucky Basketball

      The Kentucky Wildcat men's basketball team played in their first game tonight against Maryland. They won in a very close game that really should not have been close at all. Like I said, it was their first game, so I guess you could use that as an excuse. Last year, Kentucky won the National Championship with ease. All five starters for the Wildcat team ended up being drafted to the NBA. Amazing huh? This year, Kentucky is the only college basketball team to have five completely new starters on the floor. After watching them play, I realize they have a lot of work to do. When they get into a groove, they are unstoppable, but you can tell that they are very young. I have always been a Kentucky fan, but I am slowly beginning to be more of a die-hard. My sister lived in Lexington, Kentucky this past fall for an internship for her doctorate degree for Physical Therapy. My parents have always went down to Lexington to see the horses and go to the races. My dad has always been a Kentucky fan as long as they have went down their to visit, so it rubbed off on me.

      Since my sister lived in Kentucky this past fall, I made a couple trips down to see her. While I was down there this summer, I went to Kentucky University and walked into the basketball facility where the men's team was holding a camp for little tykes. I walked into Coach Calipari's office, the Kentucky head basketball coach, and I was actually able to meet him. As I was standing there looking at pictures on the wall, I quickly glanced to my left and Calipari was standing directly beside me and shook my hand and said, "Hey there, thank you for being here." I was in complete shock. My heart started beating really fast and I couldn't believe what was happening. I had just met one of the most successful coaches in college basketball. It was crazy. This past fall, I attended Kentucky's Big Blue Madness, which was really cool as well. There are a lot of people who do not like Kentucky Basketball, because they think Calipari is a cheater. I do not know all of the facts, but I do know that he is a good teacher, communicator, and coach, and he loves his players and all the fans. I am really looking forward to this upcoming basketball season to watch some Wildcat basketball!

My Classes #3- Psychology

      One of the classes I have to take this semester is general psychology. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into when I first started this class. I took psychology in high school, and I really enjoyed it. I had a great teacher in high school so I was nervous that I would get a bad teacher and not enjoy it. Luckily, I have a great professor. His name is Vernon Boggs, and he is a great college professor. He is a drug and alcohol counselor and does some teaching at Rhodes and another college in Indiana. He has been through a lot as well throughout his life. He always talks to us about his life experiences and it really puts things in perspective for us. It has helped me realize that I have it pretty easy. Sometimes I get down and feel bad for myself with certain things and this class has helped me come to the realization that I need to appreciate what I have, because not everyone has life as easy as I do. I have everything I need in order to have a successful life, and I need to be appreciative of that. I enjoy this class, because there are all different kinds of people taking it. I have learned a lot from my professor, and hopefully it will help me in my future. I have learned a lot about people and how to react towards certain people and hopefully that helps me with my field. I am going into Dental Hygiene, and I know I am going to have to deal with man different kinds of people. My ultimate goal is to make every single patient feel comfortable. I want to be able to read my patients and understand how they are feeling and this class has helped me learn how to do that.

In Class Post #6- Presidential Election

      During this political season, it is very frustrating when you hear people talking about the pros and cons of both the candidates when you really don't understand what is going on. There are a lot of people out there who only vote for a particular presidential candidate because they are a very strong republican or democrat. They don't really think about our nation as a whole. A lot of people hate President Obama only because he is a democrat, and to me, that's bologna. There are also a lot of people who hate Mitt Romney just because he is rich. It doesn't really matter to me who is democrat or republican, as long as they do the best job for our country. I know a lot of strong republicans who have been against President Obama all four years, only because they are slightly racist and very strong republican. The way I see it is, after the election is over and one president wins, it's over. You might as well get over what political party you are for, because it doesn't matter for another four years. Support the president no matter who he is, because we're one country and we should all be in it together.

      Well, it is now November 7th, and the presidential election is over. President Obama won the election, guaranteeing him a second term. There are a lot of people that are not very happy about this. The election was very close the whole time, and to be honest, I wasn't quite sure who was going to win. Many Americans are very scared for what is to come these next four years. I just hope that our country can stick together and be the best nation we can be.

In Class Post #9

      What was up with her face? Why does she have to be so angry about this? He didn’t like her. He loves me for the way I am and she was not the right person for him. That is why he married me. He told her he wasn’t the marrying type because he was afraid of commitment. His parents got a divorce when he was young. He didn’t trust her.  He thought that she would leave him someday just like his mom left his dad. He didn’t want to have to live through that memory again. He wanted to be with someone who he could trust. I helped him work through that and we are happily married now, and yes I am carrying his baby. We would talk about it all the time and I could tell in his face he was bothered by the thought of marriage. I knew from the start I wanted to marry this man and I knew I would have to help him. I didn’t push him either. That is something that his ex-girlfriend did. She got mad at him every time they would talk about it and she wouldn’t understand where he was coming from. I am a very understanding person. No, my parents did not get a divorce but I understand why he would be afraid. If my parents were divorced I would be a little scared too. We dated for two years and I figured out a way to help him get through it. I told him over and over that I would love him unconditionally no matter what would happen. Through sickness and in health, I would be there. It took some time, but we worked through it. I love him more than anything in the world and I cannot wait to have our child. His ex-girlfriend is just going to have to get over it and move on.

My Classes #2

      In my last post about my classes, I went on a rant about my biology lecture class. I hate that class because it is extremely hard and I don't understand anything. Luckily, I am also taking a biology lab, which is a completely different story. My professor is awesome. She seems like a really down to earth person, and I enjoy listening to her teach us the material. She is very real with us and lets us know what we need to know in order to do well in the class. She answers our questions and will tell us anything we want to know about the material. I appreciate this, because obviously my lecture is not that way. I am doing well in my lab class, because it is more memorizing than anything. I have always been good at memorizing as long as I put in the time. It helps that I have my best friend and roommate in my class with me. We stay after class is over to study the models and bodies before we leave that way we understand the material better. We also take pictures on either my phone or her computer that way we can see the models when we are studying. When we study for the exams, we look at the pictures and quiz each other. She will ask me all the body parts and I will answer them and then we will flip and I will ask her. She is better with all the memorizing than I am, so she usually has to ask me more questions than I have to ask her. I really enjoy my lab class, and I think it will definitely help me in the future.

My Classes #1

      Long story short, I hate biology. I have been taking a biology lecture class all semester, and to be quite honest with you, it is dreadful. Not only is the class at eight in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I do not comprehend one thing the entire lecture. I have to take the class for my major, which I completely understand, but I don't understand why I have to know half the things my professor is trying to teach me. All I want to do is clean people's teeth the rest of my life. My patients are not going to care whether I know about action potentials and neuromuscular junctions. All that will matter to them is how much pain I am putting them through and how much their bill is going to be. I try to study for my quizzes and tests for my lecture and I feel like I always study the wrong things, because I have not been doing well. I feel like my professor would have more of an impact on us if he would actually TEACH us the material instead of just reading the powerpoint slides. It also doesn't help when we do a chapter a week and have a million slides to study for each chapter. Yes, I was exaggerating, but we have way to many powerpoint slides to study for when over eighty percent of the material isn't even on our tests or quizzes. Another thing that makes me mad is the other biology lecture professor is really easy. Everyone I talk to that has him says that he is cake and he tells them exactly what to study and what they need to know. My professor leaves us in the dark and we have no idea what to study, so we don't do well. I am really jealous of them, because I need to do well for my major. Hopefully, things start getting better, but I really don't feel like they will. Yes, I know, I should probably stay positive, but honestly I have zero motivation.

Miscellaneous #2- My Dog Bentley :)

      I had just pulled into my driveway getting home from softball practice when I saw the smallest, cutest puppy I had ever seen. He ran out from the garage and I probably squealed like a little girl, because I couldn't handle how adorable his little legs were as he ran to my car. My older brother had decided to take in a six week old black lab, because if he didn't he was going to be taken to the pound. My parents were a little on edge about it, because they didn't want to end up having to take care of him. Tony assured them that he would have the puppy at college with him so they had nothing to worry about it. A few months go by, and sure enough, little Bentley ended up at home with us. He has a sleek, black coat and two different colored eyes. One is blue and the other eye is brown, so he looks a little freaky when you see him for the first time.

Bentley is now a little over one year old, and he has become one of my best friends. He would play literally all day if we let him. My mom and dad have fallen in love with him, and treat him like their own child, which means he is very spoiled! My older sister, Courtney, has an internship in Lexington, Kentucky until November, so my parents have went down to visit her every weekend since the middle of September, which means i'm in charge of Bentley. It gets a little lonely being home every weekend with nothing to do, but he entertains me. He is attached to my hip wherever I go, so it is impossible to get rid of him. I love playing fetch with him, because no matter what it is, he will always bring it back. I have taught him how to sit, and shake with both front paws. Oh, and also how to jump and catch things. Bentley is the friendliest dog I have ever been around, and life wouldn't be the same anymore without him.

Career Path Post #1

      Dental Hygiene is referred to as the practice of keeping the mouth, teeth, and gums clean and healthy to prevent disease, as by regular brushing and flossing and visits to the dentist. Call me crazy, but that is what I want to do the rest of my life. I want to be a Dental Hygienist. I want to be the lady who greets you at the door with her elastic gloves, plastic glasses, and mask over her face.

     There are so many people out there who are absolutely terrified of going to the dentist and I really don't understand it. If someone hates it that much, they must have some serious issues or they just don't take care of their teeth. The only reason the dentist should be painful is if you do not have good oral hygiene. I, on the other hand, am a freak when it comes to my mouth. I take pride in my smile, and I like to show it. Why pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for braces and not show those pearly whites off!! Smiling makes you more attractive, lightens the mood, and it is very contagious. I love making people happy, so it is nice to see others smile! I want people to feel at ease when coming for their six month check up. Personally, I love going to the dentist. It helps that my dentist office offers snacks, paraffin wax, a massage chair, and a warm towel while getting your teeth clean. Thats right, go to Doctor Painter in Ft. Wayne. He is the best, I promise! That is besides the point though. I want to help people improve their oral hygiene and enjoy coming to the dentist. So many people stress out about it, and it really doesn't have to be that bad! So quit stressing and start smiling! :) 

Reader's Response #3- Juno

I have only seen bits and pieces of Juno, but I enjoyed it from what I saw. I felt the response by Ali Heinekamp was written well, but it almost seemed to be kind of negative. I felt that she was saying all the bad things about the movie instead of incorporating the positives as well. She talked a lot about how the pregnancy wasn't very realistic, and how the dialogue is too good to be true. I agree with her opinions, because throughout the movie Juno just goes with the flow and doesn't really act like a normal pregnant woman would. Even though she states a lot of the negatives about the movie, she does explain how the emotional heart of the movie is unbelievable and moving. I agree with this, because I cannot imagine getting pregnant at a young age, planning on keeping the baby, and then putting it up for adoption. I personally would have been an emotional roller coaster, but Juno handled herself very calmly. Some people probably think that Juno was not a good role model for young girls her age, but you have to remember that she did stay in school, and she had to make many adult decisions on her own about the baby. Not many young girls would be able to do that. One thing that I would say this critic did not talk about was Juno's relationship with the baby daddy, Bleeker. It was definitely an important part of the movie, because it shows that he was there for her through the whole thing, even when times got rough. This review was easy to comprehend, because we have all seen at parts of Juno, or at least heard of it.

In Class Prompt #4

      The hall was quiet until she heard....
           BANG! Everyone screamed frantically as they scattered through the halls. Nobody knew where the shot had come from but obviously people were panicking. The principal quickly came over the loud speaker and said, "There is an intruder in the building, everyone needs to clear out." She stands there, alone, watching as people run out doors and jump through windows. Her best friend had just been shot in the chest and was lying there, dead. The shock had clearly taken over her body and she couldnt move. She didn't know what to do or where to go. All of a sudden she saw the man with the gun. She turned her head and spotted another man, also with a gun. Clueless, she turned and ran. She ran down the junior high hallway and turned around to see one of the intruders following her. She thought to herself, "What do they want from me? Why didn't they just shoot me?" She continued to run and decided to turn into a classroom and locked the door behind her. She pulled down the paper in front of the window to keep the intruders from being able to see her. Frantically, she ran over to the window and opened it but clearly she could not fit in order to escape the building. The intruders started to bang onto the door yelling at her to open it. She's panicking, trying to think of what to do. All of a sudden she heard the door unlock. She watched as the handle slowly turned...
         All of a sudden, she opens her eyes, staring at her ceiling. It was only just a dream.

In Class Prompt #3

In class, we watched an episode of "How I Met Your Mother." I had never watched the show, but I heard from other people that it was really funny and I should watch it. The episode started with a man spying out the window with binoculars at another man who apparently walked outside and took exactly seven steps and smiled every night consistently for several nights in a row. The man who was spying on him didn't understand what was going on and went crazy. His wife was frustrated with him and eventually went to stay with her parents. The show proceeds with three guy friends talking about their futures for every three years and showing clips of what they expect it to be like. After they show their prediction, the show shows what really happens. One of the main, cuter characters evidently likes to have many different women in his life, but towards the end of the show, he decides that he wants to stick with this one girl. He goes to their apartment, which they shared at the time, and he hugs her and makes up with her and he explains that he wants to be with her and he wants her to be the only girl he is with and he smashes all his coffee cups on the floor, because he didn't want to share his with her. After smashing the mugs, he explains to her how he always had to walk out to the street at the same time every night in order to fart, because he didn't want to do it in front of her, bringing us back to the beginning of the show why the random guy saw him take seven steps, stop and smile.

In Class Prompt #2

       Okay, so the object I brought to class is my Macbook Pro. It is a thirteen inch laptop, so it is the perfect size to carry along with you wherever you go. In a couple days it will have a teal, plastic case on the outside of it. That is besides the point, because I have not received it yet. My laptop is shiny silver, with a white apple shape on the top and located in the center. I can feel the coldness of the surface every time I grab it to use. I honestly have never tasted my computer? So, in reality, I can't describe the taste to you. If I were to guess, I would say it tastes like a cold bit of nothing. When I open the laptop, I can hear the quiet hum letting me know it is working properly. Lastly, my computer smells like..well..nothing. I would tell you if it smelled like something, but to be completely honest I have no clue and really don't feel like pulling it out and taking a big whiff and making a fool of myself. Now, you are probably wondering what my laptop has to do with reading or writing. Growing up, I was never a fan of writing or reading, until my biology teacher had us create a scientific based blog on the internet. I learned all about blogging, and it has inspired me to write, because I know in my blog I can write about whatever I want. O my laptop, I am able to get comfy on the couch and write about whatever I would like to. 

Reader's Response #2 The Canary-Colored Caravan of Death

      So, pretty much, that was the most confusing thing I have ever read in my entire life. I am not one of those people who read comic strips for fun, so I was completely lost. Not only did I not know which box to read next, I didn't even know what half the words meant.  Maudlin? Crepuscular? Premonitory? I will admit that I do not have the widest range of vocabulary, but that story was flat out weird. I would start to understand what she was talking about and then she would change topics for no reason and then I would be lost again. I was a little grossed out when she said her grandmother was a Bechdel before she was even married. Ew. Obviously her family was messed up. She first started talking about her father, and then he killed himself because he was a manic-depressive, closeted fag? What in the world?? Then she moved on to the funeral, which seemed to be quite the experience for her. Somehow she got on the topic of the Appalachian Ridges and where they lived, and then back to talking about her father, when he was alive. Confusing. At last she finished by talking about her mother and father and how disoriented her family was. While reading this story, I felt a very depressing vibe coming from the daughter, therefore I felt bad for her. The words she used throughout the comic strip were very vulgar, which was strange coming from a person of her age. Before reading the story, I read the biography on Alison Bechdel and found out that this particular comic strip is from a book that was named by Time magazine as number one of its 10 Best Books of the Year. I honestly would have never expected that if I were to read the biography after reading the comic strip. All I can say is..good for her!

In Class Prompt #1

      I wouldn't say that I am afraid of reading or writing, but I will tell you that neither of them are my favorite things to do. I will read something "for fun" if I am interested in it. If I am forced to read something, I usually catch myself being sidetracked and honestly not caring about what I have to read. When I am allowed to write about whatever I want to, I enjoy it. I don't enjoy it when I have to write about a topic that I really do not understand or clearly don't give a rats behind about. I believe that people can achieve self- efficacy by going outside their comfort zone and achieving something that they never thought they could. There are a lot of people out there that do not know how to be positive with themselves and they give up when they think they cannot do something. My dad always tells me that people are just people. There is no reason to be afraid to go up and talk to someone if you sincerely want or need to talk to them. Similarily, there is really no reason to be afraid to write about something that you truly want to share with someone else. I believe that self-efficacy is very important, because there is nothing like the feeling of self-accomplishment. If you are down on yourself all the time and don't give yourself any credit, you will not achieve in life. You will turn away from uncomfortable situations, and miss out on some pretty amazing things. When I am able to write about anything that I want to, I feel better about myself when I am done. I love to talk to people and share things that are on my mind, and writing about them is a good way to get them off your chest. When people turn away from situations when they are afraid, they will forever live with that regret. They will wonder what would've happened if they would've taken the chance. They may have met someone great that they could've been good friends with. They may have gotten over a fear that has held them back their whole life. With this said, don't be afraid of something that is not going to hurt you. When in doubt, go for it.

Reader's Response #1 The Secondhand Bookseller

       While reading Marina Nemat's The Secondhand Bookseller, my first thought was about Ayatollah Khomeini's regime. Neither my roomie or I had any idea what or who it was about. So what did I do? Googled it. Works every time. I found out that Ayatollah Khomeini was a radical Muslim leader who challenged the world’s infidels in the name of Allah. For all of you who are not aware, Allah is another word for God. In Arabic, the word means "the God." All of that information is besides the point, though. The story starts off with Marina talking about her relationship with her mother. She shared with her audience that she tried to stay away from her mother as much as possible, therefore, she spent a lot of time in her room by herself...reading. She shared with us that she borrowed many books from her school library, but she had already read them all at least three times. Her and her mother were not wealthy by any means, which meant Marina was not able to buy any more books to read. She saved up her own money and snuck out of the house to go buy a book from the Secondhand Library downtown. She walked into the library and was confronted by a little old man who introduced her to the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe series. Marina didn't have enough money to buy it, but the older gentleman allowed her to take it anyway. She took the book home, read it twice, and came back for more. This time, the old man allowed her to borrow the book, because he obviously caught onto the fact that she loved to read and didn't have enough money to buy the books. What a sweetheart, don't you think? Marina's story was very descriptive, allowing the reader to get a good idea of what she was going through. You could tell how badly she wanted the books, and how hard she was willing to work in order to get them. As the reader, I was able to picture the library, the little old man, and the many other things that Marina thoroughly described in her story. I personally felt bad for Marina, because you can tell she was a very young girl full of passion and intelligence. It isn't fair that she was arrested only for speaking out about Ayatollah Khomeini's regime in her science class. Let alone at the age of sixteen! I enjoyed reading Marina's story, and I hope that she is able to inspire young girls just like her in the future. 

Miscellaneous #1- The Name's Taylor--Welcome to my Blog!!! :)

Hey everyone!!!
           Okay, so I am new to this blogging thing, so you are going to have to bear with me. My name is Taylor, and I just created this blog for my English Composition class at Rhodes State College! I am majoring in Dental Hygiene, and I love it here already!!! I am currently living in Longmeadow Student Housing right off campus. It is a very safe apartment complex for college students with so many activities and things to do. So, if you are looking for an apartment or place to stay while you are attending college at OSU Lima or Rhodes State, I definitely recommend Longmeadow! I live with four other girls, and it has been quite the experience getting used to it. My roommate/best friend's name is McKenzie Nofer. 

          She is definitely my partner in crime, and we are pretty much attached at the hip most of the time. Not only because we are small town girls adjusting to the new life style in Lima, but also because we love spending time with each other and have so much fun together. I attended elementary and high school at Crestview which is located in Convoy, Ohio. If you have never heard of Convoy, you aren't the first. It is a very, very small town surrounded by corn fields and dairy barns, which is why living in a city has been very different for us. I have learned that you really cannot trust anyone and you have to keep an eye out for the creepers. (Yes, my roomie and I carry pepper spray at all times- just in case!) College has been a fabulous experience for me so far, and I cannot wait to see what my future has in store!!! I look forward to meeting all of you who have chose to read my blog!! 

                                                                              -Taylor