Untitled

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

Thinking back to project one I wanted to blog about one of my topics of discussion. That I thought about doing. One topic that I have always been intrigued with the history of the NFL. More specifically the breaking of the color barrier in the NFL. Some people may not find it to be very important of an issue in the grand sceeme of things but those people are wrong. American society is and has revolved around sports and multimedia.  From its undertaking the NFL and football simply as a sport has been a media spectacle drawing in thousands and now millions of fans across the country. American football anf the NFL much like the MLB, when they first started were only open to white male participants. Many people don’t even know who the “Jackie Robinson” of the NFL was. The first African Americans that played in the NFL were Halfback Kenny Washington who signed March 21, 1946 and end Woody Strode who signed May 7, 1946 both with the Los Angeles Rams. These are the men who forever changed the history of the NFL. It went from an all white sport to the modern day NFL where over sixty percent of NFL players are of color. In my opinion the NFL and its process of integration is a mirror image of the process of desegregation and the fight for civil rights that took place in the United States. Before the signings of these two players, the same year that these two players were signed, the Cleveland Rams franchise decided to move to Los Angeles and play in the Los Angeles Coliseum.  Following the approval of the move an African American newspaper made the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission aware of the fact that the now “Los Angeles” Rams where an all-white team. Also reminded by the newspaper the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission was operated under public funding.  As a result the commission was forced to follow the 1896 Supreme Court decision, Plessy v. Ferguson and not allow a segregated team to lease the Coliseum… and the story goes on from there. BUT I’m forgetting that this is just a blog and most of you could care less about this topic and maybe I’m the only one who cares so I guess I’ll stop here but idk this is just something that interest me so why not blog about it???

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

Young people tend to take things for granted especially during high school. I wanted to talk about the importance of embracing every learning experience that is put in front of you. Some of these opportunities might not seem as important as they may really be but for that reason you’ve got to give everything you do your best effort. That is the one thing id tell my younger self.  For many people, when thinking of an environment in which they are perfectly content, they think of quiet and calm places. Unlike most people my place at which I am perfectly content is on the football field. Many people believe that football is a game of violence and confusion. To me this is not true. Football is a passion for me; I enjoy playing, watching and teaching. The sport itself has taught me many things like teamwork, trust, responsibility, and as a senior captain in high school it taught me leadership. Along with these lessons, I’ve had to learn how to thrive under pressure and how to be content with chaos. The football field is a place of contentment for me, and it has taught me to be the type of person who strives under pressure. As a captain there was a lot of extra pressure placed upon me to succeed. My teammates looked to me during tough times to lead them. When the rest of the team is falling apart it was my job to hold them together. I was almost forced to be content because if I wasn’t in a place of contentment or I wasn’t calm my team would also not be calm. While playing I get into a zone in which all things other than football don’t even matter. I seem to forget about any other issues and only focus on the task at hand. I simply do my job. Playing football is the one true situation in my life that I am perfectly content. These lessons that I learned back then help me to this day. This year I was given a promotion at my job to supervisor, at my job (esp. during big events) you must be content with chaos. For those of you who don’t know I work in the student union and we host a lot of big events for the students to enjoy.  Even when there are no events going on a regular day the staff looks to me and my fellow supervisor to deal with day to day issues. It is a leadership role that without my prior experience in leading people I might not be able to hold.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

African American Literature

Whenever I go in a bookstore or a library I always see a section named “African American Literature” and I always think to myself should African American Literature be its own genre? If so what qualifies the literature as such?  If the answer is no and African American literature is not its own genre then could we be accused of ignoring the differences that it carries? Do you have to be black to for your writing to be included in the genre? All these questions are very important questions that need to be answered. But much like it is with any other form of identity literature it is hard for anyone to answer any of these questions without coming off as being racist, sexist or any other description that they may or may not want to be described by.

But in order to be “racist” or to even attempt to make a genre of literature based on race you have to answer the question: What is race? In the dictionary race is defined as a class or kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, or characteristics. When thinking of race we often think about skin color. But it is defined as being based on ones habits or characteristics. So if it is simply based on habits and characteristics then do you have to be black for your works to be included in the “African American Literature” genre? If you look at it from the dictionary’s point of view then the answer is no. Some might argue against this assumption but there is no true way to determine the answers to these questions while having the “right” answers. More things to think about when you want to discuss identity literature or more specifically African American literature are things like: Does every black author have to write African American literature or can he/she write general/mainstream literature? Can an author of color write a work that’s considered to be part of the African American literature genre without making race the main topic of discussion in the story? There are so many questions that can be asked and that people expect authors of identity literature to answer. Am I the only one who questions what “African American Lit” is? I’m curious to know what other people think about this.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

Blog #6

After reviewing some of my classmates’ blogs I was surprised to see the wide range of topics. It makes me look forward to the showcase because the ideas are so good that I’m excited to see how they will be presented visually. There are a few that have especially good topics but I’m not quite sure how they are going to pull off the visual part, this makes me focus more on my webmap making sure it is easily understandable and makes a good connection. Also I will need to make sure that I focus on both the audience that is familiar with my topic and the audience that knows very little about it.

[me-n-missus-jones]

Blog 5

Somehow over the years I have become the keeper of my family history. Maybe it’s because I have completed many art projects from paintings and drawings to collage pieces and reliquaries based on family photos and artifacts. I have spent years putting together family statistics and family trees and after joining ancestry.com I have added to the general knowledge of not only my family but my husbands as well. The most interesting things I have found is that our history is very much a retelling of American history. We have ancestors who participated in the Oklahoma land rush, immigrants who came thru Ellis Island and lived in Alphabet City in NYC, printmakers who printed money during the Revolutionary War and men who have fought in the Civil War, and both World Wars. Most recently I have come across the possibility that on my mothers paternal side I may have history that reaches back to French royalty. I have never desired to have a royal linage, yet I find the possibility intriguing. The power of the Internet and the vast amount of information we can sift through fairly quickly allows me the opportunity to challenge myself to try and determine whether the information I have stumbled upon to be accurate or not. There is a spot in the family tree that is suspect and the mystery revolves around Lady Clothide and her direct parentage. I am also curious as to how I will perceive myself, after I learn one way or another about my supposed royal line. I’m hoping I can just view this as an exercise in examining my possible place in world history. The images I plan to use will start with my Facebook profile pic chosen to represent my presence on the web. From there I am using an illustration of a strand of DNA that represents my DNA results from testing I had done over the summer to learn more about my heritage. Thirdly I will use an image of Fort Zeller, an actual fort built in Pennsylvania by Lady Clothide’s son. Image four is of a ship built in the 1700s that transported immigrants from Europe to the United States. Lady Clothide and her sons were on one in 1710 as they made their way to New York from England. Her husband, Jacque Zeller, either died in England or on the ride over. Fifth is an image of the Notre Dame church in Paris representing the royal Catholic persecution of French Protestant Huegnots. Lady Clothide and her family were among those who fled France for religious freedom. Image six is of a cameo of a women that represents Lady Clothide my 7th great-grandmother. This is the spot where I have to investigate the lineage beyond. I would like to indicate a tear or divide in my web map here. I haven’t decided if I will be literal and use maps of the United States, England and France, but it is likely I will start there. On the other side of the divide are images of the possible parentage of Lady Clothide including Antoine Charles Louis, the bastard son of Louis Emmanuel de Valois who is the son of King Charles IX, the Bastard King of France and Charles the Bald an ancestor of Charles the IX who was also King of France during the 800s AD. In the end who wouldn’t want to be related to a King named Charles the Bald? The research isn’t going to be easy as many reference books are in French, but with translating opportunities on the Internet not speaking a foreign language won’t slow me down too much.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

Like you said this research isn't going to be easy, but the point of the project isn't to take the easy way out. One thing you might want to ad is some sort of family tree image or maybe even use a family tree as the backdrop for your images. I have always been interested in ancestry.com and have always wanted to do it, I look forward to seeing your project and who knows maybe it might be the final motivation i need to go ahead and do some family research myself. 

[memphiscarlito00-blog]

Blog 5

Banning athletes who use/abuse Performance enhancing drugs(record removal)

Any athlete who uses performance enhancing drugs should be banned from the sport. Performance enhancing drugs have been the most talked about topic in Baseball in the last decade. The drug has ruined the competitiveness of the sport as time went about. Usage of performance enhancing drugs have ruined the game for fans, competitors and the alumni of sports. The use of performance enhancing drugs has been a major problem in sports and has caused a lot of controversy. Athletes who fail drug tests should be banned. Anabolic steroids are drugs in which its primary use was to help treat conditions, such as hormone deficiency, diseases in which muscle loss occurred, delayed puberty, and some forms of cancer. Anabolic steroids increase testosterone in the body, which influences many features of the human body. Steroids were taken by athletes to enhance their performance and to improve their appearance. Any athlete who tests positive shouldn’t be allowed to continue. It is not fair to past and current record holders that their records are broken by an athlete with an unfair advantage.

As far as the map goes, Im thinking about having a skinny teenager in a poor environment (no picture yet). Then having them meet a coach and start playing baseball(baseball bat and ball). As they begin to get older into highschool they start to gain interests from local schools(no picture yet). The teen then wants to become better and have an advantage over his teammates to stand out more.(eyes pointing to a cloud with a flexed arm ) He gets introduced to performance enhancers by an alumni who currently is playing professional ball (Cloud with scholarship and broken records and money) The teen who now is getting older heads to a college with a high rate of players drafted for professional ball and begins to stand out(no picture yet). He ends up wanting to go pro after his second year of college and once the drug test comes he fails (no drugs symbol, pills, positive sign) He gets banned from playing ball and his college and HS records are removed (paper shredded, trashcan).

Im open to any other ideas if they’re any out there!

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

I agree 100%. As a multi sport athlete I know what it takes and the hard work that is required of you to succeed especially at a high level. Players who take peds are skipping that work to go straight for the success which isnt fair. Suspensions aren't enough, for example NFL tight end Antonio Gates was suspended 4 games for ped usage and in his first game back he had 2 touchdowns... that 4 game suspension doesn't take those peds out of his body. It isnt fair because once you use peds, you've gained an advantage thats not gonna go away with a suspension. Also you're showing a lack of integrity which is not good for any sport so you should be banned. 

[our-jay-boogie-things-blog]

Blog #5

My research project is on * why don’t college football players in suny schools  get paid to play the game they love* The reason I am doing research on this is because I feel that us football players put a lot of work in to play the game we love. Being that we can’t get a football scholarship at this level , we should at least get paid. Everybody on the team doesn’t have to get paid because that is a lot of money but if one player is outstanding or a couple players ,then those few players should get paid at least some kind of money. First step on my web would be a picture of a division 3 star athlete who puts in a lot of hard work and got the football team in a winning season. The reason for that web picture is because it shows how this individual athlete is putting the team on his back and got them on the road to success and doing good things for his team.The second picture on my web would be a classroom and football field because thats’ all us football players know is class and football nothing else matters. School first football second. Another picture on my web would be money to show how much it would help us good football players if we got paid. The reason why I say help us is because we have to pay for college since there is no Athletic scholarships in the division 3 level so getting paid would help us have money to get things we really need such as books, folders and gear for football. This research top fits me because it is not easy being a division 3 athlete . The reason I say that is because I understand what other college football athletes go through such as not having a scholarship and having to pay for everything they want. It is not easy being a college football player in a suny school that do not giving football scholarships for the simple fact that nothing is free. Not many people have the funds to get everything they need . Which is why I think football players should get paid or at least get things for free that are needed. Like why should the players have to pay for events that are happening on campus such as parties or a talent show, like the littles things could help out a lot since college football players can’t get paid. 

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

I do agree with you, something needs to be done about this. College athletes put in so much time and effort to sports that the barely have enough time for classes and school work, which means they really don’t have time to have jobs. My only disagreement with this is that D1 players don't get paid so Id expect them to get paid first before D2 or even D3 players do. Even the D1 players that receive a “free education” are not compensated properly BUT if you haven't already check this interview out, there are some really good points made in it that could possibly help you out: https://youtu.be/FIdOKqga8NU

[pursuit-yourself]

Why do American College students wear black?

researching why american college students wear black so much; may not seem like the ideal research project, but it interest me because no one really pays attention to things like that? why? I believe a persons appearance says a lot about themselves including there way of thinking. A lot of college students i have asked why they are wearing black tell me that it gives them a very chic look, so of course there response goes under style. A couple other people said it doesn’t draw much attention to them compared to someone wearing all yellow. I am still working on my web map, and i want to divide all the responses i got into 5 different sections. which i believe right now is Style, emotions, appearance (big, medium, small), character, and mind set. You may think that my sections are similar but a great amount of things differs them from the other.  Im not really sure how an argument is suppose to help me create the web map? Actually this entire project is very confusing to me, and i am trying my best to understand how you want it to be. But i gave up on that and will make my project a representation of what i understood from you( marybeth) discussing about it. The argumentation part should help me pick different photos because my issue does have alot of different outlooks. Not everyones response connects to the research i have done. Something about the color black can mean something totally different in another country then america thats why i only chose to research on american college students. It also matters the time of when the color black was being worn. like in the 60’s when the Black Panthers would wear all black signifying there blackness. The color black also signifies alot of “ emo” kids where it didnt start a movement like the panthers but its an emotional stage for many teenagers going through depression. I have found many research on the color black. but im not sure what my argument is; representation in my web map for my viewers to understand is the most important thing to me in this project. i want my viewers to learn some new information that they could have never imagined. & im making that my job to do. thats why i feel that this project is so challenging for me. To bring some new information into someones life is very challenging but, i cannot wait to be done with this project. Just to see the outcome that i want to happen.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

This is an interesting topic and im not really sure how you're going to pull it off but I guess I can tell you my perspective on it... I wear black almost every day. The way my style is i guess i like to dress very subtle with one or two things that really pop. Usually ill wear for example black pants and black shoes with very colorful socks and shirt or if I wear colorful shoes ill wear black pants and match the shoes with the shirt. Basically I don’t like to walk around looking like a big bright flag but I also like to have some color… idk if that helps you out but I figure it was worth sharing

[theappealingbanana-blog]

My Project

I am really concerned about Common Core in New York State. As someone who just graduated from a NYS public school I have seen some of the changes that we’ve gone through and it’s getting ridiculous especially in the math category. I have decided to research the specific topic of math in common core in NYS further and this is what I have so far. First off I looked at the elementary school level of math. It turns out that it takes a lot of time out of the day to learn the new ways of math. I would like to show this on my map as 2 clocks, one showing a short amount of time (this one being crossed out) and the other a longer amount of time and this one being fine. I’m not sure what creative ideas I have for the map as a whole though. I was thinking of maybe drawing a giant clock and going clockwise with the pictures starting at the top and ending back there. One interesting fact that I found is that even adults can have trouble learning the new way they teach math now. I have even looked at some of the problems and I don’t quite understand them even though I’m a math education major. One way that I wish to illustrate that is to show an adult and a child together looking at a problem in confusion. One other thing I would like to show is that kids are taught a different way until these past few years and are starting to be told what they’ve learned as wrong. I feel like this might have a negative impact on children wanting to learn new things. They not be as motivated as much. I really don’t know how to show this without it being a picture that would take up my whole poster. 

I could really use help on ideas of what could make the map look interesting if anyone had any ideas. I think the clock idea is nice, but it won’t immediately express what I’ve learned. So far in brief detail this is what I’ve learned with (pictures). 1. Good Idea (Light Bulb) 2. Could Be Done Better (Don’t have a picture Yet ) 3.Takes up Time (Clocks) 3.Really Complicated and Hard to Learn (Complicated Math Problem) 4. Can’t Learn Other Subjects (Beaker and Globe Crossed Out) 5. Teachers are Blamed (Still need a Picture) 6. Too many tests (Still need a picture). This is all I have for now and I still need to do more research. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate them and if you do look at mine I will take the time to look at your sand give my feedback. I won’t be back on until Monday though if you write back.

�.�

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

I personally have never had to deal with the affects of the common core model for education. One thing that I think you should think about, if you have not already, is keeping in mind the audience that know nothing about your topic. What i’m getting from your post is that this common core idea is simply a new way of learning. My inexperience in dealing with this is my be swaying my opinion a little but I don't really understand the problem with it. Being an adaptive learner is  almost like the theme nowadays in school at all levels. For example in my learning career so far I've gone from taking notes on a chalk board and reading books  to  teachers writing on smart boards and taking totally online classes with online text books. Even when you go out into the workforce you're going to be asked to learn new things and different ways, that someone in charge will assume are better,  of how to do things and you have to be able to adapt. But once again that's just my point of view and maybe in your visual statement you will better show what the issues are to someone who has never dealt with common core.

[stevemac716-blog]

Blog 5

My project will be based on the effects of food and how food changed over the years. In other words, food today helps make people bigger due to whats in the food. For example, chickens are filled with drugs being pumped into it yearly. Another example of why people aren’t as healthy as they can be is due to processed food. Processed food contains loss of nutrients, bad absorption, salt, lack of real taste, fats (saturated) and the quality isn’t that great. Processed foods will try and display their positive side which actually gives the customer a false idea(100) of what processed foods actually bring. Over a 100 years food nutrients has changed. Our grandparents are actually healthier than we might think. The studies in colorado states that the nutrient density has decreased tremendously of 40-60% over the past 100 years. Recent study also showed that only 11% of americans eat 2 fruits and 3 vegtables everyday. They claim that this unhealthy combination of nutrient poor foods of a open door for disease especially if its used as a lifetime deal. The main question that people need to ask themselves is “this food given/produced by God or (200)is it jus processed by man?” This question is a way of understanding how food has changed over the years. In the past, people killed an animal, cleaned it and then cooked it until it became edible. In today’s food world, our food is processed through test and chemicals. In my project web, I’d have a before and after affect from the difference food had on us today opposed to the food our grandparents ate. This topic can bring up a debate because even back then there were alot of unhealthy people but processed food tends to be everything we (300)eat. We are taught that the food we eat will gives us nutrients everyday and will help us sustain a good living when in reality it’s not true. Everything in today’s society is processed with food coloring, steroids etc. Our grandparents often had gardens and growing things form the ground up with provides healthy nutrients. The food we have now is actually slowly killing us individuals. If we ate food from the ground, the world would be healthier because thats how the food is given to us. It was never processed to being with. Everything we eat and digest now is man made to get money from us who eat it (customers). This can even go deeper than the topic im discussing. For example, people around the world are sick and not saved because of the man made pills thats given. If the people knew that something small as ginger or macaroot was used in people’s diet; they will live longer lives. Everything from the root/ground is good for the body but not anything processsed. 

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

This will be a successful project, I can only say that because it is a topic that I have thought about prior to reading this blog post. Call me crazy but I have always believed that sickness is big business and  that we are being poisoned by our foods. Scientists claim that by processing foods they are making them better, they do things like enhance the coloring or preventing insects from eating them. In reality these “enhancements” really aren't helping us at all, in the past our society as a whole had stronger immune health and live much healthier lifestyles. I look forward to seeing how you present this visually.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

Blog #5

My project is on Athletes, Specifically college football players that leave school early for the draft only to not be drafted. The problem with this is that regulations prevent these players to return to school or enter into the following year’s draft. In the 2014 draft class a record 107 underclassmen declared for the NFL draft, 45 of those players went undrafted. A majority of those 45 remain unsigned by NFL teams as undrafted free agents. These players are left without any options, many of these players believed football careers were the only thing they wanted to do but because of this rule these careers are cut short. The sad part is many of them, had they taken more time to develop their skills, could’ve been really good NFL players. Most of these players are in their early twenties and decision making isn’t always their strong suit. They need to be coached up and taught more than just football.

I feel that the NCAA and NFL need to team up to solve this problem. One development that has been made on the NFL’s behalf is a grading system that offers players with estimated draft grades to give them an idea on where they might go. This grading system is a good start but I believe the problem stems from college. Coaches bring these players in to play football, and only to play football. Coaches need to teach the importance of school as well as football. Players should have backup plans so that in the even things don’t work out they aren’t stuck without a job and without an education. Also there’s the option of rule changes that make it harder to leave school early or with the implementation of the grading system, require players to have at least an A or B grade in order to be allowed to leave early.

On my web map I plan to show the success of these players at lower levels. Then I’ll show the outside pressures put on the kids to make it. After that I’ll go through the process of declaring for the draft, and how some players get drafted and others don’t.  I’m going to branch off into two directions, one for the players who make it and one for the players who don’t.  Finally for the players who don’t ill show life after football and show the struggle that the players then go through.

�

[our-jay-boogie-things-blog]

This project is going to be a huge success.I agree with everything you are saying because it’s not fair to those football players that leave early and don’t  get drafted , now why can’t  they come back to school and finish there football years in college football. That way they can get another chance to enter the NFL. Some football players only know to play football because thats what they grew up doing and nothing else really matters to them. It’s every football player dream to play in the NFL and most of us football players put so much hard work into practice and game that we don’t have a plan b because our plan b is to get plan A to work. I play division 3 football , now not many football players from division 3 go the the NFL but like you was saying why don’t the coaches help you and show you that their is more to life but football once we enter the real world. For example give players that are graduating internships or help them with connects to get a good job so that they don’t just graduate college and be doing nothing because they been playing football all their life. I like this project but the one thing I don’t agree with is the A and B grades average in order to leave because us football athletes do a lot  everyday and to maintain good grades in school we try hard for All As but sometimes we get B and C because the work wasn’t  good enough and we can be a little tired from doing the same thing repeatedly so it wouldn’t be fair in my opinion. 

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

As far as the grading goes I dont mean graes in school, I mean A and B Draft grades. The draft grading system provides college players with grades that reflect their readiness for the NFL and give the player an idea on where he might be drafted.         

Ex) 

A - 1st round

B- 2nd or 3rd round

C- 4th or 5th round

D- 6th or 7th round 

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

Blog #5

My project is on Athletes, Specifically college football players that leave school early for the draft only to not be drafted. The problem with this is that regulations prevent these players to return to school or enter into the following year’s draft. In the 2014 draft class a record 107 underclassmen declared for the NFL draft, 45 of those players went undrafted. A majority of those 45 remain unsigned by NFL teams as undrafted free agents. These players are left without any options, many of these players believed football careers were the only thing they wanted to do but because of this rule these careers are cut short. The sad part is many of them, had they taken more time to develop their skills, could’ve been really good NFL players. Most of these players are in their early twenties and decision making isn’t always their strong suit. They need to be coached up and taught more than just football.

I feel that the NCAA and NFL need to team up to solve this problem. One development that has been made on the NFL’s behalf is a grading system that offers players with estimated draft grades to give them an idea on where they might go. This grading system is a good start but I believe the problem stems from college. Coaches bring these players in to play football, and only to play football. Coaches need to teach the importance of school as well as football. Players should have backup plans so that in the even things don’t work out they aren’t stuck without a job and without an education. Also there’s the option of rule changes that make it harder to leave school early or with the implementation of the grading system, require players to have at least an A or B grade in order to be allowed to leave early.

On my web map I plan to show the success of these players at lower levels. Then I’ll show the outside pressures put on the kids to make it. After that I’ll go through the process of declaring for the draft, and how some players get drafted and others don’t.  I’m going to branch off into two directions, one for the players who make it and one for the players who don’t.  Finally for the players who don’t ill show life after football and show the struggle that the players then go through.

�

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

So I’m sitting here on a Sunday night in front of my TV watching the New Orleans Saints play the Dallas Cowboys.. I’ve been in this same spot all day, I’ve watched football all day since 9 o’clock this morning and its 9 at night. Now usually I hate being in the house and I rarely watch television but for some reason every single Sunday I find myself in the same place by the end of the night. It got me thinking… wondering why? To me sports and especially football are my weakness, I can sit and watch football l day and I mean all levels (from pop warner to the pros).  I believe that there’s some sort of a bond that you build with the game, an appreciation, admiration, obsession and love that you build for the game.  For those of you who play or have played understand the work that goes into playing this game and you understand that you have to love the game to really be all in for it. One thing that I love about it is when I’m on the field I forget about anything in the outside world and I am totally focused on the task at hand…. There’s nothing like putting that helmet on and going out there under the lights with your brothers to do something you love. It helps me clear my head.  When I’m watching football, it’s not the same as when I’m on the field.. nothing can duplicate or even come close to that feeling but similarly it’s a time when I get to sit, relax, and think. I can think about anything in the world or just clear my head of it all. It’s like my weekly time to destress and unwind…(of course I mean before and  after my team plays). It’s something for me to look forward to during the week.  As I’m sitting here thinking about this to myself it got me wondering… What do other people do to clear their heads? Am I the only one who has something that they can be so content at doing all day long? I guess the whole point of these blogs is for everyone to have somewhere to put their thoughts into writing and to learn more about each other so I’m curious about what other people like to do when they need to relax and unwind.

[set-sail26-blog]

Blog #1

Well let me start off by introducing myself my name is Nautica. “Yes like the famous clothing line”. I am a very outgoing person. I spend most of my days hanging out with friends and partying. An addition to that, I work two jobs as well.Over the summer I saved up, my pay checks to travel and see mesmerizing sights. During this time I realized, I might declare my major as a traveling nurse. But as of right now I am still, an undeclared student at Buffalo State College. I am 19, with a lot of charisma. My favorite food is Spanish, and Italian food, I could eat that for days. I have five brothers and sisters total. I’m the middle child.  My family is very close, we spend most holidays in various vacation spots. For example V.A, ATL, Florida etc. I found Florida the most exciting. Orlando studios was a blast. I enjoy heart reaching rides.  You could say I am a dare at heart.Furthermore, other interesting things about me is I love to read, and learn new things. Before I came to Buffalo State College, my passion was writing. I wanted to be a journalist. English throughout high school was my strongest subject. At that time I imagined that I one day I would work for the New York Times. Also I even thought about writing in a fashion magazine like Seventeen, or Vogue. But when I came to college my views on writing as a profession slowly timbered. I believe college had taken away the fun of writing.In other words I hope in this CWP class I will be able to create well-structured essays that are interesting to the whole class. Not only that but topics that we all can relate to. For example politics, and racism. Recently over the weekend I experienced first hand, racism, alive and well. My friends and I were at a restaurant, where the waitress implied we should move to the back. Furthermore she said horrible things to me and my peers. She even said “I hit her”. The realization at this point had dawned on me that these types of public issues need to be addressed. I feel these types of topics are happening right now in society for example “black lives matter” but shouldn’t “ALL lives matter”. Topics like these I look forward to being discussed in class.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

Wow. It saddens me that to this day racism is still a relevant issue. One question I have is how did you handle the situation? I often think about how I would handle something like that and Ive come to the realization that you never know until you actually experience it. I always hope that id be the bigger person and turn the other cheek but then again theres the other half of me that would have flipped the table and ended up in jail. Some people are just ignorant and are born into ignorant families, but at some point of adulthood you would think that they would realize hoe stupid racism is and stop it. I guess that only happens in a perfect world....

[th4rapy]

I often wonder what my meaning in life really is. I wake up, I go to class, I go to work, and then go to sleep. It’s a repeating occurrence and I can’t help but believe there’s more to life than this customary one I am currently living. I can’t quite distinguish whether it’s a higher power governing us to make me feel like I have meaning in my life. My parents raised me to believe God had a will for my life but I couldn’t grasp the reality of praising something I cannot see. Maybe I’m just seeking more contingency?? I live day by day waiting for something to change or give me satisfaction but I don’t feel anything changing at all. It’s like my life is at a stand still and I’m watching everyone go somewhere but myself.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

Since the beginning of humanity the question of what the meaning of life is has always been around. No one has yet to figure out one set answer... Some people say its to worship God or some higher power.. Others believe that it is to gain as much knowledge as you can.. and there are many other people who think they have it all figured out. I believe that  you should live your life as an individual the way you see fit. Go out and experience life and find what matters to you YOUR meaning to life might be different than my meaning to life but I do know that when you figure it out you'll know. And I know that doesn't help you in the now but later on you'll realize just what I'm talking about.

[stevemac716-blog]

cell phones are a problem

I realize in today’s society that cell phones are a problem. Sometimes I wish I knew how to make cell phones because I know the inventor is now a billionaire. I notice that most individuals use the phone as a prop or a  way to hide who they truly are. For example, a lot of girls on campus use the phone so when you try to look them in the eyes as you pass them; they have something else to look at. I also know that people look at their phones as if its a life line to their (100)success. I understand that to a certain extent because of the false dreams people give out on social media etc. My parents always tell me to this day that if cell phones wasn’t a problem; the world would be a better place. They tell me this because the world doesn’t have to take place in our phones. The world has alot to offer when you truly pay attention. Its a beautiful thing but sadly most of us miss out on so much because we feel as if were important on social media or elsewhere. I feel as if everyone is faking each (200)other out with self pnones also. I’m really talking about phone apps such as twitter, facebook, instagram, snapchat etc. Phones cause these problems because their hand held and you can be on it 24/7. Therefore, you don’t have to go on a laptop or computer when you get home or when you find a comfortable space to relax. Social media allows people to feel as if their a celebrity or some higher power when in reality their not. I call this the “two-faced system” for us young adults/teenagers. For example, a person in reality can have bad ache(300) but on the internet they can look like a model with filters. Have anybody thought that maybe even dating would be easier without cell phones? I advise people to think about it because if a individual is distracted on their phones or text messages daily; then how can they possibly be loyal? I realize that most people can’t live without cell phones and its sad. Phones are distractions if not being used the right way such as calling or interacting over the phone. People can miss the love of their life (future wifes, husbands, etc) just by looking down at a phone that doesn’t give you anything but a bill monthly.  Cell phones really are a problem.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

To be honest I couldn't agree more that cellphones are a problem,  I really hate the fact that I have one. Most days I let my phone die and don't even care enough to charge it.. I think my hatred comes from my generations need to be glued to these screens. One of my past professors put it best when he said that “we have become slaves to the screen”. He was so right, people don't even know how to have conversations or sit at a table and eat without looking at their phone. Even worse is the social media... I myself stay away from it because in the past it has caused so much more harm than good.

[singhiam-blog]

I’M BACK 102

Rainer Maria Rilke once said “Confess to yourself in the deepest hour of the night whether you would have to die if you were forbidden to write. Dig deep into your heart, where the answer spreads its roots in your being and ask yourself solemnly, must I write?” I came across this quote couple years ago when I was in high school. I was deciding on what to get for my first tattoo and then came across this snippet from one of his poems. I hold this quote close to me because writing was my only escape when I was younger. It separated me from the other students that I went to school. Some kids have hobbies and talents, such as basketball or singing; mine was writing.

Does one believe that all writers are perfect? I am one to say, that all writers are not perfectionists. Everyone makes mistakes, especially writers. For example, if they decide cowrite on one topic and then decides to change the direction of the piece of writing. As I writer, I believe that my biggest problem is writer’s block. I can write creatively where I have no direction and get all my thoughts out on paper. However, if a topic or discussion is thrown in my direction, that is when I get stuck and do not know what to write. I tend to have a lot of thoughts when it comes to writing if it is an interesting topic. On the other hand, when I am faced with a difficult topic and do not know how to write, I get stuck and lose of words. As a communicator, I believe that I am well versed when it comes to that area. I am a peoples person and very outgoing. Being a part of student government, that allows me to be interactive and personal with my fellow peers and administration.

Outside of being a student, I like to do things that involve being active and being with my loved ones. Who doesn’t love shopping? I am the first to say that I am addicted to retail. I love to travel with my friends and family. My favorite country is Cancun. I experienced things that I never thought that I would be encountered with. For example, I had the opportunity of jumping off of a cave with bats into 60 feet of water. It was a bit scary at first, but after the first 3 times I loved the adrenaline that it gave me. No matter what other activities I am involved in, writing will always be my first love. Writing allows me to be myself and speak my mind. It is my escape from the real world and those around me. Going back to the quote that I started my essay with, I shall always write until my fingers are broken.

[roachesandraidcans-blog]

I do believe that all writers are perfect. Perfect by their own standards. I believe that the perfect piece of writing is one where a writer puts his or her thoughts and passions into words. When someone is wearing about a topic that he or she is passionate about, the end result always seems to be a very good piece of writing. Im not talking about the perfect piece when it comes to grammar and punctuation and other technical ways... I just feel that the best writers come from the perfect writers for that topic, and the perfect writer for a topic is the writer who is passionate about it.