ENC 1102 "Last Blogging Assignment on Oral Presentations"

Today was our last day of class, as well as our last day of presenting our "social actions" to the class. We had 2 presenters, focusing on "Hazing" in fraternities and sororities and "standardized testing in public schools." In my opinion, these 2 presentations had to be the most interesting out of all i have seen these past few weeks. In a way i could relate to both of their presentations. I have always been interested in joining a sorority and will be doing so in the fall. Hearing some interesting facts on hazing and why he joined a fraternity gave me a better insight on the Greek Life at this university. I have heard many stories involving hazing at other schools, in particular Florida State University, they are known to have the worst hazing rituals ever. Gilberts presentation was very informative and knowledgeable. The second presentation was by Azizah. She made the presentation very real, starting right off by putting the class in a testing atmosphere, her powerpoint was very informative. I thought it was funny on her last powerpoint slide, when it said "this page was left blank intentionally." I remember the FCAT and SAT/ ACT booklets had many of those on their pages, it just seemed to fit her presentation very well, with a perfect ending slide. She spoke very clear and it was an enjoyment to learn and to be able to be more knowledgeable on this everchanging issue in todays society.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

The oral presentations for tuesday the 26th were however very knowledgeable and interesting. The 3 presenters covered topics on Pro Euthanasia, funding for stem cell research, and Desalination of water. The presentation on fuding for research was very factual i must say, Julie targeted on some of the issues i had covered in my presentation on cloning. She knew the material very well, explaining all issues regarding her stance on funding. Her powerpoint was definently an attention grabber with great visuals etc. The second presentation on Euthanasia also had a great powerpoint, she could have used a handout to better give the audience some facts etc, but other than that she spoke verbally well. I really thought this was a good social action topic because it is a topic in question today. I have had an interest in the elderly for a long time and this is a common issue with the aging in todays society regardingtheir illnesses etc. The third presenter focused on a very unique social action, Asha talked about the Desalination of water. I had no idea what that was until she spoke about it in her presentation. She did extensive research and had great facts that were from the local water plants in the tampa bay area. In my opinion i would take this into consideration with my own water, it seems to have some great advantages, such as reducing the dependency on the florida everglades and would help reduce sinkholes. I am certainly gonna find out more information on this issue.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

Thursdays oral presentations were very interesting, alot more visual than other presentations i have seen. Sami did his presentation on Pro Cloning, very nervous, he still stuck to his topic very well and explained thoroughly what each aspect he was covering on cloning. He drew each step from beginning to end about cloning and its counterparts. I did my oral presentation against cloning and he did however cover most of my parts on cloning. He gave his stance on his issue and left it open for the audience to decide what he or she thought of in all the aspects of cloning. Staying away from the scientific aspect was the best idea, i focused more scientifically and i think i lost part of the audience because they did not understand. But, he expalined it very efficiently in terms that the whole audience could understand not knowing anything about cloning. The 2nd presentation was good as well on Gay Marriage. Frank had a hard task, since a few people were for gay marriage including himself in his research paper. He had to change his stance for oral presentation purposes, going against gay marriage when he really was for it. I think that took alot of time and effort, he could of fooled me.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

For Tuesdays Oral Presentations I only saw Tiffany Rileys on The Death Penalty. I unfortunately had to leave early so i could only see hers. As she went up to do her presentation, she seemed to be very carefree and knowledgeable about what she was talkign about. She gave a great facts handout which she explained very well while doing her oral presentation. When giving her oral presentation she spoke very clear and crisp to the audience making her ethos and pathos voice sound strong and appealing. I found it very interesting that capital trial is very expensive. It is a very costly measure when going to trial, perhaps this is why some states are against it. Despite all of the various capital punishments "electric chair, lethal injection, and gas chamber," all 13 executions that occured in 2005 were all by lethal injection. Which i thought was very shocking. About a 2 to 1 ratio of whites to blacks that were executed in 2003, which i thought was very interesting because most people assume that blacks are the more likely to recieve the death penalty. She did an excellent job of conveying and presenting the information. It was very interesting and factual.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

The oral presentations for thursday included, abortion, social security reform, and involving "god" in the pledge of allegiance. I would have to say that this week's oral presentations were the most interesting to me so far. Two of the presenters used powerpoint, which in my opinion works alot better in getting your point across to your audience and is more professional. I never really understood or knew alot of knowledge regarding social security and with Jackie Kravitz's presentation, she knew alot on her topic, explained it very thoroughly. In the end i agreed with her social action for privatized acounts, which i think would benefit our generation greatly in the long run. The abortion presentation caught me in awe, Kaylan knew so much of her information and with her very visual and bright powerpoint she definently caught my attention. Her facts were startling i couldnt believe some of the information she handed out in the handout. Obviously being a girl and hearing about abortion and all the issues that go along with sex and preventative measures in sex raises a message to all of us. It is constantly an issue in todays society since so many teen girls are not waiting till marriage to have sex. In the handouts as well, i was completely shocked on one of the articles that stated a baby girl was aborted from a form of abortion and ended up living through the process. I cant believe something liek that happened, its crazy how things end up working in life.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

Wow, :::sigh of relief:::, what a load off my shoulders. On tuesday i was the very first person to give my oral presentation on "Cloning." I used a powerpoint and some facts that i passed around to the class with useful information to back up several of my arguements. It was nerveraacking for a little bit, but once i got into my explanations it was not so bad. The other two presenters had very interesting oral presentations as well. I learned alot from Andrews arguement, he stated his position very clearly on the cycle of animals being slaughtered and confinement issues before they are fed or brought into the market of society. It was really upsetting how they slaugher the animals, i mean i am not a vegetarian by any means but i do feel terrible, they castrate them cut off body parts while their still alive its just wrong. In a way it makes me not want to eat meat anymore. Andrew also went over contamination issues, for instance anitbiotics to promote faster growth in animals therefore making certain strains of bacteria resistant to anitbiotics, cooking the meat and passing it to us humans. It really made me think alot about these issues. We could be prevent so many illnesses etc as well as banning or making a less harsher system in kill animals. I agree with the whole using anesthesia and making confinment bigger for a larger amount of animals... it is definently something worth changing and to think about for that matter in the future.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

Thursday, the second day of oral presentations in class, was very knowledgeable to me. The topics were on, Nuclear Power, Evolution, and Marijuana. To be honest i did not know alot about Nuclear Power, but with the presented material given to the class i understood alot of ideas and issues i never knew about regarding nuclear power. The presentation on creation and evolution was very confsuing to me. I guess i am not that interested in the topic or it was just to in depth for me with all of the theorys and court cases he was talking about, but he did know his topic very well i must say. The third presentation was on marijuana, which had to be my favorite. Hazel put alot of work into presenting her oral presentation and used alot of variety in making the class understand her side etc. The best part was when she had a little skit right before her oral, she even had music playing that would go along with her topic. It was definently an attention grabber from the audience and it broke the ice to understanding her topic in a fun manner. I was however shocked about one particular fact, how it is only illegal to possess marijuana but a person cannot get into trouble if he/she were intoxicated on marijuana. I do agree with her that they should legalize marijuana, because if they do i think it honestly wont be a bigger issue than when it is illegal. Not as many people will try and do it because it is a legalized thing, and persay not have a reason to be cool doing it under the law. It is definently something to thinka bout. Overall the presentations were great and i look forward to presenting mine on tuesday.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Oral Presentations"

The first day of oral presentations went very well. It was very interesting i would have to say. The first 3 presentations were set up perfectly, they all were prepared and spoke without any worries. Which i must say is very good for doing an oral presentation for the first time in our class. The topics were gay adoption, abortion, and adoption in general. The topic i found to be of more interest was gay adoption. I agreed with Kathryn when she was saying that even though she is a christian and is against the whole gay marriage issue, in her eyes it would still be a issue to consider when gays want to adopt children. For the childrens best interest she would rather have them placed with a family or a couple that is willing to take care of the children then have them placed on the streets without someone that cares or would be willing to care for them. She had some intersting myths to her presentation as well, that i thought was a valuable assett to her presentation such as one in particular, children raised by gay parents will grow up gay themselves. I find that very harsh and offensive to the gay community, even though i am not fully for gay marriage i do think that the society is changing everyday socially and that the gay community will be even more excepting in the near future. I do agree that adoption should be open for gay couples, i mean even celebrity couples are doing it, that tells you alot right there. Overall, all of the presnetations and powerpoints were great, it was a wonderful learnign experience.

ENC 1102 " 5 Q/A Assignment"

For my upcoming oral presentation on my "social action" on cloning, i am truly eased with presenting my material to the class. It helped when you gave us a brief lecture on presenting things in general, knowing that everyone feels the exact same way as i do shy, hesitant, scared..it certainly made all the difference to hear that. But back to my topic of the cloning.. everyone has numerous views ..very different i might add..i think alot of people are for cloning. Yet i am neutral and have certain aspect where im against and for it, i have a couple really good issues to discuss, which i hope in the end changes a few minds or even made my audience take a deeper look on cloning. As far as the 5 questions i think i will be asked.. i think it will vary greatly .. but one i think that i will get targeted with is the issue on1) how using animals for organ transplants in humans could affect humans... 2)possibly a question on how i personally would feel if i was in a position or in need for a organ transplant if fighting a life threatening disease or illness what my stand would be on it .. 3) what i would consider the outcome of clonign to be.. regarding banning or making legal? 4) out of the 3 types of cloning, what ones would be most harmful or what ones i would be against, my thought on the clonign process? 5) lastly, i think in all honesty alot of people are goign to be against my opinion, and there is no problem there, but if i am unprepared on a certain subject or if the audience is wanting to be more in depth, that might present a problem .. i think i could have had alot more resources to back up my own opinions. but maybe the last question would be a personal issue..what made me choose this action out of all the others and why? Bring on the oral presentation!!

ENC 1102 "Chapter 9 Assignment"

When reading chapter 9 in the textbook it gave me a great insight on some ideas for my upcomign oral presentation and final essay. It explained basic ideas that would capture an audiences attention, such as fonts, posters, visuals etc. One thing that i really saw in this chapter that caught my attention was the advertisements or advocacy ads. They stood out with their big, bold letters and symbols, they have great graphics as well. For our final essay on ad campaigns of the 50's to the present era I gathered information that was rather beneficial throughtout chapter 9. Such as when looking at a particular ad you can interpret alot of things to make an arguement or point to the audience. I need to get the audiences attention, so by picking out a specific article i should be able to tell what the advertisement is meaning or coming across as, how it might have caught my attention, who could the advertisment be directed towards. I am very excited about this last project, it should be fun more than anything. Also i might want to add in that taking a look at the periodicals was very interesting. Just to use something i would have never even thought of helped to ease the pressure of the final paper. I think chapter 9 and the periodicals willl be of great help in making the transition of my thoughts and words onto my paper, while presenting a clear depiction to my audience.

ENC 1102 "Oral Presentation Assignment"

Getting towards the end of writing our social action paper has been a grueling process. Now, all we have left to do is make an oral presentation to the class describing our social action in a way that the class is familiar with our topics. I honestly am teriffied to speak in front of class, it has always been an issue with me, getting in front of class, let alone speaking about thoughts point blank. As long as i understand my topic i should be fine explaining it to the class, also depending on my topic or how broad or in depth it is to start off with, will all depend on my overall presentation. I was thinking about including a powerpoint with my presentation, for one to help me remember the topics i will be discussing since my topic is sooo in depth, and also to better understand my presentation to the class and what i will be discussing in general. I am however, excited to state my view to the class, even though i am neutral to the whole issue of cloning i still have great points in giving the class as well as anyone, to possibly familarize them with what is going on in todays society involving this social action. I might even go as far as writing a objective paper to present to the class regarding key points i will discuss in my 5 to 10 minute presentation. I think the presentation should be 5 minutes, it is just the perfect amount of time to be clear, cut and straight to the point, also as well as giving the class a brief presentation of what real life issues society could be placed with in the near future.

ENC 1102 "Teacher Comments"

Feedback, in general is extremely helpful, i think. When in the process of writing a rough draft, it is always valuable to get anothers' opinion as well as advice on improvements. I have not always been a great writer and any advice i get is of major importance to my final paper. The comments you have given throughtout my paper was extremely helpful. I did not see the minor mistakes i had made previously and get a better idea of what i overlooked or did not fully explain. In addition i feel that peer reviews are also a great aid in helping to make the transition of our rough drafts to final drafts. I have improved such things as grammar, sentence structure, and my own personal thought involving the overall paper. As far as my overall final draft, i plan on revising a lot. From reviewing the comments i better understood that in a research paper, i need to use more of my own words followed by backing up some resources. So in my final paper i will be focusing more on my views towards the cloning debate, as well as rewriting a few paragraphs in order to make a better progression of my paper. Also, grammatical errors will be looked and fixed, to better aid the transition and flow of my paper. I have alot of good resources for my paper, however i will be needing an opposing source to backup my opinion and views etc. This has been a great experience of first hand writing a research paper.

ENC 1102 Assignment "View on SUV's"

Reading about SUV's and many of their counterparts, i foudn myself relating with an abundance of issues. First of all my very first car was an SUV and still is. Traveling anywhere in my explorer sport certainly brings up the money issue. My car as well as any SUV has never been good fuel efficiency wise. I pay an arm and leg everytime i need gas. Reading the article on "Gas and Gasbags..or, the open road and its enemies," i found that i agree with Bush's view regarding hydrogen power fuel-cell vehicles. By doing this, this could benefit our country greatly, taking an ease off of foreign oil and even opening a door to many other improvements with car/ fuel efficiency. But, without government consent these plans wont be used, therefore still making gasoline our number one choice. When choosing my first car, i honestly did not care what i got. My dad actually made the choice for me, surprising me with a ford explorer sport. He chose an SUV because they are among the top safest cars to drive. As well as offering independence like any other car, "SUV's simply provide more protection than a smaller car does," as stated in the American Dream article. I think SUV's are a major advantage, i wouldnt trade it for the world. As long as it offers me the protection and reliability i am looking for then, i dont see a problem arising. But, yet one thing that still has me neutral over this aspect of SUV's is their fuel efficiency mentioned above. I would like to see an improvement in that area.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Beneficial Chapter"

When writing my social action paper on Cloning, i think the chapter that will benefit me the most is Chapter 16. This chapter includes, "Finding and evaluating resources," it has helped me a great deal in starting my report. So far I have gone to the library for research, picking up numerous books here and there. When reading this chapter it gave me a better insight, makign me look deeper into my research for accuracy and opposing / and non opposing views. In an indepth research report that requires alot of facts and information to back up what you are trying to get across in your paper needs the required tools such as quotes, paraphrases and summarization of your topic or issue. This chapter has helped me to better understand the critequing process of a website and or book to evaluate the information needed for my paper. Such as specific accuracy, the right amount of coverage on the topic, biases and views etc. Since most of my information will be straight from the internet because for one it is alot easier and faster, i needed to know how and where to get valuable facts online. I have been using the librarys search databases some of them include Lexis Nexis, Wilson Omnifile, and CQ Researcher. With this chapter as well as the USF's library's reference materials and search engine online i have gained beneficial information. This has helped me better my resources as well as the overall production of my paper.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Social Action Continued Thoughts"

For my "social action" i decided to research cloning-the negative effects. In my paper i will include a variety of sources making an ethical arguement for both my paper and my oral presentation. At first when picking cloning i was going to talk about humans and their reprocussions if cloned as well as the turn out of animals being cloned. But i realized after some reviewing of sources and cites i looked up, it came to me that not always is cloning bad in some cases. It has both its positive and negative effects. But, in my paper i will be talking more about the dangerous effects as well as unknown information involving cloning in my paper. I will be convering the cloning of food, humans, as well as animals. Focusing more on how cloning anything in general is eliminating a variety of resources we already have right at our fingertips, how with cloning we are limiting our levels. In other words if we clone or mutate food persay, we dont know if 10 or 15 years down the road how it will effect our economy, we wont know the outcome, for all we know there could be some chemical in the food when altering it that could potentially harm the society. We just dont know the reprocussions of it all. Also say in fact cloning a person, we would constantly be controlling ourselves we would all be the same people,with no unique diversity. So say that in the years to come people could end up choosing what their baby would look like eyes, hair , personality even, we could all turn out to be the same, pick the same. We need to benefit the society and economy, just benefiting ourselves in those ways could totally lead us somewhere we would never imagine.

ENC 1102 Assignment"Peer Review Reaction"

Doing peer reviews in my composition 1 class last year, was a very interesting and worthwhile experience. But, honestly I did not take the time to grade the papers of my peers to my full advantage. Our teacher did not grade our reviews and we did not have to turn them in so it is alot different then our composition 2 class. We would have our fellow classmates in our assigned group go over the paper and half of them didnt even correct anything. In this class I like how it is required and we actually get a grade for the review, we now know that we have to work for a grade and in that know our peer reviewers have to actually review our papers in turn for their grade as well. Peer review has always helped me with my papers. I have not been the best in my tenses when writing papers or the usage of commas and other punctuation. So any helpful tips from my peer reviewers is and will always be beneficial to my papers. They have improved my writing in numerous ways, through a better understanding of what i am writing, my thesis, punctuation, and even a better viewpoint i may have overlooked when my peers give me their opinion on my paper. To me this has been a very much worthwhile exercise, it has opened my eyes to the things i might have missed, didnt understand, and even helped me with my overall writing technique, which i must say is improving everyday.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Continued Social Action"

Cloning is a serious issue that society has been faced with. Due to the fact that Cloning has valuable information that would be help me with my pape, I think it will be the perfect topic. I have always had a strong viewpoint towards cloning, the opinion to never harm a human being in that sense. On the other hand, other topics i am interested in are sexually transmitted diseases, obesity, sex education in schools, nursing home care, and racism. I am still unsure about my topic all of the above seem to fit the criteria of a social action and have strong viewpoints i could target in my paper. Nursing home care is a major issue today with the elderly society, working firsthand in a nursing home for 3 years has taught me a new profound knowledge of care the elderly need. I was lucky enough to witness a positive nursing home environment while at my job at this specific nursing home. Taking the time last week to get valuable information at the library, certainly helped me gather my thoughts for my "Social Action" paper. I was further gained with the knowledge of useful websites or searches for my various topics on the library website. A specific website can even cite your resources for you, which i thought was very interesting and not to mention useful. Knowing that i have the library to aid me with factual information on my social action, will certainly benefit me in producing a stronger paper.

ENC 1102 Preferred Chapter Assignment

Out of chapters 6 and 8 in the textbook, I found that chapter 8 was more useful in gathering my thoughts on arguments for my "social action" paper. It guided me with valuable insight as to what kind of argument I will be making. Focusing on the audience in any argument paper is a must to Bring views together and to even help you understand your point. I found out that u can either bring about a one-sided argument or include multiple arguments. For my paper I am going to be making multiple arguments, they tend to make the audience more open to your views as well as reflecting on their own on the specific issue discussed. I think it is better to be more open with your audience, bringing in a variety of sources on a issue. This in turn makes a clear depict statement considering the fairness of all opposing sides. By reading this chapter I was aided in the valuable information I found describing the "Rogerian Argument." It is in turn focusing more on audiences that are resistant to ones views or opinions. Listenign to others views, morals, and opinions before basing your opinion, without judging that persons views immediately. Also, to gather your audiences attention, i learned that humor can be a worthwhile affect in ones writing. By brining a new outlook to ones perception or to further add a spark to a thesis or even to the point of expressing concern or anger. In turn this helped me gather my thoughts for the upcomign assignment, even preparing me for future interviews and specific guidelines I will need to start my "social action" assignment.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Social Action"

For our second English assignment concerning"Social Action, " I had quite a few interests when it came to choosing this diverse topic. I think this assignment will be of great interest to everyone since they have to choose a issue primarily on their own opinion and statement of individual arguments. One inparticular issue stands out, cocerning Cloning. Ever since I was able to understand the issue of this social action, it really made my opinion on it stronger then ever. I personally don't think cloning is a good moral or ethical principle. It does not need to be evident or considered in the society today, everyone is unique and I think nothing good can become of this. On the other hand, there could be a positive benefit to this social action, the better understanding of the human species, the intricate human body, further testing and evaluation, possible theory's or future observations. There could be a wide array of positive outcomes with this action, as well as negative ones concerning any important topic in society. This seems more important to make a statement about concerning my opinion on this matter as well as the societal views. Other topics I am also interested in is the abortion issue, private schools; should there be a separation of private and public schooling?, death penalty and legalization of drugs. Bringing on a more clear picture of my thoughts as well as my future sources for my paper, this could be one interesting "Social Action," to look forward to.

ENC 1102 Assignment "Chapter that benefited Me the Most"

While in preparation of writing my first essay, I needed a good, solid review of an overall argument and its persuasiveness to the audience. The textbook's Chapter 7 on "Moving Your Audience-Ethos and Pathos," guided me in many ways in making my first essay more appealing and capturing to the audience. Since I had first started writing papers, I always seemed to need help when it came to presenting my paper, delivering the thesis, etc to the audience. While reading about Ethos in this chapter, it helped me to better equip myself with my own issue I was discussing. I needed to have adequate knowledge about my own topic and provide examples in making a stronger,vivid point. Not only did I have to state my view for this argument essay, but I did need to have an alternative view, taking in to consideration, the opinion of others. After reading this, I could see clearly my side that I was stating to the audience, and found out that it is crucial to have 2 sides and I even gained a better perception of my own views as well. Looking over Pathos in this chapter guided me with a more effective appeal. I learned that to make your writing have a stronger point, and to create a better image, examples should be shown throughout your paper. Examples provided me with many ways to improve my argumentative essay, it certainly made my point stronger, and captured my essay, holding a more emotional persona. Writing a 2 sided paper can be very challenging, especially when you have to involve yourself in moral and ethical issues, for example in the movie "Charly." It was evident that I needed to make my strong points to further benefit the outcome of my paper and in doing so this chapter helped me greatly in laying out a strong foundation to my writing.

--VeRy LaSt BlOg--

Well, what can i say.. its my very last blog. I actually enjoyed writing in these things, at first i was very hesitant and thought it would constantly be a hassle but, it grew on me. I can't believe school is almost over with for this semester. It has flown by so fast, im getting ready to pick my new classes for spring and start a whole new year. Christmas break is upon us and i cant wait till christmas eve. We always have a huge family get together.. this year it is going to be in North Carolina, we are renting a cabin there with a few of my aunts and uncles and meeting with my grandparents. The best part about the holidays is traveling.. for me it is the best thing going to a different state driving in the car relaxing till you reach your destination. We always travel up to ohio as well to visit more family, my mom ahs a big side to her family 7 brothers and sisters and their familys.. it adds up. Skiing is the family thing.. when we go to North Carolina we always hit the slopes.. i have been skiing since i was young enough to walk, its the best sport in the world, i love snow so out on the snow exercising doign something i love is the best feeling. Im gonna try and master snowboarding with my brother... that should be a challenge.... we will have to see ... wishing all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Comp Assignment ENC1101 "As a Writer"

This semester has gone by so fast, writing essays.... papers and more papers, is finally coming down to the end. As for my writing in the beginning of the semester i had alot of faults, i have never been that great at punctuation and using past and present tense as well as pronouns ....the list goes on. Now that the semester is almost over i feel that i have had the necessary writing skills through constantly writing papers, peer reviews, and writing in these blogs. I can now gather my thoughts alot quicker beign more creative and open minded than i was before. I used to have a problem with transitioning my papers when talking abotu different issues in one paper, i would always get stuck starting a paper the opening paragraph was and still is a pain in the butt. I have gotten better i must say but it still and i think always will be a problem with my writing. I have definently seen a difference thought and it has made me more knowledgeable and aware of further errors i have had in my writing. But, one thing that i have noticed when it comes to writing papers, is that i am really good at spelling and vocabulary. Ever since i was little i would always win those spelling bees and ace those vocab tests. I think with the help of my peers and resources i have understood my own writing technique alot better and further grasped a wide array of cencpets invovled in english and throught written papers.

STRESS!!!

Well, nows the time to stress. Why might you ask.. studying..exams...morestudying....and hmmm loads of work. Next week is final exams for some students. Its crazy how much stress there is when it comes to school. Hoping to pass the class you have worked hard in, atleast from my point of view.. and hoping to achieve a high grade to keep the grade you previously had in the class before the exam. I don't understand the point of exams honestly.. you work so hard during the 3 months and have exams and are quizzed, yet you have to remember everything again when you take the final. Its crazy one week i wont have any work to do then the next is like im swamped, its unreal. Once you think your ahead your wrong your right back where u started and are behind for that matter. I have an exam this thursday, one next wednesday and the other next friday. I am trying to balance it all out though, work on some homework for a few hours then get a change of scenery for a little. Taking a break is a must, i would probably go crazy. The only thing that is keeping me sane right now is the fact that christmas break is coming up 38 days of total freedom. YEAHHHH!!!!... after next week there will be no stress.. christmas here we come.........

Over the Break

Over Thanksgiving break i kept busy doing everything but homework. I enjoyed the change of scenery for a few days leaving the hectic dorm life and going home to a much relaxed atmosphere. I was always doing something over the break either with one of my friends or hanign out with my family. My best friend Kevin came down from florida state university, so i spent everyday haning out with him. I went to go see the "grudge," which i have to say is one of the freakiest movies i have ever seen. Thanksgiving night was alot of fun i came back to tampa to show a few of my friends where my dorm was and the area around campus, then the fun began. We all ended up going to ybor thursday night, not thinking it was going to be packed we showed up alittle later than usual. Boy was i wrong it was sooo packed it took us like 30 minutes just to get into a club. We met up with a few of my friends fraternity brothers and had a blast. I really didnt realize that there is nothing to do where i live, except the usual movies, dinner, and the occasional ybor, which happens rarely, but there really isnt anything to do. However i did enjoy hanging out with my friends and family. I was looking forward to it for a while and will get the chance again in a week.. christmas break YEAHHHH

The American Girl

Earlier today as i was flicking through the channels, i realized that one particular movie caught my eye. Samantha, the true american dream doll, in a movie this time. Ever since i was little i could remember recieving news letters as well as phone calls and letters asking if i was interested in getting a doll. The doll represented so many things, mainly a true young american girl. Bringing back so many memories when i was younger, it made me realize how something like that a doll was so important to me. To come to think of it i dont remember where the doll went after all these years. Watching the movie with my roomate, made me really appreciate what i have. It had a few scenes showing a bunch of orphans and how they were treated so terribly, finding work at such a young age and fending for themselves when there familys were not around or without any family at all. It made me take a step back from reality looking back at times when ive treated people unfairly without respect. We all tend to think about ourselves fairly to often at times being selfish. This movie in turn showed me how to truly take a deeper look at myself as a better person. It truly idealizes how the american girl should be portrayed.

ENC1101 Comp Assignment-"Blog Writing"

Blog Writing.....hmm well when i first heard of this assignment i thought oh my this is going to be a pain writing a thousand words a week, 4 blogs, not gonna be fun. I was thinking how would i ever have the time to write even more in comp, doing the essays and even trying to balance all of my other classes and their work as well. Well, i have come to realize that writing a 250 word blog is not bad at all. It has worked out perfectly. I have enough time each day to set aside one blog still with enough time for my other class asignments. When starting the blogs in the beginning, i would get really critical on myself, but now that i have written so amny of them its not as hard and i am not that critical. Since starting the blogs, it has made my grammar and focus more bright. It is easier for me to get a topic and think of what to say. For my papers that i do now, i dont think as much and come with enough information to sufffice the topic. I have learned alot through my blogs, it has opened up my comprehension as well as my overall thought and process of words. It has been a great tool.

Brittany-"Jackie"

Since the very first day here at USF, i have come to find that having a roomate is not as bad as i thought it would be. I first met my roomate brittany while going out to dinner with both of our familys one night. Come to find we had a lot in common with each other. For instance, she has the same birthday as my dad, and we both have tremendous allergies. Also, something that i found to be very odd and yet interesting was how we bought the same jacket at the same store the previous day. I think we were just meant to be roomates. We are so much alike, yet she brings out the best in me, im glad it worked out the way it did. Her nickname is "Jackie" because she likes to shorten peoples names for instance my name is natalie for short im ntizzle, and our roomate megan is megster. I dont know if the name Jackie goes well pertaining to how she shortens peoples names, but its a name that just stuck with her. This year has been a great one so far, we get along perfectly, and our 2 suitemates are just as sincere as she is. She has tought me to not stress out so much, take one step at a time. Im glad shes here to enjoy my college experience with me, i wouldnt trade it.

Weekend Events!!

My weekend was very relaxing. Although, i had so much homework assigned, i still managed to enjoy the most of my weekend. My weekend actually started on wednesday, i had a early morning class and my second class of the day was cancelled. Thursday I had no classes, it was an assigned reading day, so i just enjoyed the day laying out by the pool. Friday was really interesting. My roomates and i were trying to figure out what we all wanted to do, ice skating, bowling, movies were some of the things we wanted to try. Finally last minute we decided to go to The Meridian (Hookah Lounge), it is located on 56th street and many of my friends have tryed it or have gone there. The hookah lounge is a neat place to go to relax in there velvet seat cushions, enjoy a variety of music, while smoking a flavored tobacco called shish. Hookahs are large pipes that involve a water/charcoal effect, when you inhale the mist made of water vapor and flavoring you get a very light relaxation feeling. It was developed five years ago in Turkey and is very different from ciggarette tobacco. It involves other ingredients consisting of a sweet vapor aroma. I honestly did not care for it, when i inhaled it left a bad aftertaste that really made me want to gag. I wont be going back there anytime soon thats for sure. I will find something else to do in the meantime.

Weekend Events!!

My weekend was very relaxing. Although, i had so much homework assigned, i still managed to enjoy the most of my weekend. My weekend actually started on wednesday, i had a early morning class and my second class of the day was cancelled. Thursday I had no classes, it was an assigned reading day, so i just enjoyed the day laying out by the pool. Friday was really interesting. My roomates and i were trying to figure out what we all wanted to do, ice skating, bowling, movies were some of the things we wanted to try. Finally last minute we decided to go to The Meridian (Hookah Lounge), it is located on 56th street and many of my friends have tryed it or have gone there. The hookah lounge is a neat place to go to relax in there velvet seat cushions, enjoy a variety of music, while smoking a flavored tobacco called shish. Hookahs are large pipes that involve a water/charcoal effect, when you inhale the mist made of water vapor and flavoring you get a very light relaxation feeling. It was developed five years ago in Turkey and is very different from ciggarette tobacco. It involves other ingredients consisting of a sweet vapor aroma. I honestly did not care for it, when i inhaled it left a bad aftertaste that really made me want to gag. I wont be going back there anytime soon thats for sure. I will find something else to do in the meantime.

Movie Night/ Roundup

Today has been a very laid back day. I had one class today, my second class was cancelled. My weekend is already starting with no classes tomorrow i am on a role. Me and the roomies decided to rent a few movies at blockbuster for the night. We rented the "Elf" i have already seen it, it is definently a great comedy, with Will Farrel noone can beat him. I remember "A night at the roxbury" that was hilarious Will definently made the movie. The rest of our night will be spent making popcorn and having a girls night in for once. Tomorrow is going to be the best time ever. I used to go to this line dancing place where i live, its called Roundup, it is located near Palm Harbor close to Oldsmar. It is a country line dancing bar/ dancefloor. Even though i dont like country music its a nice place to go to , good atmosphere, and a safe place to hang out, other than Ybor. I am going with a bunch of people from both my highschool and friends here at USF. Its going to be a awesome weekend. Even though i have so much school work to do, you gotta have fun sometime. Till next time.. stay tuned

ENC 1101 Comp Assignment: Movie Review/ Book Report

Both a movie review and book report are very different. One involves the review of a movie by means of a visual presentation, and a book review involves reading and is taken to be more of a comprehension based review. A movie review can involve many issues and is a broad based topic you can discuss when writing a review on. Anywhere from critequing to analyzing the plot or issue, flow of movie, screenplay, and picture of how the film and scenes are portayed. A book review only involves previous reading and can be done with a brief summary and analyzation of the context of the story. However, a majority of ones own opinion and other perceptions of of others' review can be better interptreted through ones written movie review. You can include alot of your own thoughts and ideas about a movie by writing a summarization or review. Writing a book report basically involves one to summarize, interpreting what one comprehended when reading the material. They both hold seperate ideas and can be explained as very different entities. Including the paper we just wrote on film reviews, i find it alot easier to watch a film then reading a book, to me it is more captivating when you see it visually rather than reflecting back on what you have -read.

Beat the Bulge!!

Thanksgiving is coming up next week. Many people try and stay away from carbs/sweets during the holidays. As an effort to further stay in shape, i devised a exercise plan similar to my exercise routine that i follow each week. I have stepped up to the bar you might say, working out twice a day. I have even motivated many of my suitemates and friends on my floor to join in. Monday through friday i am at the gym, on monday, wednesday, and friday i do an hour of cardio and lift weights, concentrating on my upper body. On tuesdsay and thursday i do 45 mintues of cardio, and doing leg weights. I do abs which i include in my everyday exercise routine as well. Since the weather has been really nice during the late evening, i usually run at night. Considering i go to the gym everyday and atleast do an hour of cardio, the nighttime is when i take it easy doing a light jog anywhere from 2 to 3 miles. I don't know where i get the motivation from, i guess being involved in so many sports throughout the years has really made me realize how much i love being athletic and how it makes me feel when i know i have accomplished something. I am a much better person when i put an effort to something that i really enjoy, and it even helps with the stressful tension, especially around exam times, school in general i might add. Stay Tuned...

West Palm Weekend!!!

Over Veteran's Day weekend, i went to West Palm. I went with one of my friends to go see her family. We stayed for about 4 days and had a blast, a nice change of scenery. My weekend events included going to the mall, which i very rarely do, going out to dinner and hanging out at home. The drive wasn't bad at all, only 3 in a half hours there and back, we drove at night hoping to not hit the traffic, but as we got on the road to go there wednesday night our luck was ruined. There was alot of construction on I-75 so we had to take a couple detours. I dont mind driving at all, as long as its a smooth ride i love traveling so i will go anywhere. Anyways, the rest of my weekend was boring. Came back on saturday night and did homework, while watching a few movies. It was nice to take a break from the caos here at school, now that exams are coming up soon, its gonna be even more stressfull. i cant wait for thanksgiving break, another well needed vacation, then off for about a month for christmas break. Wow, thats the life. off to the gym... stay tuned for more updated info.

ENC 1101 " 2 Movie Reviews/CompAssignment"

The movie I chose to review is called Erin Brokovich, which is not a new movie, an older film which has been out for atleast 3 to 4 years. When asked to review a film this came to mind first, i reviewed 2 different reviews on this movie, both stating 2 different sides. For the first review i went to http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/ErinBrok.htm, it was a review made by a guy named John, he stated that the film was fairly good (2 in a hald stars) due to the fact that Erin Brokovich, played by Julia Roberts, lit up the screen with her fascinating skills and essential qualitys to better bring out the real/true Erin. Some negative turning points he pointed out explained how Erin's love life is vaguely touched upon and the script of how her children are being handled in the balancing act of career and family life. The techniques he used to base his own opinion was by watching the movie and critequement himself. The plot and some scenes are a little sketchy but if you like Julia Roberts, then this movie might just be for you. The 2nd review i found was at http://www.moviefreak.com/reviews/e/erinbrokovich.htm, it was reviewed by Dan Peters who gave the movie a total of 3.5 out of 4 stars. He stated that the director Steven Soderbergh, truly made the movie, with his brilliant direction of casting the actors Julia Roberts and Albert Finney, the film is good all throught the story line and plot. He also stated that one of the negative impressions he got while reviwing the movie, was how Julia Roberts and Aaron Eckhart had no chemistry whatsoever, which i dont agree on. All in all, the movie is a must see and deserves to be seen, through the eyes of both my reviewers and myself.

Veterans Weekend

Since Thursday is Veterans Day, the university will be closed, giving the students an extra day to finish necessary assignments. I also have no class on friday, therefore giving me a 5 day weekend to relax and enjoy. It's nice not having class on fridays, i can always get extra work done before the weekend. Im hoping i can still have fridays free next semester, it is a nice break to have. My weekend is going to be nice. Heading off to West Palm Beach with a friend of mine. We are going to visit her family for the weekend. I have lived in Florida all of my life and have never been to West Palm or even remotely close to that part of Florida before. I am excited to go somewhere a change of scenery you might say. The bad part about going to West Palm is that we are driving and it will be approximately 3 to 4 hours. During the weekend, our plans are to go shopping, go out to dinner, which is nice because i am so sick of eating the food here, same old stuff. Since my dad is a chef, it is so nice to go back home and have decent food. I used to be so spoiled, you never knew how good you have it until you dont have it anymore. Anyways, my weekend should be fun and stress free, im hoping. Till next time, have a great Veterans Day!!!

Exercise Routine!!!!!!

Wow, has the weather been wonderful or what. If it wasn't for this cooler weather at night, i wouldnt be running as much as i do. For the past week, since the drop out of being on the crew team, i have been motivating myself with all of the running i have been doing. I run anywhere from 3 to 5 miles a day, sprinting periodically in between each mile, to increase my cardiovascular fitness. Sprinting is tremendously hard, especially for me becuase i have always been a long distance runner and transitioning from long distance to sprints really wears you out. My weekly routine this week consisted of.. 3 miles on monday plus an extra couple hundred yards of sprints on monday, on tuesday i did 3 in half miles with some extra core strength exercises after running, for today, wednesday i plan on going for a quick run around 3 miles at a steady pace, saving tomorrow for some extra sprints. I usually get sick of running real fast, so i try and combine running with some other cardiovascular exercise later during the week and especially during the weekends because it is hard to motivate myself, when i have so many things going on. Other sports i enjoy doing are playing volleball, swimming, and playing soccer. I have also been thinking of a major in sports medicine, since i enjoy athletics and sports so much... but who knows..

"Weekend Events"

Over the past weekend I was extra busy with school work and coming to and from my house in Palm Harbor. On thursday I ended up going home and went out to dinner with a few of my highschool friends. I have to say, the Olive Garden is the best restaurant ever, i'm 75% Italian and melt when it comes to Italian food. I ended up sharing the "Tour of Italy" with one of my friends, which consisted of Fettucini Alfredo, Lasagana, and Chicken Parmesan. It was nice to go home, go out for that matter and eat something different, besides the same old food on campus. I think everyone can agree with me on that one when it comes to the school food. On friday my roomys and i went bowling. W stayed for cosmic bowling which starts after 11 and ends at 3, it has disco lights and a variety of music is played throughout the night. Saturday was a relaxing day, i did everything possible to not start my homework, i ended up watching a movie called "Love Actually," which was a great movie starring Hugh Grant. It was a perfect romantic comedy, taking place during the christmas holiday. On sunday I went to the pool to catch some rays. The weekend weather was perfect, cold at night and breezy during the day, i wish it was like this all year.