Poetry is Better

I like the poetry section of our book better than the short story section because the short stories were out of hand. I didn't know that I was reading until the end of the story and some pages I had to read over again. Poetry you do have to read the poems twice no matter what, to understand them but they do not go over a page long, well most of them don't. Poetry is so much more simple and to the point. I think poetry is a great way to express one's self and it makes you think. Like some of Julia Alvarez's poems, like "Dusting" made you think of the comparsion of someone's identity to cleaning or house work.
I am not excitied to be going into the drama section of our text book. Everytime I read a play, like in high school, I am lost by the second page. I do not know why but it is hard to follow for me. I liked when in middle school we could read them out loud and act out the different parts, then it was easier to do because once the voice changed you know the character changed. Hopefully Fences and Death of a Salesman won't be too diffcult.
ENJOY YOUR BREAK!!

Cheaters

I never have cheated on a test because I'm near sighted and cannot see far without glasses or my contacts. I hardly wear my contacts and don't wear my glasses during a test because it hurts my eyes sometimes, so there goes the option of looking at the person's next to me paper out the window. haha. Anyways, I think most students cheat is because they are stressed out about the grade they are going to get. There have been some friends in the past that I have know that they plagiarised in papers like in high school or western civ classes, they always ended up getting a better grade than me. It makes me wonder how they feel about that, they got a good grade for someone else's accomplishment. I'd rather build my self-esteem as a person. Anyways, back to the GPA. There are soo many students who are pressed by parents, family members, and conselors to get A's in all their classes so they can move on in the Starz program or go to an awesome University after they leave OCC. Therefore, I think students need a little less pressure and they won't find ways to get a good grade, they will do it the way they are suppose to do it.

Some students are lazy but they do not realize that cheating and finding something to use in your paper, or finding someone to write your paper might take longer than them actually writing it. I don't think I would plagarise because I would be scared for a week straight waiting to see if my teacher/professor caught me and it would drive me nuts. Also, when I'm done with my paper I feel a sense of accomplishment, so I would rather do it myself and get a bad grade rather than have a guilty conscience.

I have to add this.
I do observation hours in a classroom at Brick Township High for my Introduction to Teaching class and this girl who is a junior came up to me to ask for advice. She is really smart according to the teacher im observing and she was working on an english project. She had to do an oral presenation on the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel (I think thats who wrote it, I read it last semester) and she was using words like, untolerant, devisating, and other multi-syllabi words. Her friends told her to "dumb-it-down". She wanted to do it because she did not want the class to laugh at her, because she said they always do because she sounds so smart. This is the complete opposite direction than what I just talked about. Things are starting to change and now the smart person gets made fun of? What ever happened to be jealous of the person who gets the highest grade in the class! I told her to keep it smart because one day those people who are laughing at her will ask her for help!
=)

Bullying

To new the bullying post. I think it is a bigger transition for students that go away to college rather than still live at home and attend county college. Everyone knows its not going to be easy and everyone is always scared they are not going to have any friends. Every new college student has to remember that if your going away to college, all those people are not going to know anyone either, so they are going to be looking for new friends as well. Even at Ocean County College, there are people from Jackson, Toms River, Brick, Lacey, Manchester, and so many more towns, and they range from ages 18 and up. Everyone has such a diverse pack in each class that most likely no one will know anyone in their classes either. It easier to make friends when the people that surround you do not know anyone either.
However, some people are so shy they will not look at anyone and keep to themselves. Advice to give to new college students is to not be shy and but into other people's conversations, or ask about the homework to someone just to make a friend. I have watched people in my other classes and they just "Hi" to the person next to them and ask if they did the homework or if they thought last week's text was hard or not. Saying stupid things like that will make you a quick easy friend in your class. You never know, they might end up being your best friend in the long run.

Busy Bee

I am behind on my blogs, I have been really tight and busy lately, a lot is going on in my household. I pretty much like the structure of our class discussions, it does not bore me. Something that really bothers me though is being pressured to answer questions, because you do not know the answer, you just don't know. I try my hardest and sometimes I think it's not good enough.
However, I like the switch to poetry, even though it can be hard to understand its better than reading all those pointless stories. I hope we can write our own poetry on anything we want. I used to write a lot of poetry but I can only do it if I am not limited to a certain subject or topic.
I hope you are feeling better Prof Lauro!

Spare Time

I like that queston of how much reading and writing is done outside school. I LOVE twilight!! I used to tell everyone that read all those big books that they were losers. I saw the movie too see what the big fuss was about and for my birthday I got ALL four books! I finished the first two and I try to get all my other school work done before I read it. Writing? I do a lot of it at work, I'm an assistant manager at Hollywood Tans (I know it sounds silly) but there is a lot of paper work to do. I always have things to read and things to type up. Otherwise, I do not know where I do anymore reading and writing than I am forced to do.
I FINALLY finished this O'Connor paper. After hours of tearing my hair out, crying, screaming at my laptop, and complaining I've finished! However, I am glad we had that snow day on Monday so I had a little extra time to work on it, I needed it.
I'm reading this John Donne poem and it totally does not make sense to me. I see that there are somewhat of explaination after it so I hope by tomorrow morning I can tell you what I read about. I'm really excitied for poetry thought, I HATE reading it, but I like writing it. I used to always write poems for everyone but I don't have that kind of time anymore. sorry friends =(
I'm reading another one of your posts because I really do not know what to write about since we did not have class yet this week. TV! Everyone likes TV, American Idol is a big thing in my house. The finale of the last season, my mom voted for David Cook 387 times, he won because of her, I am convinced. However, I am a voter but do not vote that many times. So far this season I LOVE Allison and Danny. They will stay on the show for a while because my mother will go crazy voting for Danny. I need to got to work! See you tomorrow when i hand in my essay with joy!

My Battle With Bronchitis

TODAY WAS SO EMBRASSING! I'm so sorry I had to run out during the presentation, I've been sick for almost two weeks now and have really bad bronchitis. I was coughing the whole time but those breathing exercise really got me, thank god for inhalers! I found the presentation somewhat interesting, I cannot believe that guy never gets sick because he meditates, I'm going to consider doing it because clearly when i get sick it lasts forever and I can't breathe. haha. Adding onto our discussion last week on the "Octomom" (the lady with 14 kids?), I was watching the news this morning and they have on tape some lady in her car screaming at the Octomom across a parking lot "THATS OUR TAX MONEY, STOP TAKING OUT OF MY POCKET!" I don't blame the lady for yelling that, this woman is causing problems in California because she wants to have babies that she cannot finanically support.
I did read the rest of Flannery O'Connor's stories and I really liked them! I got a meaning out of them and saw a lot of signficance. She was really trying to show society it's flaws. In "Good Country People" this so called Christian boy is out of hand. He is a good example that you cannnot trust anyone! However, "Revelation" makes you appreciate who you are and the life that you are given. I feel bad for Mrs. Turpin because she was so friendly to everyone in the doctor's office. Normally, in a doctor's office no one talks to each other. The young girl who called her a an old wart hog from hell is sterotypical. Therefore, I am really anxious to see what the first paper is going to consist of since I see it is going to be about these stories. I'm glad it's about these since I understand them!
I'm going to rest and get better hoping I won't have that obnxious cough next class so I do not disturb the class. Good-Night =)

Flu & Strep Throat

I'm really mad I could not make it to class today, sorry Professor Lauro. I could not get out of bed this morning, I have Flu and Syrep Throat and I have had it since Saturday. I am totally miserable. I liked our Rihanna, Chris Brown, STD, Mother with 16 children, and the Little People talk last Thursday. It was very interesting. However, I do have to disagree with someone saying that disabled peope that get social security for the rest of their lives is NOT stupid! Disabled people require more attention by doctors and most likely take a lot of medication, they do need that extra money espeically if their parents and family cannot afford any of it. I do think the Mother that was pregnant with 8 babies is out of her mind. She is getting all of this support from people's taxes and she is using it for platic surgery so she can look like Angelina Jolie!! SHE IS CRAZY and if she is going to go to that, the money that is being given to her should be cut off.
I did read the South little stories though, it was hard to concentrate on that. I liked how Margaret Walker pointed out in her short story, "The Southern Writier and Race" that a white child in school was taught to regard race and black students were taught to hate themself and to imitate the white man because the white man was the superior race. That stood out to me because I think in the Old South that was considered true. I think that does not take place now because for the most part everyone is treated equal and also because we now have a Black President.
I'm going to see if i can get a head start on Flannery O'Connor's section of the book, i should be better on friday. SEE YOU THEN!