Don't Ask, Don't Tell

I am personally disgusted with this law, without sounding like a toddler, it just isn't fair. These men and women are willingly risking their lives to protect EVERYONE in America; black, white, Asian, Muslim, tall, short, fat, skinny, prisoners, priests, gay, transexuals, the list can go on forever. Yet, even though they put their lives on the line everyday for us we want to discriminate and ask them to do one more thing while their busy in combat defending our country "oh, please don't be openly gay".

Almost every person in the military has some sort of skeleton in their closet that may be considered wrong or make others feel uncomfortable. In America, I feel that we have a problem discussing and accepting things that make others feel uncomfortable. For instance, I have been diagnosed with severe depression and I have been committed to a mental facility in the past. I'm not ashamed, it was the best thing that has ever happened to me, it changed my life. However, because of America's depiction of what a mental institution is like and what the people in there are assumed to be like, I could never really talk about it with my close friends and even some of my family because of how they would react. I don't care who knows I'm an open book and I'm not ashamed about something that truly benefited me and saved my life. But just because America deems it as inappropriate to talk about, I can't. 

Another thing that really bugged me in this article is one of the quick facts in which gay service members were allowed to serve in the 1940's throughout the Vietnam War because of the shortage. It is like they are second string quarterbacks, they play when we need them, but as soon as we don't, it's back to the closet they go. I admire those who are gay and are willing to serve a country that wants them to be hush about their sexuality, because if it was me, I can't say I would do the same.

Globalization

• I'm not too sure what I think about Americanization because in some ways I'm proud and happy to know that other countries are wanting to adapt some of our culture into their own society. Like many people say "imitation is the best form of flattery".  However I also feel that by having Starbucks, McDonalds, Nike, etc. in other countries, it takes away the uniqueness of America. What would be the point of me traveling to another country if I'll experience the same food choices, the same clothing brands, the same feel of what I experience every day in my life in America. 
• McDonaldization is the spread and growth of McDonald's fast food chain across the country and across the world. It's not particularly good because it targets children and it is a big contributor to childhood obesity. 
• Pessimistic Hyperglobalizers: people who believe we are becoming similar in cultural and losing the diversity that each society holds, we are losing individuality and starting to conform fully
• Optimistic Hyperglobalizers: agree with the globalization definition, but see it as a positive move rather than detrimental to our culture and society.

multimodal plans

For my social action project, the two genres I would probably pick would be a poster and something around the lines of movie maker. I would use the poster to show the actual data using graphs and charts, so this would be the hard facts of my research. The movie would be images and stories of those effected by bullying, this will hopefully play with the emotions of my audience, leading them to want to change their ways and stop this vicious bullying cycle.

Classism Discussion

1. The 3 racial differences in wealth accumulation in the U.S. are racialization of state policy, economic detour, and racial inequality.

2. The authors interviewed white and black families to find out if there was indeed a difference in wealth disparities.

3. The authors found that the main theme was that "family assets expanded choices, horizons, and opportunities for children while lack of assets limit opportunities". This mean that if a family had a lot they also had a lot more to offer to their children, and for those who do not have a lot the children had to work a lot harder to get what they want and need in life.

4. The authors suggest that in order to close the racial gap in terms of wealth we must develop policies that directly address the situations of African Americans. Also, the polices must directly promote asset opportunities for those at the bottom of the class system  regardless of ethnicity.

5. My story upon coming to college is different from many in my community. My community is to be consider as one of upper class and don't get me wrong I have a nice house and luxuries, but college was something I constantly needed to work for. For instance, I attended the University of Iowa last year, but due to the price of out of state tuition, I had to come home and go to a college in state. I also had to take out several loans as did my parents. I'm the first in my ENTIRE family to go to college and even though it's a great accomplishment, it is also stressful. I feel as if the pressure is on to succeed, not to mention if I don't succeed a lot of money would have been wasted. I want to go to college and succeed so I can send my own children to college without the stress my parents have to endure by sending me to college. I believe my story is similar to Kathleen Kelly's and Gwendolyn Lewis'  stories.  I didn't have a role model to look towards in terms of education like Gwendolyn, and I also had to work very hard to make college an option like Kathleen.

Knowledge is Power

Angel's questionnaire showed that he comes from a middle class neighborhood and middle class family. His entire town was perceived as middle class and the fact that he too was middle class didn't cause him much trouble in terms of classism. It didn't seem to play a big enough role in his life to have a big impact. He recognizes that there are classes above and below them. He has gained knowledge from his class background experience and "with knowledge, there is power".

Comparitive Data Analysis

Bryan:
Focus of research - African American language linguistics
Participants - Irving
Data Collected - interview with tape recorder, quotes were both direct and indirect
Data - I felt that his data was very strong however the jargon was a bit overwhelming. I did like how he used his own voice though.

Samantha:
Focus of research - the stories of the survivors and the survivors familes of the Columbine shootings
Participants - 2 individuals, Jenny a survivor and Linda, the survivor's sister
Data collected - interviews, indirect/direct quotes
Data - I felt that the stories were strong and painted a picture, but there was no voice of her own. Also the research questions were unanswered and the question So What? popped up in my head a lot.

Article analysis

Participants: 704 11-13 year olds
Section begins: explanation of data and table that is included in the data section, a lot of jargon is used.
Organization: very organized, easy to follow
Themes: differences in bullying between male and females
Evidence: tables back up claim
Stands out: the organization is very easy to follow, however the jargon is really hard to understand
Improvement: none

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&hid=9&sid=7f054d65-ed1b-4a18-aafb-90b511c21eab%40sessionmgr11

Job Description Blog

The job that I found is a registered nurse (RN) position in Carol Stream which is about a half hour away from my home in Elmhurst. It has great benefits in terms of hours, pay and insurance, and it's exactly what I want to do. I believe I qualify for all the aspects in which they are looking for in a employee and I believe I can be an asset to their team. I'm excited to know it's close to home, also it is a leader role which means I would be in charge of other people, which I enjoy since I like things done my way and to know what's going on. Also, there is no work on holidays or weekends, which is ideal for me because I would love to spend that time with my family. I also get vacation and retirement benefits.

Career Planning Blog

I know I want to be a nurse, however, the kind of nurse I want to be in undecided. I really like working with kids so perhaps pediatrics but I'm also very interested in the brain and heart so maybe a neurological nurse or a cardiovascular nurse. The one job I wanted before nursing was to become an anesthesiologist, but I decided that all that schooling wasn't for me since I wanted a family at a young age. Therefore, it was brought to my attention that I can be a nurse anesthesiologist. That way I can still have a family at a young age, and still make a lot of money. I've always wanted to be in the medical field, so this is where my heart lies. Somewhere within that field.

Educational Equality Response

1. The fact that the manger makes it seem like it is too much to ask of those who are visually disabled to be treated the same as everyone else. They shouldn't have to want to be treated normally they should already have the same equality as everyone in the workplace.

2. I believe that Sally French's tone is upset and somewhat angered. She tells the stories of how she is treated in her workplace due to her disability. From the way she was treated it is clear that she is very upset by the actions of her coworkers. The snide comments, the stares, the whispers, all of which she could have went without during her work day. Personally, I would be angry too. It isn't as if she chose this disability to be in her life. Not saying she would get rid of it because it helps define her as a person, however, her coworkers actions make her wish she didn't have it in the first place.

3. Students from minorities are more likely to be put in a special education class because their minority is seen as a difference right off the back and one may assume there are more differences education wise, thus leading the teacher to place them in a classroom different from those who aren't a minority.

4. I believe the ADA and the IDEA changed how people view disabilities because now people are starting to realize that even though the disabilities cause difficulties and hardships for those who have them, they shouldn't be placed or deemed differently in terms of education. They shouldn't be turned away for an equal education because they have a physical or mental barrier preventing them to do so. This way they can receive the same education at their pace. Also, these new programs allow those with disabilities to reach their full potential.

Emerging Schloars Blog

I believe some strengths were the organization of the letters and resumes. The authors described what position they were interested in and why they would be the best for the job. Some weaknesses were probably that they didn't provide enough detail or personal experiences to why they should get the job over someone else, in other words no one really stuck out in the letters. The resumes however I thought were done very well. However, I could be biased because I have never made my own or been taught on how to make an effective one, so if there are weaknesses I am blind to them.

Shitty First Drafts Response

I like how Lamott made us as future research writers feel that everyone has a "shitty draft". It's a matter of just getting your thoughts down and out of your head. Her style of writing makes her younger readers feel more comfortable and not as overwhelmed. There is no reason that we can't go back and revise our thoughts into more of a formal format.

My next steps would be taking the advice that you and my peers have provided me in my drafts and to also use what we've been talking about in class to strengthen and improve my "shitty draft" into a more desirable paper to read.

Survey Questions

Age:
Sex:
Nationality:

Have you ever been bullied?

If so, please describe in full detail, your most traumatizing incident. (Include how old you were, what happened, the aftermath, and how you dealt with it)

Have you ever been a bully?

If so, please list some of the reasons you may have bullied another.

Have you ever been a bystander in a bullying incident?

If so, describe what happened.

Did you do anything about it?

How did it make you feel afterwords?

Homophobia Discussion

1. Some consequences of anti-gay prejudice are that people that are LGorB, feel the need to hide their sexual orientation in order to 'pass' as a heterosexual. Also, they tend to take a lot longer to come out which causes "internalized oppression" of who they are. LGBT's also experience hate crimes towards them. Another problem is that heterosexuals go above and beyond to make sure they do not get labeled as a homosexual. They are so afraid of being compared to one, they complete extra tasks to avoid so.

2. Secondary victimization is defined as those who were victims of a hate crime are treated differently because due to the actions of those who committed the crime, people realize the victims are gay.

3. Burns believes that staying silent will only benefit the LBGT community, because if one does come out he or she faces the discrimination that people have towards lesbian and gays. Also, the author mentions that "basic rights" are not necessarily given to everyone and that those who are "different" face losing them.

4. Lim-Him tells how she was at a gay bar in Boston when when a white gay male, made a racist joke about her being Asian. Now even though she was too gay and had probably gone threw the same discrimination and hard times of admitting that alone, she also had to deal with being a minority. It was as if the gay male didn't acknowledge the fact that discrimination among sexuality and among race are similar, they both present hardships.

Interview Questions

How long have you been teaching?
- In this particular classroom?
What was the main reason that made you decide you wanted to become a teacher?
Introductry Anecdote: Are you aware with what has been going on today in terms of bullying?
(Many teens committing suicide as a result of being bullied)
In your career thus far, can you say that you've experienced children being bullied or bullying in your classroom?
Can you tell me about a specific incident that you've experienced with the children in your classroom?
How did you deal with...
- the child being bullied
- the child who was bullying
- did you contact a higher authority, or either child's parents
What was the aftermath like between the students involved?
What did you notice about the bystanders of the incident?
**Questions same for all teachers and similar to the administrators of the school**

Interview Analysis

My interviewee, Maggie, is currently a psychology major with a minor in Spanish. She plans on continuing schooling after her undergraduate degree. She is really aiming towards a master in guidance and counseling so she can one day be a high school guidance counselor. Even though it would be ideal to move to Arizona, Maggie will most likely find a job close to home due to lack of funds to do otherwise. About 5-10 years after graduating, she wishes to be settled in with a nice and comfortable job while raising her family.

Finding your own voice blog

I believe "voice" refers to your personal experiences and opinions in which the topic you are writing about. I try and relate myself or connect myself to each topic I have to write about. By writing in your own voice, the reader will get a personal feel everytime they read something. It is much more interesting to read an item with individual voice opposed to reading without one.

I believe Lamott is saying that we need to push boundaries when writing otherwise, it gets boring. Writing is about telilng what needs to be told whether it makes the reader feel uncomfortable or not. When writing, yes we must be sensitive to our audience, but we can't necessarily silence our 'voice' in order to please everyone. If the truth must be told, then tell it. The more we hold back on writing what our voice tells us to, the more we are conforming into what society thinks we should do.

Women's Rights and Gender Discussion

My overall presentation experience went very well I think. I enjoyed presenting and leading the discussion on this particular topic. At first, I was just picked the topic because it seemed interesting, and it was. I learned more about the topic and the issues, but also discovered that I feel pretty passionately about this topic now. I think Maggie and I did a great job working together and I think the class understood the main points of our presentation.

Asian Lesbian's Struggle

I believe it means to be a visible minority that is an obvious minority, such as ethnicity. To be invisible means not obvious such as sexuality.

To stick to your own kind means to associate yourself with people only of your ethnicity, sexuality, and culture. I believe people tend to stick to their own kind because they are afraid of change or of differences.
To stick to your own kind means to associate yourself with people only of your ethnicity, sexuality, and culture. I believe people tend to stick to their own kind because they are afraid of change or of differences.

I tend to tone down my regional/locational differences. I am from a ritzy like town and whenever I say where I am from people tend to assume that I am either stuck up, a rich brat, or both. It embarrasses me that I have to explain that even though I'm from that area, I am not any of those. My family doesn't have a lot of money and I don't get what I want just because of where I am from. I usually just tell people a suburb of Chicago if they do ask where I'm from that way I can avoid the "oh you're from elmhurst, you must be rich" line I usually get.

Adopting the Principle of Pro-Feminism

Some of the things that I believe I do that add to sexism is possibly falling into the roles of what society thinks a woman should be. I tend to be more girly and let men take on the heavy lifting in life. I wear make up and try and feel good on how I look whenever and wherever I go out. I also assume that males should pay for dates, they should be the sole providers in the household. However, even though I assume these things and I think that's how things are supposed to be, I don't necessarily want things to be like that. I want to pay for myself every now and then. I also don't want to be a stay at home mom, I want to provide for my family as well later on. And hey, if I end up making more than my husband...oh well.

Another thing I can do is maybe try and speak up against the stereotypes society places on gender roles. If I make my voice heard maybe I can get others to speak up as well.

Blog about The American Dream

Kevin Jennings grew up in a conservative family, and they had very strong feelings against blacks, Jews, Catholics, anyone really who didn't believe what they believed. The author said that "honestly thought I was would grow up to be the President". His idea of the American Dream was that anything could happen to anyone who wanted something because America was the land of opportunity in his eyes. However, as he grew up and faced challenges, he knew this was less than true. Jennings began to realize that he was gay, he tried to deny it because he knew his family would in no way approve. At one point, he attempted suicide because he thought being gay would prevent him from reaching this "American Dream".

I believe that Jennings was trying to say that real freedom is freedom of stereotypes and labels, not just having rights but having respect as well for you are. Every legal citizen is an American, whether their black, white, gay, straight, Catholic, Jewish, tall, short, whatever, we all live by and stand by our country. It is not okay for other people to say what's normal and what isn't. Just because the bar of normal standards was set by someone doesn't mean that it can't be adjusted to fit everyone, there is NO normal. One should not have to adjust how they feel and who they are to feel 'normal'. Every one should have an equal opportunity, it is up to us however to go after and reach that goal we are striving for, regardless of what people see you as.

Blog about White Guilt

Get Information: We are a generation of media, we can easily attain information about this issue by simply turning on the television and watching a commercial or a program. Most likely, an issue regarding race will come up. Also, by looking at your surroundings you are likely to see how racism affects our society. By becoming aware of how we let racism affect us we can make an effort to eliminate those problems.
Do Something: It is as simple as stating your opinion. Many notice acts of racism or people being racist and we often let it slide. If more of us speak up, those who say racist things or act racist will realize that it isn't okay and more people are going to speak out.
Listen: If I possibly hurt someone's feelings or offended someone, I want to know what I said or did to make them feel so. I want to be told so I can understand why that individual feels the way they do and how to go about fixing it in a way were I can still have my opinions but not openly offend others.
Talk: As the author said, racism will not simply just go away at will. We as citizens must all work towards the goal together. However, I know that there are several people who feel very strong about their beliefs and are unwilling to change them. I am not asking for them to give that up, but simply adjust their ways so more people can benefit from them.
Back to the past: It's a rule known throughout history, if we do not learn from our past, we are likely to repeat it. It has shown multiple times from slavery, to concentration camps, to racism. We must face our past, learn from it, and adjust to better our future for all.
Finding our heroes and sheroes: Even though I am an conservative and I would have preferred the Republican party to be at head, I idolize Obama. He is not only a great person, but he has strength that a lot of presidents before him lacked. He is a black president which is a fact no one can hide from, however he still had the courage to run and perform his duties as president. I can guess that there were other African Americans who wanted to run for president, who were qualified, but found it fearful due to the racism that exists in this country. Also my mom and dad our my personal heroes, they never let their views get in  the way of friendship and family. Yet, they never back down from them, they won't deny them based on who they meet or talk to.

intro addition

 In school, teachers and administrators have a responsiblitly to make sure their students are not only safe physically, but that emotionally they FEEL safe. With that said, students should be able to come to school without feeling as if they are going to be hurt in any way, physically or mentally.  With bullying, however, that feeling of security is unfortunately stripped away from many students. School becomes warzone, where one always have a cold sweat on the back of their neck, rather than a safe haven away from home.  

Emerging Schloars - Child Trafficking in Cambodia

I was extremely disturbed by this paper, however Laura's goal was to raise awareness about this issue.  By providing the information and statistics that she did, she definitely got my attention. It disgusts me that not only is the government is in on it, but their are people out there sick enough to have sex with a child. She had many strengths, her passion in the topic showed throughout the paper. I also like how she mentioned OPTIONS.  Her weaknesses would have to be that it was kind of all over the place. If this is supposed to be a research paper, she didn't really follow the typical guidelines. However, the paper was effective in terms of emotion. I really enjoyed reading it and becoming acquainted with the obvious problem in Cambodia. It motivated me to want to help.

Reflections on Breaking the Code Activity

After reading this research paper and completing the activity, I feel more confident and comfortable writing my own paper. I believe that the paper I read was very organized and straight forward, and that gives me some idea on how to approach each section in my paper. Every section was clearly labeled so I as the reader knew exactly what was going on at each moment in the paper. Even though this is a research paper, there was some opinion placed into the writing without being too biased, so I feel more passionate about writing my own since I can add some of my own personal feelings into the matter.

CR Exercise 3.4 In Class

Simon Frith explains the distinctions between serious and popular music. Many musicologists argue that society made popular music, it is a fad of the people in society. Serious music is on the other hand a work of art, since it goes beyond the forces of society. However, sociologists are at "odds" on this statement. In order to compare society and music, they must take into consideration the "type of music" they are evaluating.

topic presentation guideline

My topic is bullying and gender association in America today.

What is the difference between male bullying and female bullying in grades K-12 in America's generation today?

-  What are the causes for the differences between the two genders? 

- What are the different effects that bullying can cause to girls in our generation?

- What are the different effects that bullying can cause to boys in our generation

- Does the media have an impact on why kids bully in grades K-12?

- What are the differences of bullying and the effects it has today compared to past generations?

- Does location have an effect on the way an individual bullies? (City areas compared to suburban areas compared/ richer cities compared to poorer cities)

I’m really interested in what may be the causes for the differences in bullying between the genders. Also, I’m interested if the effects bullying can cause due to the difference in gender.

By investigating this topic, I can hopefully get a feel for the causes of bullying and be able to recognize when the bullying actually starts, not when the one being bullied actually comes forward by it. By becoming acquainted with the actions that lead up to bullying and the effects that follow when one is victimized, we can eventually nip the problem in the bud before it causes detrimental effects to those that are being bullied. With growing media coverage for kids who attempt suicide or start school shootings due to being bullied, I think it’s clear that this is becoming a larger nationwide problem. Since, majority of us will have a family potentially in the future, this is something we need to be aware of.

In many of my sources, there was evidence that led the researcher to believe that there is a correlation between gender and bullying; that there is a difference between male bullying and female bullying. Males tend to be more open and aggressive about it, while girls are more secretive and manipulative in their ways of bullying. The outcomes are usually the same, in which the victim starts to have a decrease in their self-esteem, which has many psychological effects. Also, bullying has been starting younger and younger in this generation.

3 sources for topic

http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/371549_731203525_713766162.pdf

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V7N-3TT0444-6&_user=564876&_coverDate=07%2F31%2F1998&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1453610740&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000028718&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=564876&md5=3d916ad45f50afcc45b9e4d80dfba657&searchtype=a

CQ Researcher from YHS database, article "bullying"



more specific information about each article is in my notebook

Free writing for SAP topic

What is the difference between male bullying and female bullying in grades K-12 in America's generation today?

-  What are the causes for the differences between the two genders? 

- What are the different effects that bullying can cause to girls in our generation?

- What are the different effects that bullying can cause to boys in our generation

- Does the media have an impact on why kids bully in grades  K-12?

- What are the differences of bullying and the effects it has today compared to past generations?

- Does location have an effect on the way an individual bullies? (City areas compared to suburban areas compared/ Richer cities compared to poorer cities)

Social Diversity Narrative

Social diversity can be defined in many ways, but in my opinion I believe that it is a society that  coexists regardless of different races, cultures, political and religious stances, gender, and sexuality. All of these aspects define a person, but the differences between all of us is what makes our society unique. Every person brings forth a different mixture to 'pour' into our societal melting pot. Multiculturalism, on the other hand, is the recognizing of differences within a society and encouraging others to promote and be proud of their societal differences and backgrounds. Unfortunately, I did not grow up in a very diverse area. I grew up in a predominately white neighborhood and the most cultural diverse thing to us was perhaps Red Dragon, our local Chinese Restaurant. So it is safe to say that I was somewhat sheltered to what diversity was as a child. My parents were accustom to diversity, but my brother and I were not. So when I went away to University of Iowa last semester, I was able to actually open my eyes and see the beauty of this nation's melting pot. I learned new things about all the different people that make up our society and how important diversity is in a society. It brings forth new ideas, new customs, and new ways to present a problem. In my personal life, class played a big role of diversity, even though I lived in a ritzy town, my family was not one of big money. We were in no means poor but we certainly did not have what everyone else in the town did. So I did, in some ways, have an understanding of the diversity of social classes within a society.

In fourth grade, a girl from Japan moved to our school and she spoke maybe five words of English. For some reason, my three other girlfriends and I decided to take her under our wings. We took it upon ourselves to teach her the basics of English. So everyday during silent reading time we would go out in the hallway with the permission of our teacher and use flashcards and English/grammar books to teach her the basics. I'm not going to say four nine-year-olds taught this girl all the English she knows but we definitely taught her something. In return, we all learned something as well. We learned about the difficulties of coming to not just a new town, but a new continent! We all became her best friends and when we would go to her house, her mom and her would teach us about culture back in Japan. She always made us homemade dishes and we heard about certain traditions her family followed. I no longer keep in touch with this girl, but she certainly taught me a lot about how diversity makes up and shapes a society. It predisposed me to the different experiences others may have encountered opposed to just my own.

I am interested in either researching abortion (teen pregnancies), suicide,  drugs/drug abuse,  alcoholism, or violence in schools. I think all of these topics are especially important because of our generation these negative issues seem to be increasing. All of these, aside from violence in schools, pertain to my major which is nursing. I may be dealing with individuals with drug/alcohol abuse, with those who attempt suicide,  those who are interested in abortion, and teenage girls who become pregnant.

8/26/10 In Class Blogging

a) When it comes to reading, it has been a major part of my personal life. As a child I loved books and loved reading, at the age of 3 I had been able to read the covers of my favorite movies and my favorite book The Foot Book. I believe that I learned most of this by memorization, but overtime I came acquainted with what certain words looked like and how to sound out certain letters. Since then, I've always read for personal pleasure. In my academic life, reading was more of a chore. Read this chapter and respond to these questions and I somewhat dreaded it, however certain texts (more towards the end of high school), I actually started to enjoy. I've never really required reading or writing in a professional sense because most  my jobs included working at a bar, a pizza place, and babysitting. Writing on the other hand was never EVER a favorite of mine. I was fairly good at it, I always received good grades in high school and I understood the concept but I absolutely dreaded writing papers. It wasn't until last year in my University of Iowa Rhetoric 1 (similar to english 1 ) class that I actually started to enjoy and get into what I was writing. I looked forward to expressing my thoughts and opinions about a subject I was passionate about.
Outside of school, the only writing I really do is texting, facebook, and the occasional journal entry depending on the day (for example if I need to vent, I usually do so to my journal).
b) The most difficult part of academic writing for me is getting started. I have the hardest time with the introduction. I always tense up and feel insecure about my intro because it's the first thing the reader sees and I want it to be interesting and perfect! My area of improvement would have to be better explaining and clearer reasoning.
c) I read pretty much any genre. I've read things from Twilight to 19 Minutes by Jodie Picoult to The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I also read a ton of magazines. I usually read a book that has been recommended by a friend or one I saw a friend reading that looked interesting.  By reading different genres, I was able to become familiar with different forms of writing. The connection between reading and writing for me is that reading sparks ideas for you to write about. It ignites a passion for you to reflect upon.
d) Research papers always intimidate me mostly because of the steps and procedures involved. I'm a bit of a perfectionist so writing an interesting and good paper is very important to me. However, when it comes to this course, I feel more relaxed that we get to chose the topic we research and because of that I will be a little more driven to find information and to write about it.
e) I want to write about either teenage pregnancies or suicide. Both topics interest me on a levels of personal and professionalism.
f) I would probably use the internet and library books for both, but also since this day and age has a lot of reality television, I can also use the media to my advantage.

Intro

My name is Paige and I'm from Elmhurst, Il (suburb of Chicago). I'm a nursing major and I'm really interested in working in the medical field. I'm a recent transfer student to ISU from the University of Iowa, so looks like I'm a former Hawkeye becoming a Redbird! However, I don't have enough credits to be a sophomore at ISU, so I'm technically a freshmen all over again. I'm looking forward to this class this semester!