Week 14: SUPER BLOG!

                College English was a big adjustment from high school English for me. The biggest adjustment was online assignments due on certain days without having to turn in physically. It was completely hard to remember when to do the blog, and when to comment. I am used to having one thing do on a specific day. However, it is not too big of a hassle. Most of the problems with the blogs are that they are not getting done every week and a lot of the students either forget or just do not want to participate. Comments have been made about how pointless and aggravating the blogs are.  The biggest complaints that are heard, though, are that the blogging site is too hard to understand and often messes up, the posts are too hard to understand, and it is too much work for one blog.

                The first solution would be to pick another site for the blog to be on. Another class I have had this semester used a private Facebook page for our class instead of moodle. I think that is a wonderful idea for many other class activities such as this blog. If you moved the blog to something that students have experience working with, such as Facebook, it would be easier for them to meet the blog assignments without any excuses. Of course, the cons of this would be the amount of blogs the teacher would have to go through on one wall. Facebook often messes up and some blog posts may not make it on the page. Also, posting on a wall, there may be a word count and you could be limited. So, maybe keeping it on an actual blogging website would be preferable.

                Another problem that I listed was the posts that are too hard for some of the students. A solution for that problem would be to let the students read the material you have selected and write about what they want to write about, but make it go along with the assigned material. That way the questions would not be as confusing for the students to handle and the material will still be read. Another plus about that would be that the student would have to read the entire piece instead of look for the answer to the question through the paragraphs of the essay or article. However, the downside of that would be the grading process for the teacher. How do you grade just random ideas about a piece of material that was asked to be read?

                These blogs are assigned to students every week and that is extremely stressful sometimes. I do think that with the journals we do in class, a blog once a week is too much. Maybe doing a blog every two weeks would be better for students to handle. It could even be a longer blog than what we get once a week to make up for the week we did not do it. The points received could just double, since a week is knocked out. With everything else we are asked to do, plus our other classes, it is a lot to take in. Upper level English, I can understand. However, for freshmen who are coming from a high school that maybe does not do as much as others, it is hard to keep up. The downfalls of every two weeks would be that students would not get into a consecutive pattern and routine of actually doing their assignments. Along with doing our blogs, students have been placed in a certain blogging group and those are the fellow students whose blogs you must comment on two days after your blog is posted.  I personally think that may not be the best idea. Some students in that group may not post a blog for the others to comment on and that could serve as a problem and a nuisance for the student who actually did their work. Instead, everyone in the class should be able to comment on other students’ blogs. That way the people who did their work would able to complete the blog assignments with fellow students who work hard. 

                All in all, I believe that the blogging process is not complicated for students at all. Only minor changes should be made.  As for the site that the blog is located, it should stay on blogspot. The blog should be every two weeks instead of every week for the reasons I listed above. Also, for students’ comments, as I mentioned before, that should be fixed by not setting up particular groups. Other than those minor adjustments, the blogging system is actually a very good one.

Week #13

Bus Problem:

Thank the Lord above for the good professors I had this year and the luck I had with their generosity. If I was late to class, most of them, if not all, were just glad I made it in the first place. However, I have no doubt that I will not be as lucky in the semesters to come. I have heard from many upperclassmen that a handful of professors will mark you absent if you are late. Is it fair, though? Sure, some students are late because of not wanting to roll out of bed or waking up with the worst hangover of their life. The majority of the time, though, these students are a victim of the ridiculous busing system that the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has to offer. The buses are supposed to be at any destination at less than ten minutes apart. So, if you are standing in a line and the bus gets too full for you, another one should be there as soon as possible. However, just because it is supposed to happen, does not mean that it actually does. I have waited several times for over fifteen minutes to get on a bus to take me to or from the university. It does not matter how early I get to the bus stop, I will be late for my eight o’clock class.

Week 12: Part-Time Teacher

1.) First things first, the teacher probably "acted like an ass" because he was just as aggravated as she was about the situations that they were put in. Also, a.) One thing that these teachers could propose is building a new building with new classrooms, since they obviously do not have a lot of room. However, the possibility of it actually happening is probably not likely. It would have to be done pretty fast for the classes and it would cost too much. So that idea would probably be rejected. b.) These teachers could also propose to have more classes online instead of in a classroom. Not much of a cost and also, not much time consumed.

2.) The problems that Claitor faces affect her students, because they have a will to learn. So, the fact that they are not provided the right surroundings or material to be taught, they are not going to excel.

3.) The students would probably propose that the University assigns more Professors to courses. However, realistically, that would probably cost more money and take a long time to find the ones that would specialize in that field. Another proposal would be the same as the professors. Online classes. And like I said before, it would be easier.

4.) The most common cause she addresses is very drastic salary cuts.
Another cause would be limited space for teachers.
An argument made by other people would probably be that the pay that teachers get are sufficient for the amount of work they do.

5.) A.) On behalf of the teachers, and seeing the causes, the only thing I would change would be more of an argument to the administrators about their salary instead of the argument of new classrooms.
B.) I still stand with what I said before about students wanting online classes as a proposal.

Week 11: Scenarios to Test Your Definitions Against

1)  A person has Baccalaureate degree, but they weren't content with their field of study, so they only half heartedly worked toward their degree. Also, they cheated on the final exam that they took right before getting the degree. Can they still be considered intelligent?
- The person can still be considered intelligent. They obviously stayed in college long enough to get that degree and they must have taken hard courses. Besides, if they were in a field of study that they were not content with, but still did well enough to make it to the final exam, then they are pretty intelligent. I find it hard to focus on something that I am not interested in. If I did not like what I was majoring in, I do not think I would even make it far enough to cheat on the final exam. So yes, despite their wrong doings and bad choices, they can still be considered intelligent.


2)  Bill Gates was a college drop out.  Do we consider him intelligent?  Why or why not?  How might this affect your criteria for your definition of intelligence?
- We do not know the exact reasons he dropped out of college. It could very well be because of finances. However, we still consider him intelligent, because he invented something that was useful and used all around the world. Though he is still an intelligent man, it puts a twist on my definition of intelligence. Instead of me saying that intelligence has something to do with academics in college, I should probably just stick to the power of the mind no matter what the surroundings are. College or just work.

3)  A man with a BA goes into politics and proposes going to war with another country.  He knows the war will drag out, and he knows many people will be killed during the duration of it.  Was this an intelligent decision?  Are people we admit are intelligent allowed to make unintelligent decisions from time to time?  Why or why not?  How might this affect your criteria for your definition of intelligence?
- I do not believe this was an intelligent decision, however I do not know all of the background information that could have started his thought of battling another country. Yes, intelligent people are allowed to make unintelligent decisions, but this was a decision that should not be allowed as an "oopsie". War is a very delicate subject and no matter how smart he was, politcally, intelligence also needs a bit of common sense. You must think outside of the black and white and give room for that grey area. This just helped my definition of intelligence even more, giving the example of common smarts for intelligent people.

Monday November 7, 2011 Online Class Assignment

1.       After reviewing the information about the drafting introduction on page 3, review your own intro and decide what you can do to:

a.       more clearly show what is at stake for your issue

For my introduction, I can more clearly show what is at stake when you are unhappy with your career and not only use examples that link with success.

b.      more thoroughly contextualize your issue with background information (this is helpful for both intro and conclusion)

When I revise my paper, I can pick a specific career field instead of broadening it to any. Then, I can use background information from scenarios of actual successful people in that certain career.

c.       write a few sentences for a. and b. that you will insert into your next draft.

If you are stuck in a career that makes you completely unhappy, not only will you live your life in depression, but you will lose sight of your job. What I mean is that you will not be satisifed with the outcome of whatever you do anymore. For instance, most teachers are teachers because they love it. It has nothing to do with salary, but more about their passion for the subject they are teaching to students.

2.       Review your topic sentences of your body paragraphs:

a.       Whether you are doing org. plan 1 or 2, your topic sentences should contain the criteria that you are discussing in the paragraph.  (Review bottom of page 4 and all of page 5). 

b.      If you have any main topic sentences (do at least two here) that don’t contain the criteria of your definition that you are about to discuss in your paragraph, paste the old sentence, then write the revision of it that you will change in your next draft, like this:

                                                               i.      OLD SENTENCE:   YADDA YADDA

                                                             ii.      NEW SENTENCE   YADDA YADDA now with criteria clearly stated so we know what to expect out of this paragraph

                               i.   OLD SENTENCE:  Now, of course there will be people who disagree on my terms of being successful.

                               ii.   NEW SENTENCE: Some people are going to disagree with my terms of being successful by saying it is all about the money and nothing else.

                               i.   OLD SENTENCE: To be satisfied with your job, you must like your career field.

                               ii.   NEW SENTENCE: If you like your career field and you enjoy being at work, then you are probably satisfied with your job.

                             

3.       Now, go through your body paragraphs and make sure that in the evidence sections of them, you are “developing” the criterion you are discussing, which means: explaining/defining each criterion for your definition.  By the end of your paper, we should be able to tell a) your definitions, b) the criteria for those definitions, and c) the definitions of those criteria. (Look at page 5, description of BP1).

a.       Find your shortest body paragraph.  This is a quick way to determine which one needs more development. 

b.      Paste it in.

c.       Then paste in a revision of it that contains more details and explanations of the criterion under discussion.

Success in the work field is based on being able to get up in the morning with a smile, being happy to start the day off at your job, getting along with your employees, being good at what you do, and forming a small connection with your boss. Without those key factors, you really just are not successful. If you go through life, as stated before, with just making a load of money and not being happy with your career, you will not think of yourself as a success. Sure, you can pretend, but deep down, there will be no form of fulfillment. 

Revised: Success in the work field is based on being able to get up in the morning with a smile, being happy to start the day off at your job, getting along with your employees, being good at what you do, and forming a small connection with your boss. Without those key factors, you really just are not successful. Making a load of money and not being happy with your career can make powerful, money wise, of course. However, will you think of yourself as a success? By that, I mean would you look at yourself and feel a sort of fulfillment? If you can not look at yourself and be satisfied with what you are doing and how you are living your life, then you might conisder yourself a failure. That is the complete opposite of success.

4.       Look over one of your rebuttal areas.  If you have one (and you should; “considering the opposition” or “other viewpoints” is on the rubric) look for a way to revise it to be more developed, if you don’t have one, make one now to add into your next draft.  Review page 6 and the ways that you 1) acknowledge opposition to your argument, 2) but prove how the opposition is not strong enough to invalidate your argument.

a.       Paste in the old and new rebuttal sections

b.      Or say that you hadn’t gotten around to that yet in your first draft and make one up now to include in your next draft.

Old Rebuttal: Now, of course there will be people who disagree on my terms of being successful. Success, to them, would mean making a lot of money, working extremely hard to be promoted, and making yourself known in that career field. Happiness, after-all, does not pay the bills. If you work as a small theater actress, which nothing is wrong with, you will not be making the best living for a family. You are not considered successful, then, unless you make it on the big screen and become the next Natalie Portman. But is that true? No, it is not. A small theater actress will be considered an accomplished citizen when she leaves the stage with pride after nailing a difficult scene. A local newspaper will talk about her brilliant skills and she will feel like a very important person. That, the sense of pride and achievement, is what makes you successful in your job.

New Rebuttal: Now, of course there will be people who disagree on my terms of being successful. Success, to them, would mean making a lot of money, working extremely hard to be promoted, and making yourself known in that career field. Happiness, after-all, does not pay the bills. If you work as a small theater actress, which nothing is wrong with, you will not be making the best living for a family. You are not considered successful, then, unless you make it on the big screen and become the next Natalie Portman. But is that true? No, it is not. A small theater actress will be considered an accomplished citizen when she leaves the stage with pride after nailing a difficult scene. A local newspaper will talk about her brilliant skills and she will feel like a very important person. That, the sense of pride and achievement, is what makes you successful in your job. Saying that being successful is all about money is like saying people with smaller income jobs are failures. However, they may get to go home every night to people they love while rich cardiologists have to stay in the operation room all hours of the night to make big money. What about their family? Is true success not about what you have done in life? Would having beautiful children and a wonderful family not be considered a success?

Discussion #10

Claim: Without being satisfied with your job, you will never be successful to yourself.

Reason: If you are unhappy with what you do you then you do not have the drive to work hard and succeed.

Warrant: Success is more personal gain than what the media broadcasts it as.

Grounds:

If you are content with your job, you can be more successful in it.

A good relationship with your boss can make work less miserable, plus you can get benefits.

If you wake up in the morning actually happy about leaving for work, your day will be much better which means that you can actually get work done.

Conditions of Rebuttal: Grounds:

Job satisfaction is not about happiness, but about money or a well-known name.

You are not considered a success by other people unless they know you and your accomplishments.

Backing:

Success is an ideal and about how you feel about your accomplishments.

Conditions of Rebuttal: backing:

Success is about what other people know about your achievements.

Discussion #9

1.) "Recognizing that central responsibility of a woman to herself, without which we remain always the Other, the defined, the object, the victim; believing that there is a unique quality of validation, affirmation, challenge, support, that one woman can offer another. Believing in the value and significance of women's experience, traditions, perceptions. Thinking of ourselves seriously, not as one of the boys, not as neuters, or androgynes, but as women." That was a very powerful point of Rich's speech that shows how women can take themselves seriously. It is a very important point and something women should carry with them for later generations. Today, I do still think there are some mild forms of sexism when it comes to females. I do think that it is still relevant today, but not as much as in the year 1978.

2.) Back in the 60s and 70s, I do agree that maybe gender, class, and race were all linked together and treated equally. However, today not so much. Race and class is discriminated agaisnt much more than gender is and that is not right. It is, though, very true. The University has made it very possible to treat every individual as an equal. I see no prejudice in UL's campus, whether that is social standings to female or male.

Discussion #8

A.) Fortunately for me, I spoke the same language at home that I did at school. There was no difference for me and I am thankful for that. However, I had a best friend who moved from Mexico when he was young and had to develop English as a second language. It was difficult, but he was brilliant and it came to him quickly. When I asked him what he spoke at home, he said that with his mother, he spoke English. But when his father or other family members called, he would go back to his Spanish speaking roots. However, we did not look down on children that spoke another language at our school. We were amused and we welcomed it and asked him to speak his first language sometimes.

B.) In the career field I have chosen, I may have to speak a small amount of other languages for certain clients. However, I am sure that my first language and the language I speak at home is sufficient for my career.

C.) I honestly do not think a certain language will make you "belong" in the career field chosen. The only reason it would, is if a client only speaks one language that you can not speak.

2A.) For the first part of this question, I will say yes. A family does change as the children grow up. Normally. When you are younger, your family seems closer and more bonded together. As you age, it just seems like everyone got bored with trying to make the family close. Secondly, you do have to sacrifice to be successful in anything. Whether it is athletics, family, or school. You do sacrifice the smallest thing, to the biggest.

2B.) The way I understand the question, I will answer this: I think you can not have intamcy with language academically. Language is supposed to be a home based fulfillment. Academics ruin it.

2C.) In the end, I believe Richard just thought it was more of a burden. I don't think he appreciated losing the sentimental values of his first language.

Discussion #7

     For Robert D. King's article titled "Should English Be The Law?", King's purpose was to inform people about America's history and ask the simple question of: Should English be the law? His attitude throughout the article was very informative and professional. He never seemed as if he was being condescending or negative about any of his thoughts. Robert King is a professor of Asian studies at University of Texas in Austin. He has written many journals already about language uses and he is very trilingual himself. He is reaching out to an audience of the general public. There was no certain people that he was writing for except maybe people who read Atlantic Monthly, where it was first published. The purpose of the audience is to question themselves if English should be the law in America. The attitude of the audience is open-minded, yet skiddish of what this article may entail. The audience, like myself, is probably worried about what the author's tone will be like throughout this piece. The audience could be very closed minded Americans who only think everyone in America should speak English. The text was a very long article, probably typed up online using Microsoft Word and you can read the article by opening up a magazine. I read the article at night in my bedroom with a very quiet and calm community.

Self Respect

1.) Well, Didion uses allusions to literature to help give us a better idea or personal evidence to link her thesis to. However, the audience she is approaching may not know or have read any of the literature she uses for examples. That makes it more alienating than helpful. When we discussed this in class, many said it was hard to get through because of examples she used. They did not understand how it tied in because of the simple fact that they have not read the book. Didion assumed that her audience would all know exactly what books she was referring to. That is not the case.

2.) At one point Didion says "... people with self-respect exhibit a certain toughness, a kind of moral nerve ..." Along with what was stated in the question about committing adultery. I think a lot of people who read this can agree to her statements. This doesn't mean they would commit the actions or portray the persona themselves, but they can agree that it is general knowledge. When Didion does say that people who commit adultery have "courage in their mistakes" and "character", I take that to mean that if they are doing it, they must think it is okay. If not, they should not be doing it.

3.) Well, to have self-respect you must learn it. I believe that is what Didion is saying. That you have the ability down deep inside of you, but must learn to bring it out and use it. That can also apply to writing skills and habit of mind. I think anyone who is a freshman in college has the ability to write correctly. The problem is disciplining yourself to do that. You have to have a certain state of mind that you can do something. Self-respect, I guess, is what I am trying to say. That fits in perfectly. You need to believe that you can write well, and you just need to develop the habit of it.

Discussion #5

1.)

Who: Acadiana People
What: French language
When: Now
Where: Louisiana
Why: Keeping the French heritage and language alive

2.)

Sentence 1 M: She is giving the main idea.
Sentence 2 E: She evaluates another's idea on speaking your native language and your ancestor's.
Sentence 3 A: She analyzes Grace Cho's study.
Sentence 4 L: She links speaking heritage language with relationship with those past ancestors.

The way she constructed thoses sentences were perfect and I would have done the same thing. As a reader, it was easily understood.

3.)

•  Reminds reader of the chronology (time period) covered in this particular treatment of the topic or subject matter.
• Reminds us of Acadians' small requests in life.
• Uses powerful quotes that prove what some people think about their culture.
• Closes with satisfaction that a program has helped bring heritage back into Acadiana.

4.)

Between paragraphs two and three, she uses sort of a sequence of events methods to bridge the two paragraphs together. See, they arrived in Louisiana at the end of paragraph two and then she says "Upon reaching Louisiana" so it's sort of like the "First, Second, Then, Last" tactic we talked about in class.

Between paragraphs 4 and 5, she uses a contrasting to link the paragraphs. She states a sentence about culture still thriving in Louisiana and then in the next paragraph uses the word "However" which is somewhat like a contradiction.

Sentence Revised: Acadians' culture is probably the most important argument for the importance of French immersion in Louisiana today, both now and in the past.

Discussion #4 Questions

1.) When I read this passage, I see that it is not only meant for an audience of women, but for men too. Men sometimes get pushed over by family or close loved ones to do things they don't want to do. The most common example in television, books, and every day life is father/son relationships. Take the chick flick "Cinderella Story" for example. The son, Austin, wanted to be a writer and go to Princeton, but his father had other plans. His dad wanted him to be a football player for USC (I think) and he pushed him everyday. It wasn't until the end where the son stood up and said he was going to do what he wanted. He finally gained a sense of "responsibility" for himself and realized the most important person in his life was himself. And that he needed to please himself before anyone else. As for minorities and lower class people in a University, they also tend to lose respect in themselves when they let others get in their head. Others will put people down based on things like money and race and that makes others lose responsibility to themselves.

2.) When students enter a classroom, they are agreeing to be open to learn, listen, and take what they learn to another level by applying it to whatever goal they are aiming for. It is more likely that students actually stay true to that agreement in Universities or small colleges. In high school, most students are forced to be there and do not want to learn so the universal agreement that students are supposed to have are not put into action, for lack of a better phrase. Teachers are there, high school or college, to teach. No matter what level they are on, their agreement is to mold the students' mind  and make them prepared for whatever is next in their lives. For high school teachers, that is college, and for professors, that is the career the students have chosen. It is ethical for students to be educated more with each year they are in some type of learning environment and it is ethical for teachers to make sure they are succeeding and that is how intellectual and ethical connects.

On a side note, I love that Rich used a quote from Charlotte Bronte's novel Jane Eyre. It is one of my absolute favorites.

Discussion #3 Questions 1-3

1.) Usually, when I get an assignment, I re-read over the directions for days before I begin. Mostly, because I want to be sure I get a clear understanding of what I am about to write. When I first start, I refer back to the sheet that the assignment directions are one every few seconds. I look back and forth from the paper to my notebook so much I get dizzy. I just want to be on the right track. After I begin, I rarely look back at the paper, because I am so into what I am writing that I don't want to lose concentration. However, after I am done, I look over the assignment more times than I can count.
        I think you could benefit from re-reading the assignment after you are done. Mostly because you can make sure you hit all of the right points that your paper is supposed to make. That is a very important part of a paper. You read through answering the questions that could be displayed for you in the description of the assignment.

2.) For your personal argument essay, you could "Consider the Evidence" by making up scenarios based on personal experiences. Or you could relate to people on something that you believe everyone has experienced once in their life. Just because you do not use outside sources like books, internet, or television, does not mean you cannot show evidence. There are more meanings of evidence than written facts.

3.) The most helpful part for me in the "Academic Writing is an Analysis" section was explaining that you should not do all of it in your head. I tend to do that, because I hate to brainstorm. I hate jumbling everything in a web, list, or unorganized frenzy. I just like to think it out in my head and go from there, but some things like analysis are meant to be written out and not jumbled in your brain. Something that I believe we need to go over in class would probably be  more detailed instructions of what an analysis paper is.

Discussion #2 Question 2 and 3

2.) Malcolm X related education and freedom to be similar to each other. From what I gathered, he was educated while being in prison. It was his freedom, in a way, I believe. The quote from Bell Hooks, I believe, is similiar to Malcolm X's thoughts on the subject. He says "Learning is a place where paradise can be created." And when I think of paradise, I think of freedom.

3.) To be honest, I love writing more than anything. I have always wanted to write a novel and it is one of my main life goals. So, if I was in prison, that would be something I would pursue. I would write everyday and when I got out, the first thing I would want to do was find a publisher who would take the time to read my novel. I like to write about things that mean something to someone, but also, I like to write for my own pleasure. The characters and situations I create in my head, I get so attached to. If I was just learning to read and write, I would write about that as encouragement to people to reach out and help those in need of education who can not recieve it.

Homemade

       When most people think of the word "homemade" they think of their grandma's cooking or a dress that their mother sewed. To an extent, that is what homemade means. Something made by hand. Things that are homemade are usually, but not always, better. Because, if you poured your heart and soul into a certain thing you made yourself, it is more valuable to people around you. On the other hand, homemade things are sometimes more likely to fall apart or have imperfections. Even though it is worked on for hours and made perfect, there are likely to be mistakes since you may not be a professional. Like clothes, for instance. The clothes you make yourself would take longer and may have small things that you did wrong. Clothes from a factory have been looked over and over for mistakes.
          Homemade things are sometimes looked down on, because certain people may think you can not afford to get whatever item it is from a store. It all goes back to product advertising and brands. If you are not wearing a certain brand or have something from a certain brand, and you made it yourself, you could be set up to be teased. However, those same people do not understand how much talent it is to actually make something by hand.
           Homemade educations are different. I do not believe that people can properly educate themselves. I think they need a University or some sort of college to proficiently educate themselves. Mostly, because these Professors were taught to teach you how to do whatever it is you aspire to do. You can not just teach the skill to yourself. Why? Because, if you already knew how to do the skill so well that you taught yourself, then you would not need to teach yourself. I know that is a complicated way to explain, but its the truth.

What Happens When Basic Writers Enter College? Question #2

      In this selection, I can see how Bizzell is right about letting your own views interfere with academic views. They can contradict each other easily, because your personal feelings get in the way. When we enter college, we already have views on the world. It is a known fact for any person that moves on to another step in their life. Even children that go into grade school already have their own opinions about their surroundings. I believe when you enter college, you should not just dump all of your personal thoughts about the world. Instead, just add to what you already believe. Usually, seeing two different things on one subject opens your mind up and you have a broader sense of the world. It is healthy to keep growing and having your views expand.

What Happens When Basic Writers Enter College? Question #1

        Some points in this selection, I will admit that I did not agree on. However, when drafting papers I can see how much easier it would be if I went in with my own world views. Sometimes, when I am sitting down to write a paper, I start by thinking how I am supposed to look at the topic chosen. For instance, what view am I supposed to be writing in? What kind of personality does the audience want me to have for this topic? That takes up a lot of time and concentration. So much that I get to the point where I am just too tired to begin actually writing my rough draft. If I used my own world views and went in with my own thoughts without worrying about "who I should be", then the paper would flow nicely.

Blair L. Richardson's Bio

         My name is Blair Leigh Richardson and I am a Freshman at ULL, majoring in English. Eventually, I want to go to Law School. What kind of law? I have no idea. The only thing I know is that I do not want to be a Defense Attorney. Other than that, I am interested in just about any other type. So far, I have adjusted quite well to Lafayette, but it is much different than the small town that I am from. I live with my best friend and I happen to miss my family, especially my puppy, very much.
          Speaking of family, my family is huge. I have seven sisters and two brothers and we all have a very different personality. I am the baby and I love it, because I know that no matter what, I am taken care of. My siblings make it a point to make sure that I have everything I need. Our family is really close, and they are not adjusting well to being so far from home, even if I'm only two hours south. I have two nieces and two nephews who are all my World. My puppy, who is like my child, is ten years old. She's a Yorkshire Terrier named Weezie and I miss her like crazy. I have a boyfriend who I'm very far from because he goes to school in Monroe, but we are used to distance.
         I love to write, read, and watch movies all of the time. If I could spend my life doing nothing but those three things, I would be completely satisfied. I would never be able to choose my favorite book or movie, but I can say that I watch "How I Met Your Mother" every night. If I don't, I feel like I haven't done my homework or something. My favorite color is yellow, favorite food is sushi, and favorite animal is a Panda.
         I'm really excited about this class and I hope I can improve my writing tremendously, because it is one of my absolute favorite things to do.