For every class, there should be different goals in which
your professor should strive to guide his or her students towards. Throughout
the quarter, your professor will hope to help you achieve these so-called
“Student Learning Outcomes” until the time the class is completed. This can be
proven in multiple ways, whether it’s the students’ participation in class, how
much effort is placed in every assignment, and/or their overall grade. For my
English class, I successfully achieved my Student Learning Outcome by
continuously updating my blog with assignments that evidently proved my overall
progression.
A thesis statement can arguably be the most difficult feat in
essay writing, but the paper is not considered an essay without one. Its expected
purpose is to help the reader acknowledge exactly what you intend to prove in
your essay. From the given topic of the essay prompt, the thesis must not be
too broad, but enough to write a certain amount of topic paragraphs required.
At the same time it has to be a clear and reasonable statement that
demonstrates your understanding of the topic. In my essay, “The Path to
Educational Success,” I wrote a strong, yet broad thesis: “We have to always
remember that there exists a huge divide of economic and educational inequality
within society, and that there are many improvements needed to be made to our
educational system that better align students’ passions with financial
success.” Over the quarters, I have experimented on whether it’s best if I
thought of a thesis first or after I have completed my body paragraphs. I
finally realized that it was more efficient for me if I created a broad thesis
sentence first and then alter it after completing my body paragraphs. That way,
a stronger thesis statement could be formed from combining the ideas and topics
from every paragraph. It may seem as though the thesis is clustered with too
many ideas, but after reading the essay you can see that it correlates with
everything well.
The key to writing a good essay is to provide a variety of
different sentence structures. It helps with sentence flow and paragraph
cohesion. Throughout the quarter, it was not only important to complete the
essay assignment, but to also underline different sentence structures. We
didn’t spend much quality class time going over the different variations –
appositives, adjective clauses, dependent clauses, etc – but it should already be
something taught throughout high school. Compared to the first essay written
for the class, I can pinpoint over 20 different types of sentences used in my
most recent essay, “The Importance of History.” With the reminder to underline
these sentences before turning in the assignment, it allows me to be aware of
what needs to be implemented. Keeping that in mind as we progress through the
quarter, each essay should substantially improve in quality.
Communication was never my strongest trait, but it steadily
improved with every class I attended. Every week when we met up for class, it
involved a lot of group activity. Instead of sitting through boring lectures, I
felt like I learned a lot more through the sharing of ideas with other
students. The only way for the student to learn or the group to pass,
communication was the key. This was proven through my presentations - “The Path
to Educational Success” and “Living in a Transnational World: Society’s Ideals”
- where I worked together with my partners to synthesize our ideas into one
successful presentation. As a group, we created Google presentation slides as
visualization to be embedded onto our blogs. I was also able to get in front of
class and teach a whole chapter to the class the way that my group thought
would be learning productive. Sometimes learning doesn’t just come from
listening, but also from teaching.
I’ve never considered myself as a good writer, but I was
always open to challenging myself. I’ve gained an incredible amount of
knowledge through attending classes and improved in both reading and writing.
My professor was able to help me achieve my Student Learning Outcomes and I
have the blog to prove it.
History
is often overlooked when compared to other studied grade school subjects. It
pales dramatically next to topics like writing, mathematics, and science, classes
which hold a clear, immediate use. It is
so lowly regarded that when students are asked to list their favorite school
subjects, history is mentioned at the bottom of the list. Memorizing old historical
events, people, and dates - items that no longer seem relevant in today’s fast
paced society - can be boring and tedious. History, however, is always
implemented in children’s curriculums for very important reasons: so that we,
as a society, can understand what makes up the fabric of our present lives, and
most importantly, to learn from the mistakes of the past. We’re creating
history every moment of every day, improving ourselves with each passing
second. For a thriving future to exist, it’s essential to grasp the importance of
history within society and ourselves. It is absolutely eerie how certain events
have repeated themselves in definite historical patterns. The distinct
abundance of paralleled events throughout time teaches us that it’s important
to understand the past to create a better, more tolerant future.
People often
joke, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Understanding
the past will honor our ancestors’ sacrifices and bloodshed for the peaceful
tomorrow many died for. Our generation, with new technology and a greater
desire for peace, shouldn’t let their deaths be in vain. Unfortunately, we
often fail to see the all too familiar signs and patterns. World War II
occurred with similar beginnings as World War I. Germany tried to take over the
world twice – once in 1914, and another time in 1939. The fall of the Persian,
Greek, Roman, and British empires were eerily similar. The oil crisis has
occurred four times. The world trade center was attacked twice. The economic
crisis of 2008 flashed warning signs similar to the Great Depression’s
beginnings in the 1930s. The list goes on and on; it is fascinating to see the
number of wars, famines, failed empires and political systems, and scandals
which have repeated themselves. It is truly a tragedy if we continue to let the
mistakes of yesterday continue into the present.
Gerorge Satayana
once famously said that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to
repeat it.” It is essential to examine how different events intersect and how
people behave in groups, as human beings tend to suffer similar follies and
commit the same errors. Life is about making choices, whether good or bad, but
it’s our responsibility to learn from these mistakes and improve society for
the better. The events of Ellis Island, for example, act as a constant reminder
to treat people with equality. Millions of immigrants were regarded as mere
tools instead of human beings. Their sacrifices of blood, sweat, and tears should
not be easily forgotten. Many immigrants spent their lives’ fortunes to attempt
the long journey to America. Many died or were sent back due to the horrible,
disease infested conditions immigrants were forced to bear on that island while
waiting for citizenship. As a result, “the island’s history includes reports of
three thousand suicides” (Gordon 433). Leaving everything behind with nowhere
else to go, suicide was not an uncommon route to escape the harsh reality. Despite
that lesson, even today, immigrants are still being treated with no respect.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), “the Department of
Justice (DOJ) has proposed a rule that explicitly excludes immigration
detention facilities from coverage under the Prison Rape Elimination Act
(PREA)” (Sexual). In 2007 alone, almost 200 detainees stated that they were
sexually abused. Most of the incidents occurred during transfer to the airport
for deportation, since detainees’ pleas no longer mattered once stripped of
their human rights. It is important to
look upon our history, remember our ancestors as former immigrants, and treat
people with love and decency.
Living in a
transnational world, we must realize that there are different cultures with
sometimes radically different values, so people have differing and conflicting
perspectives. Instead of treating each other differently depending on the
pigment of their skin, gender, or where they came from, we should adapt to
understanding human behavior through the study of cultures and realize the
unique similarities people as a whole share. We must learn to understand each
other through history so that we can avoid doing anything to harm them through
our words and actions. In an article called “Slumdog Tourism” by Kennedy Odede,
a tour group in Kibera, Africa went “into the home of a young woman giving
birth. They stood and watched as she screamed. Eventually the group continued
on its tour, cameras loaded with images of a woman in pain” (Odede 519). In the
US, Americans as a society understand the concept of privacy and respecting
boundaries. As soon as this tourist group stepped outside the borders of the
US, their morals were thrown aside when placed in an unfamiliar environment.
The history of slums differs from place to place, but it’s usually consisted of
the very poor and the socially disadvantaged. It’s great that this group wanted
to support the slums through charity from the tours, although they should have
sympathized a little more to see Africans as human beings and not animals in a
zoo. Peace results from empathy and understanding.
It’s also important
to know where we have been in order to know where we are going. In my personal
experience, I wouldn’t be where I am today if my parents did not journey by
boat through the Pacific Ocean from Vietnam to America. They came here with
nothing but the clothes on their backs, confused on the next step, yet happy to
be on the land of the free. My family worked minimum wage jobs while beginning
their education from the bottom. They were the oldest students in their classes;
even though it took some time, the important thing was that they completed high
school with only each other’s help. My family did not want me to be born into a
world where I had to share their suffering. Growing up, they provided for me as
I needed so that I wouldn’t have to go through their past hardships to gain
happiness. They guided me from childhood to my adolescent years, telling me
stories of the past, differentiating rights from wrongs, and correcting my
choices in life to help benefit me and my future. Knowing this, I’m grateful
for everything my family has gone through for me. It helps build character and
my motivation to educational success. Everything I do is for them. You don’t
know the meaning of living until you understand the roots of your history
because the past helps you appreciate the present and gives it purpose.
A Church
Historian, William Lund, once said “we study the past to understand the
present; we understand the present to guide the future.” This quote can be
interpreted in many ways, but one important translation could be the
understanding of your family’s history of genetic diseases. According to an
article called “Genetics and Family History,” it states that “a complete and
accurate family history is one of the most powerful tools available for
recognizing genetic conditions” and that it “could lead health care
professionals to recommend management that could prevent the symptoms of the
condition from appearing” (Genetics). On my dad’s side of the family, half of
my blood related aunts and uncles have been diagnosed with cancer, of the
breast, lung, and heart varieties. Out of my father and his five siblings,
three are still “healthy,” including himself. My uncle, who has lung cancer,
probably accelerated its onset through bad health choices such as poor diet and
smoking. The frightening lesson I’ve learned is that cancer can happen to those
who were healthy to begin with. Acknowledging my family’s history of cancer, I
have prepared myself by eating healthy and exercising daily. Everything
nowadays has a chance of leading to cancer, so my personal health needs to be
protected; the important thing is that I’m doing what I can to prevent any
mishaps. With that in mind, I can look forward to leading a healthier future
for myself. As for the rest of society, this is an important tool to living a
longer, healthier life and being there for your loved ones. Nowadays there are
records of people still surviving as the world’s longest living human beings. As
a result of learning and studying our past, we have greatly advanced our
medicinal field. History spans the breadth and width of our daily lives,
touching parts we didn’t even know had a connection to it.
It
may not seem as though history is important, but we are making history every
second that passes by. Your history will always follow you wherever you go, so
it’s up to you to decide what kind of person you want future generations to see
you as. Over the centuries, there have
been many catastrophic events marked with tragedy and horror. We try to
remember history through monuments, literature, and teachings, so that we learn
to not repeat our past mistakes. Still, not all history should be regarded as
backward or a mistake. To avoid reinventing the wheel, we must always carefully
document and keep records of our findings to continue to improve our technology
and knowledge to pave the way to a better tomorrow. History is the utter and
absolute astonishment in our world’s culture. We’ve come a long way from living
in caves and hunting with spears. History opens the mind, our beliefs and
perceptions, creating a gateway to a more promising generation.
Works Cited
“Genetics and Family History.” Genetics in
Wisconsin Resources for Families & Professionals. 2012. 2013
Modern day education relies on the principle that "schooling is the key to success." Despite having this belief indoctrinated into themby many teachers and families, nearly half of all college students still drop out before completing their degree every year, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. School budget cuts, economic hardship, laziness, are all examples of the many reasons students lose motivation. This shocking statistic puts America behind most other poorer countries, including Japan, Slovakia, and Poland (Waldron). However, it is important to note that education still provides an important, safe route to gaining a better life. While some of the aforementioned dropouts leave school because they believe in their own capabilities and ability to succeed outside of formal education, many of those who "make it" in their young twenties in the startup era without the help of a degree, often possessed financial assistance or came from middle class and well to do families. For those from low-income households or bad neighborhoods, education, despite its challenges, can provide the best path to a middle-class wage. We have to always remember that there exists a huge divide of economic and educational inequality within society, and that there are many improvements needed to be made to our educational system that better align students’ passions with financial success.
Every year there is an increasing number of students who drop out due to financial hardship, while others try to work side jobs while studying and competing with those from supportive families. According to a Harvard study done in 2011, one factor in high drop-out rates is the rising cost of a college education. The total amount of student loan debt held by Americans is over $1 trillion, and the cost of college has skyrocket since the 1980's (Waldron). In "Lessons from My Year as a Freshman" by Rebekah Nathan, she states that educational funding is decreasing due to the "pressing needs of health care, welfare and prisons. Between 1985 and 1995, states across the country slashed their direct appropriations to universities by almost 25 percent. By 2000" it was "half of the public university budget" (Nathan 133). In result, it leads to less financial aid and fewer chances for every student to be approved. At this point, balancing a job and going to school may be too tough for some. So students drop out, getting stuck working their minimum wage jobs for the rest of their lives. But why are students trying to attend college in the first place? In a large auditorium of college freshman, a motivational speaker asks "why are you here?" (Nathan 136). The speaker was no one famous, but she was good looking, entertaining, and knew how to captivate the students' attention. It was clear that her audience knew the importance of education and had passion. Two issues arose: many of them wanted to continue schooling, but the question of money always became an issue. The trade-off became more obvious when looking at a life time of crippling school loans and a higher unemployment rate. The second issue revolved around that of certain school subjects being higher-paying (medical versus art history). This problem leads to the most talented youth choosing security over developing talent. Education today needs to stress the importance of how it can change lives but at the same time tie to students' interests and motivations. More importantly, federal funding to universities and schools should never be compromised by other factors - each new generation represents the future of a country.
Education should be more personalized and attentive, especially in lower-income neighborhoods where the importance of motivation is the key. With school funding being decreased every year, it's difficult to hire fully qualified teachers who would make an effort in helping their students excel academically. In a PBS documentary called "Precious Knowledge," one of the students at Tucson High School said that what the teachers were teaching "was so interesting. [He] could not stop thinking about it. [He] would go home with articles and [he] would start reading them over and over. [He] started getting A's and B's" (Palos). Even though the classes were based on critical thinking, the methods were fun and interesting. The teachers were funny and they made sure every student got the chance to express themselves in class. It was their way of connecting with the students, and it worked. Sometimes when you're a young teenager, you need that push from either your parents or your teachers to get you through school. It's not until you realize for yourself your goals for the future that you can push yourself to the limit. One of the great, innovative programs today is “Teach for America”, a non-profit organization that recruits graduates from Ivy League and other top universities to teach for a couple of years at very low-income and low-performing schools. Their results so far have been really inspiring; more institutions like this need to be put in place to strengthen our nation’s education system. It’s a sad truth that the most intelligent and gifted students usually go on to more lucrative careers than teaching.
Most students on college campus today can tell you what career they have in mind for the future, but going through with it and putting the time and effort into it is a different story. In “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell uses three success stories - Bill Joy, the Beatles, and Bill Gates - to prove his formula to mastering something, which is about "ten thousand hours of hard practice" because "ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness" (Gladwell 41). Gladwell believes that if you had not invested enough time to reach your goal, you can only go so far with it. To dedicate 10,000 hours though mathematically meant about 10 years of your life. Of course this does not mean that if you are not willing to practice 10,000 hours, then you won't succeed - the formula was meant for outliers. Those that practiced 8,000 hours or even as low as 4,000 hours still was able to land a job that they aimed for. This would translate to a certain amount of years in college, which in return would mean the possibility of earning your degree. It proves to society that you made the effort to study a certain amount of hours to get yourself where you want to be.
The most difficult thing about school is showing up to classes and dreading the hours of lectures. It's hard to learn when the teaching methods are dull. Whenever I got back from Chemistry lecture, I would go on YouTube to find videos of a Chemistry professor to reteach me the material. The professor's videos were organized and many examples were used. If I ever got confused, I could just rewind with a click of the mouse. I believe more classes should start being online with weekly videos implemented in place of showing up to school. Since school funding is decreasing every year, schools should stop trying to build more classrooms. Students will save money and time by not commuting and by watching videos from home. Those who are usually quiet in class will be able to ask questions from home comfortably through email. This in return would require a responsive teacher who can clarify their teachings through videos. It may be an imperfect idea as of now, but a few classes are already doing it - there just needs to be more.
Completing college is still the correct way to land a stable future, but it's not the only option. Sometimes school might not be for everyone. We all have different goals and our own ways of getting there. We are now in the generation of startups, and any idea that can improve or simplify society can one day be a million dollar idea. Every year, the co-founder of PayPal, Peter Thiel, picks out "24 people under 20 who have agreed to drop out of school in exchange for a $100,000 grant and mentorship to start a tech company" (Miller). Hundreds of people apply, but only a few are approved in attempt to make a difference for the world. Even without Peter Thiel's help, many others are still driven to start their own tech companies every day. Ideas like a picture album app that allows others to only post comments called Instagram was sold to Facebook for one billion dollars. This is the time to bring your simple ideas to life to climb to the top.
Whether it's finding a job you love to do, or a career that earns you a lot of money, you are still your own motivation. We live in a society where we always want more than what we need. It’s what drives everyone to success, but it’s important to do what makes you happy. In the end, it’s still you doing all the work to build a better future for yourself – to be content with where life has taken you.
Works Cited
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. Little Brown: New York, 2008.
Miller, Claire Cain. "Want Success in Silicon Valley? Drop Out of School." NYTimes.
USA Today reports that 54% of Americans play video games weekly, a strong indicator of the evolving gamer culture in the country. This number is helped by the rise of interest in online social games, bolstered by increasing technological advances in smartphones and computers. Frank N. Magid Associates reports that "gaming behaviors continue an upward trend with engagement levels up year-to-year. This is a testament to the profound way the industry has evolved. We are seeing more consumers play on mobile, tablet and social platforms, while gamers with Internet connected consoles now have more options for entertainment at their fingertips in addition to strong triple A titles" (USA Today). Within this video game culture exists multiple subcultures which can be categorized by game type and gamer classification: hardcore vs. casual. The core values and beliefs of hardcore gamers consist of escapism - the power and belief that you can play as anyone you want and be whomever you want, reflected through the gamer worship and cosplay of their favorite characters.
The gamer culture is pervasive across America with more players everyday.Titles such as Nintendo, Playstation, Mario, and Zelda, which are now common household names, have achieved cult status amongst its fans. Massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG), which are more widely participated in nowadays, have effectively made its place in the annals of the gamer culture. I've played in both worlds; the common thread being that they are both role playing games. MMO games allow you to connect with others all over the world. Hundreds of millions of players around the world play games like World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and League of Legends everyday and the number of subscribers continue to rise. These games are often presented as much more addictive due to the competitive aspect of it, as well as the lack of finality - you can never complete the game.
With endless hours of gameplay, many popular stereotypes portrayed gamers as geeks and loners obsessed with gamer gear and figurines to try to achieve escapism from a world where they feel not as accepted.Outsiders often mistakenly label gamers, especially MMORPG ones, as anti-social, sociopathic, or socially awkward. This image is perpetuated through portrayals and idealizations in commercials and movies. Even Southpark dedicated an episode to stereotyping World of Warcraft, where Eric Cartman said "you can just hang outside in the sun all day tossing a ball around. Or you can sit at your computer and do something that matters." Despite their beliefs, this subculture has come alive like never before and continues to grow. Thanks to the internet and new technologies, players can connect with each other from all over the world to play with each other and talk with each other, even through traditional consoles like Playstation and Xbox. Gamers of all types -successful IT workers, high schoolers, females, career people in their fifties - can participate actively in the gamer world. There is no formal handprint for what gamers look like, or what age they are; it's a unique distribution of people from all different parts of life. One thing they do share is their love for escapism and acceptance through role-playing games.
Gaming online once consumed my life, with countless hours of gameplay and continuous days spent with no sleep and lack of social contact. I played Final Fantasy XI online and Gunbound extensively in my highschool years. In fact, my first job interest was to be a video game tester, which at the time I had completed a course in programming as well. My life was games; when I wasn't online gaming, I played console games. I would avoid family gatherings and thought of excuses to not hang out with my friends. However, through online gaming, I met many people with the same interests as me, who were proud to be gamers. I even developed a romantic relationship with someone in my guild after meeting her in-person. My strict parents and my overwhelming studies kept me indoors most of my teenage life. Running into a female gamer while I was online was much simpler and made more sense.
More than most other possible subcultures, the gamer one is very much a community, where people openly share their love for the game. Although competitive people often get together to form guilds, and help share tips and tricks online. The negative perception stems from the fact that many can play for hours and hours again without interacting with the "real world". The world they live in, however, provides plenty of social interaction. The only time when one is willing to escape the online world is at cosplaying events: Comicon or E3. People often eagerly dress up extravagantly as their favorite video game characters or they attend to collect figurines. Either way, its a place where they can meet many other people in the gamer sub-culture.
Gamers take pride in the complexity of the games and in their skill level. It takes a lot - especially since most gamers are dedicated - to be the top and the best at something. But real-life Warcraft and League of Legends tournaments showcase the best there is out of the millions of players who understand strategy and understand every single tiny detail in a game. The level of detail placed into the creation of these games is unbelievable. Games have become more and more realistic, and a way for people to play out their fantasies in real life. Many people consider gaming to be nothing more than a time-waster or unhealthy hobby, but it's the same as literature, with more social interaction. People read a great book to escape life and to experience new worlds. Gamers, too, play to be enveloped in a different life, where the more complicated it is, the better.
The gaming culture is becoming more well known, with some titles of the larger culture moving into mainstream media. Some games have been made into movies, such as Tomb Raider. Peter Jackson, who has directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, just signed a deal to produce a Halo movie. Many well-known movies are even being made into video games, such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and all the DC comic characters. Eventually, subcultures can even become part of mainstream culture once its ideas of escapism become more and more popular. The gamer culture is part of a larger visual and pop culture, embraced and escalated by a large number of supporters. It has immense influence over entertainment and society, nearly influential today on global scale.
Into the Wildby Jon Krakauer is a true story about the life of Chris McCandless, who abandoned his family and personal belongings after college graduation to live off the Alaskan reservation. After his corpse was discovered, Krakauer wrote an article about Chris’s expedition as a vagabond. Through the feedback he received and with research and interviews, the author was able to retrace Chris’ steps and compile this brilliant, groundbreaking biography. This is a story written in the perspective of the many helpful people Chris encountered along the way that assisted him on his journey. Although some may have viewed Chris’s path to be feckless and irresponsible, I found his desire for adventure to be an inspiring page-turner, the embodiment of a curious, bold American spirit.
From the very beginning, you find out about Chris’ death leaving you questioning his initial motive and personal background. The event of his death hit me with surprise, but the mystery shrouded around his reason for adventure kept me interested and itching to read more. We find out that ever since he was young "there was always a little wanderlust in the family, and it was clear early on that Chris had inherited it” (Krakauer 75). At age 8, the precocious child went on his first backpacking trip with his father to Shenandoah. As he grew older, he would venture out on his own, curiously exploring the unknown. Two years before his death during Chris’ trip to California, he discovered that his father “continued his relationship with Marcia [previous wife] in secret, dividing his time between two households, two families” (Krakauer 84). Through his resentment, Chris continued to live his life as a lie, harboring his feelings from his parents. His emotions continued to boil as time went by, avoiding his friends and family until the day of his graduation.
Chris was a chivalrous young man who befriended many interesting strangers while he drifted across the country. Throughout the book, each chapter contains the story of each individual Chris met and some whom he revisited from time to time. He was always saved from a tight situation by good Samaritans who gave him a lift, fed him, offered a job, or even a place to stay. Soon thereafter, he would always make a lasting connection with them within the short amount of time that they had together. In the early chapters, we get introduced to many helpful people, but one man stood out the most - Ron Franz. He had asked Chris if he “could adopt him, if he would be my [his] grandson” (Krakauer 39). Franz took Chris under his wing during his encampment at the Salton Sea and became invaluable to Chris, giving him rides to San Diego and even Colorado. When Chris dodged the request, it was a very disappointing and depressing moment for me, but I was amazed at Chris’ ability to immediately bond with anyone he meets. Deep down inside, I knew he wouldn’t accept the proposal. He had a goal, and stubborn as he is, he wasn’t going to settle down until he had accomplished it. Many tried to stop him in his tracks, warn him about the dangers of Alaska, but their words went by Chris unfathomed. All they could do was assist him and prep him for what lied ahead. As introduced in the first chapter as the last human being Chris met before his demise, a man named Jim Gallien gave him a lift to Denali National Park, Alaska. Gallien tried vigorously to dissuade Chris but failed miserably at every attempt. As he dropped Chris off, Gallien lent him a pair of boots, his phone number, and his lunch. Chris was supported throughout his adventure until the very end and he wouldn’t have made it thus far if it weren’t for every single individual that he came across.
Although we read about Chris’ death before the remaining chapters came into play, the curiosity of how he lasted for 100 days and how he died inspires you to side with his idealism. He had abandoned his family, his Datsun, and donated all his money to charity – he had nothing else to lose. Chris was camped in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness surviving off small game, but it was obvious that he was living his dream. Many negative letters targeted Chris’ stubborn idealism, but this foolhardy young man was bold enough to escape the puppet strings of society. We all live according to the norm, trapped within the boundaries of rules and regulations. It’s inspiring to see that someone had the courage to step outside the circle. His death was unnecessary and could have been avoidable, but even till the very he remained happy. On a blank page torn from a book, he wrote, “I have had a happy life and thank the lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!” (Krakauer 136). The ending leaves you feeling sadness, but at the same time you realize that Chris was at peace the moment he set foot on the road. We should all learn from him. Not necessarily living life as a vagabond, but to strive for whatever makes you happy.
Krakauer did a great job organizing the flow of the story, but once he included his autobiography, it became a turnoff. He mentions his indifferences with his father and a life-threatening situation where he was stranded in the mountains of Alaska. It’s great to see that he’s safe and that he can sympathize with Chris on a similar level, but it was definitely unnecessary in the development of the story. Instead of taking up the two chapters leading into the climax, he should have added onto the “Author’s Note” at the beginning of the book. Your respect for the author might increase after reading his personal problems and life accomplishments, but skipping these two chapters wouldn’t affect the story. Overall though, his writing tactics are still phenomenal. The organized mess as the story progresses reminds you of Quentin Tarantino films and how they became masterpieces. With Krakauer’s autobiography placed aside, Into the Wild comes close to being one of my personal favorites.
Whether Chris was idiotic or a unique human being, he had an interesting story to tell. The chapters were organized in a way that randomized his chronological timeline, but also it kept things interesting from beginning to end without the need to dread for the climax. As the story began to develop towards the end, you piece together the events and realize the beautiful story behind Chris’ life. The author did a great job tracking down everyone that Chris came in contact with on the road and accumulated many interviews. Without everyone’s help, this biography wouldn’t have been as interesting because every individual was responsible for a part of his story.
By reading a good book, you can receive
imagination, knowledge, and experience in life. It’s the best characteristic to
get into the habit of because without reading, you cannot get far in your education
or career. The skill of being able to read critically and draw conclusions is
utilized in nearly every aspect of everyday life. It helps you obtain
vocabulary, knowledge, and historical truth, and it comes hand in hand with
your writing skill. Reading is unique amongst other mediums due to the way that
your mind can interact with the creation of the author. Ideas are
easily communicated in an effective, thorough manner. With unlimited
information within books also comes the need to process material faster. With
effective reading techniques, you can significantly improve your reading and
writing skill in preparation for writing papers.
As you
read, you will gradually improve your level of literacy. Reading should be a
source of enjoyment, so it’s alright to read at your own pace; it’s not a race.
Nonetheless, once in a while you may want to read quicker to reach the climax
of a story. Such a skill can only be acquired through time and repetition, but
to master speed you must learn to “chunk.” Through chunking, your eyes are able
to pick up multiple words at a time while reading. It’s inefficient to sound
out each word one by one when your brain already acknowledges the meaning of
each word with a glance. Through practice, you can master grouping a handful of
words at once and improve your reading rate speed within no time. Once
you’re at a comfortable reading speed, it becomes more enjoyable to completely
read through a book.
Reading aids in the development of good
grammar and style. A good book will always utilize different sentence level
structures: appositives, subordinators, etc. When you’ve grown accustomed to
reading the variety of sentences, your mind will adapt it to your writing. It’s
important to switch up sentence structures within an essay to keep readers
interested at all times. You can get your best examples of sentence structures
and style influences from the most amazing teachers: the authors. Readers
should pay attention to how words are utilized and how sentence flow together. It’s
great to use works of literature as simple examples of great quality writing.
From time to time, you may stumble upon
words that you can’t define or topics you may find important. A great way to
keep all your ideas organized is to annotate. Highlighting, underlining, or sticky
notes are one in many ways to pinpoint ideas that you may want to follow up on
once the reading is done. When you come across a word that you can’t figure
out, annotate it and set it aside for later. It’s less productive to stop and
look through the dictionary each time you come across an unknown word. Either
attempt to define the word within its context, or save it for later when you
have compiled enough words for dictionary use. Through annotating, it’s also a
smart idea to mark important characters, plot, and topics. This is useful for
writing summaries, outlining essays, or reviewing for tests. Everything will be more organized, which in
return will allow quicker access for whenever needed.
My professor, Brian Lewis, once said “There’s
a book for everyone. You just have to find it.” Certainly it may seem like
reading isn’t meant for some, but reading comes in many forms: magazines,
comics, poems, etc. There’s an infinite amount of stories to be told and
countless facts yet to be unrevealed. You just have to find the one that fits
your taste. Once you make a habit out of reading, incorporate these techniques.
It will be an efficient tool to get you through school, work, or just life with
time to spare.
We all remember that nostalgic "what if" moment in our lives, when doubt causes us to question if the choices we've made are the right ones – the best ones. It's the moment when we realize the odds of defeating some unbeatable obstacle are slim to none. While people can't deny the power of regret, persistence through hard times will yield the biggest rewards and most meaningful lessons learned. We should use understanding to look back at these past experiences, and to learn and grow from our mistakes. John Di Lemme once wrote that "the key of persistence opens all doors closed by resistance." In “Warriors Don’t Cry” by Melba Pattillo Beals, the author signed up with a group of eight others to take part in a trial of integration at the segregated Little Rock High School in Arkansas, in 1957. Although Melba had to carry the heavy burden of endangering her community, she remained strong for the sake of the future. With the help of her family along the way, she succeeded in giving freedom and equality a new meaning.
Everyone has their own definition of the word "freedom" and the memories associated with it. During the 1970s, when the Vietnam War was nearing its end, my parents and their individual families made their way separately across the Atlantic Ocean to live the American Dream. Even though I did not take part in enduring this journey with them, my parents related that their displacement brought them into contact with many unforeseen obstacles. They struggled tirelessly against language barriers, the unfamiliarity of a new culture, and the crippling burden of financial hardship. After suffering through the hardships of war and immigration, my parents attained some semblance of this dream to give my sister and me a normal life. Part of their journey was the transition from Arizona to California, an event which significantly changed my life, but also helped shape me into a stronger and independent person.
We were fortunate living in Arizona, but our family always wanted to end up in California. My dad was living his dream managing his first successful restaurant, Miss Saigon. Ever since my grandma moved to Arizona as our head chef, Miss Saigon prospered due to her talent. But after four years, my grandma itched to move back to California where most of her family on my mother’s side resided. Of course the restaurant could have went on without her - but after much debate, the family decided to take a leap of faith and start a new life in California. In preparation of leaving, Miss Saigon was sold to Steve – my dad’s best friend - and our beautiful house was left unattended until it could be sold. Letters of resignation were turned in, and transfer school papers were readied. Within two weeks, we had said our goodbyes and were on the road to Southern California.
In 2008, the move to California marked the beginning of our persevering struggle. We have grown accustomed to moving back and forth a handful of times, except this time things were different: we had left everything behind to continue my dad’s dream. After getting settled in, the family quickly started where they left off: they bought and renovated a restaurant in Cypress, CA and reused its original name, Pho #9. Everyone had a role at the restaurant that they had to take care of during their free time. My sister and I both went to school, and afterwards, we would be servers during the dinner rush working only for tips. My mom worked at a nail salon every day, so she took care of closing the restaurant and double checking receipts. The ones that were there throughout the day would be my grandma and dad, who took care of everything from cleaning, cooking, to customers. There was a steady amount of customers every other day, but at the end of the month, the profit margin never rose due to the bad location.
Financially, we continued to dig ourselves into a bigger hole. The house in Arizona couldn’t sell due to the bad economy. We continued to pay the mortgage as well as rent for our place in Orange County. As time went by, the sale price on the home gradually decreased to below asking price, until someone finally bought it after a year. It didn’t make up for the cost of a decade’s worth of renovating, but at least it was out of our hands. After a couple years of Pho#9’s opening, things continued to spiral downwards. Our savings was nearly depleted, and my parents had taken out multiple loans during renovation, some even in my name. Even if we wanted to move locations, we couldn’t afford to rent a place where Asian restaurants were booming. While on the verge of closing doors on my dad’s dream, an office next door to Pho #9 proposed a business deal. A couple others in the business plaza had already invested in the proposal, so my parents quickly agreed to hand over the last several thousand in cash. The profit return was said to be available within a number of months, so the restaurant remained open while we waited patiently. After about two weeks, a “For Rent” sign went up for the office next door. Phone calls went straight to voicemail and emails no longer functioned – my parents had been scammed out of their final savings. The only thing left to do was to dust our “For Rent” sign and close up the restaurant for good.
Letty Pogreblin once said, “if the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable.” In times like these, it was important that our family stick together and help each other get through. It was no longer possible to continue renting the house in Orange County, so we moved in with my grandparents that lived nearby. The four of us shared the master bedroom, while my grandparents had the only other available room. The idea was to split the rent with them, but the problem was that everyone was unemployed. My mom took care of us with food stamps that we were now eligible for, along with her pay from the nail salon. My dad sold his car - a ’95 Cadillac - and started carpooling with my mom whenever needed. I even started selling off my personal belongings – clothes, furniture, and video games - on eBay to help out with rent, but also to pay for gas to get me to school. After a couple months, my dad got hired as a server for a restaurant, but everything we earned went towards paying off the mountain of debt we had buried ourselves in. After some time, I decided to take a permanent break from school to find a full time job to help my parents with their burden.
During these desperate times, it was only normal for our family to turn to God to answer our prayers. I began to feel trapped in this never ending cycle of work and paying off my parents’ debt. Praying was the only thing left that helped us remain strong. Attending church became a regular thing since it was the only time that the family was able to spend time together. Around summer time, some family members from Arizona came to visit for vacation. As we gathered to have lunch, it became a long meeting about our financial troubles. This was also the first time in many years that I saw my mom break down in tears. Our prayers were finally answered: my aunts and uncles wanted to take care of our problems. A couple thousand was given to my dad to buy a used car. The rest decided to take over paying off the debt monthly, while the money we make can go towards bettering our lives. For once, things were starting to look up again.
As we gradually rebuilt our family’s foundation, things were starting to look on the bright side. My dad got promoted to assistant manager, but he also had to take on more hours. Although it meant less time with the family, it was his way of quickly getting back on his feet. I also got promoted to computer sales, which I continued working full time. This time around, I was able to save everything I made. By the end of the year, I was able to move to northern California. Living on my own is surprisingly hard, but I gained a lot of experience taking care of myself during our hard times. I also started going to school again, but this time it was different. I’m going to try my absolute best in graduating, in hopes of someday allowing my parents to retire early.
When we journey through life, there will be countless times when we want to give up. Instead of taking the easy way out, we should learn from it and push forward. I grew up spoiled by my parents until I got a wake up call that motivated me to keep my priorities straight. By experiencing these hardships, I have been molded into a stronger, more capable individual who would never allow my family to be in poverty again.
(The song represents society's image of marijuana, while the slides show the reality of it's progress)
Marijuana has been spoken ill of for over a century in America. This “drug” is associated with negativity, and its street names are wide and many: grass, hash, hemp, bud, pot, herb, chronic, dope, weed, mary jane, and cannabis. Even those who are against it cannot deny its popularity; TIME reports that 42% of surveyed American adults reported have tried it. What many don’t understand is that humans have positively interacted with marijuana since the beginning of recorded history. The depth of marijuana’s practical uses, both medicinally and recreationally, is lost in the battle of undeserved rep it’s generated. Despite the legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado in November 2012, the government may soon impose federal law and overrule the states’ decisions. I strongly believe that the legalization of marijuana is a groundbreaking stepping stone to positive economic and health benefits, and it’s important that the public learn to debunk its negative image.
Marijuana has always had a significant place in history, first brought to the New World in the 15thcentury by the Spanish (CannibisNow). There are over 30,000 uses for hemp, and it’s environmentally responsible with biodegradable properties. It’s a durable plant used to produce seed, pulp, and medicine.Historically it’s been used as food, in textiles, and for medical use in 2737 BC by the Chinese for labor pains (CannibisNow). It was a principal crop at Mount Vernon, where George Washington lived, and at Monticello, Jefferson’s plantation. Most famously, humans have used it for paper and fuel. It was once estimated that if hemp were legal, it would replace over 65% of all wood paper products. Conspiracy theorists maintain that it is the heads of the paper industry that support against its decriminalization.
Marijuana is not particularly addictive, and acts as a boundary rather than the harmful, so-called gateway drug many believe it to be.In fact, most marijuana users never use any other illegal drug and most users only smoke infrequently. According to a Federal Institute of Medicine study published in 1999, less than 10% of marijuana users ever meet the clinical criteria for an addict. Tobacco and alcohol, both legal in America, showed 32% and 15% of dependent users. There are numerous cases of death from alcohol poisoning and nicotine overdose. The National Institute of Drug Abuse states that “cigarette smoking kills an estimated 440,000 US citizens each year,” more than alcohol, illegal drug use, homicide, suicide, car accident, and AIDS combined. It can damage almost every organ in the body and cause many forms of cancer, including the common lung cancer. A regular smoker can chain smoke through a pack of cigarettes a day, but a regular cannabis consumer can remain medicated for hours from lighting up only once. Only weed’s illegality makes users more vulnerable to the influence of other, more dangerous drugs. As reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 64.3% of illegal drug users used only marijuana in the past month. The other 35.7% gain exposure to other drugs through illegal purchases, as an opportunity for the dealer to push their products. According to Brown University, it’s also virtually impossible to overdose from marijuana.
The most controversial use has been marijuana’s medical treatment. It has been proven to effectively treat AIDS, rheumatism, glaucoma, arthritis, and other conditions including cancer. By legalizing it, marijuana will be even safer to consume through federal regulation. Marijuana is commonly used by cancer patients to reduce nausea as a pain reliever, as a sleep aid, an antidepressant, and to create an appetite. Recently, marijuana made headlines when a team of Spanish scientists proved that THC significantly reduced tumor cell proliferation in brain-cancer patients. Harvard University scientists reported that THC slows lung tumor growth and prevents it from spreading. Like a “heat seeking missile, THC selectively targets and destroys tumor cells while leaving healthy cells unscathed” (Daily Beast).
Marijuana has not clinically been proven to increase the risk of cancer, but positive results continue to show. Several studies have proven that long term smoking with weed will not lead to any elevated cancers of lung, breast, or prostate. It was actually shown to have reduced the risk of head and neck cancer in a 2009 population based case control study (Reuters). While short term memory is clearly affected by marijuana, people under the influence have no trouble when sober; the impairment lasts as long as the intoxication. No scientific evidence exists that long term users negatively suffer from loss of long term memory or other cognitive functions. CNN recently released a field report on the effects of marijuana on driving, motor performance, and perception. Unlike alcohol, which tends to drastically increase dangerous driving practices, drivers are often more cautious. Most of the problems were related to slow driving or frequent hesitation. Volunteers in the field report tested “escalating levels of stupor against the new baseline legal limits in Colorado and Washington.” (CNN) The finding was startling: users had to go five times over the legal limit before their driving became impaired.
Legal marijuana is estimated by Easton, an economist, to be a $45–100 billion dollar industry (Huffington Post) that can economically benefit our society. TIME reports that weed growers account for $14 billion in sales a year, making marijuana California’s most valuable cash crop. This is all untaxed profits for the illegal producers and “pushers.” Marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers $41.8 billion dollars a year. The government should be using potential tax money to lower our debt crisis or to support ailing public school districts. Through permits, Mendocino County raised $500,000 in 2011 for the Sheriff’s department. Oakland raised $1.3 million in tax revenue (Huffington Post). As of July 2011, there were more medical dispensaries in Denver than Starbucks franchises. Legalization will open up the door to a wide variety of other economic benefits such as farming, transportation, clinics, and vendors. There is so much unrealized revenue going to waste at the hands of illegal drug dealers.
Illegal marijuana is a $36 billion a year industry where the penalty for possession is abnormally high. According to the FBI, police prosecuted 858,408 persons for marijuana violations in 2009 alone. Marijuana arrest account for more than half of all domestic drug arrests, and marijuana inmates cost prisons $1 billion a year (Alternet). There are already overflow problems in our nation’s cells, and tax dollars should be used arresting and punishing criminals who have committed a more serious breach of law. More legal vendors would lead to a lower crime rate. According to some studies, the crime rate within a certain radius decreased after a legal vendor opened up shop. In the areas where vendors closed down, the crime rate went up.
Marijuana has been around for a very long time, and it’s not going anywhere. It has helped humanity in the medicine world and continues to break new barriers every day, such as reducing the risk of cancer. Although many still impose the idea of its legalization, they cannot deny the fact that it can benefit us therapeutically and financially. Colorado and Washington has taken the first step towards its recreational use, but it’s still up to us to help the rest of society realize that marijuana has always had a place in our world.
Works Cited
Bradford, Harry. "4/20: 16 Ways Marijuana Affects The Economy." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Apr. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2013.
"Could Smoking Pot Cut Risk of Head, Neck Cancer?" N.p., n.d. Web.
Lee, Martin A. "Marijuana Fights Cancer and Helps Manage Side Effects, Researchers Find." The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 06 Sept. 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2013.
