A little something I learned...

These are a few things I learned in the first half of this semester. It's amazing how much freedom college gives you to do either well or completely bomb. I've decided the easiest way to keep up with the class is one simple step, show up to class. By showing up demonstrates to the teacher that you are interested in learning and want to be there. Since in college no one is forcing you to be there it is up to each individual student to evaluate whether or not they want to get an education. Each class we miss is costing us or our parents a lot of money and is like throwing money right out the window. Another way to do well for the rest of the semester is to pay attention, take notes and be an active participant in class. Showing the teacher you are engrossed in the topic makes the teacher think twice before giving a student an A or a B. Even by just saying hello and goodbye to the teacher shows respect and can also help with class participation grades. Standing out to a teacher in a good way can only improve your grade, not hurt it. Studying of course will improve anyone’s grade. Whether you study every night what was taught in class or studying when there is going to be a test can make the difference between passing and failing. Procrastination is a “disease” that spreads quickly. Starting assignments when they are given can help reduce stress the day before they are due. School is hard enough as it is with work and a social life. Making it harder by not paying attention or studying when you have the time is foolish. Setting goals and having good time management can help a student be very successful in college.

Pollution

Promises have been made and broken in relation to pollution. Our world is slowly but surely deteriorating every second we live on it. Cars are the main source of the pollution that is depleting our ozone layer. Some car companies have tried to reduce the amount of pollution each car produces by creating the Hybrid class of cars which allow more gas per gallon and emit less waste into the atmosphere. Other sources are the trash we throw out everyday. After we bag the trash, put it in the can outside, and the garbage trucks come and take it away, we don't stop to think where this trash goes. On Staten Island it used to be stored behind fences by the mall but the mound of trash became so big they couldn't store anymore garbage there. It is now put on barges and shipped out to New Jersey. Many people don't give thought to the gum wrappers, plastic bags, or other trash they throw out their car windows, or drop on the gound. All of this trash eventually emits waste into the atmosphere causing the ozone layer to thin out even more. Recycling cans, bottles, and paper has become mandatory so we can reuse our trash and make it into something useful. This has reduced pollution somewhat but its still bad. Animals are dying because of all the trash in our oceans that they eat, or get stuck to. People don't seem to react unless it happens to them personally, but when that happens it will be too late. Something needs to be done now to stop our world from deteriorating. What that something is no one has been able to discover yet, but the little things that can be done help tremendously.

Britney Spears

It doesn't shock me that every magazine I pick up has Britney Spears on the cover. Since she is a celebrity and people love to read about the mistakes they make, she has been in every magazine since her performance of "Give Me More" at MTV's Video Music Awards. Spears' performance wasn't one of her best but how could it be with all the stress shes been through. Getting married, having two kids and getting a divorce could put quite a strain on a person, especially a celebrity who has to watch every move they make, assuring that it won't be used as gossip in the next magazine. Granted, she shouldn't have taken the offer to be the opening act in the VMA's since she knew the pressure it would put on her, but she took her chance and has ended up in a sticky situation. Now trying to come off a drug and alcohol addiction, she has lost custody of her two children until she cleans her act up. Many are trying to help Britney in any way they can. Even Justing Timberlake and his mother have tried to lend a helping hand to her, but she doesn't seem to want the help. You Tube videos by Chris Crocker still show that their are die hard Britney Spears fans out their. I am not a fan of Britney myself, but don't support the stories that have made this tough time for Britney even harder. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone deserves a second chance.

Breast Cancer Walk

The Breast Cancer Walk on October 21, 2007 in Clove Lakes Park was sponsored by Making Strides. It was a noncompetitive walk to help fight breast cancer and provide hope to people facing the disease. These walks take place all over the United States to try and help find a cure and make both women and men aware of breast cancer. I have been to the Breast Cancer Walk many times before and each year is better than the last. It is inspirational to see women, men and children walking for a cause. Survivors, family members of people who hadn’t survived, relatives and friends supported each other. It was surprising to me that so many people suffer with this cancer, some of which I know but didn’t know had the disease. The walk was about three miles but the shortened version was only a half a mile or a mile. Tents were set up, cheerleaders from schools all over the island, and sororities and fraternities came to help raise money for the event. That day over five thousand walkers raised over five hundred and thirty thousand dollars.

A Few Facts:

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts from cells in the breast. The disease occurs mostly in women, but men can get it as well. Worldwide, breast cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death. Among women breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death. Yearly mammograms for women age forty and older are solutions to detecting breast cancer early, when the disease is more treatable.

Music

Music is a big part of everything I do. Every word, sound and taste is music to me. Music is words in motion coming from every angle of life. A line in a song can define me or the situation I am going through. The lyrics are life with a catchy tune. I have fell in love with music. It is impossible to define music in just a word or even a sentence. Music can be used for communication, perception, social status ( rocker, punk, rapper, country, etc.), a form of language, and as simple as a sound. I would define music as a way to express what I am feeling when I just can't seem to find the words. It is very easy to relate to music of all different types. I do have specific types of music I like to listen to but it is better to listen to all different types of music to be able to see how other people express themselves. Music is life!

Money

I absoltuely hate that everything in this world has become all about money. We can't even turn on the faucet without spending money. Water that comes from our earth, that doesn't cost anyone a dime to make, all over the nation we are paying top dollar to have running water in our homes, and not at a cheap cost. Leaving your home and taking a drive in the car costs money and alot of it since the cost of gas is so high. Surviving life is at a high expense these days. No matter how much minimum wage or any wage goes up it will never be enough because the cost of living is so high. I can now understand why getting a college education and getting a very well paying job has become top priority.

Across The Universe!

For all you musical lovers out there, GO SEE THIS MOVIE! It was inspiring and uplifting. I was skeptical about it at first, thinking it was going to be boring since it takes place in an earlier time period when the Vietnam War took place. This movie brings this time period to life. It shows the ups and downs, the heartache and laughter, stuggle and triumph of people trying to make something of themselves. The music itself is all Beetles music. Even if you aren't a Beetles lover, it is hard not to get into it after this. The spirit of this music explains these peoples lives and the times of trouble they went through. Since love and drugs was a big part of the sixties, much of the movie depicts how a group of people use these as ways to release themselves. It seems like a crazy movie because of all the psychadelic references but after seeing the whole movie it is easy to see the meaning of every aspect of the movie. I encourage all to see this movie!