Famous Last Words Week 8

This past week has been quite crazy as I have been recovering from being stranded last weekend! With all the snow days and missed classes, I’m sure everyone has had quite a crazy week also. I can’t believe that D-Bo cancelled so much class! Thanks again pres!! With spring break just around the corner, I decided to take full advantage of the snow and went sledding with a bunch of my friends over at Griffin Park. We had so much fun! I think we went all out because we knew this would be the last snow storm we would get before the weather begins to stay consistently warm. We had a massive snow ball fight also. I felt like a kid on christmas morning.

Anyways, one of the things that everyone has been ranting about this week is the video of SAE on campus. In light of recent events, it is important that we as a society realize that racism is still alive. I feel bad for the men who are forced to evacuate their home in the middle of their mid-terms. But, it is really great that president Boren sends a message that racism WILL NOT under any circumstances be tolerated on his campus. One thing that has bothered me throughout this whole issue is the fact that students are posting statuses on social media saying that they are “ashamed of their alma mater.” For starters, one stupid fraternity does not depict this university as a whole. I’m confused how people can say that they’re ashamed of their school just because of a handful of people. Obviously this is heartbreaking to our university, but I feel that our President has made it clear his stance on the matter which should make all of us as students at his university proud. Anyways, hopefully everyone’s voices will be heard. All I have to say is thank goodness next week is spring break!

Personal photo taken March 2015.

Commenting Review Week

Everyone in this course is coming from different backgrounds and majors. Some of us have been in college for 5 years straight while others are just going through the second year or so. No matter what, everyone is at different stages of their academic careers and so we all have different styles and levels of writing. For example, I am not a very great writer and I know that. So having other students comment on my blogs really helps get a different perspective. I am always up for learning and I think we can all learn from each other in this course.  Having other students comment on my blog helps me make sure I’m on the right track and it helps me fix problems in my writing that I would not have previously noticed.

When writing a short comment, I usually focus on the author’s note and why they chose to write that way. When leaving a long comment, I start with the title and author’s note. From there I look at how they write, and try to relate it to what they are trying to get at. I think a title can really catch readers attention so if it is super original and catchy, then I always make a comment about it. The most important part of receiving and giving comments is to be critical but yet give positive reinforcement. It is really important on the receiving end to not take anything personally. After all, at least we don’t have to see these people face to face!

  

Photo found online. 

Writing Review Week

Upon entering this class, I didn’t know what to expect.  When I found out that we would be writing blog posts every week along with a project that included more writing, I was immediately overwhelmed. However, as time has gone on I think this class has helped me get over a “writers block” as some would call it. Because I am a science student, my courses have not required me to write like this. In combination with a couple other courses, this semester has required more writing than all of my undergraduate work combined. This class in particular has really helped me just flow. It also has helped work the creative side of my brain {which has always been lacking}. I usually am given information, memorize it, and the regurgitate it. This class has taught me to take information, digest it, and then put my own unique spin on things. I have learned so much because of it! 

For the second half of the semester, I’d like to bring more quotes into my stories. I have been avoiding a third person point of view because I dread the writing part with commas and quotation marks. It would be a disaster to critique! I have read many other students blogs that have included this type of writing so I think if I continue to read a few more I may be comfortable enough to do it myself. I really enjoy the feedback that I’ve received and given to students. Part of being a college student is to learn. Although we turn to our professors for guidance, it is amazing how much we can learn from our peers. This class has taught me to do so even more than before. I am truly amazed at what this class has done for me. I came in wanting to learn about some awesome stories (which I have ) but I also get to leave with a whole new appreciation for authors, peers, and of course my professors. This has been really rewarding because it is unlike any class I’ve taken. It will be wonderful to look back at the blog that I’ve been compiling for a whole semester. 

Image found online. 

Reading Review Week

The readings in the course thus far have been different versions of the traditional Indian epic, the Ramayana. We started with Narayan’s version, which is the first version I’ve ever encountered. In fact, I’ve never read any sort of indian epic until this class, which is why I took it! After two weeks of reading Narayan’s version, we turned to Buck’s version of the Ramayana. It may just be preferential because it was my first, but I preferred Narayan’s version, I felt that Buck’s version pointed more focus on parts of the story that I personally did not find quite as important. I really enjoyed the Reading Diaries because they help keep me on track with the readings. In retrospect, I forgot quite a bit of what I had read. One thing I have really enjoyed is the Pinterest portfolio. It gives me a visual to what these character are like because I am very much a visual learner. My favorite character from the Ramayana is Hanuman. Upon further investigation on Pinterest, many other people found him as a really strong, loyal, and cornerstone character also. The photos I found of him always depict him in a very loyal manner.

If I had one word of advice for future students, it would be to get your work done ahead of time. Although past students seem to have pounded that into our class, I couldn’t agree with them more. The assignments really don’t take very long but it is important to get ahead instead of behind because it can seem overwhelming. If you don’t understand the reading at first, read the the Reading Guides. They are so helpful! Also, if you can’t decide what you think about a character, make sure to look up the Ramayana online. There are many different websites talking about the story because it is such a legacy.

Photo of Hanuman and Rama found online.