Overall Impressions

Overall, I really enjoyed University 101! I learned about resources on campus, study abroad, and undergraduate research. I liked that we got to know everyone in the class right away. I feel that getting to know everyone so early in the semester really helped everyone open up in class discussions. The fact that everyone voiced their opinions so openly and received other opinions openly resulted in more meaningful discussions. I feel like I really got a lot out of the discussions. They really made me think about topics I had never considered and let me see differing opinions. Even though, overall, I didn't like "The World is Flat," I feel like I got a lot out of the group presentations. They were helpful because we got to hear the Flattners summed up by our classmates and discuss points that are important to us as students.

To be honest, however, the work load for the class turned out to be heavier than I expected. I also didn't like how the research paper was split up and dragged out and as I mentioned earlier I didn't like "The World is Flat." I thought it was the most boring texts I've ever attempted to read.

Blogging was very helpful by letting me reflect on my first semester. It helped me assess how I was doing throughout the semester and helped me make the most of the semester. Even though I have both positive and negative things to say about the course, overall University 101 was a positive experience.

Thanksgiving!!!

The one thing I am looking forward to most is Thanksgiving dinner. I love all of the food (except for the nasty yams with marshmellows). I love especially my mom's homemade mac and cheese and my very own chocolate pecan pie. I'm usually the dessert maker in the family. Last year I made both pecan pie and apple pie for Thanksgiving from scratch. I even homemade the pie crust from scratch. Both turned out great-not to brag or anything. :) Usually we have thanksgiving at our house. My mom and dad usually wake up early to start preparing. Us kids (my brother, sister, and me) wake up at our leisure. When we go downstairs the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is on TV. We sit and watch for a while, and when we get bored, help my parents prepare. My grandparents, my uncle. and my cousin come over to eat with us. My grandfather sits in front of the TV as he always does and watches the dog show that comes on TV after the parade every year without fail. My grandmother helps with preparing dinner. She always brings her homemade potato salad and my grandfather brings homemade roasted pecans (two more of my favorites). My sister and I set the table. I always find some fancy way to fold the napkins and my sister decorates place cards so everyone will know where to sit (even though they inevitably get moved around anyway). When it is time for dinner, my grandfather usually says the blessing. Then we dig in. Afterwards, we keep talking for a while then eat dessert. After eating, my brother, sister, my cousin, and me go outside and run around or throw a football. The adults talk and fall asleep on the couch. Before dark (since my grandpa can't drive in the dark), we say our goodbyes, knowing we probably won't see everyone again until Christmas, my grandma, grampa, uncle, and cousin leave. After everyone is gone we sometimes go out to see a movie. Sometimes we just stay at home and play a board game or something.

This Thanksgiving, however, will be different. For one thing, my brother won't be with us for the first time. He is spending this semester abroad in Ghana. So, we won't be seeing him until mid-December. But also, this year will be different because we are going to my aunt and uncle's house instead of staying at ours. There will be people there that I will not know from my aunt's side of the family. Though it will be different, I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year!

Extra Credit: International Dance Extravaganza

I've never been much into dancing but decided the International Dance Extravaganza might prove to be fun -- and it did! There was a bigger crowd there than I expected. We started by learning the steps to the samba, which is a brazilian dance. We all were facing a wall with a mirror and watching the instructor as she explained the dance. Once we all got the gist of it, we moved on to an Indian dance. This one was my favorite! I reminded me of the dance at the end of Slumdog Millionare, however, we danced to a different song than in the movie. I loved the beat and movements. Next, they showed us a video of a japanese dance. This one was quite unique. It was too long of a dance to learn the whole thing, so they showed us a part that repeats over and over. The fourth and final dance they taught us was the salsa. I really like this one too! I actually have salsa danced before because my cousin is really into salsa dancing and taught me the moves. So, I was glad to get a refresher on the basic salsa moves and learn some new ones. After they taught us those four dances, they repeated the favorites of the group, which were the indian dance and the salsa.

This was a very unique experience for me! I'm glad I went because I really love trying new things. If they did something like this again, I would not hesitate to go!

Leadership

So, what exactly is a leader? What qualities make a person suitable to be a good leader? For me, a leader is someone who can compel a group to willingly follow. A leader must have a goal in mind and a vision to attain that goal. A leader must be able to communicate exactly what the vision is and persuade followers to become passionate about it. There are numerous qualities that are necessary for becoming a good leader. One of my strengths as a leader is my openness to new ideas. Another strengh is my dedication. I will do whatever it takes to get a project done. Also, my inventiveness is a leadership strength. I can think outside of the box create new ways to get a job done. One of my weaknesses is my introvertedness. This is a weakness because leaders should be assertive and fearless. Also, due to my introvertedness, I don't feel like I connect well to other people. A good leader should be able to create good relationships.
This semester I havn't really made a difference at USC, but next semester, I hope to run for a minor leadership position in a student organization that I attend. I have also considered becoming an RM.

Mentee Conversations

My conversations about academic success and involvement went very well with my mentee. As far as academic success, she told me that she has all As and Bs. She determined that her goal is to make all As. I asked her how she thinks she can achieve her goal and she said she could study harder in the classes she is making Bs. We then went on to discussing several study strategies she could try.

As far as involvement, she has expressed to me that she would like to join the chorus next semester. This past meeting, however, she told me that she might be moving in January and might have to go to a different middle school. So, she may not be able to join the chorus. Currently, she is involved with the step team at a church and wants to join the step team at Hand.

Me and my mentee are connecting by playing computer games. Every time we meet, she leads me to the library and goes to a computer. She likes a website called funbrain.com where all of the games are educational. We play the games together and talk as we play.

I don't know how I will say goodbye to my mentee at our last meeting. I feel like I've barely had enough time to get to know her, and we already have to say goodbye. Maybe, I will bring her a gift or something. I will tell her how glad I am that I got to know her and I will wish her luck for the years to come.

Capstone Cinema

I went to see "The Sam Spady Story" to count as my Capstone Cinema. The presentation was quite moving. A speaker talked to us and then showed us a video about a college student named Sam Spady who died from alcohol poisoning. She had a very outgoing personality. She was class president in high school and prom queen her senior year. In college, she went partying at a sorority house with a group of friends and she was drinking all night. She was so drunk she couldn't walk. Her friends laid her down on a couch not realizing how wasted she actually was and left her there by herself. Her body was found dead the next morning while someone was giving a tour of the building. After her death, her parents created the Sam Spady foundation to make college students aware of the risks of drinking. The presentation was very effective. It explained the signs of alcohol poisioning and how to handle a situation if someone experienced those signs.

Capstone Conversation

This blog post is actually really delayed since I went to this event quite a few weeks ago. I went to the Capstone Conversation when President Pastedes spoke. He talked about making the most of your college experience and life. He told us to get involved as much as we can, to discover our passions, and to take risks. He recounted a story about a time he took a risk in life that I remember because I thought it was funny. Patrick Hickey asked him to go skydiving with the USC skydiving club last spring. He was very hesitant but eventually decided to do it. On the plane, the first tandem pair would jump out and yell "GAME." The next pair would jump out and yell "COCKS." The next would yell "GAME," and so forth. When it was Pastedes turn, he remembered hearing his tandem partner yell "COCKS" and before he knew it, he was falling from the sky. The funny part is after they landed, Pastedes said to his tandem partner as they parted, "Well, I guess I'll see you around campus." His partner replied, "You won't be seeing me around campus Mr. Pastedes, I go to Clemson."