The movie we watched in class was called "An Inconvenient Truth." It was like a documentary about Al Gore and his motive to educate people about global warming. I actually liked this movie. It was very influential to me, since I am passionate about the environment like Gore. I give him props for going out on his own and talking about this global problem.
I found the information to be quite shocking. I had never realized global warming was that immediate. It was interesting to see the projections that were being made for 2010 and older and to watch the movie now and see what it is really like. I believe the projections made in the early 2000's were fairly accurate for today.
A memorable part of the movie for me was the animation of the land being overtaken by water. It was amazing to see part of the science behind the melting of the ice caps and ice lands. It was hard to see that so many people could be affected by such a small change in the ocean. I could not believe that things like that are happening without the general public's knowledge. Well, I guess the general public would not care. I am just not the general public. I look at this problem as serious. I think the public should care and be warned and knowledgeable on this subject. What could happen just possibly might.
Another memorable part of the movie was the credits. I do not really know why. I think it was the combination of the music and the impact of the words. I felt sad and wanted to do something to help save the earth and our lives.
This movie has motivated me to reach my dreams of helping save the planet. I do not know what kind of occupation I want, but I know I want to be involved with something that impacts people's lives and the way they live.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Social Wheel
On the universal social wheel, I see myself in the Socially Responsible Daily Behavior and the Direct Service.
I fit into the Socially Responsible Daily Behavior because I do my part to make the world a better place each day. I recycle and pick up trash on campus. I adhere to the Wartburg Honor Code. I am involved in student employment and greet others who are just walking by. I fit into Direct Service by being apart of the Volunteer Action Center and service trips. I volunteered at a haunted house and I plan on going on a service trip during winter break.
These aspects affect me in a good way. I feel good knowing I am helping others and their way of living. In turn, it also makes others feel good. By participating in direct service, I physically help others. I might help improve someone's house, feed the homeless, or just visit with them. I think this is the most rewarding action one can do. Being socially responsible daily is rewarding, but the effects are not immediate. They have more long-term effects or results, like recycling or riding your bike instead of driving a car.
I fit into the Socially Responsible Daily Behavior because I do my part to make the world a better place each day. I recycle and pick up trash on campus. I adhere to the Wartburg Honor Code. I am involved in student employment and greet others who are just walking by. I fit into Direct Service by being apart of the Volunteer Action Center and service trips. I volunteered at a haunted house and I plan on going on a service trip during winter break.
These aspects affect me in a good way. I feel good knowing I am helping others and their way of living. In turn, it also makes others feel good. By participating in direct service, I physically help others. I might help improve someone's house, feed the homeless, or just visit with them. I think this is the most rewarding action one can do. Being socially responsible daily is rewarding, but the effects are not immediate. They have more long-term effects or results, like recycling or riding your bike instead of driving a car.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Haunted House
Yesterday, Friday, I volunteered at a haunted house along with Sam, Emily, and Kellie. I volunteered for about five hours. The name of the house was called Panic Park. The event was put on by the Black Hawk County Conservation Board. All the proceeds went towards next years haunted house. It was in the country outside of Cedar Falls, located in timber. It consisted of a house and a maze.
I had never been to a haunted house before and I do not like them. I do not know why I volunteered to be in a haunted house, but I thought it would be fun. Walking up to the house was scary. People were already dressed in their costumes and was walking around scaring the other volunteers. This freaked me out. I was hanging on to Sam's arm. After a while, I got used to the costumes and just had to realize they were people and would not hurt me. My first job was going to be working a slam door, which is just a wood window that drops and makes a really loud noise. I would be wearing a mask because people could see me when the window was open. I decided against that and picked an easier job. My job for the night was working a pulley to release a corpse hanging from a tree. I was located at the exit of the house and the entrance to the maze. This was a really boring job. All I had to do was watch for the people walk by as they exited the house and release the corpse. I had to learn to time it just right to scare the people more.
There was two disadvantages to this job. One, it was outside and it was cold that night. I did not think that I would be working outside so I only wore a light jacket. Luckily, another volunteer let me wear his coat. And two, my hands hurt from pulling the corpse back up to reset it. The rope was rough and scratched my hands.
All together, it was a good experience. I was happy to help scare people and to help out a good cause. After volunteering, we received a free meal and t-shirt. The hot cocoa was delicious!
I had never been to a haunted house before and I do not like them. I do not know why I volunteered to be in a haunted house, but I thought it would be fun. Walking up to the house was scary. People were already dressed in their costumes and was walking around scaring the other volunteers. This freaked me out. I was hanging on to Sam's arm. After a while, I got used to the costumes and just had to realize they were people and would not hurt me. My first job was going to be working a slam door, which is just a wood window that drops and makes a really loud noise. I would be wearing a mask because people could see me when the window was open. I decided against that and picked an easier job. My job for the night was working a pulley to release a corpse hanging from a tree. I was located at the exit of the house and the entrance to the maze. This was a really boring job. All I had to do was watch for the people walk by as they exited the house and release the corpse. I had to learn to time it just right to scare the people more.
There was two disadvantages to this job. One, it was outside and it was cold that night. I did not think that I would be working outside so I only wore a light jacket. Luckily, another volunteer let me wear his coat. And two, my hands hurt from pulling the corpse back up to reset it. The rope was rough and scratched my hands.
All together, it was a good experience. I was happy to help scare people and to help out a good cause. After volunteering, we received a free meal and t-shirt. The hot cocoa was delicious!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Outfly!!
Today was Outfly! It was Harry Potter themed, by the way.
My day started at 6:30 am when I heard yelling outside. I woke up my roommate and we waited. We waited because we were not for sure if it was really Outfly or not. We waited until the RAs pounded on our door. We got our warm jackets on a hurried outside to the crowd of people. There was a lot more people there than I thought there would be. We ended up standing around for about a half hour before they declared Outfly and rang the bell. I then had to still work at 7:45. This was not as bad as it sounds. I work the dish line. It was really busy, but the team rocked it! We also still got to eat breakfast. I loved the dining hall. The floating candles were awesome.
After work I relaxed until lunch and then after lunch I went and got a pink extension put in my hair. Most of the proceeds from the extension went to breast cancer research. After that, I went a got my cartilage pierced. I am glad I did it. I am also glad I did not get a tattoo. I want to get a tattoo that has meaning and purpose and I want it to be memorable when I get it. It would have not been that memorable today. The place was packed and I felt like they would be rushing through people just to get done.
After the piercing, I came back to my warm dorm and did some homework. It was hard to concentrate. Later, I went to dinner and had butterbeer! It was nothing like I imagined it being, but it was good. After dinner, I came back and did more homework and now I am writing this.
My first Outfly experience, I'd say, was a good one. I got to experience the main highlights of the day. The theme was really cool and the decorations and imaginations were great. I cannot wait until next year!
My day started at 6:30 am when I heard yelling outside. I woke up my roommate and we waited. We waited because we were not for sure if it was really Outfly or not. We waited until the RAs pounded on our door. We got our warm jackets on a hurried outside to the crowd of people. There was a lot more people there than I thought there would be. We ended up standing around for about a half hour before they declared Outfly and rang the bell. I then had to still work at 7:45. This was not as bad as it sounds. I work the dish line. It was really busy, but the team rocked it! We also still got to eat breakfast. I loved the dining hall. The floating candles were awesome.
After work I relaxed until lunch and then after lunch I went and got a pink extension put in my hair. Most of the proceeds from the extension went to breast cancer research. After that, I went a got my cartilage pierced. I am glad I did it. I am also glad I did not get a tattoo. I want to get a tattoo that has meaning and purpose and I want it to be memorable when I get it. It would have not been that memorable today. The place was packed and I felt like they would be rushing through people just to get done.
After the piercing, I came back to my warm dorm and did some homework. It was hard to concentrate. Later, I went to dinner and had butterbeer! It was nothing like I imagined it being, but it was good. After dinner, I came back and did more homework and now I am writing this.
My first Outfly experience, I'd say, was a good one. I got to experience the main highlights of the day. The theme was really cool and the decorations and imaginations were great. I cannot wait until next year!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Homecoming!
This weekend was homecoming at Wartburg! It was not what I was expecting. I did not realize that so many alumni come back for this.
Since I work in the Mensa, I knew it was going to be a big weekend, food wise. I had to work extra shifts and had to waitress at a dinner on Friday and the Sunday brunch. I now fully respect the people that put on these events. When I came for scholarship day and visit days, I liked how the tables were set and just did not realize how much work was put into it. By working with the special events, I understand how much work it really is. Having to place three hundred napkins all the same way and going around to every place making sure no silverware is crooked is a lot of work. The cleaning up takes the most time. After the silverware gets washed it needs to be polished and every single plate, candle, and flower has to be put back. This respect is like the one I developed for people who work in the dish line in the Mensa. In the mornings, I am apart of that. Now, when I eat, I stack my dishes nicely how I would like them to be stacked if I was doing the dishes and try to always clean my plate. We joke that we love the people who eat all of their food because it is the easiest to clean.
I knew this weekend there would be a lot of things going on. On Saturday morning I went to the parade. It reminded me a lot of my hometown parade we have every year. It had the small town feel. I really enjoyed the Renaissance fair. I learned about different clubs and organizations and was glad to help them out by buying food or whatever else they were selling. I was excited to get my beat Luther shirt! It was also nice to see the different local vendors, too. That was about all I did on Saturday. I did not go to the game because I had to work, but I saw the overtime. It was very disappointing! I did not go to Octoberfest because it looked pointless. I think it was more for older people who could consume alcoholic beverages.
Overall, I had a good weekend.
Since I work in the Mensa, I knew it was going to be a big weekend, food wise. I had to work extra shifts and had to waitress at a dinner on Friday and the Sunday brunch. I now fully respect the people that put on these events. When I came for scholarship day and visit days, I liked how the tables were set and just did not realize how much work was put into it. By working with the special events, I understand how much work it really is. Having to place three hundred napkins all the same way and going around to every place making sure no silverware is crooked is a lot of work. The cleaning up takes the most time. After the silverware gets washed it needs to be polished and every single plate, candle, and flower has to be put back. This respect is like the one I developed for people who work in the dish line in the Mensa. In the mornings, I am apart of that. Now, when I eat, I stack my dishes nicely how I would like them to be stacked if I was doing the dishes and try to always clean my plate. We joke that we love the people who eat all of their food because it is the easiest to clean.
I knew this weekend there would be a lot of things going on. On Saturday morning I went to the parade. It reminded me a lot of my hometown parade we have every year. It had the small town feel. I really enjoyed the Renaissance fair. I learned about different clubs and organizations and was glad to help them out by buying food or whatever else they were selling. I was excited to get my beat Luther shirt! It was also nice to see the different local vendors, too. That was about all I did on Saturday. I did not go to the game because I had to work, but I saw the overtime. It was very disappointing! I did not go to Octoberfest because it looked pointless. I think it was more for older people who could consume alcoholic beverages.
Overall, I had a good weekend.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Teenage Brain
Today, I read an article in National Geographic titled "Beautiful Brains." This was answered the question, Why do teenagers act the way they do? It was a very interesting article. It explained the whole process to answering the question. I thought this was very relatable because I have been through the teenage stage and sort of still am.
The article first explained that our brains go through a major reorganizing between the ages of twelve and twenty-five. The speed of the axons in our brain, the nerve fibers that send signals to other neurons, increases. The outer layer of our brain, where we do conscious and complicated thinking, becomes thinner, but more efficient. This process moves from the back of the brain to the front. The hippocampus, an area responsible for memory, and frontal areas that set goals and weigh agendas, get stronger. This allows us to integrate memory and experiences into the decisions we make.
The experts say that this process starts out clumsily. The brain needs time to mesh all of these new processes together. This is where the "recklessness" of teenagers start. In a study done by Beatriz Luna at the University of Pittsburgh, she used neuroimaging to study the teens brain. She set up the experiment by having three groups, children, teens, and twentysomethings. She recorded the brain activity of each of these groups while they were doing a task, which was you had to stop yourself from looking at a suddenly appearing light. This is a lot harder than it sounds. The children failed it forty-five percent of the time, teens only failed about twenty percent of the time along with adults. In looking at the brain scans, the experimenter saw that the teens used less of the brain regions than adults. When given a reward to do better, the teens pushed themselves to improve their score, which they did.
This result reminded me of one of the pieces we read in our IS reader. I believe it was the one by Schwartz. He explained that when we are given external incentives, we tend to think of the job we are doing as a chore and not doing it for the joy of it. This is different with the brain. When the subject was given an incentive he worked harder at the job. I do not know if this has much connection because in the Schwartz piece, he talks about how interested the subjects are after they are not given incentives to do the job.
Back to the article, it goes on to explain that the teenager has a higher preference for risks because they value the reward more than weighing in the risks. This entire process that our brains go through in the ten year span is essential to survival. So, when people think "Teenagers. What's wrong with them?" it is really that the brain is growing and developing and everyone goes through it. Adults just point out this out because it is annoying to them.
The article first explained that our brains go through a major reorganizing between the ages of twelve and twenty-five. The speed of the axons in our brain, the nerve fibers that send signals to other neurons, increases. The outer layer of our brain, where we do conscious and complicated thinking, becomes thinner, but more efficient. This process moves from the back of the brain to the front. The hippocampus, an area responsible for memory, and frontal areas that set goals and weigh agendas, get stronger. This allows us to integrate memory and experiences into the decisions we make.
The experts say that this process starts out clumsily. The brain needs time to mesh all of these new processes together. This is where the "recklessness" of teenagers start. In a study done by Beatriz Luna at the University of Pittsburgh, she used neuroimaging to study the teens brain. She set up the experiment by having three groups, children, teens, and twentysomethings. She recorded the brain activity of each of these groups while they were doing a task, which was you had to stop yourself from looking at a suddenly appearing light. This is a lot harder than it sounds. The children failed it forty-five percent of the time, teens only failed about twenty percent of the time along with adults. In looking at the brain scans, the experimenter saw that the teens used less of the brain regions than adults. When given a reward to do better, the teens pushed themselves to improve their score, which they did.
This result reminded me of one of the pieces we read in our IS reader. I believe it was the one by Schwartz. He explained that when we are given external incentives, we tend to think of the job we are doing as a chore and not doing it for the joy of it. This is different with the brain. When the subject was given an incentive he worked harder at the job. I do not know if this has much connection because in the Schwartz piece, he talks about how interested the subjects are after they are not given incentives to do the job.
Back to the article, it goes on to explain that the teenager has a higher preference for risks because they value the reward more than weighing in the risks. This entire process that our brains go through in the ten year span is essential to survival. So, when people think "Teenagers. What's wrong with them?" it is really that the brain is growing and developing and everyone goes through it. Adults just point out this out because it is annoying to them.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Reflection
This past weekend I went home. I enjoyed every minute of it. Honestly, I was really lazy. I am just going to reflect on college life so far.
I take going home as a privilege. I make the most out of my time here and when I am at home. I actually work a little harder if I know I am going home on the weekend because I want to enjoy my time home and not studying. Going home is a time for me to relax and enjoy. I feel like it is almost a reward for the few weeks I was a school. I love to see all of the familiar places, people, and sights.
I was surprised that I missed Wartburg when I went home. I missed my friends and wondered what they were doing. I missed my little home away from home. I have heard other people saying that over the summer they can not wait to come back to Wartburg. I am assuming that is because they miss their friends and the atmosphere of the campus. I think I will feel the same way.
I am enjoying college. I like the freedom to do whatever, whenever I want. I like having my "own place". I honestly do not mind the community bathrooms either. I used to be scared of them, but college has made me get over that. Also, I used to be a germ freak. I haven't been like that since I moved here. I think I just made up my mind that everything is not going to be clean and germ free so I just have to live with it.
So that is my thoughts right now. It will be interesting to see how they change in the coming year.
I take going home as a privilege. I make the most out of my time here and when I am at home. I actually work a little harder if I know I am going home on the weekend because I want to enjoy my time home and not studying. Going home is a time for me to relax and enjoy. I feel like it is almost a reward for the few weeks I was a school. I love to see all of the familiar places, people, and sights.
I was surprised that I missed Wartburg when I went home. I missed my friends and wondered what they were doing. I missed my little home away from home. I have heard other people saying that over the summer they can not wait to come back to Wartburg. I am assuming that is because they miss their friends and the atmosphere of the campus. I think I will feel the same way.
I am enjoying college. I like the freedom to do whatever, whenever I want. I like having my "own place". I honestly do not mind the community bathrooms either. I used to be scared of them, but college has made me get over that. Also, I used to be a germ freak. I haven't been like that since I moved here. I think I just made up my mind that everything is not going to be clean and germ free so I just have to live with it.
So that is my thoughts right now. It will be interesting to see how they change in the coming year.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
My Sister
Honestly, I have to say, I am running out of ideas to blog about. College life is not as exciting as it seems. It is just a lot of homework and thinking and the occasional fun night. I have resorted to talking about my sister, Hannah. She is just not my sister, but my twin. We were born two minutes apart, I being the oldest. We both weighed a little more than a pound and a half. We both had open heart surgery when we were only days old to repair an open heart valve. We have been through everything together, almost literally.
Growing up, I can remember us occasionally not getting along. We would argue and wrestle on the floor for fun. I remember complaining in the car about her being too close to me. I am sure my parents are thrilled with me bringing all of this back.
Since we are twins, people always ask us if we dressed alike or still do. When we were younger, my mom dressed us in the same pattern, but opposite colors. I guess this was also to tell us apart. As we got to the stage of us dressing ourselves, we went our separate ways. In a way we had the same laid back style, but Hannah's has always been a little more dressy. The nice part about being a twin is that our body shape and size is about the same so we can share clothes. Who wants to buy two of the same shirts when you only have to buy one? In high school, I think our minds thought a little more alike. We would come out of our rooms in the morning and both be wearing the same t-shirt. We would then proceed to argue about who is going to change. Some times we did not and people at school would be like, "Hey! You guys are twins today!" That kind of got old. I think that we should be able to wear the same shirt without being noticed like that. I think of it as like two friends accidentally wearing the same shirt to school one day.
Now that we are both in college, people have asked us why didn't you go to the same college. Well, for one, I think it was time to separate and go our own ways. We had been together for eighteen years and it was time. I think we did not go to the same college because every college has its own feel to each person. Yeah, I liked Luther, but it did not feel the way Wartburg did. Hannah felt the same way about Wartburg. It is also funny to think that we picked rival schools.
I feel like being away from her has made me appreciate what kind of relationship we have. We never get mad enough at each other to the point where we do not talk. We have always worked it out. I mean you can't be mad at your best friend forever. I feel like we cherish the moments more when we are together because now we only personally see each other like once a month if were lucky. She has always been there for me and I appreciate everything she has done for me. I still think about all the good times we have had and what good times are going to come.
Growing up, I can remember us occasionally not getting along. We would argue and wrestle on the floor for fun. I remember complaining in the car about her being too close to me. I am sure my parents are thrilled with me bringing all of this back.
Since we are twins, people always ask us if we dressed alike or still do. When we were younger, my mom dressed us in the same pattern, but opposite colors. I guess this was also to tell us apart. As we got to the stage of us dressing ourselves, we went our separate ways. In a way we had the same laid back style, but Hannah's has always been a little more dressy. The nice part about being a twin is that our body shape and size is about the same so we can share clothes. Who wants to buy two of the same shirts when you only have to buy one? In high school, I think our minds thought a little more alike. We would come out of our rooms in the morning and both be wearing the same t-shirt. We would then proceed to argue about who is going to change. Some times we did not and people at school would be like, "Hey! You guys are twins today!" That kind of got old. I think that we should be able to wear the same shirt without being noticed like that. I think of it as like two friends accidentally wearing the same shirt to school one day.
Now that we are both in college, people have asked us why didn't you go to the same college. Well, for one, I think it was time to separate and go our own ways. We had been together for eighteen years and it was time. I think we did not go to the same college because every college has its own feel to each person. Yeah, I liked Luther, but it did not feel the way Wartburg did. Hannah felt the same way about Wartburg. It is also funny to think that we picked rival schools.
I feel like being away from her has made me appreciate what kind of relationship we have. We never get mad enough at each other to the point where we do not talk. We have always worked it out. I mean you can't be mad at your best friend forever. I feel like we cherish the moments more when we are together because now we only personally see each other like once a month if were lucky. She has always been there for me and I appreciate everything she has done for me. I still think about all the good times we have had and what good times are going to come.
Hannah and I
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