Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Last Blog (12)

Reflect back on this semester. *Have you met anyone new who is important to you?

I really haven't met any single person that was all important, but I have met a few individuals that i consider to share the same interests as me so I hang out with them.


Have you rekindled any old friendships that have made you stronger?*

Not as of this year.


Have you experienced any major changes academically or personally?*

Ha yeah. Academically, I'm actually doing a hell of a lot better than i expected at the beginning of the year.


What is your one BEST or FAVORITE memory of this semester?

My favorite memory of this semester was tomorrow for the pizza party/final exam time...i know this doesn't make sense...but it will be my favorite memory.


*How will you live your life to the fullest?

I will continue to work hard to achieve the goals that i have set for myself to have a bright future in my career and my life.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Blog 11

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” –Stephen Covey



1) Reflect upon what you read in Chapter 11 of Thriving in College. What does this quote mean to you or how can you apply it to your life?

This quote can be interpreted in many different ways for many different people. To me, I can use this quote as a guide for seeking answers to complex situations in life. If there is something that I have an issue with, i can think of this quote. It will allow me to believe that I have to know why the conflict with the certain issue is there and comprehend the opposing view of the conflict. When I can decipher the opposite view point I can try and compare my view with the opposing view. From here, I can find a compromise for the problem and accept the reasons why the issue exists.


2) (Refer to page 380 of the text): Are you a “Crisis Tickler,” “Withholder,” “Irritator,” “Blamer,” or “Gunnysacker?” Explain.

This is awesome. I am definitely an irritator. If i want to voice my opinion on something debatable, I will. I disregard everyone else's opinion when I am pissed off and try to piss them off by saying something that isn't really necessary and refute their view. If there is a political issue, for example the fact that Obama was elected as president for our downtrodden country, I can say that Americans have no right to bitch about him struggling when they were the ones who voted him in the first place.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Blog 10

Chapter: 11 - please answer the following question on your Blog.

"Who are the people in your life that you tend to turn to for social support when you are experiencing stress or need personal encouragement?"

The people that i turn to for social support when I am experiencing stress or other issues would be my friends, family, and my girlfriend. If I am struggling over a certain issue, I usually vent on everyone that I know and let them know what is going on. Usually they can give me advice on what to do and i can take each individual advice and combine it into one whole plan. It really helps when you can get 3 different sides and be able to decipher the information. My lone example of this, is my problem with CIS 110. This class is a bitch to get into and I've been working hard on receiving information from anyone i know....even Dr. Kahn...lol...I will be seeing her on Wednesday about the issue, but I dont know if i will actually get anywhere...

Monday, November 10, 2008

Blog 9

1) What are you most stressed-out with at the moment? Why? Is your body re-acting to this stress? Devise a plan to deal with it.




The thing that i am the most stressed out about at the moment is the fact that i have a major Anatomy exam tomorrow and i really hope i pass it with flying colors. It's crucial I get an A on it so i can be well on my way to my 4.0 goal. My body is not really reacting to it because i am not getting headaches or anything like that.




2) FFN: Chapter 8 / This is a creative writing exercise! Read the following scenario and finish it based on your knowledge after reading Chapter 8. You are "Raul" and have just immigrated to the American West illegally from Mexico. You brought your wife and two young children with you on a frightening and expensive 4-day journey in the back of a beat-up truck to arrive in Texas. You can't find work there and Border Patrol is cracking down, so you decide to migrate north a bit where you have relatives in Colorado. You are hired on the spot by ConAgra to work in one of their "beef processing" plants. -Describe in sensory detail your place of employment. (What's it look like, what is going on, how do people act, what do you wear, what is your job? etc..)-How much $$$ do you earn?-How do your days go? What are your work hours and what do you do after work?-Where do you live, what do you live in, how is your quality of life?



The plant is very large and smells of death. I can smell the cut slabs of meat from cattle being processed in the assembly line. Many workers are constantly cutting each piece smaller and smaller when it reaches to each individual post. They start off with a large half of a cow and rip away the bones. It is a disgusting and degrading place to work. No breaks are allowed and we are working for only about 4o cents an hour. Just last week, a fellow co worker got his hand lacerated in a large meat slicing unit. It was a deep cut, and the bosses made him keep working, until it was to the point where it wouldn't stop bleeding and they were forced to replace him. He was not allowed to come back when he was sent to the hospital. A new guy took his place and is doing the same shit he was doing. We all wear the same uniform; just blue old rag-like unis. My job during this miserable job is to bash the cattle in the head when they are being prepared for slaughter. It is a horrible thing for me to do, but I must do this to support my family.

I typically earn about 50 to 75 cents an hour because of what i do. However it's definitely not enough to support my family and it's a downtrodden situation at this point. I never have good days unless a raise is put in place up 5 cents, but that doesn't really happen. My work hours suck since i typically work about 12 hours a day with no breaks for not very much. It is a difficult and stressing job and I hate it with a passion. Usually after work, I go home and sleep for awhile and then ponder how the hell I'm suppose to keep doing this and make it in the real world. My family and I are currently living in a small house (if you want to call it that) just outside of Colorado Springs. We struggle for food and my job is the only thing keeping us from complete poverty. It is miserable and wish things could be different. We are all miserable here, but we have no choice. Living in the middle of nowhere is not the best thing for me or my family and things will hopefully change in the future if U.S. doesn't collapse first....if the U.S. falls...our quality of life will just drop to one step above being slaves....

Monday, November 3, 2008

Blog numero huit

1. Now that you have been in UN100 for 10 weeks, have your study habits changed?
I believe my study habits have changed to a more routine pattern of how i want to study for classes. I make sure i know the dates of important exams and quizzes and write them down. Then, if there is about a week remaining before an exam, i will take my notes and review pieces of them each day up to the exam date. It seems to work since i'm almost at my goal of a 4.0.



2. What is the most beneficial skill/concept you have learned in UN100.
The most beneficial concept I have learned in UN 100 is time management. This allows me to have a less stressful agenda with the many classes that i'm currently attending and sort out time I need for each class for studying.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Blog VII

1) Post your favorite lyrics, poem, or quote for this week.

Favorite Quote: " I would sacrifice the strength and wisdom that i've gained, for the happiness that i spent to be better off." ---C. Uhazie

2) Develop two reflection questions that you would ask your students at this point in the course if you were a UN100 Professor.

Question 1: Have your goals changed since the beginning of your college career?
Question 2: Are you satisfied with the results of your classes over the course of the first semester?


3) What are you passionate about? Why?

I am passionate about my grades because I feel that if i can handle the workload i have this semester, i can handle what the real world has to offer. I like knowing that i can do well in these courses and have a chance at a 4.0 gpa.


4) How are you going to finance your three years of the Radiology program? If you will be in debt from student loans at the end, calculate roughly how much you will owe upon graduation?.

I'm going to use financial aid and grants from Michigan to pay for at least my first 2 years..and figure out what i'm going to do after that....hopefully move out west and take out a loan for my 4th year. I would have to guess that i would owe around $10,000 after school.


5) Have you changed your mind or do you have any new concerns about your program of study after our guest speakers today (Dr. Foley & Joanne)? Are you thinking of a different major or are you dead set on Radiology? What behavior(s) will you maybe have to change in order to keep up with and make the cut?

I have not changed my mind about the radiography program. I have dealt with people in the past and I feel that if i can volunteer at nursing homes to help the elderly, i should have no problem with helping cancer patients. I will have to keep studying and working hard towards the best grades possible (basically Anatomy i need to bring to an A) in order to keep myself in a great position to be accepted into the Radiography program.



6) FAST FOOD NATION (You should be reading through Chapter 7 at this point)Reflect upon the opening lines of Chapter 7:"You can smell Greeley, Colorado, long before you can see it. The smell is hard to forget but not easy to describe, a combination of live animals, manure, and dead animals being rendered into dog food."

I would have to say that i would hate driving through the town, smelling the foulest things possible. It is awful to suffer through the headaches caused by the smell and trying to sleep through the stench would be horrendous. It would get sickening and the factories are a hazard to human life.

-Have you ever read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair? If so, how does it relate to FFN?-How high is the employee turnover rate in the meat industry and why don't the packing plants see this as a problem?

I have not read "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, although I have heard about the book. It is terrible from the facts that i have heard in his book that actually take place in the meatpacking business. The employee turnover rate in the meat industry is 400%. They didn't see this as a problem because most of the employees are unskilled immigrants who work for cheap and are very disposable according to them. They are pretty much just numbers to the owners and can be replaced within months.

We discussed captive supplies of cattle versus regular farming. Reflect upon this quote from page 150:"To supply the beef slaughterhouse, ConAgra operates a pair of enormous feedlots. Each of them can hold up to one hundred thousand head of cattle..During the three months before slaughter, they eat grain..The grain fattens the cattle quickly, aided by the anabolic steroids implanted in their ear." -Do you think that these animals' emotions (fears, stress, anger) affect the meat we eat derived from them?

I really don't know if emotions would cause a noticeable difference in meat, however what they are doing with the cattle, is dispicable and steroids will change the chemical composition in meat causing those emotions to come about. It is harmful for people to consume tampered beef and something needs to be done to correct this major issue in the meat industry of the United States.

How?

I'm not entirely sure how the emotions would affect the meat, but I know the steroids would increase hormones changing the composition of the muscles and other parts of the cattle.

-How do you feel about eating steroids via consumption of "USDA Inspected" beef?

I cringe at the fact that we are eating manipulated chunks of flesh that may or may not be real by the time the beef is done going through every false flavor process that allows us to perceive the information provided to us is real. It is hard to know the truth, and it would be nice to know whether or not anything is real anymore....in the U.S.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Blog 6

Procrastination sucks...and at this very moment I am procrastinating by doing Seminar homework instead of studying for Froiland's monstrocity of an exam tomorrow. It will be a complete bitch and I'm going to regret not putting more work into the lecture notes if i don't get back on track....However, I'm still doing pretty good and i believe that procrastination will no longer be a problem in the upcoming weeks as this semester continues to go by extremely fast.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Blog V

What do you feel this course (UN100) should focus on? What do you need help in, specifically?

I feel that UN 100 should focus a little bit more time on college life, for example... how to get everything organized and not feel any stress about anything. I'm still kind of stressing out about not being able to get a hold of my advisor and i still have questions about what to do by the end of the semester. When do i sell my books?, When and how can I reserve my 2nd semester books?, and When I am able to register for my 2nd semester courses before they are filled up?. These questions have bothered me for awhile and i'm just looking for some answers. Class wise, i really don't have anything specifically to work on since im doing good in Chem, Anatomy, and English,....math is a little below standards at this point...but there is that make up test on Tuesday....

Monday, September 29, 2008

Blog IV

Ø What is your plan to get involved on campus? What are your interests? Will you or have you joined any student organizations? Which two events besides UNITED & Career Major Fair do you plan on attending?

I was hoping to find a volunteer group of some type since i've volunteered before in high school...and i know im pretty much answering your question with another question...but i was wondering if you could tell me whether or not there's anything available at the Hospital that i could participate in?...I really don't have much time for joining any groups...but volunteering when i do have time would be my lone option so far...and i plan on attending the MTU and NMU hockey games on the weekend of October 10th, since i've already been to a few football games.





Ø Fast Food Nation - Chapter 6:Ø What are some of the problems facing cattle ranchers?

Some of the problems facing the cattle ranchers would include...financial insecurity, forced obedience to major meatpacking corporations, and pressure to be able to sell cattle and trying to keep their land. The prices for cattle are dropped to such a low point that ranchers are barely breaking even...sometimes not at all..


Ø What are “captive supplies” of cattle? (“The four major meatpacking companies now control about 20 percent of the live cattle in the U.S. through ‘captive supplies’” (138). (See also p. 142).

The captive supplies of cattle are cattle that are either maintained in company-owned feedlots or purchased in advance through forward contracts. When cattle prices start to rise, the large meatpackers can flood the market with their own captive supplies, driving prices back down.

Ø What was the impact of the Chicken McNugget on the poultry industry?

The impact of the Chicken McNugget was a HUGE success for the poultry industry and changed the way chicken was sold..instead of chicken being sold in whole portions, they were sold in pieces, nuggets, or cutlets. More chicken was being eaten by Americans and the Tyson chicken processing company gained prosperity. There were 8 chicken processors that controlled about two-thirds of the American market.

Ø How does the nutritional value of a McNugget compare to a hamburger?

The nutritional value of a McNugget is a hell of alot worse than a hamburger now. It has twice the fat content per ounce than a hamburger does.




Ø How does the suicide rate for ranchers and farmers compare with the rate for U.S. citizens in general? Why?

The suicide rate for ranchers and farmers is now about 3 times the national average. The pressure and insecurity for these ranchers and farmers proved to be too much for them to take and the corporations would try their best to suck every last penny out of these people.



Ø Do you feel as if there is any healthy fast food available to consumers? If so, where and why? Give specific examples of products.. Please be honest and support your opinions. For example, I feel that Subway's Veggie Sub is extremely healthy due to its freshly-cut produce, cheese, and fresh-baked breads. I actually talked to a friend who works at Subway and he said in MQT, they slice their own produce. (My fear was that it arrived pre-sliced and filled with preservatives). It's not organic, but it's a start.

The only healthy fast food available to consumers that i believe is found at Jimmy John's...I tried a sub there for the first time last week and OMG it was fricken amazing...it tasted so much better and so much fresher than any of the subs i typically would get at Subway or Quizno's. I really hope there are no secrets at Jimmy John's.....plus i dont usually eat fast food that often...maybe 3 or 4 times a month at best...but that would be it...

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Blog 3

Ø Describe your ideal Instructor/Professor.

My ideal instructor would be a person that is willing to help me out with material that i dont understand very well...I.E.. Math or some anatomy..and not just treat me as a number out of the crowd.


Ø “I knew it when I studied it, but I forgot it on the test.” How can students study differently to prevent this from happening?

....The funny thing about this..is that it actually happened to me on today's quiz for Chemistry...the question was How many outer or Valence electrons and how many TOTAL electrons there were in a neutral Fluorine atom?....and i put 7 Valence and 7 total...although i remembered there were 2 inner electrons on the very first shell of the atom...so frustrating...2 A-'s in a row...extremely disappointing...i should have had A's on the first 2 quizzes in Chem..stupid mistakes on both... but yeah anyways...Students could learn to read slower and repeat the important material to themselves to get that stuff stuck in their head so they can remember.





Ø How do you study for quizzes/tests?

I read the information over and over and over and over...and sometimes sound out the words and stuff to myself..and use visuals to help me understand the words being described...for example...a picture of transverse portion of muscle fiber...it shows the epimysium and perimysium and other junk...and so i try and get an idea where these parts are...and recite them to memory...


Ø What do you have trouble with on quizzes/tests?

I have trouble with making really stupid mistakes...the most frustrating so far has been my 2 very very very poor grades in Chemistry...A-'s to me are not acceptable....they are going to haunt me for the next week and a half before our next quiz...


Letter to McDonald's Reaction:

I can pretty much relate to what this person is saying about the on the job treatment at fast food. I worked at BK for awhile and i'm still technically employed...its not as bad as apparently McDonald's apparently is...but some of the things mentioned are pretty much relative. I had a manager that pretty much favored other crew members for no reason and yelled at me for stupid things all the time when i had no part in doing those stupid things. However, my main boss was awesome and i never had any problems with her..so when i've been working at BK it was not really that bad.. except for one of my managers. I got along with pretty much everyone and i worked as hard as i could to get drive time down and do my best. However, the employee that wrote a letter to McDonald's has every right to be pissed off. She or He or whomever, doesn't deserve that kind of treatment from people who are completely lazy and have a higher position. It's unethical and absurd to have someone that's a manager tell you to do stuff against procedure and treat you like shit.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Ø Reiterate a term or concept you learned in Anatomy this week.



Canaliculi- Referred to little canals..Where the osteoblast processes extend
communication between cells. Communication of nutrients and wastes
Only method this communication can occur because osteoid is solid and impermeable.








Ø List a few pleasant events that happened during your first weeks at NMU.



Hmmm....Pleasant events...this may be a tough one....well the food is great...Anatomy is not so bad...in fact its my favorite class...not the lab..the lecture...i went to a good football game between NMU and Northwoods.









Ø Where do you want to be (academically) in six months?



I would really enjoy being close to a 4.0 at least...if not..then ill settle for at least a 3.7 or 3.8



Ø List habits you already possess that make you successful in college.



Make my anatomy class the number 1 priority of all my classes and follow it up with Chemistry and 3rd would be Math. Med Terminology is so easy and i already aced the Mid Term exam....





Ø List habits (timewasters?) you can change or modify, or need to lose.



My main timwasters are visiting friends or just doing stuff that does not pertain to studying....msn especially..i dont need to lose msn ...but i need to stay off of it more often..





Ø Explain how you approach studying your a) textbook and b) notes.



When it comes to the textbook, i look at the headlines..and figure out what the section is pertaining to..then read over the material and memorize the important highlighted words and what they mean and what they do..(anatomy)...and for my notes...repetitive reading over and over and over and over and over again for memorization...although i already have good memorization skills.....*refer to Med Terminology grades*..and if i do well in Anatomy...my memorization skills will show...





Ø Explain how you determine what to write down in notes during lectures.



I write down everything that is extremely important for lectures...especially for Anatomy and Chemistry...whatever the professor says...is written down.





Ø FAST FOOD NATION:Ø Watch this short 1980’s McDonald’s commercial. McD’s reps have actually claimed they do not target children in their ads.. Pay attention to the tagline: “The Hamburglar is very clever and very sneaky!” Why is this ironic?

Well in my opinion, I believe the irony of it all is the fact that more children would be enticed to eat at McDonald's because of these cartoonish figures that try and persuade kids to come to McDonald's...plus there were a bunch of children's voices used in the commercial...

Ø Over the last several decades, fast food companies have aggressively targeted children in their marketing efforts. Should advertisers be permitted to target children who lack the sophistication to make informed decisions and are essentially being lured into eating high fat, high calorie food through toys and cute corporate mascots?

No they really should not be allowed to target children, because it is clearly obvious that the children would not understand what really is going on in fast food restaurants and the companies know that..so they use them as puppets basically..its immoral if you ask me...

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Ø List your own quote, favorite saying, song, or other expression of your feelings today.

My favorite song that would best represent my feelings as of today would be Afterlife by Avenged Sevenfold because i'm in a really crappy mood.



Ø Now that you made it to NMU – why are you here?

I am here to succeed in the classes that i paid for and to get the career that I have wanted since I decided back in high school.


Ø How did you choose this school?

I chose Northern because it was close to home; I'm from Iron Mountain so I am not that far away, and it had the program that was looking for to pursue my future career in Radiation Therapy.


Ø List initial observations of your new environment.

My first observations of college would be new location, new students, new teachers, new living quarters, and everything in between.


Ø List initial observations of your classes.

Some of my classes i believed to be pretty difficult... I was right on my anatomy class, however me and Dave formulated a plan that should help us succeed in acing the class. My chemistry class is not too bad, math is boring as hell, english is really easy, jazz band is fun since im a saxophone player, and Medical Terminology is a piece of cake..already going to take the mid term this week.

Ø What observations have you made about other students?Ø About your instructors?

Some people i met at first i thought would be cool or potential friends, but as i found out the hard way yesterday, you can't trust any body. My instructors seem pretty understanding and easygoing, so I believe i will not have any major issues with them over the year.

Ø What do you think will be your biggest challenge(s) academically this semester?

My biggest challenge academically this semester is getting a 4.0 especially with anatomy breathing down my neck and waiting for me to fall into a quagmire and screw myself over for my chances of getting into the radiography school next year.

Ø Finally, name one goal (personal, academic, etc..) you have for yourself next week.

Next week, i would really enjoy passing my 2nd Anatomy lab quiz, because the first one i didn't do so well on since i didnt really know what to expect, but now i have an idea and i believe i will do much better on this one...and of course pass my other classes too.