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...

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.

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...

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.