Farewell

This English class taught me a lot that I did not know about English or even about life. I learned how to argue without having to scream at someone. I used to think that in order to get my point across I had to yell at someone so that I could convince them of what I was trying to prove. I learned how to make my point by using rhetoric and convincing by persuasion instead of aggression. 

I enjoyed this class very much. The fact that we sat in circles, truly helped because this way we all felt equal and we were able to converse openly. I like being able to converse openly with the class and teacher. In other classes, we cannot speak up and talk openly which really bothers me. I feel like the teacher student relationship should be open to conversation and without it it's just a boring class. When we would talk in class we would learn by just speaking to each other. In a way it is as though we taught each other along with Natasha helping us learn.

Sometimes I think how much it sucks that not all classes are like this and some teachers will just come in and teach and you will never be nothing but a number to them. I think students learn better when they feel that the teacher actually has their best intention at heart and actually take the time to learn their names. 

So farewell ENC class I will miss you all and our many arguments that I learned so much from.

Skid Row

When I saw the video last Thursday on skid row, I was truly surprised. I had been to Los Angeles before. I passed through it when I went around California and I would never have thought that such a pretty place would have such a large center of homelessness. It really did impact me how there were all types of people on skid row. There were children who grew up there and they had no idea of another life. It really surprised me how such a rich city could have such a large number of homeless people living on the streets. The people who made the video, truly pulled off a convincing argument. At least I feel they did. They took all of their facts and statistics of the population that lives on skid row to appeal to their audience's logos. I felt as though their purpose was to try and convince people how even though there was all this richness in Los Angeles, the wealth is not being spread out evenly and the economy is only benefiting the upper class. I believe that the people who did this video wanted for everyone in Los Angeles to notice the truth that their city is not so pretty when you go a little south of the downtown area. They were trying to tell people that although it is up to the people on skid row to clean themselves up, it it the responsibility of the civilians to clean up their streets and help these people to clean themselves up as well. Any of us can end up in the same position and they just need a helping hand.

The producer of this video appealed in many ways to their audience, which was civilians of Los Angeles. He appealed to their sense of pathos by showing the amount of children who are homeless on skid row. The producer shows how some kids do not know any other life outside of skid row because they were born into it and they dont know any other way around it or how to make it happen. Children usually appeal to everyone's emotions. 

They were very convincing in their argument and used comparisons between two cities, Los Angeles and New York to show how much homelessness has increased in one city and declined in the other. This part showed the producer's solution to the problem that he believed to influence everyone. He showed that by building larger and more centers for homeless shelters, homelessness decreased in New York city when it had the same number of homeless people. Although the producer gave a convincing argument, he also did not convince the civilians of Los Angeles exactly why this was their problem. Because skid row is away from the main center of Los Angeles, nobody sees it. Therefore, why would they fix something they dont need to see on a daily basis? He appeals to the audience's pathos, but he fails to explain why this is a problem to the civilians outside of skid row.

Overall I believed that the video was effective to a regular person who has emotions. However, to a money hungry super power, they may not see this as their problem, and raising taxes to build homeless shelters and clean up the streets is just seen as an inconvenience for them and their wallets.

We are all equal?

I'd like to think so. But truth of the matter is, that there's always going to be that group that for some reason has it's exceptions. Why? I think it's because we make excuses for ourselves...We possibly can't be wrong, so of course they are. It's so messed up. It's like the KKK still existing in the 21st century. Just ridiculous. Why does human nature have to be so completely egocentric as to view everything out of the ordinary as weird and wrong? Besides how do we know that we're right? Maybe we're the one's with the wrong ideas in all of this. 

How long is it going to take for people to realize that in a situation where you're going to try to put yourself higher than someone else, you will eventually loose it all. In segregation, white Americans thought they were better. I mean they said everything is separate but equal. How is that even possible? It's ironic...why would you classify something as separate but equal? It just doesn't make sense. At the end though, it's always the so called "weirdos" that prevail. It may take a while...but it always ends up pulling through. What I also don't understand is what makes a man and a woman more suitable to adopt a baby than two men or two women. I mean are there specific standards or something you need to raise a child. No matter what humans are humans and heterosexual or homosexual, people make mistakes. People will always wonder if how they're raising their children is the best way possible. What makes one couple more loving to their children to than the other?

Like Natasha said, yeah maybe you're trying to protect the child, but what happens when the cookie-cutter wife and the businessman husband get divorced? Wouldn't a child be happier with two parents who love each other regardless of their differences? It's a very complex issue and I could keep going for hours. I just don't understand why people would want to get in between two people who love each other. I mean does a homosexual couple try to get in the way of a heterosexual couple? Are there any laws being banned against the union of one woman and one man? If there was, do you think the homosexual population would be voting to ban it? I don't think so.

What's up with School?

So I feel I have questioned almost everything our government has done so far...until I saw the arguments made on the law that was passed on education...Up to this point I thought that maybe that was the one thing government could not manipulate...how much knowledge we attain. Now granted, I am exaggerating a little. But in a way they really are controlling how much we learn. Its like they want all students to be like robots and do and learn everything the same way. Its like theyve forgotten other important factors like individuality and uniqueness in an individual. I mean arent those all important factors also? Just because one person knows how to compute numbers in their head doesnt mean they are as knowledgeable about the world when compared to a painter or a plumber. Besides, being knowledgeable doesnt necessarily mean being smart with numbers. Some people are smart with numbers and others are more artistic and prefer to use their minds for other things that relate to them. I really enjoyed and actually understood the argument that the teacher made. At first I thought maybe it was a little weird starting off with a grin and "welcome to the dark side". HUH? I was a little confused but the facts she threw out at me were kind of shocking. I had never really heard of this law...pretty much because I was just always pretty content with what was being given to me. What can I say? I didnt know any better and frankly as I was concerned I didnt really care to know any better. I felt it didnt concern me...when in reality it was all about me and students like me... I dont understand why the government in some ways is putting such high standards on school expectations...yet short standards on student progress. Ive never really understood the laws that have been passed by the government and maybe Im too naive to know or to want to know...but at the same time I want to know everything so that Im not manipulated because that I wouldnt want. So its one or the other...which to choose?

Super hero or Sidekick?

So, there's all this rave on these presidential candidates. And why should'nt there be? I mean it is a very controversial subject you know, politics. As previously discussed before in an earlier blog, I kept on saying how politics is controversial for the dinner table. Well, so now people out there keep telling us to vote and that it is our duty to vote. Now I do not understand how students who just turned 18, who basically did not pay attention in their high school government class, are told it is their duty to vote. Are you kidding me? What if the world was just composed of 75% of people who did not give a crap about the government? Then what? We would probably end up with a president who just sounds good and looks pretty damn hot, and hopefully that is the worst of it. Maybe adults, especially high school teenagers/adults, should be talking about politics more often. 

Now I am not going to lie, I hardly know about politics myself. Lately I have been trying to make up for the lost time by watching the debates,(which in some cases I have no idea what they are saying)<--this scares me, going on each presidential candidates website to learn a little about them, and every once in a while trying to listen to other people's debates on why they are voting for who they are voting. 

Presidential candidates always seem to give off a super hero kind of aura. It's a little disappointing once it fades. For one they promise all these things, that they don not end up keeping, and then, besides promising things, they promise things that they have absolutely no control over. What is that? It's POLITICS. So I looked up the literal definition of politics.

Here is what I found on Dictionary.com:

1. The science or art of political government

6. Use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining and position of power or control.

Umm? Do any of those sound appealing to you? Because you know, from what the definition states, it's an art or science that uses intrigue or strategy to obtain power. So it makes me wonder, who do you think are the people being intrigued under this artistic strategy? I am not going to say it isn't the right way to get the attention of people, it's finding out exactly what they are going to do after they have our attention. 

I have not yet chosen a presidential candidate. However, I have tried to make my decision by ways of research that include watching the debates. This may sound shallow but it is true when I say that the way a person presents themselves, means everything. Now both men in every debate, have been dressed properly and both address the questions they are presented(some more than others). However, what I have noticed is that one presidential candidate seems to address to a higher demand the concerns of most students who just became eligible to vote. Obama always stresses in all, if not most, of his campaigns that he wants to lower taxes for middle-class families so they can send their kids to college. For one he is gaining the support of a middle-class families, which is the highest percentage of the population, and he is also gaining the support of college students that are  in debt because of loans to be able to go to college. He 

gives hope to these people. On the other side, McCain in his debates always shows to be a little rude when he is always interrupting and seems to be a little narrowminded.

Truth is I still have no idea who I am going to vote for and if I have enough time before the election if I even will be voting. I guess unconsciously I know.

Exposed to Politics

Throughout my entire life I never really gave a damn about politics. I always figured it didnt matter because basically everything that went on in my individual everyday life was pretty much okay. I hardly ever saw any horror of what a person can truly do and it NEVER would have occurred to me that someone on our side would ever try to hurt us. I had never really understood why people have such negative comments about politicians and why they were always such "liars". Truth is that the concept is still a little hard for me to understand. However, I feel like im a little "eyes wide open" now. After watching the second clip of Natasha's blog, I grew REALLY scared. It was so scary to me how these thoughts even occurred to people. I was wondering why it would never occur to me? Why would someone think this? Is it possible that the government could truly do something this evil? While watching the clip I gre extremely confused which isnt ever truly rare for me because im always confused. But I was never really ever scared of my government and that was weird. It's just always been so logical to me that we have these people that we choose that are supposed to be helping us make this place, that we live in, better than it is. I believe intentions here are all wrong. I dont know whether i agree or disagree completely with all the things that the government does, but one thing I have realized is that the "TRULY GOOD INTENTIONS" are never there. For politics theres always a reason for the intentions and its usually for a "give and take" reason. I'm not sure if the government was in on the September 11th attack and I dont know if I should believe that people can truly be this way. Sometimes I think its better to be naive but knowledgeable at the same time. Does that even make sense? Ever since I figured out that I had no idea who I was choosing who I would vote for, I started watching the presidential debates. Although I still have no idea, I hope I can make a better decision by trying to understand exactly the "TRUE" intentions of these candidates.

Lights, Camera, Action

I believe that the media is a very powerful thing in our society. I believe that everyone in one way or another, if exposed to the media, become affected by it. The media tells us various things, what is in, what is not in, who's hot, who's not, etc. The media affects me in a way that it makes me aware of things. It makes me aware of the way that people really are. I'm not going to lie because I love the gossip and the new trends. I know it sounds bad but its entertaining. Im not sure if the media is what makes us who we are. The media is what also gives us our perception of other people who are always depicted on the media. We see people on tv or hear about them and we make assumptions about them and what kind of people they are based on what we see or hear. You can never fully know a person through an outside perspective through just rumors. 

Sex is something that is all over the media. Sex sells. It is in hidden messages exposed to us even at a young age. I remember sitting down with my sister watching disney movies and when we were older, we figured out all of the sexual hidden messages. I always wondered how disney could pull this off. I also think sex should be discussed in the classroom. Kids talk about it all the time anyway. At a young age kids usually turn curious and they want answers to question, so they talk about it with each other. 

Music, like the media, influences us a lot. I think it represents our mood and the way we handle our everyday activities. I usually listen to angry rock music if i get really pissed off and it may even feed my anger on a little. If I'm happy I can usually listen to anything. If I'm feeling emotional or maybe a little mellow I'm usually more careful to what I listen too and I tend to listen to music with strong beautiful lyrics. I think our society is influenced by music that degrades people. This music constantly makes people inferior by calling them names that degrade them. I always thought it wouldn't affect me because I just liked the beat but little b little I started noticing that the words really were vulgar in some songs and it started making me disgusted with the use of words. It really did affect me at one point when i heard a specific song and every time I heard it I had to turn it off because it literally just grossed me out. So I figure if I have to turn it off because it affects me, why wouldn't it affect anyone else?

Places in Need

Many Caribbean Islands now are under much devastation due to hurricane Ike. There are pictures on Natasha's blog of the hurricane aftermath in Haiti. Haiti is one of the poorest countries right now. The pictures in that blog truly show the devastation as if it were through a personal experience. The photographer truly captured the emotions of suffering and the loss of hope that everyone at the point was experiencing. Sometimes I think about how many Haitians are deported daily back to Haiti without having a chance to stay here. Although, I find it unfair how for Cubans as long as they step on land, they are able to reside here until they are citizens. I am a Cuban- American so I appreciate that people from my culture have the chance to make a life here. I just do not find it fair that other people from other countries do not get that chance. Sometimes I feel like I should do something about it but I have no idea where to start. A lot of people I have noticed always see things going on and want to do things about it but they have no idea where to start. Maybe thats the biggest problem with poverty itself. Many people who live in poverty want to make changes with themselves and they want to fix everything for their life and their family but they have no idea how to start making these changes. The children in Nicaragua however, do not even have a chance to make changes because they have nobody to help them or take care of them. These children have to fend for themselves when it comes to living. These children do not have a chance to make changes because they do not have the ability to read or write and therefore do not have a chance to better their future. We have a chance however to do whatever we want with ourselves, or lives, and we can choose to make ourselves better, more successful people. When I see the pictures it makes me want to be successful and a better person so that when I am successful enough I can help these people and then I can really make a change. This is the only way I can see that I can help them

My Opinion as a Woman

Like Natasha said, apparently we are always told to try to keep from topics such as religion and politics away from the dinner table. These are very controversial yet conversational topics. I believe that although they are very controversial subjects, people should be able to express their opinions through their families and gain the courage to express it publicly in respect to others. 

Voicing your opinion is what the presidential election is all about. We have four people, two teams allied, trying to govern our country. It's through the opinions of these people which can determine our future on such matters such as politics and religion. 

It all really is a sort of vicious cycle. Although were always said not to talk about politics and religion, expressing our thoughts on it determines our future in a way. When we go vote this year in September, it's us voicing our opinions on such matters. Our decisions are based on our religion and our rationalization to politics. So if we are all so scared to talk about it at the dinner table, what makes us believe we will make the right decision without hearing the other side of the story first?...Yeah we may hear the debates over the TV but we don't hear everyone's individual reasons for why they will choose their presidential candidate. Now of course we can't just get everyone on the TV and have them voice their opinions but shouldn't we start off with talking to our families about it first?

Usually at the dinner table I talk to my family about all sorts of things. My mother usually has the very conservative, straight forward debate while me and my sister always try to debate with her on the more controversial side. My father usually stays quiet with my brother throwing in a humorous remark which will usually insult either me or my sister. 

In my family it's usually the women who voice their opinions the most. I'm not sure if it's because the men don't care or they're just scared to get into debate with us. 

I had heard about the potential Vice President's daughter and how she was pregnant. Although it's a young age to be pregnant, I admire her for being able to let the public know about her pregnancy and letting them know that she is strong enough to deal with the baby when it comes. I have always been very pro-life. Maybe it does have to do with my religion why I used to be pro-life when I was younger and was a little naive with the world. Now I think it's just because of the emotional side of me and I just can't imagine myself ever being in the position where I would go against my pro-life beliefs. Everyone has told me I have always had that mother extinct, actually I believe every woman has it hidden within them somewhere. The role of women in our society I believe is so important to everyone. I believe women have so much power emotionally, spiritually, and mentally that I believe we can conquer anything.

Although Palin has 5 children one whom has down syndrome and the other whom is pregnant, I believe she can do it. What woman who has made it that far with her struggles, and can still campaign through a presidential election, would not be able to do it? Yeah it's more responsibility but the woman has been dealing with great responsibility her whole life.

Palin's daughter had a few choices to make when she found out she was pregnant. We all know them. I believe the reason why the man who took part in the baby-making thing is never really mentioned because of two reasons: one is that the men never show any signs so it's pretty hard to determine who it truly is unless if word of mouth and the other is in this case that they are trying  to show the pros and cons of Palin which in this case include her daughter as a target, and as it shows they could care less about the biological father. In cases involving pregnancy and the questions of "should I keep it?, should I give it away?, should I have an abortion?" I believe the father should have some say depending on the what the woman wants to do. Unfortunately sometimes however, such as when the woman wants an abortion, the man usually can't do anything about it. I believe that it's a hard and difficult issue to address for me. In one case I think that if the man wants the baby and the woman does not then the baby should still live, but also I think of the fact that it must really suck to be that baby and have my mother not want me but be forced to have me. Of course it would be so much easier to just say whoever wants it has the baby growing inside them but there is a little bit of a genetic problem. It's still a question I ask myself. Should the man have a say in the outcome of the pregnany? If so, should there be rules and guidelines to his decision making? Honestly I have no idea and as you can see the whole topic really just confuses me. 

I've just always thought that if you weren't ready to have a baby then you shouldn't have been having sex, or at least done it the safe way. I know that there are special circumstances, you know the condom breaks, there's always like a 3% chance or whatever, but for whatever reason if you don't want it I've always thought you should just give it up. 

So this is why you shouldn't get into these sorts of conversations at the dinner table, you may just get stuck with a sincerely confused woman, like me who is always raising questions to herself. The worse thing is she may never stop =]

I have many opinions and I don't think that I would ever stop myself from voicing my opinions unless I knew it could potentially hurt someone. 

The question is can we find someone who will do the same for all of us as a whole?

My First Blog

So because this is my first blog let me start off by saying this all relatively new to me. And when I say "this" I mean everything. 

Natasha wrote in her blog about time and how and if we are managing our schedules well. Honestly, I have absolutely no idea. When I first started college in the summer,I was taking only two classes which were Music Appreciation and Freshmen Experience, fairly easy classes. Everyone told me that I would really see how college really was once fall started and man oh man were they right. I thought I was prepared with managing my time but once everything started I grew a little scared. It's like everything I thought I had prepared for kind of slapped me a little. I made schedules trying to manage school, work, homework, spending time with my boyfriend, etc. and it really sucked when it actually came down to the real deal. I feel like I have no idea about anything and now everything is just hitting me in the face. Enough complaining.

Well I guess that's what being a freshman is all about. 

Tons of confusion and not enough time to make any sense of it. 

As far as blogging goes I enjoy getting out what I feel, even if it is over the internet LOL =]. I think sometimes our frustrations is what makes everything so confusing. Maybe I should stop being so frustrated.

Yours Truly