What I Think of Music

I am a fan of country, rap, hip-hop, alternative, and any kind of dance music (aka techno).  I listen to music when I workout, when I do homework, when I'm driving in the car, or when I'm hanging out with my friends.  I've found that music is one of my major interests, and I find myself looking for new songs to enjoy on a frequent basis.  I turn to music when I am having a rough day and 9/10 times it will lift my mood and make me feel better.  Personally, I like to dance and have fun and act like a fool when I am around my friends and music only amplifies that aspect of my personality.  I make sure to keep an open mind to new artists and music that I may not typically listen to.  Many artists incorporate lyrics that make you think and the song becomes more than something you play at a party.  I have also noticed that during different times of the year I like to listen to different types of music.  When winter comes around, I am more into rap and hip-hop and the minute the weather becomes warms again I immediately switch over to country.  Year round, I enjoy listening to techno.

Celebration of Scholarship Project

I liked the celebration of scholarship project because it was a good summary of the information I spent so much time researching and was able to put it all into a presentable form.  It helped with a little bit of public speaking skills and these types of presentations will be required in my job field when I am older.  The other cool part to these presentations was hearing everyone else's topics of research.  Basically everyone had an intelligent topic and displayed some very interesting information and viewpoints.  It was good to compare other's work to my own and challenge my own viewpoints on certain topics, such as human trafficking, and listen to opposing viewpoints.  If I have to do one of these presentations in the future to a larger group or to professors, I now have this experience under my belt.

Anticipation

It is becoming hard to focus in class because the weather is warm, the sun is out, and summer is right around the corner.  I feel like everyone is in a better mood the minute the sun comes out and the temperature are in the 70s, myself included.  It is a time to go outside and play sand volleyball and backyard games.  With summer just around the corner, it is also time to finish strong with grades and get ready for finals (unfortunately).  Being a student-athlete, coaches are always checking grades and if I maintain high grades, there are awards handed out to recognize that.  I have to make sure to hold up my end of the deal in getting good grades and represent Lewis Men's Volleyball.  On another note, I am in dire need of summer right now and some relaxation time.  Yes, I will be working, and working out in my spare time, but I need some time away from volleyball and to let my body recover.  I look forward to seeing my friends when we all come back for a big reunion, and I look forward to making many more memories.

Revision Process WP #3

From writing the first essay to writing project #3, the revision process has become easier.  I have a general idea of what I am looking for before I begin reading a paper.  I now know what it means to synthesize information and for this last paper, we were supposed to relate the sources to one another.  This meant we had to do efficient research and find scholarly, peer reviewed articles that were in the same ball park as each other and could relate.  From paper to paper, I have been getting less feedback (just as constructive) because I am learning how to write and follow the instructions.  The Power Point slide that told us exactly how to summarize our sources, introduce the author, and relate the information and helped immensely in the writing process.

Freshman Year of School

Before leaving home for the fall semester of 2015, I had mixed emotions and did not know what to expect at Lewis.  I didn't know how much I would miss my family, my own bed, or eating home cooked meals.  At first, it was an easy transition because of the amounts of freedom I had.  I realized I was on my own and could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.  The transition from high school classes to college courses was fairly smooth and I did really well first semester.  Being a student-athlete, I had to learn to manage my time and be responsible immediately.  This is something I struggled with in my high school years and relied on my parents majority of the time.  This year was a time of growing up and learning to handle my business like an adult.  I realize I am still very young and have so much to learn, but this was a productive year with getting acquainted to the college life as well as learning to manage my time playing volleyball here at Lewis University.

What Has Playing Collegiate Volleyball Taught Me?

Coming into college, I was never efficient with my time management.  I would show up late to class because I could or I would take my time making it to my destination when I needed to get ready faster.  Coming in to Lewis to play volleyball has taught me that being late is not something I want to get in a habit of doing.  On the team, if I were late to any team event whether it was practice, lifting, or film, there would be a punishment.  Yes, the punishments are awful but at the same time they are only preparing myself and teammates for the rest of our lives.  When I am in the work field, I am not going to have extra time to make it to an interview or be able to get to my job whenever I feel like.  I have to be mature with my time and responsible with getting to where I need to go in a timely fashion.  Volleyball has allowed me to make friendships that will last a life time.  The fact that I like my teammates and they are my best friends, makes playing volleyball here at Lewis all the more enjoyable.

What I love and What I Want to Do?

What Do I Love?
I love interacting with people and making an impression.  I love to make people laugh and help make someone else's day a little bit better.  I love telling stories and I love witnessing people's reaction to what I have to say.  I love being a good friend, listener, and someone people can come to for help.  I love being happy and enjoying my life every hour and every day.  I love my family, friends, and all of the healthy relationships I have developed in all of my years.  I love being active and playing sports.  I love watching movies and hanging out with my friends.  I love my life that I am building and want to continue to love it and the process.

What Do I Want to Do?
When I am older I want to do something that makes me happy.  I want to pick a career path where I look forward to waking up in the morning.  I want to do something that can support my family and I and helps us live a healthy life.  I want to do something that is beneficial to others and can help someone else's life.  I want to do something special and live my life without regrets.  If that means doing something bigger than myself than so be it.  I want to make sure my children learn for me and look up to me as a role model.  I can start that path way now and set an example for kids younger than me.  I want to do what people who are angry at the world cannot.

My Research Question: "Sweatshops" Overseas

1.  Why is this my topic of discovery?
Because there is an immense amount of information on the internet to be discovered and I am interested in finding out more about working conditions in foreign countries.

2.  What question do you want to answer?
Why are working conditions/hours/pay the way they are in certain areas of the world and why is their labor so much  cheaper than labor in the U.S.? (easily accessible employees?)

3.  Why this question rather than any other?
Because this is the common question that will appear in the mind of the reader and is something of popular discussion.

4.  What do you need to learn in order to answer that question?
I need to study specific areas (perhaps the Chinese) to understand why working conditions are socially unacceptable.  I need to learn about the pay, what the conditions are actually like, the lifestyle of the employees and how they survive on such little pay

5.  What kinds of experts do you need to read from in order to develop a fully complete answer to this question?  Where do these experts study?  In what academic fields do these experts work?  What do these experts research?

• Experts could potentially be people that have worked in factories in their life and experienced these poor conditions first hand.  Experts may also include people who have studied foreign work environments for extended periods of time.
• These experts research what life is like for employees that endure these conditions (mostly the clothing industry) and how their labor is different than ours and why they agree to work in terrible environments.
• Experts could study at universities as well overseas to visit a "sweatshop" first hand and view what actually happens.
• Academic field may be social relations/peace corps