Wait, is it Winter break already?

Is it just me or did the semester fly by? It seems like just yesterday my family and I were moving me into my dorm. Don't get me wrong, I'm so ready to be done; but at the same time, it's kind of sad. My first semester of COLLEGE is over.

I wonder, is this how every semester will be all throughout college? This is a scary thought.

Looking back, I'm so happy with the friends I've made. I could not have asked for a better start. But, will I keep these friends? When we come back from Winter break, it's time to rush. I mean let’s be real, the chances of all of us getting into the same sorority are slim to none. I am definitely ready, but am sad that this could be the end to some of the best friendships. Hopefully, I've impacted my new friends’ lives, just as they have mine. If this is true, I will be happy knowing the most important friendships have lasted.

Have you thought about what will happen as we go through yet another transition? I'm so anxious to see!

Pony Up!

Some freshmen are having difficulty adjusting to college life. It's hard settling into a new “home”, especially if you're from another state. What I've found eases the transition is loving your college. I think the spirit of SMU is responsible for welcoming the new student body. The student body's spirit is what makes the university shine. Even though I’ve only been here a couple months, I've still noticed a difference in the school spirit this year and how its impacting student’s attitudes. Now that SMU has a winning football team, students are showing up and actually staying for the majority of the game. Basketball season is starting, and I think student’s support and participation at the games will not only help the players, but bring unity between students as well. I’m not just addressing students though, faculty and alumni too. Because school spirit and athletic success are new to SMU, it will be interesting to see what will happen just a couple of years from now.

Please get involved, and help SMU reach its new potential.

Persuasive Essay

I've changed my topic to focus on the decision to home school.

I think home schooling is an interesting topic for a persuasive argument. Education is one of the most important aspects of child development. So, deciding whether or not to home school can be a very controversial subject. I want to persuade parents not to home school their children because of the negative effects in the long run, especially if the only reason is to protect them from the real world. Parents and children who are making this decision will be my intended audience. There are various reasons why parents choose to home school their children, so I plan to touch on several and provide alternative solutions. Home schooling presents issues with social development, controlled interaction with the real world, religion, time and money, and accelerated learning styles. These issues can have tremendous effects on your children. Because I was home schooled until tenth grade, I can provide a realistic point of view for a plausible argument against home schooling.

A "Solution" to Underage Drinking on Campus

Before first semester, all I heard about was how much fun I’ll have during my freshman year at SMU. Already, only my night here after Mustang Corral, I realized the rumors about SMU might not be true. I stopped by a Fraternity house at 6 PM on the way to the Lil Wayne concert. I had not been upstairs for more than five minutes when someone yelled, “Go into the rooms! The cops are here!”.

I wondered, “Is this what it's going to be like all year? It’s only a Sunday night.”

I've lived here for a little over two months now, and my assumptions are fairly accurate. Not one time have I been at a Fraternity house and the SMU police not made an attempt to bust the party.

SMU faculty wonders why the percentage of students who have received an Alcohol Violation during this semester alone, have surpassed any year in SMU history. This increase is alarming to most, but not all students. Some students claim the only reason they're "getting caught” is because the SMU police is intentionally out to get them in trouble. And I think the majority of students would agree based on the SMU police’s behavior this year.

Every freshman resident hall has had a meeting with a representative from the Center of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Prevention to inform students on the increasing rate of Alcohol Violations, discuss reasons, and possible solutions for the overwhelming percentage. It was beneficial for most students who were able to give their opinions, but for others with AV’s, it was frustrating to hear the same condescending talk again.

Fortunately, SMU Student Senate has found a solution to the problem. They have concluded that SMU police entering Fraternity houses to check on students past reasonable hours is against the Student Code of Conduct. Determining this as a violation of a student’s right to privacy, SMU police are no longer able to enter a Fraternity house without probable cause between the hours of 8PM and 6AM.

It is likely that the number of AV’s will decrease now that police cannot randomly walk into the house just to check things out. However, just because police aren’t able to catch students at Fraternity houses, doesn’t mean they won’t wait outside resident halls for students to return after a night out. Hopefully, Student Senate’s favorable resolution will lower the amount of Alcohol Violations; but it is unlikely that the number of students participating in underage drinking will decrease.

The Onion

The Onion News Network is a sarcastic news organization reporting on local, national, and international news issues, both real and figurative. The Onion News Network is a 24- hour TV news channel that also posts videos and articles, updates to their website, and broadcasts daily over the radio. The Onion is designed to replicate a real news studio with reporters from around the country reporting on “serious” issues affecting the world. The difference between real news networks and the Onion is that the Onion provides viewers with news reflecting the way the public actually thinks. While most news programs are biased and dry, the Onion News Network’s satirical approach portrays a more comical and realistic view on current issues. The Onion’s issues may not be real, but it appeals to the average American. The Onion is successful because of the way it takes what could viewed as a serious news topic and makes it enjoyable to viewers. Although some of the videos can be considered “crude humor”, I think America needs a more relaxed way to view current news. I agree Americans should not turn to the Onion News Network as a valid source of information, but it's fun to watch the Onion’s news crew try to seriously report obviously sarcastic views. I also like how they have videos that are for and against both view points. For example, the video below is making fun of Obama supporters, but they also have videos McCain supporters would find offensive.

Just because of Jantz

This past summer, my friends and I went over to visit our friend Jantz Jackson. Jantz has Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic muscular weakness disease paralyzing him from the waist down. Over the past four years, my friends and I watched television, played video games, and visited with him at least once a week.

My friends and I walked into Jantz's house one afternoon very relaxed, not expecting a conversation with Jantz to be too thought -provoking. Mrs. Jackson opened the door and led us to the family room where Jantz was watching the movie "Legally Blonde". Unfortunately, when we arrived the movie was just ending.

Subtitles scrolled across the bottom of the screen, "Emmett is proposing to Elle... tonight.”

After reading the text, my friend Ali said, "I do not think I want to get married right out of college.”

Ashton and I both agreed that we wanted a job after college, rather than settling down and starting a family.

Then Jantz said, "I want to get married when I am twenty-five.”

Suddenly, the three of us looked at each other at once. We were confused. Muscular Dystrophy patients have an average lifespan of nineteen to twenty-one. Hopefully Jantz will make it to be twenty-five, but his chances are slim. Because I knew Jantz's predicted lifespan, I assumed he did too.

Smiling, I turned to Jantz, "I think that is a good age for you Jantz.”

And Jantz went on to describe the plans he already had for his marriage.

This is typical of Jantz.

I knew I was not suppose to mention his disease in front of Jantz, and especially its effects, so I agreed with him. Because of a very awkward conversation, the rest of our visit at Jantz's house was unusually quiet. Normally, Jantz will crack jokes or ask about things he hears on television that he is curious about. Not today. There were two conclusions I had come to: either Jantz knows what will happen to him and trying to reassure himself he can overcome this, or has no idea what he will face within the next year or so.

After talking a little bit more, it was time to go. Mrs. Jackson thanked us for coming as she showed us the door.

The second we were back in the car, Ashton said, "I had no idea Jantz was not aware of what will happen to him!” She paused for a moment. "That is so sad.”

After a completely silent car ride, Ashton dropped me off at my house. The entire way home I thought to myself how humbling it was to have Jantz in my life as such a close friend. His attitude and perseverance uplifts my friends and me after every visit, but this time it was different. I thought about what Ashton had just said, and although Jantz’s condition is sad, I realized there is an upside. After all Jantz has been through, he still wants more. He will endure his disease as long as he can, never giving up, and impacting those around him. Jantz has also changed the way I look at disabilities. His outlook on life is so unbelievably positive. Jantz’s insisting spirit will surpass any difficulties he is faced with, improving the attitudes of those around him. It does not matter whether or not Jantz knows what will happen to him, because I know Jantz's attitude will not change once he finds out his life expectancy. He will still be strong, inspiring, and a friend forever.

Read my blog... for thousands of dollars?...

Earlier this week in my Wellness class, we were given index cards with hypothetical questions such as: “For fifty thousand dollars, would you put down your loyal pet?” or “For twenty thousand dollars, would you go three months without showering, brushing your teeth, and using deodorant?”, and some others with extreme alternatives. As each question was asked, I began to contemplate what I would actually do given a real situation. It then occurred to me, people, especially in the current economic time, would do almost anything for money, no matter the cost. I cannot believe some people will choose material wealth over hygiene, health, and personal happiness just because they “think” they will be happier with the trade-off. Material wealth and happiness are fallacies and in almost all cases, never satisfy you. Money is not everything. Hopefully, there are some Americans that actually know personal happiness and emotional balance are more important than wealth and other material possessions.

What would you give up for thousands of dollars?