Aussie

One thing that I always told myself I was going to do during my college years was study abroad. I figured it is an experience that you can't pass up. Afterall, traveling the world is difficult once you're locked down into a career. Well, here I am. A junior in college with only three semesters left, and still haven't studied abroad. Sure, I went to Paris and London with a class for spring break my freshman year, but that doesn't count in my book. If I were to go somewhere for a semester now, I feel as though it would put me behind and prevent me from graduating on time. Today, I received an email about a summer program for my major in Australia. I've heard about the program before, but have been hesitant about it because of the cost and the slim variety of course offerings. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to go to Australia--especially for an entire month! I just figured that it probably wouldn't be the smartest decision to spend over $4,000 on a three or six credit trip. Today, however, I had the sudden urge to persue the trip. When is the next time I'm am going to be presented with such an awesome opportunity? Obviously, my biggest dilemma is coming up with over $4,000 to cover the trip. While looking into it today, I noticed how many scholarships are available for students who want to study abroad--its impressive! I have decided that I will spend winter break applying for scholarships to (hopefully) cover (most of) the trip! I am so excited to persue the opportunity. I now have something to look forward to when the school year is over!

bottoms up.

What is the first thing you see when you look at this advertisement? Is it the upside-down beer bottles, or is it a view of someone's behind? At first glance, I'll be honest, I saw the butt. This means the company did their job though, right? The goal of the advertisement is obvious. They positioned upside-down Heineken bottles to look like a butt in order to grasp their audience's attention. The catchy phrase "Bottoms Up!" fits right in--as the picture of the beers looks like a "bottom", and bottoms up can also be inferring how you hold a beer when you are chugging it. It is also ironic that alcohol and sexual innuendos are often paired side by side. This advertisement accomplishes a lot of things with such a simple picture. It portrays multiple messages, is visually appealing and easy to understand. Advertisements, for alcoholic beverages in particular, are not only begging for your attention, but also are competing with other companies and brands for your approval. It seems as though the most effective way to do this is to have sexual appeal. Heineken does just that, while maintaining some class and respecting boundaries. Both eye-catching and effective, the ad made me chuckle. And thirsty.

Problems.

Problems. They're everywhere. Locally, nationally, and globally--everywhere we look, there are issues that need solved. Our forth and final essay topic is to come up with a solution to a problem. The trickiest part of this assignment, for me, is to come up with a problem that I'd like to research. My group and I brainstormed tonight, and here are a few of the topics that we came up with: coral reefs dying around the world, poverty, child labor, childhood obesity, abortions, and national health care. The problem that interests me most is childhood obesity. This is becoming an enormous--and serious--issue in the United States, and needs to be addressed. There are multiple solutions for the problem, though a little of each solution is the key to overcoming the problem in the quickest and most effective way. First, parental influence plays a huge role in the children's eating and exercising habits. Children look to their parents as role models, and the parents must be exactly that. Educating children on healthy lifestyle choices is important in keeping the children motivated and leading active, healthy lives. Another essential factor is promoting health and physical activity in the schools. Some public schools have cut physical education out of their programs altogether; and in the meantime continue serving their fried, grease-soaked lunchtime favorites. This is not acceptable. Physical education programs should be one of the most important courses in the curriculum, and students should be excited and motivated to be active. Lunches should be healthy, yet appitizing, and students should have a variety of options to choose from. These solutions, as well as integrating more activity into video games, providing opportunities for more children to get involved in community activities and sports, and having more healthy fast food options, are all feasible. A combination of all solutions would be most beneficial in moving the youth of our nation toward better overall well-being and fitness.

Slacking.

I feel as though I've been slacking when it comes to building my resume for grad school and beyond. Throughout my first two years of college, I maintained a high GPA, yet was not involved in any clubs or programs that would be beneficial to add to my resume. I spent most of my free time working two jobs, and not enough time exploring my major and career options in depth. It is time to change that. This past week, I joined the P.E. Majors Club. This club is designed to get students more involved in the community, make us aware of the opportunities out there, and prepare us for life after undergrad. In the coming week, I am attending the NCAAHPERD Convention in Winston-Salem. At the convention, I am also assisting Dr. John Bennett in a presentation. Both of these things will be great additions to my resume. Also, important people from graduate schools all over the nation will be in attendance, so this will be a great opportunity to network. With these two additions to extracurriculars, as well as the internship I have been involved with all semester, I think I am on my way to developing an impressive resume. Afterall, I am going to need all the help I can get just to get accepted to PT school. PT programs are extremely competitive--as most only accept 20-25 students a year. Any extra line on my resume will give me another boost toward standing out among the hundreds of applications.

America's #1 Cause for Obesity

As technology advances, so does the percentage of overweight kids in our nation. Video games like Halo, Call of Duty, and World of Warcraft--all which can be played online against people from all over the world--have won the hearts of children and adults alike. They find themselves glued to the television for hours upon hours, addicted to the competitive violence these games provide. Not only are video games an issue, but games and programs found on the World Wide Web are also causing problems. Applications on Facebook, such as Farmville and Fish World, become top priority in some young adults lives--as they have to check on their farms and fish tanks every few hours in order to assure no crops or fish are withering away or dying. Kids are no longer entertaining themselves with interactive games of tag, hide-and-seek, or capture the flag. Instead, they find entertainment in the media and in technology. Not only is this causing kids to become overweight, but also putting a damper on their social lives. Some children would rather sit at home on the couch and play games than go out and join in a neighborhood game of kickball, or join a sports team. Parents are as guilty as anyone. They need to teach their children the importance of physical activity, encourage them to get out of the house and play, and limit their time on the computer and television.

Looting

Racism is always going to exist. No matter how hard we try to overcome it and rid of it completely, there are always going to be people, whether they know it or not, that distinguish between the races. Sometimes, however, I think that people are just looking to make accusations. They make non-racist comments into racist ones just to cause an upheaval. This seems to be the case in the article "Who's a Looter? In Storm's Aftermath, Pictures Kick Up a Different Kind of Tempest" by Tania Ralli. The article discusses the captions of two photos taken during hurricane Katrina's aftermath. In one photo, a little boy is trudging through chest-high water with groceries in his arms. The caption claims he has just been "looting a grocery store". The other photo is a man and woman trudging through water with backpacks and a loaf of bread. The caption claims they are shown "after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store". Though the little boy was actually seen looting the grocery store, and the man and woman were actually seen grabbing the items that had floated out of the grocery store, the pictures raised an uproar over racism. People were having a fit over racism that didn't even exist in the photos. By A.P. definition, the little boy was actually looting--he went into the store and took the items. The couple, on the other hand, was not. The author of the caption was being truthful and accurate, not racist.

Words

Everyone has their own language, so to speak, and words they use too often. Its funny though, you never seem to realize that you say something too much until someone else points it out to you. For example, I used to say (and maybe still do) "or something" at the end of many of my sentences. I was unaware of this until my father pointed it out to me one day. From then on, I would catch myself saying it all of the time--as if I would state my opinion but was unsure about what I was saying. Another word that I am guilty of over-using, as most people are, is "um". When asked a question, as if to give myself some more time to contemplate my answer, I begin my response with "umm...". If not "um", I resort to "hmm...", as if the person I am talking to needs to hear that I am thinking. These are all horrible habits that I really need to work on correcting. Instead of saying "um" or "hmm", I need to realize that it is OK to take a pause to think about my response. Instead of saying "or something", I need to just be confident about my statement--even if I am wrong, it shows a lot when you are confidence in your opinions and statements. Through paying closer attention to my word choice and recognizing the flaws in my language, hopefully I will be able to correct myself and ween myself off of these overused words.

physical fitness

The third essay assignment is to define an obscure or debatable term, concept or idea. I chose to define physical fitness. Sure, it seems like an easy topic--one that we are all pretty familiar with. After all, we strive to be "physically fit" and "in shape". What does this term actually mean? What is the cut-off for a physically fit person and one who is not? What are the determining factors? Is a physically fit person someone who can carry-out everyday functions without becoming fatigued, someone with a high lean body mass (low body fat), or a person who can run a few miles with no problem? Obviously, the standards for being considered "physically fit" can be quite controversial. In my essay, I will take into account multiple definitions of the term fitness. I will also discuss the components of fitness and the "guidelines" for becoming physically fit. I will be able to use some of my class instructors, exercise science magazine articles, the Internet, and exercise physiology textbooks as resources for my research. I am eager to get into my research, as this topic is both intriguing and relevant to my major.

I'll never understand..

One thing that I will never understand is why girls get all pretty and "made-up" to go to the gym. Apparently, the point of going to the gym is no longer to work out hard, break a good sweat, and improve physical fitness--but instead to impress those of the opposite sex. Yes, that is why spend hundreds of dollars a year on fitness club memberships. What a waste. Wearing skimpy, cleavage-lifting, low-cut clothing to run on the treadmill and bend in all sorts of positions can't actually be comfortable, can it? If anything, it would cause self-consciousness and unease...who knows what is going to accidentally pop out or be exposed. Going to the gym should be for the benefit of improving health, toning, losing weight--looking good once you walk out the doors. There is no need to impress the people inside with cute clothes and fake, made-up faces. Impress them with how fast you can run, how much weight you can lift, the intense calisthenics you do, and how much sweat drips off your forehead. Guys want to see a girl who can get sweaty and work hard, not who cares so much about what she looks like that she maintains a low heart rate in order to ensure her pores don't open up. Think about it.

Stress.

It's getting to be that time of year--school work is flowing at full force and it's time to start thinking about the future yet again. I had my advising appointment on Friday. As far as being able to complete the courses necessary for graduating on time, I am in good shape. However, there are a few extra courses that my advisor recommends that I take in order to better my chances of getting accepted into PT school. The problem is, every PT school seems to have different pre-requisites for admission. In reality, I have no idea where I want to go to grad school. I plan on applying to a large number of schools in hopes to keep my options open and possibly get financial help from one. Advising appointments are supposed to be a relief, as you are typically pointed in the right direction and reassured that everything is going to work out as planned. Friday's appointment, however, increased my level of stress. As a result, I began to research PT schools online this weekend. There are so many to chose from, and very few that I actually know something about. Being from Pennsylvania, it would be realistic to go back up north for grad school, as there are numerous PT schools in Pennsylvania. On the other hand, I really like it down south and think I may want to stay in North Carolina or possibly head further south. Basically, I'll go anywhere on the east coast that can offer me money. With that being said, I am going to try to be as open-minded as possible, take as many extra courses as possible, and work really hard to keep my GPA up in order to keep my options open for the future.

My Religion.

I am Catholic. I was Baptized in a Ukrainian Catholic Church, and was brought up attending a Roman Catholic Church. I went to a Catholic elementary school, and went to church religiously every Sunday and holiday up through my high school years. Though this is the way I was brought up, I don't necessarily agree with all of the ways of the religion. Catholic masses are very ritualistic--not that there is anything wrong with that, its just not completely my thing. I am more about hearing a great, meaningful sermon and singing praise in His name. When I came to college, I started going to a non-denominational Church of Christ. I love the people and I love the message. I feel more comfortable attending these masses--I fit in more. Though I still attend Catholic masses for holidays and when I go home, I have found comfort in my new church as well. Don't get me wrong, I am so grateful for the way I was brought up in a Catholic home. My parents, church family, and school community were so supportive and their morals will stick with me forever. I am so lucky to have such good-hearted people in my life.

Proposal.

Every university campus has its flaws. One of UNCW's biggest flaws is the lack of guidance provided to students. Sure, we have advisors that are supposed to help us through our decision-making and ensure that we stay on track and graduate on time. The problem is that our advisors sometimes do not know exactly what they are talking about when it comes to our individual needs, and on many occasions I have heard of people not graduating on time due to false guidance. Some students were encouraged to take classes that they later determined were unnecessary and a waste of time. Others were told that one class could take the place of another requirement, and one semester and lots of hard work later, came to find out this was not actually the case. I am not saying that ALL advisors are incompetent, but many have made a mistake here and there that have led to big consequences.

How, you may wonder, do I propose we fix this problem? I think the best way to avoid these stressful mistakes is to have an advising conference for all student advisors. The conference can provide an overview of basic studies requirements and what is expected of them and their students, and then may break the advisors into groups based upon majors and concentrations. Each advisor will be provided with specific guidelines and requirements that are crucial for their advisees. Any questions they may have will be answered. After the conference, everyone will be on the same page and will be much more informed on their concentrations and what is expected of them. With the advisors being more knowledgeable and aware of changes and happenings within their departments, they will be able to better assist their students and make for a less stressful academic career. Students will ultimately stay on track throughout their four years of college, and will not have to be concerned with taking extra, unnecessary courses that could set them back.

Its all about connections.

Networking is crucial. We are often told this, but do not actually understand how important it really is. Connections are everything. Its all about who you know. You can be over qualified for a job, but if you don't know somebody within the company or institution, chances are you won't get the position. My dad is a college professor in Pennsylvania. He teaches health and physical education classes, with a concentration in networking. He probably speaks more about networking than he does about the actual course topics. He realizes how important it is--after all, it has gotten him to where he is today. He seems to know everybody. If I ever need tickets to an event, someone's opinion on an occupation, help with a school assignment, or an interview with a professional, he knows exactly who to call. It blows my mind.

I realize that I haven't exactly gotten involved in as many extracurricular activities in college as I did in high school. Sure, I've been participating in intramurals for the past two years, but where is that going to get me in life? I've decided it is time to start making some changes. I need to start building my resume. I recently began an internship at a physical therapy clinic. Through that experience, I've also landed a babysitting job. This past weekend, I babysat the owner's three children. A physical therapist married to a family physician--I'd say that's a good connection to have! Not only is this going to help me make a little extra cash while I'm in school, but later down the road I will be able to use them as references. Who knows, maybe I'll even get a job at their clinic! I am also planning on joining a community service club on campus, and hopefully a club in my major as well. One of my professors is also encouraging me to join a national organization in the health and physical education field. I will have the opportunity to attend and present at a conference with him in November. All of these things are good resume builders and great ways to meet people. I am on the right track!

Dirty Dancing

Patrick Swayze, age 57, died on Monday, September 14 of pancreatic cancer. In his LA Times obituary, he is regarded as the charismatic star of one of the best date movies of all times. The article goes on to describe Swayze's roll in Dirty Dancing, the praise he received from critics, and the scene that put the movie at the top of the list. "Swayze delivers a line with swaggaring perfection. 'Nobody puts Baby in a corner,' he says as he defies her father and pulls her up for a final uplifting dance sequence." His dance moves were applauded, and continued to help him win hearts throughout his career. The author then goes on to say that Swayze turned down an offer for a sequel because he looked for curveballs in his life. She shared a personal statement made by Swayze, and then went on to examining the roles he took in the years following Dirty Dancing. The continuous theme throughout the obituary is Swayze's urge for adventure and his "wild-man edge". The author frequently relates back to this idea and uses specific examples of the roles he played and direct quotes as evidence for her claims.

Obituary writer Valerie J. Nelson uses the history of Swayze's acting career, critic reviews, quotes by Swayze, and personal opinions to form her evaluative argument. The majority of the evidence she used came from direct quotes--mostly from Patrick Swayze himself.

Man Think.

As a class assignment, we read the article Pink Think by Lynn Peril. The article discusses the definition of femininity--as defined in the 1940's-1960's, and as defined by the author today. I thought I would visit the other end of the spectrum and discuss the stereotypes of men...

How does a man's mind work? Though I will never truly know the answer to this question, there are many aspects that I have figured out. A man's mind works in double standards. It is "cool" and boast-worthy to sleep around with multiple girls. However, if the girls he is sleeping with sleep around with other guys, they are considered to be easy, slutty whores.

Men are also confused about the woman's role in the household. If both parents work full-time jobs during the day and get home from work at the same time, the man believes it is still the woman's job to cook dinner for him and the children, clean the house, do the dishes, give the kids a bath, read bedtime stories, and tuck them in to bed--all while he is lounging back in his Lazy Boy watching Sports Center! Last time I checked, it took two to make a baby..and two to raise one right!

debate.

Controversy. Its everywhere. Its also the main reason why everything's an argument. An article we read in class this past week discussed a major ongoing issue of controversy in our society--the legality of abortion. The article, titled Abortion Distortions: Senators from both sides make false claims about Roe v. Wade, discusses Senators Barbara Boxer and Rick Santorum's false statements on the issue of abortion. Boxer lists the negative effects that overturning Roe v. Wade would have on society, while Santorum lists the negative effects that he believes the decision in Roe v. Wade has had on society. The point of the article is to present facts proving some of the senators' claims to be false.

The argument is worth discussing because abortion is still such a controversial subject to this day. Its a controversy that may never be solved. Personally, I do not support abortion at all. Unless there is a life-threatening health issue for the mother, there is no excuse to kill an unborn child. A woman must live with her decisions, and deal with the possible consequences. Even if she can not afford to raise and support a child, adoption is always an option. No matter how horrible and unbearable the situation may seem at the time, abortion would undoubtedly lead to a lifetime of regret. I can't imagine living with the thought of ending a life that never had a chance to begin.

Pet Peeves

During the first day of my PED249 class (Exercise Physiology), we were assigned an icebreaker activity. We had to draw pictures to answer three questions presented by the professor. The questions included: "What was your worst job ever?" "Where do you see yourself in 15 years?" and "What is your biggest pet peeve?" I found myself having the hardest time answering the question about pet peeves. Surely, I have plenty of pet peeves; but when asked what they actually are--I drew a blank. When I really got to thinking, most of my pet peeves revolve around things that happen to me at work. I am a waitress at The Oceanic Restaurant on Wrightsville Beach. The things people do and say drive me crazy. One thing I can't stand is when I walk up to a table and feel awkward because they won't pause their conversation for 30 seconds while I take their order. They glance up at me as if I am being rude, and then go right back into their conversation. I am there to feed them and keep their drinks full--just let me do my job and then continue talking! My absolute biggest pet peeve, however, is the way people talk sometimes. The word "calimari", for instance, is once in a while pronounced "calimary". Really? Are these people serious? Some people stick their hands up, almost in my face, and proceed to use some sarcastic, rude, red neck comment. Its not accents that bother me, its the people who can't talk in a respectful, grown-up context. I sometimes wonder how they have jobs and make it through everyday situations--how they are taken seriously. It is beyond me.

Multiple Englishes.

We all do it. Without even realizing it, we change the context of our language according to whom we are conversing with. The English I use with my family is different from what I use with my friends. The way I speak at an interview is different from how I speak during class. When I am with my family, I find myself saying "wooder" instead of "water" because that is how my parents (being from Jersey and Philly) have said it all of my life. As soon as I am around friends however, I switch to drinking "water". When I am with close friends, we often speak in a way that could confuse an outsider. We often bring up inside jokes and refer back to them frequently. If someone else hears our conversation, they have no idea what we are talking about. In exercise science classes, we speak with a lot of jargon pertaining to our field of study. This English may also seem foreign to an outsider. Another "English" I often use is text messaging and instant messaging. Not only are there universal abbreviations that are commonly used in texting, but my family, friends and I also come up with our own abbreviations. When my mom first learned how to text, she sent me one that said "LUB!" at the end to represent how we always end our phone calls--"Love you, bye!" Another important part of my text messaging lingo just involves using symbols to create all sorts of expression faces--smiley faces, angry faces, sad faces, confused faces, etc. Creating our own text messaging language is a really fun and unique way of communicating. The use of multiple Englishes isn't something I typically think about, so I like that it was brought to my attention. It is interesting to think about all of the ways we communicate with different people.

And so it begins...

The most difficult part about the first essay assignment is chosing an argument to analyze. Being titled Everything's an Argument, the book obviously leaves you with a lot of options. After browsing through the table of contents, looking over all of the essay titles, and reading a few that caught my eye, I settled for one in Chapter 21: Who's the Fairest of them All? The essay is titled Those Unnerving Ads Using "Real" Women. The author, Meghan Daum, gives her opinion of ads such as those used in Dove's "Real Women for Beauty" campaign. She shed light on a new perspective for me, and made me change my opinion on such ads. I used to think nothing of the ads. I thought it was great that normal, "real" women were finally portrayed in advertisement. In reality though, "real" women don't want to waste their time on such shallow practices. Everyone knows that the women in magazines and on billboards are airbrushed and as fake as can be. It's better to laugh at them than be jealous of them. Do you really think they're happy starving themselves and striving for a flawless body? Before the airbrushing, I am sure they look at the proofs and are filled with disappointment over some part of their bodies. No one is perfect. Women must strive to be comfortable and happy in their own skin, not to look like the fake bimbos we see in everyday advertisement.

PT By the Sea

So that's what it's like. I've been saying for years that I want to be a physical therapist, though oddly enough I've never actually been to one. What made me want to go into this occupation then? Good question. In high school I took two years of anatomy and absolutely loved it. The human body and all of the dissections intrigued me. I love working with people, seeing them make improvements, and would love to help them make differences in their lives. I want to raise a family one day, and need a job that will allow me to be part of my children's lives. PT allows you to make your own flexible schedule. These interests together made me think--hey, why not--I might as well go into physical therapy.

I just finished my first week of my internship with PT by the Sea. I spent seven hours following around a couple different therapists, observing their sessions and watching them work with each patient's needs in a unique manner. It was really great to be able to see what they do on a daily basis, and how they have to bend around each individual's needs. This experience also made me realize how much I have to learn! Not only do I have three years of PT school ahead of me, but I also need to brush up on the anatomy that I have already been introduced to. One of the therapists was quizzing me during the sessions on different muscles and bones, and I was struggling. It is so easy to forget things when you spend just few weeks memorizing them and then don't use the terminology again.

I've already had the opportunity to talk to multiple patients about their injuries and disabilities. Their stories of recovery are inspiring, and I am really looking forward to continuing my volunteer/job shadowing hours through the rest of the semester. I love the private practice atmosphere at PT by the Sea, but also know that I will need to experience the hospital and at-home settings in the following semesters.

The Future (dun dun dun)

Everyone is always telling me I need to plan for the future. It seems that a day doesn't pass that somebody is asking me what I want to do with my life and what career I want to pursue. It is a lot of pressure to have to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life when you are just nineteen years old. Sure, I know my interests and have ideas on what I am good at, but I surely can't guarantee that what I think I am interested in now is going to be what I will want to do ten years from now. Unfortunately, college students are rushed into making decisions quickly. As a result, many of them aren't graduating in the standard four years. Between changing majors and growing up, they are extending that four years into five or six--sometimes even more. With that said, you've got to do what you've got to do. I figure this--in order to get a great job it is almost imperative that you have some sort of graduate level training--whether it be a master's or doctorate degree. I realize that in most cases you can get your bachelor's degree in one thing and then go to graduate school for something completely different. Rather than waste my time going back and forth between majors and stressing over what it really is that I want to do, I have decided to choose one thing and stick with it. I am majoring in exercise science with intention to go to graduate school for physical therapy. Whether I go to PT school or study a completely different occupation, I will at least have a degree and be ready to further my education. In the meantime, I will take advantage of my learning opportunities, work to the best of my ability in my classes, and volunteer at different practices to help me decide if PT is right for me.

Note: On Monday I am beginning an internship at PT By the Sea. I'm not exactly sure what all my duties and experiences will entail, but I am eager and anxious to start!

To Voice One's Opinion...

Blogging is an informal way to voice one's opinion. It is available to everyone through the World Wide Web, and can be very useful to the working population, students and everyone in between. There is no "right" way to blog, and no formal outline to follow. Many people use titles or headlines to begin their posts, and some even include pictures and video clips. In all instances, each blog post introduces or supports an argument.

From the blogs that I read for our first assignment, I learned that fact and fiction may both be presented to the reader. One should not mistake any blog for the undoubted truth. Some blogs are meant to inform the reader, while others are just intended to entertain. The first blog I read, entitled Critical Observations of Health, Science, and the Physical Therapy Profession, used YouTube videos and sarcastic remarks to get a laugh out of their readers. I visited the sight with the mindset that it would be a serious, informative blog about new findings in the P.T. field, and was rather suprised to find the comical approach used by the author. It was entertaining, but I was hoping for more. The second blog I read, Bob Flounders on Penn State Football, used factual information to support the author's arguments. Flounders voiced his opinion on Penn State's biggest weapons and the team's biggest opposing threats, then gave supporting data to back his claims. Being a Penn State fanatic, I enjoyed this blog. Flounder's writing style was simple and to the point.