As I getting bogged down by all the stress that the second semester of school brings, I started to reminisce about summer. I have many great memories from this past summer but I really could not get one particular trip out of my mind. My parent's work associate owns a condo in Roatan, Honduras (a small island off of the northern coast of Honduras) and invited us to use it for a week. Having never been before, we decided to go and see what it was like.
We flew down to Roatan during the first week of August. (I'd just like to mention that according to an article on Yahoo!, the Roatan airport is one of the most dangerous in the world.) While the island has beaches to die for, there are some more interesting facts about Roatan. Like the fact you can go to a lizard farm there. Or that there are only two stop signs on the island and no post office, they deliver mail door to door. Only stick shift cars are used on the island. My parents don't do stick shift. One time, we actually started rolling back down the hill (and those hills are steep). All in all, the experience was incredible and I'd go back in a heartbeat.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Global Issue Research Paper
This week, instead of reading for 150 minutes, I focused on my global issue paper. We having been working on this project for quite a while now but I fell like I have really made a lot of progress in the past week. The assignment was to find a global issue, research the topic, and ultimately write a paper on it. The issue I chose to research is overpopulation. I thought it would be really interesting to learn more about this topic. I was curious about the views on the subject, predictions of the future of the population, as well as solutions to the issue.
Over the past week, the time I have spent on this assignment has really helped me feel more confident about what my end result will be. At the beginning of the week, I did more research on overpopulation, gathering general information on the subject. As the week progressed, I started on the basic outline of my research paper. After, I started trying to fill out the outline. As I attempted to do that, I realized that I needed to go back to researching and find more specific information. I also started to pick out quotes and passages from the text that I wanted to include in my paper. I did not start my draft, but I am confident that it will not be too difficult because of my outline.
Over the past week, the time I have spent on this assignment has really helped me feel more confident about what my end result will be. At the beginning of the week, I did more research on overpopulation, gathering general information on the subject. As the week progressed, I started on the basic outline of my research paper. After, I started trying to fill out the outline. As I attempted to do that, I realized that I needed to go back to researching and find more specific information. I also started to pick out quotes and passages from the text that I wanted to include in my paper. I did not start my draft, but I am confident that it will not be too difficult because of my outline.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Reading Response 2
I made a lot of progress in "Sex on the Moon" this week. After inventorying thousands of moon rock samples, Thad Roberts started thinking about the monetary value of them. Thad had never been that interested in money, but as a college student with at least eleven thousand dollars of debt, the idea that NASA considered some forty thousand dollars worth of moon rocks to be "trash" because they had been experimented on was crazy. So he started concocting a plan to sell these moon rocks because a single gram of moon rock dust alone, was worth five million dollars. At first, Thad had no intention of letting this plan go anywhere besides his head, but then he met a fellow college student that could help him find a buyer.
When I was reading this book, I had forgotten that this was a true story. But now, as I think of the things that Thad Roberts is actually doing in the book: working at NASA, experimenting with lab samples, handling actual moon rocks from the Apollo missions, I become overwhelmed. I am just amazed at all of the things that a twenty- three year has accomplished. I also find the fact that he is a triple major to be very impressive. I had actually never heard of someone majoring in three things before and I could not imagine the challenge of doing it. When Thad joined the NASA program, he reinvented himself. He was normally a shy, sort of outcast but he was given the chance to be outgoing and popular. And he succeeded. Among his co-ops, he is something of a social butterfly. I really like the idea of being able to reinvent yourself. I would like to try it sometime, not that I am unhappy with who I am, I just think it would be a very interesting thing to try.
Book: Sex on the Moon Author: Ben Mezrich Time: 155 minutes Pages: 70
When I was reading this book, I had forgotten that this was a true story. But now, as I think of the things that Thad Roberts is actually doing in the book: working at NASA, experimenting with lab samples, handling actual moon rocks from the Apollo missions, I become overwhelmed. I am just amazed at all of the things that a twenty- three year has accomplished. I also find the fact that he is a triple major to be very impressive. I had actually never heard of someone majoring in three things before and I could not imagine the challenge of doing it. When Thad joined the NASA program, he reinvented himself. He was normally a shy, sort of outcast but he was given the chance to be outgoing and popular. And he succeeded. Among his co-ops, he is something of a social butterfly. I really like the idea of being able to reinvent yourself. I would like to try it sometime, not that I am unhappy with who I am, I just think it would be a very interesting thing to try.
Book: Sex on the Moon Author: Ben Mezrich Time: 155 minutes Pages: 70
The Harlem Globetrotters
Last Saturday, I went on an outing with my family. My parents, my sister, Rachel, and I went downtown to see the Harlem Globetrotters. The Harlem Globetrotters are a basketball team that incorporates not only athletic skill, but comedy and tricks as well. Since the show started at two in the afternoon, we arrived early so that we could spend a little extra time around downtown. We walked along the levee and ate lunch at the North Street park. Eventually, we made our way to the River Center, where the show was being held.
The Harlem Globetrotters were amazing. For two hours, the basketball players entertained the crowd with jokes and impressive tricks. Rachel and I had so much fun watching them play and dancing to the music. My favorite part was when one of the players jumped up and climbed onto the basketball goal and started hanging off of it. I had so much fun and would definitely go and see them again.
The Harlem Globetrotters were amazing. For two hours, the basketball players entertained the crowd with jokes and impressive tricks. Rachel and I had so much fun watching them play and dancing to the music. My favorite part was when one of the players jumped up and climbed onto the basketball goal and started hanging off of it. I had so much fun and would definitely go and see them again.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Softball
Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is that time of year: softball season. I have played softball at school for three years. I initially joined the team just because my friend had begged me to do it but as I played more and more I started to really enjoy it. I love almost everything about the sport. Well besides the bruised legs from ground balls and the horrible cold at the beginning of the season and the extreme heat at the end of the season. Really, it's great fun.
Today, we had our first practice of the season. I am optimistic about this year's team and I am sure we will do better than last year (ranked 32nd out of 32 teams, how much worse could it get?). Although I look forward to playing, I am apprehensive about being able to balance this with my school work. With practice everyday I am worried that it will be hard to keep up. Nevertheless, I am sure my love for softball will motivate me to get all of my work done so that I will be able to continue to play.
Today, we had our first practice of the season. I am optimistic about this year's team and I am sure we will do better than last year (ranked 32nd out of 32 teams, how much worse could it get?). Although I look forward to playing, I am apprehensive about being able to balance this with my school work. With practice everyday I am worried that it will be hard to keep up. Nevertheless, I am sure my love for softball will motivate me to get all of my work done so that I will be able to continue to play.
Reading Response 1
Last week, I started a book called, "Sex on the Moon" by Ben Mezrich. Despite the assumptions you may have made from reading the title, the book is completely appropriate and actually very interesting. It is a true story about what Mezrich calls "the most audacious heist story in history.” Thad Roberts is a college student and a participant in an esteemed NASA program but more importantly, Thad Roberts is a romantic. He wanted to give his girlfriend the moon; more specifically, moon rocks from every Apollo mission. With the help of two accomplices, Roberts steals the specimens from highly classified and very secure laboratories. In this book, Mezrich tries to answer one question: Was Thad Roberts--undeniably gifted, picked for one of the most competitive scientific posts imaginable, a man who dreamed of being the first human to walk on Mars--really what he seemed?
As I was reading this book, I was actually on my way to the NASA Stennis Space Center, which is located near the Mississippi-Louisiana border for robotics club (don't laugh.) It is very interesting to see the aspirations that some of the scientists and co-ops had for the space program during this time (approx. 2002.) With that said, it is sad to know that some of the dreams will never be accomplished due to the program shutting down. Still, I cannot wait to continue my reading.
Book: Sex on the Moon Author: Ben Mezrich Time: 205 minutes Pages: 89 pages
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Trying out this resolution thing...
Every new year starts off the same: people make resolutions, tell themselves that they will keep up with them, and then within a few months, completely forget about them. Which is exactly why I have never felt the need to participate in this little ritual. However, as 2011 was coming to a close I decided it was time for a change. So this new year, I made a resolution. A resolution for English class.
Last semester, I certainly did not do my best in English and I want that to change this year. I have made goals that I would like to keep because I feel that if I do try in this class, I can learn and achieve much more. I plan to do all (or at least most) of my homework, actually remember to bring it to class, study, and possibly hardest of all, not procrastinate. This last goal has already challenged me in this assignment because I changed my background at least a dozen times before I even clicked on the "new post" button. But I am determined to make a higher grade in this class and I am sure the unpleasant memories of rushing to finish papers and scrambling to get my homework done will be enough to motivate me.
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