Posts Tagged ‘RMU Student’

Typing, Writing, and Pencil Breaking…Oh My!

Posted: May 1, 2013 in Uncategorized
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By Cecelia Workman-Gonzalez, RMU Student.  

Free your mind and the rest will follow. Expressing your thoughts and being able to freely write them out on paper allows for much more than deep thinking and finger cramping. Expressive writing betters your body, mind, and soul in many ways. To write for betterment of self means to freely express your thoughts. Writing for me has allowed for me to clearly organize my thoughts that I couldn’t express thoroughly before. In a recent article it was stated “‘writing about earlier traumatic experience was associated with both short-term increases in physiological arousal and long-term decreases in health problem”. Since It clearly makes sense that writing on a regular basis makes for a healthier and happier lifestyle, more instructors should incorporate free-writing into their curriculum.

ImageWriting can help one live a healthier lifestyle. There are many styles of writing, and many things to write about. Writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events has been found to result in improvements in both physical and psychological health. I myself am proof that this theory works. When my cousin passed away when I was only age 19, and he was 18, I had a terrible time with grieving and my uncontrollable emotions of sadness. Being able to write my thoughts and feelings out without having to explain myself to someone else helped relieve some of that pain that I was feeling. This allowed for me to accept my cousin’s death, and understand my grievance. Everyone goes through traumatic events in their life. Although not everyone will be able to relate and express their thoughts and experiences in a way to generate happiness and relief, generally speaking, writing will allow for a healthier and happier lifestyle for those who can let out those sorrows.

 Not only will writing help you life a better life, but it can also increase your intelligence. I was floored when I read a recent article about this topic. All these years I have been thinking that the only way to get ahead and expand your knowledge and intelligence was to educate yourself through college and continuous learning. Well I was right, to an extent. I have learned that writing will increase your intelligence. A study had been conducted of cloistered Nuns to prove this theory.  The ones that were into writing had a much lower level of degenerative cognitive disease when they were older. They looked at childhood writing samples and compared them. Perhaps the ones who loved to write already were functioning at a higher cognitive level and had a greater reservoir of neurons. Or perhaps the writing is what helped them stay mentally alert. Creative writing allows your mind to be free, and let the thoughts just flow out. It is almost like there is no filter on your thoughts. Being able to openly express yourself in turn increases your intelligence.

Writing on a regular basis makes for a healthier and happier lifestyle. As stated above, the students who began writing at an early age showed a higher reservoir of neurons. I was one of the unfortunate ones. I had never been assigned a free writing, or creative writing, or even a writing assignment when I was younger. Honestly I didn’t even have to do a term paper until my senior year of high school. Even then the teacher held our hands the whole way through the paper. It ended up being more of the teacher’s ideas rather than the students. From the recent articles I have read about writing generating happiness, and allowing for others to live a healthier lifestyle, it is clear that more instructors should incorporate free-writing into their curriculum.

Science Fiction or Future Predictions?

Posted: April 23, 2013 in Uncategorized
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By Blake Whitmore, RMU Student.

Growing up you could throw out my Barbie dolls for space ships and aliens any day. From the Han Solo decal on my bathroom door to the Keep Calm and Allons-y poster in my bedroom I think it is pretty apparent I am an avid science fiction fan. Star Wars, Doctor Who, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, and A Brave New World are some of my favorite amazing tales of adventures through outer space or dystopian futures, but after watching one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes titled “Blink” I started thinking about science fiction and the number of astounding predictions in books that came true.

In the episode “Blink” we are introduced to a terrifying new villain, the Weeping Angels. The Weeping Angels are aliens who appear to be statues that cannot move when you look at them.  When you look away though, they are quick and if they touch you they will zap you back in time. So, my theory is that famous science fiction authors are great at writing about futuristic technology and events because they were actually sent back in time by the Weeping Angels. Alright, I know that isn’t possible, and my inner Whovian is showing by Imageeven considering that the Weeping Angels exist, but this did get me thinking about all these wildly outlandish predictions in science fiction that ended up becoming reality.

  In 1950, Ray Bradbury wrote one of my favorite science fiction novels of all time, Fahrenheit 451. In the book Bradbury writes, “And in her ears the little seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talk coming in, coming in on the shore of her unsleeping mind.” To me it sounds like Bradbury is describing earbud headphones, which did not become popular until 2001 when they were released with the first-generation iPod. In addition to earbuds, Bradbury writes about the obsession that people have with their “parlor walls.” The walls were described like giant interactive flat screen televisions, not too far off from today’s technology. It is also said that people could talk with friends or family through the digital wall and today we write on each other’s walls on Facebook. Ray Bradbury actually warns in his short story “The Pedestrian” about the loneliness that can come from constantly paying attention to the millions of screens around us when protagonist Leonard Mead is actually arrested for the crimes of taking a walk and not owning a television. Maybe more people should take the hint.

Image Bradbury was not the only visionary in the science fiction world. Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968 where he describes a “newspad” which sounds eerily similar to an iPad which was introduced on January 27, 2010. Clarke also writes about virtual reality games in his book The City and the Stars in 1956, long before the first virtual reality game. In 1909, author E.M. Forster wrote The Machine Stops were he describes hexagonal workspaces that sound an awful lot like cubicles, which did not enter offices until the 1960s. The most astonishing of all the predictions was Hugo Gernsback’s ability to describe radar in 1911, 22 years before its first use.

 All of these predictions are pretty amazing and it is fun to think that sci-fi writers are actually time travelers, but in reality there is something even more exciting happening here. It is more likely that sci-fi writers are paving the way for the future. Do you know how many posts on Facebook I have seen about people asking about wanting their hover skateboard from Back to the Future Part II? A lot! It turns out that the imagination of sci-fi writers creates technologies and images that readers want. Sci-fi authors are among the most important writers, because their dreams, their warnings, and their amazing stories push society to make them a reality.

The Rare and Elusive Original Film

Posted: April 10, 2013 in Uncategorized
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By Blake Whitmore, RMU Student!

 Sitting in the movie theater with my jumbo popcorn and my Coca-Cola I prepare for my favorite part of going to the movies, the trailers. I absolutely love the trailers. Every time I Imagehear “No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West I can picture that old 1920s car pulling up to a dramatic stop in The Great Gatsby trailer. Trailers get me excited and pumped up to see a much anticipated film, but lately I have been noticing something about movies coming out; they aren’t original. Even though I cannot wait to see a dapper Leonardo DiCaprio portray one of my all-time favorite characters, the story is not original to film. It is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel of the same title.

With much anticipated flicks like Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hangover: Part III, Man of Steel, Monsters University, Lone Ranger, Kick- Ass 2 and countless other films scheduled to come out this summer, very few are original stories. Sequels, adaptations, and remakes litter the theaters. Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely excited to see some of these films, but I miss the days of Toy Story, Indiana Jones, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, and The Iron Giant to name a few. Granted original films these days are still around: Django Unchained, Argo, and Beasts of the Southern Wild. They are just rare beauties.

At the 2011 US Box office, the top 9 grossing films were all sequels, the 10th film was Thor, which is an adaptation of a comic book. Not until number 14 on the list do we get to an original screenplay, Bridesmaids. This has been an ongoing trend though and now Hollywood has reached a new all-time low, rereleasing films in 3D. I was disgusted to see that now we are seeing films that were released years ago in 3D, when the films were never originally intended to be viewed in 3D.

The film business is just that though, a business, and like many businesses history suggests that cinema is cyclical and the industry is just waiting for someone to nudge it in the right direction and take a chance. Despite the summer of sequels I mentioned, 2013 could be a great year for big budget original cinema, the first in quite a few years. This year three sci-fi flicks our coming to theaters including Oblivion starring Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman, Elysium starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, and Gravity with George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. Also the exciting new Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman thriller Now You See Me will be in theaters in May. Unfortunately that just means that in 2020 we will probably be sitting down to watch Oblivion 3 or the Now You See Me franchise, but don’t worry cinema will always come back around, so save me a seat.

It’s My Prerogative

Posted: April 3, 2013 in Uncategorized
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By Heather Alexander, RMU Student

Has all respect for personal space gone out the window or is it just me?  Unfortunately, I am forced to ride public transportation to and from work and school on a daily basis because paying for parking downtown is just about as expensive as paying back a student loan.  My CTA experiences vary from day to day.  Some days are loud, like when the girl who continuously pops her gum in mid-conversation on the telephone decides to sit next to me and I feel like she has her phone connected to an amplifier.  And some days are quiet, like when the tired old lady with all the grocery bags shifts half of her weight onto my seat.  Whether it is a noisy or quiet day, my space is still being intruded upon.

CT MET-GETTING-AROUND-NEW 0910 EM

Anyone who rides the CTA knows that some of these things are to be expected, but how much heavier or taller (I’m only 5’2”) do I have to be in order for someone to say excuse me when they bump me upon boarding or exiting the bus?  And is it really going to harm your conversation that much to continue in the privacy of your own home?  I’m pretty sure your boyfriend/girlfriend cheating on you is irrelevant to the well-being of the majority of riders on the bus.  I know during rush hour, buses can’t help but be crowded, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.  Even though the riders on CTA have to deal with being uncomfortable from time to time, a little courtesy goes a long way.  Now, would I be wrong if I told the amplifier girl that she needed to lower her voice or if I moved away from the straddling old woman?  No, I just need more personal space within a public space, and as a paying rider I should deserve at least that much, in addition to safely arriving to my destination.

To avoid invasion of personal space on the CTA, I choose to just wait out the rush hour period.  I’ll occupy myself doing meaningless things like window shopping or spending money I don’t have on food and drinks just so I won’t have to be bothered with all the hustle and bustle of annoying conversations and shopping bags.  So what if I get home an hour later and have to stay up the rest of the night working on homework for the next day? At least I’ll still have my dignity.

Fresh and/or Quality.

Posted: February 8, 2013 in Uncategorized
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By Larry Larys, RMU student. 

Standards. Fresh. Quality. Every restaurant says they deliver these things, but do they really? We, as consumers, believe that fresh and quality carry the same meaning, but in actuality do they? We also believe that fresh is healthy. Subway is a great example. People always say, “Let’s go to Subway! It is healthy.” In reality, Subway is not much better than Imageany other fast casual restaurant. Americans have it in their mind that “Subway, Eat Fresh” means it’s healthy –especially after the addition of Jared, who actually lost the weight from his 3 mile walk there and back.

            While restaurants may have consumers confused that fresh is not only healthy but quality, it is our own fault because many of us don’t know what the word quality means. Quality is defined as “A degree of excellence,” something that is hard to find in a restaurant nowadays. Fresh is defined as “newly or just come or arrived,” and this may be part of the reason consumers are confused. Just because a product arrives that day in a restaurant does not mean the food is “fresh.” Personally, I would define fresh as never being frozen, quickly shipped to the location, and used within a few days. It is important that consumers make sure there is an understanding of what we want in a business and ensure it achieves that caliber of service.

            To compare the health benefits of restaurants let’s compare Subway, which people think of as healthy, to McDonald’s, thought to be the worst of fast food. Two favorites are Subway’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Melt and McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Subway’s “healthy choice” has 570 calories to the Quarter Pounder’s 520. And, personally, the second choice has more flavor. Also, realize the Chicken Melt isn’t figuring all the extra toppings and other dressings, such as oil, you may want to add—tacking on more calories. Everyone thinks fish is a healthy substitute for red meat but Subway’s Tuna sandwich packs 470 calories. McDonald’s Filet-o-fish comes in at a mere 390 calories.

            I am not saying eat at Subway over McDonalds, because the fries and other sandwiches can be much worse if you don’t shop smart; however, this proves very strongly that what most consumers deem as fresh doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. People need to do research on what they are eating and not put their fate into the stores that feed them confusing material, both at fast food restaurants and full service restaurants. It is okay to eat fast food in moderation as long as you are an informed shopper. The most important thing to remember is that fresh doesn’t always mean healthy. 

Dream Job, Can You Hear me? I Can’t Seem to Find You

Posted: January 25, 2013 in Uncategorized
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By Brenda Santos, RMU STUDENT!

The elusive “dream job” is what many of today’s undergraduate students aspire to attain someday. Despite unemployment, the bad economy and stagnating public trust in the government, college students across the country persevere onward against the odds.  I, on the other hand, do not. That’s not to say that I do not have a dream job, but on the contrary, I do. The current dilemma is: I don’t know what exactly that dream job is…yet. Figuring out what my ideal career, or life’s work, is perhaps one of the most difficult hardships I face on a daily basis. Although that may sound a bit dramatic, it’s really not. Deciding a career is a big decision that should require deep thought and introspection. In the following paragraphs, I will define what my ideal life’s work is, whether to follow my passion, or to simply get a job.

As of right now, I can’t exactly pinpoint specifically what my ideal, or “dream career,” is, but that doesn’t mean I have absolutely no idea of what I want to do.  To me, my ideal life’s work involves helping the surrounding community, finding fulfillment on a daily basis, and having a manageable stress level, and having a potential to go beyond the work and to make a change. It seems very vague, but it’s exactly what I want and I believe it to be unique because what most people say they want a career where they love what they do, but I say finding fulfillment. The reason for that is because finding fulfillment is something that changes more often than loving something which remains relatively unchanged.  Much, like trying to find true love, or a soul mate, finding your life’s work is a similar process. They both require time, dedication, fearlessness, and a lot of thinking.

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Drake

The phrase “follow your passion” is probably what most of us have been told. Recently, the more and more pondering into depth I do into this mantra, the more I confirm my belief that it is somewhat foolish advice. I can’t help but make a connection between this advice and the popular modern day motto of: you only live once, or yolo, for short. Yolo is a pop culture motto that is popular among teenagers of generation Y, and is also used by artists, including the rapper, Drake, in his song “The Motto.” YOLO is foolish because the widely used motto can be used as an excuse for some behaviors and even justification, but I can see the good in the motto as well, and that is, enjoying every day because, hey, you only live once. Similarly, the advice of “follow your passion” is foolish to me because if one follows their passion, it may not always work out because then they tend to focus more of what they love rather than what they must do as part of their job (making ends meet, becoming more efficient, profit, etc.)

Beggars can’t be choosers.  When following your passion doesn’t quite work out and theImage harsh reality dawns on you that the current economy isn’t catering to your needs, what good is doing something you love that isn’t bringing home the bacon to meet basic needs? Now you have to take on a side job or quit the job you love because it’s not turning out the way you hoped it would. This thought lies deep behind my mind, but creeps into the exterior sometimes. Or another possibility could be that you loved your job, but then after years and years of doing the same, repetitive job that you love it became dull, boring and eventually unbearable.  This scenario, in my mind, can be illustrated by a still of Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Life, a film in which Charlie Chaplin portrays himself as an assembly worker who eventually loses his mind from repetitive and fast-paced work at the assembly line.  Although there is no hint that Chaplin loved his work, it does make a good point that any job done repeatedly can become overwhelming over time. It also illustrates the other side of the spectrum—“just getting a job”, growing to hate it, and the employer constantly trying to get the workforce to do tasks faster and more efficiently, and along with those goals, sacrificing the workers’ well being.  In my opinion, this practice may be good for the company, but it is probably the underlying cause of the overall employee dissatisfaction. 

With these thoughts in mind, I march on to the beat of my own drum, to find the elusive dream job because I believe that passion is a powerful emotion that gradually builds on after time; it’s not something already built up inside.  Passion can be good, foolish, and scary if followed fully and blindly as well. On that note, I persevere onward with these thoughts in mind, to find my life’s work.