Finals

I cannot believe that finals are tomorrow! It has not really set in yet that tomorrow I will be taking tests.  Thank goodness all I have tomorrow is my music theory test.  Tuesday will be an interesting day as well.  I think that I am pretty much ready for my piano basic skills test and for my horn jury, but I am a little nervous for my therapy final.  It's not a huge deal, just playing stuff that we have been playing in class already, but I am still nervous.  As far as piano and horn go, I am just afraid that I will mess up and get flustered and fail at playing it.  I know I can play everything, I just get nervous.  I need to practice with my accompanist again tomorrow.

Tonight we had a music theory study party, which involved a bunch of people sitting in one of my friend's room and talking about the different rules that we need to remember.  Most people ended up looking at the notes I had taken.  I re-wrote my notes in marker so that they were easier to access and read.  Apparently my friends thought so too!  It was good though, because I was able to add things to my notes and they were able to add stuff to theirs.  Now I just need to look over my notes a bunch.  I think I am going to do that when I am doing laundry tomorrow morning.  Great fun.

Well, I am going to go check out midnight breakfast.  Hopefully the line isn't super long!

Later.
Katie.

The Marriage of Fred and Ally

We have two plants in our room, Bartholomew (aka Fred) the pothos plant and Ally the aloe plant.  Katie brought Fred with her when she came to college.  Ally came later.  This is their story.

Fred was sitting there all alone one day, enjoying himself, but Fred was becoming lonely.  He was getting tired of sitting just by himself.  It was a sad life.  The Katies were always in class or off doing other things, and there was no one there to pay attention to him.  Suddenly, one day his life changed.  Katie brought back Ally the aloe plant from the Ren Faire.  Fred was in seventh heaven.  He was very excited to finally have company at last!  Fred and Ally got along very well.  It soon became apparent to the Katies that Fred and Ally would have to be married.  The wedding has not yet taken place, but the plan is to have it next semester.  Fred and Ally are very excited to get dressed up in their wedding garb and eventually go on their honeymoon.  They already have a guest that will attend their wedding.  This guest is Red the poinsettia plant.  Fred and Ally sit on the microwave/fridge while Red sits across the room by the printer.  The three enjoy keeping each other company while the Katies are away at class.

This is what happens when roommates get bored.  They name their plants and plan their wedding.  This wedding will be taking place.  Watch for invites!  :)

So...

Christmas with Wartburg is done and finals are a-comin'.  I'm kind of glad in a way that CWW is over, because my friends are around again.  It was weird when a majority of the music department was gone on Friday!  Of course, now everyone is going to be busy studying for finals, so I probably won't see much of them anyway.

I got to see CWW this weekend.  I went to the 3:00 show on Saturday.  It was really good.  It reminded me a lot of something my high school did, except a little bigger.  My high school would put on a choir concert every winter.  They called it Festival of Choirs.  We all shortened it to FOC (partially because it is shorter and partially because it is funny to say).  It was the same basic thing though, just not as religious.  Instead of having one of the high school bands play, we hired an orchestra to come and play. (No, Ankeny does not have an orchestra.  It makes me mad, but what can I do.)  All of the choirs would sing separate songs and there were also group songs too.  We had people in the isles singing, like CWW, and we even did a song where the choir members held candles.  Actually, FOC was this past weekend too.  It would have been nice to see; my brother was in it this year.  Anyway, watching CWW brought back some good memories from high school.  It made me want to be a part of it!  Maybe next year...

The positive side of not being in CWW is that I have gotten to know some people from my band better, specifically those who were in the small ensemble that we set up to play before the concerts.  One of the girls lives on my floor.  We just hadn't really gotten a chance to talk a lot until now.  It was nice.

Well, this week is going to bring lots of homework and practicing. Yippee.  I'm just thankful that I don't have a bunch of tests to study for.  Most of my finals are either papers or something I have to play music for.  I just have one test type final in music theory.  Hopefully the fact that that class builds on itself will make it easier!

A Response

So I believe you suggested that we write a blog responding to the writings by Matt Townsley and Walter Bouzard.  I had forgotten until now, so here it is.  Better late than never!

Not knowing Townsley or  his personality, when I first read his article over whether Wartburg is really a college of the church, I couldn't help but wonder if he was playing devil's advocate to an extent.  I found myself wondering if this is how he really felt, or if he was pulling together facts to make the school think about and remember what they represent.  I didn't feel like the information he presented was consistently used in the correct context.  I think he pulled bits and pieces to make his point.  While I agree that the college is very tolerant of other religions, I do not think this is a bad thing.  Everyone has a different background and something different to bring to the table.  As Christians, I feel we should recognize that everyone has a right to worship if they so choose.  I like how everyone is welcomed to Communion, even if they are not Lutheran.  Jesus did die for everyone after all.

I do not think that Townsley was expecting a response to his argument, but he did.  Bouzard's response to Townsley's argument was better organized and had definite proof that backed up his different points.  I thought it was funny at the end that he mentioned how Townsley unintentionally argued for more religion classes.  I don't think that was Townsley's intent!

I found these two pieces interesting.  I am perfectly content with the way Wartburg is currently running as far as religion goes.  There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in religion here.  I like how they are not forced opportunities either.  I feel like if I was forced to be involved in a religious group or forced to attend a certain amount of services, that I would enjoy it less, simply because I was told I have to.  I think that Townsley made some interesting points in his article, however he was no match for Bouzard's response.

Back Again

So I am back again and am starting to realize just how busy I am going to be these next couple of weeks.  With all my classes coming to an end and with my jury and piano proficiency test coming up I am going to have a lot to do!  I'll just have to take it one day at a time :)

This evening my roommate and I put up our Christmas tree.  We have it on top of our microwave.  Its pretty cool- there are mini ornaments on it and pipe cleaner garland.  We even have a makeshift tree skirt and presents under it!  I brought back a  poinsettia as well, so our room is starting to look festive.

I am really looking forward to December.  I love Christmas, I love snow, and my birthday is in December too, not to mention break!  Christmas is one of my favorite holidays.  I really enjoy getting together with family and it is fun to exchange presents.  I love the music that comes this time of year as well.  I feel like it is a happy time, with everyone focused on giving and helping others.  Unfortunately I know this is not always the case.  Christmas, like nearly every holiday, has become overly commercialized.  The holiday that was originally created to remember the gift of Jesus' birth has turned into "how much stuff can I get."  Santa has been created, a figure who exists solely to make and deliver toys, stores have sales months in advance so that presents can be bought, excessive amounts of food is eaten, decorations are bought and displayed, and electricity bills increase due to all the added lights.  And we are told that all this hoopla is to celebrate the birth of a baby.  A baby that was born in a barn, mind you.  As much as I enjoy all of the traditions that accompany Christmas, I feel like many of them have become excessive.  I have always have difficulties coming up with things that people can get me.  I have to come up with twice as much stuff too, because my birthday and Christmas are so close.  While I appreciate the willingness of my relatives to purchase me gifts, I never feel like I NEED anything.  I would be happy with minimal gifts and just having my family around.

I guess I just have mixed feelings about the holidays.  While I enjoy the giving atmosphere that prevails during this time, I detest the cries of, "More more more!" that so many are yelling.  Everyone should be thankful for what they have and be appreciative if they receive a gift rather than expecting that they receive something.

Even though I feel like some people are stupid when it comes to Christmas, I still really enjoy it and am anxious for it to come!

I Love the Holidays!

Break has been so much fun. I'm a bit sad to go back tomorrow. It will be nice to see my Wartburg friends again though.

I got back Wednesday night, luckily without any storm related complications.  My family went to see Harry Potter that night.  It was a lot of fun!  I sat by my youngest brother.  He made me laugh during the movie.  There was one part when a snake jumps toward the audience suddenly that causes you to jump.  Right after this scene he said to me, "I don't like these glasses."  I laughed so  hard!  This statement was in reference to when he was little and was watching a 3D movie in an IMAX theater.  We were watching the previews before our movie about underwater creatures was going to start.  During the preview a ladder "fell" on the audience.  Matt whipped his glasses off so fast and then proceeded to say, "I don't like these glasses," and then never put them back on again. We tell that story all the time because we all found it so funny.  It was hilarious that he thought of that during the movie on Wednesday.  It was completely out of the blue and yet perfectly appropriate!

Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family.  We ate turkey and all the sides and such for lunch then hung around the rest of the day.  We played games and that sort of thing.  All the girls went to Michael's to hit their sale.  They started their Black Friday sale the night before!  I didn't get much.  Just some yarn for crocheting and some Christmas ornaments to put up on our little tree in our room. 

For me, Friday was homework day.  I met my grandma and aunts for lunch (they had all gone out shopping earlier that morning).  I ended up going to Gordman's with my mom that afternoon.  We found some gifts that she could give me for Christmas and/or my Birthday.  I found a Christmas present for my roommate as well.  We ended up watching Toy Story 3 that night.  I had never seen it before.  Its really cute!  I love that series.  After that I went and saw Harry Potter again, this time with some friends from high school.  I was really happy to see them again.  I wish I could see them more often than I do!

Today was Christmas.  Everyone came over for soup at lunchtime, then we opened presents.  I got a couple new shirts, some socks, a jacket, staff paper, and a Christmas ornament.  I was super excited!  I gave my uncles and my grandpa Wartburg mugs.  It was really funny seeing their faces when they opened them!  My grandpa went to Wartburg, so he appreciated the gift, but both my uncles went to Luther!  It was really funny to see their faces when they opened them.  My one uncle was speechless!  He then sat there deep in thought trying to decide what he is going to do to retaliate.  I have a feeling there will be some Luther stuff coming in the mail in the next few weeks!

Now its back to school tomorrow.  The next few weeks should be a busy, but fun time!

Bird Poop

Well, seeing how a bird decided to use me for target practice today, this blog bears the title "Bird Poop."

I was on my way to the FAC this morning to meet my quintet so we could go to a church in Waterloo to play for their service.  It was a bit rainy out, but I figured, no big deal, I have a coat.  I had just walked under some trees when I felt something land on my head.  My first thought was that it was water that had fallen from one of the trees.  Then I noticed that I was not really under the trees anymore and that a few birds had just flown over me.  Reluctantly I reached my hand up toward my head and discovered that it was, in fact, bird poop.  I was rather annoyed as I had just taken a shower not an hour before.  There wasn't much I could do about it though.  I ended up going to the FAC and washing it out as best I could.  Luckily it wasn't too bad!  Then we went and played for the church.  That was fun.

Other than that today was pretty good.  I lost $10 which was sad, but oh well.  Hopefully it made some one's day when they found it.  I was able to attend the hand bell concert and the jazz band concert today.  All of the groups did really well.  I like going and seeing all the different musical performances on campus.  Even though I am required to go to so many, it is more fun than it is work. 

Going to the different recitals makes me nervous for when it is time to do my own.  I am nervous enough for my jury at the end of this semester.  I only have to play one movement of a song for that.  For a recital I am going to need to learn a lot more literature.  Luckily, I do not have to worry about a recital in the near future.  Another thing coming up in the world of Katie is another audition.  Several of the horn players in Wind Ensemble are studying abroad next semester, so the hornists in the Symphonic Band have been given the opportunity to audition for the open spots. 

I would like to move up to the Wind Ensemble, but I would miss the Symphonic Band if I made it.  I feel like I have really grown close to some of the members in that band and I would miss seeing them as often.  I would like to move up though because I want more of a musical challenge.  I also don't want to play first part anymore.  I'm probably the only person in the world who doesn't want to play first, but I have been on first part, if not first chair, pretty much since I've started playing.  I was the only horn player when I was younger and gradually as I got older, more horn players joined, but I always had more experience so I got placed higher in the section.  Most of the other horn players had switched instruments at some point in their musical careers.  A lot of them were really good players though, and would have easily been able to play first.  Its just the teachers always put me there instead.  The one year that I got to play a part other than first was my sophomore year in high school, and the only reason I got to play a different part is because my teacher would have all the sections switch who is playing first and second and so on so that everyone got to experience the different parts.  Even so, I still played first a lot that year.  I want to play a lower part because it is challenging in a different way.  It would require me to hear harmonies rather than melodies.  It would also be harder to hear because it is lower.  I would have to listen harder and use more air to project even more.  My last few reasons for wanting to be in Wind Ensemble are not as good, but still true.  I am competitive when it comes to music, so I want to be in the "top" band, I want to be able to travel to Japan in a couple of years, and my good friends are both in Wind Ensemble.

So, that's a little of whats going on in my life right now.  Everything from bird poop to music auditions.  Life is never boring!  Next time I blog I will probably be at home celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas, so until then... happy break!

The Debate

I was frustrated with the debate that we did in class.  It was difficult to prepare for the debate because not everyone brought in information on our workday Friday.  We ended up deciding who was going to be working on which part and then discussing in general different points that we could make.  When it came time to debate yesterday, everything kind of fell apart.  We probably did not split up the jobs as well as we could have, but the way we had it, everyone was supposed to have a chance to speak.  Heidi, Sarah, and I were going to give the background information during the first 15 minutes, Andrew, Max, and Kingsley were going to do the 5 minute rebuttal, Sammi and Sonachi had the 2 minute rebuttal, Zach and Ryan had the question/answer session, and Jawanza was going to give the summary.  Everyone came with information to fill their time slot.  When Heidi was not able to come, things got thrown off track.  We had extra time in the first 15 minutes that someone needed to cover.  Max talked through the entire 5 minute rebuttal, giving Andrew and Kingsley no time to speak.  Sonachi did not have time to speak as well.  She did not want to butt in while Sammi was talking.  In order to compensate, Andrew helped answer some of the questions during the question/answer session, as did Sonachi.  Max answered and asked questions there too.  Jawanza was nice enough to split up his one minute of speaking time between himself, Ryan, and Sonachi so that everyone got to say something.  Ryan did not get to speak during the question/answer because everyone else was butting in.

I suppose that my classmates could have spoken up if they had something they wanted to say, its just that I feel like our side of the debate was a bit scattered and random because we were trying to fill in holes the entire time.  In hindsight, we should have assigned more people to talk during the 15 minutes and fewer later on in the debate.  I think we wanted to make sure that there were enough minds working on those parts though to ensure we would have intelligent points to make.  Everyone came into class prepared to say something though.  Unfortunately the way the debate played out, not everyone got to say all they wanted.  That is what frustrated me the most.  The fact that my team members put the time and effort into preparing something and then did not get to say it.

Needless to say, I am glad that the debate is over.  While it was a good experience, I also found it to be stressful and frustrating.  I had never done a debate before, and now that I have, I realize that I would do some things differently for next time.

To believe or not to believe...

... that is the question.

I think that a lot of our time is spent trying to figure out if we can believe what we are being told.  As a child we believe everything we hear.  We somehow convince ourselves that a fat man can fly around the world all in one night in a sleigh that is being pulled by reindeer, of all creatures, so that he can deliver toys to all the children by stuffing himself through a chimney.  We believe that our teeth are taken away by a magical fairy who repays us with money.  We believe that a bunny brings eggs and baskets at Easter time.  As we get older and realize that these are simply stories, we become a little more cautious in what we believe.  We do not have such blind faith anymore.  Yet, in some instances, we are still asked to maintain that same child-like faith.  Religion constantly asks this of us.  We are asked to believe in something that happened long ago and to trust books that have been re-written and translated so many times that they could have lost some of the original meaning.

Even outside of religion we are constantly determining whether we can believe a source or not.  In research projects, part of the assignment is to assess how well the article or website can be trusted.  So often a source looks like it is believable, but then we discover it is not.  My favorite example of this is http://dhmo.org.  This site looks very scientific, but after consulting a different site, it is discovered that this "dangerous chemical" called Dihydrogen Monoxide is more commonly known as water.  It isn't just sites like these that we have to watch out for.  We have to determine whether or not we can believe politicians, commercials, salespeople, movies, books, even research.  We are talking about global warming in class right now.  It is hard to know who to believe, Al Gore and his strong belief in the human causes of global warming, or Michael Crichton and the picture he paints of global warming being more of a publicity stunt rather than a huge issue.  We are daily confronted with situations like these that cause us to question others and the information we are receiving.

This leads me to wonder, what would happen if we did not have to question the motives of others.  What if everything that we said and did was true?  What if no one lied or twisted the truth?  What if we were able to spend our time building each other up rather than wondering if the other person is going to tear us down? 

What if we were all genuinely good people?

I think one thing is for certain.  The world would be a much different place.

For Good

Alright. I'm going to do a song lyric analysis for this blog. This song is so overdone, but I really like the lyrics and feel like they relate to me and my life.  The song is "For Good" from the musical Wicked. I was first introduced to this song in choir.  Many years later I saw the actual musical.  It is a great musical if you have never seen it. I would highly recommend it!  The lyrics that have always struck me are the ones that follow:

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are lead
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you....

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I've learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

I really like these lyrics a lot, especially after graduation last spring.  A lot of the people that I knew from high school I may never see again.  Even though I may no longer talk to them, I have been changed simply because I knew them.  I am a believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason, so therefore everyone I come in contact with during my life I meet for a reason, and because I got to know them I am forever changed.  I really think that I have met all of my friends for a reason.  From them I have learned how to be a good friend, how to listen, how to be accepting, how to be kind, patient, understanding, and just a good person in general.  Most often I learn because my friends are good examples.  Other times I am able to learn from their mistakes, so that I do not make the same mistake they did.  Even the people that I do not care for I am able to learn from.  I learned how to stand up for people I care about when a mean individual was picking on one of my friends.  I have learned how to pick good friends as well.

Everyone that I have come into contact with throughout my life has had some sort of impact on me, whether they intended to or not.  I am sure I have had an impact on others as well.  It just goes to show that it is important to remember who you are and to be the best person you can be so that the impact you have on others is a positive one.

State of Fear

I am really enjoying reading State of Fear.  When I began reading this novel I was a believer in global warming.  I thought that the evidence for it was undeniable and I bought into the idea that the extremely cold weather we have been getting in the winters and the excessive amounts of precipitation were all linked to the climate change.  When I started reading State of Fear I realized that I really had not seen any scientific proof that global warming existed.  I believed in global warming because the media told me it was happening.  I may have seen some graphs, but these graphs could have been doctored to make the situation appear worse than in actuality.  Now that I am nearly finished with the book I am on the fence as to whether global warming is as big of a deal as everyone says it is.  I need to go looking for scientific evidence so that I can make educated decisions.

Even if global warming is not happening or is not as severe as it is made out to be, I still think that all of the "green" campaigns are beneficial to the environment.  I think that it is still a good idea to try and find an alternative to fossil-fuels.  I think that recycling should be continued.  A majority of the "green" programs help maintain a clean earth.  It encourages responsible use of our natural resources.  I think that people, Americans in particular, have a hard time looking outside of their own needs.  I am just as at fault as anyone else.  It will be difficult to get out of the rut that we are in, but I think that we need to be good stewards of the land.  Loyd from Animal Dreams had the same point.  The earth is ours to use, but eventually it all goes back to earth.  It is not ours to keep or destroy.

This Weekend

This weekend was great fun, but super busy.  On Friday night we had a band concert.  I thought it went pretty well.  I had to play a couple solos.  I messed up in one of them so I was not totally content with my performance, but overall the band did a good job.  After the band concert I watched the last part of Rent with my roommate.  I had never seen Rent before and I really enjoyed it.  I liked the message of accepting everyone for who they are.  We then went and hung out with some friends.  We watched part of How to Train Your Dragon and then sat around and talked for a while.  I really like being able to just hang out with my friends!

Saturday I slept in since I was up late the night before.  I had quintet practice with the brass quintet that I am in.  There are two trumpets, a trombone, a tuba, and a horn.  Its an interesting experience being in a brass quintet.  I had only ever been in woodwind quintets prior to this year.  Brass quintets have a different style of playing than woodwind quintets do.  I feel like I am never playing loud enough in the brass quintet.  I stuck out if I played too loud in the woodwind quintet, so this is new!  My family came after that and took me out to dinner.  We ate at Applebees.  Then we came back to Wartburg and my parents went to the band concert.  For me, the Saturday night concert went better than the Friday night one.  I nailed all of my solos, which made me happy.  It will be interesting now in band since my band does not participate in Christmas with Wartburg.  We will be learning some new music, but we won't be playing it in a concert until after Christmas break.  After the concert there was a Halloween party.  I went as a basket of laundry.  It was a good time.  There was a scavenger hunt that had everyone running all over the FAC.  I discovered that running with a laundry basket around your waist is rather difficult!

Today my quintet played in the church service here on campus.  I think it went pretty well. We had not practiced the pieces very much, but I was not too nervous about it.  The pieces were not very difficult and we have some excellent musicians in our group.  I went to Laura Mackey and Kyle Fleming's junior recital today.  Laura plays the trombone and Kyle sings.  I really enjoyed the last piece they performed.  It was the only one they did together and they acted it out really well.  It was really funny!  I had a follow up session with my Psych of the Exceptional Child class today as well.  We talked about how our field experience went and turned in our final papers.

This weekend was a lot of fun, but now I have to finish up my homework.  I really enjoy weekends and wish that they didn't end so quickly!

Fall Break

It is really nice to be home.  I really like being able to see my family.  I was able to see my aunt yesterday because she works at the school I did my field experience at.  I have seen my grandma every day I have been back so far (she lives down the street, so I will see her out walking and that sort of thing).  Last night my aunt, uncle, and one of my cousins who live in Dubuque came down to spend the night.  They are going to the Iowa State game today.  I had not seen them in forever and it was really nice to be able to talk with them.  Now today is trick or treat night in Ankeny.  My family usually comes over to our house to trick or treat.  My aunt and uncle live on a farm, so it is difficult for my cousins to do much trick or treating out there.  That's why they come here.  My grandma and grandpa who live down the street come over too.  We eat pizza around 5:00 and then trick or treating starts at 6 and goes until 8.  Sometimes I will go out and walk with my cousins and brother, but this year I might stay home and help answer the door.  I babysat a lot of the kids in our neighborhood, so it is nice to be able to see them, even though I don't always recognize them in their costumes!

This weekend is going by way to quickly.  I am really enjoying hanging out with my brothers.  I played basketball with one of them for a long time yesterday!  I wish that I did not have homework to worry about while I am here.  That's the worst- being home, but having to seclude myself so that I can do work.  As much fun as I am having here, I am also excited to head back to Wartburg.  I really like the freedom that I have there as opposed to here where I have to borrow my parents' car and let them know where I am going and when I will be back.  Its not horrible, but now that I am used to making my own decisions, it is difficult to come back to this.

This afternoon I am going shopping for a laundry basket.  I am going to use the one I have at school currently for a Halloween costume.  The band is having a Halloween party and I am going to go as a basket of laundry.  My current laundry basket was given to me as a gift and appears to be a really cheap one.  It bends if I try to carry too much stuff in it.  So I am going to purchase a better one and cut the bottom out of my current one so I can wear it.  Should be fun!  I think that's about all for now.  Until next time!

Field Experience

So I am home for the weekend and am doing field experience as a part of Psychology of the Exceptional Child.  I am observing a special education classroom in a high school.  Yesterday I went in for two hours and saw two study hall periods and a science class.  The students that I observed were at a higher level of thinking.  Most of them just had learning disabilities, so they struggled with reading, writing, and math.  There was one student with autism in the classroom.

I was surprised by the small number of students in the room at a time.  The most I saw in there during one period was four.  The science class only had two students!  I learned a lot from this experience though.  I found the science class particularly interesting.  They were studying for a test that is going to be over atoms.  Because the special education teacher was not qualified to teach science at the high school level, a science teacher from the building came in and taught the students while the special education teacher helped make sure the students understood.  I noticed the general education science teacher becoming frustrated when he could not get his points across to the students.  The special education teacher was much more patient and worked better with the students to help them understand.  I think that it was good for the general education teacher to be in the special education classroom teaching though, because I am sure there are some strategies that he could learn and bring back to his normal classroom to help the students who are struggling in there.

Today I am going back in to observe for another two hours.  I was supposed to go back to the same classroom, however the teacher is sick, so I may end up in a different special education classroom.  I am anxious to see what is in store for me today and see what other information I can glean from this experience.  I find it useful to see what I have learned and read about being put into practice.  It helps make the class more real.  I think that if it were possible, every class should do something like this.  Knowing that the information applies and is not just something to learn really helps make the learning worthwhile.  I think this is something I will run across more in college than I did in high school, especially at a smaller school like Wartburg.  Yet another reason why I am glad this is the school I chose!

Learning Something Different

Most people have a favorite animal.  Usually people's favorite animals are something like a dog, bear, or a penguin.  My favorite animal is different than all of these.  In fact, I doubt anyone would ever guess it.  My favorite animal is a sponge.  I decided this was my favorite animal when I was in middle school.  I hadn't really had a favorite animal prior.  We were learning about the different animals in science though and when I was reminded that a sponge was an animal I decided that was my favorite.  I like the fact that it is commonly mistaken as a plant and that it is not well known.  I thought it was cool how simple it was, but that it was still complex enough to live and be considered an animal.  I like jellyfish for this reason as well.

I like learning about random and unusual things.  This is another reason why I like sponges.  It is an unusual animal to have as a favorite.  I like being unique in this way.  When I took speech in high school I would find random people that I had never heard of before or did not know much about to do speeches over.  A couple of the people that I found were Jessica DuBroff and Paul Winchell.  Jessica DuBroff was a seven-year-old girl who was attempting to be the youngest person to fly an airplane across the United States.  She ended up crashing and dying.  Paul Winchell did pretty much everything possible.  He was the voice of Tigger, along with some other characters (like one of the birds from Fox and the Hound).  It was actually Paul Winchell that came up with Tigger's saying "TTFN ta-ta for now."  He also came up with a prototype for the artificial heart, owned a T-shirt factory and ran a fish farm.  He proposed to Congress that using Talapia (a type of fish) could solve the hunger problem in Africa.  Paul Winchell was also an inventor and got patents on many different items, including a fountain pen with a retractable tip.  The thing he was most famous for was for being a ventriloquist.  I was amazed by all the things this man did.  I found him because he and I share the same birthday.

I think some of this can be proof that I am a self-motivated learner.  I want to learn about new and different things and in this case, I used my speech class to do so.  It was more fun for me to do research on something or someone that I knew little about and I enjoyed informing my class about the cool things I discovered.  I think they found it interesting as well because it was not a topic that is done frequently.  Often such topics can get boring to listen to because they have been done so much.  I try to feed my desire to learn what I want while still meeting the requirements for the course.  In my mind, that fulfills the characteristics of someone who is both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated.

The Social Change Wheel

On the social change wheel I believe that I fall under the categories of direct service and socially responsible daily behavior.  I may fall under the voting/formal political activities category as well though.  I am in the category of direct service because I have volunteered at different locations many times.  I would always help with Vacation Bible School (VBS) at my church each summer, I helped teach incoming kindergartners about safety at Safety Town, and I would volunteer my time helping with other organizations as well- through my Girl Scout troop mostly.  I belong in the socially responsible daily behavior category because I try to do things like recycle and carpool when I can.  This is an easy category to be a part of because it does not take a bunch of extra effort.  I could fit into the voting/formal political activities category because I have voted.

I feel like I am pretty involved with my community, but when I look at all of the categories of involvement that I am not a part of, it makes me feel like I am not doing enough.  While I probably could be more involved in the community than I am, I also feel that some of the things on the list would be difficult for me to do at this point in my life.  There are many different leadership positions listed on the sheet under multiple categories that I do not feel like I could fulfill.  It's not that I do not think I would be capable of doing the job (I bet I could if I put my mind to it),  it is that I feel getting help and support from the community may be difficult because of my age and lack of experience.  Although I'm sure some would support me, many adults would look at me and think that I am unable to do the job.

For now, I am going to stick with what I have been doing, but I am going to continue to look for more opportunities to become involved in my community.  Wartburg is a great place to discover these opportunities.  Maybe I will find a group that I am able to participate in that will not only be fun, but will help the community in the process.

Comments on Readings (and other stuff)

I have a couple random comments/connections on some of the readings that we have been doing in class.

First one: I was in euchie on Wednesday and the comment was made that the miners were being rescued.  The way Pastor Brian was describing it reminded me a lot of the Plato piece.  He was talking about how miraculous it must have been to step into the light after being in the darkness for so long.  I was just talking about the Plato piece earlier that night with some of my friends who were reading it in their IS classes and so it came to mind as he was describing the miners' rescue.

Second one: I was reading the Bowling Alone reading and there was a part in there that said social capital is eroding partially because on an increase in technology.  The author then gave the example of how so many Americans watch TV in their leisure time rather than go out and be social like had been the norm in the past.  I think that there is a great amount of truth to that.  I do not have a TV in my room and I do not really miss it.  I find myself hanging out with friends more than I did at home (although that could also be contributed to the increase in freedom I have here) and to me that is much more enjoyable than sitting in front of the television alone.  The only thing that I watch regularly is Glee, and when I do so I usually watch it with some of my friends.

Anyhoo, I am going home this weekend and I am extremely excited to do so!  I can't wait to see my friends and family.  I am excited for the horn recital that I am going to be able to attend at UNI as well.  It should be an interesting learning experience for me.  Maybe I will discover some pieces that I want to play!  I am super excited for next week as well.  Homecoming should be a lot of fun and I am also looking forward to the end of a few of my classes.  It will be nice to have a lighter workload!

Deaf but Still Capible

So, I just got done with a huge presentation in ED 211. We were in groups and it was our job to present a chapter to the rest of the class.  My partner and I were assigned to talk about students with hearing impairments.  As we were doing our research we came across some modern day deaf musicians.  I was very impressed!  Mandy Harvey is the name of one of these artists.  She was my favorite of all of them we looked at.  Mandy Harvey was not born deaf.  She had always had problems with her hearing due to infections she had as a child.  Her hearing problem was not severe until she reached college.  Becoming deaf was very hard on her, as she wanted to become a vocal music professor.  She eventually discovered that she could still continue singing.  She has perfect pitch, which enables her to remember how notes sounded even though she can no longer hear them.  By looking at the piano accompanist she is able to determine her pitches and stay in time.  I think that she is incredible to listen to!  Here is a link to the video we used in class if you have time and feel like listening.  http://www.mandyharveymusic.com/

We also used a song by Sean Forbes.  He has been deaf throughout his entire life, but he loves music.  This has inspired him to become a musician.  He is able to feel the music, so he raps to the beat that he feels.  I think it is really cool to watch him and see how he was determined to do what he knew he loved even though he had an obstacle in his way.  I really like how he uses sign language while he is rapping.  It fits surprisingly well with the style of music.  If you want to see his rap video you can go here.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5l-2Jo14cQ

I think the thing that amazed me the most about these two artists was not their talent (which they have a lot of), but their determination to do something that most people would tell them is impossible.  Too often we listen to others when they tell us we can't do something, or we ourselves tell others that doing something is impossible for them.  We get it in our minds that certain people cannot do certain things, when I think we should really be asking why can't they do it and how can we help them accomplish it?  If only we all had the determination and attitude that these two musicians have!

A Hodgepodge of Events from the Past Weekend

Huh. I guess I forgot to title my last post. Oops! Oh well!

It was really nice to see my family today.  I really missed them!  I am going to try to go home this coming weekend.  Ankeny hosts a marching band competition every year and this year it is this coming Saturday.  I would like to go down for it.  One of my friends from UNI said that he is heading down and would be willing to give me a ride.  Now all I have to do is find someone to work for me!  I really hope that I am able to go.  Band, like show choir, was a huge part of my high school life.  I feel that it is important for me to support them if at all possible.  Plus, quite a few of my friends will be there next weekend for the competition and it would be really nice to see them again too! 

This past weekend was a lot of fun.  I really enjoyed the fact that it felt like a four day weekend, thanks to outfly.  It was nice to have time to catch up on some stuff and also have some time to relax and do whatever I felt like.  I really needed a break.  Sometimes I feel like I have no time for anything!  Its okay though, because I enjoy everything I am in.  It just gets crazy sometimes trying to find time for homework! 

I had a band lesson on the day of outfly.  It was the best lesson I have had up to date.  I am working on not using so much pressure when I play.  It sometimes feels like I am re-learning the horn.  My teacher showed me an exercise in a book that I am super excited about.  It works in the extreme low range of the horn and then eventually gets higher, but after playing so loosely and openly in the low range for so long, that same feeling gets carried up to the high notes as well.  It makes them so much easier to play!  I was super excited to find something that actually worked!  I really appreciate the people that I have the opportunity to work with here.  Everyone is very knowledgeable and is willing to work with me so that I am able to become the best that I can be. I don't feel that I would have gotten quite the same attention had I attended a larger school.

Well, busy week this week, but I am looking forward to it!

Tomorrow my dad and my two brothers are coming to visit.  I am really excited! I haven't seen one of my brothers since I left home and I can't wait to see him again!  They are going to come later in the afternoon and stay for dinner.  They want to eat in the Mensa.  That should be interesting.  It will be a good experience for my one brother though, as he will be starting to look at colleges within the next year.  

I love all of the experiences that I get at Wartburg.  It is so cool to go to the different concerts and special guests.  I went to see the comedian Friday night.  I thought that she was really funny.  I liked her better than the previous comedian.  He had a lot more racial jokes, which can be funny, just as long as they are directed at all groups equally.  He did a pretty good job picking on all racial groups, but it is still one of those things that you don't know if you should laugh or not.  The other comedian was able to be funny without making a ton of questionable jokes, which is one of the reasons why I enjoyed listening to her more.  I feel that there is enough racial tension in the world as it is.  Although, maybe that is why his jokes were funny.  They exposed stereotypes and preconceived notions that groups have against one another and we laugh at them because we not only know that we really do think this way, but also because it makes us uncomfortable to have our preconceived notions brought to our attention

I saw the concert "Real Men Sing" tonight as well.  They were really good.  Listening to them really made me miss choir.  They sang the song "The Awakening" by Joseph Martin.  This is one of my favorite men's pieces ever.  The guys at my high school sang it last year and I fell in love with it.  It was so cool to hear it again, especially with 250 guys singing it.  It was amazing!