Advice for Future 110-er's

So there are some certain things to do in this class to insure success. The first one is actually do your work. Write the essays, read the assignments, and class goes smoother and is more enjoyable for everyone. Try and keep discussions going for as long as possible. You get more out of it that way, and you might not end up hearing a lecture on abastolic succession... or something along those lines. Not to say that's not interesting... but it won't necessarily improve your English writing skills or analyzing skills. Choose a topic that you want to write on. You can find one. You have to be interested in at least one thing. If you say no... well I'm sorry, that must really suck. But most of all, just take it easy, don't fret, try and get things done early, and the course is smooth sailing. Hope this helps.

Why I've Stopped Doing This Anymore

When it comes down to religion, I never really got along to well with it. When I was young, I thought there was some omnipotent thing in the sky cause that's what I was told. But since then I've taken a more heathen approach to it. I don't believe, because it just doesn't make sense to me. I've talked with people that have claimed that I'm an emotionless bastard with no morals or ethics who plays violent video games and who's going to hell for not believing in such and such religion. But why does not believing in it make me a bad person. Will I just go to the first ring of Hell as Dante talked about in the Inferno, where all those guys who were good went, but sadly, didn't have faith, or didn't know about such a faith because they were around before Jesus? It doesn't even have to be Jesus, it could be anyone. Because I don't believe in what I consider to be a very good book, but nothing more, I'm burning for all eternity, even if the values I've been taught and learned are the same, if not better than those who preach those values. The way I view it, religion is very helpful to some people. They need it and I don't want to take away their crutch, if you will. But I hate, and that's one of the few times I'll ever use the word hate, being force-fed the beliefs of others. Extremism in anything is just that, extreme. I have my beliefs and they're not gonna change. I've studied religions in classes I've taken, I understand the general concepts, and I don't feel like they fit me. I prefer to avoid discussions of this sort only because my views make people irate. I don't get it. My life goal is to become a doctor, because I want to help people now, while I still know they have life, instead of helping them reach the uncertainty that lies beyond. I'm planning when I finally go, to be decomposed and hopefully not forgotten. Does having no afterlife affect what I am going to do with my life? No, 'cause frankly, I don't wanna be remembered as a dick. I pray others learn to believe what they believe, and not try and find justification in numbers. Religion only serves to alienate people from different groups. I can keep ranting about how religion has been used to create bias against me, but I feel that counterproductive to what I'm saying. I'm happier without, you might be happier with it. Let's leave it at that and get on with our lives already.

The Problem with Articles on China

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8141867.stm

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/06/content_11661325.htm

The riots in Xinjiang seem to be disproving the idea of a harmonious society in China. This image is very important to the people of China, but more importantly to the government of China. Though the western media often likes to portray everything that happens in China negatively... but that's namely because China likes to portray everything in a good fashion due to the whole concept of face. It's pride and China doesn't want to lose any of it. The idea of ethnic separatism is prayed upon by the western media to try and show what's wrong with other places instead of what's going on in their own country. It tends to be a battle between the medias on projecting image. For example, China wanted to keep a perfect image so that they could hold the perfect Olympics, but by creating the perfect image, they covered up the story of the milk scandal which hurt them in the long run. Thus comes the issue with the harmonious society. I tend to side with China, but that's just my biased opinion. You can read the articles and see the videos of the issues. To get a balanced opinion, I read both sides, Xinhua and BBC/NYT. Thus arises the problem, "Who is right?" That's up to the reader to decide, and the Chinese government to solve.

(not for those with a weak stomach)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Z8UDjpNfY&feature=related

Mack Hall 4th Floor Corridor

Why yes, it is where I live. I spend most of my time in Mack hall in the hallways. I've even occasionally slept here. And though the hallways hold some secrets, it has become "home," if you will. I sat in the old, slightly tacky, multicolored armchairs in the far end of the hall, in what we call the "Reading Corner." Old issues of magazines litter the windowsill, surrounding the dim lamp that barely sheds light onto the windowsill that it's perched upon. Newsweek, National Geographic, The Economist among others from June 2008. A table that was lifted from the first floor for midnight root beer floats and pancake making sits out of place in the reading corner. Posters that were lovingly placed on the walls on the first week seem to feel out of place amidst the others that are strewn carelessly around them, occasionally the tape sticking out from behind the edges. the striped and diamond-ed carpet extends to the end of the hallway in different shades of dark green and dark amber that has faded from wear and age. The walls are cream colored and could be thought to suck the inspiration right from the students who walk the hallway. But the noise and cheery nature of everyone on the floor show that it leaves inspiration in the students. There's always at least one person in the hall... and they're always loud. When light stops coming through the lone window near the reading corner, the horde comes out to play, raid, loot, and/or pillage the rooms whose maroon doors are open. Our names are plastered on the doors. They were used to help us to get to know each other, but now serve as trophies the more we have. As I sat there in the middle of the hallway as a few people pass me by, they've come to know some of my antics, and I've come to know them all. All while I was in this hall.

And so we begin...

Before coming to college the type of writing that we did in high school was mainly examining themes that carried through between a group of books due to a historical event that happened during the time they were written, but occasionally we did creative writing. The idea of it was interesting but was never really an entertaining way to spend an evening. Creative writing was always where I loved to spend most of my effort. In these papers we had to follow certain standards and conventions that made my writing of the essay a little less enjoyable. The reason for this, I feel, was that it was supposed to be written in a way that explicitly details every little thing and why it should be that way. I prefer leaving room for mystery, that lets the reader’s imagination take them away to a place that you explicitly describe for them, and let the story unfurl in their head. This little bit of wiggle room that research papers leave out make something that is mainly opinion into something that seems so definite and sure like math. Math is an art because it is definite and unchanging, just as English is indefinite and changing. The moment it becomes concrete I lost interest in it.
When I moved to China during my senior year I started my own blog to tell of my adventures in China. I thought I could just write down a brief synopsis of my day but I got really into it. The idea of weaving my story around the history and culture of the land became really interesting. My audience of friends and family would send me e-mails saying that history just became interesting. I felt that the way that these blogs I wrote, which I would equate more with essays, incorporated history with a story made it into something people could grasp onto. It was a style of writing that I’d never had the privilege to try out when I was confined to writing essays in school. The idea of writing for this public audience and getting their feedback was exhilarating. It made history exciting for my readers and for me, and that was just something that I never had an interest in before. When I was writing these blogs I felt like I was giving an unbiased story of the topic, whether it be an ethnic minority or a forgotten religion. Of course, it was biased, but it just felt like I trusted myself more than some of the stuff news companies were putting out. In the end despite differing views from the actual people I've talked with and the news companies, the news always keeps me up to date and is a relatively reliable source.

Sterling