Somehow, I kept thinking "oh, I've got time!" and not doing my homework, and now I have about a week to finish all these things.
1. 4-6 page essay on Frederick Douglass' Narrative (I have about 2 pages of random word spew done)
2. 1,600 words on an 18th century American text - most likely it will be Little Women, though I haven't chosen yet.
3. 8-10 page paper on an environmental issue and it's history.
4. 3, 1 page mini-biographies (moments in my life) for my family history class
5. Finish reading Little Women. 135 pages left.
6. Go to the Family History Library in SLC (It takes about an hour to drive there) and do research for at least 3 hours and write a report on my findings.
7. Prepare my lesson for church.
8. Finish my essay for creative writing. This will involve talking to some people about their favorite birthdays and adding that into what's already written.
9. Creative writing portfolio: revising my short story and essay.
10. Writing journal: A lot of half page, written entries and 4 full page entries on contemporary essays that I've read.
11. Work on Saturday and most likely Monday.
Then I get to study for my Finals, only one of which will be killer, two will be hard, and one will be no sweat.
This is why I had to turn down the nice guy that sits next to me in History who asked me out.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
New Job, Same Job
So I started work at the Buffet today. It's the same company as I was working with before, and a few of the same people (they all transfered like I did), but instead of it being like a Little Caesars, it's a restaurant. All you can eat pizza, pasta, and salad. I worked on Friday and Saturday and I was the salad girl. It's way more busy than the Express and was more stressful. They didn't exactly feel the need to really train me, so I had to keep asking people questions and the salad bar has to be restocked constantly, so I could never get ahead. I ended up having to work from 10-6:40 on Saturday just to help the dinner salad girl get caught up for the dinner rush.
That being said, I still like my job a lot. They hire the right kinds of people so, even though it gets stressful, it's super fun. Everyone kept talking to me and trying to get to know me because I was new. We played the whole time.
PS On Saturday, I cut enough lettuce to fill up 3 of those giant trash cans - you know, the big round ones that they put on wheels. Oh yeah!
They have no website (the reason I think the Express failed) but they have a Facebook page if you want to check it out.
That being said, I still like my job a lot. They hire the right kinds of people so, even though it gets stressful, it's super fun. Everyone kept talking to me and trying to get to know me because I was new. We played the whole time.
PS On Saturday, I cut enough lettuce to fill up 3 of those giant trash cans - you know, the big round ones that they put on wheels. Oh yeah!
They have no website (the reason I think the Express failed) but they have a Facebook page if you want to check it out.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Fiction and Food
Last Friday they had this English conference going on and they cancel all English classes so that we can go (it's required to attend if you 'miss' a class). I ended up going to two sessions and the second one was way cool. It was all about how food is displayed in novels. It isn't something you automatically think about, but when you do, it's really interesting.
The first presenter talked about Harry Potter and the struggles the characters have with perceiving food as magic. At Hogwarts, it isn't until their fourth year that Harry, Hermione and Ron learn about the house elves making all the food. And then in the last installment, they have troubles while away from their providers and have to figure out how to feed themselves. The presenter then talked about how we have the same mentality today - food is magic, it shows up in the stores ready for us. Because we don't make/grow our own food, we don't understand all the work that goes into it. During the questions portion, it came out that a girl in this class (all three presenters had taken same class - Folklore and Foodstuffs) shared that she didn't know you could make cookie dough until she came to BYU and witnessed a roommate doing just that. Apparently she believed that it only came from the refrigerated section.
The second presentation talked about food in The Giver and in the Hunger Games. In both of these series, food is controlled by the government, it is not an experience for pleasure unless you are lucky enough to live in the capital. I've never read The Giver, but I know the story and I might now. I was intrigued when the presenter mentioned how the main character receives a memory about a family meal (I think) and how he learns that food can be pleasurable.
The last presenter spoke on the Laura Ingalls series (including the sequel series, the Rose Years). She talked about how the mom teaches the daughter how to cook and how family mealtime was a big thing then she related it to our day where few people can cook and family meals are almost nonexistent.
I would like to add in my own two cents on the novel Matched. This book is, like so many others, a distopian society in which, again, the government controls everything. They deliver all food to each individual for what their body needs. The only time you get special foods is at a the ceremony where you are Matched and on your deathbed, and even then they are portion controlled. Exercise is also controlled along with education and jobs and living places. It's all meant to make a productive society where everyone is 'equal.' It's kind of like what I've heard of The Giver. No family meal time, no enjoyment of meals, you just eat what comes in your little (recyclable) package every few hours. In these books, food is the great equalizer. Everyone looks the same because they are all at their 'ideal' weight. Everyone has food to eat - no homeless or poor people. That isn't real life at all. In real life, people look different. Some people eat gourmet dinners and others only eat food out of a box. The one thing that Matched emphasizes is eating together. The family all eats at the same time because that's when dinner is delivered to them. Because of that, there are few familial problems until the main character is forced to start to lie to her family about her real Match and how the government is playing with her. She does it to protect them, but it backfires.
Anyway, I think it's fascinating to think about. The next time you read a book, you'll notice it, too.
The first presenter talked about Harry Potter and the struggles the characters have with perceiving food as magic. At Hogwarts, it isn't until their fourth year that Harry, Hermione and Ron learn about the house elves making all the food. And then in the last installment, they have troubles while away from their providers and have to figure out how to feed themselves. The presenter then talked about how we have the same mentality today - food is magic, it shows up in the stores ready for us. Because we don't make/grow our own food, we don't understand all the work that goes into it. During the questions portion, it came out that a girl in this class (all three presenters had taken same class - Folklore and Foodstuffs) shared that she didn't know you could make cookie dough until she came to BYU and witnessed a roommate doing just that. Apparently she believed that it only came from the refrigerated section.
The second presentation talked about food in The Giver and in the Hunger Games. In both of these series, food is controlled by the government, it is not an experience for pleasure unless you are lucky enough to live in the capital. I've never read The Giver, but I know the story and I might now. I was intrigued when the presenter mentioned how the main character receives a memory about a family meal (I think) and how he learns that food can be pleasurable.
The last presenter spoke on the Laura Ingalls series (including the sequel series, the Rose Years). She talked about how the mom teaches the daughter how to cook and how family mealtime was a big thing then she related it to our day where few people can cook and family meals are almost nonexistent.
I would like to add in my own two cents on the novel Matched. This book is, like so many others, a distopian society in which, again, the government controls everything. They deliver all food to each individual for what their body needs. The only time you get special foods is at a the ceremony where you are Matched and on your deathbed, and even then they are portion controlled. Exercise is also controlled along with education and jobs and living places. It's all meant to make a productive society where everyone is 'equal.' It's kind of like what I've heard of The Giver. No family meal time, no enjoyment of meals, you just eat what comes in your little (recyclable) package every few hours. In these books, food is the great equalizer. Everyone looks the same because they are all at their 'ideal' weight. Everyone has food to eat - no homeless or poor people. That isn't real life at all. In real life, people look different. Some people eat gourmet dinners and others only eat food out of a box. The one thing that Matched emphasizes is eating together. The family all eats at the same time because that's when dinner is delivered to them. Because of that, there are few familial problems until the main character is forced to start to lie to her family about her real Match and how the government is playing with her. She does it to protect them, but it backfires.
Anyway, I think it's fascinating to think about. The next time you read a book, you'll notice it, too.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Closed...
So I get home from work last night - a little early because it wasn't busy enough to warrant having three people there. My phone rings, 'who could it be,' I think to myself. It's TJ, my boss. Turns out they are closing the Express, in fact, it's closed. Saturday was it's last night. Now, they aren't firing all of us exactly, they offered the employees a position at the Buffet, which is around the corner and down the street (the express is like a Dominos or Pizza Hut, the Buffet is, well, a buffet of pizza and salad and pasta, but it's all the same company).
Here is the thing, I'm leaving in about 4 weeks. Is it worth it, for $7.25 an hour, to deal with learning how to work at an entirely new place. True, I already know how they make their pizzas and I think they use the same cashier system, but working at a restaurant is very different from a pizza place. I doubt we will even get that many hours because it's not like they were looking for more people to work the Buffet, they just don't want to have to pay us off.
On the one hand, it would be nice to have some time and my weekends back. But on the other hand, I don't do well with having a lot of time on my hands.
Here is the thing, I'm leaving in about 4 weeks. Is it worth it, for $7.25 an hour, to deal with learning how to work at an entirely new place. True, I already know how they make their pizzas and I think they use the same cashier system, but working at a restaurant is very different from a pizza place. I doubt we will even get that many hours because it's not like they were looking for more people to work the Buffet, they just don't want to have to pay us off.
On the one hand, it would be nice to have some time and my weekends back. But on the other hand, I don't do well with having a lot of time on my hands.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Things to Say
I've been so busy lately with second midterms and papers and whatnot that I haven't been able to blog, though I have had many ideas for blogs, so here is the condensed version of my musings.
~ Quote IDs, without a word bank, on tests are brutal. For that matter, any sort of fill in the blank without a word bank is just plain mean. In short answers, you can defend your response, in multiple choice, you can pick, but with fill in the blank you have to just know it. I had to know about 25 authors and what we read from them on top of the list of important ideas we discussed in class and an essay. Now, study as hard as I want, the minute I open that test, everything flies from my mind and I find myself thinking things like "wait, was the title of that 'the life of Frederick Douglass' or 'the autobiography of Frederick Douglass'."
We live in an era of internet, I can find the answer I need with a few taps of the keyboard or even on my phone. Tests need to evolve as well. Life is open book, so tests should be too. If tests are meant to find out how much of the information from class we know then as long as I can find the answer quickly, then that's all that matters.
~ St. Patrick's day is depressing on BYU campus. Apparently Valentines day is our hallmark holiday. Less than half the campus was wearing green. I was disappointed. But, these cute girls came in to work. The one was all decked out and had green hair and everything. The first thing she says is "dang, you're wearing green" and as the mom was ordering, she looks past me to Shayde and notices that he doesn't have any green on. So I call Shayde out there and he totally played with her. It's cute to see a 20 year old guy just playing with this little girl and totally letting her take over.
~ I am really impressed with Maureen Johnson and Co. A few weeks ago, she decided to get her loyal followers to band together to buy a Shelter Box. People donated all kinds of money and some authors donated signed books to random people who donated. They raised all kinds of money. Then when the Japan disaster happened, they did the same thing and even more authors got involved and ended up raising almost exactly the same amount of money. I love that she uses her power to do good things and get people involved. There is something special about YA authors.
~ It's time to watch Star Wars again.
~ I love the sun.
~ Quote IDs, without a word bank, on tests are brutal. For that matter, any sort of fill in the blank without a word bank is just plain mean. In short answers, you can defend your response, in multiple choice, you can pick, but with fill in the blank you have to just know it. I had to know about 25 authors and what we read from them on top of the list of important ideas we discussed in class and an essay. Now, study as hard as I want, the minute I open that test, everything flies from my mind and I find myself thinking things like "wait, was the title of that 'the life of Frederick Douglass' or 'the autobiography of Frederick Douglass'."
We live in an era of internet, I can find the answer I need with a few taps of the keyboard or even on my phone. Tests need to evolve as well. Life is open book, so tests should be too. If tests are meant to find out how much of the information from class we know then as long as I can find the answer quickly, then that's all that matters.
~ St. Patrick's day is depressing on BYU campus. Apparently Valentines day is our hallmark holiday. Less than half the campus was wearing green. I was disappointed. But, these cute girls came in to work. The one was all decked out and had green hair and everything. The first thing she says is "dang, you're wearing green" and as the mom was ordering, she looks past me to Shayde and notices that he doesn't have any green on. So I call Shayde out there and he totally played with her. It's cute to see a 20 year old guy just playing with this little girl and totally letting her take over.
~ I am really impressed with Maureen Johnson and Co. A few weeks ago, she decided to get her loyal followers to band together to buy a Shelter Box. People donated all kinds of money and some authors donated signed books to random people who donated. They raised all kinds of money. Then when the Japan disaster happened, they did the same thing and even more authors got involved and ended up raising almost exactly the same amount of money. I love that she uses her power to do good things and get people involved. There is something special about YA authors.
~ It's time to watch Star Wars again.
~ I love the sun.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Housing Rant
So I'm looking into where to live for next year and I've run into a slight problem. Just about everywhere wants me to sign a 12 month contract. I don't want to sign a 12 month contract. I did that last time and now I have to deal with trying to sell it along with 40 other girls in my complex.
See, we have to live in BYU contracted housing because they don't have enough housing for everyone (FYI, I think next year they will have equal amounts of married/freshman housing). That's all cool, it means that we have a lot of choices. But it also means that there is a huge conflict of interests over spring/summer housing. See, most people leave Provo from April to August, which means that all that housing is left empty. So they try to control us by only allowing us to live places with 12 month contracts so they don't end up with empty rooms and lose money. It's silly and it's the reason I can't move in with my old roommate.
The other thing is that it means that the housing complexes start filling up in February. A whole 6 months before school starts in the fall. Again, it's silly.
But I'm thinking about trying to find a room in a house. These ones are pretty nice
See, we have to live in BYU contracted housing because they don't have enough housing for everyone (FYI, I think next year they will have equal amounts of married/freshman housing). That's all cool, it means that we have a lot of choices. But it also means that there is a huge conflict of interests over spring/summer housing. See, most people leave Provo from April to August, which means that all that housing is left empty. So they try to control us by only allowing us to live places with 12 month contracts so they don't end up with empty rooms and lose money. It's silly and it's the reason I can't move in with my old roommate.
The other thing is that it means that the housing complexes start filling up in February. A whole 6 months before school starts in the fall. Again, it's silly.
But I'm thinking about trying to find a room in a house. These ones are pretty nice
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Reading and Re-Reading
As I was doing my homework today, I asked myself "Laura, how many times have you read at least part of Frederick Douglass' book? Common Sense? Various poems?" The answer is "many times." Between my history classes and lit classes throughout the years, I think I have read Common Sense at least once a year since 8th grade. Then there are those poems that every lit teacher feels the need to study like "The Lady of Shalott" or "The Flea" or "Sonnet 116." All of these have some kind of literary merit so I understand the importance of reading and understanding them, but I find it very ironic. See ALL of my English professors have complained or mentioned at some point how they just can't share every piece of literature with us in one semester, so we have to just make do with the important ones, or what the world has deemed a part of the literary cannon. The thing is that if each professor would stray away from the normal syllabus and pick something new, we could actually learn something new and important. It's also funny because much of what we deem worthy of so much study today were the books/poems that nobody actually bought/read when they were published.
Again, I'm not saying that the literary cannon isn't important, but more that there are SO MANY OTHER WORKS out there that we should have the chance to study in an academic setting. That's the lit class I want to take, English 325 Studies in the Forgotten Books.
Again, I'm not saying that the literary cannon isn't important, but more that there are SO MANY OTHER WORKS out there that we should have the chance to study in an academic setting. That's the lit class I want to take, English 325 Studies in the Forgotten Books.
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