Ashley Livingston
Wendy Sumner-Winter
English 1020
17 March 2010
Astatine
I am Astatine, but my nickname is Ashley. I am the rarest element on Earth. I am a unique individual that enjoys being singular. I value friendship, but I only offer it to a select few. I share friendship in small quantities, but when I do get friends, I reacted with them very well. I like my friends, but I only have a few. The friends that I do have were selected wisely. I can’t bond with just anybody. My personality is too extraordinary.
I think that I react violently toward the things that I value most in life. I don’t mean violently as in brutal or cruel, but as passionately or strong. I just have this undying desire to make the life that I live a fulfilling one. I want to triumph over what I can accomplish, but I’m scared to death of what I might do.
I am unstable. I am just a solitary creature that has recently discovered a new environment. I do not really like being tossed into a big world that I am unfamiliar with. As any unstable individual would do, I decided to react quickly to my new life and figure out what I really want to do. Unfortunately, I’m confused about what I would like to do. I can tell myself that I should just stick it out; maybe I will be able to make my dream a reality. I know, however, that my mentality has been synthetically produced. I can’t possibly be able to establish my unstable-self as a doctor the way my chemistry is going. So, should I look deeper within me and try to find the real, pure matter of my situation?
I can’t deny my situation. It is solid. It is so concrete in my mind that I can’t shake the thought. How can I live comfortably some day? Will I ever be successful? There are so many questions to be answered. Maybe, I jumped into my new environment too quickly. I hope that I overcome my insecurities.
I mentioned that I am also called Ashley. I like to be called Ashley because that is the more motivated side of me. It is the side that has the ability to look for the answers to my questions. Ashley is my real state, my rare state. One just has to do some digging to find it.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Outside Event 2
Ashley Livingston
Wendy Sumner-Winter
English 1020
15 March 2010
Outside Event 2
I attended an outside event at my old high school. It was a night for people to read poetry. It lasted for about an hour. Students and teachers read from other poets’ work and some read from their own.
The stage was set in the cafeteria. It was emptied of all the tables. The stage was set and the lights were off. They had the room lit dimly by the lamps that were set up. The decorators of the room moved couches into the cafeteria. The atmosphere was very comfy. Each reader came up one by one and read. There were the traditional readings from poets such as Robert Frost, Hughes, and Poe.
The original poems were different. One girl by the name of Jessica read from the paper she put her own pen to. It was very dark, and it made me wonder what her life was like. She talked about a little girl that had a disease. The little girl had a rare disease. Jessica made herself a character in her own poem. Jessica’s character had to care for this girl. The little girl was Jessica’s sister. Apparently, the little girl died. The poem continued on about her divorced parents, her messed up life, and how she had been through many hardships. The story made me feel weird. At first, I felt sorry, but then, I felt pity over Jessica. As she continued with her poem, I lost the feeling of sympathy and started to feel like she wanted attention. The other readers finished. Most of them made very short appearances. The event wrapped up, and I went home shortly after. I kept thinking about Jessica’s poem. I can’t figure out the point she was trying to make in her reading. Maybe she was trying to say that even she does not understand her life.
Wendy Sumner-Winter
English 1020
15 March 2010
Outside Event 2
I attended an outside event at my old high school. It was a night for people to read poetry. It lasted for about an hour. Students and teachers read from other poets’ work and some read from their own.
The stage was set in the cafeteria. It was emptied of all the tables. The stage was set and the lights were off. They had the room lit dimly by the lamps that were set up. The decorators of the room moved couches into the cafeteria. The atmosphere was very comfy. Each reader came up one by one and read. There were the traditional readings from poets such as Robert Frost, Hughes, and Poe.
The original poems were different. One girl by the name of Jessica read from the paper she put her own pen to. It was very dark, and it made me wonder what her life was like. She talked about a little girl that had a disease. The little girl had a rare disease. Jessica made herself a character in her own poem. Jessica’s character had to care for this girl. The little girl was Jessica’s sister. Apparently, the little girl died. The poem continued on about her divorced parents, her messed up life, and how she had been through many hardships. The story made me feel weird. At first, I felt sorry, but then, I felt pity over Jessica. As she continued with her poem, I lost the feeling of sympathy and started to feel like she wanted attention. The other readers finished. Most of them made very short appearances. The event wrapped up, and I went home shortly after. I kept thinking about Jessica’s poem. I can’t figure out the point she was trying to make in her reading. Maybe she was trying to say that even she does not understand her life.
Outside Event 1
Ashley Livingston
Wendy Sumner-Winter
English 1020
14 March 2010
Outside Event 1: Richard Bausch
On Thursday, March 4th, I attended my first outside event for this semester. It was so packed. My first impression of Burkes Bookstore was that it was a hole in the wall place. Parking around the bookstore is an absolute nightmare! I circled the block twice before I gave up and decided to park a couple streets over. The small building was way too crowded. Most people were on there feet, because there was no place to sit. The audience had many adults in it. The place has an odd smell to it. It is a cross between mold and old books. Old books have an odd smell.
I got there after Bausch’s daughter sang. Bausch gave a few thank-you's on the side and then began reading. He read one of his short stories. It was called “Immigration.” The story was about a couple. The couple’s last name was the O’Keefes. Michael, the husband, was Irish and Rita, the wife, was American. They were married in Tennessee. The story takes place in Memphis. The couple was going to an office on Summer Avenue to get their permanent residency. The couple displayed normal arguments that husband and wife often have. The morning they had to go to the office they were arguing. They barely make it in time to the place. The two got into a woman’s office and began the process. The woman worker asked Rita at one point if they had any kids and she began to cry. The woman eventually exits the room because Rita continues to cry. Michael does not do a very good job at comforting her because he is embarrassed. He touches her shoulder and then they talk a little. They both agree it was a bad morning. They say “I love you” and the story ends.
While he was reading, he spoke in an accent to emphasize the Irish element. I liked how he did this because it made me picture the character better. He gave life to the story. He incorporated details into his story. It helped me as his audience to visualize what he was reading.
After Bausch was done, another author took the stand. The author’s name was Wyatt Prunty. He spoke for a short time. He read some his poems. At this point, I had lost some of my focus because I was tired of being cramped in the small bookstore. When he finished, I left as quick as I could cut through the crowd. Some stayed to have their books signed by Bausch.
I thought about Bausch’s story on the way home. At first, I was not interested with it, and the story did not entertain me much. As I continued to think about it, I recalled the day before the event. I was in the vehicle with my boyfriend, Ryan. I was not feeling well, but I had promised to take him to a few places, so he could get a few things he needed done. While on our way to the first place, he calls his mother to ask her if where he was going was right. Of course not! I basically was taking a scenic view to the destination. The only problem with that was we were pressed for time. If we were late, it would influence everything else. I was mad, and we started to argue. My bad day made me think about the O’Keefe’s argument. They were stressed and one thing influenced another. I was sick and mad which made us start arguing. I related my experience with Bausch’s story. Thinking about his story more made me appreciate the story more.
Wendy Sumner-Winter
English 1020
14 March 2010
Outside Event 1: Richard Bausch
On Thursday, March 4th, I attended my first outside event for this semester. It was so packed. My first impression of Burkes Bookstore was that it was a hole in the wall place. Parking around the bookstore is an absolute nightmare! I circled the block twice before I gave up and decided to park a couple streets over. The small building was way too crowded. Most people were on there feet, because there was no place to sit. The audience had many adults in it. The place has an odd smell to it. It is a cross between mold and old books. Old books have an odd smell.
I got there after Bausch’s daughter sang. Bausch gave a few thank-you's on the side and then began reading. He read one of his short stories. It was called “Immigration.” The story was about a couple. The couple’s last name was the O’Keefes. Michael, the husband, was Irish and Rita, the wife, was American. They were married in Tennessee. The story takes place in Memphis. The couple was going to an office on Summer Avenue to get their permanent residency. The couple displayed normal arguments that husband and wife often have. The morning they had to go to the office they were arguing. They barely make it in time to the place. The two got into a woman’s office and began the process. The woman worker asked Rita at one point if they had any kids and she began to cry. The woman eventually exits the room because Rita continues to cry. Michael does not do a very good job at comforting her because he is embarrassed. He touches her shoulder and then they talk a little. They both agree it was a bad morning. They say “I love you” and the story ends.
While he was reading, he spoke in an accent to emphasize the Irish element. I liked how he did this because it made me picture the character better. He gave life to the story. He incorporated details into his story. It helped me as his audience to visualize what he was reading.
After Bausch was done, another author took the stand. The author’s name was Wyatt Prunty. He spoke for a short time. He read some his poems. At this point, I had lost some of my focus because I was tired of being cramped in the small bookstore. When he finished, I left as quick as I could cut through the crowd. Some stayed to have their books signed by Bausch.
I thought about Bausch’s story on the way home. At first, I was not interested with it, and the story did not entertain me much. As I continued to think about it, I recalled the day before the event. I was in the vehicle with my boyfriend, Ryan. I was not feeling well, but I had promised to take him to a few places, so he could get a few things he needed done. While on our way to the first place, he calls his mother to ask her if where he was going was right. Of course not! I basically was taking a scenic view to the destination. The only problem with that was we were pressed for time. If we were late, it would influence everything else. I was mad, and we started to argue. My bad day made me think about the O’Keefe’s argument. They were stressed and one thing influenced another. I was sick and mad which made us start arguing. I related my experience with Bausch’s story. Thinking about his story more made me appreciate the story more.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
What if Blog # 7!
What if people could go to college for free? If people could go to college for free the dreams of so many would be granted. A lot of people cannot afford college of afford to take out the loans to attend. I would much rather be surrounded by a community of hard, educated workers that were once inspired than a bunch of people that had the "right" connection. I think it is a sad excuse on our government's part to put a price on someone's dream. It scares me to think that if I lose my scholarships that it would be the end of the road for me. I would have to settle working at Kroger for the rest of my life. I could not get a decent paying job because I would lack a stronger, higher education. If I could go to college for free, I would be less stressed. I would not have to worry about finding scholarships to pay for my school every year. It is hard to get funded. The state will not give me any money because my parents work. They don't get paid much but they work, so I can't live up to my dream. That is not fair. My parents have no means to my college education. I do not get any of their money for my school. I am totally on my own. It is hard to compete with everyone that is going to college for a scholarship. It is almost as if people have to settle with what they have for the rest of their life. It is extremely hard to overcome any financial barrier. I also do not think that it fair that children whose parents are divorced get more money from the government. My parents are together and I get nothing, but if they were split up I would get twice as much to go to school. It does not make any since at all. Each scholarship should practice equality.
Maybe blog # 6
Maybe I should change my major. I'm afraid that my dream of becoming a pediatric oncologist is diminishing. I took less hours this semester to focus on chemistry, but most of my time is spent on English this semester. I feel like I know most of the material in chemistry, but the tests show just the opposite. I am not improving. I so not understand why. I feel like I'm majoring in English. The work load has completely double and I feel lost and unorganized. I feel like I am struggling in this class. I don't know what to do anymore. I thought about taking summer classes to compensate for the fewer number of hours I have taken this semester, but at this point, I don't know if I want to. I'm thinking that maybe business of psychology may be of interest to me. I like the thought of being someone else's boss. I think that I could be a good leader and communicator. My aunt is a vice president of a major company. She lives very comfortably. She has her master's in business. She just got another promotion and the company is buying her a car. She got to pick out whatever she wanted. She picked out a black BMW convertible. There is none around here and it is being shipped in from another state! How awesome would that be? I know that is a lot of hard work, but at least chemistry would be out of the question. Psychology is interesting to me because I find myself trying to figure out what others are thinking. It is interesting to know how others think too. Maybe I should take the summer and do some serious thinking. It might give me a chance to do some more maturing and get my stuff straight. I just want everything to fall into place. College is really difficult for me.
Maybe blog # 5
Maybe the world just needs to be positive. Maybe the world needs to stop making excuses for things that have to be earned with a little hard work and TLC.
I was reading a headline on AOL news about a woman with six children. Five of her six have autism. Her kids have conquered there battles. For a parent with a child that has a disability, it is their goal to make sure the child can overcome or even get cured for the obstacles that may come with a diagnosis. Defeat Autism Now doctors or DAN doctors work to treat autistic individuals. The article said that the treatment involved making the kids stay on liquid diets. The treatment also makes the children take a bunch of shots and suppositories to rid their bodies of certain elements. The treatment seems worst than coping with the condition. The mother of six says that she treated them normal. She did take her children to speech and physical therapies several times a week to help them overcome their different obstacles. She sent them to school just like every normal child. One of her children had to be held back after completing kindergarten. The mother told her child why she could not advance to the next level. She could not read. The child was empowered by the reason. She taught herself and learned really quickly. She was even more advanced than her peers after that. Maybe the only cure to autism is to instill values, disciplines, and motives in the children with this "disability." Working harder for something is more valuable than disposing of potential. What causes autism? Autism is a neurological disorder that affects communication social behavior. Some people believe that the environment, vaccines, and pesticides can cause autism. However, none of these causes are probable.
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/03/04/caring-for-autistic-children-jeanette-odonnell/?icid=main|hp-laptop|dl3|link2|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolhealth.com%2F2010%2F03%2F04%2Fcaring-for-autistic-children-jeanette-odonnell%2F
I was reading a headline on AOL news about a woman with six children. Five of her six have autism. Her kids have conquered there battles. For a parent with a child that has a disability, it is their goal to make sure the child can overcome or even get cured for the obstacles that may come with a diagnosis. Defeat Autism Now doctors or DAN doctors work to treat autistic individuals. The article said that the treatment involved making the kids stay on liquid diets. The treatment also makes the children take a bunch of shots and suppositories to rid their bodies of certain elements. The treatment seems worst than coping with the condition. The mother of six says that she treated them normal. She did take her children to speech and physical therapies several times a week to help them overcome their different obstacles. She sent them to school just like every normal child. One of her children had to be held back after completing kindergarten. The mother told her child why she could not advance to the next level. She could not read. The child was empowered by the reason. She taught herself and learned really quickly. She was even more advanced than her peers after that. Maybe the only cure to autism is to instill values, disciplines, and motives in the children with this "disability." Working harder for something is more valuable than disposing of potential. What causes autism? Autism is a neurological disorder that affects communication social behavior. Some people believe that the environment, vaccines, and pesticides can cause autism. However, none of these causes are probable.
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/03/04/caring-for-autistic-children-jeanette-odonnell/?icid=main|hp-laptop|dl3|link2|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolhealth.com%2F2010%2F03%2F04%2Fcaring-for-autistic-children-jeanette-odonnell%2F
Maybe blog # 4
Maybe America should change their general education standards. In the United States, education is a major issue. The standard is being lowered year after year. I feel like this is destroying every level of education. The more the standards become lowered, the more it will affect a child when he or she becomes eligible for college. Speaking as a witness and victim of these awful policies, college is a severe struggle. High school has not shaped my education. High school did not allow me to expand my knowledge. I could not learn all a course had to offer because it would leave some classmates "behind." I had to stop at a certain level because my high school did not offer anymore than two advance placement courses. How embarrassing! It is bad when you have taken all of the offered science courses and math courses by your sophomore and junior year. It is almost insulting to be forced to take pointless classes because all that is left to choose from is a bunch of agricultural classes and home decorating/parenting classes. How can you come out of a school with a 4.0 GPA and become a college student that seems to barely be getting by? In Tennessee, there is a specific act that should have never ever been passed. The "No Child Left behind Act" is so ridiculous. It forces students that have potential to learn at an under average rate. The Act forces teachers to pass everyone, even if a student is not ready to graduate to the next level. This ultimately penalizes the child that is not prepared and the child that is smarter than the average. It is a horrible system that needs a lot of repair. The bigshots that are calling the shots need to put the students first. Education makes for a better tomorrow.
What If Blog #3
What if the Memphis Tigers would have won the game on Thursday? The Tigers needed to win against Houston yesterday. Unfortunately, they lost by one point. The game should have been a Memphis victory. The game consisted of a lot of bad calls from the referees. Houston did not get hardly any bad calls. The replays were evidence to every Tiger fan that we were most definitely having to compete with the referees instead of focusing on the Houston players. The last call sent the whole Tigers' fans and team into an uproar. In the last five seconds, it was a Memphis possession with Willie Kemp dribbling toward the goal. The umpire called a double dribble on Kemp! When it is this late in the game, ordinarily a double dribble would not be called unless it was extremely evident. In this case, it was not a double dribble. There is nothing we can do after a call like that is made, but when the call was made, the opposing team ran out on the court before time. Running out onto the court is a technicality. The referees denied calling the technical error on Houston which would have allowed Memphis possession. Memphis really played hard the second half, but you can't play against unfair referees. It has been a struggle for the Tigers this year after the allegations from last season. I think coach Pastner has done an excellent job at exceeding their predicted expectations. I believe that Memphis was purposely denied advancement in the tournaments. If they would have won that would have placed the Tigers in line to play Kentucky. The NCAA will not allow that to happen this year. Each game has to be evenly distributed. If Kentucky and Memphis were matched then it would not be an equally watched game. The NCAA needs to stand by every team instead of shaming certain ones.
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