A Response to Victoria's Essay...

I know it might be odd as to why I uploaded a photo of J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, but the reason I did is because she has a very interesting quote. She said, "It is our choices…that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." I think this quote is very relevant to Victoria's paper because in life we don't necessarily have the ability to control everything and everyone around us. Yet it is very important to make our own decisions even those based off of things that we can't control. While, you did not necessarily get accepted to your number one university, you made the decision to decide for yourself which University you would attend, even if it wasn't your parents' first choice. I think this paper was really successful in its message because it is impossible for anyone to not relate to its content. No one has the ability to control everything in their lives, yet the decisions we make dictate our happiness in life.

A Response to Kevin's Essay...

I too was the type of child that did so many activities and changed her mind all the time. I wanted to do everything! But I think that is really normal about growing up and that it is necessary to discovering who you really are. Trying new things is the key to find your true passions. Putting yourself out there and doing something new opens up new opportunities that you would not have necessarily discovered otherwise. I'm pretty sure that if you had not been willing to put yourself out there or try new things you would have never gone on that mission retreat or been a teacher's assistant. Without these experiences you would not have learned more about yourself.

A Response to Sarah's Essay...

This paper really resonated with me because everything you wrote about describes the lives of many. You go to school, go to college, get a job, have a family... etc. At least that is what is expected of you. It is like the evolution of life. You start small and work your way up to becoming more advanced. Yet many times, people don't follow that exact model. I remember that when I was applying to college, my mom looked at me and asked, "do you even want to go to college?" At first this question really threw me off because college was the obvious option. However, my mom never completed college because it just wasn't for her. As a population we deem this path to be what is considered "socially acceptable" but I really like all the questions you pose about what happens if you don't fit on this path?

A Response to Sarah's Essay...

I know you discussed the movie Food Inc. briefly but I have also seen this film and I was thinking about it the whole time I was reading your essay. Similarly to you, I did not have any desire to give up eating meat after this film. My mom said that people told her to watch the movie because they would never want to eat meat again and my mom responded, "Why would I not want to eat meat?" Even after watching this movie I did not want to stop eating meat, though I did have a better understanding of the meat that is better to eat. Meat is so common within our society that it seems unusual to be a vegetarian. On a menu there are vegetarian options as opposed to meat options. If it is more unusual why is it considered to be the better options in an eco-friendly sense?

A Response to Lauren's Essay...

I found this essay really interesting because last semester in my Psych 111 class, the professor actually spoke about one's true circadian rhythm and what time we are supposed to sleep and for how long. According to various studies, he explained that humans' brains are designed to get the best sleep between the times of 2:00 AM and 11:00 AM. I thought that it was pretty funny that these are the times you go to sleep and wake up, yet they are considered frowned upon. How can it be that what is scientifically proven to be correct is actually socially incorrect?

A Response to Alex's Essay...

Everyone has heard of The Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. It is what we learn at a young age and is supposedly a common value in life. Yet it is something often forgotten. This essay really made me think of kindergarten. I went to a jewish elementary school so we learned values from the Torah at a very young age. I remember the first thing I learned in kindergarten was The Golden Rule. It was a motif throughout the rest of elementary school, yet I don't often hear it anymore. It is something that is expected, yet never emphasized. Is it possible that as we get older we lose the meaning of The Golden Rule? Could it be that The Golden Rule is almost a childish value? If The Golden Rule is supposedly expected from everyone, then why is it so often forgotten?

A Response to Steven's Essay...

For some reason this essay reminded me a lot of the movie Mean Girls. This movie puts a large emphasis on social stereotypes and I think that has a lot to do with your paper. It is not "socially acceptable" to sport a mullet in this era. It is obvious of this fact due to the reactions you received from close friends and family. Yet, why are you seen in a different view when purely changing the way your hair looks? Just like how Cady suddenly becomes more popular when she changes her appearance, you were viewed differently when you changed your hairstyle. Your personality did not change at all, but because your hair became socially unacceptable, you were the subject of strange looks and rude comments. It is a common saying that what is on the inside is what is more important than the outside, yet then why are we so commonly judged for what people see when they look at us and not when they look in us?