Identity

A lot of different things shape identity. Here are some of the major factors that have shaped my identity:

Personal Experiences: The experiences in my past shape who I am today. I think one of the most influential parts of my past has been my family doing foster care. Seeing the pain in so many innocent children’s lives and seeing a tangible way to show them love gives me direction as to what I want to do in my future. It has given me a passion for justice and caring for the oppressed and underprivileged.

Family: My family has also greatly influenced who I am and what I believe. I share a lot of values and beliefs with them. I admire my parents and seek to be like them in many ways. I value the advice of my family and look to them in my times of greatest need.

Faith: As a Christian, my faith plays a large part in shaping my identity. Although most of my relatives are not Christian, it is something I hold to with all of my heart. In everything I do I want to be serving God and loving others. I know that I often fall short, but I have a purpose and something to live for.

Reading Response 6

Tony Morrison´s Nobel Lecture demonstrated a profound argument on the power of language. The recent hate crimes at UC Davis an UC San Diego reveal her point of language’s destructive capability. She states “oppressive language does more than represent violence; it is violence; does more than represent the limits of knowledge; it limits knowledge.” She voices an opinion entirely different than the commonly known rhyme “sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.” In reality, words often have an incredible capability to inflict pain. As Morrison explains, words themselves can be a form of violence, not only a symbol of violent ideas. The spray painted words at UC Davis and the spoken words at UC San Diego caused incredible pain although no physical violence occurred. The words in themselves were acts of ignorance and violence.

Words are powerful because they can be used as a weapon of evil or a source of good. I often fail, but my goal is to filter my language according to Ephesians 2:29 of the Bible. It says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” What a change that would be if the words we used would benefit others rather than tear them down. That is definitely something we should strive for.

Blog 6

After living in the dorms last year, I moved into an apartment in Fountain Circle. We have six girls living in a 3-room, 2-bedroom apartment. Overall, I like my apartment, but sometimes it gets crazy living with 5 other girls. I love how we often have baked goods to share. Another great aspect is I always have someone there to talk to if I’m having a rough time or hang out with if I need a friend. They are all awesome girls, and it is nice to know I always have people around who are willing to help me out and be there for me.

The benefits outweigh the costs, but living with so many other girls can be hard sometimes too. Our kitchen gets really crowded and messy when we are all trying to make dinner at the same time. Also, our bathroom sink and shower get really dirty and covered in hair. I think it is a valuable learning experience to live with a bunch of other people. I signed my lease again and I am planning on living there next year (after studying abroad in Spain). It helps us all to develop patience and selflessness. I think it is preparing me for my future when I will hopefully have a big family.

Blog 5

The Olympics are one of my favorite times of the year. I love the balance of patriotism alongside the world coming together. I feel so much pride in rooting for my country. It is such a cool way to compete against other countries in a respectful and fun way. Although the premise is competition, the Olympics still bring the world together. Despite differences, countries from all around the world come together to determine who the top athletes in the world are. It is a time when life-long dreams are realized.

Also, the Olympics are so full of history. Many athletes have come and gone, some fulfilling their dreams, others going home devastated and empty handed. Despite the ups and downs of the Olympics, they continue on every two years. A tradition worth keeping.

I am happy to report that currently the US is leading in both the medal count as well as the gold medal count. Although some people believe the medal count in the most important, I believe that the gold count is the most important. It is best to have the most athletes best in the world, rather than the most athletes in the top three. Having both honors is even better though! I become very patriotic during the Olympics and I am excited to continue rooting on my country!

Reading Response 5

Often when writing papers in high school, the sources students use for their papers is questionable. At least I know when I go back and look at my papers I’m not sure they would hold up to high research standards. A problem that I often notice is that instead of doing a lot of research and basing an argument off of it, we find research that fits our argument. I know in the past I have chosen a topic and then found research that supports it. Even good research can be twisted to fit the needs of a writer. A better and more reliable for of research is to pick a topic, but not narrow down a thesis until after much of the research is done. That way, the true story is told. Another problem is using old research for contemporary issues. Old research may support your thesis, but it is useless if the newer research contradicts it. The most recent research is important for the accuracy of the information. As students, sometimes we just try to get the paper done and fulfill the research and sources requirements of our essays. However, if we are going to spend hours of time researching and writing a paper, we should care about the integrity of what we are learning. The grade is one aspect, but for me personally, I’d like all the information I learned to be legitimate and worthwhile.

Reading Response 4

Both of the dumpster diving and the egg donating articles were well-written and passionate. It was cool to see how both authors chose topics that they clearly were interested in. The article on dumpster diving eloquently used a personal experience but combined it with a lot of outside sources to strongly describe and explain “gleaning.” The author showed a lot of passion and commitment to the topic by going out and going on a true dumpster diving outing. His own experience was a powerful example, and the many other sources provided a well-rounded article.

Malinda Barrett also picked a topic that was clearly relevant and interesting to her. She went beyond the requirements of the essay and dug deep into the topic of college girls and egg donation. She took a small add in the California Aggie and expanded it into a complex analysis. I thought her Humpty Dumpty subtitles were witty and a cool way to tie the different sections together.

I think the reason both articles were well-written and interesting was because the writers cared. It did not seem like just another assignment, but a interesting task. The best way to write a good essay is to be passionate about the topic and dig deep into the many factors contributing to it.

Reading Response 3

Wow, Twilight was a fascinating reading. When I sat down to begin reading the booklet, I was not excited about the amount of reading ahead of me. As I began to get through it, however, my attitude changed. There is something very powerful about reading personal stories in regard to history. It really makes it come alive. The mixture of monologues come together in order to give a comprehensive understanding of the Los Angeles riots of 1992. I loved the use of multiple personal perspectives. The perspective of the jury member was very eye-opening. When he described his horror at receiving a note of encouragement from the KKK, it really showed that he was not an evil person. Sometimes we judge too quickly. The pastor was also an interesting perspective. His use of “the collar” for protective purposes although he hadn’t worn it in years epitomizes how the fear changed people’s way of life during that scary time. I appreciated the raw reality of what was going on. These speeches did not dilute or hide the truth even when it is hard to hear. Each person captured my attention by the vivid imagery and honesty. Although they were each different, somehow they came together in a powerful way.

Blog 3

As a human development major, I am required to take a course in human physiology. Science classes have never been my favorite and I wasn’t sure what to think coming into the course. As it has progressed, however, I have become fascinating with the amazing complexity of our bodies. It is unbelievable that everything has a small or non-existent margin of error, yet we are all still functioning. Although I am only scratching the surface of understanding how our bodies work, I am in awe. Everything has to be exactly right all of it grows into place from a simple egg and sperm combining. In my Infancy and Early Childhood class, we are learning about each week of pregnancy. At only three weeks it begins to have a heartbeat. It grows and develops inside a woman until it is ready to come out into the world. I have always known this, but taking the time to really study it and think about it has made me consider the reality of what we so often take for granted. Trillions of processes have to be working right all of the time for us to function and survive. Our lives are a miracle and each person is an incredible creation. As I study for these classes, the facts that I know, but so often overlook, have hit me afresh and given me perspective as to how cool each and every person is.

Reading Response 2

Gloria Anzaldúa has powerful writing techniques. The way she meshed together personal experience, history and poetry create strong emotions and an intriguing work. It was especially cool how she used both Spanish and English throughout her work. As a Spanish minor, I was able to understand most of it, and it deepened her argument. In talking about the border, she was able to display the immense separation by using the two languages. It demonstrates the lack of understanding between the sides of the border, although in reality it is much more than languages separating the two. The use of two languages helps the reader to identify with the merging of the two countries. She describes, “Borders are set up to define the places that are safe and unsafe, to distinguish us from them.” Her writing style contributed to helping the reader grasp the separation imposed due to a border line, without any inherent significance. Not only did she use bilingualism as a literary device, but she also combined appeals to emotion and historical facts. By talking about the little boy being carried away, but also giving the details of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, she gives a comprehensive understanding to the reader. Her technique gives the reader a powerful image of the place she is describing.

Blog 2: Haiti

I have been following the news about the Earthquake in Haiti and the effects are devastating. The death toll is estimated to be 200000 people. As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the infrastructure was already weak, and therefore the damage is catastrophic. People are still buried under the rubble, sending out desperate text messages, trying to be found. Orphanages are running out of supplies and the babies will die without formula or sanitary diapers. Medical facilities are almost non-existent and people need our help.

Years ago, my dad, a pediatrician and professor for UCD, went to do relief work after Hurricane Katrina. Many people were discouraged by the slow response and failure of the US government. He had a very different opinion. He was so impressed with the government’s response that he joined the National Emergency Medical Response organization and is very likely headed to Haiti soon. Our government has the ability to provide lifesaving aid and there is a lot we can do to help. As we see all the devastation around us, we shouldn’t feel completely helpless. Just texting HAITI to 90999 automatically donates $10 to the Red Cross for disaster relief. I wish I could do something more tangible, but at least it is something. We have the power to help save lives.

Reading Response 1

The readings on the University of California really helped me to understand the many layers of the budget crisis and fee increases. Originally, I thought the entirety of the crisis was due to the bad California economy. If that was the case, although the fee increases undesirable, it would be one of the few options in order to continue providing high quality educations. These papers, however, show that there is much more to the crisis and many layers of corruption and lies. We should have a say as to what the fees that we are providing should be used for. They should not be stored up for Wall Street or be supporting research for private donors.

One of my biggest concerns is that with a more privatized education system, the information taught will be less authentic and instead be serving personal agendas. Lisa Duggan describes privatization as “the transfer of wealth and decision-making from public, more-or-less accountable decision-making bodies to individual or corporate, unaccountable hands.” If students are not receiving a genuine education, the people at the top of companies will have the power to shape the minds of the rising generation. It is terrifying to think that such power is placed in the hands of few, instead of the original plan of having education public and responsible.

Blog 2

One of the most important parts of my life is my family. I love them all a lot and I feel so blessed to part of it. My dad is the professor of anatomy here at UCD and a pediatrician. My mom says at home and we take in foster children. I have an older sister who I am very close to. We both go to UCD and have even gotten to take a few classes together. She runs marathons, teaches Pilates and is very involved in Athletes in Actions. My 16 year is brother is also great. He is the top athlete of the family. He is on the high school soccer team we are all hoping that he will have the chance to play for UCD in the future. I have two even younger brothers that I adore. Michael is 6 and he is adopted. He is always happy and so much fun to be around. He is following Ryan in his love for sports. Ethan is 8 and in foster care. He has been through much hardship, yet he is tough and perseveres. I believe that family is one of the most important things in life and everyone deserves to be loved and accepted. It breaks my heart that there are children alone and helpless. It is our duty to care for those who cannot care for themselves. However, we must not only provide the necessities for love, but true love and care. I hope to have to opportunity to care for foster kids throughout my life.

Reading Response (diagnostic)

“Plato’s pharmacy” was complex, but interesting. In Demerrida’s opinion, a true text should not be easily read and understood. Good writing can be thoughtfully examined, yet still have more depth than has ever been fully understood. You may never comprehend the complexity of a true text, but there is a lot of room for different interpretations. In order to get the most out of writing, you must thoughtfully engage with the work. Comparing writing to a woven texture emphasizes its many layers. Once one aspect is understood, there are still many more layers of complexity to search for meaning. It is like a game in which people have to untangle the clues and logically produce an interpretation. There are not infinite interpretations, but there is also not only one correct interpretation. It will never be easy and will require risks, such as thinking differently from others, but really digging in is the only way to gain a solid understanding. I think this type of writing can be good, but I disagree with Derrida that this level of complexity is the only type of quality writing. I believe that another skill in writing can be the ability to write clearly and concisely so that everyone is able to understand the purpose of the work.

Introduction

My name is Stephanie and I am a human development major. Some of my hobbies are running and baking. I am unsure about exactly what I want to do in the future, but I am very passionate about foster care. I don't enjoy writing when the prompt is given to me, but I can enjoy it if it is something I am passionate about. Ask me to write about foster children and injustice and I will gladly put in my best effort and enjoy it. If I am going to take time to research and write, I want it to be meaningful and and have an impact on those who read it.