Blog response to Valenti’s, Full Frontal Feminism, page 234

Chayse J. Adams

ENG: 104

4-21-2011

Blog response to Valenti’s, Full Frontal Feminism, page 234

In Jessica Valenti’s, Full Frontal Feminism, page 234, she states, “To be a lesbian is to be perceived as someone who has stepped out of line, who has moved out of sexual/economic dependence on a male, who is woman-identified. A lesbian is perceived as someone who can live without a man, and who is therefore (however illogically) against men”.

                To Jessica Valenti, I believe you are that kind of woman! A radical, lesbian, feminist who believes all other feminists and lesbians are as psychotic as you are and you are the only crazy, excuse me but you have a potty mouth as well, bitch who is perceived that way! Do I mind feminists who are trying to lose the dependency on males? No. I believe everyone should be able to fend for themselves, so I support that 100%. Do I dislike lesbians, even if they are feminists? No. I am not one of those guys who are like, “lesbians! Let’s see ‘em make out”!  I believe being gay is not the way nature intended humans to be because males have a dick and females have a vagina and when you put them together that’s how you make babies. The entire purpose of life besides eat, shit, sleep, repeat is to reproduce and keep the human population expanding and existing on this earth! You can say bull $hit like, to find love and be a good person, but that’s not what it’s about! Look at every other animal on this planet, it’s all about reproducing and making sure your babies survive to do it again… On that matter, two men or two women alone cannot physically reproduce and there for are useless to the human population as a whole. However I don’t give a flying fuck who you want to be with, male or female, it doesn’t matter. I don’t care myself but it’s in the bible that you cannot be gay and go to heaven. He obviously knew that being gay was useless to the human population too. Does that make gays some crazy bad people who are useless to the world? NO! It just means they aren’t going to contribute to the survival of mankind. And in my opinion, there are too many people in this world anyways and if a few want to be gay let them it’s like never failing birth control so it can help prevent overpopulation in a sense… Valenti has her facts all fucked up because a lot of people I know don’t even see being lesbian as a statement to say you don’t need men, but actually you do because you would not be born if it wasn’t for SOME guy, even if your daddy was a sperm donor and both your parents were gay… humans would be completely extinct off the earth in one life time if every person on the entire planet turned gay at once! Women need men just as much as men need women! Yes I admitted, men need women, duhhh!!!!

March 24, 2011 blog post: page 185-192

Chayse J. Adams

Ms. Chastain

March 24, 2011

English 104

Gangsta Culture by; Bell Hooks

The reading this week is from The Hip Hop Reader, Gangsta Culture by; Bell Hooks, pages 185-192. In this passage Hooks writes about how black males grow up hearing that they won’t amount to anything. That they will end up on the streets and that’s the only life for them. That they are not smart enough to be head of corporations and in the government. They will find themselves amongst the streets living the life of a gangsta by the time they are six. The media and propaganda all suggest and promote the stereotype as well. Instead of staying in school and furthering their education to eventually land a job or career to legitimately earn a income they, black males, fall to the influence of life on the streets as a gangsta.

Those black males who fell to the influence of the streets who are men, who had potential and the ability to earn an education, even if they came from poverty, now resided in prisons or jail or worse, dead. Reverting to crime rather than joining the workforce that places them on the bottom, they find themselves locked up. The problem with our prison system is that it is mainly a place where only the strong survive, like Darwin’s theory, survival of the fittest, they only practice how to become stronger on the streets and engage in the forming of gangs and clicks as they did on the streets.

Class Blog Assignment/ March 10, 2011

Chayse J. Adams

Ms. Chastain

Class Blog Assignment

March 10, 2011

3) Use this space to explore more of your own claim. How did you arrive at your research question? What is it that interests you? What do you wish to explore and why? Spend this space developing your argument.

I arrived at my research question, “When or what are the circumstances to which it becomes not forced rape?” because it is a very real situation in this time and age, and it is a really touchy subject and I think it would be interesting to explore. The part that interests me most is that, I am a companionate person and feel pity for the poor individuals who have to endure this kind of abuse. Being a male and knowing the thoughts of the male gender when they look at a woman is one thing but I can’t understand what would drive an individual to want to do such a thing to another human being. I wish to explore what the political term is for actual “forced rape.” I also wish to explore the topic of, if there is any federal funding for women who have been raped and what the qualifications of “forced rape” are to meet the standards for federal funded abortions. I believe women should not have to carry the child of a rapist and wish to find out if they have to take care of this matter through personal funds or not because, frankly, if they do have to handle these matters personally, I think it’s bullshit! I feel if surtin qualifications are met they should be able to receive some sort of support from the government to handle these matters.

PS: I could not figure out how to spell the highlighted word, a replacement word could be, “particular”.

Chayse J. Adams

Ms. Chastain

Eng. 104

Blog- Jan. 27, 2011

Blog Response to the following Questions:

Tell us about the ad you have chosen. Spend some time describing the ad in detail. How does it objectify a male or female? Next briefly identify the intended audience. Go further than identifying young, white women. Use the example that I have provided you with for the writing assignment for the first essay. Discuss how and why that ad targets this audience. Use supporting details from the ad to support your claim.

I have chosen the ad for Spike TV’s series, Blue Mountain State, shown at the bottom of this blog for my writing assignment. In this ad there is a young, extremely attractive, blond haired woman looking to be in her younger twenties. She is wearing white tennis shoes and long, white sports socks with three black stripes towards the top. She has black underwear that shows at the waistband just above her extremely short grey, athletic “booty” shorts. She is wearing a white tank top style of athletic compression top that shows most of her stomach. The woman straddles or rides on top of a giant football that has “BMS Blue Mountain State” written as the logo on the side of the football. She arches her back inward with her arms in the air and hands running through her hair as if she is signifying an orgasm by sexual pleasure. Behind the woman at chest height the phrase, “It’s All About the Scoring.”

This ad objectifies young white women in their twenties. It could also objectify women athletes such as cheerleaders. The as does this by taking typical athletic wear of women and through her posture and how she styles the clothing, turns the attitude of the ad into a more sexual intended and oriented ad than it would have been for a woman athlete to just stand next to a big football.

The intended audience for this ad is typically straight men ranging from the ages of 17-25, who are most likely single or at least not married. This ad would attract the attention of college men or football fans or men in general as a whole would be enticed by this advertisement. This ad would detour some men in these categories as well though, these men would be those who their religion would reject this kind of show and also the church member who was watching it. There are a number of religions that would not approve of this show. Another deterrent of this show could be moral beliefs of some people that would see this show as morally wrong.

A Writerly Biography of Myself, Chayse Adams

Chayse J. Adams

College Writing and Rhetoric, blog response.

1-20-2011

A Writerly Biography of Myself, Chayse Adams

            My name is Chayse Jacobus Adams, I am 19 years old and I am starting my second semester as a freshman at Missouri Western State University. I was born and raised here in St. Joseph Mo. My experiences with reading have not been as good as my experiences with writing. Although I am not a great writer, yet, I have always managed to do decently well in writing, which I believe may be because of the creative person I am. I like to talk and tell stories and that’s generally what writing is, without the excitement of getting to throw facial expressions and move my hands in every which direction. I do that because I am one of those people who talk with their hands even if someone tells me not to 5 seconds before, I’ll get lost in my thoughts and story and sure enough they’ll be flailing everywhere in a matter of moments. Not that you don’t already know me Ms. Chastain, but now anyone else might be beginning to get a glimpse of the funny, charming, all around goofy person that I comfortably am.

            My reading experiences are few and far between. It seems that from as early in my childhood that I can remember, reading has always been more of a chore and a means of getting any pleasure or enjoyment out of my day. To put it simply, I just seem to find better, more productive ways to spend my time. However in recent years I have found a “few” books that I would say I actually have enjoyed spending my time in such a manner. But only a “few”! As a writer I have always struggled with the use of commas and spelling. Those would be my two biggest problems in which I will be looking and asking for assistance on this semester from the instructor and my peers. Because I have never been an avid reader, I am extremely slow! However, odd as it may be, I have always had extremely high comprehensive skills, which I believe may be because I read so slow that I really take in each word and take the time to understand what I am reading. Another theory to that may be that I try to comprehend and fully understand what I read and that is why I am so slow.  Two rather good theories I believe. When I say I am a slow reader, I also want to clarify that I do not read like a 4^th grader, just probably a little under the average speed of a typical freshman in college. My schedule consists of a lot of reading this semester, that would probably be the most intimidating factor for myself that I can come up with at this point in time.

Evaluation of blogging

Chayse Adams

Eng 100-20

December 10, 2010

Evaluation of blogging

Because of English 100 my reading skills have improved due to all of the short stories from the Introduction to College Writing book that you have assigned this the semester. My reading comprehension skills have also improved as well. I believe it is because of how you made us analyze each story and look for deeper meanings and other interpretations of each story. My actual typing abilities have improved due to the fact that we do almost all if not all of our assignments on computers in this class. Which typing is a skill that I will need to be building up for every college class I will have, so it is a very good plus that just came without having to actually try. My writing abilities such as being able to put my thoughts down on paper, or computer, have drastically changed for the better as well. Everything we have done forces you to do critical thinking and being able to write the words in an understandable way to express my thoughts more clearly.

                I think of the blogs as a kind of journal that we are forced to keep. I don’t necessarily enjoy writing them but I don’t really mind it either. Also, there are benefits in keeping the blogs in the since that they are a reference if you want to go back and remind yourself of the main points and focus of a story it you choose to write about it later. You can use parts of your actual blogs in some of your papers so you can save time if you’ve already expressed thoughts or ideas about it once already. The blogs are a hassle sometimes, but I would rather do them and make use of them every now and then than not  blogging and end up running around in the dark about a paper, so I think they are very useful.

Questions for Reflection and Writing, Question #1 (pg. 232-236)

Chayse Adams

English 100-20

11-30-2010

Questions for Reflection and Writing, Question #1

Richard Rodriguez, The Lonely, Good Company of Books (pg. 232-236)

            My relationship with books is not very strong. For the longest dime I actually despised books. I did not enjoy reading and I was very slow at it, so it took me forever to read anything, which did not help. I couldn’t figure out why in the world anyone would ever want to waste their time reading when they could be outside playing or hanging out with friends or chasing girls. The point is there is so many things for a person to do, so why would they, like Richard Rodriguez says, feel alone to their thoughts like you are talking to yourself all alone in a completely empty room. At least that is how I felt about reading throughout elementary and high school.

            Although my idea and perception of books has changed a little, I still do not have much to do with books or any reading for that matter, unless it is specifically for school or something else of importance to me. My favorite books to read, if I had to, would be war stories and old westerns, like cowboys and stuff. Although I was forced to pick a book from a list in one of my classes to read for an assignment, my all time favorite book would have to be With the Old Breed, E.B. Sledge. I have never enjoyed a book so much as that one. It really just drew my attention in and kept me interested for what was about to happen next. That was a rare and mysterious feeling for me, I did enjoy it, but I don’t think I’ll be reading a bunch of more books to find one that gives me the same feeling. I might buy it sometime though, I saw it at Target about two weeks ago and just about bought it because I wouldn’t mind reading it again sometime.

Homework for Nov. 19th Please accept late

Chayse Adams

Eng: 100-20

My Experiences with Reading and Writing

Before this course I thought I was a decent writer, and that I could manage college English classes, I soon realized that it might be that I had the right founding blocks for becoming a decent writer. I am defiantly not a decent writer, yet. It became abundantly clear that my writing skills would be pushed. They continue to be pushed harder and harder every week, but at a manageable pace, if you stick to what you are supposed to be doing and staying focused.

I started to be unsure that I would be able to cope with the ever increasing work load that my professors continued to pile on. Then I dug my way through it until I could see some light again and began to relax a bit. I have just now returned back to school from Fall Break, It was very pleasant and not shockingly, went by too fast. I took it pretty easy over the break, enjoying myself as much as possible. I just recently realized that was a huge mistake! I have fallen behind, procrastinated long enough that I have a few weeks to achieve what I need to get done, however, I feel I waited too long and now it’s going to be hell digging myself out of this hole. In case you were wandering, it was not worth all that free time because now I’m really regretting every second of it I spent doing anything else other than school work.

My Struggle

When I first made the transformation from high school to college English I noticed i was going to be in for a ride. We were expected to write a blog every day of class that was atleast 250 words long and that was the easyest part! It was tough and I did struggle for awhile, but over time my writing skills and abillity to push out 250 words increased and it became easyer every time. Then things got harder; the task papers were longer and the blogs more and more difficult but so far i have met what my instructor has demanded of me, pushing me to do more and better. It has been a struggle but I have rose to the challenge and will continue to push my self.

ENG 100-20 Task 3-Response to Blog, Mary Sherry’s, “In Praise of the F Word” (pg .215-216)

Chayse J. Adams

ENG: 100-20

10-28-2010

Response to Blog, Mary Sherry’s, “In Praise of the F Word” (pg .215-216)

Like in Mary Sherry’s, “In Praise of the F Word”, I too agree that the fear of flunking can be very motivational in school, and should be actually enforced in our public schools. Mary says that threatening to flunk students used to be a very effective was to motivate students to try harder and put out some effort because they knew that their teachers would actually do it if need be. Anymore the threat of flunking a student doesn’t hold much authority in a classroom because the students believe that their teachers wouldn’t do that to them and for the most part, they’re rite. No matter the case or circumstances, teachers not flunking students who do not deserve to pass aren’t doing those students any favors, they are actually crippling them. When they advance they will not have the needed knowledge to succeed, forcing the next teacher to make a decision of flunking or passing the student.

I always had enough motivation in my classes to complete all my work and learn the necessary information, but when my senior year rolled around and I had to take personal finance first semester and government second semester and that was the only way I could fit them in my schedule and if I failed one or the other I didn’t get to graduate, I was on them books like glue! The real threat of not graduating with all my friends and walking across the stage with my buddies a proud young man was terrifying! I probably would have done fine even if it didn’t matter, but the fact that it did, drove me to be the best student I possibly could have in those classes. I took it so much more seriously. We had a really fun teacher, who really cared and was just an inspiring and motivational teacher. He was so funny and we all loved him. He somehow managed to get everyone involved every class period, no matter how boring the topic, but he was one of those guys that when it came down to it, he would, and then like magic, it would rub on to us, and we got down to business! If all my classes and teachers could do that I would probably be able to become the president of the U.S. but being realistic, if all my teachers would enforce the Fail policy if a student didn’t deserve to proceed to the next level, would suck, but really be an effective tool to motivate students to get their heads in the game and really take classes seriously. This policy, just as a side note, would probably help solve a lot of other problems in classrooms such as tardiness, truancy, horseplay, and the list would probably go on and on due to the fact that students would have to focus on their work and school much harder and they would lack the time and want to do drugs and form gangs and fight and other things that cripple the development of many young students in our schools these days.

Analysis on “Save Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools” by Jonathan Kozol (57-67).

Kozol states that children from the poorer schools will never be able to get into the “magnet” schools. The biggest problem the children face is themselves, they are not dumb and see the statistics and know that they will never get in because of who they are and where they come from. I can’t imagine how discouraging it must be to those students who feel they don’t have a chance. The parents also play a role in getting their children admitted to the magnet schools. My parents are well educated people and if I had the opportunity to get into one of the magnet schools if I lived in the areas Kozol discusses, my parents could be educated enough to help teach and prepare me to get into those magnet schools, which is exactly what is happening while the less educated parents of children from the lower income areas were likely dropouts and cannot even read well enough to help their children do better to get better opportunities than they, the parents, had. It seems to me that the quality of the education received in these areas is like a never ending vicious circle, the upper class parents help their children, and their children receive opportunities and become the upper class, then they do as their parents did for them and the circle continues to leave the lower class behind and the students continue to dropout, and when they become parents, they are not well enough educated to help their children, and so the circle continues for them as well.

Response to Blog, Analysis of One Aspect discussed in Kozol’s “Savage Inequalities” (pg. 40-53)

Chayse Adams

ENG: 100-20

10-26-2010

Response to Blog, Analysis of One Aspect discussed in

Kozol’s “Savage Inequalities” (pg. 40-53)

            One aspect that particularly caught my attention and interest was where Kozol talked about the kinder garden classrooms. 3,000 infants from the Chicago neighborhoods are delivered with brain damage or other neurological impairments; however upon walking into one of the kinder garden classrooms, one wouldn’t have noticed a thing wrong with any of the children. They acted like normal kids when their teacher was trying to settle them down for nap time.

            Their classroom was not filled with any books, art work, and works of their writing or anything the students had done. The walls were blank except for a few posters of the seasons and zoo animals donated by some a few companies. The small bookcases and cubbies were painted brightly and colorful as you might expect of any kindergarten classroom but was still rather cheerless.

            The statistics about what will happen to this seemingly normal class is very depressing. The high school they will attend has an 18% graduation rate. If the neighborhood statistics of this class hold true, 14 of the 23 will have dropped out of school by their junior year. 14 years after kindergarten, 4 of the students will be going to college, and 18 years from now 1 of them will graduate from college, but 3 of the 12 boys in that class will already have spent time in prison. As Kozol believes, I agree that it is very depressing and sad to see kids in our own country suffer all over our country like this in our public schools and we as citizens of the U.S. donate loads of money to Africa and other places around the world. It would be so much more beneficial for our society if that money was devoted to solving our crisis of public schools here in the States. The return in such investments would be very great as well.

Response to One of the Questions Asked to Us about Task 3, after reading (pg. ix-7) in Kozol’s- “Savage Inequalities”.

Chayse Adams

ENG: 100-20

10-24-2010

Response to One of the Questions Asked to Us about Task 3, after reading (pg. ix-7) in Kozol’s- “Savage Inequalities”.

            A teacher’s role in a classroom is to teach the students, not only just from the curriculum they are required to teach from, but also as the particular students in each class needs. In my opinion, if a teacher only reads from a book and does nothing else to help their students in a way they feel they can contribute to their education and life, they are simply there to make a paycheck. Every class, every individual student in those classes, learn best in different ways and at different paces. A teacher should be someone who is devoted to help their children learn however their individual circumstances may vary. If a teacher is not willing to bend to help their children succeed, why are they teachers.

In my experiences as a student, I have thankfully had the privilege of having most of my teachers possessing qualities that are powered by the motivation of helping their students succeed, however, on a few occasions I have had teachers that frankly, just don’t give a hoot! At those particular times I liked those kinds of teachers who did not go the extra mile, and if we completed our busy work we were done for the day, and those who were pushovers and the ones we considered an easy class, an easy A. I have come to realize that those teachers weren’t doing us students any favors by doing that, it was more than likely for their personal gain that they would not have to do any extra work simply because they were just plane lazy. As we proceeded to the next level and had a teacher who did care, he or she would find that we did not know the necessary information and I cannot begin to imagine how frustrating that must have been for those teachers who did take their job, or role as our educator, seriously and to heart.

I believe there is no such thing as a bad student, only bad teachers. If it’s not the teachers fault in a classroom that their students do not have the motivation to learn and succeed, then it comes back to their parents who are their teachers in installing the importance of education, motivation, and the work ethic needed to become a successful student, employee, and a productive member of our society. The role of a student is only to take in the knowledge that our teachers, whoever and wherever they may be, are willing to give to us.

“Let Teen-Agers Try Adulthood” (pg. 205-207) For You To Analyze

Chayse Adams

ENG: 100-20

10-20-2010

“Let Teen-Agers Try Adulthood” (pg. 205-207)

For You To Analyze

            The author of “Let Teen-Agers Try Adulthood”, Leon Botstein, discusses some problems with the United States’ high schools that he assumes the audience will understand and agree with. Well, I do. I believe that high schools these days do not offer much to their students or the economy. At my high school, our football team flat out sucked, we were the laughingstock of the entire conference and we had no support from our students or our community. People were generally not proud of where they went to school. It had been this way for around ten years and the school had built up a stinky reputation.

My sophomore year our school hired an entire new coaching staff. It got people excited and finally some kids started coming out for the team and other students wanted to come watch to see what all the hype was about. We won a few games that year, not much to brag about, but we only won one game in the previous two years. Next season rolled around and more kids tried out and we got better. Then my senior year we finished our season with a .500 record, we won half our games and homecoming two years in a row. Three years before that, it would have been completely insane to talk about achieving something of that sort. This year, the year after I graduated, my old school has a record of either 6 or 7 wins and only like 2 losses! We have a great since of pride back in our side of town and say we go there with no shame in our voices. However, this is exactly what Botstein was talking about schools getting their stature and all on how well their varsity sports perform.

I think at every high school there are clicks and different groups ranging from jocks, nerds, and whatever other ethnical groups may be attending the school. I agree completely with Botstein that the “real world” functions nothing like that. Since ive been in college, which is not very long, however I have really not saw too much of that kind of grouping. I have saw a group of football players hanging out in the student union but just like that they were all splitting up and talking to people of other ethnicities, social groups, clubs, and classes. I believe there will always be grouping of some sort but in the “real world” people don’t limit themselves to one group, you just can’t get along doing that like you could in high school.

I also agree that we should get rid of middle schools because there was too much time wasted, if we could cut what you learn in six years counting middle and high school down two only four years, I believe that one the time would be better spent because the students are focusing on school and knowing people that can help them pass and complete school rather than which groups make them look the coolest because they have nothing better to do with their time. Cutting two years out of pointless schooling for ever student would also help the economy in tax paying as well. There would no longer be a need for an entirely different school to be operated other than the high school for its particular area and any of the expenses that come with the middle school. It would take less of the tax payer’s dollars to put a child through schooling in addition to the buildings costs. A list of benefits could go on and on, however, a list of reasons of why not to remove middle schools could probable go on as well. I am agreeing that there would be great benefits to Botstein’s plan but I am ruling my decision indecisive due to the fact I would like to hear all the downfalls to the plan first.

“Where College Fails Us” Questions for Reflecting and Writing

Chayse Adams

Eng: 100-20

10-20-2010

Questions for Reflecting and Writing

“Where College Fails Us”

            My experiences in college have been very beneficial to me so far. I have learned a lot in my English class. It has made me a tremendously better writer in helping me gather my own thoughts and putting them down on paper, or computer. It has made me a better typer while doing so. I am much more proficient on reading a text, comprehending and analyzing it, and writing my thoughts about a passage as well as being able to state what the writers intensions were on writing for the readers.

            I have learned a lot about time management and its importance on my success both in the classroom and with my daily life. Not that I did not manage my time well before but I tended to procrastinate some and now when I think of what tasks I need to do I do them by priority to be sure to get the most out of the time I spend doing my daily tasks. I have gotten better with this because of my UNV class which is my freshmen study hall class which is actually not a study hall at all it turns out.  

            My art class is not really beneficial to me. I do know more about art and analyzing why and how it was created and by whom but I really don’t think there is much I will take from that class that will benefit me in the years to come other than personal satisfaction of understanding a piece of art when I see one, which is virtually everywhere you have and ever will look, I still feel that there is not much point in that class.

            I have decided to go to college and further my education because it has been told to me that by doing so I will be able to find something that interests me and I will make a good paycheck and be able to better provide for myself and my future family in doing so. From what I’ve been told, college seems like it is worth it but it is a big investment in time and money and I hope the payoff is good but to be truly honest, after reading this last passage, it is a little discouraging and heartbreaking if I must say that the investment of a college diploma may be worthless and I really hope I did not make a mistake in this investment. If I come out of college with nothing to show for it job and opportunity wise, not only will I be disappointed myself and in a debt I strongly regret of have taking the risk of perusing this dream to be able to live more comfortably but the fear of disappointing my family is overwhelming in its self. I guess I will have to finish what I’ve started to find out.

Task Two-The Importance of Education

Chayse J. Adams

English 100-20 Task Two

10-5-2010

Task Two-The Importance of Education

Education has always been important in my family. My father only has a high school diploma for an education and still has a great paying job with great benefits as a Forman working Union Construction for Collins Plastering but he works his butt off for what he has in the hottest summer days and the dead cold of winter. That’s why he believes that getting an education is so important for me, so that I too can live like my mother who went to college, makes virtually the same pay, has even better benefits, and does not have to work outside all day in the elements, has payed vacation, and her job is not physically demanding on her body. My mother was advised by her mother, my grandmother. I wanted to know why my grandmother decided to attend college and further her education which is ultimately the reason I am attending Missouri Western State University now following my graduation of high school this previous year, class of 2010.

My Grandmother decided to attend college and further her education because her father was a college graduate in the study of law, she guesses that she mostly was trying to live up to her father’s shadow. Her parents, Grate Grandpa John and Great Grandma Joy, allowed or believed that is was acceptable that if she was trying to better herself and way of life for her future that is was not necessary for her to pick up on the household chores and would support her financially through that time. She knew if she did not attend college she was going to have to “enter the real world” finding a job, start supporting herself, and grow up taking on the responsibilities of becoming an adult. She also knew that when that day came when she had to fend for herself that she would be able to get a good job or start a career which she would receive a decent pay for doing with benefits and insurance included as compared to working at a market sacking peoples groceries for a living. She was a very good student in high school, one could say, the perfect student. Straight A’s, graduated at the top ten percent of her class, kept out of drugs, alcohol, sex, and was voted most likely to succeed in her class. She enjoyed school and prided herself in being a good student. Her father always reminded her to, “work smarter, not harder”.

My grandma finished high school at Benton High School in the top ten percent of her class. The following fall she attended St. Joseph Community College that was only a two year school to get her General Education Classes done and was cheaper than attending a big college for those classes. She then moved to Maryville and attended North West Missouri Teachers College which is now the North West Missouri State where she got her major in Teaching Sciences and minored in Medical Technology in 1969.

My grandma started her career as a student teacher in the Saint Joseph School District the fall following her graduation in 1969. The next year she began Substitute Teaching for the SJSD. After a few years of being a Substitute she landed a full time job at Lafayette High school for the SJSD where she taught Several Biology and Chemistry classes. She worked there for five years before a friend told her that he could get her a job working in the lab at a local animal pharmaceuticals company named New Farm making around $60,000.0 a year. She worked at New Farm for ten years before quitting that job because she felt she was being used unfairly. My mother in the meantime had taken a similar career path of animal pharmaceuticals at Phermenta which was later bought out by Boringer Inglehiem. My mother helped my grandma land a job there with her and she has worked with that company for 7 years now, however she suffered a major pay reduction, only making around 35,000.0 a year. She likes it much better where she is now even though the pay cut.

My grandma only has a few regrets about her educations contribute to her life that consist of; not have getting into the field of Medical Technology sooner, however she does note that things may not have worked out as was as they did if she had not gone through the whole process she did. She loved the pay working for her previous employer, but wishes she would have gotten out of that company sooner than she did because of what she had to put up with for so long. She has no regrets about furthering her education and loved college and the opportunities it has presented her through her life and would do it all over again if she had the chance. As words of advice she wishes to pass down to me from her father following my interview of her is to, “work smarter, not harder” and when it come to education, finish what you’ve started, referring to college, because even if you go into a completely different line of work down the road, furthering your education is extremely more beneficial in the work force than not.”

English 100-20 A Writer’s Response pg. 212-214 “Becoming Educated”

Chayse J. Adams

English 100-20

10-4-2010

English 100-20 A Writer’s Response pg. 212-214 “Becoming Educated”

                             My early expectations for college classes were that it was going to be extremely hard, the work would be very hard and take forever, I would have to study for a long time every night, and the teachers would be mean and very uncaring. The reality of my college experience, so far at least, is somewhat close to what I predicted but not near as bad as I thought. College is tough, but it’s more just putting in the time that would cause any problems for me. I feel I have no problem learning the materials yet; it’s just taking the time to do the studying. I do study every night, and I’m up until around twelve every night but my classes usually don’t start until late morning so it’s not that bad for me. Teachers at Missouri Western State University actually are very caring, at least to my experiences. The do not care if you don’t bother doing your work but if you need help, if you show you’re trying and just need some assistance, they will do what they can for you most of the time. I really thought that they would not bother helping you and that they were just there to make a paycheck, but it’s not that different from high school as long as you make it clear that you really are putting the time in and trying.

                             Similarities would be that I too put in long hours but I get a lot more sleep than three or four hours. I too pretty much have one chance to get this college thing right. If I fail I won’t really get another chance at it, at least not very easily, it would be so much more of a struggle that I don’t want to have to think about it; right now I have it made. My experiences are different in that my teachers do not call upon any one group of students more than any other. I have to study but I am not, behind anyone in my classes, where I have to study more to compensate for a lack of anything like Barbra Jordan did.

English 100-20 Task 2, Response to Interview Process

Chayse J. Adams

English 100-20 Task 2, Response to Interview Process

9-30-2010

English 100-20 Task 2, Response to Interview Process

My interview process went pretty well for the most part. My grandmother still managed to find a way to keep talking and talking even though I asked closed ended questions sometimes. After a few minutes of rambling she would catch herself and say sorry, I didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I just smiled and laughed, saying, “it’s okay, it gives me more information I can recall on if I need to, to spice something up a bit. But my next question is…” and it all seemed to work out good, she stayed enthusiastic which was my main concern, that I could discourage her from sharing information if I said anything about her rambling.

I went to my grandma’s house tonight after my last class got out at 8pm, 9-30-2010, to conduct the interview. I called her a few nights before to make sure it would be okay because it was about the only time that was convenient for me and she confirmed it was. I told her okay we’ll make it a date then. When I arrived she had been expecting me and had cookies and milk ready when I walked into the door. So we chatted, conducted the interview and chatted some more while eating our cookies, it was a great night.

I learned that my grandma went to several colleges and earned a major in Teaching Sciences and minored in Science Technologies. Obviously I confirmed my theory that science was her strong point in academics, which I already thought I knew. She attended St. Joseph Junior College, which no-longer exists, it was pre-MWSU, and also attended North West Missouri Teachers College, which was before became what it is known as today, and many more facts, which I will talk about in my paper.

I constructed a question sheet numbered numerically so I could refer to a likewise answer/response sheet also numbered numerically for easy reference to the questions. This will allow me to organize questions into related topics that I will base the paragraphs off of, and insert my information I obtained through the interview. A concern I have is that my grandma is going out of town all next week and I hope that I have enough information to support my entire essay. I hope that I have taken well enough notes of her ramble and responses to questions I asked to thour-o-ly support my essay. Extremely sorry, absolutely could not figure out how to spell that word! (To not miss anything, get everything, like a health inspector at a restaurant).  

5 Questions to Ask My Grandma during Interview Paper and Reasoning for Asking

Chayse J. Adams

ENG 100-20: 5 Questions to Ask

9-28-2010

5 Questions to Ask My Grandma during Interview Paper and Reasoning for Asking

1.      What is your highest level of education achieved?

·         I will ask this to because it will set up the questions to be asked throughout my essay.

2.      What schools did you receive those degrees of education from?

·         To find out where she received her education.

3.      Why did you peruse further education?

·         To find out why she was driven to further her education. Was it for better paying job opportunities or personal gain of knowledge?

4.      Did you achieve your educational goal you wished to reach?

·         To find out if she completed as far as she wished to study or if there was a reason to end her studies early.

5.      Does your job or jobs reflect your education or area of study?

·         To find out if her education has been an essential part of her career success.

*I know my Grandma has gone to college to further her education, however, I don’t know what level of education she has achieved, where she achieved it, why, if she went as far as she would have wished to, or if her job reflects what she studied in college. This is most of the main information I would like to obtain through Task 2. The only thing I worry about with this task is being overloaded with too much useless, irrelevant information. When you get my grandma talking, bless her heart, you can’t get her to stop! One area I struggle with in writing is ridding out information that is not needed, so that is the last thing I need from my Grandma. One way I believe I can avoid this is by following my open-ended questions up with lots of closed-ended questions being sure to only obtain needed, relevant information for my essay.

ENG 100-20 Questions for Reflection and Writing (pg. 132-136)

Chayse J. Adams

9-26-2010

ENG 100-20

Questions for Reflection and Writing (pg. 132-136)

            I can’t think of any cautionary tales that my own family told me at this point in time but there is one that I have remembered since I was a little boy. It is a song by “Lynard Skynard” called Simple Man.

Momma told me when I was young “Come sit beside me, my only son, and listen closely to what I say and if you do this it will help you some sunny day. Oh, take your time, don’t live too fast. Troubles will come and they will pass. You’ll find a woman and you’ll find love, and don’t forget, son, there is someone up above! And be a simple kind of man. Oh, be something you love and understand. Baby, be a simple kind of man! Oh, won’t you do this for me, son, if you can. You’ll get your lust from the rich man’s gold. All that you need is in your soul. And you can do this, oh baby, if you try. All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied! And be a simple kind of man. Oh, be something you love and understand. Baby, be a simple kind of man! Oh, won’t you do this for me, son, if you can.” ”Oh yes, I will.” “Boy, don’t you worry, you’ll find yourself. Follow your heart and nothing else. And you can do this, oh baby, if you try. All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied! And be a simple kind of man! Oh, be something you love and understand! Baby, be a simple kind of man! Oh, won’t you do this for me, son, if you can. Baby, be a simple, really simple man. Oh, be something you love and understand! Baby, be a simple, be a simple man.”

In order to embellish the emphasis of the warning, it was put into a song. It helps you memorize the message. The message is to not live to fast and enjoy life, to find love, if you ever need help don’t forget god is watching from above, you don’t need money to be happy, to follow you heart, be someone you can love and understand, and be a simple kind of man. If you do this you will be satisfied. This lesson is from a mother to her son to remember throughout his life but can be from anyone, to anyone.