Reflection

This semester, I have learned how to write many different types of ways to accommodate a  multitude of prompt types. This has proved increasingly helpful because the nature of the writing I will be doing from here on, will require me to be able to differentiate between the way to write a profile and the way to write a rhetorical analysis. Through our 14 writing projects, we have seen various types of writings as well as plenty of different ways to write to them. The importance of being able to write a certain way will help to guarantee success, because you will be able to not only deliver the content that is being asked for efficiently, but your writing style will also be recognized as that of someone who is confident and knows what they are doing, just due to the organization and presentation of the information.

I believe that learning about the different things to write to and about is incredibly beneficial because it helps you to be clear and to the point when you need to, while also including enough support and description where it is needed, without wasting words. Also, a five paragraph essay, which we learned how to do in middle and high school, will not suffice for most of the writing types we are presented with, so it is important that we learn the appropriate structures in order to write an effective paper. Without this, it will be very hard to prove ourselves in the professional world as someone who clearly knows how to communicate their ideas through written work.

No one wants to look like they don’t know what they’re doing, especially when it could decide whether or not you get a job or scholarship or what grade you’re going to get for the semester, so learning to distinguish between how to write a lab report and a cover letter and everything in between is very important. Not only is the specific content different, but also the structure and writing style, which can make or break a paper. If you’re writing a lab report, but you’re using excessive detail and sources such as Wikipedia and social networks, you will fail because of the way you are presenting the information you have discovered. You may have done extensive research and the content can all be there, but if you don’t present the information in the correct way, your entire paper can be discredited before it is even entirely read through.

On Campus Housing

In many colleges and universities in the United States, there is an option for attendees to either live on campus or commute to school, and depending on many factors, they can make a decision that best suits their situation. One problem that repeatedly arises with living on campus is finding a roommate. Whether it is a random roommate or a friend, problems are bound to arise when one begins living in small quarters with a person they are not used to spending so much time with. On Connecticut College’s website, a post about advice for new students stated that “more than 95% of entering first-year college students have never shared a bedroom.” With that being said, difficulty adjusting is expected, but there could be a way to make this easier.

First, the use of a good roommate survey could prove beneficial in matching people who would live well together by gathering people’s sleeping, working and cleaning habits. Finding someone that is similar on these levels would definitely improve the chances of a good relationship because the living space would be respected due to similarities in values. However, this method won’t always work, which is why the actual structure of a dorm room should also be refined to create optimal success in living with more than one person. The size of an average double should be expanded so there is more personal space, creating a more comfortable atmosphere. It is harder to get along generally if one has to accommodate another at their own expense. Along with that, most rooms should be doubles with a few triples and little to no quads. In order to do this renovation, grants would be needed from both private and public donors. Although it would be hard, these renovations would help better guarantee the success of the students in a given institution. A Huffington Post article wrote that “There is no shortage of research to prove roommate relations factor heavily into a student's overall sanity.” That being said, if we can create a better system that ensures more positive roommate relationships, we should jump at the chance.

Improving the roommate survey as well as the size and structure of the room will not only benefit the students living on campus, but also benefit the institution itself. With better roommate relations, students are more likely to be successful in their academic and extracurricular careers on campus, and will bring positivity to the campus atmosphere. Along with that, students who are happy living on campus will bring a better retention rate, thus more money to the institution. It will also make things easier for the housing directors, RA’s and RD’s, because less time, energy and money will be spent on room changes, disorderly conduct and reports on behavior and other things that come with roommate issues. Also, there will be less peacemaking and uncomfortable situations between students and ResLife personnel. This switch would make on-campus life a lot easier and definitely worth it for current and prospective resident students, and for the student body as a whole.

Climate and Happiness

Although happiness is subjective, many scientists argue that the climate can have a lot to do with a persons mood. Most believe that warmer weather usually has a positive effect on the way people feel, however the facts lead in a different direction, suggesting that people living in colder climates tend to be happier.

The Huffington Post online reported that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is an actual disease which makes living in colder months or places more difficult for individuals, likely due to the lack of sunlight, and people tend to be more depressed during this time.With that being said, a conclusion can be made that in places or months where there is more sunlight, people are more likely to be in better moods and have a happier and easier time getting along. The article also stated that “Increased temperature had a mostly positive effect on negative mood, while increased wind and decreased sunlight had a mostly negative effect on negative mood, though these effects varied from one individual to another,” to prove that weather could in fact have something to do with the way a person feels.

As convincing as this sounds, the Huffington Post forgot to mention that some of the happiest countries are the northernmost ones, such as Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada and Finland. Studies meant to prove that warm weather equates to happiness, are all beginning to find the complete opposite. BBC News acknowledged the existence of SAD, but brought up the point that “The link between cold, dark climates and depression seems so plausible and yet Icelanders exhibit remarkably low levels of SAD.” Along with that, they stated that “proportionately, far more people kill themselves in the warmth of South Korea than in the ice of Scandinavia. Finland, which has the highest suicide rate of the Nordic nations, has a similar level to France and Belgium.”

Summer weather is known to reduce attention and energy levels,create an increase in crime, especially in cities and has been shown to correlate with higher suicide rates. These are some key factors in the flaws of happiness as it relates to warmer temperature. It is understandable to think that people tend to be in better moods during summer months, however it has been said that in places where there is constant warm weather, this is likely to have little to no effect in mood. Examples of places like this would be southern California and the midwest, where it is generally a warmer climate, however the population does not contribute much of their happiness to the weather at all.  

Natural Hair

Recently, more and more African American women have been “going natural,” a term used to describe the growing out of natural hair instead of continuing to use the harsh chemicals in a relaxer to straighten it. The Boston Globe reported that “In less than a year, the Boston Naturals Hair Meet Up Group has grown from 200 to 800 active members”  and that “the consumer research group Mintel reported that hair relaxer sales dropped from $206 million in 2008 to $152 million in 2013, while sales of products to maintain natural hair are on the rise.” Although it is a long and difficult process, more and more women are finding it in some way beneficial to them.

One predicted reason for the rapid growth of “naturals” is that the chemicals in relaxers breaks and destroys their hair. Most women who have used a relaxer have reported that they have experienced breakage, scalp damage and even balding due to chemical relaxers. However, with natural hair and a proper hair care routine, one will experience very little of this.

Another reason why there has been an increase in women sporting their natural hair is because it is generally costs less for a woman to keep up with her natural hair versus relaxed hair. Patrice Rosser, a local at Princess Hair Salon, reported that she “would spend close to $100 every few weeks at the salon, just for a touch up and press, which isn’t much.” Beyond that, spending money on weaves, hot combs, blow dryers and flat irons to make the afro texture match the straight hair, will run up anyones bank account.

Also, along with more products being made to help maintain natural hair, there has been a rise in “vlogs” and tutorials on how to manage, take care of and style natural hair. Because most naturals are “newly natural” and have to go through the process of transitioning and sometimes cutting off their hair, they do not know how to immediately deal with the dramatic change in texture. Tressa Rosser stated that she “hadn’t seen her natural hair texture in over 20 years, so having to learn about this new hair was incredibly difficult. However the number of YouTube videos and products specifically made for afro textured hair made it a lot easier.”

With all of these newly combined resources, more and more women are finding it easier and increasingly more beneficial to ditch the relaxer and endless trips to the salon, and instead, rock the hair that comes out of their head. Although it may be hard at first, the rewards outweigh the risks, and many see the numbers of naturals continuing to rise.

Dear White People

For Justin Simien’s first “real” film, Dear White People makes a grand statement about race relations and racial identity in America, causing conversation about what most Americans have attempted to avoid. The depth and development of the characters, along with the mix of humorous and serious content provided in the script is what makes this movie such a hit.

The movie is about black students who attend a predominantly white, ivy league school, and are trying to get back their rights to have an all black house on campus, not supported by the recent changes to housing. When Samantha White (played by Tessa Thompson) runs for president of the residence hall and wins, she has plans to change things around, not realizing how hard it might be. On the way, she finds herself the subject of a reality show called “Black Face/White Place,” and the envy of fellow black student, Coco Conners (played by Teyonah Parris). The rise of Sam’s “fame” among the school community also helps to establish the quirky freshman Lionel Higgins’ place on the all white staffed campus newspaper, with the incorrect assumption that he is familiar with black culture, in order to get an inside look on what’s really going on.

Although the storyline and plot development do the film great justice, the acting is what tops it off. Simien starts Tessa Thompson’s character, Samantha White, off as a self assured and incredibly outspoken young woman, using her radio show “Dear White People” and her new presidency as her platform. Instead of keeping her in this mold, holes in her character emerge, telling the story of a biracial girl trying to stand up for social change for a people who don’t fully believe in her.

The development of Tyler James Williams’ character, Lionel Higgins, was equally important in its showing of the difficulties he goes through being gay and trying to fit into a culture that he doesn’t believe understands, represents or supports him. The development of his character is essential to the story because the way he grows to find where he fits in helps to demonstrate the depth of black culture, as well as to show the perspective of a gay youth that viewers don’t usually see.

This movie did exactly what it was intended to do, which was to get people talking. The movie, however, was not just about having these conversations, but it also served as great entertainment. The intellect mixed with humor of the script are reasons why this movie could be watched again and again.

On-Campus Rapes Cause Controversy Between Students and Administration

During the 2014 Fall Semester at Bridgewater State University, the student body was uninformed about two on-campus rapes because the police determined that there was no immediate threat, leaving students to find out only through news and media and causing distrust between students and officials.

“It was late afternoon when I got the email from the Presidents Office,” freshman Ilenny Nunez said, “but that was not the first I had heard of the incident.” She reported that she first heard about the sexual assaults from her aunt, who called her two nights before to ask if she knew what was going on.

Another student, Josh Rosa, said that he was “shocked that he heard the news from the television before hearing anything from school.” He expressed the importance of informing the entire campus of events like this, even if they are believed to be taken care of. “We deserve to know what’s going on, especially if we live here.”

Bridgewater police and administration felt slightly differently about the situation.  The police reported that there was “no longer an immediate threat” and felt no need to notify residents promptly. This caused controversy and a large disconnect between students and officials because, as reported by students, it felt as though they were trying to “cover it up” instead of addressing the situations.

Administration is aware, however, that according the the Clery Act, they are required to “disseminate information about certain crimes occurring on and near their respective campuses, including timely warnings of crimes that may represent a ‘serious or continuing threat’ to the safety of students and employees,” which was revealed in an email sent to students and faculty two weeks after the incidents had occurred.

Although things started off rough, students have reported that administration has gotten better at communicating. According to Jassmine Munoz-Torres, the police department and administration sent out an email quickly after a student was sexually harassed on November 8th, 2014. “Although it doesn’t seem like a lot, it matters to me,” she said. “I actually feel safer knowing what’s going on around campus, even if it’s hearing about the bad things. And I’d rather hear it from campus police than Fox25, that way I know they’re doing something to handle it.”

Students have expressed their concern with the timing of these messages getting out, and it seems that administration is responding openly and quickly, and hopefully this cooperation will continue.

"Creamy Crack"

Relaxer, perm, creamy crack- the name may change but it product stays the same. This product, most commonly called relaxer, is predominantly used by African-American and Latina women, or in general people with a tighter curl pattern, in order to straighten out the hair. The problem with relaxers are the chemicals they contain, and what they can actually do.

On the back of a box of relaxer that can be purchased at places like CVS or walgreens,

ingredients such as sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, guanidine carbonate, guanidine hydroxide, thioglycolic acid and lithium hydroxide can be found. These chemicals together, when placed in the hair, break down the bonds of the hair in order to straighten it. Doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well they actually do a lot more than that. These chemicals, if left on the scalp for too long, can cause severe burns, scars and hair loss that are incredibly painful and sometimes permanent, deep ulcerations in the skin, drying and cracking of the skin, and if they get into the eyes, they can cause eye damage and even blindness. A study by Boston University in 2012 found that “black women who use hair relaxers are at slightly higher risk of developing uterine fibroids” which causes non cancerous tumors to grow on the walls of the uterus causing heavy bleeding and painful periods, and are a leading cause of hysterectomies.

Beyond this, it’s equally surprising to hear what else these chemicals are found in, besides products some women put in their hair every four to six weeks. Sodium hydroxide can be found in drain and pipe cleaners such as Drano, septic tank and cesspool cleaners and oven and grill cleaners. Sodium hydroxide is used to dissolve hair in sinks, so why would anyone knowingly use a product like relaxer in their hair when it’s one of the main ingredients? Even with all the risks, millions of women and girls take their chances.

However, the numbers of women discontinuing their relaxers and “going natural” are growing. Thankfully, the stigma of “bad hair” is dying away, and more and more women are not only embracing their natural kinks and curls, but they’re choosing safer ways to take care of their hair, like using protective styles, instead of just relaxing and flat ironing it. This change is definitely for the better, seeing as it will dramatically reduce the health issues that can come with relaxing ones hair, and will help to build confidence in wearing natural hair.

Grandmother

She wasn’t very tall and didn’t look too muscular, but Dorothy Price would be anybody- boy, girl, adult or child- anybody’s ass if they crossed her. My grandmother was hard as a rock, and everyone knew it. There was no “acting a fool” in her house, and her 8 children knew exactly what they were in for if she heard they were misbehaving.

Her eyes were always red and her mind was tired, but her body never stopped. She worked two jobs to keep food on the table, as she was a single mother of 8. But it wasn’t just her children that would come home for dinner when she would call out from the door. Eight of her own followed by maybe three or four friends, a few cousins would maybe stop by, a local maintenance worker who just got off the job and was craving a hot meal, and others, would all come by the house to enjoy the perfectly seasoned, crispy crunchy fried chicken and sweet, fluffy biscuits that she prepared. Dorothy was a strong woman who cared extensively for her family and community.

Every night at 6:30, she would come home from her second job, place her things on the table in the hall and head for the kitchen. The bare chicken was breaded and tastefully seasoned and then fried to a golden crisp. Meanwhile, she’d have the corn, collard greens, potatoes and hushpuppies all going, and no problem keeping up with all of that. When it was just about dinner time, she’d yell out the front door, “All y’all kids get on in here and wash up, it’s ‘bout time to eat,” and without hesitation, all eight hurried in to clean their hands and faces. Never did anyone go without a meal on that side of the railroad tracks in Hogansville, GA. Ms. Dot fed any face that came to the door. Her generosity never ceased to expand, and if any honest person needed anything, they knew where to go.

However, her generosity went hand in hand with her expectations that the people that came to her house never brought trouble. “I don’t play around,” she always said, “and I won’t ever have my family in danger because of my big heart. If you come in here to eat and enjoy ya’self, then that there is alright, but I won’t tolerate none of that other foolishness.” And she stuck to her word. Her loving but stern ways were only two of the many characteristics that made her a wonderful neighbor, aunt, sister, mother and grandmother.

The Price of Happiness

The envelope was small and that was never a good sign. I was beyond convinced that it couldn't be a rejection, but at the same time I was confused. It said, “Bridgewater State University, Office of Admissions” and was addressed in my name. I told my mom to open it because I couldn’t open any of those things; the anxiety would eat me up. My mom, though only 5’2”, is tough as nails, but even these killed her to read because it meant she was losing her oldest child. She opened it quickly and read over the beginning, quietly mouthing through the words.

“You’re in!!” she shouted. “Duh, I knew you would get accepted, my super smart girl!” she said, her smile stretching ear to ear.

“Oh stop mom,” I laughed. “It’s not that serious. I don’t want to go there anyway. I’m going straight to Georgia.” She didn’t look too happy about that one. Georgia was too far for her, even though I had enough relatives there to make up the student population of UGA. I always hated New England weather and she knew she had a slim chance of getting me to stay. I took the envelope off the table, said, “thanks for the good news,” and returned to my room. I never thought I would end up a freshman at Bridgewater State University, and I especially never thought I would like it.

Later that day, my mother came up to my room.

“Olivia,” she said, “wanna talk about college?”  

I had been talking about college all day every day for months, so the truth was that no, I didn’t want to talk about college. However, I knew she had some important stuff to say, so I suppressed every urge to say, “honestly I don’t even want to go to college at this point,” and decided to listen. We talked about where I wanted to go and how important it is that I’m happy wherever I end up. We talked about everything, except for what was really on her mind: money. I knew the cost of school was going to be a problem, but my parents would never admit it to me.

“Money is for us to worry about, you worry about those grades!” is what my dad always told me. At this point, I knew, regardless of where I really wanted to go, I had to make a smart decision. Did I really want to be paying student loans until I retire? The choice was clear. With great education at a “reasonable” price, Bridgewater was the place for me.

Peace Corps Dreams

Prompt: Peace Corps service presents major physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges. In the space below, please provide a few paragraphs explaining your reasons for wanting to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer and how you plan to overcome the various challenges associated with Peace Corps service

I would love to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer to continue my work serving youth, and through my dedication and love for the kids, I would be able to persevere through the challenges put before me.

I have worked with children of many ages and backgrounds since I was 14, through summer camps and community service opportunities, and I love to see how children can grow and how they work.  I believe that every child holds so much potential, regardless of where they grow up and the resources they are provided. With that being said, it is necessary that all children have equal access to resources that will help them fulfill their entire potential. Being a Peace Corps volunteer, I feel that I can help to provide children with the support and help that they need to continue to grow and learn, and be productive members of their community.

I am working towards becoming a social worker, hopefully within the next four years, because not only would I love to serve children in other communities, but I would be honored to be able to work with and support children in and around the community I grew up in. Serving in the Peace Corps would definitely better help me do my job as a social worker in my own community, because I would be able to better acclimate to situations I’m not used to through my work as a volunteer in another country. With that being said, my courses in social work will definitely help me in my service as a volunteer, because I have acquired a good deal of skills and information that I can and will apply to my work now, as a volunteer and in the future as a social worker.

I am aware, however, that serving as a Peace Corps volunteer requires a lot of hard work and ability to work through difficulties. I believe that because I am so dedicated to working with children and being there for them, and through my love for the work that I’ll be doing and that the Peace Corps does, I will be able to adapt accordingly, and not get stuck. Along with that, I understand the importance of asking for help, and will not fail to do so from my fellow peers. I am very excited about all of the opportunities that the Peace Corps provides, and I hope that I’ll be able to help continue the amazing things that it does for people and places of our world.

Race Remixed Rhetorical Analysis

The article “Race Remixed” by Susan Saulny provides an insight on the mixed race population of the United States, and the growing support they are receiving from each other. The piece is a nonfiction article that was written for the New York Times, and I think it was meant to bring awareness of the growing population of mixed race people today. Although it is nonfiction, it does reflect the opinions of the author and interviewees in some aspects. Because of this, the genre determination is more fluid.

In the article, the author focuses on the question “ What are you?” and what that means to mixed race Americans in today’s society. She talks to many college students, most of whom are involved in a mixed race student group on campus. Through these groups, the students find support in people who “look like” them, and can talk about the pros and cons of identifying with more than one race. Saulny also talks about the demographics of the U.S. and how “the mixed race population has grown by roughly 35 percent since 2000.” With these observations, she explores the possibilities of either an increasingly mixed American society, or a more stratified society, focused on keeping people under labels.

Because parts of the article were opinion-based, I would not be surprised if a reader looked at some of the issues with a different approach. For example, towards the end, Saulny writes about a mixed race woman who questions President Obama’s decision to only check black on the census. In a discussion, a good amount of the mixed race people in the room agree that although he did only check black, he could (or should) identify as black and white. Others, however, argued using the “one drop rule,” which says that if you are any portion black, you are to identify as black. This could prove offensive to mixed race people, who, because they are in fact two or more races, will identify with all of them and refuse to be categorized as just one. Because race is such an important but controversial part of our society, in a way, it is understood that the discussion about this would be extensive and heavily debated.  

My "Writers Journey"

I went into my senior year of high school with only one thing on my mind: “I have to pass this research paper.” I knew from the start that I had a 15 page paper that needed to be written, and well, in order to graduate on time. This was a requirement for all the seniors at my high school, and it was honestly a daunting task for me. My whole high school career, I was used to just taking up prompts, sitting in front of my computer for an hour or so and then spitting out whatever I could. About 97% of the time, this was an effective method for me, but I knew that this research paper would be a lot different. Looking back on it now, I have realized that when I am passionate about a topic, I can spend more time on a paper and give a better result.

It is not uncommon that passion can drive a person to think deeper about a topic, therefore causing them to invest more time in it that they would with something else. With me, this is so very true. I chose to write my research paper on minority/immigrant families in the United States and what it means to be an “American.” Because I chose three incredible books to read, and because I was interested in what truly makes an American, I ended up doing more extensive research than I imagined. I learned so much about the lives of minorities and immigrants in America, outside of what I thought I already knew from experience, and I was able to draw better points to prove my thesis. Along with that, my interest and research helped me create a better understanding of my topic.

Knowing what I’m talking about because I understand my topic was also essential to my becoming a better writer through this research paper. I learned that if I actually look into what I’m doing, I can not only write more concisely and efficiently, but also with better prose because I don’t have to waste time pretending I know what I’m supposed to be saying. After doing all my research and preparation, I found that I had a much easier time writing on my topic, and I rarely ever had nothing to say. There was an easier flow to my words and I didn’t have to work hard to prove my point, because the facts were all there. Of course, when you like what you’re doing, most times you do it a lot better. As long as I can prepare and make the most of an essay or assignment, I believe that I can write just as well as I did on my research paper.

When Everyone's Watching

When you post something on the internet, it’s there forever. Writing for something like a blog or any social networking page, I have learned to choose my words very carefully, to explain myself thoroughly, and to assume that what I say will be taken seriously.

Because the human race is so spread out across this planet, everyone is born into different cultures with different ideas, values, expectations, etc., and that combined with the individuality of each person makes it hard to find any one thing that we can all agree on. With that being said, we can reason that regardless of what we say, someone is going to disagree or feel differently. When I was a little younger and less mature, I thought this meant that I could say whatever I wanted, because regardless, there was going to be someone who didn’t like it. However, I was completely wrong. Now, when writing for a public audience, I make sure that I understand the gravity of what I’m saying, even if it isn’t a big deal at all, and I pay more attention to my word choice as to not offend as many people as possible while still getting my point across. This is important to me because I want people from all different backgrounds and cultures to be able to read what I write and connect to it in some way, and I don’t want anyone to feel disrespected or targeted.

Beyond that, I have also learned that it is necessary to explain myself and what I am saying extensively, so that there is less of a chance of my words being twisted into something I didn’t mean. This includes doing my research or just being knowledgeable about the subject matter that I’m writing on. Because I am behind a screen just writing and posting online, I don’t always have time or means to defend or further explain my words. This is where the research and already in depth explanation come in handy, because I can avoid questioning of my work and ideas if everything is laid out in front of the reader.

Going along with that, I understand that, although some things said on the internet are supposed to be taken as a joke and aren’t meant to be offensive, not everyone has the same sense of humor. This means that anything can be taken in a way that you don’t expect. Knowing this, I try to keep a more serious tone in my writing, that way I don’t throw anyone off or make anyone uncomfortable. My overall goal in my public writing is to get my points or thoughts or ideas across and out there without causing distress or discomfort to anyone reading along.

Lady Gaga

In the article Lavish Worlds, and the Headwear to Match, the author, Jon Pareles, reviews the artist Lady Gaga, shedding a very positive light on her performances and persona. In this article, he hopes to attract a younger audience of concert-goers, who seemingly are attracted to the performance style of someone as eccentric and unpredictable as she. Pareles mentions artists such as Madonna and Jason Derulo, honing in on the strong pop influence in Lady Gaga’s work. With pop music being incredibly popular among teens and young adults in this country, much more of the younger generation would be not only open to reading this review, but would understand the comparisons better than a person of an older generation. Along with this, Pareles really accentuates the high energy, originality and the amount of entertainment received from attending Lady Gaga’s concert. He makes it clear that this is something that people who enjoy concerts would really appreciate and adore. 

Examples such as her peculiar wardrobe, her love for her fans and love for performing, are central to helping the author hook a reader and interest them in the work of this particular artist.  All of these things are very important to a concert-goer, and by highlighting them, the author can be confident that he will be able to create some desire in seeing this artist live, as opposed to just reading about her. Pareles writes, “She first appeared behind a scrim showing a computerized grid, with a lighted costume that made her more a collection of white dots than a body: a figure in an electronic universe, like a digitalized pop star.” Through his extensive description, the reader can really tell how serious she is about her wardrobe as relates to the section of the performance. Not only is she serious about her fashion and presentation of her hard work, but she is extremely serious when it comes to her fans. Pareles takes a direct quote from her show that reads, “‘When they ask me why I spent all my money on my show, I tell them, because my fans are sexy.’” It’s very clear that he wants the reader to appreciate her love for her fans as much as he does. The exuding respect and appreciation for this artist and performance are the last things that stand out, helping Pareles to transfer this energy to the readers and attract the audience that the text was meant for.

Bio

My name is Olivia and I'm a freshman at Bridgewater State University. I graduated from an exam school in Boston and I'm planning on studying social work in college. I also want to serve in the Peace Corps and work with at-risk youth in Spanish speaking countries. I love helping people and I can't wait to start my career as a social worker in the future.

Outside of school, I like to play eat, listen to music, play tennis and watch sports. I am on the women's tennis team for Bridgewater this year, and I'm so happy to be able to continue to play competitive tennis into my college years. Eating is definitely one of my other big hobbies. I'll try anything, no matter how gross it sounds, because I believe that, as the saying goes, 'you can't knock it til you try it.' Trying new things is very important in growing as a person, and I always plan to continue my growth.