Part I: UB Memories
I may have mentioned before that I am in a class called Upward Bound Memories. This is a Newsletter/Yearbook class. There are about twenty some odd students in the class and we are divided into three groups. In each group there are about 6-8 students.
It is our job to put together a Yearbook for this Upward Bound session and to provide a newsletter each week. We were assigned different jobs within our groups and work together to get things done.
Each group is in charge of a certain thing every week. This week my group is in charge of yearbook. This means yearbook is our "main-event", if you will, or our "big-focus". We were given specific things to work on throughout the week dealing with the yearbook such as, layouts for the yearbook, interviews for other research classes, research class pages, etc.
Next week my group has newsletter. I am soooo stressed out. I know that we have like five days to work on this newsletter and three hours to work on it every one of those five days ,but I am still very "on edge". I don't know what I would do without the three hours to work.
Anywho, we have to put together a "functioning" newsletter. By functioning I mean more along the lines of well written articles, catchy fillers, fun columns, good looking layouts,and so on.
With all of the work that has to be done there needs to be someone in charge of it all.....someone to make sure that it all happens.....someone to boss other people around.......
Part II: Managing Editor
In each group there are five jobs....
1. the managing editor--it is their job to make sure that everything is finished and functioning on time. They are the "head-hancho" of the group.
2. Next is the copy editor-- it is the copy editor's job to make sure everything is proof read, corrected, and sounds right in the newsletter/yearbook.
3. The layout editor--he/she is in charge of the backgrounds for the newsletter and the set up of things. They have to get all of the pages for the yearbook ready too. (It's a lot of work!)
4. There are at least 3 reporters in every group--it is the reporters duty to give interviews, write articles, columns, fillers, help with other jobs, and get things in on their deadline.
5. The photographer-- it is the photographers responsibility to take ALL the pictures that we need for every article, column, yearbook page, etc.
I was made the managing editor in my group. This is quite a task for someone like me. I really don't like to "boss" others around and I don't like to tell people that their ideas don't always create a functioning newsletter or, quite frankly, that the idea is just not very good.Luckily, I don't have to worry about a whole lot of bad ideas, because I have really creative and amazing people in my group.
The stress is almost unbearable though. For those of you who know me fairly well, you would know that Jessica is not a very calm person when it comes to deadlines and especially being in charge.
I can barely take care of myself and getting the things done for school that should be done. I have absolutely NO idea why the teachers picked me to be in charge of six other people!
It has become a famous statement in my group to say, "I quit!" I sinceraly hope that I was not the one to spark that statement. If people wanted to quit because of me...I don't know what I would do. :( Anywho, every twenty minutes or so, you will hear someone in the room yell, "I QUIT!!" but it is only because they are having a hard time with what they are working on. I have said it several times because of writers-block, frusteration with the computer, anger problems with the printer, and sometimes just because I am tired.
Anyways...it all comes down to this-----
Does anyone have any advice for my very inexperienced self? I mean, have you ever had a really overwhelming job that just kills you to even think about it?
This job has been quite overwhelming, but I am learning to love it.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Eggs and Bacon....Minus the Eggs
Have you ever seen roadkill?? Do you remember the feeling you get when the roadkill crunches under the wheels of the vehicle that you are in?? I know that it is gross, but that is the only thing that I could compare my "experience" to.
I have to take Biology two this year because I took Biology one last year. We were not required to disect anything my first year because the teaacher had something of a weak stomach. I thought for a while that I must have been lucky because I got to skip out on disecting frogs. Well I am not as lucky as I thought....and it wasn't a frog this time.
We were required to disect a fetal pig. DISGUSTING!!! I almost fainted the first day that we worked on it. But anywho....during the disection, we had to locate all of the major organs and arteries. We had a packet that outlined what we were looking at and how to identify the different parts of the pig's body. It also gave a detailed description of how to make the incisions, what tools to use, and where to and not to make the incisions.
I was paired with the only boy in my four-person class. Boys are gross and immature when it comes to cutting things up and grossing girls out. Well, I was VERY grossed out.
We bagan by getting a pig from the bag and putting it in a disection pan. Then we were let loose as far as the "process" went. I thought that I was doing okay, but then we were to make our first incision.
Through this incision, we were to locate certain things in the mouth and touch certain parts of the tongue. Well, when something has been bathed in fermaldahide for so long, it is hard to cut it. It was so hard to see the back of the mouth that we had to break the jaw to see what we were looking for. Like I said, it was VERY hard to cut...and when your partner is making pig noises, pointing out nasty things about the pig, siging pig songs, talking about hunting experiences, and saying , "we should call him Wilbur!" it is EXTRA disgusting.
The rest of the class time and today's class time went pretty much the same. I would tell my partner where to cut, I would look down at my paper while he cut it and I would hold my stomach. Then I would ask about certain body parts while still holding my stomach....I pretty much held my stomach and starred at the paper for as long as I was able. Because a drawing of a pig is much more pleasant than an actual pig.
In closing, I would not advise any one of you to go disecting animals. Not that this would be a choice that most of you have to make. (Oh yeah...and the best part about all of it was that for lunch on both days that we disected, we had pig-based food for lunch. Great huh?! I think that they planned that one!)
I have to take Biology two this year because I took Biology one last year. We were not required to disect anything my first year because the teaacher had something of a weak stomach. I thought for a while that I must have been lucky because I got to skip out on disecting frogs. Well I am not as lucky as I thought....and it wasn't a frog this time.
We were required to disect a fetal pig. DISGUSTING!!! I almost fainted the first day that we worked on it. But anywho....during the disection, we had to locate all of the major organs and arteries. We had a packet that outlined what we were looking at and how to identify the different parts of the pig's body. It also gave a detailed description of how to make the incisions, what tools to use, and where to and not to make the incisions.
I was paired with the only boy in my four-person class. Boys are gross and immature when it comes to cutting things up and grossing girls out. Well, I was VERY grossed out.
We bagan by getting a pig from the bag and putting it in a disection pan. Then we were let loose as far as the "process" went. I thought that I was doing okay, but then we were to make our first incision.
Through this incision, we were to locate certain things in the mouth and touch certain parts of the tongue. Well, when something has been bathed in fermaldahide for so long, it is hard to cut it. It was so hard to see the back of the mouth that we had to break the jaw to see what we were looking for. Like I said, it was VERY hard to cut...and when your partner is making pig noises, pointing out nasty things about the pig, siging pig songs, talking about hunting experiences, and saying , "we should call him Wilbur!" it is EXTRA disgusting.
The rest of the class time and today's class time went pretty much the same. I would tell my partner where to cut, I would look down at my paper while he cut it and I would hold my stomach. Then I would ask about certain body parts while still holding my stomach....I pretty much held my stomach and starred at the paper for as long as I was able. Because a drawing of a pig is much more pleasant than an actual pig.
In closing, I would not advise any one of you to go disecting animals. Not that this would be a choice that most of you have to make. (Oh yeah...and the best part about all of it was that for lunch on both days that we disected, we had pig-based food for lunch. Great huh?! I think that they planned that one!)
Monday, July 13, 2009
Crowder College/Upward Bound
I just realized that half of those that I talk to have no clue what I mean when I say "Upward Bound" or "Crowder College". I am taking this time to post what all of this means.....
Upward Bound, often reffered to as UB, is a school program for high school kids to help them with their chances of getting into a good college, giving them the experience, or because their parents never got above a Masters degree, etc etc. The list goes on.
Anywho, they are given the chance once a month during the school year to go to the closest Crowder College and take two, two hour classes. By participating at these once-a-month activities during the school year, they recieve $30 and the knowledge that these classes have given them. During the summer, the students are given the opportunity to go live and take classes on the Crowder College Campus.
While living on Campus, students are expected to treat the facility with respect and do their part as far as cleaning, bed-time, personal hygiene, getting to classes on time, and maintaining a passing grade goes.
The official Upward Bound "lights out" time is strictly 11:00pm. It is up to the Residential Assistent, or RA, if they mind that the people in their house are still talking or texing and what not.
At UB you must take four classes, a research class, and a knowledge quest class. The four classes that you take depend on what you have taken already and what you are required to take. For instance, I have to take an advanced spanish class because I took spanish two last year. :( Each class is about an hour long with ten minutes in between to get to and from classes.
The research class is a bit different though. There is a choice of about five or six research classes here at Upward Bound. This year I chose UB memeories. Your research class is either your very first class or your very last class and lasts three hours long. Throughout the month you will be expected to, not only learn, but to plan and present a presentation on the last week of what you learned and the processes that you took, etc. etc.
Knowledge Quest is simply a study hour to get done what you didn't get done or to go to the library and get on the computer or whatever. It is pretty much a study hall.
Anywho, I think that I have covered most of the UB idea. It is a good program and I have really enjoyed participating in all of it!
Upward Bound, often reffered to as UB, is a school program for high school kids to help them with their chances of getting into a good college, giving them the experience, or because their parents never got above a Masters degree, etc etc. The list goes on.
Anywho, they are given the chance once a month during the school year to go to the closest Crowder College and take two, two hour classes. By participating at these once-a-month activities during the school year, they recieve $30 and the knowledge that these classes have given them. During the summer, the students are given the opportunity to go live and take classes on the Crowder College Campus.
While living on Campus, students are expected to treat the facility with respect and do their part as far as cleaning, bed-time, personal hygiene, getting to classes on time, and maintaining a passing grade goes.
The official Upward Bound "lights out" time is strictly 11:00pm. It is up to the Residential Assistent, or RA, if they mind that the people in their house are still talking or texing and what not.
At UB you must take four classes, a research class, and a knowledge quest class. The four classes that you take depend on what you have taken already and what you are required to take. For instance, I have to take an advanced spanish class because I took spanish two last year. :( Each class is about an hour long with ten minutes in between to get to and from classes.
The research class is a bit different though. There is a choice of about five or six research classes here at Upward Bound. This year I chose UB memeories. Your research class is either your very first class or your very last class and lasts three hours long. Throughout the month you will be expected to, not only learn, but to plan and present a presentation on the last week of what you learned and the processes that you took, etc. etc.
Knowledge Quest is simply a study hour to get done what you didn't get done or to go to the library and get on the computer or whatever. It is pretty much a study hall.
Anywho, I think that I have covered most of the UB idea. It is a good program and I have really enjoyed participating in all of it!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Home-Sick....
Being away from home was never a huge problem for me in the past. I had all of these great activites like girl's camp and youth conference and sleepovers, etc. etc. etc. I have been thinking though of why I never really got homesick before. I decided that I never really got the opportunity to be away from "home" because my parents were usually with me when I went far away.
They say that home is where the heart is. Obviously my heart is not with me if I am feeling homesick. These last few days without my family have been quite empty and very home-sick-ie....or however you would say that.... :)
I got curious, so I looked online for cures to homesickness....seeing as I have like five more weeks of being away from home. I actually found on another blog some "cures" for homesickness.....
1.Bring a piece of home with you
2.Stay in touch-call home when you can!
3.Use technology-IM or e-mail your loved ones
4.Blog it- Blogging is a good way to be updated with your family
5.Pick the right place to stay-If you get homesick easy, don't go too far!
Then I found some on Yahoo.....
6.Watch your favorite movie play lots of games and keep busy until you are ready to go to sleep. Then make sure you run round the block 3 times take shower(very warm) drink a nice cup of hot chocolate. At that point and time you wll be so tired you won't think of home.
7.some of the best things to do are:To keep busy, and socialize, time seems to pass quicker.If possible get your family to send something personal to you that reminds you of home, like a childhood teddy etc.Try doing activities such as bowling, gym, etc, anything to keep you busy.Try not to phone home too often because the more you phone home then the more you will want to get back to your family.hope this helps a little.
Then just around the internet....
8.Other than going home? Explore more of where you are at. Take your mind off of it every now and then.
9.By going home and staying for some days ...that's what I did :-) !
10.I watch TV. I use to live in California where a lot of where I lived have been filmed. Do something that reminds you or makes you feel of home.
11.Have something with you that reminds you of home.
I personally thought that these were all some very good ideas. Obviously you cannot "cure" homesickness, but there are some very good ways to hinder the homesick flu. Now I know what I can do to feel less homesick while I am gone the rest of this month and half of the next.
I really can't wait to get home to see you guys!! I love you all!!!!
They say that home is where the heart is. Obviously my heart is not with me if I am feeling homesick. These last few days without my family have been quite empty and very home-sick-ie....or however you would say that.... :)
I got curious, so I looked online for cures to homesickness....seeing as I have like five more weeks of being away from home. I actually found on another blog some "cures" for homesickness.....
1.Bring a piece of home with you
2.Stay in touch-call home when you can!
3.Use technology-IM or e-mail your loved ones
4.Blog it- Blogging is a good way to be updated with your family
5.Pick the right place to stay-If you get homesick easy, don't go too far!
Then I found some on Yahoo.....
6.Watch your favorite movie play lots of games and keep busy until you are ready to go to sleep. Then make sure you run round the block 3 times take shower(very warm) drink a nice cup of hot chocolate. At that point and time you wll be so tired you won't think of home.
7.some of the best things to do are:To keep busy, and socialize, time seems to pass quicker.If possible get your family to send something personal to you that reminds you of home, like a childhood teddy etc.Try doing activities such as bowling, gym, etc, anything to keep you busy.Try not to phone home too often because the more you phone home then the more you will want to get back to your family.hope this helps a little.
Then just around the internet....
8.Other than going home? Explore more of where you are at. Take your mind off of it every now and then.
9.By going home and staying for some days ...that's what I did :-) !
10.I watch TV. I use to live in California where a lot of where I lived have been filmed. Do something that reminds you or makes you feel of home.
11.Have something with you that reminds you of home.
I personally thought that these were all some very good ideas. Obviously you cannot "cure" homesickness, but there are some very good ways to hinder the homesick flu. Now I know what I can do to feel less homesick while I am gone the rest of this month and half of the next.
I really can't wait to get home to see you guys!! I love you all!!!!
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