Writing Seminar Blogs Part 1: January 18 to February 3

I haven't managed to blog in... a really long time unfortunately. I've been occupied with school work and extracurriculars (and of course I've managed to have fun too).

This semester I'm taking a (mandatory) writing seminar on "The Morality of Health Care." Each weekday, we're required to post on a "blog" with the purpose of developing our writing skills. We can write about any topic we choose, though our discussions often seem to revolve around weather and school work. Still, though I haven't had an opportunity to write a thoughtful post on my actual blog, I've had to maintain a steady stream of these short (3 or 4 sentences) blurbs for the last four months. I've decided to post them here in segments, to give you an idea of my thoughts throughout this semester. I hope you enjoy!

Post on January 18 2011
Created on Tuesday, 01/18/2011 4:53 PM by Blake Ellison

Hey everyone! My name is Blake Ellison. I'm a freshman in Wharton and I'm from Salt Lake City, Utah. My hobbies include traveling, playing tennis and other sports, and hanging out with friends. I'm a huge Utah sports fan. I love the Utah Jazz (NBA), Utah college football, and Real Salt Lake (MLS). I'm looking forward to getting to know you all this semester!

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Post on January 19 2011
Created on Wednesday, 01/19/2011 1:26 PM by Blake Ellison

I think that the funny thing about coming to Penn is that we have all of these opportunities to do amazing things all around us, but we don't have time to do them. We all remember when we were first admitted and we were sent dozens of flyers and letters advertising that Penn had over 350 clubs in which we could become involved and that Philadelphia was a great city that we should explore. Unfortunately, between classes and homework, there's hardly enough time to breathe, much less fully take advantage of all of the opportunities outside of academia that Penn offers. Oh well. You might be wondering what spurred this. The short answer is big dreams of a relaxing night last night being ruined by too much homework and extracurricular applications. What else is new?

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Post on January 20 2011
Created on Thursday, 01/20/2011 12:34 PM by Blake Ellison

The last few days have been somewhat of a FIFA marathon. Each day this week, my roommate and I have come directly back to our dorm after classes, knocked out all of our homework, and then played FIFA late into the night. Usually, it's pretty reasonable - we still get to bed at a decent hour - but last night, we stayed up way too late. The game is a bit of a time vortex, to be honest. You sit down to play and next thing you know, it's ten games and three hours later. Well, I'm going to log off and play some FIFA now. I have class in an hour, so here's hoping the vortex doesn't trap me for too long.

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Post on January 24 2011
Created on Monday, 01/24/2011 7:34 PM by Blake Ellison

Today, my roommate and I found out that we were accepted into one of the Rodin residential programs. We got a four bedroom apartment with a kitchen and huge living room - I am so stoked. We checked the room out today and it'll be great. I can't wait to have a room to myself next year and it's really nice to be done with residential applications now. Alas, there are several months in between now and then. That's not to say that I'm not happy with my room now. I'm a a triple in the Quad and it's pretty nice. We have a double and a single attached by a big common room where we can work and hang out. It's great to have a place separate from where you sleep and work where you can relax. Well, I'm going to head out to the gym. I tried to go this morning, but could not motivate myself when I woke up an hour earlier than I needed to. Later!

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Post on January 25 2011
Created on Tuesday, 01/25/2011 1:12 PM by Blake Ellison

Do you ever get the feeling that you have a lot of things and work to do, but you really don't? It's like your mind is in stress mode even though when you take a step back you're on top of things. I think that my mind remains perpetually in this stressed state here at Penn. Unfortunately, this week I really do have a lot of work and meetings to stay on top of. Good thing we have these blogs to write which makes us feel as though we're accomplishing something even though it only takes a few minutes!

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Post on January 26 2011
Created on Wednesday, 01/26/2011 7:29 PM by Blake Ellison

I'll join in on the snow bandwagon and lend my own voice. It is snowing. A lot. I became intimately aware of this fact when I had to shovel the walks of my church for about an hour right after writing seminar this afternoon. I don't know that I've ever been so wet in my entire life. Where I'm from we get a lot of snow so I've never had a snow day, but that doesn't stop me from hoping we have one here. Unfortunately, not even my meetings have been cancelled, so although I'm cozy in my dorm now, I'll have to go out into the icy storm again. Until then, homework!

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Post on January 27 2011
Created on Thursday, 01/27/2011 12:42 PM by Blake Ellison

Coming back to my dorm from Commons today was like navigating through a minefield. A tumultuous river flows down the streets with few islands to hop across. Even when you think you've found a refuge, the island you're eying may just be a conglomeration of slush ready to explode all over you when you land on it. In this battle, my shoes and socks along with my warm feet were the casualties. None survived the flood of icy black water.

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Post on January 31 2011
Created on Monday, 01/31/2011 5:28 PM by Blake Ellison

Today, I woke up early to do work.

Today, I was incredibly productive and managed to finish my work, go to the gym, and eat lunch all before class.

Today, my first class is at two in the afternoon, making my last statement a little less impressive.

Today, classes flew by, but there is still much to be done.

Today, I have several meetings in addition to homework due tomorrow.

Today, I need to continue to be productive.

Today, I promised a Connecticuter and an Englishwoman I'd write my blog in this format the name of which I've already forgotten.

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Post on February 1 2011
Created on Tuesday, 02/01/2011 12:41 PM by Blake Ellison

Today I forgot my laptop for OPIM so I had to take notes by hand. In some classes, I take notes by hand because it's easier due to graphs and whatnot (Math, BPUB), but I do prefer to take notes on a computer when possible. It's faster and easier to organize all of my notes in one spot. So now I have to transcribe my written, ugly notes onto my computer. As if we didn't have enough homework already eh?

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Post on February 2 2011
Created on Wednesday, 02/02/2011 10:49 AM by Blake Ellison

This morning, I woke up intensely hungry. My stomach yearned for something to devour, but there was nothing to be found in all of our dorm room! I initially had plans to go to the gym this morning before lunch, but now I don't know that I could stomach it, forgive the pun. I'll go later tonight, I think, and instead use this morning to do productive things such as write this blog post.

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Post on February 3 2011 (permalink) -edit history delete
Created on Thursday, 02/03/2011 10:56 PM by Blake Ellison

So I just wrote a blog and clicked on a link to on accident. It's just a blog, but it frustrated me to no end. Though I wrote around five lines in response to Kenny's post, I'm going to cut it down because I don't want to write all of it again. Basically, I know what you mean. Thinking about all of the opportunities we have and what we have to do to get there, on top of what we already have, is very stressful.

Yes, we can read. A few of us can even write.

This last weekend, I was in Jackson, Mississippi for a relative's wedding. At a dinner the night of the wedding, my cousin was telling me about her Mississippi Studies class. One of the topics they were discussing was the stereotype that the rest of the country associates with Mississippi.

Now, take a minute. What do you think when you think of Mississippi?

Most of you are probably thinking of some backward society where people ride horses on unpaved roads and struggle to read. Ironically, this portrayal of Mississippian ignorance is, well, ignorant.

The poster shown above is from a recently-implemented advertising campaign intended to address the backward stereotype that many Americans hold in regards to Mississippi. Reportedly, a 12 year old Connecticut boy was sitting next to a Mississippi businessman on an airplane when the boy began to ask the businessman about his home state. His questions ranged from, "Do you hate black people?" to "Do you still see the KKK on the streets everyday?" This experience led the businessman, the COO of a prominent communications firm, to push for a change and begin the campaign. (If any are interested, here is a link to the firm's website and advertisements: http://mississippibelieveit.com/ads/)

After visiting, I quickly came to know that the general public's contrived image of Mississippi simply wasn't true. The people I met at the hotel, in restaurants, and during wedding events could not have been more congenial or polite. There's an atmosphere of Southern charm and simple living that isn't explicable or fully replicable.

I couldn't imagine living in a state which was widely-regarded as illiterate, racist, or unsophisticated. Worse yet, knowing that everyone falsely believed that I was all of those things and not being able to do anything about it would be frustrating and insulting. Much like other stereotypes, visions of a backward Mississippi crumble rapidly when one actually encounters it. Yes, Mississippi is different than other states. It has a distinctive feel. But it hardly deserves the negativity it receives. The people are people, their problems are problems, and, like the rest of us, they're just trying to live life the best way they know how.

Monk

For the last seven years, my mom and I have been watching the TV show Monk together. At night, after we had completed our work for the day, we'd gather around the TV and follow San Francisco's Obsessive Compulsive Detective as he solved crimes and sanitized his hands. As time passed, we came to know and love the characters and their quirks. We watched their stories progress, especially that of Mr. Monk as he fought through a variety of struggles and put the pieces together to solve his wife's murder.

Tonight, on Thanksgiving, my mom and I watched the series finale. It's two-part story detailed a dramatic (and, as always, humorous) conclusion that saw Mr. Monk finally solve that one case that had eluded him. The episode was a culmination of years of stories and plots. When it ended, I couldn't help but feel a little sad and nostalgic. I couldn't help but reflect on the many nights over the last seven years that my mom and I had spent together watching this show, following these characters' "lives" develop as our own lives did the same.

When we started, I was 11 years old, not even in middle school. Now, I'm three months into college visiting home for the first time since I left. For those incredibly formative years in my life, watching Monk was something special that my mom and I did together. It was one of our things and I'll miss it. The memories of my mom and I watching and enjoying Monk together, laughing and even sometimes crying, are something I am truly grateful for on this Thanksgiving.

It's been a good run, Mr. Monk, mom and I will miss you.

My Recent Blogging Trend

I haven't posted a blog in a while, though I've written a lot of them. A solid stack of saved posts currently resides on the post menu, but I've written them more in an effort for personal reflection than to share on a blog.

I get this idea and I think it's absolutely brilliant. I immediately begin typing furiously, splashing my thoughts crudely onto the computer screen. Several minutes later, paragraphs lie strewn together, tying together scattered thoughts and feelings.

I read over my work. Initially, I'm happy. That is how I'm feeling. Sure, I'll need to tidy it up, but that is a good piece of reflective writing. Then the thought comes over me. Is that really something I want to share with everyone and anyone? I think about it and conclude that if I have to think about it, I should probably save the post and keep it for my eyes only.

This is why there haven't been posts for the last two months or so. I feel as though I need to be inspired to write well and recently I'm inspired to write about personal topics and challenges that I'm not inclined to broadcast over the web.

To phrase those thoughts generally, my life has altered drastically in the last three months. It's been a series of challenges, but I've enjoyed it immensely. I've been making new goals and forming new habits in an effort to take the opportunity that college offers me to improve myself.

In this spirit, here's a new goal: to be better about my blog posting.

Home Away From Home

For the last three weeks I've been living in West Philadelphia. It's been really great, but I haven't had much of a chance to update the blog to give a bit of context to my new life! Now, I'm going to give a bit of a virtual tour of my dorm, where I've been spending most of my time.

Here is the first glimpse at Franklin 114: our door. I am aptly represented by Big Bird while my roommates are characterized as Buzz Lightyear and Clifford. What a combination, eh?

After entering through the door's threshold, the best purchase I have ever made dominates our spacious common area. Yes, that futon has been tried and true. Indeed, just today I took an hour long nap on its plush cushion after Math!

This, specifically, is where I spend much of my time. Sadly this is not the futon. No, it is my desk and workspace. With all the work we get out here, our desk chairs become well-worn before too long. Luckily, I upgraded from the standard wooden chair to a comfortable office chair. I do what I can to make this space as personalized as possible. Directly above my desk and computer there are various paraphernalia from home. On the left is my cork board packed with photos of friends and memories - if you look carefully, you could see your own face smiling back at you! To the right of the cork board is my Utah sports shrine. Much to my roommates' chagrin, I zealously represent the beehive state above all others in its athletic endeavors.

After becoming fed up with homework, I will turn to the welcoming futon. This is my view from its comforting embrace. A refrigerator and shelves full of food are a must for college-aged men! Not to mention a TV, which is set on ESPN almost constantly.

A glimpse behind the futon reveals a bit of a clearer picture of the rest of the room. I apologize for the poor lighting on the picture, but I think you can get the gist. My roommates' desks are lined up against the windows and to either side of this picture are the rooms we actually sleep in. I won't show pictures of those at the moment though - they're quite messy!

Well, there it is. A mini-tour of my Philadelphia residence. I hope to post pictures of campus before too long - it's truly an idyllic college campus. Hopefully I'll be able to better balance homework and blogging in the future. For now, that balance is pretty one-sided!

College and Its Many Changes

The month of August has blown by me like a whirlwind, leaving my mind spinning and my blog in the dust. After two weeks of travelling and two weeks of goodbyes, I sit in my dorm room in West Philadelphia. All of the sudden, I'm a college student. Just like that.

This experience has been half-liberating and half-intimidating. It's nice to be able to dictate your own schedule and do what you want at any given moment, but at the same time, it's hard to leave home and be thrust into a new place that is much different than the place you left behind with a new set of responsibilities placed on your shoulders.

I've enjoyed my college experience thus far. There are really interesting people all around me - people who have completely different perspectives than I; and they're from every state in the country and every country in the world. Professors and deans wander the campus, occasionally stopping a wandering freshman to ask their name, where they're from, and what interests they have. Indeed, the professors themselves are fascinating. Already, I have had the opportunity to hear a lecture on "The Paradoxes of Interactive Media" which made me think more about the technological world around us and how it functions at a marketing level. Oh, and my dorm is pretty dang cool too.

Yes, college is different, but I think I like it here.

Years of Spanish Classes Haven't Failed Me

For the last five days, I've been living in Oaxaco, Mexico where the official, preferred, and only language spoken is Spanish. Signs are in Spanish, taxi drivers only speak Spanish - even workers at the Dirección de Turismo (Office of Tourism) can't understand English! This immersion in Spanish has been such a wonderful opportunity for me to improve, practice, and utilize my Spanish in an environment that requires it. Not to mention the fact that it is simply awesome when you can have a legitimate exchange with someone (a conversation that involves something other than asking for their name or for the time) in your second language. I absolutely love it. Thank goodness for my six years of Spanish classes, especially the last three with Señor Olsen. Without them, I'd be un americano estereotípico, perdido en un idioma extraño.