20.Evaluative Conclusion

As I was looking through my blog, the most pertinent problem I realized is that all of my topics are related to school. Rarely do I have anything eye-catching because mostly it's a blog of only school-related topics. If I could redo my blog, I would still have some of the same blog posts, but I would post many different blogs having fun topics. It was surprisingly fun keeping a blog because it was a great refresher to things I'd learned in the past. For instance, I decided to post on two of my favorite devotionals and simply wrote down my favorite quotes from each and then let it lie. When I finally got around to posting them, I was able to reread some of the devotionals and the things I was struggling with when I first heard them were still pertinent to what I am struggling with now so I was calmed down all over again. Further, when I wrote two blogs on two chapters of Mindful Writing, I was reminded of special reading and writing strategies that helped me write my rhetorical analysis. I also liked organizing my thoughts into various study strategies I had learned my two semesters at college. I will most definitely go over them when finals week finally comes around. Overall, I think that having a blog was comparable to journal writing because it's just a way to organize your thoughts into one cohesive unit and to provide a medium to showcase everything that you'd been working on for the semester.

19. Funnest things to do with friends

I haven't done all of these options, but at some point in my life I aspire to complete all of them.

- Walk into walmart and find the ball crate. Play a little soccer with your friends.
- Go into Costco and sample all their free tasters because college is expensive.
- Go on a roadtrip to hike Zion's and Bryce Canyon
- Rent a puppy for an hour
- Go for a drive and have a coin decide which ways you will turn
- Go night swimming and play games like color and Marco Polo
- Visit m & m world and do a line of coke (the drink) :)
- learn how to surf
- pretend to be the cast of Harry Potter and talk with a British accent broken up by really poorly thought out spells. Abide by the rules of the spells.
- Watch the entire series of Avatar in one day.
- Play would you rather, mafia, and what are the odds
- Go bowling with a game of skittles. Have everyone pick a skittle every round and ask them a question depending on the color of skittles.

(Roommates and friends ant the top of Angel's Landing in Zion's)

18. General Conference Mini-Analysis

This general conference was full of enlightening messages and exhortations to make changes in lives for the better. Some of these arguments for change were a lot more persuasive than others so here are some of the most effective techniques for persuasion.

In his talk "To the Friends and Investigators of the Church", Elder Joaquin E. Costa used the technique of logos to help us see the process that takes place in the heart when we wish to draw closer to Christ. He said, "experience repentance; nothing draws you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ than a desire to change." This methodical approach makes perfect sense because when one first desires to change, they see the need for repentance to assuage them of guilt which, in turn, brings them closer to Christ. This sentiment persuades us to desire to draw closer to Christ and since we've established drawing closer to Christ is a direct result of a desire to change and thus repent, he's actually exhorting us unto repentance.

In his talk "The Voice of Warning", Elder D. Todd Christofferson uses strong diction such as inclusion and tolerance to establish this idea of a culture that accepts everyone and juxtaposes it with a true society that follows the ideals of being unmerciful to those who don't fit in. He says, “the guilt culture could be harsh, but at least you could hate the sin and still love the sinner. The modern shame culture allegedly values inclusion and tolerance, but it can be strangely unmerciful to those who disagree and to those who don’t fit in.” This thought-provoking truth persuades us to look at society in a new light where one thinks of examples of this exact idea happening in this so-called tolerant age. He paints a picture of a Utopian Society were everyone is extremely understanding of all situations in life, but shows that in truth usually the opposite is true.

Lastly, Elder Ulisses Soares in his talk "Confide in God Unwaveringly" uses pathos to exhort us to push off the heavy yoke of uncertainty. He says "brothers and sisters, if we are not rooted by steadfast trust in God and the desire to serve Him, the painful experiences of mortality can lead us to feel as though we are burdened by a heavy yoke; and we can lose the motivation to live the gospel fully." His language helps us imagine a life where we can't get the burden of a heavy yoke off of us. If we wish to avoid this horrible sentiment, we need to envision a life where we are rooted by steadfast trust in God so He will help us remove the yoke brought upon by disbelief and confusion.

(Elder D. Todd Christofferson)

17. Personal Narrative

The Dating Debacle

“Does this shirt look too fancy with these pants?” I inquired as I contorted my body, my back facing the mirror as I tried to get a better angle, observing the combination in the mirror. My tight black jeans offsetting the loose-fitting emerald blouse. “No, it looks fine.” came the disinterested reply, my older sister Katie not even bothering to look up from her phone. Her dark brown bangs covered what little I could see of her face. “Ughhh” I groaned, exasperated, “you can’t tell me how good I look if you’re not even going to look at me!” Katie finally lifted her head to glance up at me, almost immediately dropping her gaze back to a scene from Keeping up with the Kardashians. “You look cute” she offered. Finally satisfied I snatched my black, leather satchel from its position draped over the back of my chair and clambered through the carnage of rejected outfits. I looked at the clock and gasped at the glowing time. “He’s almost here!” I screeched scrambling to shove my feet into the closest pair of black flats. A knock on the door stilled my frenzied motion. “Oh no” I breathed. I quickly shoved my second foot into the shoe and laced it. I ran to the door and yanked it open.

“Hello,” I gasped, breathing harder than usual. “Hi.” Garrett, my date for the evening, returned the greeting. “Are you ready to go?” He asked. With a nod I pushed past him, pulling the door closed behind me. I desperately hoped he hadn’t noticed how flustered I was. As we made our way to his car, I quickly patted my curly, brown hair into place. “Are you excited for the movie?” He asked opening the car door for me. “Of course,” came my hesitant reply. I had absolutely no idea what this movie was nor did I have an interest in seeing it, but I wasn’t about to suggest we derail the entire evening. “So, I was thinking Café Rio for dinner. Is that okay?” Garrett asked, glancing in my general direction. I silently cursed, thinking about the sweet pork burrito from the same establishment settled on the top shelf of my fridge, reminiscent of the previous day’s ventures. “Ya, sounds good to me,” I agreed. We pulled up to the restaurant, parked, and then walked in. While we were standing in line waiting to order, I nervously fidgeted with my shirt. I pulled it down to cover the top of my jeans and rolled up the sleeves. I bit my lip. “Should I get the salad or the burrito?” I asked anxiously, watching the line in front of us dwindle. I hadn’t yet reached a decision when an associate asked, “what can I get for you?” “I’ll have the chicken tostada.” Garrett answered, then turned to me, his head tilted and one eyebrow raised. “I’ll have the same” I replied, shrugging my shoulders. After grabbing the hot meals off the trays, Garrett turned to face me asking, “Where would you like to sit?” I looked at the wide expanse of options at my disposal and my eyes widened at the overwhelming array of seats. “Anywhere is good,” I replied.  We made our way to a table near the back of the restaurant and I sat across from him. I wondered if I should’ve taken the seat next to him instead.

Once we finished eating, we made our way back to his car.  The rest of the night passed by in a blur, with me intermittently biting my lip and fidgeting as we talked. As the night came to a close, he dropped me off at the door step. I hurriedly wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug and then stepped away. I opened the door, stepping inside and ducking my head as I quietly expressed my thanks for the fun night. “Ya thanks so much for saying yes. It was way fun,” he agreed. “Well bye.” I said, shutting the door. The breath I’d been holding the whole night came out in a sigh of relief. I rubbed my eyes in exasperation thinking about all the awkward and dumb things I’d uttered throughout the duration of the night. I groaned thinking about seeing him at school the following Monday.

            “Did you have fun on your date last night?” My mother asked giving me a quick hug before repositioning herself on the wooden stool next to the counter. I cringed. “Ya, it was great.” I replied, shoulders shrugging, my eyes downcast. She reached over and tilted my chin upwards, forcing my eyes to meet hers. “Tell me about it,” she softly inquired. I sighed pushing her finger away and resting my head against the granite countertop. “I didn’t know how to act around him the entire time! I was wondering what he was thinking the entire time! I didn’t want him to think I was super pushy or opinionated so I wanted him to decide literally everything.” The stream of words just kept coming. “And I know I should act normal, but I really want him to like me!” My head came up from the counter to ascertain what my mother thought of these words. My mother stared back at me thoughtfully and finally rested her hand on my shoulder. “Honey, I think you’re focusing on who you think he wants you to be instead of just being yourself.” “But what if he doesn’t like me?” I countered. My mother patiently replied, “that is completely fine. You will find someone one day who loves and accepts you for who you are. The most important thing, however, is that you like who you are.” My hand formed a fist under my chin to contemplate these words. My eyes narrowed skeptically. “You are okay just as you are,” my mother continued, “don’t worry about what he thinks about you. Just be you.” I nodded repeating this new mantra in my head. “Thanks mom, you always know what to say” I said giving her a tight squeeze. “They did let me graduate from mom school and everything.” She joked, pulling out of my embrace to look me in the face. “Just remember I love you more than you could possibly know. You’re a darling girl.” “Thanks mom.” I repeated, pulling her back into an embrace.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and then eagerly bounded from my room into the living room. Melissa, my roommate, stared up at me from her position beside the couch, her stomach resting on the floor, her bent legs almost touching the ends of her blonde waves of hair. “Are you excited for your date?” She asked repositioning herself into a sitting position. I nodded and wondered if I should ask her if she thought my shirt was too loose, but instead, I remembered that I thought my shirt looked great with my pants. I straightened my back and pushed my shoulders back. “So what do you have planned for the evening?” Melissa asked eagerly.  “We’re going to play some games and then go out for ice cream.” I replied. “That sounds like fun.” She asserted. “I know,” I said grinning from ear to ear, “I suggested it.” A knock at the door signaled my date’s arrival. My eyes widened and my mouth gaped open. My roommate regarded my panicked reaction and laughed. “Would you like me to get the door?” I took a deep breath and nodded. “Tell him I’ll be right there.” I answered, calmly walking over to grab my shoes. I silently repeated the words I’d told myself a hundred times before and took another calming breath. You’re okay. Just be yourself. Everything will be fine. I looked at myself in the mirror again and squared my shoulders.

“You look great!” My date greeted as I stepped into the hallway. “Thank you.” I said, giving him a hug. “This is my roommate Melissa and Melissa, this is my date Matt.” I introduced the pair. “Nice to meet you.” They both welcomed in turn. With formalities taken care of, I looked up at Matt and asked if he was ready to go. He smiled and said, “yes, let’s head out.” We made our way to the door and walked into the basement of building 14. “Is pool okay?” Matt asked as he walked up to the equipment checkout counter. “Yes! I love pool!” I answered enthusiastically practically skipping to the table. After playing a few rounds, Matt asked, “would you rather play ping pong or foosball next?” I weighed both options in my head, pursing my lips in concentration. “I like foosball better, but either is just fine with me.” I answered honestly turning to smile up at him. “If you want to lose badly I’d suggest you go with foosball,” I boasted. His dark eyebrows arched up in surprise, but then he checked my teasing expression and laughed. “Well, we’ll just have to see about that.” He replied grinning.

      After a few more rounds of games we walked down to the creamery. While we stood in line, Matt turned towards me and asked, “what would you like?” I looked at all the options and resolutely replied, “definitely the mint brownie. What about you?” His brows furrowed. “Hmmm…that’s a tough one.” He tapped his chin with one finger. “Probably the salted caramel pretzel,” he finally decided. “An excellent choice,” I praised smiling up at him. Once we got our delicious confections Matt asked where I wanted to sit. “I prefer booths, but we can sit wherever.” I suggested. “A booth it is.” He agreed. I strode confidently to a free spot in the back and he followed close behind. We both sat down and began talking. “So how are you liking school this semester?” He asked me. “Oh I love it! I really love the atmosphere. If there’s one thing I could change it would be starting class an hour later. I really need to get more sleep.” I looked up into his eyes and smiled. “What about you?” I reciprocated. “No complaints here. I completely agree with you about the sleep thing. It’s a real problem,” he replied laughing.

We talked for another hour until we both agreed it was getting late. Matt walked me back to my apartment and gave me a hug at the door. I looked into his deep, hazel eyes and thanked him for a wonderful night. I wrapped my arms around his neck once more and then turned away, firmly inserting my key card into the door and striding inside, quickly glancing behind me, waving in farewell. He waved back and started walking down the corridor. After the door had safely swung shut, a small smile slowly spread across my face until it split into a wide grin. I did a little dance, breathing out a sigh of content at a wonderful, carefree night.

(Me and Matt)

16. Waiting Upon the Lord Devotional Anaysis

This past week has been pretty stressful because I've been trying to get housing, my class schedule, and plans for the summer all pinned down. This devotional really helped me to understand the importance of relying on the Lord, but also taking the initiative to make decisions and move forward with them. I attended the last BYU devotional called "Waiting Upon the Lord" by Erin Holmes and it helped me immensely in the decision-making process.

One of my favorite things she said was “God’s plan for you will not match the plans God has for others, you must come to know what the Lord wants for you personally.” It's easy to look around at others and think you should be doing as well as they are, but sometimes God has other lessons He wants to teach you. I've found that to be the case because I've really had to work for the testimony I have right now. I thought it would come pretty easily, but I think because I've had to work for it, I've appreciated it a lot more and cherished it to a greater degree.

I also loved when she said, "fear is rooted in the false belief one must do things alone, but faith and hope come form the memory of spiritual experiences or blessings from the Lord." I always think I can do everything on my own. I end up getting really stressed out because I have so many decisions to make and so many things on my to-do list, but what I always forget is that I can rely on the Lord in all of my endeavors. If I'm wondering what major is the best for me or if I should be dating this person, I don't have to be stressed out because I'm relying on someone who can see the entirety of my life and knows what will be the best thing for me. If I was relying only on what I thought was best, I would be constrained to only knowing how it would effect me short-term, but I know that if I put my faith in trust on the one who can see far into the long-term, He will not lead me astray.

(Erin Holmes pictured above)

15. The Research Process

Best tips for the research process:

-Start checking things out from the library right away. There are many research options that are integral to your research so you want to start the research process as quickly as possible.
-have a thesis in your head, but then don't be afraid to change it based on what your research shows you.
-Have a lot of people look over your paper and advise you during the writing process. This way, you don't spend so much time moving in a direction that makes your paper too broad.
-Space out your working time. If you think "I'm going to write out my whole 8 page paper tonight" then you'll get overwhelmed so make small goals like we did when we had 2 pages due every class period.

What I would like to change about this research project:

- start the research process a long time before we start getting our thesis because I ended up changing my topic and so all the research and annotated bibliography that I completed weren't necessary to my research anymore.
-I would like an outline of expectations for this project so I can pace myself instead of having the class do it for me.
-More organized scheduling so I know what is due when.
-Maybe a few more examples of research papers in the past so I can understand how the family story is supposed to tie into my research
-Have us start the research paper and get all the research done before we write our family story because once I started doing research I decided to go in a different direction and had to change the family story as well.

14. Funnest Things to do On-Campus

So I've compiled a list of my favorite activities from my time spent here these last two semesters

-The activity room in the bottom of building 14 has ping-pong, pool, and foosball so if you've ever got 10 minutes to spare, all you need is your net ID and they'll lend you the materials you need to play. It's a great stress reliever and if your dad is super competitive like mine is then it's also good practice for our next tournament.
-playing racquetball at the rb is something I discovered this semester because I'm in a racqetball class so my boyfriend and I usually go there once a week to play. Way fun.
-The campus of BYU is beautiful without a doubt so you can go pretty much anywhere for a nice walk, but I really like going to the duck pond behind the Maizer building. Bring some bread and you just might make a duck friend.
-The volleyball courts next to Helaman Halls will remind you of hot summers set at the beach and is always a fun FHE activity. Further, if you're feeling home sick and are from a coastal state they'll bring you a taste of home.
-Almost every floor in Heritage Halls has a piano room and I've loved going to de-stress by playing Disney soundtracks, oldies, and hymns. It's a very calming exercise when homework gets to overwhelming.
-In the bottom of the Wilkinson Center there's a casual restaurant next to the bowling alley called 'The Wall' and my roommate and I got a coupon for a free ice cream with cookie dough in it. It was so good! I'll definitely visit again.
-The theater in the Wilkinson Center periodically plays great movies for $1. I've enjoyed Moanna and Fantastic Beasts in there this semester. Make sure to come early because it's first come first serve and you don't want to get stuck behind someone from the basketball team (aka a tall man).

(Roommates and FHE brothers at a football game)

13. Most Effective Study Skills

- Actually go to the reviews
- Do all the readings the professor has assigned
- Talk to someone about concepts to help solidify knowledge and to help memorize the extensive material
- Don't get behind on readings or projects - space out projects, papers, and studying so you have enough time to put in quality work and don't have to pay that pesky five dollar late fee that I've paid more than a few times
- Make a plan on how to most effectively study based on how that class is graded (e.g. will you be able to memorize everything, just know the broad picture of something, or know the material inside and out and be able to apply it?
- Create a word document or google docs with all the stories you'll have to know or main concepts and then a separate word doc with all the vocabulary.
-Make a list of questions you're confused about and take it to the TA lab and have them explain the concept to you
- Go to the TA labs and review tests from last unit
- Come to class prepared having all your readings done for that day so you won't get to class and get really confused.
- Get a study group together and use it frequently before tests.
- Use memorization tricks or mnemonic devices to help you recall either words or ideas
- Remember to not get too stressed that you just blow off all your work. Instead, think about it in a positive way that motivates you instead of shuts you down.

12. Research Paper (Revised Thesis)

Upon looking at all of the research and work that had been done on the sexual abuse of children, I decided that too many people had researched on the outcomes and tendencies of the abused parties. They don't have as much research on the psychological tendencies of abused individuals and the thought processes that help them make decisions. Because I'm interested in psychological aspects that are behind the bad decisions or the thoughts we have about our character and how we've come to that conclusion. And I've found that we develop certain truths about ourselves, the world around us, and the people in our lives that govern how we perceive the world around us. This is the case with normal children as well as children who have been abused, but this is why children behave in the way they do. For instance, abused children often have problems with authority figures because they don't perceive them as caring guardians who are supposed to protect them. Instead, they associate all authority figures with their parents and believe all adults are there to take advantage of them when that is often not the case. Further, many abused children have learned behaviors that show up in their life, but it's the psychological aspect of it that holds them captive. A son who has grown up to be strong enough to overpower his mother who has been beating him since he was little will not stand up to her because he has grown accustomed to cowering in fear whenever his mother is near. This behavior is called learned helplessness. There are many different concepts I have yet to find and I look forward to delving into this research topic more fully and finding out exactly which thought processes precede which actions.

11. Brainstorming for Research Paper

-ADHD, ADD, codependence, and the effects each have on growing children throughout their adolescence

-Why it's a good thing that parents pass on their struggles to their children because they know how to best handle it.

-Traditions of different cultures and how it affects thoughts about oneself (community versus selfishness)

-Religion in the home and how it affects self-esteem 

-Addictions that run in the family

-Prisoners of war

-Importance of a mentor character

-Effects of having only boys in family or oldest child mindset versus youngest

-Hormone imbalances on life

-Great depressions' effect on 'The Greatest Generation' mindset

-War's effect on career choices and what is valued

-common logical fallacies

-Religion's role in family development and relationship with spouse

-Music's ability to help someone learn

-Obamacare pros and cons and how it effects small business owners

-Political affiliation in reference to parent's political affiliation

-College study techniques

10. My World View

These last few years, my stereotype of people in general has been altered significantly. I used to think that everyone was always doing good all the time and that I was the only one who was really struggling with anything. It certainly seemed that way from very surfacey interactions including small talk as well as happy faces on social media I'd grown accustomed to. I think I was also a little too self-centered to really look outside myself long enough to realize that underneath the happy exterior, many were going through heart-breaking challenges everyday. Through advice from my mother, I began to talk more deeply with friends and try to feel compassion for their trials. The more I listened and prayed to feel empathy, the more I desired to help.

I think this was a big turning point in my life because after this realization, I wasn't always worried about what others were thinking of me. Instead, I was looking around to see if I could offer assistance to anyone in need. I felt my heart begin to expand and I started to genuinely care about those around me. I began to understand the love Christ has for each and every one of his children because I could feel it whenever I served anyone. I then took it one step further and thought this must be how Christ loves me. This changed my perspective on so many things. I started praying more regularly because I knew He wanted to hear from me, I relied on his guidance because I knew He'd steer me in the best direction, and I was more motivated to keep His commandments because I knew that would bring me the most happiness. These little epiphanies throughout my life have completely altered the way I view life, the gospel, and people in general. I am a happier and more service-oriented person than I ever thought I would be. I think my findings can be summed up into one verse "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (D&C 18:10). If we remember that every human being on earth is a child of God as well as our brothers and sisters, we'll be more apt to lend a helping hand and really feel of the love Christ has for each of his children. I know because I've felt it and there's not a more peaceful feeling in the world.

                                         

9. Chapter 12 Summary of Mindful Writing

Chapter 12 Summary of Mindful Writing

- Ask questions while reading including: What does it have in common with my previous knowledge, do I agree with what they're saying, what anecdotes are similar, exc. We do this because it's priming. It is better learned and more durably remembered.
- Various texts in various situations require various reading strategies
- Be aware of who writers are, why they wrote this, when they wrote it, their purpose, rhetorical strategies, and how they constructed an experience for their readers.
- Remember that you can question what the authors are saying
- If we think about how we're approaching our learning, we act with greater purpose, and skill.
- Set goals to focus on how you'll be reading- reward after
- Social goals- talk to someone about what you're reading
- Instead of highlighting, write off to the side why you're highlighting it. Ask questions in margins.
- Sometimes reading is not about every nit-picky detail. It's more about the the big picture so skip some things.
- Summarize: main point, argument, conclusion, message, theme
- Retrieval or self- quizzing after reading
- Be an active learner and don't space out. Remind yourself why you're reading in the first place.
- Reflect on what you just read
- Build a learning process that works for you

8. Chapter 1 Summary of Mindful Writing

Chapter 1 Summary of Mindful Writing

- Everybody's a writer

- People in sports (like Lebron James and Koby Bryant) still practice basketball even at their professional level. Like them, writers only get better at writing by practicing writing. This means that I can get better at writings. Not completely and inborn talent.

- The world we live in runs on communication: emails, proposals briefs, newsletters, and essays exc. so you'll need to write constantly in whatever it is you're doing.

- Writers get better when they're mindful of writing

- You'll have to write yourself into a job

- Writing changes attitudes and judgments

- Planning (goals- how they'll get essay done), practicing (learning effective principles and trying them out through drafting and constructive criticism), revision (feedback, new goals, new strategies), and reflecting (think carefully about what they wrote).

- Rhetorical knowledge- write to get someone to feel, think or do something. This device is used for specific audiences.

- We need subject matter knowledge to be good writers for that topic. We write about what we know.

- Hold in your mind the purpose, your audience, and the text you are writing.

- Don't have fixed mindset like I'm a good writer or a bad one, believe our basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Useful to think of yourself as naive. 

7. Family Story

                                                        A Peachy Keen Family

The next person to laugh gets sent straight to bed.” Lavauna Ellsworth very firmly warned her two young children. It’d been a very busy day and being the mother of five young children often left her feeling exhausted and irritated. She put a tired hand against her forehead and sighed. Eight year-old Lesli stared wide-eyed at her mother as her older sister Launa quickly got back to work from her position perched atop the kitchen counter. Sweat beaded on Launa’s face and dripped down her back, the sweat causing her t-shirt to cling to her. It was an unreasonably warm summer night in Davis, California in 1975. The two girls were helping their mother can peaches, but had come down with a case of the giggles due to the lateness of the hour as well as the strong bond between the sisters. Lesli looked at Launa and made a face. Launa did her best to keep her composure and only just succeeded in stifling her laughter. “It’s late and these peaches won’t can themselves” Lavauna gently chided, repeating the systematic pattern of canning: washing, boiling, freezing, caramelizing, and then finally canning the peaches. The fortress of finished peaches lined the countertops while the daunting line of clear mason jars still hinted at more work to do.

Launa swept a glance around the kitchen. Her gaze finally settled on her sister. She locked eyes with Lesli and started panicking when she felt another round of giggles coming on. She looked around frantically for something to muffle the impending burst of sound and snatched the first thing she could find. Her hands swiftly wrapped around half of a peach and she shoved the entire thing in her mouth. Her lips and eyes bulged from the strain of keeping the bubbling laughter in. She turned towards her sister. Upon seeing this spectacle, Lesli could no longer contain her laughter. She let out a great guffaw and laughed until tears streamed down her face, the echo filling all the space within the small kitchen. Lavauna let out a sigh almost as loud as the laugh had been. “Go to your room.” She commanded and made a flourishing motion with her hand indicating her wish that Lesli leave the room. Lesli quietly and obediently stood up from her spot in her chair and trudged slowly up the wooden stairs, the floorboards making a creaking sound under her weight. Launa stared regretfully after her younger sister. This family anecdote seems like a fairly basic, inconsequential one, but it has more layers than you’d expect. Lavauna’s parenting style lists a consequence for an action taken and if and when that action is completed, the consequence immediately follows. Lavauna’s mother’s parenting, on the other hand, followed an authoritarian style consisting of frequent bouts of mostly verbal but often physical abuse. The consequence for thetwo young girls’ uncontrollable giggling was merely getting sent to bed. Had it been Lavauna uncontrollably laughing, her mother would have forced her to stand in a corner as she yelled at her for over an hour.

 Lavauna could have followed this trend and started a whole cycle of abuse for her children to pass on, but instead, she decided from a very early age to be a kind and nurturing person just like her dear Grandma Pinkerton. She would look after her siblings, control her temper, and eventually come to feel the peace that comes through the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. There were some negative things that came from this abuse, but due to her unfailing charity and love, Lavauna overcame many challenges and grew up to be a loving mother to her five children as well as a great example to her 17 grandchildren. Because of her, her posterity had a healthy, happy childhood and could go on to raise grandchildren in the same manner of their parents. She had the power to change the course of her family history by deciding to rear her children in a loving environment with understood rules. For this reason she is one of the best role models I have and I'm forever grateful she was able to give her family the love and care it needs to flourish.

(Lesli is pictured on the far right with Launa next to her)

6. Reading Improvement Plan

The main things I need to work on is previewing the assignment to determine what it's about, how long it will take me, and how hard it is, making connections to myself, the world, and other texts/studies, keeping a list of questions I don't understand, and finally evaluating all I read to determine what is the most important to remember in the future (e.g. for tests, papers, discussion).

I will find which assignment is my highest priority and then quickly preview it and make a plan figuring out how long it will take, how hard it is, and what it's about through skimming. This will make it easier in the long-run because I can schedule my other homework around it and not take so long on an easy assignment. I will make connections from the reading to my life right now. This will help the information I read to stick in my head better because I will remember the other more pertinent thing in my life and it will remind me of the reading and then I'll remember. I will keep a list of questions about things I don't understand. This way, I don't have to stop in the middle of my reading and can just go to a lab and get the concept clarified. Lastly, I need to evaluate what is the most important information that I've read either in my head or in my notes. This way, I'll be able to quickly recall the most key information from each reading and be able to take in-depth notes if i need to write a paper on it, notes with main ideas and key vocabulary for tests, and making sure I understand the details and the specific stories found within the textbook and articulate my own opinions if I need to be able to discuss it. Using these various strategies, I will be able to read textbooks more effectively and spend less time reading textbooks that don't require as much in-depth reading.

5. College Wisdom

From high school to college is a gigantic transition. Living apart from your family paired with the foreign dynamic of college courses is enough to drive almost anyone out of their mind with stress, but even though it was pretty awful semester, it was also a lot of fun and very informative. For one, I've learned that different textbooks warrant different types of reading. Teachers assign a formidable amount of book work so in-depth reading on each of these books would take centuries to complete. Knowing which books to skim and which to read in-depth interspersed with ample note taking is key to acing any class.  This means not spending 2 hours on a fifteen page american heritage reading assignment. Taking notes on the broad ideas and key vocabulary is the most important thing here. A specified time and place to study is also very important. If you don't assign yourself specific books and times to read them at, it won't get done. I try to get my history and mythology homework done on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and then get my physical science, religion, and writing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You definitely need to find what works for you though. One of the most important things you can do is stay up to date on homework assignments. Although it seems daunting, plan out a schedule for everything you need to do that day and then do it. Don't make it a huge list that can't possibly be completed in one day (meaning leave yourself breaks and allot enough time for each assignment), but make sure you're scheduling enough that you have time to get ahead if one week is going to be busier than the others. Plan for that too. Finally, the most important thing is to have a good study schedule. Finals week is full of last minute cram sessions and very very late nights trying to keep up on stuff. It probably will go like that anyways, but at least if you have been studying since week one, usually your test scores will be higher than those who rely exclusively on the last minute study sessions to pull them through. I recommend looking over notes right after you leave class to solidify everything you've learned that period, and then looking it over later that week. Repeat this process through all of your classes as well as going over any key vocabulary and getting help outside of class in a lab or something if you have any questions. It saves you a lot of trouble later if you put in the work now.

4. Dreams and Aspirations for Life

I've always been the type of person working on something whether it's a project or a goal of some sort. My roommate jokes that if she had a dollar for every goal I've ever set, she could afford tuition easily. This is probably true because I really enjoy getting things done. I usually separate my goals into separate lists to make things less confusing. This will be basically a rough draft of my short term aspirations, long-term aspirations, and miscellaneous/fun goals.

Short term: have fun, stress less, make a cook book, cook something fun every week, floss every other day, gym 3x/ week, study scriptures thirty minutes per day, listen to a talk a day, get better at sports (I'm in a racquetball and basketball class this semester), be more genuine, be more empathetic while talking to roommates, prepare to receive patriarchal blessing, write in journal 2x/week, and stay caught up on homework for all homework.


Long term: Find a job that is worthwhile, interesting, secure, and well-compensated. Get married in the temple to someone who helps me be my best self, find my purpose in life, go on a roadtrip to Zion's with friends (check), go to Paris, visit Harry Potter World, be the type of person people feel comfortable talking about anything with, and have an unwavering testimony of God's love for each individual child of his.

Miscellaneous: watch every disney movie again, make the most bomb roadtrip playlist, have a movie night with the roommates, take more pictures, get on an intramurals team, play more racquetball, learn how to surf, learn how to juggle (check), and learn how to make the best smoothie ever.

3. On Failure and Finishing: Devotional Response

Today, I had the pleasure of listening to Cassy Budd as she addressed the Byu students and staff. Her speech "On Failure and Finishing" recounted past failures as well as validated the reality that all humankind is prone to failure. She talked extensively on her trials of the past. One of my favorite stories she recounted was that when she'd been given piano lessons, her teacher used to wrap her on the knuckles to signal that she'd made a mistake. The wraps were less painful when she'd quickly remove her hands from the piano. This behavior was slowly conditioned in her so that whenever she would make a mistake, she would abruptly remove her fingers making the piano stop and making it harder to pick up right where she left off. Years down the road, Budd was called to be a piano player in church, but because this behavior of stopping whenever she made a mistake was so ingrained in her, she could hardly make it through one song without stopping. Once, she made a mistake, stopped, and then couldn't find her place and so the chorus sang all four verses of a hymn without musical accompaniment. She said this is the exact opposite of what one wants to do in life. A person, upon failing at something, should not simply give up or remove their fingers from the piano. We should continually strive for perfection, but when we inevitably fail, we should press forward by repenting and then learning from those mistakes.

To demonstrate how failing at certain things is beneficial to us, Budd compared us making mistakes to the Japanese pottery style of kintsugi. This is the technique of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusting or mixed with powdered gold, silver. platinum. The resulting piece looks absolutely stunning, better than the unbroken pottery in most cases. This example helped summarize her argument: After failing and being resilient, we are often better off and more perfected through the atoning power of Jesus Christ. Failure is often seen through a pessimistic lense, but we learn more from our failures and the correct solution is often more ingrained in our minds if there were many failures before we reached the correct solution (Budd). As Mrs. Budd said "Living perfectly is not the plan, repentance is the plan. Jesus Christ is the plan." It is okay to fail continually if we are frequently learning from these mistakes and utilize the atoning power willingly granted to us through Jesus Christ.

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(Cassy Budd pictures above)

2. Reflection on Writing

For my research paper, what do I want to get out of it? I would like to be able to talk extensively about my topic in everyday language and be able to anticipate and then answer potential questions fielded to me by my audience. This writing will teach me how to conduct in-depth research on a particular topic and be able to find reputable sources to help back up my evidence. I think my topic will have something to do with how certain people interpret things and the way those interpretations help to shape how they react and I've been interested in this type of thing for awhile because there have been all these psychological studies about how the power of positive thinking can cure you of ailments and make you a more successful person overall.

For this last analysis paper, I didn't find peer reviews that were just looking at one area of my essay very helpful because my biggest problem is not connecting ideas and ineffective transitions. I think I would like to have one person peer review my entire paper and then give me feedback on it so for my research paper I will probably have the writing center review it and then get feedback. I did find some of the advice from my peers helpful because they all said I needed a clear topic sentence for each paragraph and after I reread it I realized they were right. One thing I learned about myself through this process was that I require a lot of time to write. Once I start writing, words start to flow pretty easily, but it takes many revisions to get it to where I want it so for the future I'd say I need to allot more time for the writing process of writing, reading, revising, rerevising, exc.  I also need to space this allotted time out better so I'm not so sick of rereading my arguments. That'd be my number one goal while writing my research paper. Another important aspect of the research paper is picking something I'm interested in. If I'm going to be writing 10 pages about something, I don't want to get bored of it easily or it'll be torture to write.

1. Pivitol Family Story response

The article "Ketchup and Kin; Stories that Bind us",  summarizes the relationship found between knowledge of ancestors and children's self-confidence. The research found that children who knew they belonged to something bigger than themselves (understood their family history) lost their sense of identity less often and tended to have more self-confidence in pivotal life stages than did children unaware of their ancestry. The precedent set by their ancestors helped descendants have real life examples of how to react in a crisis or how to be resilient in the face of adversity. This is why family history work is such a significant endeavor and should be greatly emphasized.