Public Space

I was really moved by the section “Shopping for Pleasure: Malls, Power, and Resistance” because nowadays the “hang out spot” for teens is the mall. Most teens do not have any intention to go to the mall and buy anything; it is just a place to hang out and horse around with their friends. I never realized how much a strain this can be for shop and mall owners. Teenager abuse their rights when the mall is opened later for shoppers because they not only have their presence all over the mall, but cause even more trouble when they start fights and disguise their drugs and alcohol and smuggle then into the public space. Teenagers have a privilege and it is so disappointing when they lose it. Public spaces, like malls, should be safe and free of trouble at all times. Authorities try to handle the situation, yet teens continue to abuse these public spaces. There are many extremes to handle trouble in public spaces, but the Woodruff Park example really pushed the limit. The problem is that the park had too many bums and nonsense in the park, so their solution was to revamp the once beautiful park into looking and feeling more like a prison. There is now barely any grass, only small walkways, benches with armrests so nobody can lie down, and sprinklers that pop up randomly so people cannot lay in the grass. I can see that maybe there was a problem, but they took this renovation too far and ruined the park and made it inhospitable to the public. Lastly, the article on cell phones really struck a nerve because I do not realize how rude I am when I use my cell phone. To me it may seem harmless, but to others it is so rude and annoying when people are constantly talking on their cell phones. I really enjoyed that article because it really set my mind right about how people should be more courteous when using their cell phones in public.

Workshop: Concentration and Memory

I went to the workshop on “Concentration and Memory” in the tech pride room this week. This workshop was really interesting and went through studying habits that will enable you to concentrate better. The speaker made us take thirty seconds and circle all of the E’s on our paper. We did this and she pointed out some of the habits that relaxes us and helps us concentrate. Some students had twitches or foot taps that make them focus, while other students sat perfectly still and hammered out the task. The speaker also gave us a question form with questions like: Do you start you work as soon as you sit down at your desk? These questions helped her know what kind of concentration we have and what easily distracts us. Many people listen to music when they study, and some cannot stand it, like me. The speaker also really focused on the environment in which we study and how it greatly influences our concentration. Television, facebook, and phone texting are very popular examples of distraction. The handout we received went through four key ways to concentrate, they were: be organized, be physical, be clear, and be smart. It is good to take breaks when studying and to use mnemonic devices to help you remember information. I find that mnemonic devices are great and help me the most with remembering information. This workshop gave great pointers and really helped me out. I really suggest for anyone to attend these free workshops for many reasons. One, they are during dead hour so you have some free time to go. Also, they are free and offer excellent information that simply betters you as a person and makes you that much more intelligent.

Workshop: Concentration and Memory

I went to the workshop on “Concentration and Memory” in the tech pride room this week. This workshop was really interesting and went through studying habits that will enable you to concentrate better. The speaker made us take thirty seconds and circle all of the E’s on our paper. We did this and she pointed out some of the habits that relaxes us and helps us concentrate. Some students had twitches or foot taps that make them focus, while other students sat perfectly still and hammered out the task. The speaker also gave us a question form with questions like: Do you start you work as soon as you sit down at your desk? These questions helped her know what kind of concentration we have and what easily distracts us. Many people listen to music when they study, and some cannot stand it, like me. The speaker also really focused on the environment in which we study and how it greatly influences our concentration. Television, facebook, and phone texting are very popular examples of distraction. The handout we received went through four key ways to concentrate, they were: be organized, be physical, be clear, and be smart. It is good to take breaks when studying and to use mnemonic devices to help you remember information. I find that mnemonic devices are great and help me the most with remembering information. This workshop gave great pointers and really helped me out. I really suggest for anyone to attend these free workshops for many reasons. One, they are during dead hour so you have some free time to go. Also, they are free and offer excellent information that simply betters you as a person and makes you that much more intelligent.

Workshop: The Myths and Realities of Eating Disorders

This week I went to the workshop in the Tech Pride room that was on the “Myths and Realities of Eating Disorders. The speaker was a really nice woman and she began her PowerPoint presentation by asking us questions and seeing who thought was the correct answer. It was funny because usually the audience was about fifty fifty in answering the questions correctly. It showed how ignorant we are about eating disorders in general. This workshop really answered some questions that most people think about but do not ask. For example, both men and women can have eating disorders and eating disorders are medically considered an illness. This workshop was really informative and went through all eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive overeating. You usually hear about anorexia and bulimia, but I did not realize that compulsive overeating was even termed as an eating disorder. The speaker gave us a lot of handouts that explained signs of eating disorders and what to do if you see signs of this in a friend. At the end the speaker game time for the audience to ask questions and people's questions were very interesting. One person asked how do you know if you are a compulsive overeater. It surprised me to know that there is actually a list of signs to look for in a compulsive overeater. I am really glad I went to this workshop because I learned much about eating disorders and I do not feel as ignorant about the subject. I had a friend in high school that had an eating disorder and I wish I could have known some of this information so I could have helped her out more. Overall this workshop was beneficial because now I am more informed about illnesses in our world today.

EXPW's Bachelor's Auction: Benefit for Mustard Seed Ranch

I went to the EXPW bachelor auction this week. My major is EXPW Licensure so I found out about it because there were signs posted all around memorial gym. I really wanted to go to this event to see what it is all about. It was really fun to see all the tech boys volunteer themselves for a good cause. There were about fifteen guys and the starting bids were for ten dollars. I ended up buying two guys, my boyfriend, and one of his best friends because he needed somebody to buy him. It was really funny and we all had a good time. It was especially funny to watch and listen to the girls in the audience as new boys were brought in. The highest somebody was sold for was thirty dollars. I think the EXPW club made about two hundred dollars to donate. The cause was for the Mustard Seed Ranch, which is a home built here in Cookeville that has many young children living there with selected parents to take care of them and provide a home and care for the kids. The EXPW majors club is really involved with the Mustard Seed Ranch and not only did they raise money for the home, but they also helped build the home this year. Many students donated their time in framing, painting, and roofing the home. Also, they continue to help out as they donate their time in tutoring the children, or just simply going over there to hang out and be a friend to them. I really thought it was a great idea to have this benefit auction and I know next year I will definitely be involved with helping out with it. EXPW is a really great and fun club to be involved in.

Workshop:Busing to basketball

I went to a workshop this week in the tech pride room. It was titled “Basketball and Busing” and Marc Burnet spoke about growing up African American in Tennessee and how he handled integration. He had to change elementary schools because of the integration rule and had to start new in a mainly all white school on the other side of town. He even had to move into what he called the "projects" because this location was closer to school. He faced much racism and hardship growing up, but he said basketball kept him level headed. The basketball coach would even make the African American players run extra in hopes they would quit because they just were not accepted by the white crowd. This backfired and the African American players only got better at the sport. I really enjoyed the speaker today and his honesty with the subject. Also, Mr. Burnet said that sometimes he would have to walk home after basketball practice at night through the nice white neighborhoods. Sometimes people would stop him and ask him what he was doing there and if he was stealing something. It is just so horrible to think how colored people were treated and still are treated. Mr. Burnet also said that busing to school really changed the whole aspect in his town. The kids from the “projects” were all loaded onto a bus and brought to school where all the middle class white children were waiting and watching them to get off the bus. Mr. Burnet said that the white children treated the kids from the “projects” like trash and that he got into many fights because he was constantly called names and verbally abused by the white children and even the teachers. I feel like I have learned more about the African American culture and how horribly they were once treated. This speech definitely benefited me and I plan on attending more.

Workshop: Busing to Basketball

I went to a workshop this week in the tech pride room. It was titled “Basketball and Busing” and Marc Burnet spoke about growing up African American in Tennessee and how he handled integration. He had to change elementary schools because of the integration rule and had to start new in a mainly all white school on the other side of town. He even had to move into what he called the "projects" because this location was closer to school. He faced much racism and hardship growing up, but he said basketball kept him level headed. The basketball coach would even make the African American players run extra in hopes they would quit because they just were not accepted by the white crowd. This backfired and the African American players only got better at the sport. I really enjoyed the speaker today and his honesty with the subject. Also, Mr. Burnet said that sometimes he would have to walk home after basketball practice at night through the nice white neighborhoods. Sometimes people would stop him and ask him what he was doing there and if he was stealing something. It is just so horrible to think how colored people were treated and still are treated. Mr. Burnet also said that busing to school really changed the whole aspect in his town. The kids from the “projects” were all loaded onto a bus and brought to school where all the middle class white children were waiting and watching them to get off the bus. Mr. Burnet said that the white children treated the kids from the “projects” like trash and that he got into many fights because he was constantly called names and verbally abused by the white children and even the teachers. I feel like I have learned more about the African American culture and how horribly they were once treated. This speech definitely benefited me and I plan on attending more.