First Semester

My first semester at Virginia Tech has been a very memorable experience. Over the course of a couple months I have meet many new people, experienced college level classes, lived in a dorm setting, went to my first Virginia Tech football game, and I have become adapted to a totally new and exciting environment. This new environment is gradually changing me into a more rounded and intellectual individual. Deciding to attend Virginia Tech has been one of the best decisions I have made in my lifetime and I cannot wait to see what the next four years have in store for me.

One of my biggest fears before I arrived at Virginia Tech was if I was going to get along with my roommate or not. Fortunately, I get along great with my roommate, we hang out all the time, and we are even going to live together next year with three other girls. Our three other roommates to be all have very different personalities, but we all get along very well. In addition to these four girls I have made a couple of guy friends as well and we all usually hang out together on a regular basis. We all have gone to the movies together, gone to parties, and we have even just hung out in one of their apartments and watch funny videos on YouTube. Overall I made some pretty great friends and they have made my first semester at Virginia Tech a lot of fun.

But the most fun I have had here was going to my first Virginia Tech football game. Game days in Blacksburg are the best because people tailgate all day before the game and then everyone actually goes to the game and stands up and cheers the entire time. But perhaps the most memorable moment for me on that first game day was when the football players entered the stadium while they played Enter Sandman. The song was being played so loud and the entire stadium is up on its feet jumping to the beat. It’s an indescribable experience that gets you so pumped up. But for me, it also made me feel like a true hokie and that I was in a place where I belonged. Although I have had many experience that make me feel a part of the Virginia Tech community, going to football games have been the best and most memorable ones.

But of course since I choose to be a part of the Virginia Tech community, I must participate academically. This first semester has been a totally new and more difficult academic challenge for me. I had always pushed myself in high school to take more difficult classes such as advanced placement, dual enrollment, and other challenging courses such as calculus, but none of them can even be compared to the level of difficulty I am experiencing now in college. I am currently taking Chemistry, Biology, English, Math and labs for both Chemistry and Biology and they are all very different from the classes I remember taking in high school.

My classes now require me to work much harder for good grades, study a lot more, and for me to be much more independent. I was used to getting A’s on just about everything I did in high school, but now I am working just as hard only to get a B, C or worse. So I have learned to keep trying harder and to always try to keep improving. Although I am often disappointed in my grades in some of my classes because I feel like I studied or tried my hardest and I still did not get the grade I was expecting. My labs are also totally different from high school. They require much more thinking on your own and much more work.

Being in this college setting where I have to watch after myself and make myself go to class has made me much more independent. If I over slept while I was back at home and still in high school I could count on my parents being there to wake me up in time to make it to class. But now that I am living in a dorm, I have to make sure that I do not over sleep and I had to learn not to allow myself to skip classes just because I do not feel like going (although it is very tempting sometimes because your parents are not here to make you go). But so far I have been doing very well and I hope my hard work will reflect back on my grades.

Adapting to the college setting has been very difficult but a lot of fun which makes it all worth it in the end. Week after week I am swamped with homework and studying but when I finally make it to the weekend I am glad I get to relax and hang out with all of the new friends I have met and just have a good time. I feel that I am very lucky to have met the people I have and that I am actually happy with my decision in which college to attend. Some of my friends from high school who went to college after graduation did not make the best decision on which college to attend. Some of them are having trouble finding friends they get along with, having difficulties getting along with their roommates, or are just realizing that they do not like the college that they decided to go to.

Personally I am very happy with my decision to come to Virginia Tech. I believe that it is a great school to go to with many good opportunities. I am going to try my hardest to make these next three and a half years at Virginia Tech memorable and beneficial to me as a person. Although I cannot wait to experience living off campus next year living with four of my best friends, I do not want it to go by too fast. I feel like this semester has flown by, but it has been a lot of fun and it is only the beginning of the new life I am preparing myself to live.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday in which American families typically take a day off from the madness of everyday life and enjoy themselves. Families all across the United States come together to sit down, have a delicious meal, and reflect on all of the things they are thankful for. However, the traditions do vary from family to family, but just about everyone at the end of Thanksgiving Day simply relaxes and enjoys each other’s company. Although, Thanksgiving Day requires a lot of preparation and can be very stressful to some people.
Personally, my Thanksgiving holiday has been quite eventful and somewhat stressful. My parents did not allow me to bring my car to college my freshmen year, so when fall break finally arrived, I had to find a ride back home. Even though I live three and a half hours away from Virginia Tech, there are plenty of people from my area who also go there. Once I found a ride, we made arrangements to leave Friday afternoon. When we finally left the traffic was very heavy on the interstate, most likely due to all of the college students going home that same day. We were about forty five minutes away from where the driver lives so I called my mother to come and meet us. As we kept driving it was getting dark and the traffic was still heavy. The driver and I had just finished a conversation and even though we were both looking straight ahead we did not notice that the cars in front of us were stopped.
By then it was too late, we were going about seventy miles per hour and the cars had to be less than thirty five yards away from us. I screamed “watch out!” and the driver stomped on his breaks. In desperation to avoid hitting the other cars, he swerved over into the other lane. For a split second, I thought that we had jus avoided a huge accident, but then the driver over corrected—swerving back over into the lane with the stopped cars. We crashed into one of them and the airbags deployed. The car then continued to skid along the highway and eventually spun into a stop. We asked each other if we were okay, climbed out of the car, and then ran over to the car we collided with. The girl in the other car was a little dazed but uninjured.
Thankfully no one was seriously injured in this accident (including my beta fish that was in the front seat with me) but the two cars were tragically both left totaled. Although I had a small burn from the airbag and my neck was sore for a few days, it could have been much worse. Thankfully, we were all wearing our seat belts which probably saved our lives and prevented us from receiving anymore injuries. This accident did have me shaken up for a few days, but it was only the beginning of my eventful holiday break.
The next event I had to look forward to was getting my wisdom teeth pulled. The following Monday after the accident I had my surgery and it changed my entire Thanksgiving break. I am now on three different kinds of medication and my cheeks are swollen, making me look similar to a chipmunk. But the worst part about it is not being allowed to eat the food I want. However, I have been eating a lot of foods I am really not supposed to. The whole process of getting my wisdom teeth pulled has not been that bad. From all the stories people were telling me about getting their wisdom teeth removed, I was petrified, but it turned out to be a lot better than what I was expecting. Although it does hurt a little in the morning, after I take my medication it does not hurt anymore. And even though I am no supposed to be eating most of the food served on Thanksgiving, I had small amounts anyway.
Two days after my surgery, my parents and I traveled eight hours to New York to spend Thanksgiving with my mom’s side of the family. Although I have two older sisters, I was the only one who was forced to go even after getting into a car accident and having surgery. I do enjoy visiting my family in New York, but if I had a choice, I would have stayed home this year to recover from my surgery. It was also only my second time coming home from college, so I would have liked to spend more time with my friends back at home. But now that I am here, I am glad that I came. It was nice being able to see my family and eat Thanksgiving dinner with them.
Even though my Thanksgiving holiday was filled with unfortunate events, I still have a lot to be Thankful for. I am very thankful that no one was seriously injured in the car accident we got into on the way home. Having my wisdom teeth removed over Thanksgiving break is very regrettable, but I am thankful that everything went well during the surgery and I hope it remains that way while I recover. Finally I am very thankful for the opportunity to spend time with my family, especially my relatives who I only get the chance to see about once a year. Every Thanksgiving I reflect on all the things I have to be thankful for and it amazes me how fortunate I am. There are several people who are just as blessed as I am, but we often take it for granted how fortunate we really are. We live in a country that gives us so much freedom and many opportunities. Regrettably, we take advantage of these things, and do not appreciate them as much as we should. We should be much more thankful for the little things in life that we own because there are others out there who can only dream about having the things we have.

The Key to Success

One out of the many difficult decisions young people have to go through in today’s society is choosing what to do after they graduate from high school. Many choose to further their education by attending college while others may choose to go directly into the workforce or military. Whatever it is that youth today choose to do with the rest of their lives, the decision is usually made with intentions to set themselves up to live long, happy, successful lives. However, many young people do not get to choose what to do after graduating from high school because they are forced by their parents to do what their parents want them to do or other unfortunate circumstances. But the underlying question is, are those who go to college setting themselves up to be more successful than those who immediately join the workforce or otherwise? Many people would agree that those who choose to attend college will turn out to be more successful in life.

Those who believe that going to college is the best route for success typically think this because college enables you to get better-paying jobs and it improves your quality of life. Out of these two things, most people would agree that a better income is the greatest factor that enables college graduates to be more successful. According to Postsecondary Education Opportunity Research Letter, “[t]he lifetime income of families headed by individuals with a bachelor’s degree will be about $1.6 million more than the incomes of families headed by those with a high-school diploma” (Hansen). This is a significant amount of money, especially when you take in to consideration all the needs of a family. It could enable a family to buy their children cars, pay off their mortgage, or help pay for anything else a family may need or want. In addition to an increased income, many people say that a college education improves people’s quality of life.

People most likely believe this because of the many benefits people usually attain from receiving a college education. Studies show that in comparison with high school graduates, those with college degrees have “greater economic stability and security, better access to health care, more book purchases, more self-confidence, and less criminal activity and incarceration” (Hansen). All of these things could improve a person’s quality of living by making their lives a little more convenient and possibly more enjoyable. However, attaining some of these things may vary depending on the person and not necessarily the education they have. Personally, I am currently a student a Virginia Tech and agree that a college education can be very beneficial to a person’s life.

However, lately I have been wondering what else I could have done after graduating from high school and if I would have been just as successful if I had chosen to do something else. But in order to figure this out I first had to decide what I think it means to be successful. I believe being successful in life should not be defined by how much money you make, but by how happy you have become with yourself and your accomplishments. By this I mean if you love what you are doing—even if it does not pay well—and you are happy with whom you have become and where you have ended up, then you are successful. Albert Schweitzer, a German-French philosopher, believes in a similar definition:

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to
success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
(Hubpages)

This means that even if you have accomplished everything that people typically describe as becoming successful (such as graduating from college and getting a well paying job), but you are not happy, then you are not truly successful (Hubpages). Unfortunately, youth today are made to believe the very opposite and that they need to be wealthy and “successful” in order to be happy.

Many teenagers who graduate from high school are pushed by their parents or other mentors to go to college and get a well-paying job. Although this may help youth to become financially stable, it may also be setting them up to do something that they do not want to do, resulting in an unhappy life. Some parents even force their children to pursue the same career path they did, even if it is against the child’s will. This is not the right thing to do because we should be allowing our youth to do whatever it is that will make them happy. We also should not be encouraging our young people to do something just because it is what the majority of people do in order to get paid better. There are several alternatives that our youth can choose to do to become successful instead of going to college.

As an alternative, youth today could chose to join the military, work a special trade, or simply choose to pursue their dreams as an artist or maybe a singer. There are many job opportunities like this that pay very well and do not require a college education. Ultimately, we need to encourage our youth to do whatever it is that will make them happy. However, going to college is something that some youth decide will make them happy and this should not be discouraged. But we should not lead our youth astray, making them believe that in order to be successful in life you need a high-paying job. So the answer to the question is no, those who go to college are not setting themselves up to be more successful than those who choose to do otherwise. They are both equally successful as long as they are doing the things they love; because success is not defined by how much money you make in your lifetime, but by how happy you are with what you have done and who you have become in your lifetime.

Halloween!

Halloween is one of the greatest and most enjoyable holidays of the year. What makes it so fun is all of the hilarious costumes people dress in, the spooky decorations everyone puts up, Halloween parties, pumpkin carving, and of course all of the candy you can get by going trick-or-treating. Halloween is a holiday that can be enjoyed by people, young and old, because there are so many different, fun activities to do. Although, Halloween is a traditional holiday that has change a great deal by spreading to different countries over many, many years.

Halloween originated over 2,000 years ago in present day Ireland, United Kingdom, and northern France. A group of people known as the Celts, who lived in this area, celebrated the New Year on November 1st in an ancient festival known as Samhain. They celebrated this day as the last day of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark and cold winter; which was a season often associated with death. The Celts believed on the night of the New Year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and dead would be broken, allowing dead spirits to freely roam the earth. They believed that these spirits caused mischief, damaged crops, and made it easier for Celtic priests, known as Druids, to predict the future. The prophecies they made were very important to the Celts because it gave comfort and direction to them during the long and hard winters.

To celebrate the Samhain festival, Druids would build large, sacred bonfires in which the Celtic people would burn crops and animals in as sacrifices to Celtic deities. During the festival, the Celts would wear costumes, typically made of animal heads and skins, and the Druids would attempt to tell peoples’ fortunes. By A.D. 43, Romans conquered most of the Celtic territory, and changed the traditions of the Samhain festival according to their own belief systems. From that time on, the tradition of Samhain evolved as it spread to different countries, eventually coming to America, and has became a far different tradition, known as Halloween. Many of the traditions and superstitions have remained relatively the same; however there are several things such as trick-or-treating that have been picked up by different people and are practiced today.

Halloween in America today for most people is less concentrated on spirits who return to earth and is now mostly about having a good time. One reason I love Halloween so much is because it is one of the only days of the year where it is socially acceptable to dress up in a ridiculous costume. Here at Virginia Tech, students and cadets dress up in a wide variety of costumes. Some are funny, creative, scary, sexy, or just simple. Both girls and guys alike go all out when dressing up in their costumes by wearing makeup, putting their hair in crazy styles, or acquiring all of the necessary accessories that add the finishing touches to their outfits. Although some of these things can get expensive, so others will just make their costumes themselves, which makes it that much funnier.

Dressing up in costumes for Halloween is typically something that younger kids do, unless you’re a college student. On Halloween night, young children usually dress up in their costumes and go trick-or-treating. This is one of my favorite parts of Halloween because you get to walk around town, knock on your neighbors’ doors, and they will just give you free candy! However it is very unfortunate that it is not acceptable for anyone older than eighteen to do this. But in addition to getting lots of free candy, whenever you go trick-or-treating, you get the chance to walk around and see all of the decorations people put up for this wonderful holiday.

On Halloween people decorate their houses with orange lights, jack-o-lanterns, ghost, black cats, or other spooky decorations. Even in my dorm, everyone decorates their doors and writes “Happy Halloween” on their dry erase boards. All the colors associated with decorating for Halloween, like orange and yellow, are perfect with the colors of the leaves that change during this time as well. Even the process of decorating for Halloween can be enjoyable for people of all ages. I personally love making jack-o-lanterns.

Carving pumpkins is something that I really enjoy doing around Halloween. It is a lot of fun to do because you get the chance to get your hands dirty and you can make any kind of pattern you want. Then when the pumpkins are finished, they make great decorations for Halloween because at night when trick-or-treaters come to your house, it glows dimly, giving an eerie sensation to anyone who knocks on your door. But the best part about carving jack-o-lanterns is when Halloween is over and the carved pumpkins start to fall apart, then you get throw them on the road or sidewalk, smashing them in a million pieces. Another thing some people enjoy doing during Halloween is watching scary movies.

Although not everyone enjoys watching scary movies, I mostly enjoy watching the classic ones such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare On Elm Street. Watching scary movies around Halloween is something a lot of people enjoy doing because of all of the superstitious beliefs about Halloween night. Along with carving pumpkins and watching scary movies, there are several other different traditions families do all across the United States.

Some traditional extracurricular activities for Halloween include pumpkin festivals, Halloween costume parties, corn mazes, and other festive activities. All of these traditions derived from a very different tradition and belief that was practiced thousands of years ago. This ancient tradition has involved into something far more commercial and much more enjoyable. Although, Halloween is practiced differently in different countries and may still be very similar to its origins in other places. But in the United States of America, we have turned this holiday into something that just about everyone can enjoy, while still keeping some of the scary traditions.

Much Love

I believe in saying “I love you” to my friends because friends are always there during good and bad times and therefore, they should never be taken for granted. I believe it is important to let your friends know how much you appreciate them because you never know when you might lose them. What if your friend suddenly and unexpectedly passed away? Wouldn’t it give you a little bit of comfort if the last thing you said to them was “I love you”? You would more than likely feel better knowing that your friend died knowing that he was loved and cared for by his friend.

When I say “I love you” to my friends it’s more of a strong like or my way of expressing kindness verses it meaning that I am in love with my friends. I believe in saying “I love you” to my friends because a simple word like love can do some much good for other people. Love is a word that can brighten people’s lives by making them happy when they are sad. I believe that love should be given by everyone because love is a renewable resource. So when one person shows love or says “I love you” to someone, that someone may enjoy that feeling so much that they do the same to someone else. I believe that love is something that is not said or spread enough. So I believe in saying “I love you” to my friends in order to spread my love to others and hopefully reduce all the hate everyone has for each other. Overall, love is good for the human soul and is essential for us to live enjoyable lives. It is impossible for someone to be happy if no one loves them or if they do not love anyone else.

I have only started saying “I love you” to my friends about two years ago when I was a junior in high school. I had three best friends; their names were Brooke, Mandy, and Megan. My friend Megan was a senior at the time. I have always looked up to Megan because she is a very smart, funny, and out spoken person. When we first became friends, we would talk on the phone frequently. After a couple of months our friendship grew stronger and one day before we got off the phone she said “much love”. I did not know exactly how to respond, so I awkwardly replied back with a “yeah, love you too”. After that awkward moment, we then said “bye” and hung up the phone. I sat there for a moment and thought it was weird how she said that. I wondered if said the right thing back or if she did not expect me to say anything at all. So I was not sure what to say the next time she said that to me.

From that phone call on she always said “much love” before we hung up the phone and in time said “I love you” to me. As she continued to say this, I would always respond by saying “I love you too” and it gradually became less awkward. We eventually got to the point to where we would say it when we said goodbye in person and even to our friends Brooke and Mandy as well. I became so comfortable with it, that I would say it to them too.

At the time I had a boyfriend named Wes and he often heard me saying “I love you” to my friends. He felt the same way I did at first and thought it was strange how we said that to each other. He asked me why we did it and I did not really know exactly. I just told him that I say it because they started to say it to me first. Then one day Wes, Megan, Brooke, Mandy, and I were all at Megan’s house. I do not remember why we started to talk about it, but Wes asked Megan why she says “I love you” to her friends. She told him because she really does love them and you never know if that will be the last time you get to talk to them ever again. This made a great deal of since to me and it changed the way I thought about saying “I love you” to my friends.

Before I would say it and not actually mean it. I was not trying to lie to them when I said it, but I was more so just saying it so I would not hurt their feelings by not saying anything back and I still sort of believed it was an awkward thing to say to your friends. But now that I thought about it that way, I would say “I love you” to my friends and be totally sincere.

I am extremely thankful that Megan started saying “I love you” to me because it gave me a greater appreciation for my friends. I used to take friendship for granted because I never thought about being able to lose my friends at anytime. But something like that is very possible so I now take it into consideration and as a result tell my friends I love them.

Although, I believe saying “I love you” to your friends can do so much more than just give you a better appreciation for your friendship. It can cheer someone up when they are feeling down, it can make your friendships stronger, or it can give someone comfort when they are feeling lonely. I believe that love can accomplish all of these things and much more. I believe that everyone should tell their friends that they love them so that no one feels unwanted or unappreciated. I believe that if everyone told their friends they love them, the world would be a better place to live in because it would decrease the amount of hate everyone has and increase the cheer in everyone’s lives.

Professional Athletes Are Overpaid

Professional athletes are among the most wealthy and well known people in the United States and around the world. Athletes such as Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan, Peyton Manning, and Tiger Woods are all admired by millions of people for their impressive athletic abilities. Most professional athletes are very talented, dedicated, and very hard workers. But do they truly deserve all the praise people give them and multimillion dollar contracts simply because they are good at playing sports? Some athletes truly do not, because even while knowing they are being looked up to by thousands of young boys and girls, they still set bad examples. But regardless of if they are good role models or not, no one should be paid millions of dollars merely because they are good at playing sports.

Most professional athletes worked very hard throughout their lives to end up on the teams they are on today. Then once they make the team, they most likely still work very hard by exercising vigorously in practice and weight rooms, trying their hardest on game days, and doing what they can on a regular basis to improve themselves. Although this takes much commitment and hard, physical work, they do not deserve millions of dollars for it. This year, the median salary in the NFL is around $770,000 for one season! The Washington Redskins have the highest payroll at $123 million and the New York Giants have the lowest at $76 million. The national average that a teacher makes in one year is $53,000.

It is not logical for someone who is playing football, basketball or any other sport to be making hundreds of thousands more a year than a teacher who helps out other people on a day to day basis. Professional athletes do nothing to improve the lives of others—other than themselves and their teammates—when they do their jobs. All they do for other people while on the job is to entertain. Other professions such as a nurse, firefighter, police officer, or teacher help others on a daily basis, possibly risking their own lives, and still do not get as much credit, respect, or money as people who play sports for a living. But to many Americans, sports and entertainment have a greater priority over these people and therefore professional athletes are well paid and well known.

As a result, professional athletes are treated like celebrities, and unfortunately can get away with doing practically anything. One example was when a NFL player murdered a man and only received a slap on the wrist. In June of 2009, Donte Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns was sentenced to thirty days in jail for manslaughter after making a confidential, financial settlement with the family of the victim. Donte was driving after a night of drinking in Miami Beach and hit Mario Reyes, age 59 while he was on his way to the bus stop after getting off from work. Although this was an accident, it was an accident that was caused by and illegal action by Stallworth. He could have faced up to fifteen years in prison, but because he co-operated and had the money to make a settlement, he was treated differently.

Unfortunately cases like this occur all the time with professional athletes and rich and famous people. It is not fair for people to be treated differently (especially when it comes to the law) only because they are rich and famous. If anyone else in the general public, who was not wealthy, had committed the same crime, they would have had to carry out the jail sentence. Something needs to be done to stop these kinds of things from happening because this is not true justice. Also, professional athletes need to be more aware of what they are doing because there are millions of people—including young children—who look up to them.

Professional athletes are role models for young boys and girls everywhere and should take that into consideration before they do things they really should not be doing. Several athletes have set bad examples for children by doing drugs, being involved in shootings, taking steroids, and participating in many other illegal activities. One example was when Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was caught in a photograph of him smoking marijuana.

The picture was released three months after he won a record of eight gold medals in the Beijing games and it was broadcasted on the news and online everywhere. Many young children most likely saw this and were either disappointed or it may have encouraged some to try it because they just witnessed their favorite athlete doing it. Although, several professional athletes learn from their mistakes and usually turn themselves around by correcting their behavior. Others do not even do anything wrong at all and make great role models for kids.

There are several professional athletes who make great role models by performing well in games, expressing good sportsmanship, donating to charities, and getting involved in their communities. All professional athletes should behave this way because they have such great influences on the lives of other people. Although even if they are great athletes and role models, they still do not deserve to make as much money as they do and they should not be treated differently than the general public when it comes to the law.

It is sad that in society today our priorities are so messed up that we give those who play sports for a living, hundreds of thousands more a year than other people who make a difference in the world every day. If we lived in a world without professional sports to entertain us, life would be a little more boring, but we would live on. But if we lived in a world without doctors, firefighters, policemen, teachers, or construction workers, life as we know it would cease to exist. Paying professional athletes as much as we do is ethically wrong and we should give other people such as teachers the respect and payroll they deserve, because they make a difference in the lives of others every day.

Virginia Tech and Boston College

Saturday, October 10th was the homecoming football game for Virginia Tech. They played against Boston College and the final score was forty eight to fourteen, with the Hokies coming out as the victor. Once this game was over, it was discussed on ESPN and written about in several newspapers. I chose one particular article from the Washington Post website titled, “Hokies Hound Boston College in 48-14 Win” by Mark Viera to write a rhetorical analysis on. The article was very well written but had some minor flaws that may have pushed some readers away.
In this article, there were two main ideas the author wanted to get across: explain how well Virginia Tech played on Saturday and that Virginia Tech has a big challenge ahead of them. Both of these have a similar purpose of informing the audience of Virginia Tech’s overall standing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), with the focal point being the game they had just played on Saturday against Boston College. Since the article was based on a topic such as football, the author most likely was not writing to a general audience.
The audience who would most likely read this article and have the most interest in it would include: college football fans, but mainly Virginia Tech or Boston College fans. Knowing this, the author should keep in mind that any college football fan could be reading his article and therefore he should not favor Virginia Tech or Boston College. If the author is being biased while writing on a topic such as this, it can easily make an audience lose interest or even make some angry. Many people have a lot of pride in their favorite football team and some may be easily offended if the author is writing bad remarks about their team. If the author is being biased and talking down on a team it is very noticeable in the word choice and technique of the article.
The techniques this author mainly uses in this article are logos and ethos. In his writing the author uses logos arguments by explaining specific facts about the game. The author explains to the audience key plays throughout the game which include how many yards were gained of lost and other specific details that gives readers some knowledge of what went on in the game. He also included specific achievements or failed attempts of certain players, to show how they may have affected the outcome of the game. The author also included with in his article, the rankings of Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech and the current seasonal record for Virginia Tech and Boston College. This tells the audience how well each of the teams are doing so far in the season. Because the author uses so many facts, it makes him seem like he has a lot of knowledge about the game and both of the teams, which makes him more trustworthy.
The other technique the author used—ethos—made him a little less trustworthy. Although the author had all of his facts correct, he seemed to have his own agenda. It seems throughout the article that the author slightly favors Virginia Tech because they were the winning team, but he tries to cover it up by saying that Virginia Tech has “not always played consistently enough to warrant entry in the championship conversation”. But this is the only time the author talks negatively about Virginia Tech and the rest of the article seems to put down Boston College because they lost. This becomes more obvious once you take a closer look at the word choice and tone of the author.
When the author referred to Virginia Tech players or their performances he used very optimistic words. Some of the words he used to describe them include “efficient”, “impressive”, “positive”, “businesslike”, “dazzling”, and “crisp”. All of these words and the way he puts them into a sentence make it seem like the author is speaking in a tone that is favoring Virginia Tech. Furthermore, once the writer starts to talk about Boston College, the tone seems to become negative. He refers to Boston College being “in a daze as [they] tried to figure out the Hokies’ defense”. This makes it sound like Boson had no clue what was going on in the situation they were in and this type of language could possibly offend someone. The author also used words such as “hound” and “snuffed” to explain how badly they lost to Virginia Tech. These words may have not been the best for the author to choose because it could have turned the audience off by making them angry, so therefore he should consider being more courteous and aware of his audience.
One other minor flaw in this article was the way the author presented his argument. In his first paragraph he says how Virginia Tech’s football team watches the films of other teams. This makes the opening very weak because it is irrelevant to the rest of the article. Then in the second and third paragraphs, the author starts to talk about Virginia Tech’s next “big challenge” Georgia Tech. These paragraphs are out of place because he only says a couple things about the game against Georgia Tech, including a quote from a Virginia Tech football player, then all of a sudden starts to talk about the game against Boston College, and then later refers back to the game against Georgia Tech near the end of the article. The piece would flow much better and be more organized if the author had talked about the game against Boston College first and then talked about their next game to come against Georgia Tech at the end of the article.
Overall the article was written well except for some minor flaws that may have pushed away some audiences. The words the author chose to describe the game and players were creative, but they may have been offensive to those who are not Virginia Tech fans. Although it can be a challenge to write an article that does not sound like it is favoring the winner, but I think this author could have seemed less biased by pointing out some good things that Boston College did in the game and changing the title of the article.

There's No Place Like Home

When I left to go to college at Virginia Tech I was very excited but at the same time I was worried about a lot of different things. I was nervous about if I was going to get along with my roommate or not, if I was going to be able to earn good grades, if I was going to get homesick, and many other things that come along with moving into a new environment such as college. Thankfully, I have meet some great girls in my hall that I really get along with—including my roommate—and I am working really hard to try to get good grades. I have been keeping in touch with my family and I am usually very busy with school work and other things so I have not really gotten homesick. Then one weekend I went home.
When I finally got to see my dog, my family, and my house itself, I became really happy to see them again. This made me very homesick because I had not realized how much I had missed all of those things. In a way it made me not want to go back to Virginia Tech. But I just kept telling myself that I will be able to come back soon and all of these things will be here waiting for me when I do.
My home has always been a place of comfort and rest for me. This is mainly because I had loving parents, two awesome older sisters, and my house was in between two mountain ranges which made it very secluded. The community in which our house is located in is known as Fort Valley. We are so secluded from everything around us that the nearest hospital is forty five minutes away. Because we are so secluded, my mother decided to give birth to me and one of my sisters in our house with the assistance of just a midwife. This gives me an even greater connection to my home because not only was I raised there for the past eighteen years, but I was actually born there. Having been born and raised in the country has given me many great memories of my childhood. But before I get into my childhood memories, I would like to explain one of the reasons why I love my home so much. One of the best parts about growing up in the location that I did, was the beautiful scenery.
Fort Valley is a beautiful place to live in or even visit. As you drive into Fort Valley, you first start to see the tree covered mountains to your left and right grow taller as you get closer and closer; then a tunnel of trees suddenly surrounds the road. As you drive further down the winding road, to your right is a rock wall of one mountain and to your left is a rippling creek. Directly beside the creek is the ridge of the other mountain. When you take a glance at the top of it, there are huge rocks that create a cliff and a spectacular view. There are beautiful sights like this all along Fort Valley that people enjoy driving through to go see on Sunday afternoons. The scenery of Fort Valley is actually quite similar to the countryside at Virginia Tech; which does help me feel a little less homesick. Although it is just not the same as being back at home because of all the wonderful memories I have in Fort Valley.
Most of the great memories I have from when I was growing up had to do with being raised in a rural community. I enjoyed growing up in a small, rural community because I had the opportunity to experience “country living”. By this I mean I was always outside doing things like climbing in trees or on rocks, taking walks through the woods looking for mushrooms, fishing, hunting (yes I hunted for three seasons when I was younger), riding four wheelers and bicycles, and various other types of outdoor activities. I loved growing up in the country as a kid because there was always something like this to do outside.
Another thing I loved about growing up in the county was how the land was so plentiful. My parents grew a garden every year with plenty of crops, such as tomatoes, onions, potatoes, lettuce, green beans, peas, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, blue berries, and so many other fruits and vegetables. Having fruits and vegetables right out of the garden tastes so much better than store bought food because it is so fresh.
My dad also raises chickens, so we always have fresh eggs as well; which definitely taste a lot better than eggs you buy from the grocery store. But of course the best part of living in the country (and with a hunter) is eating venison. There are so many things you can make with it: steaks, hamburger, jerky, or bologna and it all tastes so good. I am very glad I grew up in the country because if I had not, then I may have never gotten the chance to eat any of these things or experience the outdoors like I had.
Growing up in Fort Valley gave me many opportunities to try so many things that a lot of young girls would not even think about doing. My childhood at my home had a huge impact on who I am today by making me a country girl at heart. By this I mean I do not freak out every time I see a spider like some girls do and I am more of an outdoors kind of person.
Going back home was somewhat sad for me because I miss all of the home cooked meals from right out of the garden and the peace and quiet of the wilderness. But I am going to have to start getting used to living on my own without the comfort of my parents or my home and start living in the real world. Although, I will never forget the first eighteen years of my life that I spent in Fort Valley and all the things I learned while I was there.

Virginia Tech Football

I have been a student at Virginia Tech for about a month and a half now and I have been having some great new experiences. Even though I have not been at Virginia Tech for very long, I have been able to meet many new people and attend numerous on campus activities. But the most fun I have had at Virginia Tech so far was during the football games against Miami and Marshall. Going to these football games has been the most exciting experience of my college career so far because I got the chance to witness and capture true “hokie spirit” while cheering for my college’s football team. Hokie spirit is having and expressing pride in Virginia Tech and school related events while still maintaining respect for others. Although the game its self is usually interesting to watch, all the little things everyone does to express their hokie spirit make the game so much more fun.
When I woke up on game day it seemed as if everyone, including myself, was putting on all the maroon, orange, and Virginia Tech attire they owned. Some people get very dressed up for the game by putting on orange and maroon afros, VT earrings, fake tattoos, or even paint their bodies in order to express their hokie spirit. For three of the home games, there are three specific colors the fans are supposed to wear in order to encourage their hokie spirit. These are referred to as a maroon effect, orange effect and white out games. The two games I have attended so far happen to be the white out and maroon effect games, so I wore those colors to show my hokie spirit. Once my friends and I got ready for the game against Marshall by putting on our white shirts we headed for the stadium to start tailgating.
Tailgating was a great experience for me at Virginia Tech because I got the chance to spend time with my friends while getting excited for the game that was coming up. Tailgating has a huge contribution in making the game a great experience so I was disappointed I did not go before the game against Miami because it was raining. However, the rain had no effect on many other people who still tailgated that day. Tailgating makes going to a football game so much more fun because there are so many people in the parking lots and there are so many things to do. Some of the things people do while tailgating include: playing corn hole or other games, walking around, making food on the grill, meeting and talking to different people, getting pumped for the game by chanting cheers, or just having a good time with family and friends. This is a great way to start out the day before going to a game because all the excitement it raises gets me ready to watch Virginia Tech football.
After tailgating, game days just keep getting even more exciting and enjoyable as the game time draws nearer. Once I was in my seat at lane stadium for the first time I was overwhelmed with amazement and excitement to see the stands filled with thousands of people all wearing white, maroon, and orange. The game usually starts off with one or more jets flying directly over the stadium. When they fly over, their jets are extremely loud and the crowd responds by cheering almost just as loud back. This is a great way to start off a football game because it excites the crowd and it’s not something people get the chance to see every day. After the jets fly over the stadium, the football players get to make their grand entrance. This was one of my favorite parts of going to a Virginia Tech football game because right before they come out they play “Enter Sandman” by Metallica and the crowd starts jumping to the beat. As we are still jumping, the football team comes running out on to the field and the entire stadium cheers. Doing this for the first time made me more excited than I have ever been at a football game because it got me so pumped.
But the crowd’s excitement (or mine) doesn’t stop after the football players come out. As the clock ticks down after the kick off, the football players continue to play and the crowd seems to grow louder with every catch, first down, sack, or touchdown that Virginia Tech makes. During the game, it is little things such as cheering, the band, the crowd, and the cheerleaders that make the football game so much more exciting and interesting. For example, the cheerleaders will start a cheer that the entire stadium will follow. They do it so that one side of the stadium yells “Let’s go!” and the other side responds by screaming “Hokies!” . It is so awesome because it seems like the entire stadium yells, so the cheer is extremely loud and it encourages the football team while keeping the crowd in the game at the same time.
Virginia Tech football games are very unique because of the different cheers and traditions people do when they watch them. Something that caught my attention while at the game was how every time Virginia Tech makes a touchdown, the cadets shoot a cannon. This is something that sets Virginia Tech apart from other colleges because not all colleges do it, it makes the game even more exciting, and it represents the corps of cadet’s hokie spirit in the game as well.
There are several other ways that Virginia Tech fans express their pride at football games which makes Lane Stadium a very exciting place to be on a game day. The fans at Virginia Tech play a major role in making football games a great experience because they will show up for the game rain or shine, filled with hokie respect, and ready to cheer on their team. Every Virginia Tech fan should go to a game at least once in their life because of the great hokie spirit the crowd possesses and is not afraid to express, the memorable time that is spent with family and friends, and because it is over all a fun experience.

Young People In Today's Society

Today’s society is much different than it was fifty, twenty, or even five years ago. Some of these differences have been for the betterment of our country and fellow countrymen, but most of the changes have had a negative effect on all of us. Most of these types of changes include video games, lack of censorship on television shows, and negative influences from celebrities. These changes have directly affected today’s youth—who hold the future of success for our country so therefore affects all of us—in a way that persuades them to be unproductive and behave in the wrong ways. For example a lack of censorship on television shows teaches young people to use offensive language, negative influences from celebrities may encourage teenagers to do drugs or alcohol, finally playing too many video games can cause a young person to because very lazy.
Some technological changes in America’s society today that a majority of young people have become addicted to are video games and watching television. Many members of today’s youth spend multiple hours a day playing on the Wii, PS2, or one of several other types of entertainment systems, while they could be doing something much more productive, such as reading a book, studying for school, or simply helping out around the household. I am not trying to say that everyone should never play video games, but it should definitely be kept down to a minimum and to where it does not affect any other priorities the young person may have. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the majority of young people today.
Before video games became popular, young people would go outside and play basketball or football. But now they stay inside and play Madden or NBA video games. This has the unfortunate result of our youth missing out on the proper exercise they need because they spend more time sitting in front of the T.V. instead of running around outside with their friends outside. This can lead to many problems such as obesity and laziness. We should encourage our youth to play sports, play outside with friends, and not spend so much time playing pointless video games that have no educational or physical benefits.
Televised broadcasts today are also having negative effects on our youth. There is not near as much censorship on television today as there was ten years ago. Now, people can say just about anything they want to, including “bitch”! This is a word I thought that would never be allowed to be said on television or on the radio. But now there are several inappropriate words like this one that are used frequently and casually on televised networks that young people listen to everyday.
Along with the excessive use of vulgar language on television, there is a lot of inappropriate sexual content as well. Television shows today will show people with the minimum or even no clothing on and some televise “love scenes” that could be considered to be nearly pornography. The lack of censorship on televisions and radios are not healthy for young people to be watching or hearing. It causes them to say or do inappropriate things without thinking they are doing anything wrong because they see it on a daily basis. Is this what we really want to be teaching our youth? Exposing our youth to this type of vulgar behavior only teaches them to act this way and it should be stopped. We should not be allowing this type of language and exposure to be broadcasted on shows that our youth can watch regularly because it sets them up to think and act in an unsuitable way.
Young people today also look up to various different professional athletes, celebrities and other people who they may see on television all the time. Some of these people—even while knowing that they are role models for today’s young people—set bad examples for teenagers to follow. Many celebrities today often go to clubs, party, drink, do drugs, or do many other negative activities that young people sit back and watch them do. After young people watch celebrities do these things, some of them may believe it is the “cool” thing to do that everyone else is doing. So they automatically assume these are the kind of things they have to do in order to fit in. Celebrities indirectly have an effect on young peoples’ lives and should think about the examples they set for them.
But then again they are some celebrities who encourage people not to do things like alcohol and drugs as well. This does help some with teaching our young people what the right thing to do is, but there is an overwhelming amount of celebrities who do not encourage them to do the right things by being poor role models. Celebrities should always deep in mind that they have a great influence on young people and should persuade them to be as successful as they are without doing all of the drugs and partying.
Although it would be nice if every celebrity encouraged young people to do good in school and not go out and party, if censorship could go back to the way it was by denying the use of vulgar language on television, and if kids would not watch so much television and play so many video games; but it is very unlikely that all of these things will happen. This is why it is left up to parents, guardians, other role models, and family members to encourage young people to do the right thing. It is very important for our youth to not be lazy, rude or have all the wrong morals and behaviors because they are the future of this county. If young people do not strive to be successful, then America as a whole is doomed for failure. We should persuade and push today’s youth to be healthy, successful, intelligent, and have a positive outlook on life. If we can all encourage our youth to do these things then the possibilities for the United States to become successful will be endless.

Medicinal Marijuana, pros and cons

The legalization of medical marijuana has been an ongoing debate in the United States for many years. There are various proven facts that marijuana is both helpful and harmful to the human body. So knowing that there are some risks, do the benefits out way those risks? If so, then should the United States government make the medicinal use of marijuana legal? In order to answer these questions you must take into considerations what exactly marijuana is, what the medical benefits and risks are, and what other benefits legalizing marijuana might bring.
Marijuana comes from the Cannabis plant and is often used as a psychoactive drug. Although many people do not consider marijuana to be a drug, it most definitely is. Marijuana is a drug due to its legal status, its psychoactive effects, and because people often use it illegally in order to get “high”. Even though it is considered a drug, marijuana however does not have the typical characteristics of other addictive drugs.
About ten percent of users obtain psychological dependence on marijuana, but there is little evidence that proves it carries risks of addiction. Marijuana’s strength of addiction depends on the intentions of the user; many of who use it illegally tends to stop by the age of twenty to thirty. Marijuana is less addicting than cigarettes because most marijuana users do not have to smoke it on a daily basis.
The withdrawal effects of marijuana however are similar to those of nicotine withdrawal. Although these symptoms are mild and do not last very long. Withdrawals from alcohol and other prescription drugs have much harsher side effects.
Lastly, marijuana is a drug that has some negative effects on those who use it too frequently. It can lead to a loss of ambitions and goals, along with various other types of negative medical side effects. Although when it is used for the right reasons and under the restrictions of doctors, the results can be beneficial. However, the government does not take these benefits into consideration.
In 1972, marijuana was put in the first Schedule of the Controlled Substance Act. This means that the United States government believes marijuana to have “no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States”. But after years of research, some medical professionals believe differently. As of today, thirteen out of fifty states in America have approved the medical use of marijuana for patents who qualify. If thirteen out of fifty states have proven and believe that marijuana has valid medical use, then why does the government still not approve of its medical usage?
Many advocates for pro-medical marijuana argue that it has many benefits for different patients. The typical uses for medicinal marijuana includes treating specific kinds of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, and AIDS. Some physicians claim that marijuana is safe to use and that it is less toxic than other drugs that physicians prescribe to their patients on a regular basis. Although this argument can be debated, depending on which drugs you may be referring to.
Many people believe that smoking marijuana can cause lung cancer. But there have not been any reported cases of lung cancer or emphysema that were related to the use of marijuana. Although some believe that smoking it does have negative side effects to other things in our bodies. Marijuana has been proven to have several positive effects on patients with the AIDS virus. It is said that patients receiving marijuana pills or smoking marijuana had better immune function compared to patients who were receiving placebo. Although there are several positive medicinal uses for marijuana, there are still several proven facts that marijuana does have negative side effects as well.
Some health professionals believe that smoking three to four cannabis cigarettes a day is equivalent to smoking twenty or more tobacco cigarettes a day because they both will give the user symptoms of acute and chronic bronchitis. Although it is proven that marijuana does not cause lung cancer, it can infect your lungs by damaging cells within the lining of the bronchial passage. There are some researchers who believe that smoking marijuana can impair the immune system in some patients; therefore, AIDS patients who may have already immune deficits and think they should not smoke marijuana. Some health professionals say that there are other safer drugs than marijuana that doctors can prescribe. Although, these opinions can be debated depending on the situation and the patient. Marijuana is a mixture of 400 chemicals, which is one reason some doctors prefer other drugs whose dosages are known. However, if the growth of marijuana was regulated for medical purposes, then those plants could be studied and perfected to be prescribed to patients.
Marijuana could have many benefits if it was regulated by our government and if it was given to only those who need it. If smoking the marijuana is what causes most of the negative side effects, then professionals should find another way to give the helpful elements to patients. Many more studies must be done on the medical use of marijuana in order for this to ever be accomplished.
Once the necessary research has taken place and marijuana has been made 99.9% safe, then its growth, manufacturing, and distribution can be regulated by the government. The government could hire federal workers to grow, manufacture, and distribute the marijuana to hospitals. This would give thousands of people well paying, federal jobs. If necessary, the government could also put a high tax on the marijuana that is sold. If marijuana was legalized for medical use, all of these things would take place and as a result, help the struggling economy severely.
The benefits from legalizing medical marijuana tremendously out way the possible risks smoking marijuana may or may not have. It would help the economy by providing jobs and most importantly it would help the sick people whose lives are made easier by taking marijuana. Medical marijuana is sometimes the better choice of drug compared to other prescription drugs because it is natural, cleaner, and less addicting. The use of medical marijuana should seriously be considered to be legalized by our government because the benefits will be endless for those who need treatment and those who need an occupation.

Works Cited:
ProCon.org. Should marijuana be a medical option?" medicalmarijuanaProCon.org. 9 Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2009.

Free Health Care

Is health care really a right, or is it just a privilege for those who can afford it? As of right now health care is just a privilege for those who can afford insurance, but what about those who can’t? In reality health care is a right that all Americans deserve but our government today refuses to give it to us. It is written clearly in the Declaration of Independence that we have the right to live:

We hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This excerpt from the Declaration of Independence states that all Americans, regardless if they are poor or not, has the right to live. It also articulates that not only is Life an unalienable right of ours but that it is our God given right. Furthermore, if we do not receive the right to live it would be impossible for us to achieve our other rights: Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

If our founding fathers believed that Americans have the right to live, then why doesn’t our government today believe the same thing? Our founding fathers believed that the right to live was given to us by our Creator, meaning that the right to life was given to us from a higher power than man. So how can the government, insurance companies, and hospitals have the power to choose who deserves proper health care and who deserves to live or die based on if they can afford the treatment or not? Health care should be made accessible to everyone because it is our God forsaken right, our unalienable right, because it is the right thing to do, and so we may pursue happiness and liberty.

Achieving happiness and Liberty for all would be much easier to do if we had free health care. Families would no longer have to sell their family heirlooms, houses, or other belongings to pay for medical bills. People would be able to live much happier and easier lives if they did not have to sacrifice things like this only because insurance companies and hospitals want to make a profit off of people’s disabilities, sickness, and misfortune. It is extremely morally wrong for people to make money off of other people who are already struggling to pay for all their bills and then on top of all of that have to pay for their family’s expensive medical payments or insurance. Something like this can tear American families’ lives apart, which is not what our founding fathers had in mind when they spoke of pursuing happiness.

Similar to happiness, liberty is impossible to achieve without having life and good health first. If people are not properly taken care of and in good health, then they will not have the capability to carry out their liberties. Furthermore, medical payments can also restrain families from pursuing their liberties. For example, a family could be so tied down with medical bills, that they would have to work several jobs or make their kids work, making it impossible for the family to have the freedom to spend quality time with one another. Families all across America are being held captive to health insurance and medical payments which is a violation of our unalienable right to liberty.

Another reason we should have free health care is because everywhere in America people are losing their jobs and houses in this bad economy. Giving free health care to everyone would take one more burden off of everyone shoulders, making it easier for people to get by in the unstable economy. Proper healthcare is something that everyone deserves weather poor or rich and no one should have the power to deny people what they need in order to live.

Now you might say that giving free health care to everyone would probably hurt the economy because hospitals won’t be making a profit. But we must look at how other countries go about having affordable health care for everyone. Similar to other countries, we could have a tax on health care. Then when you have an emergency and must go to the hospital you do not have to pay for anything regardless of the treatment they have to give you. But this tax has to be made affordable to the lower and middle classes and set higher for the upper class. Then you might ask: What about the people who cannot afford to pay for these taxes? Do they get free health care too? The answer is yes. They deserve the proper health care even if they cannot pay for it because of whatever reason. They are human beings too with families and children and no one should be able to have the power to say if they can live or die just because they do not pay for the health care tax.

One problem people hear about when they talk of other countries and their free health care programs is the long waits in order to be treated. But when was the last time you went into the emergency room with a minor injury and was treated right away? The truth is regardless if health care is free or not, you are probably going to have to sit in the waiting room and wait for your turn. But even if you do have to wait longer, who cares? It is free!

The truth is that free health care can be made possible in America because other countries have made it work as well. So what is our government waiting for? They should make health care accessible to everyone by any means necessary. Because we as Americans have to right to live long, happy, healthy lives with our families and friends and we should not be denied that right only because we can’t afford the treatment to do so. Health care is a right, not a privilege.

A Young Korean Pursuing The American Dream

At his home in Korea, Han Gu Nam faced a lot of pressure to do well in school, which led him to his new and difficult life in the United States.
Life in Korea: Han was born and raised in South Korea, where education was a top priority. He lived with his parents and his younger brother on the 30th floor of an apartment complex just outside of a city called Bussan. Because Han is the oldest out of two children it put even more pressure on him from his parents to do well in school.
As a student in Korea, Han was forced to go to school five days a week from 7 in the morning until 10 at night! Although Han spent much of his time in school, he still struggled to make grades that would satisfy his parents. Han’s parents strongly believed that he needed a good education to be successful, so they decided to make him move to America to help him improve his education. Han was now faced with one of the most difficult challenges he would ever have to experience during his lifetime.
Moving to America: Han moved to the United States when he was 15 years old. After spending most of his life in Korea, Han faced many difficult challenges such as leaning to communicate using English, understanding the American culture, understanding American teachers, taking care of himself without the help of his parents, and making new friends. Han successfully accomplished all of these things over time through dedication, hard work, and experiences. During his first year in the United States, Han stayed with a host family in Mississippi.
Home away from home: When Han moved to Mississippi, he moved in with a family he didn’t even know or even know how to communicate with. This made it very difficult for Han to get settled in to his new environment. All at once Han had lost close contact with his family, his friends, and the home he had known for so long. Occasionally Han got the opportunity to call his friends and family back at home but still worked on making new friends and getting to know his host family.
A lesson in morals: In Mississippi, Han claims that people were very friendly, so it was easier for him to make friends but he still had a difficulties understanding some English slang. While he was there, he lived with an African American family and often heard people call each other the “N word”. After hearing it be used so casually, Han thought it was a friendly nick name to call people. Then one day he called one of his friends that—who happened to be an African American—and soon realized that it was not okay for him to say after his friend became very offended. Although this may seem humorous, it was the hard way Han had to learn about the English language and some American morals.
Moving once again: After Han spent one year with his host family in Mississippi, he had to move to Georgia to live with his Aunt. During his last two years of high school, Han played football and basketball. At one of his junior varsity practices for football, Han had to go up against the varsity offense. Despite the intimidating varsity linemen staring him straight in the eyes, Han managed to push his way through them and sacked the quarter back. Han was extremely pleased with himself as he watched the varsity offense run laps as a result of his great accomplishment.
Becoming more Americanized: Back in Korea the most popular sport everyone loved to play was soccer. But when Han was introduced to football in America, he fell in love with the “energy in [the] field”, making football his new favorite sport. One of Han’s most “fascinating” moments in the United States of America was when he played his first football game. This transition made Han more Americanized by changing his favorite sport from soccer to football and joining the football team helped him make a few friends along the way as well.
Learning to speak English: The most difficult accomplishment Han had to tackle while living in the United States was learning to speak English fluently. When Han first came to the United States he could hardly speak or understand English, which made it very difficult for Han to make friends or even ask for food. After spending three years in American schools and interacting with his friend and other people, Han learned to speak English quite well. Although he still claims that in order for him to keep up in class, he has to concentrate very closely on what his teachers are saying. Despite the language boundaries, Han improved greatly in his academic standings.
Success in the class room: Han did extremely well on the SAT test by receiving an 800 on the math portion of the exam. He also did exceptionally well on the Chemistry AP Exam, earning a five on it. These two great accomplishments, along with his outstanding work ethic, made it possible for Han to achieve his next great accomplishment, getting accepted into Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Han is currently a University studies major at Virginia Tech but is thinking about switching to become a Chemistry major. As of right now Han wants to go into medical school after graduating from Virginia Tech to become a physician specialized in the nerve system.
Difficult tasks attained: After years of dedication and hard work Han became extremely successful academically. He also learned how to adapt to a totally new environment, how to speak and write and speak in English, and he managed to make some friends along the way. All of these accomplishments—predominately academic accomplishments—will help shape the rest of Han’s life and will also help him become a very successful person. Han attained even more than what his parents were asking him to do and they have every reason to be proud of their son and the accomplishments that he has made.