Tobacco Debate

Overall, I think our team did very well. We worked well together, got together outside of class, and during the debate, we all contributed to the discussions and the rebuttals. I believe our team felt strongly about the subject, as did the other team. We decided as a team to dress formally, which we did. There were black pants and ties seen among our entire group. We also made a point to use credible sources. We used reliable sources, like the American Lung Association, Cancer.gov, and even the Scholastica site itself. Our group was very well rounded and thoroughly covered lots of ground.

Although I feel our group did very well, I also believe the opposing group did well also. They had strong points and always had ways to contradict our points. I do believe that many of their points and arguments were opinions though. One opinion that was stated was about the littering, which in no way could be proven true because the policy has not yet been put into effect. The point about taxed when back and forth saying the smokers would quit smoking and that they would never quit. Confusing. They also had an interesting study about the smokers on the airplane, but the study ended more than fifteen years ago. Many studies and health facts have been discovered proving the airplane study inaccurate. I also though they directed attention away from out points, to unrelated things. The study about car emissions has nothing to do with smoking, and when confronted about the second hand smoke, the only arguments they had to counter that was the plane study and they asked if our sources were reliable. Of course the American Lung Association knows the effects of second hand smoke! Although I though that these and many of the other points stated where opinions and unrelated, they other team had a come back to each of our points.

Both of the teams brought good and interesting facts to the table. It was great to see such strong beliefs on each side, but I am still a firm believer in the no tobacco policy coming to St. Scholastica, and that's just it, it was a great debate, but the policy is still going to be starting January 1st.

A/V Speech Preview

One thing about me is that I love to sing! I sing in the car for hours, in the shower, and anywhere I can find a good song. Unfortunately, for all those around me, I am not a very good singer! If I were in this video, I SHOULD be the girl that is quiet, but I would definitely be belting out the song, which I love, but not to the quality this little 8 year old does!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7hTAp6KrGY

The Last 'I Iove You'

 I chose to pick this because I can completly relate. I am a firm believer that people should not go to be at night angry at their spouse of kids or any family or loved one at all. It is very important to tell people you love them and to tell them often, becuase you never know when your last opportunity might be.

The Last ‘I Love You’

Carol’s husband was killed in an accident last year. Jim, only fifty-two years old, was driving home from work, the other driver was a teenager with a very high blood alcohol level. Jim died instantly. The teenager was in the emergency room for less than two hours.

There were other ironic twists: It was Carol’s fiftieth birthday, and Jim had two plane tickets to Hawaii in his pocket. He was going to surprise her. Instead, he was killed by a drunk driver.

“How have you survived this?” I finally asked Carol, a year later.

Her eyes welled up with tears. I thought I had said the wrong thing, but she gently took my hand and said, “It’s all right; I want to tell you. The day I married Jim, I promised I would never let him leave the house in the morning without telling him I loved him. He made the same promise. It got to be a joke between us, and as babies came along, it got to be a hard promise to keep. I remember running down the driveway, saying ‘I love you’ through clenched teeth when I was mad, or driving to the office to put a note in his car. It was a funny challenge.

“We made a lot of memories trying to say “I love you” before noon every day of our married life.

“The morning Jim died, he left a birthday card in the kitchen and slipped out to the car. I heard the engine starting. Oh, no, you don’t, buster, I thought. I raced out and banged on the car window until he rolled it down.

“Here on my fiftieth birthday, Mr. James E. Garret, I Carol Garret, want to go on record as saying I love you!”

“That’s how I’ve survived. Knowing that the last words I said to Jim were ‘I love you!’

Written by: Debbi Smoot

Snail Mail to a Girl I Love

Dear Lauren Nicole,
I love you and miss you and hope that getting this letter makes your day! I can't wait to see you again my little Jackrabbit! :)

Lauren Nicole got my letter!!

Ten things I love in my life

1.) One of the biggest things in my life is my boyfriend Dane. Dane is a senior at UWGB and we have been dating for more than 2 years. Some people told us that long distance relationships do not work, but we have proven that to be not true. Actually, I believe the distance has made us closer; we are forced to have great communication and have become so much closer because of that. I definitely believe that with a little work and a lot of commitment, long distance relationships work! :)

2.) My family is a huge part of my life. For one, they have taught me just about everything, from my morals and ethics to manners. I only have one sibling, my younger sister, and her and I are very close. College separation has been hard on us. My family my be somewhat small, but my extended family makes up for that. My mom is the youngest of 12 siblings, so I have plenty of aunts, uncles, and and million cousins. My family may be huge, but we are very close. Its a great feeling to know I have that many people supporting me.

My mom (blue tank top) and all 9 of her living siblings

3.) Another major part of my life is my dog! I actually have two, a black lab named Annie and a pug named Harley, but I consider Annie my dog. I cried saying goodbye to my dog and I miss her every day! :(

4.) My life is very focused on food! This is one of my absolute favorite foods, and also my very first place of employment! I worked here for over 3 years, and no, I do not have a favorite flavor.

http://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/eats-and-treats/blizzard-of-the-month/?gclid=CIvKg4vZ1KsCFQFS7AodqhrYNQ

5.) Sports are a major part of my life too. I am a very dedicated Wisconsin, meaning I love the Badgers, the Brewers, and of course the Packers. Visit this site to see the official Packer website. http://www.packers.com/index.html

6.) I love to watch sports, but I am also very involved in sports myself. I was a 4 sport high school athlete and enjoyed it very much! To me, sports means friends. Some of my best friends play on teams with me, and its thanks to them I have done so well with sports. Here is a picture of my cross country team and my friends. We are at Sectionals, in the snow and rain in tiny little shorts, freezing cold! In no way was it an enjoyable situation, but it was bearable thanks to my friends.

7.) I absolutely love music! I listen to lots of different kinds and dance to all of them too. I have sang karaoke before, but I'm terrible! I've learned to leave the singing up to my favorites. This song is a great song to dance and sing to, and was also one of our basketball team's pump up songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXvmSaE0JXA&ob=av3e


8.) Music is great, but so are movies. I like many kinds of movies too: comedies, love stories, horror films. I like to be scared, but I scream and cover my eyes during the movies! Here is a clip from one of my absolute favorite movies, so much my favorite that I know every line.

http://movieclips.com/euQ6-how-to-lose-a-guy-in-10-days-movie-mental-person/


9.) Something else I like to do is be outside. I go hunting, fishing, hiking, boating, swimming, and much much more. I am a very active person and love to be outside. This is a picture of one of my favorite places, Saint Peter's Dome, back near my hometown of Ashland, WI.

10.) One more thing about me and my life is that I am very artistic. I love to draw; typically I just do pencil drawings. I have had the privilege to draw with Greg Alexander, a well known artist. I don't typically like to show my work to people, but the types of things I draw include people, animals, and recreations of photos. One day, when I'm much older and can afford it, I hope to have a drawing room, where I have lots of space, materials, and inspiration. But for now, taking an art or drawing class here at school will have to do.

One of Alexander's Pictures

Here is a website that sells some of Greg Alexander's work. There are some very beautiful pictures!

http://www.northbynature.com/greg_alexander.htm

Group Presentation Exam

Group 1: Conversation

5 Stages:
-Opening                             (Verbal or nonverbal)
-Feed Forward                    (General idea of what the conversation will be like)
-Business                            (Focus of the conversation, both speak and listen)
-Feedback                           (Closing of conversation)
-Closing                              (Verbal or nonverbal)

2 Types of Conversation:
Impersonal = Business, making a good impression. ex) real estate agent
Interpersonal = Impersonal, long-term relationship, love passion or some kind of  attachment
                         ex) between a boyfriend and a girlfriend

Gossip = negative problem of conversation
              - Gossip for rewards such as social status, bonds or more gossip



Group 2: Culture
- Culture is passed through communication, not through genes

Ethnocentrism: See others/behaviors through cultural filters
                         ex) Driving on the right side of the road in the US
Stereotyping: A fixed impression on a group of people.

High/Low Context Cultures:
High: Physical context, pre-programmed, little through actual conversation
           ex) Greeting (shaking hands), winking, ext (China, Middle East)
Low: Direct statement. (United States, Germany)

Power Distances
High Power Distance: Power is concentrated in few hands (King)
Low Power Distance: Power is very divided (Democracy)

Masculine Culture: male stubbornness, aggressive, assertive
Feminine Culture: modest, tenderness, relationships, quality of life



Group 3: Listening

5 Steps:
Receiving
Understanding
Remembering (Asking questions)
Evaluation (Distinguishing facts from lies)
Responding (Back channeling questions)

Cultural Differences That Effect Listening
Language, speech, nonverbal behavior, feedback, credibility
(nonverbal behaviors include waving hands, thumbs up)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh5xu35bAxA

Feedback: US = honest, straightforward   Japan = positive, optimistic

Gender Differences:
Males - Lecture, superior role, more factual
Females - Student, inferior, seek to be liked

Active/Inactive Listening:
-Paraphrase speakers meaning
-Express understanding of feelings (Empathy)
-Ask questions


Group 4: Relationships

Types of Friendships:
Reciprocity - Based on Equality
Receptivity - Imbalance of giving and receiving
Association - Cordial, not intense (Classmates)
Aquaintances - Temporary, awkward
Technology & Friendship - Online, share network

Romantic Relationships:
-Eros: Beauty
-Ludus: Love is a game, interest
-Storge: Peaceful and slow, lack intensity, slow relationship
-Pragama: Practical and traditional, family
-Mania: Extreme highs and lows, poor self image

Knapp's Model:
-Initiation
-Experimenting
-Intensify
-Intergrating
-Bonding
-Differentiating
-Circumscribing
-Stagrating
-Avoiding
-Terminating

Attraction Theory: - 4 major factors
Similarity, proximity, reinforcement, physical attraction & personality



Group 5: (My Group) Communication & Conflict in the Workplace

Types of Workplaces and Communities

Types of Conflict

Good Communication = Little Conflict

It the Bosses job to resolve and deal with conflict

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ox9lUZpisQ

Quotes

1) "It's not my job to remember your name, it's your job to make sure I never forget it," was said by the very own Rob Larson on the very first day of class. This quote can be taken two completely opposite ways. One, it can be meant to make a name for yourself in the class. Do something memorable, stand out. The other way this quote can be taken is to stand out in the wrong way; doing the wrong kind of things to stand out can also make a person memorable. Doing bad work and bad presentations would make a name unforgettable.
I hope that my name will be remembered for the good, and I will do my best to stand out in the positive way.


2) Tuesday, October 4th
"I say bombard people. That's the only real way you'll get stuff done." Rob Larson stated this during a class discussion about making things easy. Rob said that in the real world, working for a real boss, it's all about making it easy for them. I totally agree with all of this. It is so important to please and impress the people or person you are working for. Making things easy and simple for them is going to make them happy. This is a very good lesson to learn and master before stepping out into the real world.


3) Thursday, October 13th
This is a quote Rob Larson said in class one day. It is not meant as an insulting statement, it was meant more sentimentally, but it is very funny when taken out of context. "I can't teach you to be special; you are already special." I'm not going to describe the context for which this was taken, because personally, I find it more am musing when standing alone.


4) Tuesday, October 25th
"I'm in a very strange mood today, even for me." Even though this isn't a very original quote or even that unusual, I still find it interesting. This quote implies that you know what you are typically like on a day to day basis. I don't believe that you know exactly what you are like every day. It is like we talked about in class, there are 4 sections, and some of those are what you think people think. You only think you know what you are like every day, so it is odd to say that you can notice you are strange.



5) Tuesday, October 25th
"They call it public speaking, but they should call it public listening."  I think this is an awesome quote. You talked about how we spend about 95% of our class time listening rather than talking, which is absolutely true. Taking a public listening class would be much less intimidating than taking a speaking class.


6) Tuesday, October 25th
"It's not enough to watch somebody fall off a motorcycle, sometimes you just need to fall off yourself." This is a really great quote for me, and especially for little kids. The best way to learn something is by doing it yourself, trial and error. This is also the way I learn to do something; just watching is not enough for me, I need to physically do it myself, weather that means read the paper, work out the math problem, or do a hands on activity. This quote also reminds me of the quote stuck on my bedroom mirror here at school, "Part of growing up is making mistakes."


7) Tuesday, November 8th
"Look good and feel good." You stated this in class while you were talking about our Million Dollar speeches. For the most part, I agree with the statement, but under some circumstances, I think it is completely backwards. For one, you also stated you typically always give full points for dress, because you don't want to judge. So in that sense, when one person thinking he/she looks good, they may still be criticized for their outfit. Another reason why I disagree with this is because some people may not feel comfortable dressing up and looking nice. If sweats are where its at for someone and one day he is forced into a suit, he may feel completely self conscious and not feel good at all. These are just small things that may contradict the quote above, but for the most part I agree with it, looking good makes a person feel good.


8) Thursday, November 10th
"Pictures don't replace memories, they enhance memories." Rob Larson stated this Thursday between the videos we watched. You were talking about this while discussing the importance of having a friend with a good camera. I thought this quote was really great. Sometimes I hear complaints from older generations about all the new technology; our younger generation takes too many pictures and don't appreciate or really remember things that way. Absolutely not. Without memories, only the bigger and more important events seem to be remembered the best, but with pictures, more memories can be remembered clearly.


9) Thursday, November 10th
"Life isn't static. We aren't who we were." This was a quote stated by Rob Bell in the first video we watch in class Thursday called "Today." This quote fits the theme of the video very well. Rob talked about living presently so there are no regrets and so you don't miss a thing rather than living and reminiscing about the past.
Rob reminded me a lot of Sheldon from "The Big Bang Theory" T.V. show. Here is a clip that focuses on Sheldon, showing his intelligence and his very fast paced rant, which is what reminded me of Rob.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRRa7FUrOCM&feature=related


10) Tuesday, November 14th
"No one knows what came first, bread or beer." I found this quote by Rob Larson very intriguing. After doing a little research, it seems that the bread must have come first.

Which Came First ... the Bread or the Beer? by: HorstDornbusch on Wednesday - June 23, 2004 - 14:52 UTC A BeerAdvocate Exclusive

Beer is as old as civilization itself. It all started some ten thousand years ago in Sumeria, the fertile flood plains between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates in what is now Iraq. It was there that the first humans abandoned their hunting and gathering ways and settled down to plant fields, raise cattle, and do all the things we now associate with society. We also know that much of the grain the Sumerians harvested went into their beverage: beer! Yes, the Sumerians were the world's first brewers.  From this fact, some beer historians have maintained, somewhat glibly, that man settled and started agriculture because he wanted to turn grain into beer. In other words, these authors argue that beer came before bread. That argument, however, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, because the ancient brews were made from bread! In those distant times, you needed bread before you could make beer.  The very first Sumerian brew was probably made by sheer accident and must have been a rather primitive beverage by today's standards. A forgetful Sumerian baker - probably the lady of the house or her maid - might have left her dough out during one of Sumeria's infrequent rainstorms. When the rays of the returning sun warmed the earthenware mixing bowl, in which the dough was now immersed in water, it became a combination of mash tun and open fermenter (as we would say today). Or, perhaps, a Sumerian family sat down for a bowl of bread dunked in water, perhaps flavored with honey, dates, or date syrup. For some reason, however, the meal was not finished. When the household re-assembled, perhaps a few days later, the bowls of gruel were still on the table.  In either scenario, the grain's enzymes converted the starches into sugars and airborne yeasts converted the sugars into alcohol. Perhaps out of innate curiosity, the careless baker or the returning family might have tasted the ale that was so inadvertently concocted and appreciated the sour, refreshing taste - and, perhaps, the heady after-effect as well. This is all speculation but, because of the records we have found and because of the biochemistry involved in beer making, which we now understand, these scenarios are quite plausible.  Our Sumerian Stone Age forbears would then take a straw or a ladle and imbibe. We know so, because the Sumerians left us with the oldest graphic depiction of beer drinking. It comes from a seal found at the Sumerian city of Ur and dates from around 3100 BC. It shows two gentlemen using straws to drink beer out of a common crock. The upper-class Sumerian straws used to be made of gold and lapis-lazuli. One such straw was found in the third millennium BC tomb of Pu-abi, a dignified lady of Ur.  So there you have it: At the beginning was bread, and then there was beer ... and wine came much later!  http://beeradvocate.com/articles/595 11) December 6th, 2011 "Life is not a meter stick, it cannot be measured." Rob Larson stated this today is class, and I absolutely loved it. This quote came out when Rob was talking the grading sheets for the speeches and their importance, or the lack there of. I'll admit, I am one of those people who NEED to know how I did and what comments were made about my performance. As I grow and mature, I am beginning to learn the importance to the statement Rob made. Another quote that can go right along with it is one made by Thomas Monson, "The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.