Evaluative Conclusion

     I initially began writing this blog just because I had to.  As many of you may notice, I procrastinated somewhat concerning the completion of these 20 posts.  I treated this cumulative assignment much like those before it, only doing what I had to to skate by.  However, I did not realize how much I would enjoy completing this simple, yet extremely rewarding, task.  I have found that this blog has become a way for me to keep a personal journal, a task that seemed almost impossible in the past.  I have also found that blogging has taught me much about myself throughout the remainder of this course, just as this course has itself.  I have been taking a Career Exploration course, a class that centers around finding a career that best suits an individual and their strengths.  This blog and course has helped me to realize that writing is not only a natural academic strength of mine, but is also something that I truly love to do.  I do not know about the rest of my peers enrolled in this course (and I hope you will enlighten me on your opinions of the blog/this course), but I have found writing papers a more automatic and enjoyable process because of this blog.
     I truly believe that it is not healthy to be constantly bottling emotions up in our already ravaged souls.  Whether these emotions and sentiments be good or bad, not having a channel through which to vent can become a dangerous hazard in all of our lives.  Sure we have family, but sometimes even that outlet is not enough.  The feeling I get when I blog and write is unlike any other social emotion I have ever had the privilege of feeling.  You are ultimately sharing your life and your perception on it to a world of known and unknown strangers.  I feel as though I am just a menial contributor to such a vast cause, the cause being the quest for knowledge.  Every time we write (despite the genre), we are ultimately conveying some sort of experience that we hope aids all who read it.  Funny anecdotes help others to become optimistic and laugh at life.  Research papers help us convey more technical knowledge, giving opinions on critical issues that will help others make decisions on the same topic.  Personal narratives help teach other serious life lessons through our direct experiences.  Writing and blogging is a beautiful thing no matter how it is used.
     In conclusion, I have learned that writing is more than words organized around a central focus...it's an art.  The power of our words have the ability to change others lives.  Maybe this change is not necessarily large, but if what one writes helps dictate another's actions, then you made a change.  I am so grateful for this blog and the technology that enables me to utilize it.  It has been a source of fun, relief, introspection and hard work.  I hope we can all strive to express ourselves through some sort of blogging or social media.  Do not just do it for yourself, but for the others your words will touch.

My Mother - A Spiritual Giant Despite Much Adversity

     I realized that there was a common factor surrounding all of my most spiritual, life-changing experiences: they came from my mother. My mom has been subject to more trial and tribulation than any other person I have come in contact with. However, despite the harsh tides of adversity constantly being thrust upon her, my mother has stood as a spiritual giant at all times. She has been a role model and teacher of infinite worth in my life, as her response to hardship has made me the man I am today. I will focus my remarks upon her most recent, and most challenging, life obstacle.

     I can clearly recall the summer of 2007. The humid air and lush green atmosphere of Pennsylvania seemed more important to me than it ever did. I may have felt this way because I was preparing to begin my freshman year of high school, but I believe these feelings occurred in anticipation of life-altering news. It was early August, and my mother was going about her daily routine of running her prestigious daycare, cleaning the house, preparing food, mowing the lawn, and completing her other various tasks. On this particular day, however, my mother was complaining of a pain in her side. She was tough and continued on with her strenuous work, despite our constant advising that she should go to the hospital. It took the persistence of a daycare mom to finally convince my mom that she should go to the emergency room. My 5 siblings and I anxiously awaited for a phone call of some sort to put our nervousness to ease. We finally received a call from my father, in which he told us that my mother was bleeding somewhere inside, that her hemoglobin was at a critically low level, and that she was in critical condition. He then said that the doctors indicated that this most likely indicated a tumor of some sort was in her body.

     After a number of tests and colonoscopy, me and my 3 sisters (who were the only siblings currently at home) gathered around my mom in her hospital bed. She proceeded to tell us that she had stage 3C colon cancer, meaning that the tumor had just barely begun to break through the colon wall. I remember, at that very moment, being more scared than I ever had been before in my life. We all began to cry in disbelief, as my mom informed us that she had a 50% chance of survival, and that she would have to endure 7 months of chemotherapy following her surgery. I remember, more than anything, the calm and collected nature my mother maintained as she broke the news to us. She knew, through her faith in Christ and her patriarchal blessing, that all would be well. She did not worry for a second.

     Despite her faith, my mother suffered the worst physical and mental pain I have ever witnessed. My mom told me that she would wake up every morning to see my sister off to school, even though the very task made her feel like death. She even took me and my sister to seminary several times, a 15 minute drive at 5:45 in the morning that probably exhausted all of her daily energy. I would rush home to take care of her, as my father worked nearly an hour away and would get home late at night. My grades suffered, and having to watch her suffer wore me down mentally and emotionally. However, all along the way, my mom never faltered in her faith in Christ, and the fact that all would be well. To this day, my mom is in remission and survived a deadly bout of one of the deadliest cancers.

     This trial in my mother's life strengthened my life in so many ways. The fact that she endured so much pain and hardship with such energy and positivity, was amazing. However, the fact that she remained faithful to Christ, his blessings (her patriarchal blessing), and the fact that all would be well, was most impressive. Whenever I face tribulation in this life that I deem significant, I am reminded of my mother and her suffering. It is then that I realize that my problems are small, and I am reminded of the Savior's suffering for the sins of the world. It is because of my faithful mom that I have an increased testimony of the atonement, and the fact that the Lord will never put us through anything we cannot accomplish. I love my mother, and am so grateful for all that she has done for me. She has been an idol, a “Spiritual Giant” that has made my faith in Christ grow exponentially.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania - A Little Bit About Where I'm From

     I would like to talk about my origins and place I call my home.  I am not from Utah, and not from any place associated with the western hemisphere of the United States.  Nope...in order to locate my hometown on a map, you would have to go the other side of the country to a small town in Pennsylvania.  The name is Lancaster and I love it more than words can describe.  The surroundings are so green that it seems as though Christmas is being celebrated year round.  The air is thick with humidity, which is almost polar opposite from the dry conditions we have here.  In the summer, a typical hot day feels like you are swimming from all of the humidity, and the winter seems heavier.  I also love, especially around this time, how snow can stay on the ground for weeks at a time.  While snow clears out of Provo rather fast, a productive snowfall back east can coat the lush ground for prolonged periods of time.  This makes sledding and snow activities much more prominent.  There is a perfect balance between the rural and urban feel.  I could drive twenty minutes and be in Lancaster City, or drive 10 minutes the other way and be on a back road in the countryside.  The Amish culture is so eminent that horse and buggies ride down the street close to where I live.  There is a weekly Amish market called "Roots" that offers a variety of Amish dishes and fresh, cheap produce.  Salt and vinegar on fries, funnel cakes made from scratch, whoopie pies (with chocolate, red velvet, and pumpkin assortments), shoofly pie, and a number of other dishes indigenous to PA and the Amish community.  The air is often filled with the stench of surrounding farms, which can be rather unpleasant...but I miss it nonetheless.  I am so excited to go home and return back to my roots.

Heaps is Leaving BYU...YES!!!!

     I do not have anything personal against the former high school hopeful (and starting QB) Jake Heaps.  I did, however, have a problem with his player mentality and hype surrounding his involvement in the BYU football program.  From the start, there were big hopes and expectations established with Jake Heaps and the fact that he was the top high school recruit in the country (the year of his recruitment).  Not only were the expectations high, but people began speaking about Heaps as though he was going to be a Heisman hopeful, dominate the league, and be the next big thing.  I was always skeptical of this unfounded excitement, despite his freshman year performance.  Sure Jake Heaps showed much "promise" and talent the latter half of his freshman year, but the strength of schedule was pathetic to say the least (during that time period that is).  Let's not also forget the whole two quarterback system fiasco.  That aspect of last year added another dynamic to the puffing up of Jake Heap's ego.  People were so upset and critical of this inconsistent and ineffective system.  Therefore, when Nelson took his seat on the sideline from injury, people were already excited with Heaps without even playing (because the two quarterback system was gone).  The numbers he put up were impressive, but, as I stated before, we played no name teams.
     If we reflect on this past season, the performances out of Heaps speaks for itself.  We squeezed out a victory against a very unsuccessful SEC team (who I am pretty sure has a losing record this year), and then lost to Texas.  Both of those games would not have been remotely close if it were not for the defensive clinic BYU was able to put on.  The Utah bash was the all-time low for this season, a lot of which was attributed to Heaps alone.  I also noticed an arrogance in Heap's character that had not been there before.  He was being very critical of other players in interviews, speaking as if he had so much experience and knew the team well, and would sometimes (on the field) blame other players for his careless mistakes.  The reality is:  Nelson is a lot better for our offensive scheme.  Our offensive line is not strong enough to totally support the pro form offense, making mobility a necessity for our QB.  Nelson can read the field better, is more mobile, humble, and has the warrior mentality that is shared with great football players.  Am I saying Nelson is amazing? No, I am not.  But he is what we need, not Heaps.  Sorry Jake but I think the best play you made all year was leaving the team.

Volleyball - More Than A Sport

     For those of you who do not know, I played competitive volleyball for one of the top teams in Pennsylvania.  We had one 9 out of the past 14 state titles, along with a numerous amount of section, league, and district gold medals.  My final season we actually lost in a very competitive, state final game, finishing third in the state rankings.  I also had the opportunity to go to the national tournament in Atlanta, Georgia my first post season of playing on the team (which was my sophomore year of 2008).  I worked extremely hard to start my first year of varsity (which was the following year) and did so midway through the regular season.  All of this sounds grand, and I do not wish to come off as conceited in mentioning the credibility of my past.  I wish to express, however, that I had to work hard to succeed, despite the wishes of some of my coaches.  My club coaches were upset with me for some reason after my first season of playing for them.  The first year they encouraged me, wanted me to play for upper levels, and were constructive in a tasteful way.  They really disliked me after that, for which reasons I still do not know why.  I did not play club volleyball the following year, which set me back for the normal season.  But I remained extremely dedicated and worked extra hard to make the team and become a starter for the remainder of my high school career.
     The point I am trying to make is that I did not just view volleyball as a sport.  I fell in love with it.  So despite the discouraging actions of others, I pursued it.  I did so not for others, not for my coaches, not for my family, but rather for me and my team.  I just encourage all those with hobbies and passions to pursue them despite the surrounding situations.  Shut the negative sides of the world out of your dreams and only embrace the positive.  It will pay off, I promise!

The Less Fortunate And Christmas

     I feel obliged to write about this topic, as I have always viewed the spirit of giving to hold more spiritual and sentimental power than that of receiving.  I have been taught from my youth to love all those I come into contact with, and to always be considerate and caring to those who were less fortunate than me.  With the extremely cold temperatures and appearance of homeless people roaming the parks and streets, I cannot help but feel the same compassion Christ had for the beggars and disabled.
     I would like to call upon a story from my junior year of high school, that took place around Christmas time back at my hometown, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I had saved up a rather sizable amount of money and had my hopes set on purchasing a new video game.  Now, I am not a hardcore gamer or anything (and barely played this game other than the first few times), but I was definitely set on purchasing this new piece of expensive entertainment.  After happily making my purchase, my mother and I began to drive out of the shopping center towards home.  I noticed a man standing at the entrance of this complex with a sign that read "Hard Times, Any $ Would Be Appreciated".  Now, instead of investigating the thought of whether or not he was telling the truth (or would use the money for good), I had the spirit of charity overtake me.  We passed him, and, while we were almost out into the intersection, I told my mom to stop the car.  I ran out of the car, with the remnants of my savings in hand, and approached the surprised man.  He thanked me, but without a moments hesitation, I thanked him back.  I never realized why I said thank you, figuring that it was just a nervous response.  But I was truly grateful to be able to give, because I was blessing myself (as well as the man's) in a way I cannot describe.
     Let us all remember the spirit of giving.  I believe the spirit of Christmas is eminent no matter what around this time of year, but giving unlocks a realm of Christmas no other thing can.  I hope that we can all take time out of this holiday of gift receiving to engage in gift giving and service.  Make somebody's holiday worth it!

Procrastination: Is it Really That Bad?

     So this is a pretty controversial topic.  The main and accepted mentality towards the concept of procrastination is that it is a horrible and negative thing to engage in.  However, I have done some of my best work under the pressure of getting it done in a short amount of time (the day or night before).  Now I can accept the fact that many would argue that having more time to complete an assignment allows for more improvement (and the ability to catch mistakes that would potentially go unseen in a procrastination frenzy).  I think that this procrastination is truly conditional upon the beholder of the stress.  I think that some people work better, including myself, in times of pressure and stress.  I have spaced papers out over periods of days, and I have truly found that this gives me a more inconsistent range of grades than when I wait until the last day.
     In conclusion, I think that procrastination is kind of a double edged sword.  It is a weapon that depends solely on the user, not on the weapon itself.  If you know that you cannot handle, nor work the best under, under pressure than simply do not do it.  But I think that there are times and people that are more conducive to procrastination as a studying/task completing tactic.  Please give me feedback if you get the chance to see this kind of controversial post.  We are college kids, procrastination is what we do.  But should we continue to feel bad about it if we are performing adequately? I say nay haha.

Disintegration of The Family Unit

     I am writing this blog because it is a very pressing issue plaguing today's society.  Our culture seems to have a knack for promoting and perpetuating some very serious problems.  One of the ways society enables such problems to invade the realms of humanity, as we discussed in this course, is through media.  I can not get over how many shows and movies today portray siblings as hating each other (and barely being able to stand one another).  I am extremely close with my family, and such ideals never did anything to influence any of my siblings to act differently.  But as I attended High School and conversed with many of my peers, I started to get the general consensus that my friends (and people I knew) followed the media's example in how they viewed and treated their family.  Beyond the realm of sibling treatment, the lack of respect and allegiance to ones parents has also suffered greatly in recent periods.  I have seen kids talk to their parents in such a way that it makes me uncomfortable to be in the same room.  I can personally say that I would have been severely scolded if I spoke the same way to my parents, and I am glad that they would do so.  I encourage all of us to heed the counsel of the church in focusing on strengthening our family.  Seek to uplift and maintain peace within your family, as it will make a world of difference in a world where family values have become lost.

Migraines, Migraines, And...Oh, More Migraines

     Well I thought I would make a blog about a problem that has dominated the last 3 or so years of my life.  To preface this blog, I would like to explain that I have endured over 10 serious concussions over the course of 19 years.  I say this because, beginning in my junior year in high school, I have had problems with chronic migraine pain.  Now I am not meaning for the term migraine to be considered synonymous with headache.  The head pains that I endure make it difficult to move, feel nauseous to the point of vomiting, and so sensitive to light that I need to stay in dark rooms.  Headache and pain reliever medication does nothing to stand up to this Goliath of pain and suffering.  As if the pain wasn't bad enough, the longevity of these episodes sends them over the top.  I sometimes have to endure these migraines for 3 to 4 days at a time, just for another to ensue a day after that.  This has made me miss and extensive amount of school in high school and in college.  Sadly, I have missed a decent amount of Writing classes because of this.  Nevertheless, I am getting a CAT scan when I get home and seen by a neurologist.

Research Paper/Process Analysis: What I Have Learned

   Again, I apologize for the lateness of this post and realize that I am more than done with the research paper in the WRTG 150 course.  However, I do feel that I can offer an even better analysis of the research paper I engaged in writing and researching not too long ago.  I say this because I am able to look back and more adequately reflect on what I learned from this specific research paper (as I have done several prior to this course), as well what worked and did not during the writing and research portion.  I would like to devote the first half of this blog post to my thoughts on the research half of the paper, with the second half focusing on the actual writing of the issues paper.
     I found that I learned many things from researching this paper.  First and foremost, one should make sure they are fully able to even operate and navigate the web/resources at hand.  I think as we live in such a digital world, being able to use search engines effectively is pivotal in building a strong research foundation.  If it weren't for the course instruction provided by library workers, I would have had to spend much time learning how to operate the search engines.  Once one knows how to get to the engine that applies to them, it is of chief importance one knows how to word their specific search.  As I learned, the alteration of one or two words can significantly affect the search yield for the better (or worse).  The annotated bibliography was such a good, constructive way to organize and store research information.  For those who did not fully utilize the capabilities this astounding tool had to offer, you truly missed out.  I found that this research paper, as opposed to those in the past, was easier due to the work I put into the annotated bib.  The extensive notes and work exerted into this resource gave me a great outline for my paper.  I took most of the main concepts and ideas from my paper directly from this source.  Not to mention, I found that I had more than I needed.  One important aspect of research that is overlooked is the quantity.  While quality (such as being peer reviewed and accurately sound) is important, having a vast range of resources and ideas is also very key in being successful.  I had certain prongs of my thesis, established and found through research, that I had to discard.  The higher number of articles and sources researched, the stronger your paper becomes.  I say this because you are able to establish a hierarchy within your source material, and am ultimately weed out your strong points from the sea of weak ones.
     Regarding the writing portion of the paper, I have learned an astronomical amount about how to plan out the execution of this aspect.  I took the advice of Sister Steadman and wrote different portions of my paper over a period of 3 nights.  I am a procrastinator, which means this plan was a complete game changer to my writing personality and process.  While this approach does require a discipline, it lightens the load (as opposed to waiting until the last day) dramatically.  Revisiting a paper is also a key part to creating the best final draft possible.  I scrutinized my paper right after writing it, and did find a number of mistakes.  However, upon revisiting my paper a day later, I was somehow able to catch a myriad of mistakes that were not visible before.  If I could go back, I would have edited my paper more.  The more work you put into editing and being critical to your work, the better the results.  I also found the peer review most helpful on this paper.  My sister was able to give me much advice and tips on how I could better my paper.  As I mentioned in my Eyring response, humility truly is the key to success.  For some reason, other people are able to be more critical of your work than you can be.  While we all claim to be (and may actually be) completely humble, there is some limitation to how critical we can be of ourselves.  The ability to take critical (and sometimes harsh) advice is the key to putting forth your best work.
     In conclusion, I have established skills and habits from this writing assignment that I hope stick with me in my education to come.  I learned how to better prioritize my time, which allowed me to write and research more clearly (as I wasn't under a tremendous amount of "procrastinating" pressure).  I utilized the annotated bibliography, a tool which I would recommend to any writer composing a research paper (or anything of such a nature).  I also apologize that this post has gotten up so late, but I hope you can use my advice to your advantage.  Please let me know if you found anything as helpful that I did not mention!

BYU NOT Going to the Big East

     So the main idea of this blog, as my name implies, really has caused me to feel a lot of disappointment and anger.  For those of you who don't know, BYU's attorneys have been conversing with those of the Big East.  Now the team selection (or roster) was not certain, but, from my understanding, the concept of an automatic BCS berth was.  The reason this is so significant is that BYU has never belonged to a conference who was ensured an automatic bid to a BCS bowl.  When the cougars were part of the mountain west, the only way to be remotely considered for a BCS bowl was to finish in the top ten (or eight, not entirely sure) or maintain an outstanding record during the regular season.  Even with these qualifications, BYU has been excluded from at large bids because of the reputation of their conference and program (which is complete bull crap).
     Currently, BYU's football status is independent.  This ensures even less exposure and vulnerability to the BCS system and a national championship.  I personally viewed the independence move to be a way to get away from the ties of the mountain west conference, gain more public/media exposure, and to get picked up by another conference.  However, the stubbornness of BYU's attorneys (who were initially open to negotiation of contracts and such) has made the opportunity to move to the big east null and void.  In fact, an unknown source said that BYU's ability to even negotiate at this point is out of the picture.  So I personally believe that BYU has no right to be upset about being excluded from the BCS.  While I think that the BCS is a biased and stupid way to rank teams, I think that BYU shot themselves in the foot concerning their inclusion in this flawed system.  Please give me some feedback, I really do want to hear what you guys have to say!

General Conference (October) 2011 - Jeffrey R. Holland's Inspirational Talk "We Are All Enlisted"

     I apologize for the lateness of this post.  As I revisit the numerous notes I took during this past October's General Conference, I feel most inclined to discuss Jeffrey R. Holland's candid talk entitled "We are All Enlisted."  This talk was given during the priesthood session (following the two regular sessions), but one would be able to figure this out by the specific subject matter of his sentiments.  In all my time as a priesthood holder and attendee of these sessions, I have NEVER heard an Apostle speak with such sternness and authority.
     Many have heard of the concept of "Raising the Bar" and the message it implies.  For those of you who don't, it simply indicates that the caliber of missionaries has been "raised" over time.  As the spreading of the work is more pivotal and harder than ever before, the dedication and preparation before and during the mission has been elevated.  This high expectation is taken a step further, in my opinion, by Elder Holland.  One of the highlights of the talk was the way he began it.  He begins by elaborating on the fact that Satan is real, and his opposition is strong.  He even specifically mentions that Joseph Smith was overcome by Lucifer's power in the Sacred Grove.  Joseph Smith said that he could not even find the strength to speak.  This allusion helped to appeal to the pathos and logos of the listener(s).  It is only logical that if the prophet of the restoration was tempted and overcome by Satan, that any other person (morally upright or not) could fall into the same snare.  This also appeals to the emotions of the listener(s), as all LDS members know of/can relate with the story of Joseph Smith (and the vision in the Sacred Grove).
     Another point that I wish to elaborate on is the fact that he focuses many of his remarks on the Aaronic Priesthood.  The candid and blunt nature in which he addresses and demands of their worthiness is shocking.  I say this not because it is a foreign concept (for Aaronic priesthood holders to live diligently in worthiness and seek to stay upright in the eyes of the Lord), but because the mission is served with the Melchizedek priesthood.  I believe that he opened up with this encouraging admonishment towards Aaronic priesthood holders for multiple reasons.  First, he sought to instill a sense of responsibility within the young priesthood members of the church.  We have all heard these words before, that the young are to be the future at some point.  But the personal tone and conversation-like ability to connect with the listener, truly packed power behind his words.  I am not even an Aaronic priesthood holder and I could feel the sense of urgency from Elder Holland to live up to unprecedented standards.  Secondly, I think that this awakened the Melchizedek priesthood holders.  If these standards were expected of Aaronic priesthood holders, the Melchizedek priesthood holders (including myself) felt that more was expected of them (without it even being said).  This was a big literary strategy, as it taught lessons without actually doing so.
     In conclusion, Holland's talk was not only constructed with literary and rhetorical tools, but was very direct and forward.  His comments were extremely blunt and harsh, but not in an abrasive way.  I feel that I have been enlightened by this talk and am glad to be reminded of the things/standards expected of me.

Tis The Holiday Season!!

So in light of me being behind on my blogs, I am about to unload a barrage of posts (that I have been meaning to put up, but have failed to do so until now).  Nevertheless, I would like to focus the subject matter of this blog on Christmas! I have loved this holiday and time of year ever since I can remember hearing Christmas music on the radio, seeing the decorations adorning buildings and streets, and feeling the magic associated with the celebration of Christ's birth.  As the years passed, this magic seemed to diminish and become more faint.  Now I am not saying that I stopped loving Christmas because that isn't (nor could it ever) be the case.  What I mean is that as life's busy and rapid grips alter ones perception of time and wants.  The holiday season becomes more about the time you get off from work, school, or both.  I can honestly say, however, that such a grasp has been loosened from my Christmas mentality.  I am from Pennsylvania, and the time I have spent away from my home has truly made me appreciate where I have come from.  I am more anxious to see my family and friends (and spend time with them) than to get away from my school responsibilities.  I encourage all of you to cherish this holiday for the same reason I am...because it brings us closer together.  Sure, the absence of school is great.  But I believe it is truly great because it enables all of us to spend time with those around us.

Personal Narrative-Rough Draft (Def. a Work in Progress!)

Finding My Voice and Discipline

School was always an area of my life that has been stressed by my parents and surrounding family. My grades and educational status were, in fact, more important to my family members (at certain points in time) than to me. Nevertheless, school subjects and information always seemed to come to me easily. I found that just by listening in school, minor to no notes were needed for me to master information. Therefore, school was always a comfortable arena of my life. I got into a strict regiment, as instituted by my parents, of doing my homework immediately after school. My grades reflected the ease and lack of challenge my schoolwork posed, and I accepted the mentality that school was always going to be like this.

It was the 2005-2006 school year, a year which signified the first real jump in my academic career. My peers and I were entering into Junior High School at LMS (Landisville Middle School in Lancaster, PA), leaving the realms of elementary and intermediate education behind.

“I don't know man, I don't know...I mean, what kinda stuff are we gonna be doing? What if we don't do well and we can't go to High School? What if the eighth graders don't like us?”, exclaimed my friend Eric Sherwood. Eric was always apprehensive about the future and could never embrace change with open arms. Maybe this trait served him well at certain points in his life, but after a while he became like a broken record of extreme caution to me and my friends.

“Just stop worrying”, I snapped back (slightly annoyed). It's just a new place and a little bit of an upgrade in education. We will be fine.” I spoke very confidently, given my past exposures to education and my level of confidence associated with it. I had no fears or inhibitions concerning this jump. To make matters even better and more comforting, I was part of a legacy set forth by my older siblings. Every teacher I had knew and loved the Merris clan. It was almost as if I was fulfilling some sort of predetermined legacy. On my first day, every teacher already knew my name and who I was. They immediately made small talk and jokes with me, causing other kids in my classes to stare at me as if I was some sort of outcast. I had an in with my teachers, I was comfortable with education and my ability to succeed with ease, and was ready to begin this year as I had every one before.

My first class was mathematics with Mr. Shirey. His humorous nature and laid back teaching mentality immediately ranked him at the top of my 7^th grade teacher hierarchy. He was charismatic, intuitive and more interactive than any teacher I had before.

“I don't even have to look at the roll to know you're a Merris”, he said to me while taking attendance on the first day. I knew that this was a good sign, yet another teacher who already had a personal connection with me without any real interaction. Math is also my favorite subject, so I had virtually no worries about this subject, but was rather excited. I was stepping into the realms of Algebra, which caused some uneasiness. But, as I mentioned before, school came easy for me. I was not worried in the slightest bit.

As time passed, I stopped doing my homework and preparing for tests/quizzes. I got an A on the first test and figured that such work and preparation was no longer needed. This streak did not go past the first test, however, and I found myself struggling in the depths of uncertainty and falling behind. I had never taken a math course where lessons compounded upon one another in subject matter. In other words, I found myself struggling more and more as we progressed throughout the course. I was also very reluctant to raise my hand and express my confusion to the teacher I had grown to enjoy and respect. If I would have just opened my mouth, this suffering and torture of getting behind may have been put to rest. Nevertheless, I got my first “B” on my report card for the first marking period, and I felt as though I was letting everyone around me down.

The height of my suffering came towards the end of my second marking period. We were studying how to algebraically construct pie charts. It was test day and I was extremely nervous for this impending test. This nervousness was attributed to the fact that my grade was riding on this test alone. If I did bad enough on this test, I had the potential to get my first C on a report card. I knew that I could not fail, and that a C on my report card would destroy my confidence and GPA. I sat in my seat the whole class period with a blank stare on my face. I had never gone into a test with no knowledge on what the test was about. I knew that I had no chance in getting any of the question components right, and that composing a pie graph was impossible. I finally mustered up all the courage I could to go talk to my teacher (even thought it was at the end of the class period).

“Mr. Shirey”, I said in a trembling and uneasy tone. “I really have no idea what I am doing.” That was the extent of it. He was fairly upset that I had waited this long to come forward with my problem.

“You are gonna need to get your act together here, because you're just not cutting it. You can do better”, he said as he was concluding his sentiments with me. Those words cut like a knife to the very core of my foolish pride. I had never anticipated school would take my confidence level and flush it down the drain. I also had never imagined being challenged this much from one simple course.

I began doing my homework again. I spent many late nights preparing ardently for tests and quizzes. I had established a new sense of learning that stuck with me through all of my educational career. At the end of the year, I pulled my grades up from a the C and B range, to two A-'s. I received an award for the most improved student in that class.

After all was said and done, 7^th grade was over before I realized it had started. I had had many memorable moments. Whether good or bad, those moments shaped me to become the student/person I am today. The first day of summer, I hung out with all of my friends and conversed about our various plans for the summer. Eric Sherwood was the first to say, “Man, now we have to worry about next year. What if eighth grade is too hard to pass? What if our teachers don't like us? What if..”, at which point I cut him off.

I replied, “You're right.” I finally realized that life was not a free ride, and that anything worth working for was going to require just that..work.

Trying to Find My Calling in Life: What I Know at This Point? This is Hard

So I know that there is kind of an urgency to get these blogs done, but the theme of this blog has inundated my life with much grief (in the past few months).  We have all subjected ourselves to the arena of twelve years of public (or private) schooling in order to be competitive in applying to Brigham Young University (and other colleges).  Now that we are here, I think some of us, including myself, have lost sight of why we are here...to find a career that we can happily pursue for the rest of our lives.  I have found myself just going through the motions lately, meaning that I have just been aimlessly attending my classes and not giving much thought to my future.  However, now that I ponder the realms of my future and future job, I realized that I am more uncertain than I thought.  For instance, I thought I wanted to pursue a career in statistics and mathematical analysis.  After taking an introductory statistics course, I have found that the subject matter of this major does not interest me that much.  I have looked into returning to a public health major and pursuing PA (physicians assistant) school, but even that avenue is very uncertain to me at this point in time.  I have found out this much: thinking about it helps.  So I guess my advice from this post is to take time out of your busy day to think of your future.  That is ultimately why we are all here gaining a higher education.  That is a major reason why we exist.  That is what will dictate how well we all will be able to support our families.  So take my advice and investigate your "calling in life".  You have to do it sometime..why not start now?ha

GOP Debate

So for those of you who are not concerned with politics, this blog entry will probably not be appealing to you.  For those of you who were able to watch the last GOP debate, I would like to offer my personal opinion of the debate process (as well as some of the specifics of the last debate).  I am a Ron Paul advocate and can honestly say that he, being third in the polls at this point, barely received any questions.  Outside the realms of Ron Paul, there were other candidates who received minimal questions or notoriety.  I think that there needs to be a more fair way of distributing questions to the candidates as it will not only be more equal, but will weed out the best candidates.  For example, Rick Perry was given a substantial amount of questions and could not even tell you the third government agency he would oust if president (which is a big part of his plan).  Meanwhile, candidates like Ron Paul jam so many sentiments and comments into a single response because they know that they receive minimal attention.  I have to go, but will pick this up in my next blog entry. But please comment, I am anxious to hear your sentiments on this biased process.

Medicinal Marijuana and the Way it SHOULD Be Dealt With

Please do not mistake my intentions in this blog post.  I am not a drug advocate, but would like to bring to the surface the faulty ways in which medicinal cannabis has been prohibited.  The U.S. Constitution conveys that the Federal Government has no right to officiate matters dealing with moral agency/responsibility, unless those said matters can inflict harm upon other human beings.  The issue for me is that drug legalization and monitoring is/should be an issue left to the states.  Doesn't it make sense though?  Who knows the people indigenous to a certain region better than their state government and officials.  The Executive branch of government (as well as the Federal Gov. in general) has maintained chief authority in our country, causing a skewed distribution in power between the federal and state level.  If a state's government feels that its people could benefit from the medicinal benefits of marijuana, why should the federal government be allowed to say otherwise?  The president is not a king...this is not a monarchy...we are living in the United States.  I do think some monitoring of medicinal marijuana use should be in place to ensure the safety of others, but it should be a matter left to the states to decide.  We too often forget that the current pain killers and prescription drugs are opiate based and harmfully addictive.  In fact, prescription drug abuse is one of the biggest problems plaguing our nation, with Utah being the worst for it.  Again, I am not promoting the illegal use of marijuana (or any use period), but the struggle for legalization goes beyond the drug itself.  It is about the principle of who should be calling the shots.

Eyring Response: Pride as the Downfall of Man and His Pursuit for Truth

     On October 21, 1997, Apostle Henry B. Eyring addressed BYU students in a devotional talk entitled "A Child of God".  I found many spiritually sound teachings and doctrines within President Eyring's talk.  I would like to elaborate upon one of his opening points concerning how humility and the "pursuit of truth" are synonymous (and how pride is evidently a serious road block in life and, more specifically, education). He references 2 Nephi 9: 28, which reads, "O that cunning plan of the evil one!  O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!  When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not.  And they shall perish."
     So often we confuse true intelligence with how familiar we are with temporal, earthly education.  Society equates scholarly status with degrees and how scientific we are.  While this education and expertise is necessary and useful, we must accept that it is only through God that we acquire and retain such information.  Furthermore, knowing the omniscient nature of God's knowledge is also pivotal to our pursuit of truth.  It is when we think we have all the answers that pride rears its ugly head on our path to success.  We exist, learn, succeed, fail, and act according to the will of the Lord.  He created all that pertains to this life, and our life to come (in our post mortal existence).  If we do not humbly submit ourselves to the fact that it is by and through God that we will know all things (eventually), we will never obtain the knowledge we seek.