Amanda Rigby's blog

Celebrity
A celebrity that I admire is one that is not portrayed in a negative light in the media. Instead, she is a notable graceful, comical, and giving woman. Ellen Degeneres is a role model of mine. For more ways than one, she has the life of which I desire. Beginning as a comedian after dropping out of college, Ellen was named the funniest person in America. She now has her own television show, guest stars on many others, and has hosted the hit show American Idol. Ellen has also defied the odds and gone against the preferences of many by marrying a woman whom she loves. She lives happily with her in their California home.
Ellen is the epitome of a role model for anyone, man or woman. She is easily one of the most giving human beings on the planet. On her show alone, no studio audience member leaves empty handed and each show, Ellen gives back to a family or a person in need. Ellen supports animal shelters, cancer research, seeks to end poverty and homelessness, and numerous other forms of community service. Such ways of giving back is not only selfless but admirable. Unlike Ellen, I would like to begin and finish my college education. She has stressed how important such an education is. Through her, I have learned such a lesson. In my life, I have also begun to “pay it forward” where I try to be as selfless as I can be in order to help someone not as fortunate as myself. Ellen has been my role model in such a lifelong project. Her grace and self-sacrificing mannerisms are those that keep me level headed and sacrificial as well. A woman who has it all and still proves to be so selfless is a woman I aspire to one day be.

Facebook

The largest social networking website, Facebook, allows for a person to create a profile of themselves in which they can either allow or not allow those also on the site to see their activity, pictures, interests, relationship status, religious affiliation, etc. Facebook creates the ability to close gaps with old friends by means such as the “Friend Finder” and allows means of finding new friends with the simple entering of a name or email. Facebook also has forums for discussion, live chat or instant messaging, and the ever-so-popular newsfeed where one is able to see information and status updates on friends and networks while also being notified on birthdays and upcoming events.
As pleasing and simple as Facebook is, its features have been updated more and more to continue to satisfy the hundreds of millions of people on the website. Facebook allows one to update what they’re doing, who they’re with, or where they are. This allows for the friends of the updater to have a good idea as to what their friend, colleague, or family member, is doing. The presentation of one’s online self is usually not as true as it could be. People attempt to portray themselves as they wish to be seen. They try to become what they have been seen as in the eye’s of those they have received responses from in the past. Then, people present themselves to the website and wait for responses that they subconsciously desire.
Facebook allows for status updates which can occur as often or as little as one desires. When one updates a status, whether it be a thought, feeling, quote, statistic, etc., it is shared with the community they have created on the website. As soon as one creates their first status update, whether they are aware of it or not, the externalizing of their thoughts becomes more over thought. One develops a habit of thinking of how their ‘audience’ will view their status and instead of writing what first comes to mind, they ponder what to write in order to a) sound grammatically pleasing or b) personally pleasing to their ‘audience’.
The mistakes teenagers are making online appear within many of Facebook’s features such as photo uploads, status updates, and even Notes in which one can take a survey where tasteless answers can be revealed. Without thinking, they may upload pictures from the weekend’s party or events which can include images of things that could potentially bring about trouble. The advice I would give would be to keep such to a minimum, if at all. Facebook is public no matter how private one attempts to make it. With its features constantly updating, one is able to know not only what a person is doing or has done, but where and when it occurred. Facebook is also accessible by anyone ranging from parents, to teachers or college admissions directors. People in search of a job can be easily looked up and with the indecent things posted on their website, they can lose any chance of recognition. I believe Facebook should be kept as a place of simple communication but in doing so, one must proceed with caution.

Barbie doll empire. Good role model or not?
The tiny, usually blonde-haired Barbie doll that has become a familiar household item for young girls originated in 1916 in Denver, Colorado. The doll became a worldwide figurine in 1959 under its Matell label. The doll has found its way into the houses of most little girls, paralleling the G.I. Joe action figures for young boys. Since its origin, the doll has faced much controversy regarding its shape, ethnicity, clothing, and accessories. First, the shape of Barbie is unrealistic. If, in reality, the doll’s measurements were converted to that of a human being, she would be severely disproportionate and underweight. There is no diverse-sized Barbie. All are slim-waisted, have long legs, and long, shiny hair. They have faces of porcelain and simply portray a false image to little girls. Many young girls believe or strive to one day look like the Barbie they spent hours dressing up, but such an image is unhealthy and nearly impossible to obtain.
Secondly, Barbie comes with many accessories that are sold separately, but seen as necessary to a young girl. She has her own convertible, a “Dream House”, runways, a pool, and excessive amounts of clothing and shoes. This also gives an unrealistic idea of what one will one day obtain. Not all young girls will be given a convertible or one day live in a dream house with an elevator like Barbie did, nor will they have closets full of clothing and shoes with not enough days in the year to wear. Some Barbie dolls can speak and say “Do I have enough clothes?” Such accessories give a false portrayal of real life to young girls, with or without attempting to do so.
Finally, Barbie began and usually portrays a white, blonde, American girl. Only recently, over the past decade, have they been made to fit all types of people, black, white, Chinese, disabled, etc. Nowadays, it gives a more diverse range of ethnicities, but a few decades ago, the Barbie was strictly an American emblem.
Of course I played with Barbie dolls when I was younger. I had the “Dream House”, the convertible, bottomless closets of clothes and shoes. At the time, I was not aware of the controversial doll I was playing with but this is true for all young girls. Girls who play with Barbie are not looking to rebel against society, prove to be racist, or unrealistic with such dolls. To them, they are simply toys to dress up, dress down, and pass the time with.

I would like to say thank you to those who sacrifice their lives daily for my own and those around me. Such courage is beyond admirable. Thank you for your bravery and perseverance. It takes such a large amount of audacity to do what you do every day. I could not be more thankful for people like you with such big hearts preserving our free country. Besides praise, I would like to wish you luck in all that you do. Come home safely, we’re rooting for you.

Life 101
I strongly agree with the notion that what is learned inside the classroom does not prepare one for the outside world. Though it may be true that school and education should be one of a person’s main priorities, what is taught is not what is essentially necessary to everyday life. What defines life are its relationships, lessons, and experiences that make up a single individual. Life 101 would first teach the fundamentals of relationships: what it should provide, include, experience, etc. The course would explore meanings of relationships, how they begin, how they may end. It would prepare and investigate limitations, experiences, feelings, and possible outcomes. Such a lesson would be beneficial for a person because relationships are part of people. We are social human beings and relationships are part of our nature.
A second lesson taught in Life 101 would be the defining and better understanding of words and phrases that I believe are misused today. Words and phrases such as ‘love’, ‘hate’, ‘I love you’, ‘I’m going to kill you’, etc., are thrown around and have lost their meaning. I think there should be a lesson on defining such words, exploring their true meanings and uses, and then practice of putting them into place. Such words should only be used in certain situations and circumstances and today, they are not.
A third lesson in Life 101 would be a lesson on being on your own. While going through elementary and secondary school, one is taught the basics of science, mathematics, English, and grammar. They are not taught how to live in the real world; a world full of judgment, competition, detestation, and many other feelings and events that range in significance. Learning to be on one’s own is a necessary lesson to life. One should be able to have knowledge of how to do taxes, pay bills, open credit cards, handle a declined credit card, make food, do laundry, etc. The simple, necessary basics of life have shockingly been proven to be unknown to many people. In a fast paced world, those unaware of how to survive on their own will not prevail.
Finally, I think Life 101 would entail a course on happiness, trauma, and psychology. The course would define the three terms and go deeper exploration of such. It would teach how to achieve, work towards, and manage happiness and trauma. Learning psychology would allow one to explore their minds and psyche, giving them a better insight on their feelings, thoughts, dreams, etc. This would be beneficial in creating a better-rounded human being, one who is aware of themselves, their wants, needs, and desires. Those independent people are those needed in the world.

Texting and IMing have surely grown within the past decade. It is uncommon to not have one or the other. In ways, texting and IMing are a great source of communication. It allows one to correspond with another without the use of the telephone and also in a faster, more convenient way. With a suitable plan, texting and IMing can also be inexpensive. Such forms of communication also allow more than one conversation to take place at a time. On the other hand and opposing side, texting and IMing have been proven to be more of a distraction than anything. The assessment of the change in social patterns, speech, writing, and reading has been continually tested. Those from MIT who posted the article on technologyreview.com believe texting and IMing are “raising the value of reading in our society, both as an economic and as a social activity." In ways, texting is allowing people to talk more and even physically write more. On the other hand, some argue the language and lingo used through text and IM. It is common to see abbreviated and shortened words. Those are good for quickly getting a message across but not for proper learning. I believe as one continues to write with such lingo, it will become second nature to them. Therefore, in and out of the classroom, the improper lingo is being used. This has lead to a new found emphasis on reading and writing, especially in kids and teens. Though such technology is allowing people to read more, improper language, abbreviation, and punctuation are popping up now more than ever before. I do not believe there is a way in which texting could be incorporated into the classroom in order to change and teach proper ways of spelling and grammar. I think kids already know how to properly spell, write, and talk but are now accustomed to doing so in a simplified manner in which they cannot break themselves from.
Some also argue that texting subconsciously teaches a person to multi-task. In a way, this is true. When one is texting, talking to someone in person and/or listening to someone speak, they are, in a way, multi-tasking. I believe it should be referred to as attention shifting. When one is doing the following actions at the same time, their brain is focusing on only one of the particular happenings. Though they may hear or see things around them, such things fall into the background and become nothing but noise or movement. One is not able to focus fully on more than one thing, despite what they may think. A person is, however, able to shift their attention from one thing to another which they may falsely perceive as multi-tasking.

Cheating ranges from acts of ‘sharing another’s work to purchasing a term paper or test questions in advance, to paying another to take a test or do the work’. The glass-castle website made known the statistics of the widespread cheating epidemic. The website stated that 80% of the country’s best students cheated to get to the top of their class. At the same time, 95% of those who cheated said they were not caught and over half of those people do not believe cheating is an offense. In today’s society of fast-paced, competitive human beings, cheating has become more likely and popular. Today, educated people seek to be the best of their class, job, or position for personal or financial benefits. Many believe being at the top, or the best, grants one the best status, the best bragging rights, etc. People will do practically anything it takes to be in such a high position.
Cheating is extremely prevalent among Bishop Connolly, as it is in every other school. Because it is easy to share and copy homework or test answers, it has become the norm. Students rarely do their own homework and if they do, most of the time it is shared with others. I don’t know if there is a sure-fire way to eliminate cheating mainly with the advances in technology in today’s world. It is easy to text or email homework or answers to another person and doing so is usually always a private matter.
Cheating is a way to get to the top. It is an easy solution to laziness and proves a lack of focus or goals. Because almost everything relies on getting good grades, students are doing whatever it takes to get into the colleges that are only proving to be more competitive. Unfortunately, those who have cheated their way through high school will most likely prove unable to focus or succeed in college because of their previous habits. Even after graduation from college, one’s performance will be tested and put against others, maybe those who did not cheat their way through school. The lazy decisions of one’s past will become more apparent in comparison within the business world. If one continues to cheat through college and receives a degree, who knows what kind of person we are putting in a doctor, dentist, businessman, or congressman’s position, those who will eventually work on or for us.

Cheating
Cheating is ranges from acts of ‘sharing another’s work to purchasing a term paper or test questions in advance, to paying another to take a test or do the work’. The glass-castle website made known the statistics of the widespread cheating epidemic. The website stated that 80% of the country’s best students cheated to get to the top of their class. At the same time, 95% of those who cheated said they were not caught and over half of those people do not believe cheating is an offense. In today’s society of fast-paced, competitive human beings, cheating has become more likely and popular. Today, educated people seek to be the best of their class, job, or position for personal or financial benefits. Many believe being at the top, or the best, grants one the best status, the best bragging rights, etc. People will do practically anything it takes to be in such a high position.
Cheating is extremely prevalent among Bishop Connolly, as it is in every other school. Because it is easy to share and copy homework or test answers, it has become the norm. Students rarely do their own homework and if they do, most of the time it is shared with others. I don’t know if there is a sure-fire way to eliminate cheating mainly with the advances in technology in today’s world. It is easy to text or email homework or answers to another person and doing so is usually always a private matter.
Cheating is a way to get to the top. It is an easy solution to laziness and proves a lack of focus or goals. Because almost everything relies on getting good grades, students are doing whatever it takes to get into the colleges that are only proving to be more competitive. Unfortunately, those who have cheated their way through high school will most likely prove unable to focus or succeed in college because of their previous habits. Even after graduation from college, one’s performance will be tested and put against others, maybe those who did not cheat their way through school. The lazy decisions of one’s past will become more apparent in comparison within the business world. If one continues to cheat through college and receives a degree, who knows what kind of person we are putting in a doctor, dentist, businessman, or congressman’s position, those who will eventually work on or for us.

I think it would be unnecessary if the drinking age was lowered. I believe people do not reach full maturity at the age of eighteen, nor at twenty-one. People all mature differently and have different lifestyles. Such differences could affect the use and or abuse of alcohol. I see lowering the drinking age as unnecessary because it is still obtainable at any age, despite what officials think. The drinking age is different in other countries but it has become a custom there. Here, if it were to be lowered to eighteen like it is in other countries, the people are not used to such a change and would prove unable to handle such a drastic change. In countries such as Italy, kids are accustomed to alcohol. It is not viewed as it is here in America which is why it should not be given to those under twenty-one. In America, alcohol affects the lives of too many people. Though the numbers may not differ greatly in other countries, too many acts of violence and death have occurred due to alcohol alone in the United States. The fact remains that the legalization of alcohol to younger youth would be an unnecessary change in a society that does not need any more reasons for violence or death.

During my senior year, I would like to accomplish things not only within my school, but outside of school and within myself. To begin, I would like to achieve good grades throughout the four quarters of my senior year. I would also like to continue the relationship I have formed with my friends and teachers. Outside of school, I wish to continue the community service I have been doing for the past month until the end of my senior year. Working with the children at Holy Trinity school is rewarding and brings me a new sense of patience and understanding. For myself, I would like to continue learning more about myself along with the people and world around me.