What is the premise of Campbell and Esselstyn? Friday, Feb 24 2012

“Forks Over Knives” by Campbell and Esselstyn is a film that addresses one of the main issues of America today, healthcare. In today’s society, an alarming amount of citizens suffer from moderate to severe obesity. This is due to an increase of consuming fatty, oily, and fried foods. Fresh, healthy foods are becoming less and less common in American households because of the demand for more convenient, processed foods.  With this obesity comes other diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, clogged arteries, cancer, heart attacks, and strokes. What is more alarming is that the people who are developing these diseases are getting younger and younger. Those affected by such life threatening conditions are no longer being associated with just the older generations. They also are becoming dependent on a large number of medications in order to survive. Rising hospital costs and routine pharmacy visits has dramatically increased the costs of healthcare in this country. This is ultimately reducing the life span of the average American person.

In this film, Campbell and Esselstyn explain how they believe that they have found a way to prevent, treat, and in some cases reverse such diseases.  They believe that if you can eliminate eating animal based products from your diet, reduce the amount of junk food that you take in, and replace these foods with a plant based diet, you are almost guaranteed good health. While it may sound too good to be true, Campbell and Esselstyn have years of extensive research that they have performed to back up their conclusions. They have done studies in China and the United States, where they witnessed promising results. They also have real life examples of people who switched their diets to plant based products and that showed good, healthy progress. I enjoyed the piece of the film that we watched and I agree that their methods could help slow down the deaths and diseases associated with obesity

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why is it important to preserve traditions? Sunday, Feb 12 2012

A tradition is defined as a long-established action or pattern of behavior in a community or group of people, often one that has been handed down from generation to generation. Traditions are important because they are the foundations upon which communities are built and are what actually holds them together. They have a way of bringing people together, even strangers, and allows for a sense of community among others. I feel as though it is important to preserve traditional practices because essentially they bring out the uniqueness of different cultures. The foods we eat, the clothes we wear, and the beliefs that we practice are what make us who we are. Preserving traditions is also important because it is a must that such practices are passed down to the next generations. If we do not preserve the traditions, future generations will be missing important parts of their culture. Basically they will be lacking a piece of their history.

I appreciate that Dr. Vaz is doing her best to preserve the practices surrounding the St. Joseph Altar tradition in New Orleans. I feel as though this tradition is important to preserve in order to honor the ancestors of many New Orleanians. Growing up, I witnessed the tradition every year in elementary school. I remember being excited to get my bag of cookies, lucky bean, and St. Joseph prayer card. Although this tradition was so familiar to me, I never really knew the story behind this tradition. I also did not know how much time and preparation and people it takes in order to pull off these beautiful altars. Now that I learned the importance of such a wonderful tradition, I will make sure to pass down the information that I learned to my children to come. I will also be more appreciative of all of the items on the altar when St. Joseph’s Day arrives.

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What are your thoughts about Xavier and its mission after the first semester? Wednesday, Nov 16 2011

After being at Xavier for a semester, I have learned a lot about myself. I have realized that I had to tweak my study habits in order to maintain good grades. I have always had good study habits but when the work load started piling up, I had to discover a more efficient way to get my work done. I also found out that I need to manage my time better. In college, although you have fewer classes, all of the papers and the projects make up for that time. Sometimes I found myself debating whether or not to use my extra time to hang out with friends or to get some of my work done. I believe that I have been able to find a good balance between the two. I have also become more independent over these past few months. I am responsible for doing my laundry, waking myself up in the morning to go to class, and making sure that everything else is in order. I have also had the opportunity to make friends from all parts of the United States. I have learned a lot about other people’s culture and the way that they do things back at home. Overall, I am enjoying school so far.

 As far as the mission statement goes, I still completely agree with its meaning. My favorite part is still the part about making this world a more just and humane society. I feel like I am going to help live out this statement through my career as a teacher. I want to be able to touch lives and to make a difference in as many people lives as possible.  I feel like this part of the mission statement is truly something to live by. Ultimately, I think that Xavier is fulfilling this mission statement so far.

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What did you think of the book Fast Food Nation? Thursday, Nov 3 2011

When I found out that we had to read this book for Freshman Seminar, I thought it was going to be very boring. I thought that Schlosser was just going to bad mouth fast food chains and say why fast food is bad for you. As I began to read this book, however, I really found it to be interesting. It started off slow with the history of McDonald’s and the other fast food restaurants; however, it soon began to pick up. I was interested in how Schlosser talked about how fast food was made. I knew that the majority of the food was processed. I was unaware, however, that the taste of some of the foods is actually created in factories by mixing certain chemicals together. I also was unaware of all of the things that they add to the food in order to make it last longer. I was horrified by the conditions that many employees face in both the meatpacking industry and the fast food restaurant chains. It is sad how a number of large corporations take advantage of their employees, providing them with little to no benefits and trapping them in contracts that are meant to keep them entitled to the company. It was also disgusting how inhumane some of the meatpacking companies treated the animals before and during their slaughter. Ultimately, I feel like I learned a lot from this book. It definitely was not boring like I thought it would be, although it was a little long. In the end, I enjoyed reading it and I feel more aware of what really goes in behind the fast food industries. Reading this book did not change my opinion about eating fast food. I still think that it is fine to eat it every once in a while.

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How do automobiles and interstates play a role in spreading the fast food culture? Thursday, Nov 3 2011

Over the years, the influx of people using automobiles and the increase of interstate use have definitely played a role in spreading the fast food culture. Over the past sixty years or so, Americans have been on the go. Trying to balance busy work schedules and taking care of the kids increased Americans’ demand for food on the go. This prompted the creation of the drive-thru in major fast food chains. Drive-thrus provide fast and easy service to customers who are in a rush or who need their food fast. The establishment of drive-thrus made it more convenient for Americans on the go because they no longer have to sit and wait in restaurants for their meals.  They could just drive up in their car, place their order, and in less than ten minutes, receive their food. This ultimately made it easier for mothers who had careers to get food for their families if they did not have time to cook for them. The increase of interstate use has also made a major impact on the fast food industry. As interstates began popping up across the nation, fast food industries found it very profitable to build their restaurant chains along these highways. This proved to be quite successful because as people travel along the interstate, especially those who are traveling to different cities and states always need somewhere quick to get something to eat so that they could get back on the road in a timely manner. Establishing fast food restaurants along the interstate make it convenient for travelers because the restaurants are usually right there when you get off the interstate ramp and provide easy access for them to reach the ramp to get back onto the interstate. Both of these things really helped make fast food chains popular across the United States.

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Interview a Xavier senior about his/her thoughts on Xavier’s mission and blog about what they say Thursday, Oct 20 2011

Xavier University’s mission reads the following: “Xavier University of Louisiana, founded by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, is Catholic and historically Black. The ultimate purpose of the University is to contribute to the promotion of a more just and humane society by preparing its students to assume roles of leadership and service in a global society. This preparation takes place in a diverse learning and teaching environment that incorporates all relevant educational means, including research and community service.” I could not get in contact with a senior for their response to this statement. So, I interviewed a junior named Michelle. She said that as a freshman, this statement did not really mean anything to her. She said that over the course of her years at Xavier, however, she discovered its true meaning. Michelle believes that the mission statement means that Xavier University has made in an investment in the education of all of its students. Its goal is to provide a safe and productive learning environment for its students to fully reach their potential. She also stated that Xavier’s mission is to cater to the spiritual and emotional health of its students, in addition to their academic and social needs. She commented on how despite that Xavier is a Historically Black University, there is diversity that can be found among the students as well as the staff. This allowed her to meet a number of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds and helped her to accept the differences of people from different cultures. Her favorite part of the mission statement is the part that talks about promoting a more just and humane society. Michelle said that this is evident in the fact that Xavier stresses community service and giving back to those who are less fortunate.

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send an email to your favorite teacher at Xavier thanking them for their work, and post the text of the email in your blog. Thursday, Oct 20 2011

My favorite teacher would have to be Sr. Grace Mary Flickinger. She is my favorite teacher because she is very organized and she always comes to class prepared to teach us. She also makes the class fun by always cracking jokes and by providing real life examples of the material that she covers in order to help us to remember. Although she can be very strict at times, I know that she has our best interest at heart and that her main goal is to push us to reach our full potential. Biology also happens to be my favorite subject because I have always been interested in the way that our bodies work and the processes that go on inside them every day. This is the email that I sent to her:

                Dear Sr. Grace Mary, I am writing you this email because one of my assignments for my Freshman Seminar class is to email my favorite teacher, thanking them for all that they do. So I just want to thank you for being such a great teacher. Thank you for all of the time and energy that you put into making sure that we have everything we need to do well. Coming into this class, I was kind of nervous because I heard that this was a difficult class. You, however, do a good job of explaining the material and making yourself available if we have any questions; so the class is pretty easy as long as you pay attention in class and study. I am really enjoying this course because biology has always been one of my favorite subjects. Again, I just want to thank you for being such a wonderful teacher. One day I hope to serve as a role model for my students just as you serve as one for me.

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Do you think Katharine Drexel would be happy with Xavier today? Why or why not? Thursday, Oct 6 2011

Katharine Drexel was born on November 26, 1858 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Francis Anthony Drexel and Hannah Drexel. After her mother died shortly after she was born, her father married Emma Bouvier, who helped raise Katharine and her three sisters. Katharine came from a wealthy family and her parents always taught their children to use their wealth to help those in need. After taking a family trip to the Western part of the United States when she was a little girl, she recognized the injustices Native Americans faced. She also witnessed how racism affected the lives of African Americans as well. At the age of twenty-one, she began to contemplate about joining a religious order. At first she was scared and did not know what to do. After visiting Pope Leo XII, however, she discovered that her calling was to become a missionary and build schools and churches for Native Americans and African Americans. On February 12, 1891, Katharine took her vows as the founder and first sister of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Throughout her lifetime, she opened up over 60 schools, missions, and churches. She died on March 3, 1955. On October 1, 2000, Katharine Drexel was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II.   

            St. Katharine Drexel established Xavier University of Louisiana in 1917 as a school to prepare teachers. In 1925, it received its charter. I believe that St. Katharine Drexel would be extremely proud of Xavier University today. It is nationally recognized as the number one school in preparing African Americans to go to medical school.  This school provides a chance for African American students to be well rounded individuals both educationally and spiritually. Her vision for an equal opportunity of success for people of color is definitely evident in Xavier University. The school’s mission statement of creating a more just and humane society is exactly what St. Katharine Drexel envisioned.

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Does the author have a political agenda? Give examples to support your claim. Thursday, Oct 6 2011

                I do not believe that Schlosser had a political agenda in writing this book. I believe that he was just voicing his concerns about the way the fast food restaurants are operating in America. His concerns prompted him to do extensive research on the way these fast food chains operate and how they treat their employees. Some of the issues he discussed included the history of some of the popular fast food chains, mainly McDonalds, the marketing strategies these chains utilize in order to target young children and their families, how the food is made, the injustices that occur in the meat packing plants, and the average day of a fast food chain employee.  I think that his goal in writing the book was basically to inform people of all of the things that go on behind the scenes of these corporations.  I feel like his research was meant more to increase awareness among the American people about what really goes on in the factories and the kitchens of these restaurants instead of promoting a political agenda. I think that the only issue that he may have a political agenda for is the desperate need for reform in the meat packing industry. He provided a number of real life examples of how many of the immigrant workers are forced to work long hours in deplorable conditions and they often succumb to injuries that are not properly taken care of. He also describes how some of these plants get away with health inspections that do not adequately reflect the actual conditions of the factories. Although his argument about these issues was very strong, his overall purpose was not to demand action from the legislative system of the government.  I believe that his goal is to help Americans think twice about supporting the fast food chains.

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In the readings for last week, Schlosser writes about a man named Kenny. Write about someone you know who has suffered parallel misfortunes. Friday, Sep 23 2011

                In Fast Food Nation, Schlosser tells the story of Kenny Dobbins, an employee for the Monfort meat packing plant. He was a man that came from a rough family background and had been through a number of jobs in his past. While working at the meat packing plant, he experienced a number of serious injuries. Despite being in serious pain, he continued to work because he had a family and three children to support. After having back surgery, he returned to work and was restricted to light duties because of his injury. He experienced a number of other injuries, including being exposed to harmful chemicals, being hit by a train, breaking his leg, and having a massive heart attack. After he was recuperating from his heart attack, the company fired him without giving him any warning or notice. Kenny thought that after everything that he did for the company, that they would have been more considerate. Now, he is in very poor health and is struggling to support himself and his family.

                I do not know anyone who suffered similar misfortunes to those of Kenny. I know that my older cousin did, however, get injured on his job. He was repairing the roof of a church and fell right in front of the altar. As he was falling, he braced his arms in order to help break his fall. He broke his right arm and his ribs and he also had numerous fractures. I do not know for sure whether or not he fought with his insurance company or whether not he had any issues with his bosses at work. I do know, however, that he was lucky to be alive. I also know that it is going to take a long time before he can return back to work.

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