…St Joseph’s altars might play a role in the promotion of a just and humane society? Sunday, Jan 15 2012

The altar of St. Joseph was  based on the tradition of thanksgiving, promise and petition. The St. Joseph’s altar  might play a role in the promotion of a more just and humane society  because St. Joseph was graced with obedience, faithfulness, patience, and justice, with are all amicable qualities. If every human possessed these qualities the world would definitely be a more humane and just society. If every family put as much pride and effort in their everyday lives as the did with preparing the altars the world would be filled with joy. The altars would not only represent Abbondonza but the people in our society would. If everyone participated in the St. Joseph’s altars the “labor of love” would continue to bring families and communities together. Many people pray to St. Joseph for the protection of their husbands, brothers, and sons. In a more just and humane society we would also pray to St. Joseph for the protection of our neighbors and strangers. St. Joseph’s altars are about the blessings of faith, hope, and love. this is what our society should be about.

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Memorable food tradition Sunday, Jan 15 2012

Before my older sister and older cousins went off to college, Fourth of July was a big thing for my family. Now that everyone is grown, everyone suddenly has a life and the tradition of having a big block party has dwindled down to being just a small family gathering where the kids who have now evolved into young adults occasionally stop by the house to get a plate of barbeque and carry on with their lives. A block party consists of food, music, family and the neighbors family. Also people from all over the neighborhood are invited and we would gather on one block and have a nice gathering. we would block off the street to any cars. my family always made the barbeque and our neighbors would also cook or set up tables. every year there was a bounce house for the children. at night we would clear the street and light up our fireworks along the entire block and have a huge firework show. Fourth of July was always the best holiday.

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What are your thoughts about Xavier and its mission after your first semester? Tuesday, Nov 8 2011

I don’t know how I feel about Xavier. I definitely have mixed emotions. The social aspects of this school suck. I feel like I’m at a retirement home. This campus is so dead. There’s nothing exciting that happens. If there is well then I keep missing it. This i definitely not the full college experience I was expecting. This is more like a continuation of high school. I jut don’t understand sometimes why this school is so lame. There is no excitement. I definitely came here with high hopes and I took a big chance getting here an everyday I feel like I’m being disappointed. I don’t think the administration understands that college is not just books. They are so focused on the mission and worried about their reputation that they are neglecting the fact that we are humans not robots. We need to socialize and interact with the community. why do we have a curfew? Why are we being caged up and treated like we committed a crime and deserve to be in bed by 12! Honestly I feel like I’m being robbed. At first I couldn’t see why a lot of people transfer from this institution but now it’s pretty clear. The only thing that keeps me from going completely insane is the academics. That is one thing that Xavier has succeeded at. However, i truly feel that the administration thinks that people are doing academically well because they have us on a leash. when in fact that just builds resentment. if we are allowed to be grown ups we should be able to take the responsibility of our actions if we start to slip on our schoolwork because we can’t handle the freedom. let us be responsible for ourselves don’t just assume that things are better for us with all these ridiculous rules. I also hate the fact we have to swipe. Xavier has given me no money to attend here so why the FE policy. Xavier cannot stop giving me government funding and the outside scholarship i received. I find that absolutely ridiculous. I’m obviously going to go to class because i wanted to make something of myself. don’t hold the fact that i need to swipe over my head so you can control me. There is nothing at this school to make a sane human being want to come back but the classe and truthfully the only thing helpful about the science classes are the module system. There are no activities at this school. Where are the liberal people ? where is the football team? where is real meal plan? where is the college? the only social building is the uc. that must be a joke. i have mixed emotions about this school because i don’t want to hate it but Xavier is losing me.

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What did you think of the book Fast Food Nation? Monday, Nov 7 2011

Fast Food Nation was interesting. It was dragged out a little bit, however I have a different perspective about the fast food industry. So it has served its purpose. I like the fact that schlosser didn’t outright say don’t eat fast food because he knew that wouldn’t work. instead he simply explained what exactly we were eating. This book had its ups and downs with me. Sometimes its was interesting and i didn’t want to put it down like when i would read the stories about kelly and other people. at other times i felt it was boring and i didn’t want to pick it up. i definitely think twice about getting fast food which is what i think schlosser wanted from his audience, he just wants us to think before we buy. overall, this was a good read.

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How do automobiles and interstates play a role in spreading the fast food culture? Monday, Nov 7 2011

Automobiles and interstates play a huge role in spreading the fast food culture. America is a fast food nation and most Americans have automobiles. Automobiles make it easier for Americans to travel to fast food restaurants. All fast food restaurants have drive-thrus. People like things that are convenient and sure enough drive-thrus are more than convenient. With out cars people would not feel as though they needed to eat fast food as much because they would have a tougher time getting there and would prefer to stay home and eat home cooked food because that would be convenient. there is a fast food restaurant along every interstate. truckers and travelers must stop to get something to eat. again drive- thrus are very convenient to road travelers because the have to reach a destination and can stay on schedule. as long as people have cars and there are interstates there will be fast food.

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favorite xavier professor Monday, Nov 7 2011

my favorite xavier professor is my math teacher mrs. caitlin klimas. this is what i said to her.

For my freshmen seminar class, I had an assignment to write to my favorite teacher. At first when I received this assignment I thought to myself, “how can you have a favorite teacher in college?” However, after thinking about it, I realize that you are my favorite professor. Attending your class five days a week has definitely changed my perception of college professors. I want to let you know how much I appreciate you, not just as an instructor but as a person. I can tell that you actually care for your students and want them to succeed and that this is not just a job. You take the time to explain and make sure the class understands the material. You don’t have a “if you get it, great! if you don’t well…that sucks” attitude like some of my professors. I won’t name any names. I laugh and joke in your class because I truly enjoy it. I will always remember you as the professor who kept me interested in math. I usually get tired of the subject and give up but ironically being in your class five days a week has made me enjoy math. Thank you for being a wonderful person.

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Does the author have a political agenda? Friday, Oct 7 2011

I believe that Schlosser did have a political agenda when he wrote Fast Food Nation. A Political Agenda is “a set of policies or issues to be addressed or pursued by an individual group; also, a set of underlying motives for a political party.” On the surface schlosser appeared to be talking about the rapid growth of fast food restaurants and the dramatic changes in the diets of Americans. However he was expressing disgusts at the corporations that mistreat workers and the factories that allow tainted meat to be sent out and eaten by the people who are essentially paying them.

Schlosser wanted to expose the injustices of meat packing factories that package tainted meat, hide high injury rates, and hire highly unqualified and uneducated individuals to do jobs that are dangerous. He wanted to expose how the workers of fast food restaurants are disposable and over worked and underpaid. He also wanted to expose the way farmers are mistreated  and often left to deal with huge amounts of debt. Schlosser also wanted to show how organizations that helped regulate health in the food industry were forced to stop surprise visits to factories and were forced to fire workers due to the lack of government funding. Schlosser didn’t just say that government funds were cut. He went into detail about government officials receiving a profit from big meat corporations to keep their factories open under any circumstances.

Schlosser wrote Fast Food nation with the hopes that people will join him to take a stand against these injustices. He knows that it is difficult to get people to stop eating fast food. That’s the reason why that isn’t his goal. He said himself that his favorite meal is still burgers and fries. His goal is to get people to be aware of what they eat and the what goes on in factories. If more people are aware then they will be willing to take a stand.

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Would Katherine Drexel be happy with Xavier today? Thursday, Oct 6 2011

Katherine Drexel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 26, 1858. She became a nun, and took the name Sister Katherine, dedicating herself and her inheritance to Native Americans and African-Americans. She was a vocal advocate of racial tolerance. She also financed more than 60 missions and schools around the United States, and founded Xavier University of Louisiana.

I believe Katherine Drexel would be happy with Xavier today. Xavier’s mission is to “contribute  to a more just and humane society by preparing 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.” This institution isn’t your average hbcu. There are strict rules and regulations that one must abide by in order to protect Xavier’s image. Xavier was founded by a woman who cared for the lives and education of minorities. Xavier still cares about educating minorities and having them succeed in life. this school is notorious for sending the most african American students to medical school. Katherine Drexel would be extremely proud to hear that.

Also Xavier contributes to community service, which is what Katherine Drexel based her life upon. She would be proud to see that after so many years her institution has people who still carry out her mission and believe in the same things she did. Katherine Drexel helped out an abundance of people in her lifetime. The countless students that have graduated from Xavier and succeeded in life would also make katherine Drexel proud. Katherine Drexel is looking over Xavier and is watching the constant improvements and the dedication of the students and staff. If she were hear today she would recognize and show appreciation for everyone here that is fulfilling her mission and keeping her dream alive.

 

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In the readings for last week Schlosser writes about a man named Kenny… Thursday, Sep 29 2011

Schlosser writes about a loyal worker named Kenny. Kenny had a rough life and basically dedicated it to the big meat corporations although they treated him horribly. kenny was lied to by the company doctors and sent back to work while he was still injured. he was being demoted at his job even though he was the one worker who put in the most work. his situation shows how much or how less the companies care about their workers. kenny is now living in a terrible condition and is unable to get any job. he cannot provide for his family and feels useless. i don’t know anyone who has suffered parallel misfortunes like kenny but i know someone who is as loyal as kenny. my aunt is a medical doctor and she has medical problems of her own. she is lucky that she has the ability to take care of herself but she often has seizures and needs the help of someone else. she’s been having seizures her whole life and thinks of it as a part of life. even with her condition she refuses to give up her career. she is too loyal to her patients, especially her cancer patients. even with all the stress of her job she finds it hard to retire. she would rather kill herself than to pass off her patients to another doctor. she has been practicing medicine for a long time so she feels as if she can’t do anything else with her life. she also has body pains and i know that one day the pain will become unbearable just like kenny. however, there is no way to deter her away from her passion. i know when the day comes for her to retire she will feel useless but just like kenny her day of peace will come.

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what is your favorite class at Xavier? Saturday, Sep 17 2011

My favorite class at Xavier has to be English. I love being able to tell and create stories. Also, english gives me the ability to communicate with my audience. Writing is a wonderful form of expression and it is also very important language to learn. I always thought it was important to speak properly and learn the basics of the English language. Out of all the subjects english is the most free. of course thee are guidelines like grammatical errors and the proper use of conjunctions, however its less stressful than math or a science. With science, such as chemistry,  you have to be very precise in order to get the right solution. In a math class  there is only one possible answer to a problem. once you make a mistake on a step the whole answer is wrong. With english, all you have to do is prove your point. you can persuade anybody to agree with your decision. English is the best subject because it allows people to express themselves.

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