January 29, 2004

Bernice...NO!!!! MARJORIE!!!

Ok. Usually I don't comment on the outcome of classes for the day, but today's Intro to Lit class was absolutely insane! For those of you who aren't in the class we were discussing the short story "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" by F. Scott Fitzgerald and who was the stronger character, Bernice or Marjorie.

The class began like any other class we have had since the beginning of the semester. We passed in our homework and Dr. Jerz split us up into three groups by counting in threes and in these groups we discussed the questions placed on the board. Well, in my group it was a little bit lop sided because three of our member (who shall remain nameless) had not read the story, however those of us who had discussed the topics and gave our group mates a chance to catch up a bit. We made some very interesting points and I was really pleased as to the way the conversation was progressing.

Well, as all good things must come to an end so did this small group time and here is where the class starts to heat up a bit. Our little groups were now to discuss with the whole class what we had talked about in the group. Dr. Jerz decided to start off by asking the question , "Who was the stronger character? What are some of the qualites Bernice and Majorie displayed?" (Sorry Dr. Jerz if I mess up that question.)

It was a heated debate to say the least. Jason Pugh and Karissa Kilgore started off with their opposing views on the subject. Jay believed that Majorie was the stronger, however Karissa believed that it was Bernice. I happen to agree with Jay on this one, but others in the class were highly opposed. I can barely remember what was said on either side except that both sides had strong arguments, and by the end of the class Dr. Jerz had to quickly cut off the debate as anger began to come alive in the friendly class discussion.

If you ask some people that were in the class what they thought, some might say that they were frightened, as most did say during class. Others might tell you that it was the best class they had ever had. Myself...I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!! Even though I didn't get to finish a lot of what I had to say because of the stronger willed and more verbal students in the class, I was completely engrossed in the debates for both sides. By the end of the class I still believed that Marjorie was the stronger willed, but I have had a lot to think about in defense to Bernice. She wasn't quite the whiner I made her out to be. I can say that I am looking forward to more classes of this nature. I had an amazing time last semester in my EL 250 class with Dr. Lynn Conroy, and today's lesson reminded me a lot about that class. When leaving I felt incredibly drained, but enriched in a way too because I know that this is only the first in many classes like it.

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 7:13 PM | Comments (3)

January 28, 2004

Flash Fiction?

"How in the heck do you write good fiction in fifty words?" one may ask. Well for the answer to that question I read an interview in which Dr. Arnzen explained "Flash Fiction". The basic idea is that Flash Fiction is a short story written in 50 worlds or less. I myself couldn't believe that it was possible to do so until I read some of this 50 word prose.

Flash (or Sudden) Fiction seems to me more like poetry than anything else. I agree with Dr. Arnzen when he said that it was more like a haiku than anything else. A haiku poem is really a short poem, and Sudden Fiction is a shorter form of a short story. Haiku and poetry is more of what I like to write. I can't say whether or not I would do well writing this type of genre. It seems incredibly difficult to fit in everything I want to say in less than 50 words. I mean come on now, those of you that know me know I am long winded in everything that I say.

It was also said in Dr. Arnzen's interview that Sudden Fiction is an excellent form of fiction for the internet and here again I agree with him. I know for a fact that there are people in my dorm that highly dislike it when a professor gives them a long article they need to read from the internet for their next class. No one likes to just sit at a computer and read. Not myself of couse. I am a HUGE fan of reading fan fiction for some of my favorite tv shows, but then again I am an English major.

See my problem with sudden fiction is the fact that you have to read into it to understand what the author is trying to portray. For instance, this sudden fiction appeared on the tangets web site for fifty word fiction:

The artist adopts a paving stone, perhaps on his street. On a regular basis he uses this site as a canvas or page to write, inscribe, act upon or use as a place to abandon some object upon. He fulfils this contract but is eventually arrested as a suspected terrorist.

© Simon Persighetti 2001

What is the author trying to say? Is he saying that the artist was drawing or writing things that would make police suspect him for a terrorist?

For me there is too much to be left for the imagination.

I would love to hear what the rest of you think on this subject.

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 7:53 PM | Comments (2)

Oscar Nominations have arrived!

Ok. So for those of you who know me this will not come as a shock that I am writing this entry. I was looking at the Lord of the Rings site this morning only to discover that the Oscar nominations had come out and that my favorite book/movie has recieved 11 nominations!!!!! The best part about it is that it was finally nominated for Best Picture. Hopefully this will be the year for the cast and crew to finally get the recognition they deserve. Just a side note: I was flipping threw the channels on TV last night and I heard one critic say that if LOTR doesn't win for Best Picture the LA Riots are going to look like preschool compared to the riots over this, and I have to say that I agree!

Another note. Recently the movie recieved four Golden Globe awards, including Best Motion Picture-Drama. Hopefully the Oscar people will follow the lead.

Other nominations for the Oscars were:

Master and Comander: The Far Side of the World - 9 nominations
Cold Mountain - 7 nominations
Mystic River and Seabiscuit - 6 nominations
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl - 5 nominations

For more information go to Oscars.com

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 10:48 AM | Comments (2)

January 27, 2004

Ahh, the snow is soo beautiful!

Today we actually had our first real snow storm. I had heard upperclassmen talk about how beautiful it is when it snows on campus, but I never thought it would be like this. If you look past the graveyard into the hills on campus it looks like the perfect winter wonderland outside. It's so peaceful and calm that I detest the snow plows coming through clearing away snow from the parking lot. Oh! Plus classes were cancelled for today. That completely rocks!

Enjoy the snow while it lasts!

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 2:30 PM | Comments (3)

January 26, 2004

Am I a "Goofy"?

Ok. So I was bored and searching the NMJ site for something interesting to read when I came across Mike Rubino's Entry Am I a "Goofy"?
If you go to Seton Hill I would highly suggest this article for a bit of amusement on the background of our beloved mascot the Griffin.

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 11:45 AM | Comments (1)

January 25, 2004

Poetry in the Blogs

Wow! I used to be the only one posting my poetry and now I have a ton of friends in on it with me! I love the fact that I can now read what others write. Here are a few bloggers sharing my passion:

Sue Myers
Amanda Cochran
Stephan Puff

Hope you enjoy their poetry as much as I do!

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 11:58 AM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2004

Trust

I'm starting to see now what my friend CJ has been trying to get me to see for a long time. I trust to easily and open my heart too soon.

Trust

Trust is a might splendorous thing,
It's the music made when the bells of true friendship and love ring.
But, what is one to do when the bells have been broken?
How is one to deal with the pain being awoken?
The thrust of a sword through a heart,
Or the hands of deceivers slowly tearing one apart?
Then again when the bells are allowed to toll,
The happiness is full and consumes even the darkest of souls.
The protection that stems from the never ending trust,
Is allowed to blossom and love will never begin to rust.
And in the heart the soul is ever growing,
With hope that one has found something worth owning.
Another day brings into one's life and home,
More choices to make or to be left to roam.
Life has its own funny little ways,
Of making things easier or harder for days.
These are the things one must consider,
In placing their trust either hither or thither.

By me

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 1:59 AM | Comments (3)

January 19, 2004

Did she or didn't she?

I know that there has been a lot of contraversy over whether or not the narrator killed herself at the end of the Yellow Wallpaper among my classmates. Personally, I'm not sure what to think of the story.

The thing that stood out the most to me in the story was not the fact that the narrator supposed went mad, but the way it was written in the first person. I liked the fact that it felt to me as if I was reading her diary. The fact that I could see what she was saying in her own way instead of hearing it through the author as a third person helped me to understand her mind set better.

The big reason for the narrator's mental state was her husband. It seemed to me that John didn't care about what happened to his wife. Had he cared, he would have been around more instead of always off helping others and leaving the narrator alone in the room with the yellow wallpaper. Also, if he cared, wouldn't one think that John would appease the narrator's wish to have a room on one of the lower floors in the house. Also, he would have encouraged her to help out in the house to the best of her ability instead of staying in the room all the time as it seemed to me.

The room the narrator was in also added to her problems and the fact that she was alone for so long. I know myself that when I am sick I love to have visitors because I go insane by myself. It is only natural that she go insane sitting in a room with yellow wallpaper. Its such an insane feeling being along when you are sick, especially when you are in a room you don't really care for. I have no idea how people that are constantly sick and in a hospital bed are able to handle it and still keep their sanity...I know that I would go insane, just like the narrator with the yellow wallpaper!

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 6:39 PM | Comments (3)

January 18, 2004

Newest Poetry

Hey everyone. For those of you interested in my poetry, here are a couple that I have written for my away messages...Enjoy!

Hidden Love

Up in the sky with the hidden stars
My love awaits behind thick bars
I see the ending of life without you
The lines of love have been cued
My heart is ready and my mind is strong
Dear God please let me not be wrong
Guide me with stars shining bright
Light my path to Mr. Right
When you are ready to start our life
I'll be waiting to become your wife

Sweet Dreams

Dreams come to me in my sleep
I wish for dreams so very deep
Bring to me a thought of you
May one day my dreams come true!

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 1:28 AM | Comments (4)

January 17, 2004

Late Night Blues

Ok. So it's now 1 in the morning and I am so wide awake it isn't even funny. You know how awesome it is to be on campus at 1 in the morning doing crazy stuff. Like meeting strage men! lol...jk.....I hate Fridays. I really do! But then again it is Saturday now! Oh well! Laters all!

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 1:09 AM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2004

WELCOME!!!!

I just wanted to welcome all the new bloggers into the world of blogging. The blogging experiance is what you make of it. There are many people in the SHU blogging community that have excellent ways of using their blogs to express themselves and their academics.

Let me start off by thanking Julie Young for her presentation today on how to use your "academic blog". Even though I have been blogging for a while, I learned things in the presentation that I haven't really been doing. All the points made today in class are very valid points and things that as a blogger one should make sure they do.

Karissa Kilgore also has a few excellent ideas on how to get the most out of your blog. I like to visit Karissa's blog often because of her ideas on different subjects. Her entries are very well documented with links and other things to help her readers along the way. Not only does Karissa have fun with her blog, she likes to help people too! She helped me over the break to make my blog look so much more interesting by posting this entry in her blog for me.

Then you have those that like to make their passions the openers to their entries. My friend Diana Geleskie likes to open each of her entries with a quote. She said something to me today after class along the lines of "if I find a really good quote, I find myself figuring out a good blog entry to go along with it." One of my favorites is her entry on her friends from home and how they all are changing. Another reason I like to go to Diana's blog is that she and I share a passion for Lord of the Rings. Her entry on Return of the King is awesome and shows that not only text can be placed in the blog.

Then you have the debating that can take place in the blogging world when opinions collide. Amanda Cochran and Paul Crossman are prime examples of this. All last semester the two of them would discuss different points through their blogs and started discussions that would have otherwise been boring without both their input. I enjoy reading both of their blogs. They both have awesome ideas about the world and are both incredibly passionate about what they like and dislike.

I hope that my look into the blogging community has helped you to see what the different ways of using you blog can be. Please don't limit yourselves to just putting your homework online and leaving it at that. Use your blog to put poetry out on the web. Use it to express how you feel about things going on in Hollywood, such as recently released movies or movies to be released. I know that you were warned today to be careful of what you put in you blog, but if you really feel strongly about something, post it! Maybe someone feels the same way. Sometimes a little bit of venting through your blog goes a long way. Trust me, I know!

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 2:46 PM | Comments (1)

Brr...

I love the snow! I like to watch it and love the way it looks when it just blankets the ground. I don't hpwever enjoy when there is bitter cold to go with it. Being from Pennsylvania I know what it's like to be cold, however the last couple of winters it has been rather warm and now we have been hit with temperatures in the single digits. I think Mother Nature is trying to account for the recent winters and mild temperatures. Oh well.

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 1:03 PM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2004

Back and busier than ever!

Hey everyone! I am sooo happy to be back. I most definitely believe that a month is way too long! I think that my brain went into a kind of hybernation mode. I got back here and I just can't seem to process any thought! lol! Has anyone felt the same way? Well, this semester should be busy and yet intellecually stimulating.

I have Dr. Jerz's Introduction to Literary Study class. The list of books is mind boggling. http://the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/ As You Like It, Koch and Farrell's Sleeping on the Wing: An Anthology of Modern Poetry with Essays on Reading and Writing, Treadwell's Machinal, Miller's Death of a Salesman, Edson's Wit: A Play, and Stephenson's The Diamond Age. I know that there are people who look at classes like this as boring and incredibly trying, but I am hoping to make this class into something that I will remember for my future as a teacher.

I have two education classes too. The first, Teaching Strategies with Dr. Gray promises to be an amazing eye opener into the profession. As much as I hate to say it, I know that I might have trouble here. I think what scares me the most about it is the fact that he will be giving us straight forward comments on our performance in the class. I have never taken constructive criticism very well. I know in the long run it will help me, but it still scares me all the same. The other education class is my class for special education. I'm really looking forward to this because I have several friends that have benefited from this program. I'm also hoping to learn something from this class that I can use to help my aunt. She is mentally hadicapped, and I just hope that I can understand a bit more about how she grew up.

My last two classes are a math course and a psyhcology class. These classes are hopefully going to help me with areas I am not very interested in. I have always been fearful of mathematics, but I'm really interested in Accounting for some reason. Who knew? As far as psyhc goes...I have never really had a class or any kind of involvement with the subject. Who knows what I am going to think of it?

Well I think I have bored you all for long enough. Have a happy semester.

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 12:20 AM | Comments (2)

January 10, 2004

The ever changing plans

So. My friend Andrew Axtell and I decided that he was going to come in to Pittsburgh the weekend before the semester started and stay with me so that we could hang out before school. All seemed to be going well until his parents told him that he wasn't coming back this semester. When he told me and the rest of our friends we were all like OH NO!!!! That can't happen. Andrew agreed and had many conversations with his parents over the break that finally resulted in his being allowed to come back.

Now that background is done here is what has happened in the mode of plans for his arrival. He was first supposed to arrive yesterday at around 11 at night. Well, apparently something happened and he called me earlier this week and said that he was now coming in on Saturday and asked if that would be a problem. Being the friend that I am I said that it wouldn't be. Little did I know the trouble that would arise from this little escapade.

Andrew called me at 2pm this afternoon from our friend Cara's cell phone saying that he had missed his bus in Erie and they were speeding down I-79 in an attempt to catch the bus. Apparently there is a longer story from this caper than I can tell now because I don't know all the details, but the gist of it is that they passed several police officers that would have most likely pulled them over had they been on the right side of the road. Well, upon arrival at the next stop Andrew's bus was supposed to make they discovered that they had really missed it. Andrew called me again from this stop and decided that now was the right time to tell me that he had missed his bus from his hometown this morning too. So here is me thinking that Andrew is going to be stranded in the middle of no man's land because he missed his bus for a laundry list of reasons. However, Cara came to the rescue and decided that she would drive him into Cranberry and we could pick him up from there.

Let this be a lesson to all that plans are NEVER concrete no matter how solid they seem at the time!

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 11:47 PM | Comments (2)

January 7, 2004

World Trade Center Memorial

In an article posted by the Washington Post it appears that the competition for the memorial site on Ground Zero has come to a close. The design chosen was only one of more than 5,000 at the beginning of the competition. As with all things there is a good reaction and bad reaction. I can't honestly say how I feel on the subject because I didn't see the other 5,000 or so entries into the competition, but I can say that I feel that the memorial site should be made for the families of the vicitims of Sept. 11.

The families of the victims seem to have a real problem with the design that was chosen. I guess what I am trying to say is that if the families aren't happy, I'm not happy. I'm sure that the design chosen was an excellent design, but isn't there any way that the families can get what they want while the contractors can still have their basic design. Isn't there any way that they could incorporate the significant pieces of Sept 11 into the design of the site? Well that's all I have to say, but what about you?

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 12:58 AM | Comments (5)

Back to School

Ah those lovely words heard usually around the time of fall. Back to School. They just sound wonderful don't they? Well it seems that I am not the only one eager to return to SHU on Sunday. Karissa and Amanda as well are urging to return. It's not just the fact that now I will have something to occupy my time with (school work mainly), but also the fact that now I will be able to talk to friends that are also single. Let's just say it has been a rough break. It seems to me that every one of my friends are dating someone. All during break I have felt like either a third or fifth wheel.

I know I know. Grow up Tiffany, right? Well there is less than four days until school starts again and my friend Andrew arrives in less than three, so the good times shall again begin to roll!

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 12:03 AM | Comments (5)

January 5, 2004

I love power!

Ok. I know that is a strange title for a blog entry, but here is the reason why. At around 8 this evening (or last night, however you want to look at it), the power went out in my neighborhood. No power meant no heat. Now what one has to understand is that my house has VERY poor insulation. Our house was sooo incredibly cold. BUT! The power is back on and so is the heat! That is my sad tale for the evening! Later!

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 1:32 AM | Comments (1)

January 1, 2004

Happy New Year!

With the new year now upon us I have looked back and realized just how fast 2003 went by. There was absolutely no down time. I spent the month of
January getting ready for the Accounting competition for FBLA, my Duquesne Tamburitzan Audition, getting ready for my trip to the NYLF, and midterms. February wasn't much better. The Accounting competition was the first Friday, the next Thursday and Friday was my Tamburitzan audition, and the last week in February was the NYLF. March was spent with the musical. I was student business manager, as well as a member of stage crew. April was jam packed with school work. I wrote a research paper on Lord of the Rings which took up most of my time, but some how I found time to be in a wedding. May was prom, finals, and senior obligations. June was graduation parties and practices for the huge Tamburitzan show right around the corner. July was spent traveling to so many places my head was spinning. August was getting ready for college. September, October, November, and December were spent at Seton Hill having the best first semester of school I have ever had!

2003 was an awesome year! Busy, but awesome! I can't wait to see what 2004 brings!

Tiffany

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 10:15 PM | Comments (2)