April 30, 2004

And crossing the finish line is...

The Class of 2007!!!! That's right folks. Today is the last day of classes for the school year, and that means that I have made it. I didn't lose my mind (at least not completely), I grew into a more mature adult (at least when I'm not around my friends (love you guys), and I have done well in all of my classes.

I didn't think that this year would be the year I got out of my shell. I have had many new experiances, enjoyed living away from home, and have gained friends for life (I'll miss all you guys). As some say we will visit each other over the summer I know that this may not happen, however the blogging community and AIM is a wonderful way to keep in touch and I would love to do that with you guys. I will try to blog at least once if not twice a week and when I go to Croatia I will try and keep you guys updated as to what is going on! (My dad is making me take my comp with me...so I'll just make blog entries and try then transfer them to the blogosphere when I get back.)

Look for changes on my blog as well. I hope that I will be able to give my blog a new look without incident. (Hopefully I won't turn my blog completely upside down again!! hehe)

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 2:04 PM | Comments (4)

April 26, 2004

My nightmare

I have never in my life had such a hard time writing my research paper. I don't know what it is, but I have not been able to concentrate on getting this one completed.

Have any of you ever had that problem? With any assignment, not just a research paper. I have been working on mine for days and everytime I start I seem to find something else to occupy my time. Such as right now in writing this blog entry. Even though this is fulfilling a requirement for our portfolios I find it hard to come up with information on my specific topic. Who knows what is going to happen with this paper, but I am not expecting to get a good grade on it. My heart just isn't in it. I think that my mind is more occupied with the upcoming summer than anything else. I did however learn how to use the databases in the library more efficiently through this paper and the paper I had to write for Thinking and Writing. Maybe next year will be better in the writing department.

Oh well. I'm off to finish writing my paper. Hopefully I will complete it before 3 AM...

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 9:47 PM | Comments (2)

April 23, 2004

The journey of a Cancer Patient

To live the life of solidarity that Vivan, the main character in W;it did is out of this world to me. For her to go through her life without ever caring for anyone makes me feel sorry for her.

Unlike the awkwardness that Karissa felt, or the feeling of not being able to understand what the character is going through that Amanda felt, I looked at the play like I was watching my mentor give in when I knew she was such a strong person.

I feel that I have learned so much from this play that I would never have learned without reading it. Vivian showed the audience (or reader) how to keep one's head up in the face of adversity, how one should keep their wits about them when something terrible happens to them. I feel that I have learned how to be a stronger person. I did not feel ashamed to chuckle at the wittiness of some of Vivian's statements, I felt myself laughing along with her.

At the end of the play, my heart bled for the woman as she died not even knowing that her single visitor, her own mentor, had come to visit her. The only woman that Vivian had ever felt like she had connected with and the poor woman was in so much pain that that was all she experianced. She showed me that life without anyone is a sad life and one not worth living.

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 3:06 PM | Comments (6)

My outlet, My escape

How does your English major affect you in other classes?

This was one of the question asked for us to answer in EL 150. My response is that English in all of it's forms is my escape.

Everyone's hobbies, pastimes, come to them in different forms. My brothers -George enjoys video games, Jonathan loves his sports. My best friend Jen enjoys going outside and camping. Depending on who you are helps you to get through your life. I have always enjoyed to read and in my junior year of high school I learned the joys of writing and the incredible outlet it gives a person.

So how does this help me in my other classes? Well, it gives me a way to express myself clearer. I am able to write papers easier, and giving a speech isn't so hard because I know how to write notes so that I understand what I need to say, but I'm not reading directly off the notecards. It helps me to read into things differently than others may because I look at it from the authors point of view instead of my own.

For a specific example I look to my Psychology class. The class is all about development of children and how they progress. I often find myself making connections between this book or that one that taught me before everything I need to know to make it through this class with at least a decent grade. I also find myself able to contribute more to the class because I can draw on experiences of before and relate them to the class through words.

The main reason I chose English as my major however is the sheer joy that it gives to me. As I have said before it helps me to look into the world of someone else and go through their trials and tribulations. I am able to lose myself so to speak so that the world around me doesn't seem so hard for a couple of hours and that I really have nothing to worry about. Who knows where life with an English degree will lead me, but one thing is for sure. It will always be my outlet, my escape.

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 2:57 PM | Comments (6)

April 21, 2004

Has this man gone insane?

My friend from high school sent me a link today to a news story he said had really disturbed him. For something to phase him it takes a lot. The news article dealt with Senator's recent comment.

Due to the deteriorating security in Iraq, the United States may be forced to reintroduce the military draft, a senior Republican lawmaker said Tuesday.

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on post-occupation Iraq that there isn't an American that doesn't understand what the troops are engaged in Iraq and what the prospects are for the future.

What is this guy thinking? He wants to reinstate the draft? Aren't we supposed to be pulling out of Iraq?

These were just a few of the many question that ran through my head as I read the short article. I couldn't believe my eyes as I read that. He believes that we should put the draft into effect because the US military is spread too thin. I say go find a rock and stay under there for a while Senator. If he would get the draft put into effect then my brother and many more of my friends may get pulled unwillingly into the military. I understand that the soldiers in Iraq are there doing their duty to their country, but honestly it's time that they come home. There have been more deaths now that the so called war is over than during it and this guy actually thinks that our country is going to stand by and let him put that into effect. Maybe we should send him into Iraq and let him stare down a militia group come at him at full force. Maybe then we will see how far he wants to put the draft into effect. People like this guy really make me mad!

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 3:35 PM | Comments (8)

Slow month

While I was sitting in my lab today and surfing the blogosphere I noticed how slow this month has been with the new entries among those on my blog roll. There are the exceptions however. Mike has faithfully provided us with his normal witty comments and Amanda and Karissa have kept us up to date in their worlds. Usually I am on the ball with the blog entries, but with the first 13 days of this month an absolute whirl wind of activity with things I was doing for Easter I was unable to blog, and then with the return of school came the massive amounts of work that I had to get done. I'm still far behind, but I think that I can make it. Hopefully the next week and a half will prove me to be correct.

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 10:37 AM | Comments (1)

April 18, 2004

Hello World!!!!

This has been an amazing weekend for two key points....

1. THE WEATHER WAS AMAZING!!!! (As everyone is most likely blogging about)
2. Tiffany has finally (I think) gotten over her fear of driving!!!!!!!!!!!

Point 1: Weather

The weather the last couple of days has been wonderful. I finally got to wear a skirt without having to worry about what's going to happen if i step into the shade. Plus J.C. Pennys was having a sale on Spring/Summer wear so I got to buy new clothes. Always a fun thing to do. Sun bathing can commense and I can finally get rid of this pasty white color I have. I can do my homework out on the lawn and not have to stay inside dreaming of wonderful weather, so therefore I can kill two birds with one stone. Enjoy the weather and do some homework. Plus it doesn't feel so much like work if I am outside.

Point 2: Driving

Ok. So as most of you know (or if you don't you have been living in a dream world), I don't drive. I have been afraid of something and it has just kept me from wanting to exert energy into learning how. I didn't even have my permit until June of last year! I know I know. Pathetic right? Well. It must have been the weather on Friday or something, but my friend Jen Rihn came to Seton Hill on Friday to hang out since my Math class was cancelled. We went to the mall. (Where I bought those clothes I was talking about.) Then came back to SHU, when I suddenly got the urge to drive a bit. I asked Jen and she said absolutely. She drove up to Caritas and we drove from there down the hill to campus and back up. I was still in one piece and no worse for the wear. The Jen let Andrew drive. Not the smartest thing, but he did amazingly well considering the last time I saw him drive I thought the people in the car were going to die. LOL (JK Andrew.) So now I was in the mood. So. Jen, Andrew and myself went in search of a parking lot in Greensburg that I could practice in. We found one right next to the Police Station in Greensburg. After driving there for a bit they tricked me into driving through Greensburg to the parking lot next to Greensburg Salem. I made it through. My first time on the road. I was so proud of me. Well, last night (Saturday) I asked my brother if I could drive his car from our high school to a park that was nearby. I made it there without much incident. Then when I went home last night I asked my dad if I could drive to 30 then switch he said ok and I did, but when we got to 30 he told me to just keep going. I drove all the way back to school! Do you know how exciting that is for me?!!!! I think that I finally have managed to get over my fear of the road!!!! GO ME!!!!

Well that's all for now. I have to go and write some research papers! Bye y'all!!

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 8:40 PM | Comments (2)

April 14, 2004

Back and the Whirl wind begins

Ok. So Easter Break is over, classes are beginning again, and it seems to me like everything is due at the same time. Amanda is even having problems and I thought that she could do it all! I just feel like my head is going to explode.

Well this is my welcome back to everyone....here's to only a couple of weeks and then the freedom of summer!

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 10:35 AM | Comments (5)

April 1, 2004

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Ahh yes. Today is the first day of April and the month is living up to the age old nursery rhyme. I woke this morning to the pouring rain, as did everyone else on campus. It is so miserabe outside today that it is making me sad. And it really is nasty that a lot of the dirt from both construction sites is washing into the parking lot or campus walkways not only making shoes wet, but dirty as well. We do have to focus on the fact that now that April is here there is just a little over a month until that last day of finals and our freedom from eight months of schooling is here. Plus, although I do have highly active alergies, all the flower buds on trees are starting to grow and making the campus the beautiful place that I fell in love with my sophomore year in high school. Every day I see new blossoms in the flower beds and on trees. Ahhh....Spring is in the air. Too bad rain is a part of the Spring atmosphere. Oh well! Summer here we come, and with summer brings Croatia! OH YEA!!!!

Tiff

Posted by Tiffany Brattina at 1:19 PM | Comments (7)