website along with final document

my final document is on the website also... ENJOY....






http://www.freewebs.com/december2012/

website

http://www.freewebs.com/december2012/

homework :)

K. had many apparent flaws throughout the novel, but all of them were magnified by the court’s psychological stranglehold on his state of mind. Although K. tried to break free, his arrogant personality and desire to prove his innocence kept him under the court’s control up to the point of his death. K.’s fight against the Law underscores the importance of freedom of thought in one’s overall sense of freedom.

Conclusions

Suggestions for writing a conclusion

•Answer the question "So What?"

Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful.

•Synthesize, don't summarize

–Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together.

–

•Redirect your readers

–Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally.

–

•Create a new meaning

–You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.



Strategies

•Relating a brief concluding interesting story.

•Giving concluding statistics.

•Asking a question for further thought.

•Using a quotation to sum of the thesis statement.

•Analogies.

•Statement that looks ahead to the future.


Avoid

•Introducing new ideas or facts that belong in the body of the essay.

•Re-wording your introduction.

•Do not use, In conclusion, or in closing. They are too overused and only work in speeches.

•Do not state the thesis for the first time in the conclusion, it should be the last sentence of the introductory paragraph.

•

•

who are you more afraid of...

After going home to my town in the middle of CT, I have come to the conclusion that I'm more afraid to live there than in Jamaica, Queens. Everyone goes on and on about how dangerous black men are and that they'll shoot you if you walk up to them. That's not true at all. To be totally honest, how many serial killers were black? none. How many pettifiles are black? hardly any. How many black men cut up arms and keep them in their refridgerators? none. It's all white males who do this kind of stuff. Especially middle to upper class white men. So, living in white-bread central makes me more afraid to walk the streets at night than in Queens. Anybody agree? White guys are crazy.....................

Baseball

So baseball season has begun and the Yankees are currently 1-2. A horrible start to the season, but what else is new? They always start out horrible and then come back to take over the division. Why is that? Sometimes I think baseball is fixed. And that everything that happens is just for TV ratings. How horrible would that be? The Yankees will always be my favorite team and will always have my love. But, sometimes I just hate the fact that they have so much money. But, what's good about them now is that their minor league system has gotten a lot been and rookies are starting to evolve. One such being Robinson Cano. Oh how I love him!!!

What's worse?

• a broken relationship or a broken friendship?

Everyone immediatly thinks a broken friendship because chicks come before dicks right? Well I don't know if I believe that. Every girl, including me, who has been in a relationship has ditched their girlfriends at one point or another to be with their boy. It happens. Then, the girlfriends start to say, "but he's an asshole, you can do better. choose us or him." and most of the time the girl will cry and then go back to the quote chicks before dicks to make their decision. When in reality all they really want is to be with their boyfriend, asshole or not. Sometime the friends are trying to help, other times their just jealous of your relationship. Then, after the relationship ends, the girl goes back to hanging out with her friends but it's not what she wants. All she wants is to be with her boy. This eventually will lead to a fight between her and those girlfriends. And when she tries to go back to her guy.... he's already gone. What i'm trying to say is, talk with your friends and your boyfriend before you end things. Breaking up isn't always the best option. TRUST ME.

presidental assasination

It has been predicted by many historians that the first black president and the first woman president would be assasinated if elected. I find that kind of ironic because Hilary Clinton AND Abama are both running in the upcoming election. I mean it makes perfect sense, there's going to be a lot of pissed off people in this country if either of them wins. Those pissed off people being your average white man. I've learned that white men are very arrogant, moody, and the biggest assholes in this world. So, I don't mean to scare anyone but it would not suprise me at all if we have another JFK incident in this country sometime soon...

War helping economy?

I had an idea for my research project but decided it would be too hard to get a lot of information about it. But, I made a proposal to see if it would be a good fit.. here it is...

Controversial. Whenever I hear that word, I immediately think: interesting. I like being different, and going somewhere no one dares to go. My first paper involved me going around to random people asking them about sex. Now, I’m going to dwell into the topic of war. After WWI, the victorious countries achieved a false economic high during the 1920’s. Then, the Great Depression hit, and everyone thought it would never end. That was until WWII began. Because of the war, many countries had to mobilize both troops and industry to prepare. This ended the Great Depression and created a technological advancement that has yet to end. The question I am trying to answer is, is war a key element for economic success and growth? To answer this question, I will dig into deep wars to see what the economic outcome was, and is today. This will require a lot of research in the area of history, which is my academic strength.

Firstly, I will take a lot of notes surrounding all the most recent major wars that have happened. The wars I decided on are as follows: the thirty-year war, WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Cold War, and of course Operation Iraqi Freedom. I will collect research from online, the library, and even some history professors here at St. John’s, involving each country involved; even those who just supply money or firearms. Then, evaluate how their economy was in the past and is right now. By doing this, I hope to really answer the question of war really having a great effect upon a countries economic success. This paper will not be a movie, pamphlet, newspaper, survey, etc… It will however, answer a very important question which surrounds the world today as we know it. I hope to clarify people’s understanding of war, and if it should even exist. The end product will not be a boring history lesson just found upon random websites across the web. It will be just the opposite, a clear report about war, and the history of war.

some reflecting

I'm always at a lose for what to write about on my blog so I thought I'd do some reflecting on some of the quotes from one tree hill..

• "Looking back on what I said all those years ago, all the hopes and dreams I had, I've come to the conclusion that if having things turn out the way you wanted them to is a measure of a successful life, then some would say I'm a failure. The important thing is not to be bitter over life's disappointments. Learn to let go of the past, and recognize that every day won't be sunny. And when you find yourself lost in the darkness of despair remember, it's only in the black of night that you see the stars, and those stars lead you back home. So don't be afraid to make mistakes, to stumble and fall, because most of the time the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you'll get everything you wish for. Maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you. The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination."

I love this quote. It is said by the high school basketball coach who is living the last years of his life pretty much. But, people my age can really relate to this too. We, especially as college kids, all have dreams. Some may be to get married, fall in love, have a three-some, and so forth. But, does that mean that it will happen? No, it doesn't. What this quote is trying to say is that not everything is going to go your way and your going to run into obstacles throughout your life. Some may be small like not making a baseball team or breaking a finger. But others could be big. Nothing feels more real than when your heart is breaking. And don't think that getting your heart broken is always because of a guy. Someone close to you could have died, your parents could have gotten divorced. All of those things can break your heart. And everyone says that it's all psychological and your heart doesn't break. Coming from experience, you can feel your heart break in half when something like that happens for real. Anyway, things arn't always going to go your way. And if you do get your heart broken, you can't sit there and constantly think about it. You have to life the rest of your life to the fullest. Like he said, the greatest rewards come from the things that scare you the most. Be open to surprises. Life, in the long run, will never disappoint anyone. GO LIVE!

dating test

I was completely bored today and came across this dating test. The results are absolutely perfect. Everyone I have given it to, it's seriously been identicle to their lives. Try it out!


http://www.okcupid.com/online.dating.persona.test

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."

In reality, your not always going to get your way. There's going to be days where you think you lost it all and nothing good will ever happen again. You can't be a coward and sit back. Try to change your luck. Most of the time, those bad days end and your luck starts to turn. But, if it doesn't, don't keep complaining because that's going to get you nowhere. Always have faith that things will get better!

What did I learn about writing, reading, and research?

I learned that writing does not just have to be for school. "All writing is social." We write everyday: texting, instant messaging, and even post-its. Many people oversee this because it's not tedious writing, it's fun! I also liked what Doug Brent had to say. He was all about making contact with another person. Behind everything we read there's another human being writing those words. And you need to want to research the topic - that's the only way to receive it.

"We get used to the chains we wear, and we miss them when removed."

There are certain everyday rituals we, as human beings, tend to do. They all might be different, but their meaning to us is all equal. Some might be brushing teeth, doing homework, fighting with a boyfriend, or even driving a car. People take advantage of how significant little things could be if gone. What would we do without our cars or homework? We would be overwhelmed with boredom. In conclusion, there are a lot of things throughout our everyday life that we take advatage of. We must appreciate every aspect of life - even if it is little or tedious. They all have impacts on our lives.

One Tree Hill

My favorite show ever is one tree hill, and right now it's on a break until april 11th so I'm kind of having massive withdrawls so I thought I'd make a post about here. In the beginning of every show, Lucas' (one of the main characters) does a voiceover and says a quote, then the quote is finished at the end of the show. Here are some really good ones that have been played over the four seasons.

• "Do you ever wonder if we make the moments in our lives or the moments in our lives make us?"
• "Ever wonder how long it takes to change your life? What measure of time is enough to be life-altering? Is it four years, like high school? One year? An eight-week walking tour? Can your life change in a month, or a week, or a single day? We're always in a hurry to grow up, to go places, to get ahead…but when you're young, one hour can change everything."
• "Sometimes pain becomes such a huge part of your life that you expect it to always be there…because you can't remember a time in your life when it wasn't. But then one day you feel something else-something that feels wrong, only because it's so unfamiliar. And in that moment you realize…you're happy."
• "Happiness comes in many forms-in the company of good friends, in the feeling you get when you make someone else's dream come true, or in the promise of hope renewed. It's okay to let yourself be happy because you never know how fleeting that happiness might be."
• "Have you ever wondered what marks our time here-if one life can really make an impact on the world or if the choices we make matter? I believe they do. And I believe that one man can change many lives-for better or worse."
• "You know, say what you will about the ravages of sports in this corporate age where overpaid athletes expect prima donna treatment, but there's still something so unifying about sporting in its purest form -- when athletes rise above themselves and touch greatness, and in doing so remind us all that we all have greatness inside of us."
• "When life comes rushing at you out of the darkness who will you choose to face it with? Will it be someone you trust? Will they be wise? And will their love for you help them to guide you to the light, or will they lose their way in the darkness? Will they make noble choices? Or will that person be untested, someone new? Life comes rushing at you from out of the darkness. When it does, is there someone in your life you can count on -- someone who will watch over you when you stumble and fall, and in that moment, give you the strength to face your fears alone?"
• "There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on the path while others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be honored by your choice? Or will you embrace your new path? Each morning you choose to move forward or to simply give up."
• "Did you ever look at a picture of yourself and see a stranger in the background? It makes you wonder how many people have pictures of you, how many moments of other people's lives we've been in. Were we part of someone's life when their dream came true, or were we there when their dreams died? Did we keep trying to get in, as if we were somehow destined to be there? Or did the shot take us by surprise? Just think, you could be a big part of someone else's life, and not even know it."
• "There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroads. Afraid. Confused. Without a roadmap. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days.
  Of course, when faced with the unknown, most of us would rather turn around and go back.
  But once in awhile people push on to something better-something found just beyond the pain of going it alone and just beyond the bravery and courage it takes to let someone in. Or to give someone a second chance. Something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream. Because it's only when you're tested that you discover who you truly are. And it's only when you're tested that you discover who you can be. The person you want to be does exist, somewhere on the other side of hard work, faith and belief, and beyond heartache and fear of what lies ahead."
• "At this moment there are six billion, five-hundred and two million, eight hundred and sixty seven thousand one hundred and twenty people in the world-give or take a few. And sometimes all you need is one. For better or for worse."
• "William Shakespeare wrote, 'Love is not love which alters when it alterations finds, it is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempts and is never shaken. Love alters not with time's brief hours and weeks, but bears it out.'"
• "Does this darkness have a name? This cruelty, this hatred, how did it find us? Did it steal into our lives or did we seek it out and embrace it? What happened to us that we now send our children into the world like we send young men to war, hoping for their safe return, but knowing that some would be lost along the way. When did we lose our way? Consumed by the shadows. Swallowed whole by the darkness. Does this darkness have a name? Is it your name?"
• "Looking back on what I said all those years ago, all the hopes and dreams I had, I've come to the conclusion that if having things turn out the way you wanted them to is a measure of a successful life, then some would say I'm a failure. The important thing is not to be bitter over life's disappointments. Learn to let go of the past, and recognize that every day won't be sunny. And when you find yourself lost in the darkness of despair remember, it's only in the black of night that you see the stars, and those stars lead you back home. So don't be afraid to make mistakes, to stumble and fall, because most of the time the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most. Maybe you'll get everything you wish for. Maybe you'll get more than you ever could have imagined. Who knows where life will take you. The road is long and in the end, the journey is the destination."
• 'There is no privacy that cannot be penetrated. No secret can be kept in the civilized world. Society is a masked ball where everyone hides his real character and reveals it by hiding.'
• Henry David Thoreau once said, 'Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.'

Broken Hearts

Have you ever wondered why girls get so attached to boys where it seems as though you can never live without them? When guys continue to break girls heart, and keep letting them down time after time, why do girls stay with them? Why do they feel as though theres no other "fish in the sea" that will treat them better? These are all questions I wonder day after day. This can't be love, because love wouldn't be so complicated. Do girls actually enjoy being in such pain all the time? I personally think girls are too scared to stick up for themselves, and they constantly feel threatened by what their boyfriends will continue to do to them. Girls can get mad over stupid things such as not calling them at a specific time, but when it comes down to serious conversations, they run scared because they know their relationship is crumbling right before their eyes. Love yourself, and then you will be able to love others. Ladies, please, you are the only one that decides your hearts fate. You can choose to stay with this jerk of a man and continue to hurt yourself, or you can end it and actually understand what it's like to be happy. Guys are not worth any tears from your eyes. The one that matters, will never make you cry.

Draft #3

Stephanie Silvestri

English 1000C

As said by Swami X, “Sex is not the answer, sex is the question, yes is the answer!” Or is it no? A survey was conducted in Donovan Hall at St. John’s University about sex with both male and female students as the targets. Some base their decisions on religion and religion alone. However, the majority does not seem to care anymore, and just want to have fun during their college years. What will truly change a college student’s mind about having sex? Falling in love? Getting drunk at a Fraternity party? Or just simply following something seen on television or heard in the new hip-hop song? In the survey, 75% of males in Donovan Hall have had sex and only 40% of females have. The real question is, how are college students truly treating sex at this point in their life? This survey addresses the diversified answers about sex of both male and female virgins and non-virgins. .

Although a good percentage of male and female college students have already had sex, there are some who have not. The survey asked students if they were virgins or not, and why they chose this path. 60% of women are virgins and only 25% of men are. Out of that percentage, 38% of the woman and not even one male, claimed it is a religious standpoint, going by what the Holy Bible tells them what to do. Then, half the woman and all of the men say that they just simply have not met the right person yet but only 10% of women truly want to wait until marriage. There was only one male who said he wanted to wait until marriage or at least he was “hoping for it.” When asked about how many times a day they thought about sex, nearly all of the women replied, “Only when I’m with my friends.” When asked if they believed sex was an act of love, 75% answered yes. The rest just believe that sex can never be about love anymore. One girl even stated, “I think it should be an act of love, but it just isn’t anymore because of all the things on television and dirty talks across the country. This totally changes my opinion about sex.” Men on the other hand, had quite different replies to this question. Some common replies were, “once or twice,” “hardly ever,” and “daily.” Also, all of them believed sex was an act of love, not just something done when they’re drunk. Another question asked was, “Do you believe television and radio have any affect on your decision?” 25% answered yes. However, it seemed like no one really thought about the little things such as the amount of sexual appeal in music, or that all the pornographic material on the Web or television, would have any affect on their decision to have sex. Another interesting statistic about the men and women was that every one of them claimed they drank and that it gave them no added pressure to have sex. Is there a reason why there are many more many female virgins than male virgins? Some may say that women have higher morals, or that men are just dumb jerks who only care about sex. The fact remains that most college males, particularly students at a Catholic School, have no care for any religion or moral standpoint; the ones that do, seem to be very insecure about themselves. And girls seem to just want to wait until they fall in love. On the other hand, some college students have already had sex, and are very open with their answers.

Although there were some virgins accounted for at this Catholic school, there are still many non-virgins. 40% of the women asked were no longer virgins along with 3/4 of the males. 70% of those women have been with more than one man. In contrast, 72% of male non-virgins have been with more than one woman, half of them have been with more than five, and 22% have been with more than ten women throughout their lives which are at most nineteen years. This makes one ask the question, how many women will it be by college graduation? Apparently most women took that fact into consideration and decided to get tested for an STD. The men however, were not so smart. Only 40% have been tested, but that is a high percentage contraire to what most people assume about teenagers and getting tested. All of the women asked view sex as an act of love, while only half of the men shared that thought. What seemed to be interesting while surveying the woman was that all women who have not had sex drank. But, most woman who do have sex, do not drink. So, alcohol really does not have an affect on peoples’ sex lives. While surveying the woman was boring and awkward, surveying the men, seemed to very interesting to say the least. Unlike the girls, the men agree that television and the radio increases thoughts about sex. “We see sex all the time and it makes us want to,” said a student living on the third floor. More popular responses erupted after the question, “How many times a day do you think about sex?” Most men looked down and laughed at this answer, not knowing what to say. Some hilarious answers included, “there’s only a couple minutes I don’t think about sex,” “you lose track after noon,” and “how many seconds are there in a day?” But, surprisingly the most common answer was simply, “five.” Whether that was the truth, no one can ever be certain. The women always make sure they are using protection. Men however, found this question to be quite comical. They replied, “Sometimes,” “only on special occasions,” “no glove, no love,” and “is pulling out protection?” Men seem to take sex as a joke, and girls seem to take it more seriously. There was however, a common trend between both male and female non-virgins. They all seemed to have lost their virginity at the same time in their lives: their freshman year of high school.

Men and woman have conflicting views about sex. After answering questions about sex, most men laughed and played it off as a joke. But, women were rather shy and took longer to answer questions. The main point of this survey was to try to get young college students to open up about how they felt about sex. It brought upon interesting comments, and results out of the norm. Everyone always assumes that drinking influences college students decision to have sex, that people are not getting tested for STD’s, and the stereotype for most teenagers is that they lose their virginity on prom night during their senior year. This survey brought out the truth and put together a new light of what college students believe about their sexual lives.

Survey

Professor Marsh suggested that I add the survey to my commonplace book. The actual survey I wrote on while interviewing people was pretty messy with tally marks and quotes everywhere, so I thought I'd just put a blank sheet up here so you guys can get an idea of what I was doing.


I first made separate surveys for female virgins & male virgins, female non-virgins & male non-virgins.. (most results are in my paper but some I did not get many replies on so I chose to leave them out)


Are you a virgin?


If yes:
Is this based on religion

Are you gay?

Do you have a fear of sex?

How often do you think about sex?

Do you truely believe you'll wait until you're married?

Do TV and the radio have any affect on your decision?

Do you consider oral sex as breaking your virginity?

Do you believe sex is an act of love?

Do you drink?


If no:
Have you been with more than one person?

More than five?

More than ten?

Age when you lost virginity.

Do TV and the radio affect you decision to have sex?

How many times a day do you think about sex?

Have you ever been tested for an STD

Do you view sex as an act of love?

Do you drink?

Do you use protection?

Draft #2

Stephanie Silvestri

English 1000C

As said by Swami X, “Sex is not the answer, sex is the question, yes is the answer!” Or is it no? A survey was conducted in Donovan Hall at St. John’s University about sex with both male and female students as the targets. Some base their decisions on religion and religion alone. However, the majority does not seem to care anymore, and just want to have fun during their college years. What will truly change a college student’s mind about having sex? Falling in love? Getting drunk at a Fraternity party? Or just simply following something seen on television or heard in the new hip-hop song? In the survey, 75% of males in Donovan Hall have had sex and only 40% of females have had sex. The real question is, how are college students truly treating sex at this point in their life? This survey addresses the diversified answers about sex of both male and female virgins and non-virgins. .

Although a good percentage of male and female college students have already had sex, there are some who have not. The survey asked students if they were virgins or not, and why they chose this path. 60% of women are virgins and only 25% of men have not had sex. Out of that percentage, 38% of woman and not even one male, claimed it is a religious standpoint, going by what the Holy Bible tells them what to do. Then, 50% of woman and all of the men say that they just simply have not met the right person yet but only 10% of women truly want to wait until marriage. There was only one male who said he wanted to wait until marriage or at least he was “hoping for it.” When asked about how many times a day they thought about sex, nearly all of the women replied, “Only when I’m with my friends.” When asked if they believed sex was an act of love, 75% answered yes. The rest just believe that sex can never be about love anymore. One girl even stated, “I think it should be an act of love, but it just isn’t anymore because of all the things on television and dirty talks across the country. This totally changes my opinion about sex.” Men on the other hand, had quite different replies to this question. Some common replies were, “once or twice,” “hardly ever,” and “daily.” All of them believed sex was an act of love, not just something done when they’re drunk. Another question asked was, “Do you believe television and radio have any affect on your decision?” 25% answered yes. However, Most of these people did not truly think about that question. No one really thinks about little things such as the amount of sexual appeal in music, or that all the pornographic material on the Web or television, would have any affect on their decision to have sex. Another interesting statistic about the men and women was that every one of them claimed they drank and that it gave them no added pressure to have sex. Is there a reason why there are many more many female virgins than male virgins? Some may say that women have higher morals, or that men are just dumb jerks who only care about sex. The fact remains that most college males, particularly students at a Catholic School, have no care for any religion or moral standpoint; the ones that do, seem to be very insecure about themselves. While girls, seem to just want to wait until they fall in love. On the other hand, some college students have already had sex, and are very open with their answers.

Although there were some virgins still accounted for at this Catholic school, there are many non-virgins. 40% of the women asked were no longer virgins along with 75% of the males. 70% of those women have been with more than one man. In contrast, 72% of male non-virgins have been with more than one woman, 50% have been with more than five, and 22% have been with more than ten women throughout their lives which are at most nineteen years. This makes one ask the question, how many women will it be by college graduation? Apparently most women decided to take action and were all tested for an STD. The men however, were not so smart. Only 40% have been tested, but that is a high percentage contraire to what most people think about teenagers and getting tested. All of the woman asked view sex as an act of love, while only half of the men shared that thought. What seemed to be interesting while surveying the woman was that all women who have not had sex, drank. But, most woman who do have sex, do not drink. So, alcohol really does not have an affect on peoples’ sex lives. While surveying the woman was boring and awkward, surveying the men, seemed to very interesting to say the least. Unlike the girls, the men agree that television and the radio increases thoughts about sex. “We see sex all the time and it makes us want to,” said a student living on the third floor. Another popular response was to the question, “How many times a day do you think about sex?” Most men looked down and laughed at this answer, not knowing what to say. Some hilarious answers included, “there’s only a couple minutes I don’t think about sex,” “you lose track after noon,” and “how many seconds are there in a day?” But, surprisingly the most common answer was simply, “five.” Whether that was the truth, no one can ever be certain. The women always make sure they are using protection. Men however, found this question to be quite comical. They replied, “Sometimes,” “only on special occasions,” “no glove, no love,” and “is pulling out protection?” Men seem to take sex as a joke, and girls seem to take it more seriously. There was however, a common trend between both male and female non-virgins. They all seemed to have lost their virginity at the same time in their lives: their freshman year of high school.

Men and woman virgins and non-virgins have conflicting views about sex. After answering questions about sex, most men laughed and played it off as a joke. But, women were rather shy and took longer to answer questions. The main point of this survey was to get young college students to open up about how they felt about sex. It brought upon interesting comments, and results out of the norm. Everyone always assumes that drinking influences college students decision to have sex, that people are not getting tested for STD’s, and the stereotype for most teenagers is that they lose their virginity on prom night during their senior year. This survey brought out the truth and put together a new light of what college students believe about their sexual lives.

Draft #1

So, since I changed my topic I wasn't able to put the first report on my blog.. but i'm going to the writing center tomorrow (monday) to work on it, so I'll add my 2nd draft Monday night!

As said by Swami X, “Sex is not the answer, sex is the question, yes is the answer!” Or is it no? A survey conducted in Donovan Hall at St. John’s University shows how diversified both male and female virgins and non-virgins really are. Some base their decisions on religion and religion alone. However, the majority does not seem to care anymore, and just want to have fun during their college years. What will truly change a college students mind about having sex? Falling in love? Getting drunk at a Fraternity party? Or just simply following something seen on television or heard in the new hip-hop song? In the survey, 75% of males in Donovan Hall have had sex and only 40% of females have had sex. The real question is, how are college students truly treating sex at this point in their life? .

Although a good percentage of male and female college students have already had sex, there are some who have not. The survey asked students if they were virgins or not, and why they chose this path. 60% of women are virgins. Out of that percentage, 38% claim it is a religious standpoint, going by what the Holy Bible tells them what to do. Then, 50% of them say that they just simply have not met the right person yet but only 10% truly want to wait until marriage. When asked about how many times a day they thought about sex, nearly all of them replied, “Only when I’m with my friends.” When asked if they believed sex was an act of love, 75% answered yes. The rest just believe that sex can never be about love anymore. One girl even stated, “I think it should be an act of love, but it just isn’t anymore because of all the things on television and dirty talks across the country. This totally changes my opinion about sex.” Another question asked was, “Do you believe television and radio have any affect on your decision?” 25% answered yes. However, Most of these people did not truly think about that question. If one thinks about the amount of sexual appeal there is in music, and all the pornographic material on the Web or television. No one really thinks about these things to be a factor in their decision to have sex, which is why most of them answered No. Another interesting statistic about woman was that every one of them claimed they drank and that it gave them no added pressure to have sex. Then, come the men. Only 25% of the men living in Donovan Hall are still virgins. None of them base this decision upon religion, while all of them just have not met the right person yet. When asked how many times a day they thought about sex, some common replies were, “once or twice,” “hardly ever,” and “daily.” Only one male said they wanted to wait until marriage, or at least he was “hoping for it.” Also, all of them believed sex was an act of love, not just something done when their drunk. Is there a reason why there are more many female virgins than male virgins? Some may say that women have higher morals, or that men are just dumb jerks who only care about sex. The fact remains that most college males, particularly students at a Catholic School, have no care for any religion or moral standpoint. And the ones that do, seem to be very insecure about themselves. While girls on the other hand, just want to wait until they fall in love.

Although there were some virgins still accounted for at this Catholic school, there are still many non-virgins. 40% of the women asked were no longer virgins. And 70% of those woman have been with more than one man. Apparently they all took that into account and were all tested for an STD. All of the woman asked view sex as an act of love, and they all use protection. What seemed to be interesting while surveying the woman was that all women who have not had sex, drank. But, most woman who do have sex, do not drink. So, alcohol really does not have an affect on peoples’ sex lives. While surveying the woman was boring and awkward, surveying the men, seemed to very interesting to say the least. 75% of men have had sex. Out of these men, 72% have been with more than one woman. 50% have been with more than five. And 22% have been with more than ten women throughout their lives. Unlike girls, the men agree that television and the radio increases thoughts about sex. “We see sex all the time and it makes us want to,” said a student living on the third floor. Another popular response was to the question, “How many times a day do you think about sex?” Most men looked down and laughed at this answer, not knowing what to say. Some hilarious answers included, “there’s only a couple minutes I don’t think about sex,” “you lose track after noon,” and “how many seconds are there in a day?” But, surprisingly the most common answer was simply, “five.” Whether that was the truth, no one can ever be certain. To get more serious, 40% of these men have indeed been tested for an STD. And 50% still believe sex is all about love. One boy even asked, “Do I view sex as an act of love now or five years ago?” This clearly states that maybe men mature as they hit college, and try to find love instead of just a one night stand. Another popular question seemed to be when asked if they used protection. “Sometimes,” “only on special occasions,” “no glove, no love,” and “is pulling out protection?” Men seem to take sex as a joke, and girls seem to take it more seriously. There was however, a common trend between both male and female non-virgins. They all seemed to have lost their virginity at the same time in their lives; their freshman year of high school.

Naps are good!!!!!!!!!

So, throughout my life, everyone has told me that naps are horrible and that you should never get more than 8 hours of sleep a day. Well, for me to function, I need atleast 12. So, I like to take many quick naps throughout the day. And I finally found proof that naps are actually good for you!!!!!

Afternoon nap 'is good for heart'

Working men seem to benefit the most from a siesta

Taking 40 winks in the middle of the day may reduce the risk of death from heart disease, particularly in young healthy men, say researchers.

A six-year Greek study found that those who took a 30-minute siesta at least three times a week had a 37% lower risk of heart-related death.

The researchers took into account ill health, age, and whether people were physically active.

Experts said napping might help people to relax, reducing their stress levels.

It is known that countries where siestas are common tend to have lower levels of heart disease, but studies have shown mixed results.

The researchers in the Greek study looked at 23,681 men and women aged between 20 and 86. The subjects did not have a history of heart disease or any other severe condition.

This study has four advantages - it's large, prospective, limited to healthy people and we have been very careful to control for physical activity Dr Dimitrios Trichopoulos Harvard School of Public Health

Participants were also asked if they took midday naps and how often, and were asked about dietary habits and physical activity.

The researchers found those who took naps of any frequency and duration had a 34% lower risk of dying from heart disease than those who did not take midday naps.

Those who took naps of more than 30 minutes three or more times a week had a 37% lower risk.

Working men

Among working men who took midday naps, there was a 64% reduced risk of death compared with a 36% reduced risk among non-working men.

There were not enough female deaths to compare figures.

The researchers said taking a siesta may reduce stress, hence the more notable finding in working men.

Lead researcher Dr Dimitrios Trichopoulos, from the Harvard School of Public Health, said: "In countries where mortality from coronary diseases is low, siesta is quite prevalent.

"There have been other studies but with equivocal results.

"This study has four advantages - it's large, prospective, limited to healthy people and we have been very careful to control for physical activity.

"The thing we can say is that it's worth studying further."

He added that if backed by other trials, taking a siesta would be an interesting way of reducing heart disease as it had no side effects.

The only important factor was that people should not reduce the amount of physical activity they did in the rest of the day.

June Davison, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "These interesting findings identify that having a siesta is associated with a reduced risk of dying from a heart problem, particularly in working men.

"Having a nap in the middle of the day may help people to unwind and relax - which is important for our overall health.

"However it is important to get a balance between rest and activity, as being regularly active can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease."

She added that people who felt stressed might be more tempted to have less healthy behaviour, such as smoking, eating a poor diet, drinking too much alcohol and not getting enough exercise. This would add to their risk of suffering a heart-related death.

Scientology

So I thought I was going to do my research paper on scientology but after researching it I realized that it's not very interesting and almost normal. But, I started writing about it and Prof M suggested that I add it to my blog.. so here it is!





What is Scientology? Devout followers of this religion claim it is simply the study of truth in this world. Some others are running scared, believing it is a horrifying cult, trying to brainwash everybody within their range. While most Americans just think it is plain weird, and stupid. There will always be a controversy about this religion for it is very unlikely and hard to accept the strange beliefs most have. From L. Ron Hubbard, to Dianetrics, to A-list celebrity followers, Scientology is recognized as a world renowned religion. But, does that still make it acceptable and safe for society? According to Justice Anderson of the Supreme Court of Australia,
"Scientology is evil: its techniques are evil: its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill .... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy." http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/against_sci.htm.
Maybe Scientology is religion, striving for people to just understand them. The fact remains, Scientology is the fastest growing religion in the world. And, for one to understand this new phenomenon, they must explore the facts behind this new light, good or evil.
Just as Christianity started with Jesus, and Islam started with Muhammed, Scientology was created by L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard was an honest man, and never lied about the real reason he started this religion. In the late 1940s he wrote, “Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.” Hubbard wanted to be rich, so he created a fake religion. He started in 1952 with Dianetics, the all-time self-help bestseller. Dianetics makes a person look into themselves to discover sets of ideas and practices regarding the relationship between their body and the human mind. As stated in Wikipedia,
“Hubbard believed most mental and physical problems are caused by traumatic memories (which he called "engrams") that are stored in the unconscious mind, which he terms the "reactive mind." The goal of Dianetics is to become rid (or "cleared") of this portion of one's mind. Once at this state of "Clear," according to Hubbard, an individual becomes able to function at his or her full potential.
Basically, Dianetics centered on psychotherapy outlook on life, making “engrams” seem easy to recover from. This is how Dianetics became Scientology, which led to even more disturbing beliefs by these followers.
Dianetics would eventually go on to become the new religion of Scientology. Scientology constists of many beliefs. There is no evil man, only good. And, to explain those who commit evil acts, Scientologists claim it was “an experience”, not their basic nature.

research topic

I really liked the idea that Heidi had about the restaurant reviews. It kind of gears away from formal writing into a kind of "fun" writing. But, I was actually just thinking about when we'd get our first assignment because all we've really had were reading and blog entries. I mean, I'm not complaining. Laugh Out Loud. But, seriously I kind of want to start writing soon. I have had no homework in any of my classes, I kind of miss having work to do because i'm always so bored!! Yes, I know I'm a nerd! But, I really did like that restaurant review assignment, I'd really enjoy doing that!

blonde jokes

So, for some reason I find blonde jokes to be hilarious. Even though I am blonde.. it should be known that the stereotypes are not ALWAYS true.. but sometimes they are.. these are some of my favorite jokes..

• Q: Why did the blonde nurse bring a red marker to work?
  A: In case she had to draw blood!

• Q1 How can you tell if a blonde's been using the computer?
  A: There's white-out on the screen.

• Q: Do you know why the blonde got fired from the M&M factory?
• A: For throwing out the W's.

• Q: How can you tell which blonde is the waitress?
  A: She is the one with the tampon behind her ear, wondering what she did with her pencil.

• A car was driving down the street when all of a sudden it started swerving. The car was going back and forth till someone with a cell phone called the police. A police officer pulled the car over. A blonde rolls down the window and says, " Officer, I'm so glad you are here. I saw a tree in the road, then I saw another. So I had to swerve to keep from hitting it!" The officer looks at her, then says, "Ma'am, that's your air freshener."

• Q: Why was the blonde upset when she got her Driver's License?
  A: Because she got an "F" in sex.

• A dumb Blonde died and went to Heaven. When she got to the Pearly Gates, she met Saint Peter who said, "Before you get to come into Heaven, you have to pass a test."

  "Oh, No!" she said but Saint Peter said not to worry he'd make it easy.
  "Who was God's son?" said Saint Peter.
  The dumb Blonde thought for a few minutes and said "Andy!"
  "That's interesting... What made you say that?" said Saint Peter
  Then She started to sing "Andy walks with me! Andy talks with me! Andy tells me..."

• Q: How did the dumb blonde break her leg raking leaves?
  A: She fell out of the tree.

Writing Center

Did any of your former schools have a writing center?
- No, my first writing center experience was here at St. John's.

Have you ever gone to a writing center?
- Yes, here at St. John's. The girl I saw really helped me out. She basically tore my paper apart and had me start from scratch but it actually turned out to be a really good paper.

How can the writing center help you with this course?
- I am certain that I will be going to the writing center with every paper we have to write throughout this semester. As I said before, I'm a horrible writer so I need all the help I can get, whether that be from Professor Marsh or other English majors.

What facets of your writing do you want to work on?
- I have a lot of trouble findind the right words to put. My paragraphs seem very repetitive, and I can never reach the min. page required.

name continued

I asked my best friend and roommate what she felt about my name. She not only has me, but her cousin & other best friend is named Stephanie. So, apparentely people think I'm a great friend!

What's your name?

My name is Stephanie. The name Stephanie means crown. My parents were originally going to name me Michelle, but my Aunt wanted to name her daughter that. So, they decided on Stephanie. I don't necessarily like the name because it's too many syllables for everyone so they just resort to calling me Steph, which is just boring.

Survey question

We were asked to pick a question on one of our surveys and elaborate on it. I chose question number seven. What's your perferred mode of communication? Everyone always asks me this question and I always say text messaging and IM. I really don't like talking on the phone because I find it always awkward to say Bye to eachother. Neither person really knows how to say it and then it just becomes an awkward mess. So, i perfer text messaging, because its simple and short but you still are able to get your point across. And, obviously Instant Messaging. It is so much easier to communicate through IM. I break up with boyfriends, drop huge secrets, and even have been asked out through IM. It's just so much less emotion, because you can't here or see what the other is thinking. Technology has made talking so easier!

welcome message

Hey everybody, this whole blog thing is new to me. I'm kind of scared to have my thoughts and feelings out on the web but we'll see how it goes. My name is steph, as you can probably tell, and i'm in college now at st johns university in queens, new york. I love it here, and I really like all my classes as well. Stay tuned for more!