Attendance Log

I've been keeping track of this all semester, but thought I'd post it last on my blog so I could focus on my blog writing. So here it is:

1/14: Present
1/21: Present
1/28: Present
2/4: Present
2/11: Present
2/18: Present
2/25: Absent due to illness
3/4: Present
3/11: SPRING BREAK
3/18: Present
3/25: Present
4/1: Absent due to oversleeping
4/8: Present
4/15: Present

"An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do."

Week 14: To wrap things up...

This week it was pretty hard for me to focus in class, to be honest. I had a lot on my mind...basically everything I had to do before the end of the semester. Looking back on my notes from this week's lecture, I see a lot of check-lists, things to do, and doodling to try and de-stress myself. I wish I could hide from the world like my cat hides in my backpack haha. However I did take notes on what I thought was interesting based on this lecture...

The first exercise we did was one in which we had to think of any creative research activities we've been involved in. The first one that popped in my mind was from a musical anthropology class I took last semester. For our "big" term project, we were assembled into groups and had to observe a cultural/musical occasion that was taking place in the BCS area. My group went to a coffee shop in downtown Bryan that hosted Salsa dancing lessons every Wednesday and Saturday night. We actually had to participate, which was something totally different than I'd done before. After leaving the lesson, I came away with knowing (slightly) how to Salsa, and a better understanding for the Latin community as a whole.

When I came to that conclusion, it hit me that that's probably what Dr. V wants us to do in our creative ventures--he wants us to discover things we hadn't done/heard of before. Seriously. This ALL clicks now! I just had to apply this simple idea into something I had already done. All semester I hadn't really understood why Dr. V wanted us to do so many crazy projects with "innovations", but now I get it. Just like my salsa dancing experience, Dr. V wants us all to strive to go out into the world and experience different things. In doing so, we might be able to better understand ourselves, how we work, and in doing so, we might be able to create greatness along the way.

Speaking of greatness, my group (well, what's left of us) got together Thursday to start brainstorming for our final project. Reading the guidelines at first was a little scary, but after talking it through with them, I'm actually excited. We talked about creating a video in which we would illustrate what the future would look like. We would do this by acting as news anchors (which is a career I've seriously been thinking about lately) and people of the future. I'll be able to let myself enjoy this project instead of stressing about the grade, and dream about a life I could have if this were my eventual career choice. This class has actually taught me to take tasks and try to enjoy them instead of just getting through them to reach the end.

So here's to you, ENDS 101--thanks for teaching me how to appreciate difficult tasks and take pride in my work. Although I don't think this way all the time, I'm a work in progress and I do truly want to integrate this thinking into my future endeavors. So here's to not hiding from the world--I'm here and I'm ready for some greatness! Goodbye for now...

Week 13: Take The Lead!

"Are you keeping order and equilibrium with the status quo, or taking the status quo to the edge of chaos in pursuit of a grand new vision?"

Tricky, tricky question... As of now in my life, I think I'm just keeping up with the status quo. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing right now though! I'm trying to learn everything in my classes and soak it in so I will be able to push the boundaries of chaos one day! Like Dr. V said, "Be a sponge." Well that's what I'm trying to do right now! Hopefully in the future I'll be able to be more like what he's suggesting we be: a role model and exemplary leader.

Dr. V said leaders should posses certain characteristics, but asked US what we think leaders should posses. To me, a leader should be approachable, passionate, selfless, and responsible. While all of that, to me, qualifies a leader, Dr. V says a leader should have these characteristics:
1. Listening

2. Empathy
3. Healing
4. Awareness
5. Persuasion
6. Conceptualization
7. Foresight
8. Stewardship
9. Commitment to the growth of people
10. Building community
Out of these characteristics, Dr. V asked us to pick the ones that we think are most important in a leader. I believe commitment to the growth of people is vital for a leader to posses. If they are leading a group without a "destination" in mind for them, what are they really striving towards? More than that, how should they conduct themselves? I believe leaders should be loyal to their cause, confident, and hold themselves to a higher standard in order to uplift the morality of the group. The ultimate leader that comes to mind when I hear these characteristics is Nelson Mandela. He had a dream in his mind and he desperately wanted it to be accomplished. He always stood up for what he believed in, and he listened to the people he was representing. What did that end up getting him? A presidency. Another leader that comes to mind is Hitler. While he definitely possessed the characteristics of conceptualization and foresight, he lacked dramatically in the empathy and building community categories. Where did that get him? In a grave with no honor tied to his name.

Its so important to remember your ambitions as a leader, but to also keep in mind what the group/people you are leading want. However as Dr. V reminded us, in the words of Franz Erhart, "Do NOT be afraid to be a leader."

Week 12: Oops..

"There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there."
                                    -Indira Gandhi 

This week I wasn't able to make it to class because...oops...I slept in too late. That's kind of embarrassing to admit, but hey, I'm an Aggie and I have to tell the truth! So I went online to look at the online education module, and there wasn't one--Dr. V just wanted us to work on our group project for the week. Well, here's my story for the week in dealing with my group:

I've had some issues with my group this week. First of all, its really difficult to try and get six people in one place at one time. We all have dramatically different schedules, so there's our first problem. Problem number two: some individuals in my group care about their grade in this class more than others. This has lead to different performance levels on group tasks (and some have been disappointing). That being said, I really do appreciate the diversity of people in my group and think they are all great people! Would I have chosen to work with some of them? No. Am I grateful for this opportunity to expand my circle of Aggie connections? OF COURSE! It may be a challenge, but we are accomplishing all of the assigned tasks, and are doing our best. :)