Senior Project

   For my Senior project I have chosen to run a half-marathon (13.1 miles). Anyone who knows me can tell you I'm a really indecisive person so picking a topic was the hardest part...so far. I am choosing to run a half-marathon because, well in quite honesty I enjoy running. Back in early May I was stressed out (not as much as right now), because I learned I had to pick a topic...soon. Well there went my plan of coming up with one over summer. I felt like I needed to get away from everything so I went on a run, a difficult one. 6.4 miles, and it felt awesome. Yes I was extremely sore the next day but I didn't mind at all. That's when it hit me, I should run for my project! I feel like running is immensely relaxing even if you're sweating like a pig.
   I chose healthy living but more specifically fitness because we as humans engage in some form of exercise in our daily lives whether it's walking to our cars or running on the treadmill. As for my research paper I will talk about the many benefits of exercising and how obesity has increased over the past years. My end product will not only be running the half-marathon but also devising a training plan for others to follow in order to live a healthy lifestyle. I haven't done much for my project. No mentor, ergo no mentor interview. But in order for me to not sound incredibly lazy, over the summer I got up everyday at 6:30 a.m. and ran 3 miles. So in a way I kinda started my project but without mentor "assistance". I should probably get on that soon. For those of you reading this, don't be surprised if I change my research paper topic...it's still in the "works".
  

Into the Wild-final discussion

                Do you feel that McCandless was either mentally ill or suicidal? What a biased question I must say. After reading Jon Krakauer's  Into the Wild, I for one, didn't (still don't) believe there is any factual evidence in his narrative let alone McCandless's journal entries for one to label him as mentally ill or simply a suicidal human being. Chris came from a family with secrets and double lives; as one becomes older they’re very much influenced by their family and the habits/mistakes they go through. Having said this, Chris could have been exposed to much worse than his father’s infidelity but why is it he decided to go into the wild? McCandless enjoyed a life full of adventure and love, but in no way was he mentally unstable or suicidal.

                Chris embarked on his Alaskan journey so he could live in solitude from the rest of society and more importantly leave his family and all the problems that came along with them. If McCandless was feeling suicidal why did he not talk with Carine, his beloved sister who he had the closest relationship with in his entire family? This raises a very important question of who he truly cared about before going on his journey. As stated before if Chris was truly suicidal I believe he would have talked with Carine before heading into the woods and not run off and starve to death over the course of two months. Coming from a family with high expectations and great wealth, when he graduated from Emory University Chris became aware that it was all about the money. His parents wanted to buy him a new car but McCandless refused replying with "the Datsun works just fine”. Being in college can be very stressful, I for one shouldn’t be speaking, but even in high school it is crucial to get good enough grades to please your parents. Grades weren’t a problem for McCandless but if he had felt so overwhelmed with everything wouldn’t it have crossed his mind to kill himself, if he was suicidal, in college? Think about it; one is so caught up with everything and learning about say your father’s infidelity for two years at this point in one’s life can really push someone to take risks. This being said I highly doubt Chris was suicidal because he would have done it sooner than wait around for two months while starving to death facing harsh conditions.

                In The San Francisco Examiner, Patricia Ryan explains how different programs have helped to catch mental illnesses earlier than ever. In a research study Ryan states how “children with unaddressed mental health problems are much more likely to drop out of school, go to jail as adults and suffer other negative outcomes”. As many would argue Chris McCandless was indeed mentally unstable, I disagree. If Chris had a condition it would have most likely have been brought up in Krakauer’s narrative. After all, he did talk to Carine and Billie McCandless regarding Chris’ life; so why wouldn’t a mother give away this information to set the facts straight? Much to Ryan’s statement, if Chris was mentally ill he would have dropped out of school before even attending Emory. One might conclude that many of his decisions were caused by a mental instability, but Chris was above all a man living by his beliefs and morals in order to experience the nomadic lifestyle without parental intrusion. McCandless’s death was tragic and ultimately much unexpected, but in my opinion was due to a lack of knowledge and preparation rather than a mental illness or suicidal thoughts.

 

           

Scottish wedding

Scotland, United Kingdom. Superstitions, rituals and even the eminent feet washing are all important aspects of a Scottish wedding. Lets start with pre-wedding traditions such as The Open House, or more commonly known as the "Show of Presents." Before the bride is married, her mother holds an open house, similar to a bridal shower, where invitations are sent to women who give wedding gifts to the couple. Why does this happen? In order for the bride to show respect for her guests, she must know who will be attending the wedding. After the "Show of the Presents", she is given a baby doll, and a plastic potty with salt at the bottom. Accompanied with her guests and friends, she walks through the town as the others bang pots and pans announcing the bride's upcoming nuptials. This tradition is said to bring luck, prosperity and fertility to the bride on her wedding day as she exchanges kisses for money, which is then dropped into the potty. Not only does the soon-to-be bride receive money but also has the opportunity for her feet to be washed. She sits on a stool while an older, married woman washes and dries her feet. This ritual is said to bring good fortune for the marriage. So what about the soon to be groom? Similar to the bride's Open House, the groom is taken out by his friends for a Stag Night. Having a few drinks leads to the groom becoming partially or fully stripped from his clothes by his friends covered in soot, flour and feathers and left overnight tied to a tree; this ritual is called blackening.
The morning of the ceremony is extremely important as one must take caution. Why you must ask? If the bridal party encounters a funeral or a pig on the way to the church, they must return home and set out again as it is considered bad luck. Who knew a harmless pig could do such damage. As a token of good luck, the bride is given a Silver Sixpence to place in her shoe that morning. When leaving her house for the last time, the bride must step out the door with her right foot as it symbolizes good luck in her marriage. For a traditional Scottish wedding the bride will wear a white or cream colored dress along with "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe". Something old is a gift given from the mother to the bride to start off her married life symbolizing her mother's wisdom. Something new is a gift that represents the new start of a married life. Something borrowed will be from a married couple in hope that a little of their "marital bliss will rub off on the newlyweds"; and something blue is usually a blue garter, a sign of love and modesty. For the groom, his outfit consists of the following: a Bonnie Prince Charlie jacket and waistcoat, kilt, tartan flashes to match the kilt, white hose, gillie brogues, kilt pin, sgian dubh, black belt with buckle, formal sporran with chain strap, wing collar shirt, black or colored bow tie, and a piece of lucky heather on the lapel...and he ends up looking like this! As the bride enters the church, pipers start to play the bagpipes; many play outside as to protect the guests' ears. As part of their Celtic heritage a couple engages in hand fasting during the ceremony; the couples hands are bound together in a tartan cloth or with a cord during their vows. This shows everyone that from that point on, they are no longer two but one. Many celebrations also include the "Presentation of the Sword", where the groom presents a family sword to his bride which will then be given to their first born son or the bride's family presents the groom with their sword as acceptance into their family and the obligation he now has in protecting his new wife. A famous tradition in Scotland is for a toddler to hand the bride a horseshoe as she walks out the church with her husband. A horseshoe carried by the bride is a symbol for fertility and luck towards their marriage. Another gesture for luck and fortune involves the bride and groom scattering coins for the children to collect at the end of the ceremony.
Now it isn't a wedding without a cake right? A traditional Scottish cake consists of two tiers of brandy-flavored fruit cake. As much as this sounds appetizing, only one tier is eaten at the wedding celebration as the other is saved to celebrate the birth of the couple's first born. As superstitious a Scottish wedding might sound, all the elements lead up to a beautiful wedding filled with laughter and dancing and most importantly lucky newlyweds.

Essay: Fast Food

Here is a link to my essay on fast food.

Response to a peer's article

We are all aware of the issue of childhood obesity and how it has increased throughout the years. Madi's article from The New York Times captures how the environment children have been in affects their eating habits as they grow up. Catherine Musemeche explians how "as a doctor who treats children, many of whom are overweight or obese, I don’t think there can be much doubt that child-directed advertising is fueling the obesity epidemic". Later in the article researchers found a ban lasting 32 years on fast-food advertising to kids through electronic and print media in Quebec, Canada, reduced the childhood obesity rate drastically.
After reading the article, I was surprised how difficult it is for parents to respond to their children when being asked to buy sugary cereals, and fast-food generally advertised on television. This is a big issue for parents especially when having children who don't understand the effects of junk-food in the future. I never imagined how big of an issue it is with parents; rejecting something from your own child. Initially, my view towards whose to blame for the increase in childhood obesity was the parents. It still is. Children are mainly around their parents for the first few years of their lives, ergo they are the ones who feed them and such. "It doesn’t matter that children aren’t necessarily the ones checking out at the grocery store and driving up to the fast-food outlet", but they are still exposed to fast-food through the media no matter what. As Musemeche states, "Parents need to be aware of the pervasive advertising their children are being exposed to, take steps to manage their child’s media exposure, provide healthy alternatives to cereals and fast food and support legislation to curtail advertising to kids".

Fast food/obesity article

Here is an article from CBS News regarding how fast food is affecting children.

Zulu wedding

           Lately I have been thinking about the future and what it might hold in store. Who wouldn't? We are seniors in high school, it comes up. Skipping past the college I would like to attend and career parts I started contemplating about marriage. Do I want to get married? Truthfully, I have not taken this question into deep consideration as others have. (You would be surprised). As I watched TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress I began to think more and more about weddings especially the different traditions around the world.

           Zululand, South Africa. Once I started reading about the traditions and customs I was amazed by how much effort the Zulu people give into making a wedding enjoyable for everyone. It all starts off with the bride. The bride may change her clothes up to three times a day in order to show off how beautiful she looks in a variety of colors to her in-laws. Bags of assorted pebbles are tied to her ankles, primarily to help with the rhythm as she dances later throughout her wedding.  A major aspect of a Zulu wedding consists of beaded jewelry. The bride-to-be makes two sets of bead necklaces in matching colors; one for the groom-to-be and one for her. These color-coded necklaces let everyone in the village know they are an item. The wedding typically takes place at night when the moon is bright since a “faint mole” is a symbol of bad luck as well as making the celebration less festive. Traditionally the bride’s parents do not attend the wedding as it is too sad to see her go. The ceremony may last up to two days and ends once the bride picks up her sleeping mat and heads for her husband’s house. For the wedding ceremony, she will change into a traditional outfit including a headdress made from her mother’s hair. The wedding ceremony ends with ukwaba, which is the process where the bride gives gifts in the form of blankets to her new family. The long-deceased family members receive gifts as well and are represented by the living ones. The bride accompanied by her bridesmaids end by performing a dance. Now it wouldn't be a wedding if the in-laws didn't welcome the bride, would it? After the ceremony is over, the bride is traditionally introduced to her new family with the slaughter of a cow. The cow is slaughtered by the groom's family to show their acceptance of the new bride in their home. The bride then puts money inside the cow's stomach while her guests look on; she is now officially part of the family.