Eloise

Can a cat be a dog? I think yes. Eloise is loyal, funny, and smart, very much like a dog. She's always been more like a puppy than a kitten, she's never been very prissy or spoiled. She loves to play and chase the other dogs, and she's never been one to lay around or be aloof. She even let me dress her up like a little police officer for Halloween. She's the best pet I've ever had because she's the best of both worlds, a sweet and cuddly cat and a fun and lovable dog.

The Rough Draft

The rough draft was fairly easy to write. There are still some rough edges that need smoothed out, but for the most part the paper is turning out well. I feel that I've gathered good facts and quotes to help support my point of view. I still need to check my citations to make sure I've done them correctly and I need to make the paper about two hundred words longer. I also need to write the cover letter before turning in the final draft.

The Research Process

My research group consists of Luke Bonvillian, Jake Snider, and myself. We have not yet decided what we are going to research, but we have several ideas. So far, we've narrowed it down to "Born Gay?", "Assisted Suicide", and "Catholic Church's Contraception Policy." We're not sure which one we're going to go with yet. We've been looking mostly at ProCon.org, and there are tons of different options.

We're considering the born gay debate because it's interesting and there is no real definitive answer to the question is poses. We can look at the issue from several different angles and have a variety of viewpoints represented.

The assisted suicide issue is an interesting one as well. It is a very heated debate with many opinions and examples. The biggest being the Terri Schiavo case.

We are also considering the Catholic church's contraception policy. Religion is a hot button for many different debates, and there will be a lot of different examples to use in our paper. The use of contraception is a big deal in the church and it would be easy to find strongly opposing viewpoints.

Riley Days

Yesterday marked the beginning of Riley Days in Greenfield, Indiana. Riley Days is a festival in honor of James Whitcomb Riley, whose hometown was Greenfield. I love this festival because of the atmosphere, you can almost feel the leaves changing. When I think of Riley Days I see pumpkins, hot apple cider, hay bales, and corn. It doesn't feel like fall until Riley Days rolls around. It's a tradition in my family to attend every year and I can't wait to go home this weekend and enjoy the festival with the ones I love.

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Having a blog post as an assignment is sometimes a difficult task to carry out. You want your post to be personal, but not too personal. You want it to be insightful, but not sappy; funny, yet serious. You want to put your feelings out there, but you don't want to feel judged for them. Writing is a personal thing, it's very difficult to write about any one subject without letting your own feelings show through. When the only person you have to worry about seeing your work is the professor, it's much easier to let your thoughts flow. But when you're worried about what the world thinks, it becomes much more difficult to express yourself without holding back. Hopefully, throughout this process I will become one of those writers who doesn't let anyone's opinion affect their writing.

fall

I love fall. In my opinion, it's the perfect season. Cool windy weather, beautiful red and orange leaves, the smells, the bonfires, and of course Thanksgiving and Halloween. Fall has no faults on my perfect weather checklist. Not only is fall beautiful to look at, it smells wonderful. No other season can boast the wonderful smells fall has to offer. The scents of Cinnamon, pumpkin, bonfires, caramel apples. The smell of the earthy fallen leaves, and let's not forget the delicious scents that come with Thanksgiving. The wardrobe that fall brings is just as great. Sweaters, jackets, scarves, boots, they're all fun to wear. Fall has just about arrived here in Indiana, and I couldn't be more excited.

Home Away From Home

While preparing for college, my first thought was "I'm never coming home." The thought of absolute freedom was so sweet I could nearly taste it. Being at home meant no privacy, nosy parents and siblings, chores, and undesirable 'older sister' duties. When envisioning life at Ball State I saw pure unadulterated freedom, little to no responsibilities, and endless opportunities to have fun. I was sorely mistaken. 
Life at Ball State has shown me how much I truly love my home and family. I've never missed them, never wished I were home, never preferred my noisy house to a quiet dorm room, but this last month has taught me how valuable family is. It was a lesson I never thought I'd have to learn, yet here I am. But don't get me wrong, I love BSU. I love the atmosphere, the diversity, the beautiful architecture. Ball State is the one place I feel at home, other than at 213 Pearl Street.