last class

Prior to class yesterday I had no idea how to use foot notes correctly. I have always seen them in pieces of writing but never fully understood how to use them. Class yesterday was very helpful I fell like I learned a lot about foot notes and how to do a notes page. The project seems like it will be a lot of work but class yesterday cleared up some things I was confused about. The donuts at the end of class was a great way to top a great class off. I feel like a learned a lot overall in the class, all of the assignments in the class were new ways of writing and I know I will be better off in my remaining college courses being able to write in all of these different ways.

Climate Change

I was given an assignment in my sociology class to read a book on a social problem. The book I selected was a book on climate change and the social problem that it creates. The book is based on facts and is opinionated however the author presents very mind boggling ideas that need to be heard. The climate change is not a good thing once the ice melts in the Antarctic and when the ice sheets of Greenland are gone the sea level will rise 240 feet. The author says this will be the end of the world. Millions of people who live near water will die all across the world. The poor countries will be hurt the most by the risen water levels, the people living in these countries will need to leave and immigrate into countries that are not as affected. The amount of immigrants coming in will create a economic downfall, and wars will be fought over high land as the climate continues to rise. Causing the end of the world.

11-26-12

After coming back from break I already miss home. The home cooked meals is what I will miss the most. Eating the cafe food this morning was awful compared to my dad's home cooked meals. The only part of breakfast I enjoyed was the coffee. Seeing my family was very nice and now there is only a couple more weeks of school until Christmas break. I need to buckle down in a few of my classes to make sure I end up with the grade I want and need by the end of the semester. Unfortunately during Thanksgiving break I was not able to see a couple of my good friends, because they were busy with soccer. I am really looking forward to Christmas break where I can spend time with the friends I wasn't able to on this past break. I still need to get Christmas presents for my family and hopefully I can find some time to work during Christmas break to make some money for presents. If I buckle down on classes the next break should be a lot of fun.

11-22-12

Thanksgiving was miraculous, the home made meal was extremely delicious. It was a nice break from the bland cafe food that I have to eat every day. In the morning I got some home work done and then made the trip to my moms boyfriends house for the Thanksgiving meal. Unfortunately my Nana was not able to come, she has been pretty sick for the last couple of days. So it was my Papa two sisters mom and her boyfriend, I had a good time and tomorrow I get to look forward to spending time with my dad and Grandma and pretty much have Thanksgiving again. I have no problem having Thanksgiving twice, I get two days of great food but unfortunately I will not have any leftovers because I will be heading back to school. Tomorrow will be a lot of fun and on Saturday I have to work a prospect camp at Western it will be fun because I went to this camp as a prospect and now I get to be a helper at the camp. Another cool part of the camp is I will be getting paid and after the camp I will still have enough time to get back home and spend another night with my family. This weekend will be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to it.

Home

I am so glad I was able to go home today. While playing soccer there is not much time for me to go home, so it is nice that break is here so I can. After I cleaned my dorm room for the room checks I made the trip back to Rockford Michigan, when I got home it was very nice to see my sisters mom and dog. This afternoon was very relaxing I watched a soccer game with my sister and then fell asleep on the couch in the family room. I can not wait until tomorrow, I will get to see the rest of my family from my mom's side. This weekend I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my dad and I can not wait for that as well. On Friday I am invited to go black Friday shopping with my girlfriend and sister, I am not quite sure if I want to or not so I will see on Friday if I am up to the shopping trip, I do need to buy Christmas presents for a lot of my family so going would save me money.

Class 11-15-12

I thought class on Thursday was very beneficial, I learned a lot about how to create a writing journal for a specific genre. I learned that in the writing journal a lot of similarities kept coming up. The similarities were the purpose of the Horror piece in most cases I learned the purpose in a horror piece is to scare and entertain its audience. I learned a lot of different techniques an author can use, some examples include: use of dialogue and a dense description of the setting. The techniques a author uses can effect how much the piece can scare the given audience.

Home

This past weekend I was able to make a trip back to Grand Rapids Michigan. It is about a hour drive north of Kalamazoo. It was so nice being able to go home, the first night back I watched a movie with my sister and enjoyed a home cooked meal for the first time in a long time. I also was able to hangout with a good friend from back home for the night. Saturday was a lot of fun, it was relaxing as well, I enjoyed watching football with my dad and later that night me my sister and my dad all went to the new Batman movie. The movie was great one of my new favorites. I enjoyed going home and I hope I am able to go back soon.

http://qkme.me/3ro2tl

Akron Ohio 11/5

Akron's soccer field was the nicest soccer field I have ever played on. The grass was shorter than the turf at Waldo Stadium, the patterns of fresh cut grass were easy to spot out. The environment was unreal, with bleachers surrounding the field and locker rooms under the stands it felt like a professional environment. When the sounds of 5,000 people filled the air it gave me goosebumps and motivated both sides of the field.

Our game plan was to get a tie, so the entire game our team sat in and defended. With four minutes remaining the number 1 team in the nation scored a heart breaker to the team. Our season was over and although I still have three more years that game for the seniors will be their last.

Akron Ohio

November 3rd could be the last day of our season. Today we travel to Akron Ohio where we will stay the night at a hotel, then at 7 o'clock p.m. tomorrow the game will start. The game is important because only the top four teams in the Mac make the Mac tournament at the end of the season. Currently there are 4 teams trying to get into 3 open spots. Akron will take the first seed and Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, West Virginia, and Western Michigan are fighting for those 3 spots. Tomorrow we play Akron, ranked number 2 in the nation Akron is having a great year this year and is arguably one of the most successful programs in soccer for the past 5 years. We must win or tie, and Bowling Green must beat West Virginia if we want a chance at holding the MAC title. With the odds stacked against us, we will see if our season ends or still is on after tomorrow night.

Class on the 1st

Class on the 1st was a peer review day, I think this is very helpful when the peer you are working with is honest and does not care to write something bad about the paper. If they just put they like it or it was good, it is a waste of time. The peer review in class went well I was able to point out a couple of mistakes from other peoples paper as they did with mine as well. One annoying reoccurring word I noticed was the name Paddy in my paper. By just listening to my paper being read aloud I could hear the repetitiveness. I definitely will be making some changes to my paper, the peer review session was very helpful.

Game on Sunday

The game on Sunday was a little more important than the others. It was senior night, after just a few short months of playing with the seniors we recognized them of their great success at the university. In that short amount of time I have learned so much from them. The game started off well we were dominating play hitting the post a couple times and holding possession. But then on Hartwick's first shot they put the ball in the back of the net stunning our entire team. We tied the game with about thirty minutes left in the second half and then found the go ahead goal ten minutes later to win the game. It was a great comeback win and one that the 5 seniors will remember for a life time.

Thesis Statement

Alienated people that are different than the norms are looked at differently by three main characters in the movie Avatar.

Sleep Deprivation

The Sleep Deprivation play was very interesting, the plot was a little confusing and it ended on a cliff hanger that had me and everyone else in the room thinking. The play was very dark for almost the whole time and when someone was talking there would just be a single spotlight on them. When the set was being rearranged, the characters dressed in all black with masks would make growling noises. I took the play as being a nightmare of a living hell for the young boy who was assaulted by a police officer. The slutty lawyer showed how corrupt and unfair the legal system was at the time and that it could be cheated. The slutty lawyer symbolized how easily it could be cheated as well.

From good to almost catastrophic

My soccer coach granted a weekend free of practice. Which was very nice, a perfect opportunity to go back home for a while. On Saturday, me and two of my teammates went to my girlfriends house. The house was crowded with neighbors and friends. and the best part was my dad and sister were able to make it. We watched the Michigan state game and then watched the Michigan game. It didn't really matter what was planned I was just happy to be home with my friends and family. As it got darker we car pooled to a haunted house. The line took forever, after 2 and a half hours we finaly took our first steps into the empty dark house. Growing up me and my friends have always gone to the same haunted house, "The Haunt". It was just a fun hang out spot for guys and girls. On the way back about halfway from Grand Rapids. A deer ran into the side of the car, it was 2 in the morning and startled the car full of 4 people. Fortunately  just a couple dents were in the car and a couple lights were broken completely and no one was hurt. The cop that arrived on scene was really polite and handled the situation well. A perfect day almost turned to the worst.

Prior to class yesterday, the class was assigned two separate readings. Once class started the class had to take a short quiz on the readings to make sure that every one was reading them and that we comprehended what the purpose of the readings were. After the readings we were assigned groups, each group was assigned a different task. One group had to prove why the mom in Carrie was the biggest monster in the movie. Another group had to prove why Carrie was the biggest monster in the movie. And the group I was assigned to had to prove that the classmates were the biggest monster in the movie. After all the presentations it was easy to see some weaknesses in each. For an argument to be strong you must connect with the audience emotionally, and logically. Ethos, Pathos, Logos. Each argument has to be super descriptive and clear so someone who believes other wise can not find a spot to pick you out on.

Florida Atlantic vrs. Western Michigan

The game against Florida Atlantic was a must win for the soccer program. If we were to lose the season would have been lost. But right from the kickoff we dominated play, the problem was the final third, we were struggling to find that first goal. At half time we lead 2-0, and until 41 minutes into the second half we lead 2-0. The whole game I was just hoping for a couple more games so I would get a chance to get in the game and get some playing time. Something that is hard to get in my position, defenders in soccer do not get subbed to often unless the other team is scoring goals, our defense has been outstanding this year so my chances are very limited. So when I heard my name from the coach I was a little surprised but thrilled, in the last four minutes of the game I was subbed in as a forward to just get some playing time, and on my first touch I scored a goal, less than thirty seconds of being on the field. The pass was perfect and it came from an unselfish play from a teammate, all I had to do was tap the ball into the back of the net. The feeling was great and I was speechless after it happened. Unfortunately my parents were not able to make the game, but I am looking forward to the Cincinnati game on Wednesday.

Class on the 4th

Class today was very easy going, which was a great way to end the long day. In class today we watched a movie called Carrie. In the movie, the main character Carrie is a misunderstood teenage girl, and to many girls and boys at her school Carrie is a little on the weird side. Carrie's mom is a little different than the other moms she is extremely religious but the values she believes in are taken to an extreme level. Carries mom is always paranoid, of the devil possessing Carrie and Carrie sinning which would allow the devil to possess her.

Carrie discovers a hidden power, she has the ability to move objects with her mind. A talent she discovered at school one day when the girls in her gym class were making fun of her. When Carrie gets asked to the high school prom by the "quarter-back" of the high school she wants to go but her mom feels differently. Her mom does not believe in boys and that to be affiliated with one is a sin. After a mean prank at the highschool prom Carrie looses her temper, and the power she discovered is taken to the next extreme, she kills every one at the prom for the cruel joke.

October 1, 2012

Preceding a long night after staying up late and writing a paper, the fitness session this morning was pretty tough. It was an optional fitness session, but in my scenario it was a must for me. For players that do not get much playing time on the field, are suppose to keep their fitness up to par with the rest of the team. So at 9:00 a.m. this morning the day tipped off with a running session. I do not have a problem with this and completely understand why the coaches want the players to do this. However I was disappointed that some of the players I thought that should have been there did not make it to the session this morning. It went well, but today is going to be a struggle to finish through all of my classes and finish up some homework later tonight. Time management has to be a lot better, so there is no more late nights doing homework for the sake of school and doing better in school. And for the sake of my position and role on the team. I need more sleep before practices so i can perform better and have a more important role on the team come game time. 

Class on the 27th

Class started off today with a reading assignment, it was about non fiction writing that the authors might have exaggerated and or lied about. I disapprove of this, in a non-fiction writing the reader expects the novel, or story to be completely true, hence non-fiction. In my opinion if the author looses a lot of credibility in the story and whatever point the writer made and convinced me of has vanished. I would probably never read any of the writers pieces again.
After the reading assignment we went over part one of Henrietta Lax, and some of the controversy with taking the cells from patients of poverty without notifying them. I do not see a big problem with this, the patients are receiving free service from the doctors. If the patients are not being harmed in any way, it is not that bad. Although if money is being made off of the patients samples, in Henrietta's case then I do see this as being an issue.
Following up after the class discussion on the Henrietta novel, the class was given a writing assignment, a literary narrative. I chose to write about how my mom has influenced me as a writer and improved my writing over the years.  
 

MSU vrs. WMU

     As the bus departed form Western Michigan University, the entire soccer team was silent. Every player was focused at the task at hand. Michigan State is a team a lot of players would want to play for, being in the Big Ten. After the drive we had roughly an hour and half before kick off, the coaches told the players to walk around the field and feel it out. About an hour before kickoff the coaches brought us into the locker room to change into our jerseys and head back out to the field. It was a perfect soccer night, the air was crisp and cool, and there was a slight wind traveling east to west across the field. 

     It was intense from the kickoff, and would be intense for the first forty five minutes of the game. Both teams had a fair amount of chances and mistakes, after the fifteen minute halftime the game kicked off again, and with about thirty five minutes left in the second half Michigan State struck first with a goal off of a corner. And no more than a minute later they scored again, the atmosphere of the game completely changed from both sides of the field one team was playing with confidence and the other was trying to figure out what just happened. With about twelve minutes to go in the game we found the back of the net making it 2-1. After the goal we were getting to every loose ball before the opposing Spartans of MSU. But even with all the pressure we put on the Spartans survived the last ten minutes of the game and were the victors. The bus ride home was quiet as well, knowing that we were right there, competing with the best of the best knowing that when we are playing good, we can play with any team in the country. 

Class on the 20th

     Time went by fairly quickly at class Thursday night, we started by looking at words and phrases. After failing to figure out what most of them were professor Moses, explained she took them from movie and books. As a class everyone had to come up with three of their own words and phrases and write them on the white board in front of class.

     After the phrases exercise, the class was split into small groups of three or four. Each of the small groups was assigned a section from a reading that was assigned prior to class. As a group we had to answer a set of questions that went along with our corresponding section. And present the questions and answers to the class. Some of the sections were a lot deeper than others, the section I had to go over was about Romelda a young African American girl who is going through puberty and starts realizing that her body is changing and guys start looking at her in a different way. She learns how to deal with the hooting and hollering and talks back to the guys who hit on her.  

     After the reading exercise, there was a in class writing assignment that consisted of a short story. Briefly explaining a situation where someone misunderstood you or you misunderstood them. 

Class on September 13, 2012

Class today was mind boggling, as a class we read two poems. The first poem was "Where I'm From", the poem did a great job of describing scenes and smells with very few words. One that caught my attention was   the smell of "fried corn and strong coffee". The line also tells the readers that the setting might be from the south of the United States. After reading "fried corn and strong coffee" the smells almost became a reality. One of the first lines of the poem talked about clothes pins, Clorox and tetra-chloride. The author made a creative way of painting the picture of laundry and cleaning, without a lot of words. The poem showed many good ways of presenting information with very little words.

The second poem we went over in class was called, Courageous Dreams Concern by Jack White. The poem was very interesting and had a few lines that drew my attention, when the author talked about the smell of sawdust from cut wood the smells of sawdust came to mind. And when the author said "I walked to the rhythm of mariachis" which painted a picture of a more music scene and made me want to dance. After reading both of these poems I grasped a good understanding of how to be creatively descriptive while writing a poem. 

Hi everyone my name is Cam Jensen, I am apart of the Western Michigan Mens soccer team. I am 18 years old and am a Freshman at Western. I am pursuing a degree in the medical field, right now I am currently leaning towards a physicians assistant. I have two younger sisters Eliza and Ava, Eliza is a senior in high school and Ava just went in to 6th grade. I have a dog named Spike.