Woodleaf Leadership Weekend Sep. 25th-27th

I don't even know where to begin about how incredible being back at Woodleaf was. It's like my home away from home. There are so many memories there. It's like walking backwards through a photo album. The smells of camp linger every time I set foot on Woodleaf's grand property. I can remember the first time I went there. I must have been only 5 years old. So much has changed since then. The lake has moved, a bigger town hall was built, more cabins have been constructed, but one thing that hasn't changed is my ongoing love for that place. It's almost as if I've been encrypted within the camp and the camp encrypted into me. I hate leaving. Even though I was only there for a few days it felt as though I'd been there all my life. The people I went with also came back home, but there's something so special and unique about being at Woodleaf together. It's magical. It really is. I can't think of any other place I'd rather be than Woodleaf, nor can I think of any other people I'd rather be there with.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 5 (Journal/Know Yourself)

Chapter five was an interesting chapter for me. I've discovered that I have critical thinking styles that correspond to the consumer style and the strategist style. I was also intrigued to be creative in the know yourself section that involved innovative thinking to solve problems. Asking questions was a main topic in the "my journal" section. I am glad to have read about asking question because I know that it will help me to grow in my classes and add a new aspect to my experience at SJSU. I want to find a subject that truly intrigues me and makes me think outside the box.

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 4 (Journal/Know Yourself)

I made some very key discoveries about myself after reading chapter four. The most important to me was that of discovering my high music intelligence score. I have been kicking around the idea of changing my major to music because I know it is what truly interests me. I also discovered that I am very much a visual learner who prefers to see information presented visually on a board. On top of that I am a person who learns by doing or performing a given task. That is where I gain the most experience. I am glad to know my strengths because it also helps me to focus on other areas of my learning experience.

Public Speaking Notes (In Class 9/23/09)

Writer's Block: Unable to think or write about topic.

Tips-Journal, Creative Writing, Quick Break (Blog)

Plagiarism: Taking someone's words as your own

Public Speaking

Bad Speech- Stutters, No eye contact

Good- Main Idea, Dress Up, Practice, Posture, Stick to main point, Visual Element

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 9 (Your Journal)

The journal section of this weeks chapter was interesting I suppose. It allowed me to recall someone giving a rather pathetic speech back in my high school years. It made me laugh actually. At the same time it helped me realize what NOT to do when giving a speech. Other sections of the journal focused on the cause and effect of plagiarism. That is something I'll definitely steer clear of. Lastly I discovered more of my own writing trends such as not doing enough solid research. But never fear I'm changing that!

Your Guide To College Success-Chpt 9 (Know Yourself)

After completing the know yourself sections of chapter 9 I discovered a few key things about my writing style. I've always believed myself to be a confident writer, but I admit there are times when I'm a lazy writer, which is a tragic waste of my abilities. I am good at structuring my paragraphs, but sometimes I do not use the best examples or most concrete examples to express my point. My form and style are able to keep me afloat, but it's not enough all the time. I've made it my goal to do further research on a topic I'm given and take the time to make my paper concrete. My public speaking skills are a bit hazy. I am confident in my speaking ability, but I have not practiced enough to sound smooth. I often sound forced or uncomfortable. There's always something to work on though. :)

Bio Poem

Joel

Creative, Thinker, Athletic, Dreamer

Related to Zack Palermo

Tomorrow, love, darkness, and light

Fear, failure, and hope

Passion, emotion, and sight

Honor, devotion, and deviation

Future, time, and pay

Heaven, true beauty, and coruscations

San Jose, Gleneeden Way

Palermo

Fighting

There's an ever present war raging within my soul. No one could ever understand it but myself. I'm fighting it. I'm becoming whole again. Make us whole again. It's a mysterious line that haunts me because I know it's no coincidence that I heard it this past week. What does it mean to become whole again? Is it a deception or is it expectation? Only time will tell.

Muse Workshop #1: Party With A Plan

Today I attended a MUSE workshop at 2:00 pm in Clark Hall room 118. The workshop was about Partying with a plan (being safe when drinking). I, personally, have never drank, but I did find the workshop very informative. It was interesting to learn about the various amounts of alcohol in specified drinks and how easily it can be to reach a point where alcohol poisoning is the result. Our presenter, David Emerett (I think that was his name), showed us a really cool game simulation that calculated how long it would take for a particular person, depending on weight, to become intoxicated or drunk depending on what type of drink and how fast they drink it. The workshop was actually more exciting and interesting than I had expected it to be!

Some Days...

Some days I feel like the world and the people around me don't care. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but the way people act at times can be quite tragic. Small, almost unnoticeable idiosyncrasies can leave someone feeling broken or unwanted. Many people I know act in this manner...even I at times have fallen victim to it. I try to fight it. I don't want to conform to the world and all of it's "values". Such incidents leave me feeling sick, not because of the action itself, but rather that our nation is unable to see the symptoms of an ever-growing sickness that continues to contaminate our minds. The technology we use today is a tool that should not be used so lightly. Socially we are becoming inept to the common rules of communication. Because there is no face-to-face conduct these days, people have begun to act in ways that may come off as disrespectful or ungrateful. I can only hope that our situation gets better.

Your Guide To College Success-Chapter 3

After reading chapter 3 I have found that I am NOT at risk to procrastinate which is a good thing. I feel as though I manage my time quite well and make it a priority to complete assignments and tasks. I will admit that I do play XBOX a bit too much at times, but not to the point of putting things off. It's not unhealthy, but I will try to take some of the time I spend playing video games and utilize it in a way such as reading or playing my guitar in order to increase the variety of activities in my life. The swiss cheese approach is very inspiring to me because it closely correlates to the strategy I already use. I am always using odd blocks of time to read or study.

Your Guide To College Success-Chapter 2

Upon reading chapter 2 of my textbook I discovered many different things about myself and others. One thing that was a bit shocking to me is that I may be lonelier than I had anticipated. This was a bit weird to me, but it also encouraged me to try new things this semester. My goal is to get involved and make new friends. I want to be connected to people who share the same values as me. In addition to this I learned about dealing with discrimination and prejudice. It's a very tender subject that is very present even today. This chapter was very helpful because it gave great advice in combatting loneliness and connecting with others around you who may be different.

Mime Exercise-esicrexE emiM

In class today we did a mime exercise that required us to mimic the actions of our partner. It was very interesting and difficult at time to mimic my partner, Sherman, exactly because he was very good at confusing me. The exercise was also very helpful in highlighting key points of non-verbal communication such as eye-contact and body language. By interpreting this exercise at a deeper level it is easy to see that when you aren't allowed to talk to someone, the way you present yourself has a huge affect on how you are viewed as an individual.

MLK Library Tour

So on September 9th we took a virtual tour of the MLK library. I was very excited to learn about all of the unique features the library has to offer. It was a lot of information at first, but now I feel very comfortable with all of the resources available to me. The most important thing presented to us was the database feature located on the libraries home page. The databases allow for references able to be used on term papers and other various assignments. I also learned about library cards and the required pin number that must be used in order to access SJSU library databases and information distributed specifically for students use. The tour was very useful and allowed me to learn about how to be successful at San Jose State.

To Run Again...

Something stirred deep within my soul this morning as I was walking to the Library from my English class. It was the desire to run again. I ran Cross Country all four years in High School and not running this year has finally hit me. The smell of the trees and the concrete reminds me of it the most. I spent so many long hours after school running, pounding the pavement with every step alongside my teammates. I miss it. I miss them. I miss the shadowy fragments of sunlight that caressed my skin as I ran. It's something indescribable that burns within me, an eternal flame. Running is my healing, my strength, and my soul. Running is who I am. Yet, all I have to remind me of it are the confines of my new campus, baiting me, and calling me back to my passion...to run.

Cousins, Aunt, and Uncle :D

(My Cousin James)

So yesterday my my aunt, uncle and cousins decided to come over and visit last night which was a lot of fun. We ate ice cream and reminisced about the good old days of Pokemon and....yeah Pokemon hahah. I was also quite surprised that my older cousin, James, who attends UCLA, had just gotten a BMW. I was a bit envious since he already has a '69 fastback Mustang, but oh well I guess that's life. Anyway, we also played some video games and talked about college life, girls, etc. My cousin, David, on the other hand was content watching my brother Zack play Pokemon on his gameboy...I guess Pokemon hasn't completely died yet. I don't really know what my parents talked about with my aunt and uncle since they were in the other room, but I'm sure they had a good time too. All in all it was a great night.

Treasure Hunt!!!

The Treasure Hunt around campus was both exciting and confusing at times. I was very intrigued to learn about all of resources where they are all located. I learned more about important people of campus such as the President, Jon Whitmore as well as sports on campus sports both intramural and sports associated with the NCAA. Plus, now I know the name of our mascot, Sammy Spartan! hahaha! In addition to this I learned about campus clubs and organizations that help students connect with their peers. Because some of the questions were difficult to find I took my search with me onto the internet where I discovered a large amount of information about the history at SJSU. I couldn't believe that the University was founded in 1857! This assignment was very helpful because it made me become more aware of resources available to me at my new campus. :)

Meeting #1

So we met in small groups the other day and discussed our first week at San Jose State. This is what our group came up with.

Jae - He thought the first week was pretty easy.

Kim - She thought the weather was really hot.

Patrick - He thought the first week was like the first week of high school.

Aaron - He thought the first week was easy because he only had one essay to write in his English

class.

Me - I thought the first week was a bit overwhelming due to the new environment.

Top 10 Favorite Websites to Visit

These are the places I usually go when I'm surfin the web haha. Quite a different variety of sites if I do say so myself.

1. Facebook.com
2. Youtube.com
3. Myspace.com
4. Yahoo.com
5. Google.com
6. Dictionary.com
7. Air1.com
8. Guitarcenter.com
9. Aolmusic.com
10. Wikipedia.com

A New Chapter? Chapter 1

Every day I leave my house and make the drive to SJSU I am learning more and more about my new home. San Jose State has so much to offer me and it's up to me to take advantage of it. I'm still a bit confused about what classes I need to be thinking about taking in the near future, so I'll have to find my Adviser. In the meantime my ever-present job dilemma is still causing me to stress out a little bit. I'm in a new space right now and I feel uncomfortable with how difficult it has been to communicate with the Dining Commons on campus about my job...well could be job I guess you'd have to call it right now. I don't like thinking about it much, but I know I can't just shove it aside. I guess everything in life teaches you a lesson. Running away never solved anything.