Friday, July 27, 2007

Friday, July 20, 2007

What if...?

I was going to try and come up with a brand new idea, but after lunch today I decided against it. This is a little something that I posted on facebook almost two months ago, and I'm going to share it here too, because that's how important to me it is.

Basically this is where my life is right now, and thanks to some unexpected events, I find myself in a situation that I never want to walk away from. For those who don't know, the honors program at CSU has had a profound effect on my life. It was a last resort that I even applied because my top schools did not send me letters back (for reasons I care not to share at this moment). And aside from giving me an education that I feel rivals what I would have received at the other schools, it helped me find a very special person in my life, and for that I am the most grateful. And so here it is, the story of the past two years (approximately).

For most of our lives, most of us wind up asking what if…?

What if I don’t study for my test tomorrow?
What if the cheeseburger isn’t as good as you told me it was?
What if she says no?

You know, those questions. The little ones that always ask the right thing to make us second guess ourselves until the opportunity to find out really has passed us by. I used to ask those questions all the time. And then in the spring of 2006 that started to change. I met a girl, who, although she didn’t know it, changed the way I see everything. I found myself being more confident. I found myself constantly in a good mood. And I found myself feeling a way that I had never felt before.

At first, I didn’t know how to react. I couldn’t understand what it was. And when I figured it out, I started asking all the What if…? questions again.
What if she stops spending time with me for some reason?
What if there’s already someone else?
What if she doesn’t feel the same way about me?

But for some reason, instead of letting those questions nag at me until my opportunity passed, I shut them out and spoke out. I let her know how I felt, regardless of the answer. Many of have heard the saying “Well, the worst that can happen is that they say no” and it definitely applies.

And even though the answer I got back when I told her how I felt was not what I had expected or wanted, it didn’t hit me as much as it possibly could have. Sure, last summer wasn’t exactly the best summer of my life, but I felt that I had learned something through the whole experience. And I thought that when fall came again I would have another chance.

As it turns out, the fact that I told her allowed her to see what had been staring at her for the past 6 months or so. That fall semester both of us ended up on the same page, and I have to say that if I had listened to all of the what-if’s, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am two semesters away from graduating, and I will have spent the majority of my college years with the love of my life, even though it took her longer to realize it than it did me ( :) ). The beginning of September (Semtember 1 to be exact), will mark one year of our relationship, and I’ve never been happier. I love you Jess!

So don’t ask yourself what if…? Just go out there and take life as it comes. It works… trust me.

T. Majercik Jr.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

World of My Dreams

Ok, this one was a little easier. Maybe because I took a step away from being uncharacteristically serious and stepped over into the not-quite-that-serious section. This almost seems like it should be a friday or end of the week entry, but oh well.

I don't know about anyone else, but I've often wondered what it would be like to live in a world that was just like a video game. I've though about it, dreamt about it, but never tried it (and it's probably a good thing I haven't). So today I thought I'd go through a couple of possible video game scenarios that wouldn't be such a good idea to try (or maybe they wouldn't even happen) in real life.

1. Have you ever gotten to the point where you've gotten so angry that you just want to kill something... or someone? Well, if life was a video game, you could do just that. Yep, that guy in the apartment above you who plays his music at earsplitting volumes until all hours of the morning. Just walk right up and BAM! You'd feel better almost immediately because you wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. And he'd be ok too because as soon as he "died" he'd have to wait between 5 and 10 seconds, and then he'd respawn in a different location, as if nothing had ever happened.

Why it wouldn't work in reality - Um, people die when you shoot them... it's true. In fact, statistics show that 100% of mortal wounds are fatal to those who receive them (yeah, and 80% of stats are made up too, I know). And I'm pretty sure. Yep, you will probably go to jail forever (at the least) if you do this. Life is not a video game. Don't kill anyone, please.

2. Throw your financial worries away! If life was a game, every person in the entire world would be rich! All you'd have to is grab your sword, whip, gun, nunchuks, or whatever and roam about in the forest for a few hours. For some reason, every type of woodland creature is monstrously overgrown (and therefore needs to be killed immediately) and usually has about 10 bucks on their "person" at all time (or Gil for those who know the lingo). If you do this for a few weeks, a few hours a day, you'd have all the money you could ever want! And if you start to run out, go right back into the forest and kill some more creatures. Extinction does not exist in video games. Strangely though, even though you're unbelievably rich, you wouldn't buy a car. In fact you'd still prefer just to walk everywhere for some reason. I don't know why, that's just the way it is.

Why it wouldn't work in reality - Well, firstly, woodland creatures are not ginormous. You don't go into the forest and see 20 foot long caterpillars and 8 foot tall wolves running freely through the wilderness. Second, animals don't carry money. At least none of the ones that I've ever seen did. And lastly, creatures do not spontaneously generate to make up for the ones that you just killed. So you couldn't do this forever, and I'm pretty sure hunting forest creatures is not a permanent profession anyways (and it costs money). As fun as it sounds, this is impossible.

3. Unfortunately, tragedy would befall you on just about every important occasion in your life. Birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc. You name it, and something bad is going to happen. Something like your boyfriend or girlfriend gets kidnapped, your village gets burned to the ground, or a giant monster shows up and eats all the cake. You know, real tragedies. And unsuspiciously, it will always turn out to be the work of some big, evil, multi-million dollar corporation (no, not Sony). Then you'd grab your 3 closest friends (or just 1 and hope you meet some people on the way) and grab your swords and charge headlong into the teeth of the big corporation and crush them and all of their guards with automatic weapons.

Why it wouldn't work in reality - Well first off, it would be pretty crappy if all of your important moments were ruined by giant robots with nuclear missile launchers or your house kept getting torched. Not to mention the money you'd have to continuously spend on repairs would be through the roof, and you couldn't just go into the forest and kill all the squirrels and take their wallets. And also, you can't run straight at guards with automatic weapons and expect to kill them with your swords and clubs without getting hit by a rain of bullets. It's not possible, even in the most illogical sense. Why would you try that?

4. Finally, sleep would be effectively eliminated from everyday life. Yep, in video games, it isn't necessary at all. You go to bed, lie down for about 3 seconds while some sort of cheesy lullaby song plays. And when you wake up (3 seconds later) it will be morning and you will be full of energy. As a bonus, any wounds that you may have taken beforehand (from fighting forest creatures of course) will be completely healed, and you won't even remember the confrontations. This is all true of course unless something important is supposed to happen in the middle of the "night". In which case you will sleep for slightly longer (maybe 5 seconds), and when you wake up it will still be dark, AND you will complain about being tired and grumbling about what could've possibly caused the ruckus that interrupted your sleep.

Why it wouldn't work in reality - Well, the nightlife in downtown areas lasts a little more than 3 seconds last time I checked, that in and of itself belies the notion that nighttime lasts all of 3 seconds (like it does in video games). And also, I don't know if it's even possible, but I don't think anyone who only got 3 seconds of sleep would be very refreshed and chipper. In fact, I'd wager that they'd be very, very irritable.

Well, I'm sure I could keep going forever, but this is just a taste of what popped into my head while I was writing this. It's a little off the serious track, but I think it's a good break... I still have 3 more days to go after today. You could probably think of more, and there are sure to be reasons why it won't work. So, even though it will never happen, I'm still going to keep thinking about it. A guy can dream right?

T. Majercik Jr.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

More Than Meets the Eye

Ok, so updating this blog daily is going to be harder than I thought, but I said I would so I'm going to stick to it. This entry actually has two parts, but I'm going to put them together so it's really like a two-parted single post? The first is about a summer blockbuster and the second about not putting people into a stereotype.

Ok, so, movie. In my honest opinion, Transformers is one of the best movies I've ever seen and among movies I've seen already this year (since January 2007) I would place it second (behind Ghost Rider because that movie was perfect). The story was great, original, and yet stuck to the foundation laid in the cartoon 20 years ago. The fight scenes were incredible. It's not everyday you get to see a giant robot stabbed in the neck by another giant robot (only like every other day). And aside from one thing I didn't like in the cast (the Sector 7 guy wasn't that great) it was done perfectly. Shia LeBeouf played his role brilliantly and hearing the voice of Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime again was icing on the cake. Also all of the transforming sequences were seamless. They were so good, you could almost think that they actually built all of the Transformers prior to the making of the movie. Overall I give it a 9.2 out of 10, 4.5 stars out of 5, and probably 12 thumbs up too.

Now, for this next part, take a look at my picture over there and just try to put me into a stereotype. You're probably thinking either nice guy or video game nerd or something along those lines. Well, I'm kinda in both. And I'm also in the athlete category too. And I guarantee, if you don't already know, that you couldn't guess what kind of music I listen to (and yes, I do listen to music... just try and pick all of the genres though, it'll be fun :P). Basically what I'm trying to say is that people aren't always what they seem, but stereotypes do have a purpose. There are very few people who fit into just one singular stereotype, but if we didn't have these types of stereos, classifying people (like oh so many of us love to do) would be impossible. I for example am a video game playing nerd athlete, in the broadest sense. That description doesn't even take into account my musical taste. And just basing it on musical tastes, my father would be an old school metal head cool guy (70s, metal, and pop music).

So you see, even though we all love to judge people based on their looks it's not that easy, and it's better if you get to know someone before you throw them into a singular category. Because the next time you're making fun of an apparently helpless looking kid, he/she may turn out to be a black belt.

Oh, and keep a close eye on anything automated. It could just be a futuristic robot from a distant planet with world domination plans, and it's just cooking your toast until the time is right.

T. Majercik Jr.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Living in Virtual Reality

I get off the bus from work, grab a Pepsi from the fridge, sit down in the living room and turn on... the Nintendo? Yep, no sense sitting around watching TV when there are video games to be played. Actually, I'm fairly active and enjoy running, playing sports, and even just going for a walk outside. But I enjoy being virtually active too, and I don't agree with what some people say that, "video games are a waste of time and bad for your health." Now I'm not going to say you should play video games all the time forever, because exercise is important too. But I don't believe that they are a waste of time, and they can improve certain characteristics.

1. Coordination. Yes video games can help your hand-eye (or foot-eye) coordination. Sure maybe not as much as playing catch might, but it can help. Especially rhythm games like Guitar Hero and DDR, where you have to keep in time with the song. Nothing like moving your feet/hands to hit multicolored arrows and buttons without giving a second glance to them and watching nothing but the scrolling colors on the screen. Try them out for a few weeks (or months) and you will see an improvement.

2. Reaction Time. This is where mostly sports games come into play. After a few at bats in All-Star baseball where you swing wildly and miss repeatedly, you'll soon find yourself hitting that 90 mph fastball into the right-field gap for a single. This shows that your brain, once slow and sluggish from not needing to react quickly to anything, has become the supercomputer it was made to be. And since the games are so realistic now, you actually only have a second to see the hole between the tackles for your RB to run through, or you only have less than half a second (.43 to be approximately exact) to see where that fastball is going and then swing at it. And this skill can translate in the classroom during a timed exam say, or it can help you in your other video gaming endeavors (Guitar Hero and DDR come to mind again).

3. Vision. Bring on the FPSs (first-person shooters). If you want to improve your vision without spending thousands of dollars on laser surgery, these games are your best bet. Constantly trying to hit that last enemy soldier in the tower 1000 yards away can significantly improve what you see. And once you can get him in a single shot with a sniper rifle, try doing it without a scoped weapon, and your vision will improve more. You'll see everything much better, not just small objects either.

4. Concentration/Focus. Yes, of all the things video games can improve, this is probably the most obvious one... although it may not seem like it. I can say that I have thrown my share of controllers when someone has broken my focus during a boss fight or with two outs down by one in the last inning. When you play any game, you're constantly focused. Trying to follow that baseball, find an open receiver, keep a beat, or find the last enemy in a level. And if you get distracted? You lose your concentration, and usually a life or you strike out. Being able to keep focus amid chaos is probably the most important tool for a student to have. Like when taking a test, and the person who finished first is making all sorts of noise getting his/her stuff put away. If you train yourself to block out any other distractions, you'll find that test taking is easier, paying attention in class is easier, and school in general is easier.

And if I still haven't convinced you to pick up a controller, try watching someone else (it helps if they're at least a little bit good, or you won't get anything out of it) and try following what they're doing at the same time. It will help.

There you have it, video games can improve coordination, reaction time, vision, and focus. And you could probably throw in critical thinking too (strategy games and RPGs help with that). So, now that we all know video games can assist us in the classroom, anyone want to push for HON201: Honors Video Games Appreciation? Just kidding!

...Or am I?

T. Majercik Jr.

One more note - I'm going to try and post everyday so those of you who check this daily/weekly have something to read. And maybe those who blog after me will follow in my new tradition.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Honors...Team?

Despite never having done blogging or anything like it before, I'm surprised to say that it didn't take me long to come up with a topic for this first post (or a theme for my future posts?)

For those who know me, I'm a little bit of a sports fanatic. I'm not over the top crazy, like I need to get season tickets each year for every Cleveland sports team. And I was one of the few (maybe the only one) who wasn't like "OMG, the Cavs are in the NBA finals!!!" But I enjoy playing sports, watching sports, and especially playing the free fantasy sports games online.

But my fondness of athletic competition is not the topic of choice today. And since I think that I should mention the honors program in at least one of these posts, I'll make a comparison between our very own CSU honors program and the world of professional sports.

Like all other college students, we are... students (what? since when?). But really we're more that that. Among undergraduates, we are professionals. Not in the physical, "I can throw a baseball 200 mph and kick a football 700 yards," but we are the professional intellectuals. We know how to learn, and we are good at it. Basically, if there were a fantasy undergraduate student draft held by the teachers, we would be first round picks.

Also, look at any pro sports team, any team, and look at each individual player. There isn't any team where each player is from the same place and is good at the same thing. No, they come from all over and use their skills in complement to those of their teammates to spur their team on to bigger and better things.

And that's what we are. We come from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and even across the ocean from Africa. And we're all not good at the same thing either. We are math majors, chemical engineers, computer programmers, education majors, etc. The list goes on and on. We're not just another part of an organization just using the group to fulfill our own needs (even though we all know 'Honors Program' looks really good on a resume). No, we are the foundation for a still young honors society at Cleveland State, bringing our varied skills to the table in order to further our career and continue to improve CSU's honors program every year.

So step aside honors program... make way for the honors team!

T. Majercik Jr.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

A Mother's Love

The bond between a mother and daughter is something that is irreplaceable. A mother is there to love, comfort and to teach her daughter how to grow into a beautiful well rounded young woman. Since I can remember, my mother has always showered me with love and support. She will sit and listen to me cry, complain and rant about everything in the world for hours. Even if she doesn’t agree with what I’m upset about, she is still there to listen. My mom does everything for me, but most importantly she acts as my role model on how important it is to be a strong woman in today’s society.

Although she hasn’t always considered herself a feminist, when she heard the words "It's a girl!" she quickly became one in earnest. Like all mothers, she wanted her little girl to know a perfect world; a world that didn't exist when she was growing up. Despite society's disapproval, my mother is satisfied with her life in loving and caring for her family. Defying much feminist theory, she has actually become her own individual by not thinking of herself, but of others.

Until recently you would find her spending most of her free time at Lake Med Nursing Home, where she would take care of my sick grandparents. My grandparents, who were usually quite demanding of my mom, would constantly challenge her Italian temper, yet because of the strong loving woman that she is, she never allowed herself to give up. Those years at the nursing home were the toughest years for my mom because now she had three children to take care of; my grandparents and me. Although I desperately miss my grandparents, I am thankful for the memories I was able to share at the nursing home with my mom. By watching her care for my grandma and grandpa, it allowed me to gain a sense of what unconditional love is, and she showed me how faith in God can go a long way.

Faith in God did go along way in our family, it allowed my mom to have me (after undergoing a previous miscarriage), and it cured my mom of ovarian cancer when I was a young girl. But most importantly faith in God is what has kept my family so close over all these years. If there is one lesson my mother has tried to pass down to me it would be without faith, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible.

It took me nineteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life. She has enriched my life with her passion for learning, and changed it with her devotion to humanity. In her endless love of everything and everyone she is touched by, I have seen a hope and life that is truly exceptional.

So bloggers, I would like to dedicate this blog to all mother figures, including my own, who have taught us to dare to be different, to be a leader, and most importantly, to be the kind of person who in the face of adversity continue to embrace life and walk fearlessly towards any challenge.


Jessie S.

Monday, July 9, 2007

My Career Story

When I enrolled as a PSEO student at Lakeland Community College my junior year of high school, I did not have a clue what I would major in or what to do upon graduation. At the time I was only 16, and the majority of my time was spent thinking about boys, getting my drivers license, and what I was going to wear to prom that year; not what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I continued with my education at Lakeland all the way up through my senior year of high school, where I then seriously began re-evaluating my future and career goals. I was now 18 and still as indecisive about my career plans as I was 2 yrs before. Throughout junior high and high school I was very much involved in community theatre, choir, and was a member of Mentors Top 25 Show Choir. I loved the performing arts and even debated whether that was a career path I could see myself pursuing.

After graduating from Mentor High I decided it was important to stay at Lakeland one more year and explore different areas of studies, hoping that something would grab my attention. No longer in high school I really needed to buckle down and take classes that would help better my future and aid me in deciding what career path I should follow. Thus, as fate would have it, I decided to enroll in a career assessment class, in hopes that it would lead me in the right direction. By the end of the semester I found the material from the class to be so helpful and applicable to my life that it ultimately helped me declare my major in Middle Childhood Education.

Knowing that you have had an impact on someone and ending the day feeling like you changed just one life could be the best job in the world. To me those feelings and thoughts can only come from one profession, teaching. I have chosen the route to be a Middle Childhood teacher because I feel that this is going to be the best way to have that feeling and emotion of inspiring someone else’s life each and everyday.

Teaching is a performance, a journey, and its rewards are often not obtained until years later. I know that with the field I am pursuing it is often hard to find a job right away within the district of your choice. Whether in future years I am teaching in Ohio or in Verona Italy, I want to make sure I am in a district where education is valued, and it’s a place where I feel like I belong and am needed. Many times, when a person chooses a career, they select one in which they will make the most money, have the best benefits, or bring the most prestige. Years later, they find that they have made the wrong decision and search for a more fulfilling career. I feel that I am one of the lucky few who have found a truly fulfilling career and one that fits my personality perfectly.

I realize that even though teachers do not get a lot of respect, or money, they have the greatest job anyone could ever hope for. I want to be that teacher who makes a difference in a child’s life and the teacher who was truly able to bring the classroom to life!

Jessie : )

Friday, July 6, 2007

Yea! Graduation!!! ... Now What?

It's so close, you can just about taste it. Four (and a half) years in the making, finally, the white sheet is about to be snatched away to reveal the new you. You're excited about it. Your parents are VERY excited about it. Grandma is... let's call her "ecstatic" and your Professors can't help but smile when you pass them by in the corridors that you once thought were "big" and confusingly arranged.

But, now you, a SENIOR, have conquered! No longer are you the freshman walking (alone) to ENG 101H with a backpack neatly lined with assorted colors of pocket folders and notebooks, a spare copy of your schedule clinched in your almost visibly trembling hand, while nervously scanning the 3-digits etched above what seems to be an endless row of classroom doors. Now, you've gotten so good at college life, you can visualize a classroom as soon as you hear the room number. Not only that, you know the fastest way to (cut through the construction to) get there so you won't have to forfeit precious minutes of beauty rest, ahem, "mind relaxation" to be on time.

But are you REALLY ready to leave the campus that has been your home, of sorts, for the past several years? The campus on which it seems everybody knows your name? The campus you've become accustomed to and know so well? Before you answer, consider this.

Graduating from college marks the beginning of a new life with new rules. Yes, you will have to start "the process" all over again. You will become that freshman who just interrupted your pizza break to ask for directions to his ENG 101 class when (hopefully) you find employment after graduation.

This post is not to scare anyone into becoming professional college students who never graduate. Not at all. It is to help those who may be nearing graduation to have a healthy outlook on it. You may be a *rockstar* on campus now, but once your name echoes through the Wolstein Center at commencement, it's back to step one on the rungs of life's ladder. You'll be the newbie once again.

Below this post, there's a link that tells how many comments have been posted by readers like you. Here's what I ask of you, dear reader: Click that link and then post a comment that gives your advice to graduating seniors (like me)! Or, if you prefer, give some advice to the perplexed freshmen who are still trying to figure out what their CampusNet password is {LOL}. If nothing else, post a comment that lets the weekly blogger know they aren't talking (or is it typing?) to themselves {LOL}.

Matt K.

SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE HONORS BLOG! COMMENT! READ PREVIOUS ENTRIES TOO.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

There is fire in the works...

The United States of America declared it's independence 231 years ago. Every Independence Day is brought in from coast-to-coast with backyard barbecues, parades and, of course, fireworks.



There's something about fire. Maybe it's the color that draws us--a color one is hard pressed to reproduce by any other means. Maybe it's the allure of the idea that we can harness such a powerful force in the palm of our hands (e.g., matches and lighters).

Yes, there is something about fire--we don't want it too close to home (especially when we are powerless against it). Amid all the spectacular fireworks displays throughout the nation, wildfires out west continue to ravage homes, businesses and entire communities. The most recent claiming at least 3 civilian lives in a rural area of Utah. Firefighters have been working hard to tame the fire, but haven't been able to as of this writing.

But, on the heels of this year's fourth day in July, wildfires aren't as big a threat to the nation as fireworks injuries. The following link has useful information on how to stay safe during the "fireworks holidays" like Independence Day and New Year's:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fworks.htm

I am sure we all will be hearing the "bombs bursting in air" for at least a few more days. Remember: Safety First!

Matt K.