Final Major Blog Stress Academic Lecture

I’m not quite sure of what qualifies as an academic lecture for this blog because I know it cannot be a basic class lecture. I’m going to describe a lecture given by Professor Sampson that was given about stress and its effects on people. This was a lecture that was a part of my Psychology 101class but it was special meeting that occurred at Carroll Hall that did not really correspond to the class topics. Sampson began by speaking about the concept of “catastrophic thinking,” which is one thinks in a pessimistic way and over-exaggerates the severity of their problems. People too often according to Sampson create their own problems as a result of stress. Little things or things that are easy to deal with are blown way out of proportion. Therefore the questions were brought out, which were how to detect catastrophic thinking and how deal with this type of thinking.

One of the ways to deal with thinking so pessimistically is to use humor in one’s life as Sampson stated. He told the audience of a story in Chicago. Years ago in the large city there was a massive flood that wrecked the suburb area of the city. Many people acted terribly whether they cried or shut themselves off. Yet the story told of many who did the opposite. They joked about their homes being destroyed and this in effect lessened their stress and made them healthier. From the lecture I learned that joking around and laughing about terrible events in the right manner and context can help one to deal with hardship and stress.

Releasing pent of emotions was another method of dealing with stress that Sampson discussed. People too often keep their emotions inside of themselves and never let out there feelings. Keeping anger and sadness inside without oneself admitting or putting it out into the open can be detrimental to not only one’s life but one’s health. One case study took place where one group of college kids wrote about trivial matters while the others wrote about personal problems. The ones that wrote about their personal problems had better semesters in the classroom and out of it. They were happier and healthier. Therefore Sampson helped the audience to understand that feelings and emotions should be brought out more openly so that stress, anger, and depression will not arise. Keeping pent up emotions can also create elevated blood pressure and poor immune systems.

Managing hostility and learning to relax were of the last ways Sampson described how to limit stressed. People with lots of anger and hostility has increased risks of heart attacks and normally has feelings need to be expressed but is hidden underneath. People with anger feel as though they are “wronged” and build up stress. Therefore to get rid of the stress they need to forgive others. Relaxing can also limit stress. Ways we can all relax is by being in quiet area, using a song or word repetitively, having a passive attitude, and staying in a comfortable position. Exercising and staying active all help us feel good about ourselves to which can reduce stress as Sampson related. In the end, stress all comes down to thinking irrationally and not be open. When problems arise people just need to breath and deal with them rationally. By limiting stress not only will be people be more successful but also healthier.

Secret Dental Meeting

****The last blog I made for the last unit concerning the IFC meeting was at the Memorial Hall so it won't be my student organization one which this one will be. My previous student organization one is my Memorial Hall major blog.*******

Most Mondays since being here at UNC Chapel hill, I have attended the student organization of the secret dental fraternity. I learned about the group from a fellow brother of my fraternity. My friend, Joc, is a member of this secret student organization and he accompanies me to every meeting. He has been recently accepted into the dental school and has provided me with information over the past two semesters on what I should in order to be on track to be admitted into the dental school. These meetings are fairly basic. Everyone signs in at the beginning and normally some type of food is given out being that the meetings take place around 6 o’clock. We also sign up for charity events like going to the Ronald McDonald House or helping out at the Humane Society. I am a rushee so I am required to attend all the meetings and take part in several of the charity events. I probably will not be able to join until next year but I still have to stay involved.

After all the opening stuff though, we always have a speaker who is either a part of the dental school or an accredited dentist from anywhere around the state. One of the last speakers we had dealt with the issues of the current economy affecting the dentistry profession. He did say that the medical fields will have to take a hit because people are losing a lot of money. Since tooth care is not a necessity too some may feel spending money at a dentist or orthodontist may be unnecessary. Therefore the speaker brought out that it could be a profession that all not all should be interested. Another speaker brought the issues about the social factor involved with the profession. He told his job was something he loved because it was all about talking with people. Supposedly you meet a new person every day. Not to mention you have the job of helping these people and improving their appearance. A teacher who was on the board that decides on applications spoke with us about the needed GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities. One speaker attempted to teach us about the various forms of dentistry whether it be general, orthodontics, or surgery dentistry. He exposed what a person needed to be like or skill they needed for each form of dentistry. Overall this secret association will help me get into dentistry school if I decide to do so. And it will help decide what path to choose once I get into the graduate school hopefully.

Feeder 3.1

In the account by Horowitz's "Confederates in the South" and the film "O Brother Where Art Thou," the depiction of racial tensions in the deep south both in the present and past are seen. In the past there certainly was great tension between whites and blacks, yet not everyone had racial prejudice. In today's America, civil rights have been established and everyone is seen as equal as it states in the Declaration of Independence, but in various parts of our country, especially the South, one can find narrow-minded individuals that still have prejudices and racist tendencies. This shows that in America's history there has always been those with opinions that greatly contrast in their views about the equality of races. In the South since its beginnings to today's present state, there has been racism, but the concept of classes and social hierarchy has had little effect on racial tensions.

In the film "O Brother Where Art Thou," one can see just how little the idea of classes in America has with racial issues. The Cohen brothers although criminals welcome an African America man to join them in their journey and escape from prison even though at least two of the three are white. The young black man tells them of how he supposedly sold his soul to the devil for his ability to play the guitar. From this point the group records a song for a radio station together to make some money. Later on the Cohen brothers find themselves right in the midst of Ku Klux Klan meeting where they are planning to murder their African American friend who could play the guitar so well. The brothers from this point put themselves at risk by dressing up as members of the Klan and in process save the young boy. Another interesting thing occurs in the meeting of the Ku Klux Klan, the leader of the Klan is a man who is running for governor of his state. On his platform he talks about fighting for the little man and underprivledged by using a midget stand with him during his speech. He paints himself out to be a kind and compassionate man too when he has three little girls sing at his campaign event. This man, although obviously of the upper class and even running to be a political figure whose platform is for fighting for the little guy, leads the Klan in efforts to murder a black boy. The contrast between the two examples, the Cohen brothers and the leader of the Ku Klux Klan, reveal just how little class has to do with racial tensions. Just because someone is of the upper class and normally coming from a greater education does not necessarily mean that they will the smartest and best people. In these two examples from the film, it the criminals that reveal the best knowledge and ethics. Therefore it can be said that racial prejudice has little to with the social hierarchy found in America.

In Horowitz's account much to can be seen regarding the relationship between race and class. In Horowitz's depiction of the South, the reader is able to gain a strong perspective on just what life in the South is like today. He quickly finds himself in Salisbury, North Carolina among several whites that are extremely pro-confederate. They have meetings to remember the fallen soldiers for the South in the Civil War and have celebrations for events such as Robert E. Lee's birthday. On the night where they celebrated the fallen general they have trivial where everyone competes to impress the others with their knowledge on Confederate history. Other things demonstrated by these ones are houses covered in Confederate items and even a group that looks at famous cats in the Confederacy. These ones show great respect for the Confederacy yet they are quite obsessive and somewhat ridiculous. Yet strangely the class of these ones differs greatly. One man at the party is a doctor while there is also a janitor. There are ones from the middle, upper, and lower classes proving that racial prejudices occur regardless of a person's standing in the American classes.

Response to Dying for Dixie

In Horowitz account you learn of white, southern male who was shot for flying the Confederate flag on the back of the truck by a young, African American man who name was Freddie. Granted i can see how if an African American can be greatly haunted and offended by a flag that to them represents bondage and slavery. Yet Freddie was in no way justified in killing this young man. There were several weird things about this story. For one this happened in Guthrie, Kentucky, a state that never joined the Confederacy and in fact they sent troops to aid the Union effort. Another strange fact of the story was that a few of African Americans involved in the shooting such as Darden, were neighbors and friends of Westerman, who was the young man who got killed. They frequently played basketball together according to Horowitz. The stories of Hannah and the those involved in the shooting greatly conflicted. Hannah claims that they did nothing to anger the kids except for the fact that they didn't like the flag. Yet Freddie and Darden's group claimed that one of the people in the car shook the flag and called them racist terms. Another fact in the story was the mascot of the school which was a Confederate rebel which was the matter of great debate concerning whether this was disrespectful or not to African Americans. In my opinion, although I am a southerner who has relatives that fought for the South, I believe the Confederate flag is fine to be displayed in public as long as someone isn't throwing in other's faces and trying to stir up problems. Violence too must end. The war has been over and everyone is most definitely created equal so why is there so much anomosity in the South such as at this school in Guthrie. According to Horowitz too, after this event the children of different race at school wouldnt associate and conflicts could easlily be started up. People can wear what they want whether it be a Southern old emblem or a shirt that shows Malcolm X who was a pioneer in civil rights. The truth is people are to sensitive. And no matter what happens killing an individual is wrong everytime.

Autobiography for Dying For Dixie

I went to school in Kinston, North Carolina. This town consists of its fair share of farmers and southern hicks who love nothing more than their trucks, fishing, hunting, tobacco, and football. My school only had one black kid in the high school and only three in the entire school I believe. These numbers are crazy considering my school although small and private was one that had grades from kindergarten to high school. If you weren't white then you were just a minority but really the only person of your race, so obviously these few ones stood out. At times I wondered how these ones felt, but they were greatly accepted and no ones was ever discriminated to my knowledge. Yet only these ones know what feelings and emotions they had bottled up inside them considering their circumstances. I heard racist comments daily. You couldn't go one day at school without seeing some shirt that applied to the Confederacy or its flags. Just like Westerman, several boys' trucks had Confederate features. One in particular truck had a Confederate flag intricately designed on the back. No violence to my knowledge has ever broken out at my school concerning the debate of Confederate flag but certainly there is a possibility after reading the account from Horowitz. All the other teams we played except for one or two in football had African American players yet there weren't problems. Yet one team we always played consisted of all African Americans and there was intense rivarly between the both us in my opinion because of race. Yet back to flag, no one should ever shot because they are expressing their feelings yet people have to be wary of what they are doing. Flying a large flag for all to see is being showy and making everyone notice you. The Confederate flag is key part of our history and must be respected yet shoving it people's faces is incorrect because their negative and terrible connotations associated with it. But just like African Americans at my old school, people need to be less sensitive at times and suck it up. The same goes for whites for example when they see a Malcolm X shirt. Not everything needs to be taken as if someone is trying to offend, which people back home where I'm from did well to my knowledge, but I was in the majority so I have to ask myself really what do I know.

Student Organization

This meeting that I'm writing about iswhere the entire Greek community at Carolina met in order to hear several speakers and representatives of the IFC. This meeting did take place many weeks ago but I found it quite interesting and something that many would like to hear about. The theme of organization of the Greeks and IFC was hazing. Hazing for anyone that doesn't know ia where somone is abused verbally, physically, and emotionally by another person in order to gain respect or entry into some group, typically a fraternity or maybe a sports team. In the meetings two vidoes were shown. The first one was about a young man that was forced to consume massive amounts of liqour before it could come home. Once he was brought back to the fraternity house he passed out and people preceded to write and draw all over him. After he hadn't woken up for hours and it was noticed that he wasn't breathing and the paramedics were called. In the time before the ambulance got their, the fraternity brothers tried to erase the markings on his body to save their skin. He eventually died. The second video described a young man who was a freshmen at MIT trying to fit in. He went to a party with some people and drank a large amount of alcohol after never having any for his entire life. He basically just wanted to fit in so he drank but soon he passed out and the others dismissed it and laid him on a couch with no supervision. Eventually he died on that couch and the boys that supplied alcohol and held the party were sued for a million dollars and kicked out of school. These two stories really hit me and several others about the severe consequences of fraternity life and hazing.

The meeting hopefully helped the Greeks took take lessons from the videos and the admonition from the IFC. Hazing is certainly a practice that is out the door. No longer can students be abused so severely because it can kill their grades, social life, and even take away a life. Hazing can be performed in other sense in that Greeks must hve their pledges learn the history of their fraternities and do less severe acts like maybe just driving and cleaning. The speakers all taught us these new ideas for pledges. This meeting too taught how fragile human life can be and that everyone needs to always be on alert at parties or when alcohol is involved. A death destroys one life but also a family's, friends', and those that are responsible. The speakers did well in teaching and informing that hazing cannot continue to be so severe and dangerous. Things in Greek life and even any party night must be dealt with more carefullyand responsibly.

My Autobiography

I from where I consider the deep south. I from Greenville, North Carolina where East Carolina University is located. Although my hometown is quite southern, it is nothing like Kinston, North Carolina where I attended high school. I travelled a total of one hour there every week day. At my high school, the guys competed in how cool each one's trucks were or who had the loudest exhaust. Although I wasn't quite the same as the other guys I went to school with I still consider myself quite southern. I have been joked numerous times for deep southern accent. I'm one of people that really enjoys a simple day whether it be fishing or hanging with some friends. Every Saturday or Sunday I'll be tailgating or watching football. Being from the South to my life has revolved around sports. I played both basketball and football and as a young kid I played baseball. Although I loved sports it still seemed as though you had to play sports to be socially accepted. But besides the basics, the concept of my southern past, ancestors , and Confederate relations also help to show my southern side. Being from the South, family life is important. My family and I always ate dinner together and did activities together. Even though I am completly against my relatives for fighting to keep African Americans in chains, I still support and remember what they did. They are family in not just blood but a southern sense. If I had been alive during that time i cannot argue that I would have certainly fought for the Confederacy. And that all comes down to the fact that in the South you have your family's and friends' backs. You put yourself second in my opinion when it comes to Southeren living. I dont't agree with the Conderate fight to have kept slavery, but I do support their past beliefs fight against a governement that was telling them how to live. My southern nature comes out in both the little things, like having a love for big trucks, and the bigs things, like remembering fallen Confederate soldiers and the hardship the South endured after the Civil War.

Response to Confederates in the Attic

The article was incredibly interesting to me, especially being from the south and not knowing just how extreme some people still are about the Confederacy and Civil War. I found it quite admirable just how dedicated these southerners were to honoring and remembering their fallen family members. I also found it interesting that all of these white southerners were unified in their response about why we fought the Civil War, which was not to uphold the unjust practice of slavery but to fight a government that was attempting to dictate the South's way of life. They were and still angry about the government telling them how to live their lives when they had no concept of what the South was like and what it was all about. i found it quite interesting too the points about how the South has received a raw deal since the Civil War and the fact that the South lost so much more in the Civil War than the North, which is completely true in my opinion. I was firmly in support of these notions. Yet at times these dedicated southerners seemed to obsessive. Yes, the Civil War and Southern style of living is and always will be extremely important but the war is over and has been time for years now for us to grow and expand of it. Things had to change and they did and still people cling to past in my opinion to avoid dealing with their own present problems. When the trip was made in the article to the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, I discovered just how conflicted we are in the South still to this day. I believe it is right to remember and even glorify our Confederate leaders and troops. Yet we cannot be offensive and disrespect others. African-Americans should be discriminated when they see statues of men that fought against their freedom. They shouldn't be reminded of the terrible past their ancestors had. White southerners need to accept Appomattox as the end of the Confederacy and the Civil War, yet still remembering and honoring one's family must always be done yet it must be done so in a discrete manner. I'm sorry to believe though that there will always be a debate concerning this issue because both sides are right. Finding the balance between the two feelings will be near impossible yet it would be greatly beneficial.

Observation # Away from the Nightlife

I my last observations took place at both the Granville Towers cafeteria and the basketball court at Woolen Gym. At the cafeteria I went with my pledge brothers only. Yes, we did all sit together but that didn't stop some our friends from our suites and back home from eating with us. This to me shows that certainly fratenity guys do hang out mostly with their brothers but they do limit it to just them. Also in my opinion I really see little difference with a fraternity guys hanging out together just like a close group of friends would do. In the cafeteria no one really sat alone, therefore everyone does have their own exclusive groups but most just like my fraternity brothers don't just limit their social connections to an inner group. The second observations took place at the basketball court. Yes, again I went with just my fraternity brothers but once we got there we met up with several other random guys who we played with. We made several new friends. We mixed up teams and pretty much let everyone play with each other as long as teams were fair. We all had a fun time, joked together, got a little mad when we messed up, and got real tired all together. So what I am getting at is that just because some one is a Greek or not doesn't mean they're not similar. People especially those in a fraternity are inclined to meet new people because in the end isn't that what the purpose of a fraternity is, which is to meet new people and friends when you get to college. Behavior between the non-Greeks and Greeks at both the court and the cafeteria seemed nearly the same by fact that they all associated together and that every person has their own characteristics apart from everyone else. A fraternity is no different than a close group of friends not a group of men molded into the same person as the common belief is.

Observation #12 Greek life at the Bar

I was able to do some observing both Thursday night and Friday afternoon on Greek life. For first time I observed the fraternity guys from a view that was one where I wasn't an employee but instead just a another member of the group. Unfortunately neither of the two days the turnout was not outstanding so I was limited in how much I could see but i did notice a few things. One thing that I gathered was that the fraternity guys did certainly hang out with a wide range of people but at variuos point they would always make a poin to gather and meet back up with their fraternity brothers. They would always come together and leave together. In more depth I listened in on some conversations. It was mostly talk about the upcoming brackets and NCAA tournament. Some was about cocktails and events to come later in the semester. Similar phrases and jokes were said by members of the corresponding fraternities. I would say some and relate some but many wouldn't be approriate or make sense to the reader. Dress was of course similar but that in my opinion has little to do with Greek life. The Greeks also seemed to be the center of the party, they knew the most people and were the most social. At times some were well-behaved other times they were the ones on tables or chunking a bottle against the road. I want to observe a fraternity this weekend late a night to make better judgement concerning my hypothesis reagarding Greek life affecting the behavior and social life of poeple.

Observation #1 At the bar

Tuesday night I observed the people that walked into the bar at Pantana Bob's. It was one of the busiest nights I've ever worked there not to mention it was St. Patrick's day so everyone was a little more loud, rowdy, and excited than usual. I did fairly well though to monitor the actions and ways of the fraternity and sorority girls that I've met or know of. To be honest most would think a fraternity guy would be the loudest and most wild but I found this to be very untrue. The fraternity guys acted in good measure early. The rudest ones at the door were all ones I wasn't familar and by looking at them i didn't believe they were part of a fraternity. As the night when on the Greeks changed their manners a little. I caught one I know dancing on the tables which although funny I had to get him down. Then while outside one of my closer friends threw a bottle across the street making a mess and causing a minor commotion. Besides some yelling or foul language ( the regular for many who go to the bar), the fraternity guys kept it quite in check. In regards to my hypothesis though I noitced a lot. My hypothesis is that Greeks, in particular fraternity guys, all seem to have similar mannerisms, personalities, and styles. I found this to true in some cases and false in others. The fraternity guys I saw wore the polo shrits and sperrys but honestly just about everyone in Chapel Hill dresses like that now. The fraternity ones atitudes varied greatly. Some I saw would come and talk to me and ask how I was. They were polite and nice. Others would barely say hey and just stick their arms out for a wrist band as if they had some entitlement or something. Basically some but certainly not all fraternity guys are arrogant and most to a degree have some cockiness. But at the end of the day are they really different overall. The only real thing that fraternity guys seemed to have a in common that night was that they were all Greek besides that they demonstrated different characteristics.

Hypothesis 2.2

Fraternities are some of most exclusive groups that can found around a college campus. These fraternities are consisted of groups of brothers from all over the state and country that in their time at school become a tightly-knit group. All at some point will live with each other at the fraternity house. During the nights, these ones expose just how exclusive a fraternity can be. They all hang out mainly in their small groups and the sororities commonly associated with them. Most of this takes place without these brothers even knowing that they are residing in their own small community somewhat apart from the rest of the world. As one would expect too, these members or brothers spend so much time together that they begin to imitate one another. They begin to act their others in the fraternity until the house as a whole develops a unified or common lifestyle, personality, and attitude. This belief can supported best by observing the nightlife of these people at the bars.
I work at a bar, Pantana Bobs, every Tuesday and Friday night. Also I am a member of the fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta at UNC-Chapel Hill. By both being apart and observing the nightlife in college, I’ve noticed several parallels and regularities in Greek fraternity life. Certain fraternities will go to certain bars and at certain times of the night. Members of a specific fraternity will act and behave in comparable ways at bars whether it is the way they talk, how carefree they are, how violent they can be, how rude they can be, how playful they are, and in several other ways. Don’t be misled though that these common characteristics of these people are always negative. Besides this point, fraternities are a vital part of campus life and are partly responsible for molding young people into the adults they will be for the rest of their lives. My hypothesis is that fraternity members interact in exclusive groups and therefore behave similarly compared to their brothers in their daily lifestyles specifically in the nightlife setting at bars.

Disruptive #1

For my disruptive a space observation I choose to apply to my job from my first observation. Every tuesday and friday nights I see tons of underage students just like me trying to get into the bar and also several more that actually are of age. But this blog is about disrupting both over and underage ones. To disrupt this space I took my regular postion at the door outside with one of my friends Steven who was working with me. When someone would come regradless whether we thought they were of age or not we would pass the id back and forth between each other making facial expressions that seemed to show our disapproval with the id. Most of the time we would just do this with ones that we figured were of the age of 21. It was crazy how so offended some people got. They found it ridiculous to even have to show their id let alone once we began having a little fun with it some got quite angry. For some that reacted like this we sent them off. Ones that had fakes seemed to get the madest and defensive in attempts I guess to furhter sell us on the fact that they were of the age. Besides passing the id along the line of doormen we would ask for cover charge when their wasn't one just to see what happened. Quickly though we would tell them there wasnt. Other things we did was jokingly quiz them on their ids. Are u a donor? Whats your complete address at home? Yeah all this seems like it would be part of the job and at times it is, but by acting in a manner that seemed as if we didnt believe them or not or even pulling practical pranks it invoked some crazy responses and made the night a lot better.

Observation #2 Fraternity

The other day I observed just a regular day during classes at my fraternity. I sat out on our front benches and hung out with several other brothers. In front of our house leaving and entering occurs; therefore, a lot of conversation and chit-chat takes place. It’s common to discuss anything that seems irrelevant to class most of time. For example most of us will try to decide what we are going to do that night whether it just is relaxing at the house, studying, or having a party. Most of the guys, seriously not me, will always light up a cigarette. That is just one of the norms of hanging out in the front of our house. Other norms would be playing practical jokes such as dumping water from an upper window on someone walking in. The whole goal basically when you are there is to chill and have a few laughs. Conversations and talk in the front lawn never are really important and normally consists of a simple “what’s up” and “later.” The space and context only allows brief conversations but it certainly does not prohibit hanging for long periods which several do. Not much really occurs here except friendly chat in between classes of course it’s different after class.

Observational Blog 1#

I work at the bar on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I check id’s at the door, help keep everything under control, and clean up after closing. It ends late but I enjoy the job because of the people and especially the cash. Yet on Tuesday night I observed the manners and attitudes of those that came in. It was obvious most of time pointing out an underage verses someone who is of age to drink even before they gave me their id’s. Underage kids acted nervous at times taking their fakes directly out of their pockets instead of out of a wallet. Some were too arrogant too. They seemed so overconfident at times that it was extremely easy to see that they had a fake id. Many would sit an complain for minutes after denying them normally being quite offensive and rude. Ones that were over had an attitude of their own. Many were offended when asked to present their ids. And a handful would complain and moan when they were asked to pay a $2 cover charge. I heard things like “I never pay the cover,” “I come here so much I don’t have too,” and even “ I too good to pay a cover.” All this was just ridiculous. Certainly there were several cooperative and polite ones but too many were arrogant and mean whether underage or not although the attitudes of both greatly contrasted as I pointed out.

Carolina State Game

Last night i went to basketball game at the Dean Dome. The Heels met up with one of top rivals, NC State. Before the game I met up with several of my friends from high school that go to NCSU. They all came up to the game which wasn't good for them but I'm sure they were expecting the worst anyway. Before the game we went out got some food and hung out till it was gametime. By 7:30 we were off. The game started out suprising mainly because State pulled out to an early lead. I mean we are the 3rd ranked team in the counrty and State is barely floating above .500. But in the ACC and more importantly a rivarly as old and intense as the one between UNC and NC State, there never is an easy game. The emotions of a rivarly game for UNC between Duke or State is as heated as it gets. Many have the feeling no matter what their team does during the season that if they don't beat Duke and State then the season is a loss. Thats college sports. It's not about the money or fame or jersey sales, it's about pride, school spirit, and love for your college. In these rivarly games all this is taken to an even higher level. No matter the the rankings, records, personel, or any other factor that would seem to matter, these rivalry games never seem to go along with whats on paper. For example back in 1994 UNC was the best team in the country and had their sights in a National Title. Yet before the year was over the Heels still had to play Duke. Duke hadn't one an ACC game all year and their Coach had to take the year off. Anyone would have predicted a blowout for the Heels, but a true fan would have though otherwise. Duke ended up fighting UNC into several overtimes including a halfcourt shot to tie the game as time exspired. The Heels did win that game but Duke gave it everything and thats what its all about.

Besides the past though at the game last night, State pulled a similar show. They led most of the first half and only trailed by 3 at halftime. Eventually Tyler and company proved to be too much for the Wolfpack but it was a great game and they only lost by 9 to agruably the best team in the country. The audience last night seemed speechless and shocked at the way the game went early. "We should kill these guys," I was thinking as long with everyone else. The Heels could never have fully dominated that game although everything says they should have. NC State outmatched took on their rivals with no fear and gave us a scare all the way till the end. Once UNC took it's first lead the crowd light up, u could't hear the person sitting next to you because of the noise. State and UNC just love being a hard on each other and although no many will admit people at State are great freinds, but they are like brothers. At the game I never missed a chance to gloat in the friends face. It was like old times last night getting a group of us all back together like our high school days. The mood though last night see seemed bad though and a somwhat depressive though. Everyone wanted to be up by 20 points but u can never expect that in a riavlry game. No one went out last night so despite the win it was like expected I suppose. When you go to Chapel Hill your taught to expect to always win which really sucks when you don't. But last night was a win. Once the Heels took the lead and the fans, including myself, I never sat back down. Insults flew all night between my friends and I and from State fans to UNC ones. If you ever go to a college basketball game always try to attend a rivalry game. Get swept up in shouting, yelling, jumping, chanting, and being their for your school. At a stituation like that you feed off the crowd just as everyone else does. It's like a chain reaction of enthusiam and excitement. All I know is that there was nothing better than seeing the sea of baby blue in the stands a win for Heels last night.

New Start

Well I think I learned my lesson from the past couple weeks. In the past weeks I've had three tests and at the same time been slowly working on my final paper on the folk cure experiment we are all doing. But besides the paper I had psychology, Economics, and Geology tests all of which I waited till the last day to study for. But I didn't just wait that long to study but I also waited till the last day of each exam to read the suggested materials that we are supposed to follow gradually throughout the classes. And to make me seem that much more pathetic I bought my books for my classes the thursday before my first exam on Friday. All three nights before my exams no doubt were all-niters which at this point I kind of enjoy and seem to complete a lot of work but I know they are really unhealthly and all that. And so yeah I know this is pretty bad. It's pathetic but I know I'm not the only one. In fact if you don't proscrastinate then your in the minority of students at Chapel Hill or for that fact anywhere in country in my opinion. Though I plan on learning my lesson and changing up my habits for the remainder of the semester.

So yeah I got to change my study habits. The first way I plan to do this really doesn't involve studying at all. I mean no matter what happens to me Im goin like most wait till the last night to study for a test. But I do want to do better in my classes about keeping up, so I want to read what i'm supposed in small amounts each weeks so that I have some idea of what Im studying the night before an exam. Unlike our English class which requires you to work along at s steady pace, my others like most classes just have three tests and a final so your studying and rreading is up to you. So I planning to start reading earlier whether it actually happens who knows. besides schoolwork it should be a fun week. I mean a lot of exams were last week so people so be going out hopefully. And NC State comes here Wednesday to play at the Dean Dome im sure with several of their terrible fans but whatever it should be a fun night. After I turn this paper in this week my schedule should be chill so I do that reading i've been talking about.

What a Week

This week was a crazy one. For me it had it's ups and lows. To start it all off I found out tuesday during class that I had a Psychology test Thursday. It's mine own fault for not looking to see the test dates but it really jumped on me. Not to mention the fact that I had to work both Tuesday and Wednesday night. And on top of this I had to continue work on my final draft of our unit one papers. The week looked to be pretty bad. For the most part it went fairly well suprisingly. I mean I did pull an all-nighter on wednesday night for that exam. By Thursday afternoon I could barely stand because of around 30 straight sleepless hours and the fact that those hours were spent in the study lounge or a work. Yet personally I'm kind of proud because at least I got it all done. Around Tuesday I doubted that I was going to pull any of it off but it worked fairly well for the most part. I did okay on my exam and still got paid and had at least something to turn in for my paper. But I did learn my lesson hopefully. I have to learn to look ahead for the dates of tests or papers so I can start planning my time and managing it better. Most likely I do the same in a couple weeks.

Yet besides me complaining the Heels beat the Duke. I didn't get to rush Franklin Street but I'm sure it was crazy. I saw a picture of one of my friends hanging off a telephone pole like 15 feet in the air. From where I was working on Wednesday I saw crowds of people running away from their houses and bars and wherever else they might be. It's was a great to see. I think it's amazing how people react here, including myself, during and after a UNC-Duke basketball game. It can make our week, month, or even semester in just 40 minutes of play. When we do lose which doesnt happen much lately, yet when it does it's like a bomb hit Chape Hill. Though we did win on Wednesday and it couldn't be better. The Heels are on a huge winning streak, the are on top of the ACC, third and rising in the country, and just beat Duke. Things couldn't be better for the Heels.

Summer

It's crazy but I'm already having to plan out my summer. To me thats no good although it may be normal to some. I like to have options once summer comes along and just try to have a good time. Now though that I'm in college we always have to be thinking about our resume and think of ways in which we can stand out from the crowd when it becomes time to apply to business school or med school. I read somewhere that right now nearly 3/4 of last year's Wake Forest graduating class are still looking for jobs, i might have the numbers alittle off though. I don't know if thats completely true but it certainly makes me think about my future. No one wants to come out of college or graduate school with no job opportunities and chances at succeeding. I like many others want to have a job and possibly choices in picking the best scenario for my life. So now the summer planning begins. Summer is the chance to set yourself apart from the crowd.

I have several options for this summer. The first one that I really believe I'll do is summer school whether it be here in Chapel Hill or at ECU in my hometown of Greenville. By completing summer school I could get a huge jump in my school work and make my semesters during the school year less strenuous. This should help my grades and provide myself with less stress and more fun time. Not to mention the science courses I'm taking are so difficult that I really need to separate them by semester which summer school would help. Another choice I have is possibly going to Texas for job in selling materials. there is a chance a receiving upwards of $8000 but its a 9 to 9 job. Not to mention its all summer. With the number of hours and long distance away from home I doubt I'll being doing that. Im really not even considering it at this point. the last option is working for my dad. He owns a bar and restaurant in Chapel Hill and I could help out here this summer while going to summer school. And I'll be close to friends and family. Most likely I'll be doing that but I just wish I could have fun in the summer like I always have.

Videogames

I can say all I want to about not having enough time for my studies to my parents because of my job or fraternity or pledging or whatever, I play way too many videogames. I honestly do attend if not all most of my classes. I mean I just feel bad when I don't. It only take about 2 or 3 hours a day to go and by just attending class you can normally escape a class with a B if its not too hard. But whenever I get back from my classes no matter the day the first thing I'll do is grab some lunch and turn on my xbox or N64. I ve caught myself staying up as late as 4 with class at nine racing in a mario kart game which is really ridiculous when you think about. And every morning when I wake up i just want to kill myself for wasting so much time or staying so late the night before staying glued to a TV and a controller. But who doesn't do some of this. I mean if you haven't played mario kart, mario tennis, some call of duty, or some NBA showtime then you're really missing out. And honestly its the old games that I played when I was in elementary school that I'm playing again. In my opinion thats pretty cool and it's not just me, all of my friends in Granville seem to do the same. I mean it's like your dad playing a game of pong again and getting addicted again. These games whether old or new though are way to addicting. I know I can say i'm not going play all I want but at the end of the day I always waste some time playing some type of game. Hopefully I can kick this habit or atleast limit it some. The one good thing though is that these games are big fun.

Wednesday Night Upsets

Today was huge in college basketball. Yesterday the heels took another step in the right direction. After dismantling archrival NC State in typical fashion, the Heels came home to destroy a hurting Maryland. Wayne Ellington and Tyler Hansbrough led the way to another Tar Heel victory and it seems as if the Heels are nearly back into top form. But besides the Heels, both Duke and Wake Forest had an interesting Wednesday. Wake Forest led off by trying to rebound off losing to Georgia Tech, the worst team in the ACC. They came out against Miami though looking like the Wake Forest we've seen in past years. They trailed after the first by only three and it seemed as though they would be poised for a strong second half. Jack McClinton and the Canes had a different. McClinton put up 30 points and led a rout on the seventh ranked team in country. The final score left the Demon Deacons hobbling to the locker room with a 27 point defeat. Certainly though we wouldn't see a similar outcome with Duke and Clemson though, but both games ended up very similar. Both would become large upsets and setup the Heels with a first place rank in the ACC. The Blue Devils from start to finish was dominated by a better and deeper Tiger team. Trevor Booker led Clemson in scoring and rebounding which led to the shocking 27 point defeat of Duke. These two games leaves the ACC and nation scratching their heads about two of best teams in NCAA basketball. Are these two teams as good as everyone though or are these skids just slumps or flukes? All that matters in Chapel Hill now though is that the Heels now seem to be the team to be beat. A new confidence will be clearly seen on the campus just because of these two losses. The Heels too are playing like they did at the beginning of the year. The only bad news thats been heard now is the suspension of William Graves. The sophomore was suspended for the rest of the season by Coach Roy Williams for unspecified reasons and everyone certainly is wondering what he did. But we'll never know I'm sure all we can do is support him and the rest of Heels. By the way UNC football's recruiting class has now been placed as the eighth best in country along with powerhouse programs like Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. Butch Davis is certainly turning our college in not only a basketball, soccer, and baseball powerhouse but a football one too.

This Semester

This year semester has been rough for me. To begin with I got the pressure of making much better grades after a rough first semester. My GPA was not near what i wanted or expected. It makes sense for it too have been low though. I three weeks of crazy rush for a couple fraternities. Then once I chose one, Phi Gamma Delta, I had to go through the intense process of pledging. It took up a lot of my time and even though I was provided adequate study time I found myself too lazy or tired to always do the necessary work. Not to mention the transition into college alone greatly affected me. Now that I was on my own I didn't have the regular schedules and rules that I abided to in high school. Classes in college too are on another level. They aren't necessarily tougher but they are diffrent. No makes you go to class or put in the right study time. Teachers now have so many students and that means that they won't bend the rules or help you when you fowl up. They honestly at times don't care. Now in the second semester I find myself trying to create an organized schedule and get better grades. This though has been tougher than I thought. This semester I've gotten a job that I do twice a week but i don't get off work until 3 and 4 o'clock. And I've also taken the intiative to be involved with my little brother by watching him and taking him to school and basketball practices and games. i enjoy both work and my little brother and don't resent doing either one at all. I love both but they are time constraints. And just to make things better I received a pretty signicant speeding ticket to pick my little brother up from school. Now I have to pay for the ticket and the court costs which isn't making anything any better. Though admist obstacles like this I've found that the more work you have sometimes the better you manage your time and the better you perform in the classroom. One has to stay busy to really be successful. My social and party life have been scarficed but thats fine considering the circumstances and with time and more knowledge i'll have more fun by discovering how to manage my time better.

Tonite was crazy. Before entering this blog, I was able to watch the Wake Forest and Duke game and afterwards the North Carolina and Florida State game. It all began with the Demon Deacons coming out to a huge lead and dominating the Devils. Every shot that Duke threw up seemed to be thrown right back in their faces. Nothing was going right for the number 1 team in the country and myself and several other UNC students surely could not have been happier. Though in typical Duke fashion they stormed back in the closing minutes to give Wake Forest a run. Overtime seemed to be a lock after Gerald Henderson nailed a jump shot to tie the game. Yet the Demon Deacons weren't done. With just seconds left Johnson was found underneath the basket to lay the ball in and upset the number one Blue Devils. This made a the fourth team to lose the top ranking in the country this year and it made the ACC standings that much more interesting. Carolina fans surely, myself included, could not have been happier by Duke's shortcoming. The night wasn't over the Heels then had to face FSU who was hoping for a big upset. Even after a strong start and great defense the Seminoles still found themselves down by thirteen at home. Yet with their stellar defense and foul trouble on last year's player of the year, Tyler Hansbrough, FSU found a way back into the game. They eventually took a lead and Carolina looked as if they were headed for another terrible loss. Yet Danny Green changed things stealing a pass a midcourt finsihing with a lay-up and foul shot. The game was tied now and the Heels were back in business. After Douglas missed shot the Heels had around 3 seconds to attempt a game winning shot though it seemed imporbable due to a lack of time. Ty Lawson felt differently though racing down the court and draining a running three pointer as time exspired. The Heels had won and the echos could be heard all down the halls in Granville. UNC students left their rooms here in Granville and celebrated the big win. With Ty's shot the Heels survived disaster and kept their push alive to climb both the ACC and national rankings.

Besides the intense basketball games I've been noticing a change around campus. Students this semester are partying way less which does sound bad and it is, yet it does mean more work is going on most likely because of poor first semester grades or new resolves. I would think most would agree but maybe not. I myself certainly need to go out less and this semester I believe I'm doing a better job. I mean we are at UNC to perform in classrooms first and then worry about having fun later. Although I do miss the fun I had last semester. Hopefully it will pick up soon with the parties and social life just hopefullly not to much.

Carolina Responds to Losses

The heels hit rock bottom after the huge upset to Boston College and the following loss against Wake Forest. They lost their ranking as the best team in the country and have fallen to the sixth seed in the AP polls which any Carolina would call disappointing. I mean the team only lost 2 acc regular games all last year and now they have started off with 2 painful losses. People everywhere are already loosing their confidence for them. But I have a big problem with anyone looking down on the heels this early in the year. A season is built on several games and learning from mistakes in order to perform in the NCAA tournament. So what we've lost two games and we're aren't going undefeated and we definitely aren't going to dominate by any means. Losses like these at the end will only help. The guys need to know that teams aren't just going lay down against us and that we are going to win games by 20 every night. The fans need to realize this too. Besides no matter the record or game it is the fans' job to be back their team. By the way the heels now have won 2 straight ACC games each by more than 20 against Miami and UVA. Wayne Ellington came back into his old form from last year by making 7 threes in a row at one point vs Miami. And Tyler still is playing like Tyler. At the end of season everything will work out and we'll be in good position to get another national title.