Week 1- Introductions!!

Blog #1: Introduce Yourself!

Hometown: Long Beach, Ca

Facts about your family: I am a single mother to two young girls.  I have a large local family network in Long Beach and Orange County.  I have a very large extended family in Thailand and hope to visit over the summer. 

Why did you choose to attend Cal State Long Beach?  It’s the closest school to my home and therefore most convenient.  USC deferred my admission application to the following semester.

What do you want to do when you graduate from the university?  I will be applying to graduate school for a MA in Sports Management at CSULB.  I would love to obtain my MA in history, but unfortunately have concerns regarding employment opportunities upon graduation.

If you could choose one personal object to represent you, what would that object be? My car.  It’s an SUV which displays my active lifestyle.  One would note a car seat, stroller, and a variety of sand toys and goldfish on the floorboards.  I have a snowboard rack as my older daughter and I have a passion for the slopes.  It’s a Lexus, so it’s nice, but always in need of a wash. 

Who are your heroes?  I had to consider this question.  I realize the general idea of a hero is a person whom you look up to for good character or action.  Having studied history, I have become a type of cynic though.  It seems all individuals are flawed in one way or another.  Depending upon analysis and bias, the phrase “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” applies to everyone in some way.  Therefore I would describe my heroes as people who have displayed great character in their lives.  Frederick Douglass for persevering against the odds to lead the fight towards equal rights, Elizabeth Blackwell for raising the bar for all women in higher education, and my mother, who managed to hold a family of three young children together when my father passed away suddenly.  Most notably, and most stirring for myself, would be my older daughter who played in every softball game of her 1^st season- although she never got a hit until her last game.  She cried at every practice but didn’t give up because she had a commitment to her teammates.

If you could travel to one spot anywhere in the world, where would you want to visit?  At this moment, I would choose a secluded island.  Maybe Fiji.  Washington DC is a major destination goal of mine.  I can’t wait for a whirlwind trip full of museums, monuments, and libraries.

What are your current favorite books? What books would you recommend to someone you just met?  I’ve enjoyed several books by Joseph Ellis, “Founding Brothers”, “American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson,” and “First Family: John and Abigail Adams.”  I’ve read the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” several times and always enjoyed it.  I also take pleasure in the work of Dan Brown.  Over winter break, I read the first two books in the Hunger Game series and expect to finish the finale this week.  Ken Follett’s, “The Pillar’s of the Earth” and Tolstoy’s, “Anna Karenina” are my book nemeses as I’ve started both numerous times and can’t seem to get past chapter one.  I recommend Aldous Huxley’s, “Brave New World” to everyone.

What pushes your buttons? What are your pet peeves?  I don’t like ignorant people.  It’s acceptable to be unintelligent or even uneducated, but not stupid.  I’m quite sure that egocentrism is the bane of humanity. Rudeness is draining, following along the lines of bigotry and discrimination.  Additional pet peeves include preschoolers with bottles, bad drivers on cell phones, pet owners that don’t clean up after their pets, pedestrians that take their sweet time in crosswalks, Costco bread because it goes bad overnight, bad tippers, whining kids (including mine), and library late fees.

What music are you listening to currently? My Pandora Van Morrison channel- because I’m the only person on the planet that doesn’t own an IPod (my 11 year old has two.)

Favorite colors?  Brown.  Black. Red.

Favorite Web sites?  I’m highly addicted to Facebook.  CNN is my homepage.  I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m a sucker for celebrity gossip on People.com.

Favorite foods?  I prefer hearty, ethic food.  Quality is important for taste.  I feel unsatisfied with my meal if it does not include meat.

All-time favorite movies?  Star Wars (all, but especially Return of the Jedi, Goonies, The King’s Speech, The Last Emperor, Lord of the Rings (well done, although the books are obviously preferred), classic Disney, Mildred Pierce, and I’m sure I’m shaming all historydom, but I’ll admit to loving Gone With the Wind.

Favorite artists?  I’m not a huge fan of art.  I spent some time during my study abroad to Spain studying Goya and enjoyed it thoroughly. 

Favorite free-time activities?  Sleep.  Read, watch tv, ebay, snowboard, bake… sleep.

Why did you enroll this course? What are your expectations?  I enrolled in the course because I find Professor Dabel’s courses the most interesting and informational, while entertaining and engaging.  Additionally, I believe The History of Social Activism will aid in character development fulfilling the hopes for the best-rounded education possible.  I look forward to studying turning points in history due to citizen demand and change.  These periods of unrest are the finest examples of democracy in action.