Week 1: Famous Last Words

I just finished my first week of school of my last semester at OU! It's pretty exciting to think that as every week passes by I am getting closer to the graduation date. Although it's only been a week, I can already tell that this semester will be tough. Taking two microbiology labs in one semester may have been a bad idea, but I'll make it work.

The highlights of my week were my friend's and cousin's birthday parties. I had a nice time having dinner with my friends and laughing with my cousin. Oh! On the first day of school, my friends and I found a puppy! She was a catahoula pup with one brown eye and one blue. She was so sweet and gentle. We found her near my friend's car. We didn't want to leave her alone in the cold late at night, so we decided she could stay with us until we found her a permanent home. Luckily the next day we found her owner. I really miss her though.

The puppy we found. Personal Photo.

Also, it's nice that all of my friends are reunited at school once again. During winter break, we were either working or traveling. Now that we all have class, we can see each other every day! It's a bitter sweet feeling since we also have the responsibilities of attending class and completing homework. Although, I would much rather be in school and see my friends than to stay at home or work all day.

First Day of School Lunch! Left to Right: Isabella, Liza, Stanly, Duvan, Tawan, Khang, Davis, and me. Personal Photo.

Week 1 : Tech Tip - Automotivator

I don't usually make memes or motivational posters. I was more of the person who liked quotemakers. This time I decided to try AutoMotivator for the first time. It was really simple and easy. I chose to use a random photo from the site. After selecting a photo, there are options for a title and text. Here is what I made:

Motivational Poster from AutoMotivator. Source.

I had no idea what to write that would be motivating, but I think the caption fits. If anyone is interested in making motivational posters, I'd recommend AutoMotivator.

Week 1 Learning Challenges

Learn by H.E.A.R.T. is a new concept to me. I watched The Time You Have in Jelly Beans video and my mind was blown. What if today was my last day? How many beans do I have left? It's a crazy thought that I battle with because I think about what I want to do versus what I should do. I'm doing homework right now, but I would much rather hang out with my cousin and brother. I browsed through the website for challenges, and the one that stood out to me the most was the Happiness Jar. I loved that idea! I tend to focus on the negativity in my life, and I would like to change that. I want to remember the happy times that I had with my family and friends. Therefore for my H.E.A.R.T challenge, I will start a happiness jar. I'm debating whether I should go all out and actually buy a jar or if I should do a blog post. Since I'm in a bit of a time crunch, I will most likely update a blog post.

I will most likely focus on the Health/Happiness portion of the H.E.A.R.T. challenges because one of my resolutions this year is to focus on my happiness for a change. I might browse through the Reading challenges next because I'd like to get back in the groove of reading for fun. I used to read constantly as a kid, but now I lost my reading touch. On a final note, I think I'm going to enjoy these challenges.

Happiness Jar Challenge. Source.

Week 1 Growth Mindset

YES! I love learning more about growth mindset, and I'm happy that growth mindset continues to be part of an extra credit assignment. I have never heard of the growth mindset philosophy or of Carol Dweck until last semester when I was enrolled in the Epics of India class. The growth mindset blogs were part of the extra credit curriculum, and by far were my favorite assignments. Ever since then, I have talked about the idea of growth mindset with my family and friends. Whenever they felt like they couldn't achieve their goal, I would talk to them about growth mindset and the idea that they must value their effort. I had a very fixed mindset before learning about growth mindset. I thought that I couldn't improve. Why waste my time? Then, I began to change my perspective on challenges. I began to write down all of my accomplishments, and I realized that I CAN improve. I CAN face challenges. I CAN do this. Rejection and failure no longer define my intelligence. In fact, they are just reminders that I need to work a little harder because I wasn't there just yet.

Goals for this semester include acing my classes and graduating. Initially, I was afraid of the challenges from my capstone class, but I know that as long as I put in the effort, I can do well. Overall, I'm very excited to learn more about about growth mindset and how I can apply the philosophy towards future challenges.

No challenge is too great. Source.

Storybook Favorites

The past storybooks were amazing! I was really impressed with the amount of work that people out into their storybooks in order to bring their stories into life! The storybooks that caught my attention are listed below:

1) The Demons of Latin America (https://sites.google.com/site/thedemonsoflatinamerica/la-llorona/introduction/home)

The topic of this storybook appeared interesting because my roots are in Latin America. What was crazy was that the storybook included mythological creatures that used to haunt me in my childhood! El Cucuy  and La Llorona were stories that my parents would tell my siblings and me in order to scare us to obey their orders. They would say "never run away from home or el Cucuy will catch you!" I loved the topic and how the storybook formatted the introduction in the point of view of the monsters.

La llorona taking children to the river. Source.

2) Secret Life of Titans (https://sites.google.com/site/secretlifeoftitans/)


I chose to browse through this particular storybook because I heard about the Titans, but I wasn't too familiar with them. The theme of the storybook was formatted around each titan telling their own story in a family reunion. It was interesting to hear each titan's story in their own perspective.

3) Gossip Greeks (https://sites.google.com/site/mythfolkstory/home)

The title of this storybook caught my attention because it reminded me of Gossip Girl. It's entertaining to hear how people gossip about the lives of others. I read through the introduction, and it was humorous! A storyteller corrects the rumors of a group gossiping ladies which I thought was a nice touch for an introduction.

Week 1 Overview UnTextbook

For my week 2 readings, I decided to browse through the classical units. I found three stories that caught my attention:

1) Ovid's Metamorphoses (http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/04/myth-folklore-unit-ovids-metamorphoses.html)

Ovid's Metamorphoses caught my attention because the readings pertained to familiar Greek mythological gods and creatures such as Narcissus and Medusa. I have always been interested in Greek mythology, and I would like to read more about it.

2) Beowulf

I was between choosing Homer's Odyssey and Beowulf. I chose Beowulf because I never read the story before, but I have seen some clips of the movie. I'm not too familiar with the story, so I decided I should read it. Also, if I can't understand the story, I feel like I could watch the movie which also works as a study break.

3) Arabian Nights

I have always heard that Arabian nights had beautiful stories, but I never actually brought myself to read them. Reading B shows readings about Aladdin, and I wondered if the story actually coincided with Disney's Aladdin. This choice is definitely a stretch from my comfort zone, but I'm excited about it.

Aladdin. Source.

Week 1 Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Nicole Rodriguez, and I'm a senior. I studied microbiology, pre-med, with two minors in Spanish and chemistry. My dream is to be a cardiovascular surgeon or a pediatric cardiologist. However, I'm open to oncology and emergency medicine as well. Just to introduce my background, I was born in West Palm Beach, FL and raised in Stockton, CA. I moved to Oklahoma when I was about 8 years old. Oklahoma is way different from the East and West coast. It took me awhile to get used to Oklahoma, but it's home now. My entire family is Colombian, more specifically my parents are from Cali, Colombia. For those of you that don't know, Colombia is located on the Northern tip of South America next to Venezuela. It's a beautiful green country that is popular for its coffee and flowers. Of course, it also has a bad reputation for drug trafficking... But it has improved greatly. Colombian culture really puts an emphasis on family. I love my family, and I'm very close to my cousins. The two most influential people in my life are my younger brother Erik and my cousin Isabella. They have been the best support group in my journey through college and even life itself. They are always there for me through thick and thin. Even more exciting, Isabella has transferred to OU so I see her every day now! I don't know where I would be if it weren't for these two goons.

Erik, Isabella, and I reunited before school. Personal Photo.

On a different note, I'm excited to graduate from OU and begin backpacking through Europe with my friends during the summer. The countries that we are planning to visit are Scotland, Italy, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Morocco, Germany, and Montenegro. I love to learn about different cultures and explore new cities. I guess I don't know what I'll find out there, but I'm excited to find out!

UPDATE: I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO MEDICAL SCHOOL!!!! Starting this August, I'll be a first year medical student at the OU College of Medicine! I'm SO excited! It's crazy to look back at everything. I survived it all. This year is so full of events: Acceptance, graduation, Europe. I can't wait for the challenges ahead of me. The most insane part is that I'm actually doing it. I'll actually be doing what I love as my career. I couldn't have done it without my two goons and the support of my family and friends.

Storytelling Week 1: Hush Baby

HUSHY baby, my doll, I pray you don't cry,
And I'll give you some bread and some milk by-and-by;
Or perhaps you like custard, or maybe a tart,—
Then to either you're welcome, with all my whole heart.

"WAAAAAAAAA," cried baby Davis as his mother, Liza, attempted to feed him her famous chicken biriyani. She worked all day to make her husband's, Anson, favorite dish and decided that it was Davis's turn to try Southern Indian food. "Hush baby, my moneh. You have to eat your food." Liza tried to make airplane noises and choo-choo trains to enter Davis's mouth but he refused to eat his lunch.

 "I told you, honey, that food is too spicy for him," commented Anson. "Why don't you tried feeding him some paaluh?" Liza ignored her husband as she tried to coax baby Davis to eat solid food. "He needs to start eating traditional Indian food. I can't breast feed him for the rest of his life," retaliated Liza. Then Davis began to fuss and pull Liza's hair. "Ugh! He won't eat! You feed him, Anson!"

"Come here, Davis-kutty, let's feed you some cake or custard," Anson said sweetly as he stuffed Davis's tummy with somosa and mango lassi. Davis grinned a wide smile as he licked the sugary sweets from his finger tips. Liza became concerned with her son's diet. He has been consuming way too many desserts. "Davis needs to eat nutritious meals, Anson. We can't feed him sweets when he won't eat," sighed Liza. Anson placed baby Davis on his shoulders and turned to Liza,"But look at him, sweetie. He's so happy." Davis giggled and cooed to his Mother. Oh his laugh brightens my day thought Liza. She picked up baby Davis and bounced him in the air which made him laugh even more! "You're welcome, Davis-kutty. You're as sweet as ever because of all the sweets you eat." Liza cradled baby Davis in her arm where he fell into a gentle snooze. She couldn't believed how much her life as changed ever since Davis was born last summer. She looked at her son's little nose, soft cheeks, and tiny fingers. "I love you, my moneh, with all my heart," whispered Liza as she kissed her sleeping 

 baby.

Mother and child. Source.

Bibliography:  The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang and L. Leslie Brooke 

Author's Note: I chose a nursery rhyme because it was short, sweet, and simple. I think the nursery rhyme is about a mother feeding her child anything the child desired because she just wanted to please him. I asked my friends what kind of story I should write based on the nursery rhyme, and they advised me to tell a story about a mother feeding her baby who wouldn't eat regular food. Since my friends are Southern Indian, I decided to twist the story a bit by adding some Malayalam terms.

Favorite Place: West Palm Beach, FL

Over winter break, I visited my sisters and other family who live in West Palm Beach, FL. I had a blast! I haven't visited Florida in years. I loved the weather and the fact that I can go to the beach in December. My favorite part about Florida was visiting Wynwood. Wynwood is famous for its street art and graffiti. The artistic atmosphere really brought the community together to learn about self expression. Below are some of my favorite pieces:

Dripping Tiger from Wynwood Wall. Personal Photo.

Wynwood Wall. Personal Photo.

 There are so many places that I love to visit, but Florida by far must be my favorite because of my family. I miss my sisters dearly, and I hope to make another trip soon!

My sister Alex and me. Personal Photo.

Sisters and me. Left to Right: Alex, me, and Jen. Personal Photo.