Well, I saw the much hyped movie, The Hunger Games last Saturday. I have never read the books, but have been told the basic storyline. Let me say that it is very intriguing plot. I am not sure how I should feel about it though.
The movie is very interesting and does a very good job of catching the viewer's interest. I found myself waiting anxiously for what would happen next. I can not help but ask myself however, if this is the type of movie I should watch, or if it is ethical. I guess the big hurdle for me is just the fact that older teenagers slaughter younger or weaker teenagers throughout. Should this be something that I am excited to watch? Or support by watching it?
The thing is though, is that I do enjoy watching other movies with lots of action, and sometimes fighting is glorified in those movies. People even die in those movies as well. By watching these movies, am I not still supporting violence? Is my conscience waking up now because instead of adults, it is children dying?
I like to tell myself that it is okay, because they are just movies and what happens is not real. But maybe I really am desensitizing myself to things that really are bad and violent and should not be portrayed in such a glorious fashion.
These are just my thoughts as I ponder on whether Hunger Games really is a movie that I can feel comfortable watching.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The Joys of Acceptance
Yesterday I was accepted into the Marriott School of Management business program at BYU. Let me tell you that it was a joy and such a relief to be accepted into this college.
This is a very significant and important accomplishment in my life not because of the prestige of the program, but because it will allow me to pursue what I really want to do. The months and weeks leading up to this were very stressful, because if I did not get into this school, it would have been a year wasted away and I would need to spend more time thinking of a good plan B.
I can not help but wonder, however, as to why such a rigorous selection process is necessary for the Marriott School. I understand that it is a top program and prestigious around the nation, but does limiting who comes into the program make it that way? Wouldn't it rely more on the people coming out? How many of the people who were not accepted could have turned out to have really great business careers? They could obviously transfer to other universities if that is really their dream, but most BYU students do not want to leave.
I can understand BYU turning away prospective students, there just is not enough room for everybody to come in. I would think that the very fact that students get into BYU would be enough of a sign that people would be able to succeed in the business school.
This may just be my biased perspective, since I was probably pretty close to being one of those students turned away, but I can still realize how some people feel negative about this.
I love BYU and I am grateful to be in the Marriott School of Management. I just wish it could have been easier.
This is a very significant and important accomplishment in my life not because of the prestige of the program, but because it will allow me to pursue what I really want to do. The months and weeks leading up to this were very stressful, because if I did not get into this school, it would have been a year wasted away and I would need to spend more time thinking of a good plan B.
I can not help but wonder, however, as to why such a rigorous selection process is necessary for the Marriott School. I understand that it is a top program and prestigious around the nation, but does limiting who comes into the program make it that way? Wouldn't it rely more on the people coming out? How many of the people who were not accepted could have turned out to have really great business careers? They could obviously transfer to other universities if that is really their dream, but most BYU students do not want to leave.
I can understand BYU turning away prospective students, there just is not enough room for everybody to come in. I would think that the very fact that students get into BYU would be enough of a sign that people would be able to succeed in the business school.
This may just be my biased perspective, since I was probably pretty close to being one of those students turned away, but I can still realize how some people feel negative about this.
I love BYU and I am grateful to be in the Marriott School of Management. I just wish it could have been easier.
Monday, March 12, 2012
March Madness
Once again, the college basketball regular season has ended, and the tournament can now begin! For me, this is the most exciting sporting event of the year. I always get so enthralled filling out a bracket and just hoping that it does not all fall apart on me. Sometimes I am lucky, other times not so much.
What is it about the tournament though, that makes everybody want to skip work a couple weekends and just watch game after game of college basketball? Is is just the fact that they are invested because they have filled out a bracket? Does the bracket make them think that they have a responsibility to pay attention to only that during this month. Or we are just really prideful and feel that there is no way our bracket could be so wrong. That national champion should be Kentucky, right? 50% of the nation will pick them to win, only to see them lose in the Sweet 16, and then the riots will begin.
Whatever it is, it is all very exciting. Competing against friends and family. Maybe the most frustrating thing about filling out the brackets, is that it really doesn't matter how much you paid attention to the sport the past four months. I watch it all the time, and last year I was still beaten by a seven- and a nine-year-old. How embarrasing, right? Not really. I'm over it now. It really all is just randomness and lucky guesses. (That's what I have to tell myself at least.)
The one major drawback to filling out a bracket however, it that it dictates who I root for in games, even though I may want the underdog to win. That is the really frustrating thing. Will BYU win the championship? Probably not. But if I were to have Marquette say, go to the Final Four, would I root for or against BYU in the second round?
Oh the madness!
Here is one of my brackets that I filled out, it was a fun one because I picked absolutely zero upsets in it.
What is it about the tournament though, that makes everybody want to skip work a couple weekends and just watch game after game of college basketball? Is is just the fact that they are invested because they have filled out a bracket? Does the bracket make them think that they have a responsibility to pay attention to only that during this month. Or we are just really prideful and feel that there is no way our bracket could be so wrong. That national champion should be Kentucky, right? 50% of the nation will pick them to win, only to see them lose in the Sweet 16, and then the riots will begin.
Whatever it is, it is all very exciting. Competing against friends and family. Maybe the most frustrating thing about filling out the brackets, is that it really doesn't matter how much you paid attention to the sport the past four months. I watch it all the time, and last year I was still beaten by a seven- and a nine-year-old. How embarrasing, right? Not really. I'm over it now. It really all is just randomness and lucky guesses. (That's what I have to tell myself at least.)
The one major drawback to filling out a bracket however, it that it dictates who I root for in games, even though I may want the underdog to win. That is the really frustrating thing. Will BYU win the championship? Probably not. But if I were to have Marquette say, go to the Final Four, would I root for or against BYU in the second round?
Oh the madness!
Here is one of my brackets that I filled out, it was a fun one because I picked absolutely zero upsets in it.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Mass emails
Do I mind mass emails? No. It doesn't bother me at all when I get an email of any kind (that isn't spam). Just because I do not mind it though, does not mean I will respond to it. It does not take very much effort on my part to click the delete button. When I do, I do not think twice about the email that I just deleted.
I can not help but notice though, how many clueless students there are. My number one pet peeve about mass emails from BYU students is that they never say for which class they are asking help for. How am I supposed to know that they are in my D&C class or in my Spanish Literature class. Do they expect me to know there name? Sorry, but only a few people are that important.
I also can not help but think that the people sending these emails are the ones who never attend class. They always ask no brainer questions such as, 'When did the teacher say the test was?' or 'Is there a review session for the upcoming test?' If they had gone to class, they would have known.
Also, it seems like every mass email begins with, 'I'm sorry for sending out this mass email. I know everybody hates this.' Save your fingers some exercise. That just makes more to read. As I said, it does not take very much effort to put an email in the trash can.
So, write all the mass emails you want. I probably will never respond to one. I probably will never think longer about one than it took to write this post ever again. But it makes for a good rant.
Go to class and pay attention. Otherwise you will be like a fish out of water.
I can not help but notice though, how many clueless students there are. My number one pet peeve about mass emails from BYU students is that they never say for which class they are asking help for. How am I supposed to know that they are in my D&C class or in my Spanish Literature class. Do they expect me to know there name? Sorry, but only a few people are that important.
I also can not help but think that the people sending these emails are the ones who never attend class. They always ask no brainer questions such as, 'When did the teacher say the test was?' or 'Is there a review session for the upcoming test?' If they had gone to class, they would have known.
Also, it seems like every mass email begins with, 'I'm sorry for sending out this mass email. I know everybody hates this.' Save your fingers some exercise. That just makes more to read. As I said, it does not take very much effort to put an email in the trash can.
So, write all the mass emails you want. I probably will never respond to one. I probably will never think longer about one than it took to write this post ever again. But it makes for a good rant.
Go to class and pay attention. Otherwise you will be like a fish out of water.
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