Advice For My Younger Self

If I could give some advice to my younger self, it would cover a few areas.  There are many lessons I have regretfully learned from mistakes that still haunt me to this day.  There are times when I wish my life was nothing like it is now.  It is disappointing to urge for another chance to make choices when reminiscing on decisions in hindsight.  This topic allows me the opportunity to mentally correct the past after living the path taken.  Some of what will be written can be reapplied to my current situation and the rest will be for someone else to deliberate on.  Let me see who I can help beside myself with this entry.  If it is one person then its effect will be positive and that alone can make the effort worthwhile. 

When it comes to school, I would say to go as far as you can and be passionate about it.  When I was very young, I would make the honor roll by dedicating my focus to performing to that standard.  Still young, I fell out of love with the merits of that achievement.  I do not remember clearly if it was the attention I did not want or if the satisfaction did not feel the same.  The intellect and attentiveness was there but I would not employ the same vigor for assignments for letter grading.  Controlling the line between B’s and C’s was just as intriguing as earning A’s on every attempt.  My advice would be to establish the constituency of recreating the best instance of myself at every moment possible.  Constructing norms and maintaining the momentum of excellence is the hidden prognostication that elucidates the educational system.  It promotes a continuous line for students to earn the proper recognition for themselves.  Students who seem to be advanced at an early age are entered into special programs.  The best elementary students enter better middle schools.  The best middle school learners enroll in premier high schools.  The best high school pupils are then accepted into prominent accredited universities.  Another pearl of wisdom I would offer is to maximize the prospect of college.  To go to college for a bachelor’s and join the workforce as soon as you can cuts off your potential too soon.  That was something I wanted at my first attempt.  Now I wish I would have considered graduate school over the anticipation of a paycheck more seriously.  The rush to have an annual salary of forty thousand at twenty-two seems miniscule to being a doctor of your chosen field at twenty-five.  Netting the credentials of an expert of your craft can mean so much more and produce many more avenues to travel down.

When it comes to life, I would say be the best overall person you can.  I heard a wise man say “sometimes you do what you gotta do to get what you gotta get”.  Excuse the grammar but it does make sense.  At times it might be the only one way to reach a particular objective.  In the case where that is true, I would question if that should be your aim going forward.  See as it stands now I think I value the virtues that are in conjunction with ideals demonstrating deference, innocence and morality.  Having respect for others and making the appropriate distinction between good and evil has a significance that is too often ignored.  Without ample validation we see the chase for other influences commence.  In a world where any publicity is good publicity, we intentionally ensure that negativity is spread faster to tap into our conscious.  But that statement is an enigma as is.  The perplexity of the paradox can be alleviated by putting more clout into things universally recognized as positive.  How is it that people who commit crimes are the first things we see on the news before being removed from free civilization?  Being a decent individual does not garner the same conversation circles or fame it once did.  The sensationalized fall from grace of the troubled makes the triumphant rise from nothing seem mundane by our culture. 

The overall advice would be to find your true self then enable happiness to be bred from that persona.  Do not let the lack of congratulations or affirmation make you alter your character to be the negative images that are portrayed more frequently.  Do not allow pain and mistrust from past relationships to rear its horrid head in the next one.  Do not surrender to pressure to prove you are something you are not comfortable with.  See, you can get it from here as I write my wrongs.  Maybe I would say do not become the person writing this paper.  Or would it be better to not have to be the reason to write this paper?  Everyone has the choice to take advice or go through the flame minus the advantage.  As we all have our one life to live hopefully we can at least determine the valleys and peaks along the way.

Figure of Speech

Learned to breathe underwater

Just to land in the clouds

Design the emperor’s new clothes

So we can address the style

Remember what happens tomorrow

As you invent the past

First to the end

Begins to be last

I close my eyes

To get a better glimpse of my dreams

Let the cold fusion

Train on steam

Jet inside

And manage the perimeter

Sixteen in a mirror

Somehow reflects what’s not familiar

Accustomed to say everything is strange

Listen, only progress is to remain the same

Excited whenever I’m bored

Oppose the difference in one accord

Complete homework in class

The price to be slow is fast

Takeoff in an apterous aeroplane

Alpha of the followers

Individual of my peer group

Keep going to part the infinite loop

Cook up the truth

Then legitimize the fib

Show double negatives

Hide new kids

Why Computer Science

When I was first deciding to attend college I was not certain my major would be computer science.  During a meeting with my guidance counselor, we spoke about my grades, interests and which schools I favored.  I had fairly good grades in math and science courses at that time so she felt that should be my focus as I went forward.  Then I went home to start researching careers and what I thought I would like to be doing years in the future from that point.  Though I had grades in those courses, computer science and programming were completely new concepts to me.  Having that fresh, creative and innovative aspect to it really made me feel positive about college and being a full-time student for another four years.  It eventually took me much longer than that to get my first degree but I can tell parts of that story another time.  Honestly I just seen it as a really intriguing challenge to go to college for something I did not have any prior experience with.  Though I was up to the highest level of math courses available to us as calculus and took nearly every entry level version of science offered to me, I was not sure I wanted to make a commitment wholeheartedly to that path moving forward.  And I hope I am not offending everyone reading this with that last statement.  Computer science and programming was seen as college to me because I did not try it at any other point.  I was happy with computer science and still find it fun to some degree today.

              One of the main obstacles I had to overcome was the learning curve.  I have been taught C, C++, Java, HTML, PHP, XML, SQL, MASM, Visual Basic and COBOL as coding languages.  There was also the concepts of numbering systems, digital logic, pseudo coding, search and sort algorithms, network architectures, operating systems, multimedia applications and internet suites.  All of that was during the pursuit of my Bachelor’s degree and there may be some things I forgot to include.  Each course was different and presented a new form of coding to learn.  I leaned on sites like w3schools.com for tutoring away from the classroom.  The speed of the courses was my main obstacle in addition to the balancing of all my credits each semester was another core issue overall.  It is quite difficult to explain but I knew what I was attempting to do however the completion and execution remained problematic.  The theories were in my mind but convincing the computer did not always go so well.  Programming took the bulk of my time for adjusting to the major and it negatively affected other assignments like tests.  Being a graduate student now, I look back on those times with wisdom about what it took to get to this point.  To gain a Master’s degree would simply mean I was better than I thought I was as a student.  It would always confirm that this discipline is within the range of programs I am capable of.  

The Internet's Effect

The internet has helped my education immensely through the years.  Whether is it for research for assignments or finding assistance with something I cannot figure out, the World Wide Web always provides options to support your efforts.  Doing searches for homework and projects with sites like Google can produce very helpful results.  Google’s search engine will give excellent results for just about anything you can type into it.  Also with sites like Wikipedia and Research Gate, for example, I can find references for any topic I have chosen to cover.  References come in handy to verify your own assertions and make them credible when discussing topics.  Nearly every topic you will write about during the education process has had previous research done on it.  If you are going to reintroduce an idea or add to your own original thesis, citing previously published work will always be useful.  These are just some of the available resources to use as an encyclopedia or document database.  Though there are more sites I could name, those are usually the first I run to when needed. 

 

The internet has changed the way we communication in a variety of ways.  Personally it began with instant messenger and e-mail for me.  Using America Online’s aim service was the best way to chat with friends over the internet when I was growing up.  It became a popular third option to meeting in person and using the phone during those years.  Sometimes we were so infatuated with it that we would talk on the phone and aim at the same time.  Nerdy, I know.  When I became older, e-mail was the best way to send resumes and apply for jobs other than directly through a corporation’s website or in person. Finding the e-mail addresses to human resource departments was just as important as having the number to the business.  In those days, you could simply send a well-crafted resume and cover letter through e-mail instead asking if the company was hiring.  Occasionally employees were able to review information from candidates that they were not even seeking which lead to employment. 

The next phase of the internet revolution will be with the social media sites like Google Plus, Facebook and Twitter for hiring practices.  Having an online persona that fits the corporate culture will be as important as whatever is printed on your resume in coming years in my opinion.  Having a credible reputation will include how you present yourself to others and what you associate yourself with.  As you complete applications, your perspective employer may see who you claim to be online, one way or the other, before they speak with you in person for an interview.  Now this does not mean to change the way you are but it does mean to expect people to believe in what you say and do at all times.  It may be best to have a uniform identity but it will be up to you to have all points of the spectrum covered as long as the shoe fits.  Just know that people may make the decision on whether to move forward or not based on what they see with images in addition to what they are reading on paper.  

Launching Obioku Veers Excitement

Kismet heard keep it to yourself
Virgin rules to accumulate wealth
I think I'm finally ready
Take it from the oven or the shelf
Kitchen kinetics lets you savor the potential
Obligated to the fact that it is more than mental
Overtures sent with rhythmic testimony
Back down to the personification of matrimony
Oblates appear lost to the meaning
Too busy voting for different reasons
Early was the emphasis of the season
Take a day to think about it and speak in the evening
Trying to trust the augur that you're in to me
Even enemies wouldn't share this much energy

Leadership Discussion pt. 2

Dr. Eagly comments after her presentation were interesting yet sorted.  There were at least two statements that stood out to me.  The first was her research was to find empirical answers to gender and leadership questions which, till then, psychologists were not able to do.  I point to this because I thought her answers were still normative to some degree.  When discussing leadership and how women can advance, she mentioned overcoming stereotypes, nurturing women's approach and not having to be like a man.  Those critiques provide an answer but not one that is factual on a plan to accomplish the goal at hand.  Another point of her argument was not to study women for leadership roles because they did not have them.  I do not think this perspective helps her position.  It would be good to study women to see how leadership is missing what they can provide.  Her study can be assisted by seeing the qualities that women would bring as improvements instead of seeing how the genders are different.

The balance question is another topic all together.  She later inferred that the bias is continued by men promoting men and masking it as only hiring the best person for the job without considering women.  Gender equality will be brought about by equal power was something else she offered.  However to have an admitted feminist stance and speaking at a women on top conference, what type of equality or balance is trying to be achieved.  I think appropriate balance can be created by accepting that the genders are different.  Let's understand that there are different beliefs in how to move forward by each.  Men have pursued those roles as a feat to perform for as long as we can remember.  To see how that was completed and the results of it, could respond with women wanting the same but not in the same way that they were able to see it happen.  If we could see what feminine characteristics are sought by men, it would open the door to a discussion on how this can be reversed in some way.  The possibility to begin there exist but I do not know where it shall end.

What she is speaking about makes me want to question what the goal a person is attempting to reach is.  There are people on both sides that want to take from the other to create their own space instead accentuating the positives of how they can complement each other.  I feel that anyone is worth listening to and has a right to their opinion.  You never know when the next great individual will utter words that can change the future.  And this can come from either gender.  I think it is important to be ready for those words whenever they are spoken or written.  We should also prepare for the opposite too.  As someone could simply be designing their own agenda with the support of credentials and an organization to say they are credible even though their message is destructive and polar.

Leadership Discussion pt. 1

To start, I do not agree with Dr. Riggio that the question is dangerous.  As he stated in the article, the answer you will receive will give insight into what leadership style the person being asked feels is most effective.  To ask the question alone only allows someone the right to give their opinion.  Instead of a calamitous outcome, it may begin a discussion that could begin the exchanging of information and persuade one to think differently about the matter.

I do agree with his viewpoint of the contrasting modes of how someone is seen as a leader.  The natural born leader who has the innate abilities to direct others and is recommended by the higher ups really do exist.  Then there are some who can learn from others and develop into a leadership role after gaining confidence with the right kind of help.  We see instances of both types in the world accompanied with varying levels of success.  The division would be in what version of leader you need at the time.  If something is original and has no precedent, you may not be able to develop someone to take control and progress it forward.  It might require someone with radical techniques to grow with it.  Contrarily, like the styles, once a person is present to get an organization off the metaphorical ground and establish it as a winning entity, they can prepare someone else to continue what has been done.  It could then be improved or shown a new direction for prosperity.

The last paragraph of the article I have mixed emotions about.  First, it is a time-honored position to believe in and accept that all leaders are extroverted.  Extroversion can be associated with getting to the front, rallying the crowd and telling everyone the plan.  We have seen this over and over again.  However, I feel there is a very rare quality to introversion that can be integrated into the most elite form of leadership.  Introverts are able to be themselves in a quiet and reserved way.  If their approach or method of acting can be interpreted as leader-like acumen and astute, it could be welcome by others.  People can see or understand what they did and begin to attempt to do the same.  I feel this is more effective because it was not sought or called for by the perceived leader.  Nor is it the direct choice of another authority figure.  It does get emulated and repeated by the new followers as a result though.  That would show the competence to be able to select your own path and develop yourself into what you chose.  And it appears that was not taken into consideration as a possible option by the author.

Leap Year

Hot summers
See slow runners
Independence gets younger
Countries send their best
Watch the finals
Now know numbers
Trying to fall in love
Trick or treat
New seasons for the shows
Recoup an hour
Field week one
Like the baseball diamond
Thanksgiving feast
Rest in peace
Winter just stay cold
Divinity is breaking the mold
New year
New tear
NCAA and NFL
Stage is just right to win one more
Happy Birthday in December
Greatest story ever told
Spring forward
Enjoy the break
One for the poet
Sixty-seven mad at the stakes
If you have enough credits
Cap + gown = celebrate

Yet To Be Named

Envision the monopoly
Of the dueling hypocrisy
When what stands beside me
Is believed to be on top of me
Suffering fools search for truth by foot
As the wise pair lies
But nothing compares
To what the blind sees with lost eyes
As the high road becomes less traveled
I ask you all to stay down for the cause
Since new rules to behave
Are broken as just laws
For hindsight creates the perfect vision
Only to view my flaws
Guilty or innocent
When thrown from a jury of your peers
Means there is more separating us
Than age in years
The messenger is more important than the message
And the savior is greater than those he saved
Who is left afterwards to define the names they were gave
Languages are diverse
While math is concrete
Soon there will be a new science for people to compete
They depreciate the optimism
To raise the level of negative ideology
If one item can fix it all
We would reject it as idolatry
God must exist in a world where he or she is needed
However to go further than required helped in winning they were defeated
So I lambast myself for a solution for what to do
But everything I came up with was O-B-I-O-K-U

Report on Possible Merger of the Communication Departments at Frostburg State University

When we were assigned the possible merger of two departments as the topic of this project, there was a lot of work ahead of us to do. It is said that a good interviewer should be competent on at least sixty percent of what will be discussed (Brady, 1977). To adequately prepare, we determined what sources would be necessary for proper research. Being that the fundamental point of the interviews was to be about the communication departments at Frostburg State University, both Communication Studies and Mass Communication, the decision to start there was an easy one. Frostburg provides access to information of all their available majors online. A listing of active faculty and courses required for each program were found there (2014; 2013). As of now, the two departments have not been combined. There are completely different department chairs as well as degree programs. This fact was reiterated by nearly all of our participants during the interviews conducted. One participant felt that this had already occurred. To paraphrase, he believed each department had merged and were assigned co-chairs already. Later, we will go more in-depth with what was found from our research and the thoughts of others. Not necessarily to compare and contrast but to see how accurate was the information that was actually being exchanged. Though some may not talk about something as specific as the distinction between two majors, conversations about a topic like this can be had every day. What type of conversation it is however? Is it one of civil discourse, an argument of facts or a debate on whose opinion is correct. Can it be beneficial to both the interviewer and interviewee or is it a one way presentation where you just want to find what one knows and how much the other wants to know? The determination of the previous statement was a subtext of this project that may have become more important the more we worked on it. Let’s begin to discuss what was discovered.

From our research, this was going to be an interesting thing to discuss. A proposed merger of two departments would affect current and future students of both disciplines. This would not be new though. The earliest Frostburg State University undergrad catalog available is for students who attended during the years of 1999 to 2001 (1999). At that time, the departments were combined under the title of Communication & Theatre Arts. As the name suggested, students participated in a program where theatre, acting, and costume design were part of a curriculum that included speech communication, production, multimedia workshop and interviewing as one major. The major had a very diverse and lengthy course offering. The specific courses to complete a major were not found in our search. Several other universities have a similar program today. Eastern Michigan University has a comprehensive Communications, Media and Theatre Arts major (emich.edu/cmta/communication, 2014). This program has students complete communication courses like public speaking and group communication. Students also take acting and script analysis courses in addition to intro to media and production. Frostburg ended this practice as of 2001. Some members of the staff for Communication studies from that time have earned emeritus status as professors (Frostburg State University Undergraduate catalog, 2001; 2013). Some members of the Mass Communications department are still active today. For the purpose of this assignment, we were asked not to speak with active faculty or current students of those departments directly. At this point, we began to ask questions of voluntary participants to see how they feel about this issue.

Due to some last minute rescheduling, we were able to get six interviewees. All of our interviews began with participants in good moods. Each began with asking the participant how they were and to introduce themselves. This enables the interviewer to be interpreted as cordial and friendly (Post, 2011). These first two questions are for the interviewee to respond freely and with absolutely no pressure. That was done purposely to create a relaxed setting for the rest of the interview as the participant can establish pace and rapport from the start. Our schedule was designed to take the interviewee through a specific sequence that would transition seamlessly between larger concepts that we wanted to know about. We tried to take the position of having a discussion rather than performing an interrogation.

Our next group of questions was to discover how each participant sees the programs individually. Two of our student participants have taken courses in both majors. The other two were split. The two faculty members have some experience of their own. One has familiarity of being a student of Communication Studies and the other collaborating with Communication Studies for a variety of events. The amount of knowledge varied but no one was completely naive to what the disciplines were. As the wording infers, all of our participants felt that Communication Studies concentrated on direct exchange of information. Some used the term “face to face” and others used terms like public speech. The consensus opinion is that it is wide ranging about what it can cover. We tried to coin the phrase of “interpersonal communication” for what Communication Studies focuses on as a major program. Contrarily, Mass Communication was going to be defined as communication through a technical media source. Many of our participants agreed. Four of them included the term “broader” form of communication when saying that it addresses such things as radio, television and social media. With everyone feeling they have the theme of communication in common and further explaining the prior definition as the difference. One interviewee said that Mass Communication has a narrower focus as it prepared its students for connecting to a larger audience with technology. Another felt as if Communication Studies could be seen as deeper and intimate. Someone even offered a wise summation that should be used going forward as both communicate and the method of delivery is what defines them. After receiving how they viewed the programs, we wanted to discuss the particulars.

Trying to get an impression of the faculty and courses was the concept of the following section. All of our interviewees have met members of each department and felt what they heard about those individuals was fair except one. The remaining participant did not hear about their professor before or after taking the course. This question existed to know if evaluations or character assessments were accurate for these people. Students would take certain courses because they were told a teacher was good or nice. A preconceived bias can enable the direction of someone’s future choices. What would have happened if they disagreed after their personal experience? Does one question the source of information or the timing of the encounter? We cannot elaborate at this time due to short supply of contextual data. More questions to consider of a possible merger would be if there are any courses that should be recommended to a student of the other major and whether redundancy is present currently. The response was that the majority thinks that Communication Studies’ courses would benefit people of all educational backgrounds while Mass Communication does not translate as well. Both majors do have their own requirements. Communication Studies does have its students take introduction to Mass Communication while having specific tracks for the three categories of communication; conflict, leadership and public or rhetorical (Communication Studies, 2013). Mass Communications only asks the students of media management to have Communication Studies courses. The upper-level classes of interviewing, organizational communication and conflict communication are required for a degree (Mass Communication, 2013). Once undergrad students become graduates, we turned the questions towards a professional focus.

The first questions were about the professional careers that the graduate would be applying for. Coinciding with what was thought of the majors, the interviewees believed there are several opportunities for Communication Studies. Their responses were occupations of public speaking, speech writers, speech coaches, teachers, and therapists so on and so forth. The feeling is that Communication Studies can contribute to several areas of the workforce which is true. Mass Communication, even being more precise, has numerous chances for employment for its graduates. Participants felt that careers trended towards entertainment for the media of their choice. Candidates are readily prepared for jobs in television, radio, film and advertising as soon as they leave school from their point of view. These jobs all have a positive connotation is what the interviewees concluded. People would be helped as Communication Studies plays the role of increasing the skills for conveying thoughts effectively for any and all parties involved. Those roles allow people to speak articulately and intelligently in a variety of fields where that talent is essential. Mass Communications is thought to keep the public informed from their favorite news sources. To go along with the trending theme, Communication Studies appears to have elements that are vital to anyone in the other group. As the core of it is to be proficient in expressing ideas, anybody who speaks to a larger crowd or audience may need to be able to do that. The thoughts on detraction were mixed. Five to one sensed that there is no negative effect to combining these skills. The one participant, however, felt there could be some loss or confusion with intermingling personally talking through any resource other than face to face. As we scarcely introduced the idea of joining, the interviews ended with the topic of the merger.

Two out of six interviewees had heard that there was potential for a merger between the two departments. We heard about this in our class when the project was being bandied about. One of the participants which were not aware of the news beforehand felt it would be a good idea. Four of our contributors said the department should be called Communications or Communication Studies after unification. The two unique responses were “Communication Studies and Leadership” and “Mass and Personal Communication Science”. All of those would be good to use for the hypothetical department. When asked how it would affect the campus, we got an assortment of answers again. Some said it would be positive and good for the school. Some thought that it would be a minor change and only students of those majors would truly be affected. The faculty member who suspected it had already happened said people are just “not aware of it yet”. Not one of our interviewees knew about the example previously mentioned where theatre arts was also included.

The interviewees were happy and ample with providing what they knew. The project was informative and enjoyable for both sides. Though all of the information given was not factually true, there was not a mischievous or cruel motive of the participant. There was not a reason to hide information or conceal what they thought. It was slight mistakes in their perception of what was real and supported by our research. The interviewer could also add correction and help when needed. There was no intention to leave them in the dark either. From this sample we conclude that if it were to take place, people would be positive if not neutral about the decision and the process used to determine it. The only question left would be what’s the best way to announce it?

Annotated Bibliography

Communication Studies Faculty - Frostburg State University (2014). Retrieved from September 19, 2014 from http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/cmst/communication-studies-faculty/
The webpage shows the entire faculty listing for the Communication Studies department.  Resource will use to determine whom to speak with from a teaching perspective for this topic.
Faculty & Staff – Frostburg State University (2014). Retrieved from September 19, 2014 from http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/mcom/faculty-staff/
The webpage shows the entire faculty listing for the Mass Communication department.  Resource will use to determine whom to speak with from a teaching perspective for this topic.
Frostburg State University’s Undergraduate Catalog (2013). Communication Studies. Retrieved September 19, 2014 from p. 12 of http://www.frostburg.edu/fsu/assets/File/ungrad/catalog/clasp1.pdf
Frostburg State University has a summary of requirements for the Communication Studies program listed online.  It specifically tells what courses are needed to complete the program as either a major or minor and implies an order of succession in which they can be taken.  The page also contains the personnel whom are involved with these courses.  For completion, readers are informed of the option of a collection of 4 courses or a study track of a specialize selection within its program.  This will be used to know the core requirements of this program from the department.
Frostburg State University’s Undergraduate Catalog (2013).  Course Descriptions.  Retrieved from September 19, 2014 from p. 177-178 and p. 206-208 of http://www.frostburg.edu/fsu/assets/File/ungrad/catalog/course.pdf
Frostburg State University provides a description of each course offered and its assigned number of credit hours for readers online.  The information is listed primarily in alphabetical order by major and secondarily by course number.  Course numbers increase in level for relative expertise and requirements of taking lower level courses.  This is an excellent resource for anyone who attends or plans to attend this University.  Will be used determine the difference in what is included for the Communication Studies and Mass Communication majors prior to the anticipated merger.
Frostburg State University’s Undergraduate Catalog (2013). Mass Communication. Retrieved September 19, 2014 from p. 21 of http://www.frostburg.edu/fsu/assets/File/ungrad/catalog/clasp2.pdf  
Frostburg State University has a summary of the requirements for the Mass Communications program listed online.  It specifically tells what courses are needed to complete the program as either a major or minor and implies an order of succession in which they can be taken.  The page also contains the personnel whom are involved with these courses.  For completion, readers are informed of the options for a professional focus within its program.  This will be used to know the core requirements of this program from the department.
Frostburg State University’s Undergraduate Catalog (2001). Retrieved September 19, 2014 from p. 70 and p. 117 of http://www.frostburg.edu/fsu/assets/File/ungrad/catalog/archive/2001-2003.pdf
Frostburg State University provides archived version of their course catalog online for former students and/or historical reference for the user.  The resource shows the faculty that was present over a decade ago and what were the core requirements at that time.  This will be used to determine how the course suggestion was modified and who remains as an employee from then.
Frostburg State University’s Undergraduate Catalog (1999). Retrieved September 19, 2014 from p. 55-58 of http://www.frostburg.edu/fsu/assets/File/ungrad/catalog/archive/1999-2001.pdf
Frostburg State University provides archived version of their course catalog online for former students and/or historical reference for the user.  The resource shows that there was a time when the majors were not separated.  The program was then titled as Communication and Theatre Arts.  Course listing shows that elements of both majors were offered under the unified classification.  Will be used to research what were the benefits of this initial decision and why was there a move to divide the disciplines then.
Post, P., Post, A., Post, L., and Senning, D.P. (2011). Emily Post's Etiquette: Manners for a New World. Eighteenth Edition. New York, NY: William Morrow.
Miss Post has written a very elegant and sometimes funny book on how to conduct oneself in a variety of situations.  Some of the reading can be common sense while other parts are very enlightening and insightful.  Resource will be used for suggestions on how to approach and interact with the various participants that will be involved in each level of the project.
Seidman, I. (2013) Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences. Fourth Edition. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Mr. Seidman has written a witty and educational book on the dedicated science that is collecting data and speaking with individuals.  He not only speaks from experience but also with the apparent disclosure that there is more to this than it seems.  Resource will be used to bring a professional aspect to interviewing and discussing this topic at hand accurately.  
Underhill, P. (2000). Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Mr. Underhill has written a book that goes into to detail about the discreet observance of people from a business perspective.  There are many examples of expectation versus realization and human behavior, which can be applied to a subject outside of its intended audience.  The book can help to understand the types of answers we receive during this project.

The Theory Behind Raffling

    Participating in a raffle is a fun and sociable way of gambling.  Non-profit organizations would conduct this style of wagering for fundraising events.  The idea is to give away a prize in exchange for buying a ticket.  The prize is usually worth more than the cost of the ticket.  Multiple people would enter in the contest awaiting their name or ticket number to be called as the winning entry.  The waiting time could be within the same day or to be announced later.  Whatever contributions are leftover can be spent on a good cause.  This can include money to improve their own administration or for resources put towards other efforts.  It is similar to the concept of donations which usually arrives in abundance for non-profits.  Donations are giving from the kindness of the heart of those that can afford to do so.  The reward is doing a good deed for another.  Raffling, however, provides a perceptible award or gift for the winning contestants in addition to helping the organization.  Since there is an added stipulation to the average donation, a higher level of involvement maybe generated for the length of time the game is available.  Both are very good ways of raising funds but raffling has the capability of providing a greater response.

    With the increased proceeds, organizations can cover the cost of the prize and work with the remainder of money to support other expenses.  This would be a suitable way to maximize ticket sales.  The raffle tickets present an added value of the experience.  For instance, to offer a hundred dollar reward for one ten dollar ticket crafts its own sort of appeal.  So partakers understand that they can essentially purchase something for a discount if they are fortunate enough to win.  As long as there are more than ten tickets sold, a profit is gained.  Aside from the money, you would provide people with information about a cause or organization to be aware of and support.  The best prizes are always going to be associated with the giver in some way.  Not only would it be an excellent bestowal but it would remind you where it came from and how you received it.  As long as the cause is commendable that would encourage current members and people close to the situation to chip in.  Having an attractive gift would excite the ancillary revenue from those who are new and primarily interested in just the competition.   Ticket sellers can be motivated by an internal incentive for who could spawn the most entries.  Whether is it to achieve a certain position or for monetary compensation, sellers could try to get out there and spread the word as much as possible to maximize the effect.   A subsidiary of that would be to bundle tickets for a lower price.  Using the previous example of the ten dollar ticket, one could then offer three for twenty or five for thirty-five to optimize the point of sale opportunity.  Letting someone know they can increase their chances for more total money for numerous tickets but less than the amount of each being bought individually.  

Businesses can derive promotional opportunities and customer loyalty from this type of marketing effort by giving existing patrons another reason to stop by the store.  There is another objective in visiting their favorite place of commerce other than the usual selection of products on sale.  Adding a raffling competition begins to produce a new wave of enthusiasm as earlier discussed.  A different version of demand is obtainable by recurring clients.  It creates more reasons to pay attention to the approaching deadline, existing deals and who will be named the victor.  Being a fun form of competition should not garner the kind of animosity that could jeopardize an existing consumer base.  The winner will definitely be grateful towards the store and the other participants should not harbor any ill will.  The owner could experience a fast rise in new faces with some loss of retention but that is balanced by the amount of first timers who are impressed by the inventory the store has to offer and plan a return.   The most loyal frequenters were there before, are there during and will be there after the contest is over.

Raffling can be beneficial to both the proprietor and the participant.  The proprietor can bring surplus attention and revenue to their place for a short period of time.  There is a faith placed in the event that retention can be created from the previously unknown for future investment.  Participants can donate to a cause with the bonus of having hope of beating the odds and becoming the one winner from a group of many.  Depending on the reason for the money, walking away with the prize may be secondary.  It is a positive occasion for the majority who get involved except for the few who really wanted to win and were not able to.  That is the chance you take as you play the game, however.

Study Habits

Being a senior undergraduate at age thirty-one, after mistakes when I was younger, I may not be the best person to give advice but I should let others decide from what is written here.

1. Read to comprehend
2. Learn for yourself beyond the classroom
3. Putting emphasis on what the professor or teacher says
4. Connecting the materials to other topics
5. Create the proper amount of time to study
6. Summarize your notes
7. Use homework and assignments to prepare for tests
8. Start your day and end your day positively
9. Never be upset with the amount you have to study
10. Study to remind yourself of information rather than learn it for the first time.

Each of these points is imperative to any favorable result I have had while in school.  The education process is distinctive in that you can always improve from past performance.  If these techniques do not work for you, you can modify to what you feel is best.  Let me try to elaborate on how each has been constructive towards my erudite learning.

Reading to comprehend means to try to understand more than the words printed on the paper.  It is getting the concept of the overall message and how that particular phraseology is being used to express it.  This can be a timely activity to adjust to and really take in. Then it can become facile or second nature with the right amount of repetition and practice.  The level of thought to master that will transition to our next point, learning for yourself beyond the classroom.  Just acquiring knowledge can become a habit that you begin to complete for more that tests, quizzes and assignments.  Increasing your all around intellect can turn into a hobby as well.  The next one is something that I had to learn the hard way.  Put an emphasis on what your professor or teacher says during class time.  In college, we are given a syllabus and know what to expect on each test for the entire semester.  The professor who creates the exam will usually speak about what is most important from the required text and may cover material that the author does not discuss.  They could be speaking from personal experience or just adding something they think you should hear.  Becoming an elite student incorporates both excellent reading abilities in addition to paying attention in class.  When something is giving you difficulty, connect the material to another topic you know better.  A simple example of this was applying English and Math to Computer Programming when I first began.  Thinking about what causes errors during compiling and execution were some of the common rules from those subjects.  Once I was really able to grasp that, I could get through the elementary concepts of programming.  Some of the more advance techniques require a higher level of thought but that is a fair place to start.  Another idea is creating the proper amount of time to study.  I attempt to avoid studying too early in the morning and too late at night.  Therefore, I schedule time to study during the day similar to my courses.  Setting aside a period of 50 to 75 minutes to review material is very valuable to my study habits and maintaining some form of consistency.  I do not have to cram for a test in one day if I can constantly give the subject some type of attention for weeks leading up to the approaching date.  Summarizing your notes can help too.  Though most teachers have set the precedent of students reproducing absolute regurgitation for answers, it is good to write it in your own words.  If you can translate a message to your understanding, you can ask if your interpretation is correct.  This can not only help you but someone else who is having trouble with the vocabulary of the topic.  Use homework to prepare for tests.  Your performance on graded work is a fair indicator of what you may do next.  You can learn from your mistakes and gain confidence from what you already stored in your memory banks.  The next one is both important and sort of a side note.  Start and end your day positively.  If there is nothing that causes excessive stress or avert your attention to other areas, it will help to retain information that you received during your courses.  The second to last one has to do with coping.  Never be upset with the amount you have to study.  This applies specifically to what will be on a test or what has to be read before a certain class.  All assigned work is within your capability as long as you are a student in the course and your professor might be more aware of that fact than you are at the time.  Some professors do take pride in their students’ progress in a class.  Lastly, study to remind yourself of information rather than trying to learn it for the first time.  Whenever you study, it should be to reiterate something already presented to you.  You should be going more in depth to think on a different level and comprehend in another sense.  If you are studying a completely new subject or theme, it may be challenging to balance with everything else you are responsible for. 

Legalization: What Has Marijuana Learned From Alcohol?

When considering the legalization of products previously said to be dangerous, I think positive and negative lessons can be learned from the Prohibition era of alcohol. Marijuana is the primary drug to compare to alcohol for this topic as it reaches the repeal stage of its life cycle. There is a slow progression towards it becoming legal to use after several years, decades even, of resources being dedicated to stop its proliferation. Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia have already authorized recreational use. The process began with medical use similar to how wine was allowed for religious use. There may not be a religious reason to use marijuana but the health benefits to patients suffering from pain, difficult radiology treatments and improper nervous systems are well documented. Marijuana has been found to help patients through their most difficult times both physically and psychologically. Alcohol is also taught to have health benefits. Some say a glass of wine, periodically, is good for the heart. It is possible that some substances in moderation are actually good for us and it is excess at which they can become destructive. So reflecting on the situation today, we can see that some form of regulation is always necessary but absolute restriction may not be fair to society as a whole.
          During the time of prohibition, alcohol was controlled by organized crime units who opposed the law. The legislation created to remove public access to alcohol did not mean the demand to have it diminished entirely. Bootlegging and the black market began and grew at a similar pace, if not faster than law enforcement. Marijuana distribution is a known service across the United States. Even with it being illegal, some of our favorite musicians, movie stars and athletes kept the drug in the public’s eye and popular. People would sell in their local communities as if it were as common as tobacco. Sometimes prosecutors and police officers would punish violators to the fullest extent and other times users would simply get warnings. The variations of discipline are subjective to say the least. It seems that eventually a democratic government will always respond to the population it serves. Meaning what the people clamor for will be given to them in due time. It just takes time to assess the actual benefits versus the dangers and study the long-term effects for the betterment of all involved.
          Now we can move away from the criminal element and consider how these decisions affect the omnipresent topic of our economy. As illegal substances are still pursued, any money spent on those efforts is not taxable. In the case of alcohol there was production, bottling, transportation and the direct sell to the user who knew that this was against the law. The makers of the beverage knew it was against the law. Every intermediary in that process knew it was against the law. There was still a market for it and therefore a way to make money. No one in the course of that transaction worked for free. Marijuana has a process it goes through today. Somewhere it is grown, harvested, bundled, transported, packaged and distributed. Again, with all parties involved aware of the risks being taken. Why is it so important to have the after-effect of its usage that one willingly ignores the consequences of breaking the law? These were potential billion dollar industries that the government could not lay any claim to without making an adjustment. In fact, they spent money for training and equipping a workforce to combat it in both eras. With acceptance of the demand and legalization, there is a huge growth of a taxable product market. As users no longer have to hide and be mysterious, purchasing will go up. Alcohol experienced an increase of the average user after the government endorsement.
          More importantly, with government regulation people may actually have access to a safer and more natural product. One could never be sure that the product you purchase through illegal means is actually good for you. How could you? The purity of the substance as well as its condition prior to your possession is always in question. The government can step in and be sure that if its voters want something then they can provide it a better way. Is the problem prevention from use or it is public safety? Those that want it will get it by whatever means they have available to them. So legality is not the concern of a constant user. I assume sustainability would also be enhanced with government intervention. Once a product is approved, does a new sector develop to try the once illicit item? This is usually the case with alcohol, as scores of young adults begin to drink at age 21. Those habits continue as long as they never have a really bad experience. There are some people who do not decide to start however. I cannot be sure of how marijuana will be received but it may be similar. There could be an age limit and tolerance level established to what is rational from a governing body. 
          In conclusion with the legalization of marijuana almost inevitable, I think there are reasons to prevent it and reasons to accept it. The main cause of prevention would be to continue to discourage the use of a dangerous substance. Even now, alcohol usage is a leading contributor to deaths and physical ailments of all kinds. To promote responsible consumption is not a concrete deterrent. This leads to the reasons to accept it. As stated earlier, the product whether legal or illegal will be sold and purchased. The least we could do is allow it to be retailed and distribute those resources to other causes. Think of the results of lower income taxes, better roads, improved schools and emergency personnel that are less busy all from the money that states could use from lawful marijuana profits. Usage may be at an all-time high, I cannot help the pun there, but will it have the same trend as alcohol. Already there are less cigarette advertisements. We have learned the lessons from smoking and what it can lead to. So maybe marijuana will not be as popular. Maybe people will try it and discover it is not for them. Maybe those who really need it will be helped by this latest advancement. All I know is that we can never be sure until we take the time to find out.