Reflection #11


I came into class thinking that I knew a lot about Batman, my favorite super hero, but when I began learning more about him I got more of an understanding of what he truly stands for. I always liked him and thought I knew a lot about him because it is who I grew up watching but I never really paid attention to meanings and representations that he presented in films and cartoons.  He stands for fighting against evil and riding it from Gotham city, which I knew, but he also puts that at top priority, no matter what.  What I have learned about Batman is working and fighting for something you believe in is something that takes much effort, time, and dedication.  If you feel strong in something then it is okay to fight for it, but you must become dedicated.  Batman also shows us that you do not need super powers or abilities to do good in your community.  I had never really thought about Batman's wealth and training to be one of the determining factors of why he is so successful.  He worked hard at something and was dedicated.  It can show us that by working for something anything can be achieved.  Batman is someone that I know much more about then I did before coming into class, and I know the "real" Batman in my eyes now.

My preconceived ideas about Wonder Woman before coming into class was she was just a normal super hero, but just female.  I never saw her as a super hero that many looked up to because of gender, and I do not mean that in a bad way I just stereotyped her in her abilities compared to male super heroes.  Throughout our course, I have learned that she has been nothing but a role model for women, lesbians, and gays.  I think it is great that she expresses these qualities and that she is someone to look up to.  I have learned, that early on in America, just like me, people did stereotype her for being a female and she was sometimes a shadow.  I am glad that I was able to learn more about her and it made me realize that stereotyping happens everywhere, even when I deny myself from doing it.  It has supported me in taking a step back sometimes to allow for people to introduce themselves and their qualities before I judge them, which is something we should all do before jumping to conclusions.

With our readings and discussions I have learned that we are all different, and that is a good thing.  With so many different types of super heroes it relates to knowing there is a place for everyone in this world.  I have been reinforced to know that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and some of us are better than others in certain abilities.  We must also understand that it is okay to realize that we may not be as good as someone else in specific skills and asking for help is okay.  I have also learned that being open with yourself and expressing your opinions, appropriately, can help you to understand yourself even more and it allows for you to take in other peoples views.  When you are open with yourself it can help you in becoming more confident with your beliefs and allow for you to practice voicing your opinions.

I really enjoyed our discussions and analysis of the real life super heroes.  It was fun and interesting finding out about these people and I wish that we could have learned more about them or even found out if there were any living around us.  It was interesting learning about them because they were working for the better of their communities and that is what we ultimately want with all citizens.  I think it would have been cool to follow up on some of them to see how their progress is coming along currently and what their views of us are-having a class developed around super heroes and working for the better of society.  It would have also been cool to dress up like them and walk around campus just to see the reactions of what our peers would be thinking about us and their opinions of agreeing or disagreeing with having real life super heroes.

This class has helped me a great deal of understanding what the traits of a good citizen should be.  It is a fun and realistic way to view our society because super heroes are fun to learn about but their is always more to the story that they are telling.  I think that reflecting on our lives and thinking about our actions can help us to understand who we are and who we want to be in our future.  This class has also helped me in understanding that their are hundreds of paths to take within our lives, and we cannot dwell on a path that we may have felt was the wrong one.  We must continue forward and learn from our past.  I think that any of the real life super heroes are great models for a good citizen.  As I said before, they are solely working to make their communities better.  We do not necessarily have to take it to the extreme of revolving our life around becoming a real life super hero but we can do the little things throughout the day to make this world a better place to be.  Changing the world will not happen over night, but doing the little things is what makes a difference sometimes and they do not take up an enormous amount of time to perform.  By helping others, we will only be rewarded in the end.    

  

Reflection #10


Thom got kicked off of the team because of his sexuality. I would be furious if I was Thom, a teammate, or a parent if this situation arose. You cannot dictate someone's performance or decisions because of their sexuality preference. I guess personally, I would have to follow the coaches decision but I would take it to the school board and plead my case. I would explain that just because someone is gay does not mean they cannot be involved in activities where others may view them as different. It has some of the same principles of when "clicks" collide heads and argue, but when members from those "clicks" are on the same team they can usually work things out and leave their personal life and opinions off of the court.  I had that situation in high school. Kids would not get along with one another in school but when it came to the team and the sport, everything was done for the better of the team. I know my parents would back me up one hundred percent and they would fight just as hard as me to get me back onto the team. My dad always says to fight for what you believe in so this situation is no different.

I think Ruth is telling Thom to take charge and enjoy the life that he wants to live. We should not let others dictate how our future will be. Instead of living day by day and just getting by we should take charge and do whats best for us. One thing I am waiting for to make me happy is my career. I am so excited and pumped to become a teacher and have an effect on kids' lives. I can be in charge of my own happiness by making the right decisions that make me happy. It ties into teaching-I want to be a good teacher and a knowledgeable teacher so I continue to work hard and push myself in school. I know sometimes it may not be "fun" studying all night but when I understand it will only help me with my profession it makes me happy. I want to be a teacher who students can go to for help inside of the classroom and outside of the classroom. Working with kids and having a positive impact on their lives makes me happy alone. I also know that in order to be in charge of my own happiness I must continue to work with those around me. I must continue to work on relationships and build on them so that the bridge between the two results in total happiness.

I feel that most people do have an exceptional talent in some field or skill. Because of that, I do feel that most people at some point are recognized for what they excel in. Now I understand not everyone gets this recognition, and it is not fair, but many of us do have personal skills better then others that are usually seen by our peers. For this to happen to me I feel like I could be working with a student with a personal problem in their life to where I have a positive influence and the student has a positive outcome. If another teacher, principle, or parent told me, "You know you really mean a lot to him and you have changed him in becoming a better man," I would feel on top of the world. I would gain confidence, respect, and gratitude for doing what I do. It would reinforce to me that I am in the right profession and that God put me on this world for a reason.

I believe the perfect first kiss is possible to achieve. I will explain it from a woman's point of view and also mine (haha): "You and your significant other are standing in the pouring rain while it is pitch black outside but yet you can see the stars. Theirs that awkward moment where the two of you look at each other and simply smile. Both of you simultaneously make the move to kiss the other, hold the kiss for five seconds, back heads away, look into each others eyes, and hug" (Maybe watching the Notebook and other movies have had an impact on why I see it this way haha). I have had crushes on famous people when I was younger. I feel that we act this way because many of those people are individuals that we look up to and want to be associated with. If we are associated with them then we will be happy and liking them is okay. I feel that we move out of this stage when we realize that their are ordinary people in the world who can fulfill our desires and needs without having to wish that the famous person will just sweep us away.

Open Reflection


This week I would like to reflect on the discussion that we had on class Friday on whether or not we believed Ozymadias was a terrorist or a freedom fighter. What I want to talk about is how our class split sides on this debate and was required to explain on why their side was the right and correct side. First, I found it interesting that Ozymadias could be considered either a freedom fighter or a terrorist and their was background information that would support either stance. What I found to be the most important deciding factor on this topic was how you defined a freedom fighter and how you defined a terrorist in your own mind. For me, it was hard to side with Ozymadias as a freedom fighter because I personally saw him as a terrorist. To me, a freedom fighter is someone who fights for what they believe in, without causing mass destruction. I understand that those who are "freedom fighters" believe in their own eyes that when they are killing hundreds of people they feel as if they are doing the right thing because they have been true and loyal to some value or code. I just can't personally side with someone who kills others for "an overall good" when some of the people that they are killing are completely innocent-how is it fair to them to die when they have done nothing wrong? Why should one person or group decide that by killing hundreds of people society will become better? And who has that power to make such a huge decision? Are we not all equal, we all came from the same place and we all have strengths better then others and weaknesses worse then others. I do not know one president, leader, or dictator who has had super powers that could effect the world differently then the ordinary citizen. What I am trying to get at is why do some people feel like they have the power to change the world by doing harm when they too were born the same way as those who they kill. I am certain to say that if they were on the other side of the table their thoughts and opinions would change drastically on whether or not it is fair for someone to take another's life at their own hand. I believe we will all be judged in the end by God and by saying you were better or more important than another individual and that you deserved to live, well your chances of living happily for eternity are probably not on your side. Their is a difference when saying you are better than someone in a certain skill and saying you are overall better than someone else-such as, "You don't belong in my presence." We should remember to not judge others because it will be us who are judged in the end.

Reflection #8


I come from a small farm town in Northern Illinois so I would construct my costume out of bib overalls and a flannel shirt to comfort those around me. I would wear my work boots and a hat but those pieces of clothing would have equipment built into them. My boots are steel toed and I could use them if I was ever in a fight with someone else. I could also make them super magnetic and use that to my advantage when a time was necessary. My hat could have led lights built into it for enhanced vision at nighttime. I would not wear a mask because I like for people to see me for who I am. I would never try to hide anything from them and I would not fear for my own protection because I would be doing something I believed in and something I took pride in.

As I said my town is very small so their is little crime activity. Poverty is not much of a problem either, their are just some families who are not as well off as others. I could be a super hero who grows crops to give to others. I feel like I always want to give to others, I usually just don't have the money or resources at my age to do so. I feel like I could grow sweet corn, beans, fruits, and other vegetables to give to the families who are in dire need in my community. I love helping people when I can, and their is no better feeling so giving to those in need would make me want to continue to work for my community and the people around me.

I was a big fan of the Dark Guardian and Master Legend in the superhero film. I liked Dark Guardian because he stood up for what he believed in regardless of who he was dealing with. I would have to say I more identify with Master Legend though because he gave to his community when they were in need. As I said, I would grow crops to give to those in my community who needed food, and Master Legend followed the same principle. He helped those around him even when it looked like he did not have anything for himself. He quoted something in the film about living for the afterlife and doing good deeds for God. He believed by helping others he would be rewarded in heaven and I can agree with him one hundred percent. I was inspired by him by saying I would grow crops for others, and I also agree with him and can relate to him when he says our actions on earth effect our future relationship with God. I know Master Legend seemed a little crazy at times or not very appealing, but what he was doing for society and for the overall good was something not many people do any more on a daily basis. I can confidently say he will be rewarded by his good deeds and actions when he meets God.

Being a Mutant


When I imagine myself having a power that could be hidden I think it would be awesome at first because no one would even know that I had it. On the other hand, if I had a power that made me different from society's norms I would probably feel very uncomfortable and out of place until I was able to fit in somewhere. These types of experiences would be similar in the way that you would have some type of power that would set you apart from everyone else so you would be unique-and isn't being unique what we stress to when speaking to our youth?

I think if I had a power that was not visible, I would be able to make connections with groups or individuals with ease. I would be able to hide my power without a problem, but I also feel like by hiding my "problem" I am not being myself. If you are constantly hiding who you really are from others around you it would be difficult to live freely and the way one would want to live. If my power was visible to others I feel like it would be difficult to interact with others until they became comfortable with the way I lived and my customs. Even though you would be uncomfortable around some people, the ones who accepted you would make you feel normal and you would not have to hide anything so you could be who you are. It is interesting that if I could hide my power I would feel like I would not be acting as myself and if I had a power that was clearly visible I would not have to worry about hiding it so I would be able to live without worrying whose judging me because I am who I am.

TV shows and films could help people understand that just because you are different from society's norms, doesn't mean you cannot function as well as everyone else. You can look at Beast for example. He works for the president as Secretary of Mutant Affairs. Just because he looks different from others does not mean he cannot work for the country and make decisions that has an effect on others.

I feel like I would identify with Magneto the most in terms of him being who he is and accepting it. I feel like I act that way now because I accept who I am and I am proud of it. Which brings me to the topic of whether or not I would seek out a cure if I was able to. I would not want a cure because I would be happy that God made me the way he did and not change his plans for me. Nowadays, we as a society push too much for norms and customs that do not allow for individuals to be who they truly are. I feel like being an individual and being unique is wonderful because it separates us from others and allows us to be our own person. It allows us to be leaders and not followers, which is something everyone should strive for, to an extent.   

Friendships and Emotions


I feel like I have so many different types of friends in my life. The friendships with the friends my age is different from the friendships I have with my family. The friendships I have with people from my community is different than my friendships with my teachers. I would have to say most of my friendships fall under utility and pleasure because when I give something, I usually get something in return.  Although I would say my friendships fall under the same category, they are very different in one another. I do things for my close friends that I would not do for friends from my community or friends I do not see on a daily basis. With two of my close friends, I could argue that we are slowly moving toward a virtues friendship because at times I will do things for them and I would never expect anything in return. I could also argue that the friendship with my mother and father are even closer to a virtues friendship because I do things for them because I have the want and desire to complete their needs without expecting anything in return. And I certainly know they even go the extra step in doing things for my siblings and me because we are the most important things in their life so they never expect anything in return. I feel like when I go out of the way for my family and my closest friends I myself get enjoyment out of it because of what I am doing but I never expect anything in return. For virtue to happen I feel that two people must have the utmost respect, love, and trust between each other. The two must connect in a certain and special way in which nothing can block or hinder them from doing things for one another.

I come from a Catholic family and I was raised by my parents to always put God and church before anything else, even your own family. I was raised to believe in pro life and that abortions are wrong. In one particular situation during a class in high school, the topic of pro choice or pro life came up in class and without hesitation I spoke what I believed in and how I felt. It became a heated argument and I was voicing my opinion with some of my closest friends. I felt like it was my duty and responsibility to stand up for my faith, for my parents, and for myself because everything I was once taught was being challenged. I felt like when I was speaking to the class words were flowing out of my mouth confidently and perfectly to where no one could tell me I was wrong. I felt like I was completely right and no one could change my beliefs or what I was saying. In a way I also felt like I was changing how other people viewed this controversial topic towards a stance of pro life. It could have been my confidence and emotions in my body running every way deceiving me, but I felt like I was challenging and affecting what others thought. Everyone respected me in the end for voicing my opinion and others were also agreeing with me. Because I am Catholic, I too respected the ones who disagreed with me and did not think negatively about them. I understand not everyone will agree in life, so it is our duty to either try to change them or to respect them for who they are and what they believe in.   
  

Your Imagination at Work


When I was younger, around age 8, I can remember every Sunday afternoon my dad would mow our yard and weed trim it as well. I can remember I would always want to help him and act like I was mowing as well. My dad bought be a toy mower and weed trimmer and I can remember always helping him make the yard look better by following next to him with my mower. Every Sunday he would mow I would ask him if he needed my help and of course he said yes. I can remember walking next to him or behind him as he mowed and I would pretend that my mower was making sure it was cutting all the pieces of grass that my dad missed. I also remember when my dad replaced our real mower with a new one. I asked him if we could replace mine as well because it was time for an upgrade, and of course I got a new one. I looked forward to helping "mow" every Sunday and in my imagination I was helping my dad by following him and keeping him company-and of course trying to be just like him.

As an adult, creativity is something we do all the time and it is something that can help us solve problems when we need help the most. Over Christmas break I worked at the feedmill that I have worked at for the past five years and I ran into a situation that needed immediate attention and creativeness. I was mixing feed in our mixer and the liquid fat switch had been running without me knowing. When I walked over to the mixer their was fat all over the floor and flowing out of the mixer. First, I knew this wasn't good because I could not waste all of this fat. Second, I knew I had to clean this up quickly before it stuck to the floor too long to where I would not be able to get it up easily. So I took ground corn that was already in a pile on the floor and I shoveled it onto the fat. I let it soak up for about an hour and then I took a scrapper and was able to get all of the fat off of the floor by using the ground corn to stick to it. Next, I wanted to make sure the ground corn and fat would not go to waste so I ran it through an auger and put it back into the mixer. Pig feed uses ground corn and fat so I was able to use my mess with the next feed order. Besides the time it took me to clean up the mess, nothing was wasted in terms of feed material. I felt like a messy situation turned into a successful clean up.

The most recent superhero moment I can remember when someone thought on their feet quickly was in the Captain America film. Steve was in the alley and in a fight and needed to defend himself quickly so he used a trash can lid to defend himself. I thought it was creative because he worked with what he had around him and used something that would later defend him when he became Captain America.

The "Fiction Suit"

It was senior night and we had to win the football game to make it to the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. We we're playing at Mosher Memorial Field in Prophetstown and it was Erie-Prophetstown against Sterling Newman. Their were five of us seniors including myself. Vinnie had rushed for 100 yards coming into the 4th quarter and I had thrown for 250 yards passing with two touchdowns to Kyle and Justin. Chris was a senior wide receiver who never got playing time because of his disability. Chris only had one arm but boy he could run fast. Their were two minutes left in the 4th quarter and we were up seven points. Coach had us run the clock out to ensure the win but told me the last play was whatever I wanted it to be. As we huddled up I told Chris to run a wheel route and I would pump fake hard on the first move. We broke the huddle and I noticed Newman had dropped into cover 4 so it would be difficult for Chris to get open, let alone catch the ball if the pass wasn't perfect. I called the cadence and Chris broke open on the move, I threw the ball in the air and watched it as it went in slow motion. The ball was over thrown too much but suddenly Chris had used his speed to catch up to it and as he jumped in the air he had pulled it down! Invisible kid had been there and helped Chris catch the ball by using one of his hands. As Chris had ran into the end zone for his first and last career touchdown I was speechless....Shortly after we had gotten into the lockeroom and everyone had showered I found myself to be the last one walking out of the school. There invisible kid stood, I told him I was grateful for what he had done. He told me he wanted to make someone feel special, and that he had done. I bent down to tie my shoes and when I looked up invisible kid was gone. All I wondered was, where is he now and who is he helping?

Telling a Friend

I told two of my friends, at the same time, how much they mean to me and how much I care about them even if its something that I don't show to them visually. It personally made me feel good inside that I got this out because it is something that I have thought about before but I am not usually very good at telling people things personally, I tend to get embarrassed or shy-even though their is no reason to. When I told them I explained why I was doing it, only so I could "break the ice" and not just randomly tell them. It was difficult for me to just tell them out of no where so that's why I chose to tell them why I was doing it-even though it was something that I wanted them to know. As I said before I am not one to tell someone how I feel about them normally but it is something that I do think about. And by telling them how I feel is a good feeling personally because now I know that they have that understanding that we are true friends.

Reflection #3

I liked Jordan's post last week about lying and whether if it's okay to lie and at what point you have to draw the line. What I find interesting about this topic is be loyal? Or be honest? I was always raised to tell the truth no matter what the situation is and good things will come. I was also raised to be loyal and keep those that you love close to you.

Being honest sometimes can be tough can't it? If your friend comes up to you with a terrible haircut, and you both know it looks terrible, your not going to tell them it looks bad, your going to lie and say, no it looks fine! We do this as humans because we don't want to hurt other peoples feelings. Now I know some people say never lie no matter what the situation is because it will just cause you to continue to lie and sooner or later you'll do it without even noticing. I don't necessarily agree with this because I feel that if you are a true good person than you know when its appropriate to tell a fib.

Now being loyal is a different concept. If you are truly loyal to someone than you will do anything for that person and you will always tell them what you are thinking and what the truth is-right? Well I know their have been times when I have been loyal to someone, maybe about a secret or something, and I spilled the beans. I just couldn't hold it in. It is interesting because deep down I knew consciously I did something wrong, but maybe I told someone else because I didn't want that person to get hurt. Is that right or wrong for me to have done?

I find these two topics very interesting because we as humans deal with these types of situations all of the time, daily, without even noticing. For some of us, lying is something we do all of the time because we know nothing better. I went to high school with a kid who lied all of the time. He would just make up the most far fetched stories that no one would ever believe. Everyone knew he constantly lied. He would lie about the smallest things that would just question me, why even bother lying about this when it doesn't mean anything? Was it because he had gotten so immune to it and couldn't stop from doing it? Was it truly his fault, or was he truly trying to hurt someones feelings when he lied-I mean if he couldn't control it, it's not his fault right? Then i figured out the biggest factor that caused him to lie. He tried fitting in with everyone and had to be popular. He wasn't trying to be mean to others purposely, he just wanted to be friends with everyone. So some day when you wake up keep track of all the times you make up the littlest fib-it will amaze you. Sometimes we do it because its the easiest way out of a situation or its a fast answer.

Reflection #2

I must say I really enjoyed our discussion in class on secret identities vs "real" identities. Personally, I feel like I have 5-6 different identities or personalities, depending on how you want to truly view them. I act like "me" when I am around my friends while I act in a different nature around my parents, girlfriend, as a student, when I am at work, and while I played sports in high school and college.

I know that I act differently in certain situations but in each of those situations I still feel comfortable with myself even if my personality changes. I feel like that is the most important thing. If you are able to still feel comfortable with yourself then in a way you do not have a "secret identity" but just multiple "real" identities. I feel like acting "fake" or different just to fit in isn't being yourself and will not help you in showing people who you truly are.

Around my friends I act like my normal self and I say whats on my mind. I use a "wider range of vocabulary" when I am with my friends and I never think anything of it. While when I am a student and when I aide in the schools I know where to draw the line and I am okay with that. When I am around my parents I don't act too much different but I am not the same like I am with my friends. I feel like I am more talkative around my friends than with my parents. When I am with my girlfriend I am myself but I also try to act more mature and "grown up," even though it can be challenging at times (haha). I work in the grain and agriculture business so when I deal with the public I act very friendly and helpful, although I see myself acting that way all the time. Lastly, when I played sports I had to carry myself as a respectful individual at all times because I was representing something other than myself. I was representing my school, team, and community.

It is interesting to reflect on the different ways I act because it is not something I normally think about. I feel that my "true" characteristics are with me at all times, but what changes is how much I show those characteristics and that is what personality comes out. Regardless of what situation I am in and what identity is showing up I am always comfortable, respectful, and proud of who I am.

Favorite Superhero

            I must say my favorite superhero is Batman and I feel that way for numerous reasons.  I’ve always liked Batman since I was growing up and he was the one superhero I watched the most on television.  Batman attracts my interest so much because I can relate to him I feel more than other superheroes because batman has no actual super powers and is a normal person fighting crime.

            I can remember watching Batman on the television when I was 8 and my brother was 10.  We would play the roles of Batman and Robin, and of course since my brother Patrick is older than me, he was always Batman and I was Robin.  I always enjoyed playing their roles around the house, but I can remember a part of me wanting to be Batman instead of Robin.  I viewed Batman as a really awesome guy with fast cool looking cars, weapons I had never seen before, and a mansion with secret rooms I wished I could once visit.  One year for Christmas I got a Batman play set with action figures, the Batmobile, and a Batcave; I played with the toys for so many days and it was my chance to be Batman for a change!  I still have the play set to this day, and when I look at it, it still brings back memories.

            Now that I am older and understand more of the meanings of what some superheroes are trying to get across, I could see a relation of what an adult might do in his life while reflecting on what Batman would do in the same situation.  I feel as if Batman is working for the better of the world by fighting crime and doing the right things, and that can help adults to lead a better life in helping out their communities and being involved in activities that may prevent violence, or even by taking the steps in the direction of stopping the violence of crimes personally.  I believe thinking like Batman is a wonderful thing for numerous reasons.  The more you are involved and the more you help others, the better your community can be and the more you will feel good about yourself for doing the right thing.  Just because you don’t have super powers to stop the “Villains” in our world today doesn’t mean you can’t help to fight against those who do wrong.  Standing up for what you believe in and taking action in the littlest ways can make you become a superhero to someone else who just needs a little assistance.