Blogs of . . . LUKAS

Okay, so nobody took the bait last week. Lukas is still offering some perceptive and meaningful reflections about his experience. This week, he talks about the "culture divide" and preconceptions of nationality. Sarah offers us some poignant and optimistic thoughts about losing a friend.

Keep digging in, folks, and try to wrap your minds around some of the issues you're being confronted with these days. Don't settle for floating along and letting your freshman year "happen" to you. Figure out what you want your education to be, and organize your efforts toward making this year reflective of that.

Essay #2 due on Thursday....

Blogs of Note -- the Sixth Level

This is getting old. Will someone please usurp Lukas from his position as "leader of the pack" in his blog entries? This week, he's offering some prime reflection. Check out his post on unexpected benefits from academic assignments. And don't miss Chase's observations about how overwhelming all of this "college" stuff can be.

Blogs of Note 5

Once again, Lukas offers us some fairly interesting thoughts about words and communication. Check out his blog, and be sure and comment on Dr. Miller's students' entries.

Blogs of Note IV

We've got a couple of good ones this week, especially in light of your first essay (due Thursday, I remind you) and in anticipation of your second (starting Thursday, I remind you). Check out Rachael's blog on frustration with the small-group workshops (and other underachievers), and Sarah's on her service project component, which she completed on Saturday.

I'll remind you all, once more, that you need to be spending some time with these blogs -- not as much as you would on a formal essay, sure, but it needs to be a bit more than just "Here's what I did this week. Wow. I'm really busy." That's not reflection; that's a Dayrunner agenda. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you'll get a "completion grade," just for writing something down each week. That's part of it, sure, but there's also a content-based assessment that Mr. Howell and I are performing each week.

Lest you forget, I also remind you (sheesh -- I'm doing a lot of reminding today!) that your blogs form a significant portion of your final grade, and failure to participate fully in any class assignment wil reflect negatively on your participation grade as well.

Keep up. Budget your time. Stay on top of things. Don't settle for mediocrity, even in the mid-semester crunch that you're all subject to these days.

Blogs of Note, part three

This week, take a look at Rachael's and Lukas' blogs. Rachael looks at the "politics" of religion, and Lukas gives us a perspective on stereotyping music genres (and listeners!). Many of you are falling behind in your posts, or you're forgetting to include some significant reflection about how events in the previous week challenge your understanding of the MC Mission Statement (especially those five development areas). Don't let this become an excuse to demonstrate your laziness; engage and interact with some serious reflection, digging deep in who you are becoming and what this place is doing to you....