Saturday, February 28, 2009
comment
I commented on Catherine’s blog “choices, choices and more choices.” I think this was a good blog because it’s what a lot of people on campus are going through and is very relatable.
lenten revelations
We are now officially into the Lenten season and it is now the time for fasting, alms giving and prayer. This year I decided to give up cursing and caffeine. While I thought that the caffeine would be the difficult part, it is something that you are consciously aware of breaking before you do it. Cursing, on the other hand, is something that just kind of comes out.
When I was in high school I never used to curse, but since I came to school here I cannot help myself! I don’t know if it is because others around me are doing it too so I just picked it up a lot like slang, or what happened. I have talked to a lot of people about my choice to give up cursing for lent and they agree with me that they never used to use these words until they came here too.
Are we as SMU students worse about cussing than other schools? Or is it just college students as a whole that use horrible language? I know that I need to fix my language because by the time that I get to hire and into the corporate world, language like that is not allowed. So maybe I can use this opportunity to clean up my act before it really matters. Then again, I still have three and a half years to fall back into my old habits.
When I was in high school I never used to curse, but since I came to school here I cannot help myself! I don’t know if it is because others around me are doing it too so I just picked it up a lot like slang, or what happened. I have talked to a lot of people about my choice to give up cursing for lent and they agree with me that they never used to use these words until they came here too.
Are we as SMU students worse about cussing than other schools? Or is it just college students as a whole that use horrible language? I know that I need to fix my language because by the time that I get to hire and into the corporate world, language like that is not allowed. So maybe I can use this opportunity to clean up my act before it really matters. Then again, I still have three and a half years to fall back into my old habits.
New man on campus
I was leaving my earth systems class early Tuesday Morning when I saw a many black suburbans and a mob of people in front of Fondren Life and Science Building. I immediately knew it was George Bush. I had so many thoughts running through my head on whether or not I should go speak to. I thought about if I was dressed properly, what I would say and how I would react in general. I decided that it was just not the day for me and I continued to walk to my next class. Later, I heard about how he had come to speak to a political science class and answered any questions that students had for him.
I thought this was so cool. How many college campuses have a presidential library, let alone a president walking around their campus speaking to students? Politics aside, I think that we are so lucky to have this opportunity, it’s an honor.
I am also sure that it must have been so refreshing for President Bush to have all those students around him telling him how much that they appreciate him. Especially after all of the bad press that he gets and the polls of how the youth doesn’t particularly like him. I hope that I will get to see him around campus again soon and this time be brave enough to go and speak to him.
I thought this was so cool. How many college campuses have a presidential library, let alone a president walking around their campus speaking to students? Politics aside, I think that we are so lucky to have this opportunity, it’s an honor.
I am also sure that it must have been so refreshing for President Bush to have all those students around him telling him how much that they appreciate him. Especially after all of the bad press that he gets and the polls of how the youth doesn’t particularly like him. I hope that I will get to see him around campus again soon and this time be brave enough to go and speak to him.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Organic food is better?
In the past few years I have noticed more and more people buying organic food because they believe that it’s better for you and the environment. While genetically modified food is seen as being bad or even unnatural.
If we only produce organic food we will not be able to feed the population of the earth. Genetically modified foods allow a more stable crop production through resistance to unexpected freezes, droughts and they do not attract many insects. Also, while our country tries to reduce its gas consumption the need for genetically modified corn increases. One of the leading alternate fuel options is ethanol which is produced from corn. With genetically modified corn we can produce a larger supply of ethanol with a smaller cost to the producers which in turn means a lower cost to us- the consumer.
Also since bugs are not attracted to these new crops we do not need to use harmful pesticides that have been blamed for contaminating water supplies. They also do not need as many fertilizers as other crops do which also decreases the cost of production. As you can see it’s not merely the space that is needed to be able to more efficiently feed the world, we also need it to be cost efficient.
Genetically modified food is not perfect though. It has been criticized for possibly increasing allergies, and cross pollinating with other plants to create smaller plant diversity.
I understand a person’s desire to be healthy and natural, but I think that there is a bad perception of genetically modified foods and I’m afraid that the trend towards becoming more organic might hurt us in the long run.
There is more information on genetically modified foods at the plant genome sciences website.
If we only produce organic food we will not be able to feed the population of the earth. Genetically modified foods allow a more stable crop production through resistance to unexpected freezes, droughts and they do not attract many insects. Also, while our country tries to reduce its gas consumption the need for genetically modified corn increases. One of the leading alternate fuel options is ethanol which is produced from corn. With genetically modified corn we can produce a larger supply of ethanol with a smaller cost to the producers which in turn means a lower cost to us- the consumer.
Also since bugs are not attracted to these new crops we do not need to use harmful pesticides that have been blamed for contaminating water supplies. They also do not need as many fertilizers as other crops do which also decreases the cost of production. As you can see it’s not merely the space that is needed to be able to more efficiently feed the world, we also need it to be cost efficient.
Genetically modified food is not perfect though. It has been criticized for possibly increasing allergies, and cross pollinating with other plants to create smaller plant diversity.
I understand a person’s desire to be healthy and natural, but I think that there is a bad perception of genetically modified foods and I’m afraid that the trend towards becoming more organic might hurt us in the long run.
There is more information on genetically modified foods at the plant genome sciences website.
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