A Lunchroom Disaster

Every time I go to a restaurant, choosing a meal becomes quite a predicament. If I had to create a list of all foods I enjoy eating, it would consist of about 5 different meals. This is no exaggeration. It didn't take my friends long to notice that all I have eaten for lunch this first week of school is pizza, chicken, peanut butter with bread, cereal and rigatoni. One of the first days of summer session at Penn State, my friend made the remark, "You're a fussy eater, aren't you?" And to this I replied that I am not a "fussy" eater, but perhaps a "picky" eater. Over the years my least favorite phrase heard at the dinner table is, "Just try it. You'll like it!" It's not that I don't wish to like the taste of these foods being offered to me (believe me, I do), it's that I simply hate the taste of the food being offered.

It was the first week of kindergarten at Pleasant Elementary School. This particular day turned out to be everything but pleasant for me. Right as I entered the lunch cafeteria with my "packed" lunch full of all foods I would consider edible (which consist of the very same ones of today), the fire alarm erupted through the school. Even at the age of five I was smart enough to figure it was just another drill. However, after standing around for fifteen minutes, we were told there actually was an unusual smoke coming from the cafeteria kitchen. This was the very same cafeteria containing my precious lunchbox, which I left on one of the tables. The students were allowed to play kickball for a good period of time while the building was being inspected. A few hours later, after the smoke had cleared and it was safe to enter, my first thought was to get my lunch back into my own hands. To my disappointment, no one was permitted to eat the lunches, which sat inside the cafeteria during the evacuation. The students proceeded into the cafeteria and were asked to order a lunch off the menu. School lunches, my greatest fear. If I remember correctly, we were given three options to choose from. Standing in line for my lunch felt so unusual. The cafeteria had seemed to grow twice its usual size. I wished to be at the safety of my usual lunch table with my usual friends. Instead I was in line and was up to order next. Although I had forgot the three options I had to choose from, I spotted a classmate with a tray of chicken nuggets. What a relief! The sudden turn of events led to me feeling optimistic about this school lunch experience. Chowing down on my first chicken nugget quickly replaced my optimism. These chicken nuggets being served were nowhere near as satisfying as a picky eater such as myself would have hoped. Needless to say I went home hungry on that particular day, and for the remainder of my K-12 education I never consumed another school lunch.

My junior year I revisited that elementary school, which was shut down shortly after I moved onto middle school. At the age of 17 the lunchroom seemed so incredibly small. How I felt intimidated when I was younger was beyond my understanding. Today, I am grateful for the cafeteria at Penn State, which features a pasta bar and a jar of peanut butter every day. Someday I hope I will conquer my taste buds and grow to enjoy dreaded cafeteria food.

A Rhetor in the Making

Before the Summer of 2011, I was never challenged to write at the college level. English, being one of my weaker subjects, was never as important to me compared to math and science in high school. My lack of interest in the subject led to me never taking courses beyond the "college prep" level. Having no advanced placement experience with writing or speaking coming out of high school, I was rushed into the short six-week Summer semester in which I took Penn State's Cas 100A class (speech). Although the thought of speech class wasn't exactly appealing to me, after completing the course I can say that it was a great experience. Not only did I gain some public speaking experience, I also discovered an essential aspect required for a good piece of writing. I've took pride in some of my school-assigned writings in the past, but only a select few. However, after choosing a topic i truly cared about for my speech class this Summer, I found the writing process so much smoother and efficient. This is what I took from my Summer experience; to pick writing topics that I am passionate about. Not only must I be interested in the subject, but I have to be interested at a level that I feel the need to inform my audience of the topic as well. This Fall semester my goal is that my writing will reflect my passion I have for the topics I choose.

When I do write effectively, I can analyze what I feel I have done correctly. For example, I would consider my ability to address an audience correctly a strength of mine. When done properly, I find that I use the correct word choice and write in the appropriate genre. On the other hand, I recognize that I do have several weaknesses as a writer, as all inexperienced writers probably do. I have found myself to have a weak and limited vocabulary in several of my high school essays. This is something I certainly hope to improve on in English 15 this semester. Additionally, I have had weak content in several essays. Whether it be rambling on about one point too much, or not going into depth on crucial points, I have discovered this to be a flaw of mine as a writer. These two weaknesses are something I strive to improve on this year. After taking the speech course and seeing improvement, I am confident that i can do the same with my English course.

I believe one of the key elements to a good essay is that it must keep the reader's attention. In my Junior year of high school, I was required to read Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Unlike some of the dull stories required for me to read over the years, this one kept my attention the entire time. I thought the book was awesome how it featured a great friendship between two entirely different characters. I strive to write about something unique and interesting just as Steinbeck did. A review of Of Mice and Men can be found here. Another reason to be inspired to write well can be found in the case of war. War is a topic in which it can be extremely hard to pick a side over the debate. For example, when the U.S. decided to send troops to the middle east for the protection of the American people, the decision wasn't questioned. However, after ten years and less than anticipated progress, there comes the question of when do we bring our soldiers back home. Situations like this truly don't have a clear answer. This is why being able to effectively express your opinion is crucial, and the best way to do it is through writing. This article, which was featured in The New York Times, discusses the conflict going on in Iraq, and touches on the devastation that the war is contributing to the already disturbed middle east. It is an example of why having good writing skills is crucial to convey your opinion.

I recognize that writing skills are a huge asset for any college student, and that's why I hope to improve on mine with the English 15 course. Rhetorical situations are every day things that should be thought about. As spoken by Anaïs Nin, "The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say."