Month: December 2023

What blog did you enjoy writing the most and why?

The blog post I enjoyed writing the most dates back to the first blog post of the semester. Although I also really enjoy attempting to educate others on the “Dietary Dilemma” and my diet with the reasoning behind it, my first post provided more value to me. The title “Prospering Through Sports” entailed the history of my athletic career as I traveled from soccer club team to club team and eventually settled upon lacrosse. It was nostalgic to think of my former days in soccer when I was a four-year-old and eye-opening for how much I sacrificed in my life for sports. I learned more about myself, my character development, and the time and portions of my life that I devoted to a sport I no longer play. Which raised the question of whether it was all a waste of time, money, and effort. My ultimate conclusion after a large amount of time spent dwelling on the question was no, it was not a waste of any resource. It created the person I am today and I loved playing soccer up until my final months of the sport. 

How did you change or evolve as a writer over the course of the semester?

I believe that over the course of the semester, I became a more analytical and in-depth writer allowing me to write more holistically, unbiased, and refrain from redundancy. In literature, I view it as some pivotal aspects because authors and writers who have perfected such things are able to compose the most complex and meaningful pieces in my opinion. For example, my ability to reiterate implicit meanings that authors intended in their work such as any of the novels we have read this semester demanded such writing. 

What have you learned about writing by reading other students’ blogs?

From reading other’s blogs I was able to obtain a greater grasp on how much perspective and one’s life experiences can truly translate into one’s writing. Reading how much love, hate, or any emotion that some of my classmates have for certain topics allows me to cross-reference those to opinions of my own. It allows me to be more understanding of differences in opinion and acknowledge that their opinions just as my own are due to their past experiences. I learned to appreciate the rhetorical devices that were utilized to get their points across which I can then implement in my own writing or even for what not to do. It is also interesting to learn more about my classmates and their characters which I may have never received such insight on without these blog posts.

What “lessons” are you taking away from the first semester that you will carry with you next semester–about writing or otherwise?

Some lessons that I will take with me likely into the remainder of my literary career are focusing on the implicit meanings of literature and having close readings when I am trying to analyze a text in-depth. Some of the most valuable takeaways or intentions in writing I have realized are not explicitly stated nine times out of ten. So when I aim to develop such themes in my writing I am now able to replicate them in an attempt to add more layers and meaning into my pieces. This will be especially helpful when we receive more essays and analyses of readings for next semester providing a more solid understanding of writing. I also found that this class aided me along the college essay writing process by creating such implicit meanings in my essays to show more of who I am and convey these things through rhetorical usage.

Food, who doesn’t love it? The delectable, timeless, varying forms of cuisine never seem to fail my taste buds and the dopamine flood that follows each bite, sip, or mouthful. Whether the cuisine represents a culture, a TikTok trend, or a generational recipe, adapted from generation to generation, I can never get enough of it. My mother seemingly agrees with this statement; often labeling me as a black hole, garbage disposal, or an animal each time I eat an inhumane amount of food in front of her, which is basically on the daily. The only caveat is the dent–sorry, the sinkholes that food expenses leave in my wallet every week. But enough about the bad, let’s understand further why the art of culinary is so great, especially in my life.

1. The Significance of Eating Food

To elaborate on some subjects I just mentioned, food is so much more than mere carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, sugars, fibers, water, lipids, proteins, and starches. Beyond the literal formulation of food, the figurative and sentimental value is globally significant. The cultural significance subsequently resembles the history, hardships, and preferences of many cultures. But throughout all, ethnic dishes and acclimations remain prominent as time continues to pass. Directly related to this, is how something as simple as food, can bring both communities and people together. A minute example I can provide is the dinners I share with my family. My mother, originating from El Salvador, can luckily whip up some outstanding ethnic food (my opinion might be slightly biased, but take my word). Each dinner allows for catching up with family members, sharing laughs, and creating memories while enjoying the meal at hand. As for society, it is mainly in city life or suburban areas, where food markets and restaurants allow others to recognize and appreciate the cuisine of a plethora of alternate regions, cultures, and locations. Included with this consumption of food is the consumption of cash. According to the United States States Department of Agriculture, U.S. food and agricultural industries are responsible for more than $8.6 trillion (nearly 20%) of our country’s economic activity. As well as roughly 23 million jobs (15% of U.S. employment) are supported by these industries. Food and agricultural industries are vital and major benefactors to our economy.

2. I Enjoy Cooking, so much so it is My Current Job to Make and Eat Food

I get paid to make and eat food. Okay, maybe it is not that simple but still. I am a culinary instructor at a Montessori-inspired cooking academy called Little Kitchen Academy where I teach ages 3 through 18 how to cook. Although I plan to enter the field of cybersecurity, I genuinely enjoy guiding the students through the recipes in their custom chef coats, Birkenstocks, and personal kitchens. I was an assistant teacher at a preschool last summer so I do not mind children usually, and I cook for myself often or for my family once in a blue moon so the job just works well for me. Teaching the safety, values, and importance of learning how to cook to illiterate three-year-olds just really highlights the power that it holds for me. The only thing that brought me together in a community at that age, minus the life lessons and more applicable skills, was sports.

3. Its Nutritional Value

It is likely common knowledge at this point, but, the human body requires nourishment from foods and beverages. As you may have seen in my previous blog post, I am very keen on diet and proper nutrition. I will not delve too deeply into this subject but in case you want to learn more about why I avoid seed oils, sugars, and most processed foods feel free to check that blog post out. Anyways, without food, you simply could not survive. Without indulging in vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables, protein-rich meats and fish, and most whole foods your health would be quite terrible. To be more specific, I aim to meet certain protein goals, water intake, and consume daily a multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin D, beta carotene, BCAA’s all in the pill form, and two tablespoons of sea moss gel with ashwagandha. Although the sea moss gel makes me want to throw up each time and many supplements are a hassle on top of my already good diet, it is what must be done to meet my goals.

4. How These Values Directly Benefit Me

But what are these goals of mine you may ask? Well mainly for my sport of lacrosse, progress in the gym, and general health/well-being is why I am so appreciative of food. It aids me throughout each of these goals while providing me with an enjoyable experience of tasting and discovering new foods and combinations. With each endless meal I consume I benefit my muscle development, which then aids in my strength and performance for lacrosse, all while nourishing my body and the goals I have. So the next time you have your next bite of food or sip of a beverage maybe consider being slightly more grateful for its history, significance, and value it has in the world.