Anti-Bullying

It seems like more and more kids are being bullied at school. However, it’s not just kids being bullied, it’s also adults. I remember all throughout school I’ve been bullied, from being called “fat”, “slut”, “b****”, “loser”, “waste of space and time”, “stupid”, etc. Even though it might seem like it hurt that person it did. Those harsh words that you said will stay with that person forever.

 I remember in elementary school I had a short haircut and people would always make fun of me because I looked like a boy. I pretty much was the outcast in all the schools I’ve gone to. I never liked being treated differently. Once I got to high school, someone pushed me over the edge. When I was in band, my section, note I was the first and only girl in my section with 7 other guys, everyone thought I was gay. It really didn’t bother me until the senior started to throw rocks at me. That day I stood up for myself for the first time. I called them out and yelled at them. At this time no one really knew me. I was a quiet little freshman and came from a different school than everyone else. What I did next to make them stop I am not proud of. I turned around and called them out on their insecurities. After I was done with that I ask them if they liked being treated that way, all they did was stare at me in silence. I didn’t care what they thought; I was so tired of being pushed around all of my life. After that day everyone gave me respect but I would never forget what they had done to me. Once you say mean and nasty things to someone, it sticks with them forever.

 I’ve always hated people who bullied others. If I ever saw someone being bullied by someone else I always went over to them and stand up for them. Bullies have no right to bring someone down. That presentation that the students did in class brought back all those painful memories. However, it also brought back how much stronger it made me. Even now when someone tries to bully me, I just think how sad their life is. I mean if you have to bully someone to make yourself feel better then there are some serious problems with you. The most recent act of bullying on me was when one of my own family members was making fun of certain things I watch. Yeah, they might have meant it in a funny, playful way but in the end it hurt me. That’s when of course my defense came in. I just turned around and told them how sad it was that he was a grown man and in order to get his humor for the day was to make his own family feel terrible. Well, once I said that, he stopped. He has started to respect the whole family as actual family. He still jokes around but he now knows when enough is enough. He knows when he has crossed the line.

Bullying can harm others emotionally, and physically. Think before you say anything. Remember, you don’t know what that other person has been through in their life. So, just keep any open mind.

P.S. There is a great movie out about anti-bullying. You should check it out. It's called Cyberbu//y.

1981

The day is November 23rd, 1981 and I would be living in Pennsylvania. It's a few days before Thanksgiving and I'm getting ready to finished out the week at school. I would wake up at 8 am so I can take a shower and get my hair done. All I would have to do to do my hair is blow dry it until it's big and fluffy enough. I would then put a hair band in my hair and tie it back into a side pony tail. Next I would put on a ripped up band t-shirt and ripped jeans. Next on my list would be to put on my make-up. Most girls back then would put all these bright colors on but I would be more of a grunge and punk look. So I would put on some heavy eyeliner. For my shoe choice I would have to either pick from converse or some slip on vans. However, most of the time I would just pick my converse. Before heading out the door for my classes I would grab my leather jacket. I would either take the bus, train, subway, or even walk to class. I would depend on how I was feeling, how much money I had, and the weather. When I finally get to class, I would be just getting to my English 101 class. There are a lot of students in the classroom and everyone is either listening to their Walkmans (like me) or talking to their friends before class starts. I would go the whole class period trying not to fall asleep during the boring lecture the teacher would be giving us. As English 101 finishes I would be getting ready for my next class which would be College Algebra. In  my Algebra class I would end up sitting in the back of my classroom which is also a large lecture class. I would bring out my Walkman and listen to Pink Floyd, Queen, Billy Joel, Elton John, Captain & Tennille or the Beatles. When class was over I would go to the school cafeteria and eat some lunch while studying for Algebra and Biology. After I finish all of my studying I head toward the library to get started on my research paper for my English class. I would type up my paper on the Commodore VIC-20 that were available in the library. After my day of school was over I would head back to my apartment and jam out to some music while doing some math homework. Sometimes I would ignore my homework and call up some friends with land line telephone which was not wireless. After I hang out with a couple friends and I've finished all of my homework I would flip on the television that would only have 30 channels. If I couldn't find anything on the television I would plug in my Atari or I would play some Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, or even some Space Invaders. After playing about an hour of video games I would make some dinner. I would either have some Lean Cuisine or I would make a burger or even a sandwich. I would be drinking either Coke or Capri Sun. For my snacks I would have some fruit or some chips, like Doritos. I might also have some chocolate like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. By the end of my day, I would wash off all the eyeliner off my face, brush out my hair, brush my teethe, and change into a baggy t-shirt to sleep in. I would keep my music on low and fall asleep with it on. As I drift off into sleep I begin to get ready for my next day at school.

Food Ad.

As time goes on, more and more people are eating more fatty and sweet foods. As most people in advertisement say that, "more is better," but really it isn't always true. Yes you should have more vegetables and fruit and more lean meat. You should have more fatty, sugary, and greasy foods. They aren't healthy for you. This ad is trying to trick you into thinking that the only things that we need to be smaller are the "gadgets" we use, when in reality we need to make our food portions smaller. A lot of people get distracted by how perfect the sandwich looks like in the pictures. However, they should know that when they order the food it's just going to be one sloppy and greasy mess. Advertisements make their food look delicious by altering the food. Everyone knows about Wendy's and their famous, "fresh and never frozen burgers." In the ad they say "we dare you to try it," as most people would actually take that dare and do as they want. Not only is Wendy's manipulating you with how the burger looks but also adding a "challenge" to it. They are also encouraging you to get a "biggie" size Coke Zero with the burger. "A big burger like this is best enjoyed with a BIGGIE Coke Zero," as they say in their advertisement. It's sick how they play mind games on everyone to make them buy their product over other products.

As for me I normally don't buy name brands. I normally buy Publix brand. The only way I buy name brands is if it is on sale and it's a good price for that product. As a college student I'm not into buying expensive foods and items. I rather just buy the knock -off brand and save money.

Ecological Footprint

It would take 4.2 Earths and 18.5 global acres to provide resources to support my life style. I see a footprint in two different ways. One way is like leaving a mark somewhere on the Earth. Also making some kind of impact to or on Earth. Those are the two ways I see a footprint. If everyone on this planet would reduce their ecological footprint, then our Earth will "live" for longer than we expect it to. One way I could reduce my ecological footprint would be to eat lest processed food and buy more of my food from local food markets. Also, maybe I could make a road trip to go see my family instead of flying there. It would probably be better for me since I'm terrified of traveling on planes.

My Life.

Hello all. 

My name is Andrea Garcia and I'm 18 years old. I am a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast University and I'm majoring in environmental engineering. I was born in Miami but over the years I slowly moved my way up the coast of Florida where my parents finally found a nice neighborhood in Coral Springs, Florida. I attended Coral Glades High School and I was a part of the schools marching band. I played the trumpet for 5 years; however I just recently resigned from playing. I rather focus more on completing my major and getting a job as soon as I can. I will say that I do miss having the feeling of being on the field all summer, fall, and winter long. I also played many other instruments before I started playing the trumpet. I have played the piano, violin, bass guitar, and guitar.

 Back in Coral Springs I have my mother, step dad, and my brother. I also have an amazing boyfriend, Kenny, back at home. I miss them all terribly but it’s nice to get away and live on my own. My freshman year of high school I lost a brother to an illness he was born with. I still have a hard time dealing with it but I normally just don’t bring it up or try to think about it when I’m with friends. I spent most of my life helping my parents take care of him because he was mental disabled and couldn’t do much on his own, but he knew how much we loved him and cared for him. 

I know it’s weird to say but I enjoy doing math than any other subject (sorry, I tend to jump subjects really randomly and fast). Most people look at me like I’m a crazy person with no life. Just so you all know I do have a life and I’m always willing to make some new friends. I’m also always up to try something new, like a sport or a game or whatever seems pretty cool. I’m a very open minded person and I always have an open listening ear. Well that’s all I can come up with to say. If you want to know any more about me, you can always just ask me or anything like that. Thanks for reading.

Andrea Garcia