Author: Lynette Guaba

What: 

Our epigraph from the syllabus “If we’re not your animals, if these are adult things, accept the risk. There is a risk, Gatoi, in dealing with a partner” goes to show that from “Bloodchild” our character Gan is afraid and confused about being the host for T’Gatoi’s eggs. T’Gatoi is noticing that Gan is learning to take responsibility and matters into his own hands. This only makes T’Gatoi question his next move, and if he’s not willing to be the host she is willing to find someone else for her eggs. T’Gatoi chooses to do it to his sister instead. This leads Gan to change his mind and take the risk of becoming her host. He was not willing to accept risking his sister in favor of being her host. I believe the epigraph does very strongly form a throughline for the work engaged throughout this semester. It has taught me how this can relate very much to being a college student. As a college student, we have to have the ability to own ownership of the choices that we make in our lives and taking responsibility. When starting college we make the decision of choosing the course of study is in our best interest. Although through time sometimes we are taught that what we learn may not be for us, and it is in our power to take action and choose between changing majors. Every little aspect of our life is considered taking risks. We opt to take risks to reach a certain accomplishment no matter what your goal is. Throughout this course, it has taught me that if my goal was to achieve a better standing grade I had to get out of my comfort zone and reach that level. It taught me to be more open, share any thoughts that I had in mind, ask questions if I was confused, set the tone to everything so that people would better understand what your trying to say. It also taught me how to ask the right questions, and how to respond back regarding our read “They say/I say”.

At the beginning of the semester within this course, I believed to think that this class would be more of just writing personal papers based on what we read, which is true but rather really focusing on how to better express and set the tone in your writing.  I believed this because it was something I was always learned to live by. This course was mostly based upon the structure of building a well-written paper. It was a process of how to get you to think differently about what you read, look at the opposing view, and build a well-written paper on it. I did not expect this at all, but I do believe that this course has taught me how to better strengthen my writing, it has taught me how to further expand my thoughts, and feelings while I am writing. Writing to me was something that I thought of to be a slow and long process, but in reality, it is a process that is quick but thoughtful and caring. You have to show your paper that you care about it. What I mean by this is that it’s just as if you were feeding it like you would feed your pet, you want to show it you care by treating it with kindness and care. It is a piece of art. It really is like a psychological process, your pouring out your heart all into one paper. This is how I have come to think of it all along through this course. My perspective of writing has drastically changed, I used to get lazy about it and bored but I am actually amazed by how writing can be such a huge part of someone. 

My writing before I arrived in this course was messy, not understandable, and underrepresented. It was not clear enough for the reader. I struggled with grammar, run-on sentences, setting the tone, placing commas, etc. In other words, the form of my writing was all over the place. I believed what went well for me was reading more into how to check grammar error checks, when to place a comma, receiving feedback on my most recent papers is what helped me build a much better one. I trust that feedback plays a huge role in one’s writing. One of the things that didn’t go so well for me throughout this course was making connections, drawing it back to the reading. I struggled with understanding the overall idea of what was happening in the book. If I didn’t understand the reading it was really hard to write a good paper. Giving feedback, making connections, and socializing with others was a challenge for me because I felt that I need support and feedback in order to do well on my paper. I needed more advice and suggestions on what should be my go-to for the very next time. The changes that I decided to make to improve the overall structure of my writing, was to continue going back to the book, take notes, or research information to better help me understand what was going on. Relating it back to some of our class discussions with professor McCoy has strengthened the language in my paper. For example, because of Professor McCoy’s feedback “This is much tighter, more clear, easier to follow. It reflects the spirit of the first draft but takes care of the reader and crafts a true, thought-provoking so-what conclusion. Remember this going forward: draft, walk away, get some space, return to thinking, revise” this feedback has allowed me to take a break from my writing and keep on going back into thinking outside of the box. 

So-what?

The feedback that I get often from Professor McCoy has helped to direct me onto a different path. For example, when writing the facilities/Heating plant essay and explaining how integrative learning plays an important role when connecting it to “Bloodchild’, the heating plant, and the facilities page, professor McCoy had emphasized that “As your introduction, teach your readers what integrative learning is. Imagine your writing for someone who says “Integrative learning is STUPID! use a good blend of well attributed direct quotation and paraphrase.” I believed my only issue here was being able to backup my resources. Professor McCoy also states “Can you see a way that you can drag a version of integrative learning as a throughline uniting the facilities, the heating plant, and “Bloodchild”. This allowed me to go back to my resources reread them and apply it to my writing, take any piece of information that was useful to me and connect it to how it applies to integrative learning today. I took this opportunity to apply it to my writing by just using what I already knew and building it up. I got really lazy with putting things into my own thought and explaining it in a different and easier way so the reader can understand. The plan is to get the reader to understand me but think through things differently. I learned to 

want to make the reader dig deeper into what they are reading but make their own connections as well. 

Writer’s Credibility:

In conversation with our guests robbie routenberg, Sasha Eloi-Evans, and Joe Cope has given me the opportunity to connect to inside of SUNY Geneseo as well as in the outside. It has led me to think of how the many roles being played within the campus can be played with many other factors. Such as what it is like as a college student, applying consent, holding responsibility, commitment, trust, and more. The conversations have prepared me enough for the future on what I plan to do when it comes to an open opportunity. It guides me to think about the reasons that drive me to such a commitment, or how I am showing up. robbie’s conversation has guided me on how to understand resolution and how to progress in things. In order to progress it requires a much slower process in order to understand and learn. I’ve learned that you have to be willing to be present, ready to learn, take notes, and apply to be part of any conversation. This has had a huge impact on my understanding of partnership and my own growth as said by robbie, if you are willing to want to be a part of something you got to be willing to want to show up. You cannot commit to something expecting not to show up. This connected so well with applying to college, robbie stated that when a student is first interested in a school and applies when they get accepted they are committing to the school. They are committing to everything the school has yet to offer them. This goes to show that they must be present and willing to learn to bring awareness to the community and succeed. 

In conclusion, according to GLOBE’s insistence on that Geneseo students should “gain practice in the ability to reflect upon changes in learning and outlook over time” matters because in order to learn and see things differently you have to start somewhere, start small, make mistakes and grow from it. Some of the work and thinking that needs to be done has to come from drafting your work overtime, redoing it over and over again. Once this is done your more able to dig deeper and make outside connections. You must always remain a student in everything that you do, take notes, research, study it, do it all over again, fail a test, and improve. Everything is a working process, you have to be willing to do the work and fail to move forward. You cannot be afraid of doing the work, that’s how I thought of it at first but I realized throughout all of the feedback received, the conversations, the discussions within this course I was better able to do the work and prepare myself to fail. By failing to prepare, you are actually preparing to fail. So don’t be afraid of the process. Some actions I decided to take on recently for myself are to stay positive, and if it becomes difficult to think to write, it’s just like professor McCoy says “walk away and go back into the thinkING process.” Don’t leave the discussion undone, review your reading or notes, and put it together into all in one thought and write it out. If I’ll leave a record for myself ill say that to keep on asking questions to gain feedback even if it’s from somebody you don’t know, and to keep reading and rereading because sometimes the thinkING process may not come to you just yet but it will later. Don’t get discouraged by the paper. Be more willing to listen and share your feedback with others. This is something I’ve known to struggle and hold back more on. To follow up with this something I would advise myself for future references is to be more willing to be open, and share what others can take into effect even if you think it is a dumb response. I may be more willing to learn a thing or two from the conversation.

Integrative learning is the ability for students to have an understanding of when to make connections between experiences. Integrative learning allows students to become a part of their community to build off connections and expand their knowledge. Students can easily apply their own knowledge into voicing their own opinions and expressing it on a deeper level. Another key point about integrative learning is having the ability to apply the knowledge from the classroom settings to the outside world. Students can, therefore, explore the many different subjects. It brings every student body together from many backgrounds to larger concepts. I feel that this opens many doors for individuals to succeed. This learning capability can help to accomplish many things. This idea of integrative learning has drawn my focus towards Octavia Butler’s story “Bloodchild”, the facility, and heating plant staff. 

There are so many parts to which Geneseo plays a big role in contributing to help support and incorporate academic partnerships between the school and students. According to Facilities Services, they help to establish the safety and security of every student body. It states on the Facilities Services homepage that their job is to “provide quality maintenance services that assure safe, reliable, aesthetically pleasing buildings and grounds”. I believe this plays an important role within the idea of the academic partnership because, in order to meet these standards and ensure everyone’s security, you want to connect with other individuals. This can be achieved by expanding on one another’s knowledge and applying it to the best of their abilities to school grounds. This allows students to also get to know who is behind running certain departments, and it gives them the resources that they need. Facilities services care to see the success in many student bodies, making sure they feel comfortable at the school and getting the resources that they need to succeed. This is indeed an important aspect for students to feel safe and call their place like home. This relates back to “Bloodchild” as the Terrans were risking their lives to be on the Tlic planet just as some students risk their current homes to go away for college. Once students move away to a new college and a new environment they are accepting everything that the school has to offer, they are committing to the school meaning they have to commit and take responsibilities for what the school has to offer them. The same concept falls for Gan’s family in where they decided to move into the Tlic planet and agree to their relationship with the Tlics but they didn’t quite agree to the environment. They came in not knowing the full story to T’Gatoi’s story and it led to some misunderstanding and confusion between Gan, him being the host, and T’Gatoi. 

The Heating plant is a facility made to stress it’s importance in ensuring “high-pressure steam, heating hot water, domestic water, and natural gas”. This all plays a major role in academic partnership and the school. The Heating plant and facilities member work to ensure the safety, security, provide a healthier and cleaner environment. This affects the student because as a student attending Geneseo and living in Geneseo, their academic standing is to continue their studies while also having all the support that they need. The heating plant stands in between ensuring students feel comfortable living on school grounds and working to the best of their ability to make this happen. I feel that students without a clean environment and resources being applied to them can be difficult and enhance the student’s mental health to change drastically. It can affect their academic performance, their grades may drop down, it can cause students to undergo depression and poor health standards. The heating plant has cared to show how much it can help the environment not just the school but if we take precautions and pay attention closely, the heating plant is responsible for “monitoring the energy management system, calculates combustion efficiencies, tests chemicals used to treat boilers” as stated in the heating plant homepage. It’s come to an understanding that from the heating plant homepage our members care to show a lot of commitment towards the needs that Geneseo tempts to offer, and what it takes to ensure the safety for all student body. 

Without the heating plant and facilities services, there wouldn’t be any commitment, responsibility and further action to be taken upon for. Students would lack support from the school. Students would struggle in their daily lives to provide for themselves. Many students will be left without warm water, power, and heat. This can soon cause to demonstrate a decrease in future graduation rates because of the lack of support and resources students are receiving. Not only that but it can cause a disconnection between the school and the student. The idea of a successful academic partnership will no longer be present. There will be a disconnection between facility workers and the students. Without communication, there would be a lack of school improvement and their ability to feel effective. The importance of facilities services and the heating plant will only eliminate a crucial opportunity for students to practice relationships and integrative learning initiatives within their environment if left without the response to profound happiness and success.

In “Bloodchild” Gan’s own reflective process of learning and analyzing teaches college students of the risks and rewards of academic partnership based upon SUNY Geneseo Mission, Vision, and Values. According to “Bloodchild” Gan’s role is to be the host for T’Gatoi for her parasitic eggs once she’s ready to have her own children as part of the contract that maintains their peace within the preserve. T’Gatoi has given up everything to serve and be a part of Gan’s family. In this case, I can see why Gan relates so well with our SUNY Geneseo Mission, Vision, and Values. Geneseo’s Mission claims that as a public liberal arts college, staff and members work together to make sure that they are building this school to advance knowledge and inspire many students on campus to be responsible and be aware to be prepared for an enriched life and full of success. As a college student, you are exploring and seeking out your options when it comes to colleges and whether you feel like staying and committing to a certain college is going to help you grow individually.

College students are expected to act like adults and make decisions for themselves. When college students commit to a school they are required to go by the rules and do as they are told in order to be successful. Many college students devote their time and money to a school they believe would benefit them. According to Citadel’s Mission statement, they devote their time to educating students as South Carolina Corps of Cadets in preparing them for post-graduate programs of a military-based environment. Citadel is very specific and clear unlike SUNY Geneseo’s Mission statement on what they are looking for in regards to their school. Citadel states that “the Cadet lifestyle provides a structured environment that supports growth and development, and consists of the four pillars of intellect, discipline, physical fitness, and character values. This relates very well to Gan’s family situation because they have dedicated and given up everything to be on the Tlic planet and go by the rules and are very willing to learn from the other Tlics, such as T’gatoi. As stated in “Bloodchild” T’Gatoi was the Tlic government official in charge of the preserve, and the most important of her kind to deal with Terrans. Gan and the rest have learned to have a mutual relationship with T’Gatoi.

This same concept goes for most college students if their goal is to become someone successful. College students in order to achieve their goal they have to make choices in their life and commit to a specific major and they have to experience the courses within their major. They have to seek their options. It requires a lot for a college student to change their major, as they have to completely be honest with themselves if it’s something that they really want to stick to before making a decision.

 This same situation falls for Gan in where he has to choose to want to escape or rather look towards his own death. Gan chooses to think about whether he will let T’Gatoi take his other siblings in favor of being manipulated as the host or rather accept his role rather than give it to anyone else. This right here shows a level of responsibility Gan is willing to take upon and grow as an adult. As Gan had stated “If we’re not your animals if these are adult things, accept the risk. There is a risk, Gatoi, in dealing with a partner” (Butler, 24). There T’Gatoi suddenly starts to finally notice that Gan is making his own choices. She allows herself to agree with him and make the decision of implanting Gan because at that point she realizes that this is something Gan really wants and is risking everything for. Gan has been chosen to be the host for T’Gatoi. Having this opportunity T’Gatoi has focused on taking care of after Gan and his family. Gan has realized that even though he’s been through all of T’Gatoi’s ordering, her duty, her pride, and pain. Gan notices that as harsh and bossy she can be he realizes he loves her. Connecting “Bloodchild” to the many colleges in the world holds pretty much the same idea on how we are mostly expected to act like adults. We have to seek our options but at the end of the day, we have to choose what we best love. 

The story of “Bloodchild” relates to how many students in society are pressured into the idea of how the only way you’ll really be successful is if you go to college. We are usually pressured by our families to go to college because it is the only way we’ll ever become educated and professional adults. Our whole life we have been told constantly by our parents how our life is centered around the idea of going to college. In reality, it is up to that individual to make it up to themselves to choose whether or not it is for them. Honestly, anybody can be successful in whether or not you end up going to college, it depends on what you dedicate yourself to. Going back to “Bloodchild” and Gan’s choice in whether he believes it or not in himself that this is a practice that he chooses to participate in his own desire. Because Gan does not want to give up his family, he makes it in his power to participate in this practice and sacrifice himself for them. He makes this an opportunity for him to learn how to lose his fear and become somebody else in the situation.

 To the many students that experience this and go through the same situation and feel forced into doing something that they desire not to do. It should be in their own power to speak up for themselves and make the right decision just as Gan did in “Bloodchild” in whether or not it is something they feel like they should do rather than just doing it because someone else had told you to. Nobody in society should force anyone into doing something you don’t want to. But you have to ask yourself if this can lead you to something you really want to accomplish. Can this opportunity benefit you in any way? 

This story has given me the opportunity to follow Gan’s steps into becoming a true leader, making wise decisions as an adult and having the ability to incorporate personal growth. According to GLOBE Gan incorporates the learning outcomes shown on this website because Gan utilizes the idea of what it means to own leadership and global awareness and engagement within the Tlic planet. He was driven to changing his view of his world, as said and stated by Gan “This was a good and necessary thing Tlic and Terran did together– a kind of birth”. “Bloodchild” has taught me what it really means to know when and how to allow yourself to take risks in critical situations of your life. But, also allow yourself to grow personally throughout these situations and look at it from an opposing viewpoint. 

In “Bloodchild” Gan’s own reflective process of learning and analyzing teaches college students of the risks and rewards of academic partnership based upon SUNY Geneseo Mission, Vision, and Values. According to “Bloodchild” Gan’s role is to be the host for T’Gatoi for her parasitic eggs once she’s ready to have her own children as part of the contract that maintains their peace within the preserve. T’Gatoi has given up everything to serve and be a part of Gan’s family. In this case, I can see why Gan relates so well with our SUNY Geneseo Mission, Vision, and Values. Geneseo’s Mission claims that as a public liberal arts college, staff and members work together to make sure that they are building this school to advance knowledge and inspire many students on campus to be responsible and be aware to be prepared for an enriched life and full of success. As a college student, you are exploring and seeking out your options when it comes to colleges and whether you feel like staying and committing to a certain college is going to help you grow individually.

College students are expected to act like adults and make decisions for themselves. When college students commit to a school they are required to go by the rules and do as they are told in order to be successful. Many college students devote their time and money to a school they believe would benefit them. According to Citadel’s Mission statement, they devote their time to educating students as South Carolina Corps of Cadets in preparing them for post-graduate programs of a military-based environment. Citadel is very specific and clear unlike SUNY Geneseo’s Mission statement on what they are looking for in regards to their school. Citadel states that “the Cadet lifestyle provides a structured environment that supports growth and development, and consists of the four pillars of intellect, discipline, physical fitness, and character values. This relates very well to Gan’s family situation because they have dedicated and given up everything to be on the Tlic planet and follow by the rules and be willing to learn from the other Tlics, such as T’gatoi. As stated in “Bloodchild” T’Gatoi was the Tlic government official in charge of the preserve, and the most important of her kind to deal with Terrans, so Gan and his other siblings have been taught to behave and be respectful with T’Gatoi and always be obedient. 

College students behave the same way and take risks in order to reach their ultimate goal, which is having the ability to become somebody in the future. Although in “Bloodchild” Gan’s only goal is to protect his family and himself from having to ever birth eggs again, his goal is to escape from the Tlics after he found out from Qui, his oldest brother, that a man was being eaten by the Tlic larva he was carrying after they hatched and had nowhere else to go. His first instinct right away was that the Terrans were being used by the Tlics as like cattle, and being lied to by T’Gatoi. This was when his only intention was the thought of escaping, although almost making it impossible for him because it will only lead him to his own death and possibly his family’s, as well as Qui, has mentioned. This same concept goes for most college students who commit to a specific major and once they have experienced the courses within their major, and cannot connect or keep up with the courses, their only option, therefore is to completely change their major or transfer. It requires a lot for a college student to change their major, as they have to be completely honest with themselves if it’s something that they really want to stick to before making a decision. The same thing falls for Gan in the situation where if he chooses to want to escape and look towards his own death or rather continue to serve for T’Gatoi. Gan then chooses to think about whether he will let T’Gatoi take his other siblings in favor of being manipulated as the host or rather accept his role rather than give anyone else. This right here shows a level of responsibility and personal growth as an adult, just as Gan had stated “If we’re not your animals if these are adult things, accept the risk. There is a risk, Gatoi, in dealing with a partner” (Butler, 24). At this very moment is when T’Gatoi starts to finally notice Gan making choices for himself, allowing her to agree with him and make the decision of implanting Gan. Connecting “Bloodchild” to the many colleges in the world holds pretty much the same idea on how we are mostly expected to act like adults, and how were expected to expand and grow our mindset in order to further go out and explore the world some day. 

Also, the story of “Bloodchild” relates so well to how many students in society are pressured into the idea of how the only way you’ll really be successful is if you go to college. We are usually pressured by our families to go to college because it is the only way we’ll ever become educated and professional adults. Our whole life we have been told constantly by our parents how our life is centered around the idea of going to college. In reality, it is up to that individual to make it up to themselves to choose whether or not it is for them. Honestly, anybody can be successful in whether or not you end up going to college, it depends on what you dedicate yourself to. Going back to “Bloodchild” and Gan’s choice in whether he believes it or not in himself that this is a practice that he chooses to participate in his own desire. Because Gan does not want to give up his family, he makes it in his power to participate in this practice and sacrifice himself for them. He makes this an opportunity for him to learn how to lose his fear and become somebody else in the situation.

 To the many students that experience this and go through the same situation and feel forced into doing something that they desire not to do. It should be in their own power to speak up for themselves and make the right decision just as Gan did in “Bloodchild” in whether or not it is something they feel like they should do rather than just doing it because someone else had told you to. Nobody in society should be forced into doing something they do not wish to accomplish doing. This story has given me the opportunity to follow Gan’s steps, in becoming a true inspiration, a leader, and having the ability to make my own decisions. This story has taught me what it really means to know when and how to allow yourself to take risks throughout critical situations in life. But, also allow yourself to grow personally through these situations and also look at it from an opposing viewpoint. 

From the beginning of the course our epigraph specifically states that “If we’re not your animals, if these are adult things, accept the risk. There is risk, Gatoi, in dealing with a partner” by Octavia Butler emphasizing that there is a big deal within one’s life, for example as a college student and as a first generation student we have risks. This idea as college students of having the ability to take their own risks, has a huge impact in one’s life, for example having to decide whether or not to retake a course all over again or choosing between having to change one’s major, like for example I know that as a biology major it has been tough for me to debate whether or not I should continue taking all of the science courses I’m originally taking or taking the risk of majoring in sociomedical sciences, which is something I know I am good at in order to get to the profession I desire doing. Having to decide whether or not taking the risk of going to college is a risk one has to take necessarily as a first year generation, or taking a course that has nothing to do with your major, socializing and choosing whom you can trust on campus, and the level of difficulty that challenges oneself to build upon. As discussed in class, the idea of the example of the Good Samaritan policy demonstrates that if any person who is unconsciously ill should be getting rapid attention and looked after for immediate care. It is demanded of that person assisting to follow along with the policy, it is a risk they choose to take o avoid facing consequences. This example, makes me think of the same exact idea of a college student because the same exact example falls for us in the reason that college students are expected to pay attention and pass all their courses, purposely stressed by professors, but needed especially if they want to have a job or a career in the long run. Like for example relating back to some of our class discussions with professor McCoy, where professors are supposed to stress students out on certain assignments needed to be done, and participation being a part of their grades. In class professor McCoy stressed the need for more participation involvement in the classroom to keep the momentum going, have different points of views, and to feel comfortable. 

It has been pointed out throughout class discussions that for the HIPAA law if you are assisting on a patient you are not authorized under the law to discuss about your patient’s cases under any circumstances unless fully directed to do so by the patient themselves, unless if they specifically tell you that they would like to discuss their health information with someone else. This shows that as a doctor you are obligated to follow the rules the same way as college students have to obey certain laws and rules while they are still students on campus like for example, following the school code of conduct & while living on campus, you have to follow certain rules in most residence halls led by your RA’s (Resident Assistants) in which you can and cannot perform. Although, all these ideas help to set some serious goals within my lifestyle routine as a full-time student on campus, and develop some critical questions for myself to better solve and act upon for this course about the risks and rewards of academic partnership because it is important for me to fully dedicate my time and participate to the best of my ability throughout this course if I want to succeed and pass the course, and know what is right or what is not right for me to do, especially if the cost is that I want to become a very successful professional leader. There are consequences and risks that lead me to take so I can accomplish my goals in order to reach that state. This class is a risk that I choose to take to reach my goal as a future professional doctor even though I am a biology major, I am required to take this course outside of my major in addition to graduating within the next 3 years. On the other hand, I am a very shy, more likely to keep to myself type of person and I do not enjoy socializing with others as much, because I am usually afraid of what others have to think about my other points of view and experiences.

In order to become successful within this course I would need to face my fears, and get out of my comfort zone so that I can become a better student within this course and for myself. This relates to “Bloodchild” because T’gatoi plays a very important role, where she has chosen to take the risk of looking after Lien’s family. When it was time to rip out the eggs out of Gan’s sister’s body, he chose to take the risk of refusing to let T’gatoi make the decision to perform this act, and instead he has stepped up to place his need of why he should take over rather than let him witness his sister’s birth, this is where he becomes independent of his choices. This relates to how“taking risks” comes into play and becomes helpful in strengthening my ability to work effectively and think outside of the box more. Being able to create a partnership with my peers gives me the opportunity of listening more to what they have to say, and have the capability of summarizing from their perspective to touch more upon the idea, not only does it help me summarize off of what they think but it can help me take it to a different level and have a different perspective of it. Once I learn from their experiences or become more responsive I am more likely to respond in the form of disagreeing and agreeing when entering into a conversation without directly coming at them in a negative matter as it has been stated by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein where they provide templates when it comes to clarifying a specific point. Within our last class discussion I feel that once you are in a group setting you have to think about the risks of being able to draw upon on a point you have to first allow yourself to think thoroughly and bake the cake before you add your own frosting to it, in this case your templates which best fulfills the sentence. 

This concept can help others to fully understand and possibly learn from the thoughts of others and their experiences to apply it to oneself or something related.. My goal for this course is to continuously ask curious, confusing questions to fully be able to challenge myself in a situation where I am uncomfortable in doing so, not only that but gain feedback back to further develop my points. If I take this into consideration I am more likely able to understand what it would feel like to receive responses and focus my attention on the phrases and the ideas that are being used by the responder. Also, it is more likely to help me elaborate upon their point and get thinking. This not only can help me become a great student but it can help me better build upon my growth of ideas, communication, writing and vocabulary when completing papers and centered into class discussions. If I am the type of person to ask more, I will receive, and if I receive more often I am more prepared to perform as once read in a book called “The Secret”. The Secret is a book about the Law of attraction that helps readers to think upon their actions and draw their attention onto a different direction thorughout their lifestyle. Following back to the epigraph, this falls into the whole “Adult like things” because this whole concept prepares me very well in becoming a very open-minded, and informative student. Once I am better prepared to learn how to take risks for myself without wanting or needing to back out on opportunities, I am more capable of doing anything that I believe is impossible for myself but possible to achieve and it would only make me stronger and incredibly successful throughout the end of this course. 

Based on what we have read since the course’s beginning, our epigraph on the syllabus “If we’re not your animals, if these are adult things, accept the risk. There is risk, Gatoi, in dealing with a partner” by Octavia Butler emphasizes that there is a big deal within one’s life, for example as a college student and as a first-generation student we have risks. This idea as college students of having the ability to take their own risks, has a huge impact in one’s life, for example having to decide whether or not to retake a course all over again or choosing between having to change one’s major, having to decide whether or not taking the risk of going to college is a risk one has to take necessarily especially as first year generation, or taking a course that has nothing to do with your major, socializing and choosing whom you can trust on campus, and the level of difficulty that challenges oneself to improve and build upon.

As discussed in class, the idea of the example of the good Samaritan law demonstrates that if any person who is unconsciously ill and needs rapid attention should be looked after for immediate care because it is demanded of the person assisting by law to perform. This example, makes me think of the same exact idea of a college student because the same exact example falls for us in the reason that college students are expected to pay attention and pass all their courses, purposely stressed by professors, but needed especially if they want to have a job or a career in the long run. As well, as for the HIPAA law if you are assisting on a patient you are not authorized under the law to discuss about your patient’s cases under any circumstances unless fully directed to do so by the patient themselves, if they specifically tell you that they would like to discuss their health information with someone else. This shows that as a doctor you are obligated to follow the rules the same way as college students have to obey certain laws and rules while they are still students on campus like for example, following the school code of conduct & while living on campus, you have to follow certain rules in most residence halls led by your RA’s (Resident Assistant) in which you can and cannot perform.

Although, all these ideas help to set some serious goals within my lifestyle routine as a full-time student on campus, and develop some critical questions for myself to better solve and act upon for this course about the risks and rewards of academic partnership because it is important for me to fully dedicate my time and participate to the best of my ability throughout this course if I want to succeed and pass the course, and know what is right or what is not right for me to do, especially if the cost is that I want to become a very successful professional leader. There are consequences and risks that lead me to take so I can accomplish my goals in order to reach that state. This class is a risk that I choose to take to reach my goal as a future professional doctor even though I am a biology major, I am required to take this course outside of my major in addition to graduating within the next 3 years. On the other hand, I am a very shy, more likely to keep to myself type of person and I do not enjoy socializing with others surrounding me as much, because I am usually afraid of what others have to think about my ideas and experiences.

In order to become successful within this course I would have to face my fears and get out of my comfort zone so that I can become a better advocate for myself and for the rest that are surrounded by me. But this is where that idea of “taking risks” comes into play and is helpful in strengthening my ability to work and put myself out there more. Being able to create a partnership with my peers gives me the opportunity of listening more to what they have to say, and once I learn from their experiences or hear of their opinions I am more likely to respond in the form of disagreeing and agreeing when entering the conversation as stated by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein where they provide templates when it comes to clarifying a specific point. Although, this concept can help others to fully understand and possibly learn from the thoughts of others and their experiences to apply it to oneself or something related.

My goal for this course is to continuously ask curious, confusing, and remarkable questions to fully be able to challenge myself in a situation where I am uncomfortable in doing so, in the fact that I have never put myself in the position to speak up for myself and ask the right questions. If I take this into consideration, I am more likely able to understand what it would feel like to receive responses and focus my attention on the phrases and the ideas that are being used by the responder. This not only can help me become a great student, but it can help me better build upon my growth of ideas and phrases or vocabulary that I am using when I am supposed to be writing papers within this course. If i am the type of person to ask more, I will receive, and if I receive more often I am more prepared to perform as once read in a book called “The Secret”. Following back to the epigraph, this falls into the whole “Adult like things” because this whole concept prepares me very well in becoming a very open-minded and a passionate person. Once I am better prepared to learn how to take risks for myself without wanting or needing to back out on opportunities, I am more capable of doing anything that I may believe that can become impossible for myself and it would only make me stronger and incredibly successful at the end.