Voting rights and the Truly right

Voting rights and childhood literacy are connected by the simple fact that people were once not able to vote because of their lack of an education. Americans have said since the creation of the Constitution that an informed electorate is what truly enhances democracy. That belief is true, but for those whole are not informed well enough or unable to gain access to information should not be denied a fundamental right. Childhood literacy is not as sufficient as other nations are, nor is entirely treatable, but as a nation that prides itself on democratic values, childhood literacy should be universal across this nation for the protection of democracy and for the wellbeing of society. In the past election we saw many state legislators try to change its voting laws in order to prevent an already extinct crime know as voter fraud. Many states’ proposals were struck down since the Voting rights act, which was passed to give equal treatment to those eligible to vote. Society should be grateful for such laws since if society was less literate, than the times when people had to pass a literacy exam in order to vote. Society should not build hoops to jump through for democracy to be practiced. As our nation’s leaders decided that unequal treatment under the was immoral, we as a nation must also say illiteracy is unjust to humanity. Children, all children, regardless of where they are from, who their parents are, social backgrounds, economic class, or even race, should have proper literacy. Society is dependent on the next generation of leaders to lead a well informed electorate in order for their children to have the same opportunities they had. For this nation to truly be a “Shining city on a hill,” John Winthrop first described America’s colonies to be, injustice must be rid from the world.

Changes for Xavier

There are a few things I would like to see changed at Xavier. The most prominent thing I would want to change is the crosswalk that students have to use to get across Washington Avenue. It is annoying to have to worry about enraged drivers no wanting to slow down. They decide to drive past a university which a large enough student population that has to park across the street. I would want the university to ask the city to place a stop sign, like those in the French Quarter, that state people must stop is pedestrians are on the cross walk. Another thing I would like to change about Xavier is the options for the cafeteria. Although I do not eat in the cafeteria often, I would like some better options. For one the hamburger line is nice to have but I would also like more grilled options for us to eat. I know many students do not like the lack of options for the students and faculty to eat on campus, but it would be nice if other than the jazzman’s and the cafeteria were available for the students. Better quality and more affordable dorms would be much appreciated as well. Since the school is small in its numbers, I can understand why there are only four dorms on campus, but if the freshman men and women had better quality dorms, than incidences like fighting and fires might happen less often. When parents send their children to schools hundreds of mile away, it is hard to feel that their child is safe while so much happens in the dorms that are hazardous to their child’s health. Although there is not much space for dorms to be built, if would lessen the aggravation and anxiety for students living on campus. More places for students to quietly study would be appreciated around campus since many students are filling up the library or the learning centers around campus, however if there were more places like St. Joseph’s a place with plenty of space and silence, students can easily focus more on their studies.

Invictus

The poem that gives me strength the most would have to be Invictus by William Ernest Henley. The poem is very impactful everything I read it. The poem speaks to me when time somewhat gets tough and it feels that I am not in control of what I do. The poem’s last stanza is what really inspires me. It goes like, “It matters not how strait the gate/How charged with punishments the scroll/ I am the master of my fate/ I am the captain of my soul.” Something about the last stanza reassures me that I am in control of my actions and that my fate is what I want it to be. People put their fate in the hands of some higher being, whether it’s their God, or simply accept that things happen and they have no control over it. However I believe in God and even he tells us that we have free will and control over our lives. Although he is in control over many aspects of our lives, I am reassured that I can change the outcome of my actions only if it serves me and others around me to better our lives. If more people knew the poem I feel that people’s actions would be more thoughtful in their decisions and more importantly resistant to complacency. If we all think that we are in control of our souls then more and more good can come from simple belief that we can change to become better. Life has its difficult moments, but we can learn by the simple words Henley writes.

 

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul

Change for Xavier

Nothing we are surrounded by is perfect, including Xavier University of Louisiana. It has been a very good year. I really love my school, but there are a few things that could improve. One thing that they could change is the dorms. The freshman dorms are ridiculously out of date. The bathrooms are disgusting, the laundry rooms are out of date, and the elevators are slower than a turtle in a race. Another thing they could improve is the food choices on campus. The cafeteria’s food doesn’t always satisfy the taste buds so students end up going down Carrollton to eat fast food. Adding choices on campus could prevent students from leaving off campus during late night hours. A lot of things that do not carry out as they should are blamed on the budget because of low enrollment. I think if the cost of tuition and fees go down, more people would attend the school. Xavier could be one of the best schools on all levels if more people attended. Another thing they could change are the roads around the campus. There are potholes and large bumps up and down Dixon Street. If the school had the power to change things on a personal level, the school spirit needs change. Sometimes it does not even feel like a college campus because there is barely any school spirit. In my personal opinion, that is all the Xavier University needs to change, although there are probably other areas that I have not paid that close attention to.

Change

Xavier has been my home for the past eight and a half months. I have grown to love it as if it was my own home, but there are some changes that need to be made. As a Freshman, I had to stay in the worst dorm hall ever. There is a community bathroom, but the rooms are a decent size for two people. I do not like the bathrooms because in most cases there are only a few showers that actually work on each floor. It is not fun waiting on someone to get out of the shower because only two of the five showers work. I also do not like how gross some people can be when it comes to keeping the restroom clean. I cannot wait until next year when I only have to share a bathroom with three other people. I am happy I was able to experience on-campus life, but if it was up to me I would not live on campus. We should also get better food options on campus. The cafeteria sells food that is edible but not enjoyable. I have spent so much money on food because the food in the cafeteria is just unbearable. I come from a home where I had a home-cooked meal almost every day. The university should also invest in some new streets. These streets can mess up your car if you are not extremely careful. It is weird that our school has a full neighborhood in the middle of it. The people seem to be kind, but you can sometimes feel unsafe walking pass the houses at night. The only thing I would not change about this university are the professors and staff because they are always available when you need help. I am grateful to be here, but the campus life is not for me.

Wrap up

With every institution there are things that can be changed. In Xavier’s case… the list is a bit long. We all know that Xavier is a Catholic school when we applied, but I don’t think anyone knew just how strictly they would enforce rules on us. One of the most hated rules is probably curfew. I’ve had a few of my other college friends laugh at the fact that we have visiting hours AND a dorm curfew. A large percent of the students that attend the school are over the age of 18 which means that their adults. How it even fair to treat us like we’re high school students at a private school? Regardless of the area around Xavier, or the school’s Catholic background, we should be allowed normal college privileges. Another problem is that we have horrible café hours! We stop serving Dinner at 7:00 pm. Most families don’t even eat till 8:00. For college students who stay up all hours of the night studying, I’d expect us to have longer food hours. Other issue is the fact that we don’t have a building that doesn’t stay open 24 hours a day. The UC is supposed to be the Student Center, so why can’t it stay open for studying? Or a place people can just hang out? I could go all day on the things I would change about Xavier- the price, the lack of activities, the suppression of Greek life, the over bearing rules- but that would be negative of me. Though there may be things wrong with the school, it’s my job as a student to make sure I get what I want from my university. There may be problems, but in the end, Xavier is an ok school.

Reality TV Show Supastarrr

Hmmmmm would I ever be on a reality tv show if it exposed too much of my personal life? Good question. Well it all depends on the situation I’m living in. If I needed the extra guap then I might just take that risk and make the show extra entertaining to get more views. I wouldn’t do the show out of greed for money because money isn’t that serious to me when it comes to the privacy of my life. Having a reality show would be bringing the whole world into my personal life. Something I’m not willing to do. I don’t even care to keep up with celebrities lives so why in the world would I want someone to keep up with mine? I might do a scripted reality show if I wanted to pursue my career in acting, and wouldn’t care if the public thought the false “reality” show was my real life, because at the end of the day it isn’t and as long as I know that I’m fine. People might hate my character on the show but that will be perfectly ok as well because there’s always going to be people who don’t like someone anyway whether your on a tv show or just walking down the street to the store. I use to love watching reality shows when I was younger, but that was when I use to watch Tv a lot. Nowadays, I barely find myself sitting in front of a tv watching anything. I’ve gotten so busy I can barely find the time to watch anything. Plus sitting on the couch for hours makes me feel lazy.

The Power of a Poem

Invictus is a poem, written by William Ernest, that gives me strength. It is written by a man who was in a terrible condition at the time being due to illness, but still had hope for a beautiful future. Throughout the poem the man talks about how he will not be defeated by death, which is what the word “invictus” means in latin, death. He has been ill his whole life with tuberculosis of the bone, and got his leg amputated not too long before he wrote the poem. Personally, this poem touches me because if a man who has been through far more than I have ever been through my entire life when it comes to health, and can still find hope for a better future and happiness then so can I. This poem reminds me to be grateful and appreciate every single thing in life, even the little things such as being healthy, and not being handicapped in any way or form. This man was in pain, sick, miserable, a depressed for most of his life, but his pride allowed him to be stronger than his illness and to overcome it. If a man who is suffering physically and mentally can overcome the fear of death, then so can I. As a kid, I use to be afraid of growing old, and the idea of death in any form frightened me. I always thought more of how I was going to die instead of death in general. As I grew older I realized death wasn’t anything to be afraid about. It only made me realize to live life and appreciate it while I can because life is too short.

Positive Changes for Xavier

Xavier is a very good school and I like a lot of things about this school, but when there are positive aspects surely there are negative ones also. I think that Xavier’s administration treats us as if we are all still in high school. There are way too many rules and on top of that the school is very, very small. The curfew for freshmen is 12:30 and I understand that the time is set to keep us on track, but I’ve never had a curfew before. I am not really used to all of these rules because I already know how to act without rules.

Another thing I would change about Xavier is the living accommodations. The dorms here are HORRIBLE! I do not and i repeat DO NOT enjoy sharing a bathroom/ shower area with the entire floor. The bathroom/ shower area is disgusting and the females do not clean up after themselves. They leave their personal belongings around the bathroom areas and I wish I had my own bathroom area here. I would also change the sizes of the rooms because they are extremely too small. I feel that two people who are sharing a space and paying way too much money to share a space should at least be comfortable in the space they are giving to live in for eight months.

Last thing that I would change about Xavier would be the cost of tuition. I feel that the tuition here is way too expensive. They charge each student an arm and a leg just to be here and they bribe you with housing scholarships to get you here, but take them away once you continue to go here. I think that Xavier is just money hungry because they are firing teachers in order to budget their money, but yet they’re raising tuition by the thousands each year. If they do not consider lower their tuition rates then the amount of students that apply here will rapidly decrease as the years go on.

Xavier Changes.

While I can almost agree with everyone about what they would change about Xavier, the one thing that drives me nuts is the roads especially on Drexl Dr. Everytime it rains, it gets worse and I have to drive through it. Not only that but that canal that we have to cross to get to the main campus. When it pours, it’s clear that our canal system doesn’t work very well, therefore, when we are forced to walk across the scary bridge, I almost feel like the water is touching me which is quite scary.

Another thing, the tuition. 20k a year doesn’t really seem worth it. And although my scholarships and pell grants are paid for, I still am taking out loans. If Xavier is cutting costs on teachers and everything else, why raise tuition on the students? If we’re investing for our future, why should it be so costly? I could understand if it were for a graduate degree but we’re just working on our undergrads. Thats 80K for a 4 year bachelors degree! “What if the cure to cancer was in the head of someone who couldn’t afford education?”