Dear New English 110 Students,

I would first like to tell you to relax, its going to be fine. I was like you, weary of what mystery our class theme contained, scared of my abilities to coordinate a paper around that theme and finding out the sad but possibly true fact that I am incapable of writing. These doubts will fade with time and you too will realize that you are perfectly capable of writing and that you will be given the skills to write beyond what you thought you were capable of. I remember the first day writing assignment, how I thought I was a pure producer of amateur writings that couldn't connect his thoughts, let alone make them sound professional and scholarly. But these doubts will change as time goes on. English is much more laid back than in the the past. Its more about linking ideas together than criticizing your work. More focused on helping you find a style of writing that works for you than focusing on the minutia of a novel. It is because of this, that I give you some pieces of advice.

1) start early on your paper, at least with finding research for you paper to give you more time to revise and refine your paper. Its easier to write a paragraph one day and then comeback tomorrow, edit and write another paragraph.

2) Time management it critical for this coarse. always be aware of your due dates and whats required for those days. also make sure you keep up with the rest of the class and dont fall behind. Plan for time to work on assignments and stay with those times.

3) Relax and dont stress about assignments. English offers you the ability to get help from ta's and your teacher all the time. take advantage of this if your having problems or feel unsure about your work. U will be surprised with how much they can offer you and how you stress level will decrease.

if you do these things, english 110 will fly by and you wont have any difficulties with completing your assignments. hopefully you will also open yourself to learning the new techniques offered during the coarse and learn something that you didnt know before. remember, college is about learning and having fun. so take the tools, they give your, do the work and enjoy the rest of your time... trust me, it may not seem like it, but you will have time.

Since I currently don't have an multimedia editing software, I am just going to talk about this picture and what it says, because basically its what I was looking to make before I realized that I didn't have adobe photoshop. This image shows basically what I want my relationship with food to become. I want food to be something that I eat to sustain myself, not something that ties me down with a craving, but something that shows what my body can be and helps me to feel good, not like Im living in an endlessly slow world that tires way too easily. My relationship with food is one thats ever evolving. It sometimes exists as the temptress that wants me to enjoy its voluptuous taste but regret its unsightly side effects. while other times its the simple food that makes me feel rejuvenated and energized, a reaching arm that pulls me back into the fast paced life that I want to live. Regardless of what form food takes, I make it a personal goal to work it off everyday. So it would seem that my relationship with food is one of short lived meetings that end with the eventual consumption and reconstitution of whatever was consumed.

Coming form Alabama, there are a tremendous amount of dishes that i could write about that show the south's culinary representation of culture. Anything from chitlins( basically pig intestines that are pan fried with peppers) to barbecue(which for the record, this state has not a single, good source to get bbq from, bet chy'all (pronounced cha-all)have never had whole hog or brisket) to the way down south collard greens and fried chicken. Personally all of these dishes resemble the state I hail from and show subtle influences of our rich southern heritage. That being said, one dish really stands out against the rest as the definition of Alabama pride mixed with some roll tide- the chicken biscuit.

Imagine if you please a hand rolled, made from scratch, fluffy, decadent buttermilk biscuit that has been cooked to golden brown perfection on top with a preserved moist fluff inside. The slight hint of bacon grease from the pan is still glimmering on its edges(good southern cooks use bacon grease as a seasoning for everything, its really bad for you, but turns a bland dish into something memorable and enticing). This is no ordinary breakfast pastry, its not the bagel yo mama eats or the toast yo papa likes, its the foundation for the south. It grips your sides and sticks to your bones throughout the day. It’s this feeling of fullness that causes the biscuit to survive and become so popular. During war, biscuits were served to troops as something small and inexpensive that kept you full and the same goes for the depression. A biscuit is the perfect vessel for the worlds of egg and meat to collide into one homogeneous mixture, an entire meal in a portable container that has been passed down in families for centuries. Biting into a good biscuit is something along the lines of a gastronomic orgasm that fills your mouth with feelings of satisfaction and happiness. It is what southerners eat and it is good!

Now imagine this single, amazing food is made better by adding another southern staple.... fried chicken. Yes that's right, the ultimate in heart attach technology, fusing the realms of fatty chicken, crisp pickles and bread to make something amazingly irresistible. This lethal combo is something that’s hard to get right, but ooh wee is oh so good. It combines all that the south has learned about food into one small package. Years of chicken recipe refining, making the colonel's secret blend of herbs and spice look like some toddlers Playdoh art, recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation, that tell stories of love, war and hardship. This single food, the combination of not only something that was stapled for times of war and need, but also something that people pride themselves on making taste good, is the story of the south. This food echo’s the lives of the people that create it, shows the passion that they hold inside and provides your taste buds with a map through the history of the south. It represents all that Alabama stands for and shows how sometimes the most simple items make the best taste.

PSA sources:

1) I think it would be interesting to do a PSA on the color and shape symbolism present in the pepsi logo. after taking a serious look at the logo many details jump to my attention. items like the overall circular shape of the logo coupled with the use of two opposite colors (red and blue) seem to say that this soda represents the meeting ground of two extremes. Not only do these extremes meet, but the ying and yang of red and blue meet with a white line. White is a color that represents purity, enlightenment and paradise seemingly pointing to how pepsi is the utopia of sodas. The circular ring that encompasses the meeting of these harsh colors is white as well and can be interpreted several different ways. It is the depth of study that can be applied to this logo that makes me interested in its ability to be used to create a PSA.

http://www.pueblounitedway.org/Events/Images/Pepsi_Logo_2755211.jpg

2) My second choice for a PSA is the McDonaldization of America, specifically looking into the movie "Supersize Me". America as a whole has become entirely obsessed with larger portions and over eating. This has resulted in a culture that prizes speed and taste but looks down on the quality of the food they eat. Hence, America's level of obesity has drastically risen over the past decade. This movie outlines a look at this rise by eating McDonalds for one month straight and witnessing its side effects on the test subject's body. Comparing this to American Culture in the past decade would create a very interesting prompt.

http://www.redpubmagazine.com/view_pic.php?id=1032

Cold Resemblance

As stair into my fridge, looking at the items that clutter its small selves, I can't help but think about whether these seemingly insignificant items provide an accurate means by which people can judge my character. Items like the protein shakes that lay staggered throughout the masses of Powerade and Life Water blatantly point out that I enjoy working out and sports but neglect to reflect that I also absolutely detest breakfast and instead choose to substitute protein and electrolytes for the common grain and meat associated with the beginning of every day. The box shaped Styrofoam clam shell currently inhabiting most of my fridge with it's small sticker containing the reheating instructions for the leftover Bucca Di Deppo inside, shows my appreciation for other culture's cuisine and variety in life, but hides how much i appreciated eating there with my roommate's family because I could not celebrate Easter with my own. Looking at those same leftovers however, my naturally tendency toward forgetfulness and procrastination become noticeable as that box has remained there for an entire week without being touched(well past the 3 day expiration date) and continues to do so until the space is deemed necessary for other containers. So as far as being able to judge me from my fridge's contents, I think it depends how deeply you look. Each item can mean something different or nothing at all.