Week 2 Story: Love Has No Boundaries

(Image Information: Love Knows No Bounds

Andrew Mager Source: Flickr)

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A girl once fell in love with a boy.

She admired the way he laughed, and he admired the way she smiled.

The way they were able to understand each other, making loving each other that much easier.

Every day was a new adventure.

She would learn something new about him.

He would learn something new about her.

There was not a day that went by that they weren't together.

As they grew older, the relationship became even more special.

She could tell someone all of his bad habits.

He could tell someone all of her favorite movies.

The day had arrived. 

The day that girls always dream about.

The day a girl is asked to marry the guy of her dreams.

While the boy could have gone straight to the girl,

the boy visited the girl's father.

Approaching the house, the boy was ready to the girl's father for her daughter's hand in marriage.

As he arrived at the door, he told the girl's parents his desire to marry their daughter.

At last, the father said, "You both are completely different religions. My daughter will not be able to live the life we intended for her and her future family if she marries someone that is not within our religion." 

The boy expressed his desire to be with the girl and said he would do anything to be with her. His love for her mattered the most. He vowed to convert to the same religion in order to marry the father's daughter. The boy left intending to return to marry their daughter.

When the boy came back again to the parents of the girl, he told them that he had decided to convert to the same religion. He had no objections. The only thing he wanted was to marry their daughter. They simply smiled and said, "We are sorry. We still cannot accept this marriage proposal. You may ask to marry her, but she will not accept, as we have told her we would not be accepting this marriage. "

Love has no boundaries. 

Author's Note: I decided to emulate the same style that Aeosep did in his lion fable titled "The Lion in Love". I wanted to express a simple message just as Aesop did in his fable regarding love. While I know that in Aesop's fable the message was about a lion loving a girl, I did a more 21st century take away message about a girl and a guy loving each other, but from completely different religions. I kept it very vague, so readers could come up with their own perception of the characters. I also put the takeaway message in italics at the end as a closing, just as Aesop did in his fable. 

Bibliography: "The Lion in Love" from Aesop's Fables: The Lion by Joseph Jacobs. Web source.

Reading Notes: Aesop's Fables - The Lions

(Image Information: Aesop's Fables

D.D. Meighen Source: Flickr)

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I was completely enchanted by all of the lion fables. They were short, sweet, and had a long-lasting effect with the simple message that was given to each story. My two favorites were The Lion and the Statue, and the Lion in Love (link found here). 

The message in both of these short fables was very strong. I think if I might want to recreate one of these stories and make it lengthy. While this short story can give a strong message, I wonder if I can get the same effects with making a long story with the same characters, same message, and maybe a little different plot. 

This style of writing was very effective with its small amount of characters, simple storyline, and simple language. I want to see if I can emulate this with the same amount of characters, a more complex storyline but still with simple language. Maybe more like a storybook type of story in which children can read to understand the takeaway message.

 Excited to see what I end up writing about!

Reading Options

(Image Information: Stack of Books

My_Graphic_Tablets Source: Pixabay)

There are so many readings and units to choose from this semester! I am so excited. It was nice to see that we have the option to really discover what we are interested in. The three units that I really thought would be interesting were:

1. Hans Christian Anderson Fairytales

I always knew about the stories in this unit, but never really read them. I have seen them on cartoons, and have seen movies about them, but never actually read them 

2. European Units

The stories in this unit struck out to me just because there were a lot of familiar titles that I have heard about, but never actually read. I knew coming into this class I was going to get a chance to come across some of these titles, and so I knew from the beginning these were some of the books I wanted to read. 

3. Homer's Iliad

Homer's Iliad and Odyssey have always been on my bucket list. I never actually read them, but I know in high school we discussed these texts and got a general overview. These books are so long, but I hope this semester I will get the chance to read one of these books.

I'm excited to see what I end up getting to read this semester, and how much I get to read!

Time Management Strategies

(Image Information: Life To-Do List

Tom Ray (2010). Source: Flickr)

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  As a Senior, I look back at my college career and realize that high school never really prepared me for time management. It was a skill I had to learn, and continue to learn as each new semester poses new challenges. I thought high school was easy because I never really had to try, but once I got to college it became a whole lot more than I imagined. 

    In high school, I was always on top of things, and I passed so many AP exams to receive AP credit. I scored high on the ACT, and I thought to myself, "Wow, I'm gonna ace college, get a 4.0, and graduate early." Reality hit me really quickly, and I soon came to realize that in a pool of extraordinary people, I'm actually pretty average. I still haven't mastered the best way to master college, because if I had, I would've written my own "Sonali's College Survival Guide" post. Every new semester is a new challenge, and this next semester is not any different.

    This semester, besides being in this class, I am enrolled in 13 other hours and working an internship. I have decided to keep my involvement to a minimum this year, as I decide to take a break and really just work on myself both physically and mentally. Howdy Week just came to an end, and now I have the whole year to really give some self-care. I know that if I get into dental school, I will regret not taking some time off for myself because it's only going to get harder from here. I'm hoping to train for a half-marathon and really work on myself at the gym. I have let stress get in the way of working on myself time and time again. Now, I am seeing the effects of that. 

     I think some types of strategies I am going to administer this semester is planning a weekly "block schedule" and also making "to-do lists" everyday. I read some of those articles that discussed how even checking things off a to do list makes you accomplish more. I also read that people took breaks for themselves and went to the gym or participated in a favorite pass time activity. I really want to work on myself and being the best version of myself this semester!

     I am excited to see what this year holds for me, for my future, and the person I become by the end of it. 

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Technology Tools Thoughts

(Image Information: Personal Image Created Using Canva)

Being a previous student, I am fully aware of all of the technological resources available for use to use in this class. Over the summer, I was preparing for the University's Howdy Week. Using some adaptable leadership skills, I had to learn how to make graphics. One suggestion I have for technology use in this class, especially if you want a chance to make your OWN graphics, is using this platform called "Canva" (so similar to Canvas, I know). It's completely free, user-friendly, and really helps those people out who aren't fully ready to dive into learning Photoshop or Elements. 

This might be a way for those of you who wish to learn some graphic design will also getting acquainted with all of these resources that may be useful to your future careers. 

Class Assignments Thoughts

(Image Information: College 101 Chalkboard

bluefieldphotos bp Source: Flickr)

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     The format of this class was one that I have truly enjoyed, having been a previous student in Dr. Gibbs class. This allows you a very flexible schedule in which you can pick and choose what interests you the most. I really like this format just because as a science major classes can be overwhelming, full of strict deadlines, etc. This class format allows me to take a break, really use my creative side, and enjoy the things I am interested in while still receiving credit. Crazy! 

     I'm looking forward to another great semester. 

Growth Mindset Fall 2017

(Image Information: Growth Mindset

Spencer Burton. Source: Twitter)

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     When I think back from my childhood education up until this point, I have always been praised on my intelligence. People would say things like, "Oh you're so smart" or "Wow, I wish I was that smart". I always would love this type of praise, but after watching several talks by Carol Dweck, I now know that that type of praise is actually detrimental. 

     I actually heard this talk by Carol Dweck last semester. I was previously in Dr. Gibbs Epics of India class. This talk really enlightened my view on the different ways we learn, and how we can approach learning to achieve the best benefits. I have tried to continue to use this philosophy throughout my coursework since I heard this talk. This especially came into play this summer as I studied for several classes.

     In elementary school, I was much smarter than all of the kids around me. This had to do with my desire to learn before even going to school. My parents taught me how to read and write before I even went to Pre-K. Because of this, I ended up going to 1st grade the next year. I had skipped a grade.

      I continued my education in a private school after that because my parents wanted me to engage in an education curriculum that presented more challenges. The principal at this school wanted me to skip another grade, but my parents didn't want me to be in a class where the age gap was very big. I continued to be told I was "so smart" and "very intelligent".

     In high school, I returned to the public school system, where I took all AP classes. I received a lot of AP credit, enough to amount to one year of college. I also scored in the 96th percentile after taking the ACT. I thought college was going to be a piece of cake, that I was going to be able to maintain a 4.0 GPA, and I was going to graduate early. This was not the case.

   From Carol Dweck's teachings, I have come to realize that even up until this day, I have a fixed mindset. I have always relied on my intelligence to get me through college. Whenever I got bad grades, I would lose confidence and think my intelligence is running out. I became to realize that I'm average compared to everyone else. 

    As a science major, every new semester brings new challenges. No science class is the same. For me, it has been super hard to grasp the best technique when studying for science classes. However, having heard this talk I have begun to find what works for me. I have also been approaching learning from a growth mindset point of view.

  With the idea of a growth mindset, I hope to continue to take challenges head on through my classes this semester. I am excited to see how this mindset plays out throughout the rest of my schoolings, career, and even things in the future. 

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An Introduction to Me, Myself, and I

Welcome to my blog!

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(Image information: Personal photo of myself from Camp Crimson - July 2016)

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      Hi! My name is Sonali Demla, a senior Chemical Biosciences Pre-Dental major at the University of Oklahoma. I grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma with my little sister, little brother, and my dog Danny.

My sister and I currently live together as she also attends the University of Oklahoma, and my little brother is now in high school (scary, right?). We're all really close, but my sister and I are closer than you might think. What do I mean by this? Well, when people ask me an interesting fact about myself, I tell them that my sister and I have the same birthday, except we're one year apart. Yes, an exact 365 days!

Some people say, "Well, that must suck." I actually enjoy it. I have never been the person to always want the attention just on me, so I actually really like sharing my birthday with my sister. This academic school year I'll be turning 21! It's really young for a senior, but I've come to embrace how young I am especially with the big dreams I have for my future.

As you've read, I'm a Pre-Dental student. I love teeth. I believe that the appearance of your teeth impact your self-esteem, and also play a big role in first impressions. I have grown up shadowing my dentist since the 11th grade of high school, and my middle school teacher said that I told her in 7th grade that that was what I wanted to be. So, I guess it's been my desire since I was very young to become a dentist. I'm living the dream right now as I begin to prepare for dental school interviews, and I am excited to see what happens. 

Besides attending numerous science classes, I am very involved on campus. I currently serve as the Chair for Campus Activities Council (CAC) Howdy Week. Howdy Week is the first week of the Fall semester where we welcome new and returning students to OU's campus with fun events, and free food.

If you've been on the South Oval at all during the first week of school this semester, it was my committee and me that were passing out the free food and hosting the free events from the huge Kraken Slide to the Petting Zoo! It's a great way to connect with others and leave an impact. I've also been involved with OU's Camp Crimson (as you can tell with the personal photo I've added), President's Community Scholars, LoveWorks Leadership, and more! As you can tell, I love being involved, leading others, and influencing lives. It is a passion of mine. 

This past summer, I combined both my passions (dentistry and impacting lives) as I got to go on a Global Brigade to Panama. I provided dental care to poor kids and families. It was an amazing experience, and I am so excited to have had that experience going forward into applying for dental school.

Besides being involved, and taking challenging courses for my major, I spend my free time working out, cooking, and hanging out with my friends. I love food and working out. What a weird mix, right? Believe it or not, I actually used to weigh 40 pounds more than I do now. It took me the latter half of my high school career to really work on myself, and realize the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. It has been one of my greatest accomplishments to this day. However, I love food too. Since college, I have been invested in cooking healthy and tasty foods. My sister doesn't cook because she enjoys my cooking too much. Some days, she waits till I get home so that I can cook for her. It's nice to know that she appreciates my cooking.

Last, but not least, I love to spend time with the people I care about. I know how important school is for my future, but I also know that sometimes you just need a break and need to spend time with the people that make you happy. It's always great to take on new adventures with my best friends because those memories last a lifetime.

I like to call myself a global traveler. My family and I have visited more than 20 countries and every country has taught me more about myself, my appreciation for other cultures, and how big the world is. I hope to visit more countries this year with my parents and mark some things off my bucket list as well. My 2017-2018 bucket list includes: going skydiving, running a half marathon, visiting another country (or two) with my family, and getting into dental school. 

I hope from this small summary about myself that you have gotten to know me a little better. If you ever have any questions about dentistry, getting involved at OU, or want any advice, I am always available!

Storybook Favorites

(Image Information: B.B. Wolf Tinder

Todd Riddle (2016). Source: MLLL 3043 Storybook)

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There's something about the stories that involve the 21st century aspect that always catches my attention. Here are the three storybooks that were my favorite from the Mythology and Folklore submissions.

1. Love at First Retweet

This storybook took a spin on the classical tale of Little Red Riding Hood. It was interesting to see the story told from a 21st century perspective organizing the different social media platforms that college students use today. This is what really caught my attention. The self-made generated images were such a great addition, and made this storybook that much better. The introduction really drew me in, the design kept me wanting to know more. I think it still would have been cool to try different elements like different social media platforms and their images or maybe a story that could relate to another age group as Tinder may be targeted just towards college students. 

2. Camp Olympus

This storybook really took a different turn on how to explain a lot of the key characters in Greek Mythology. I really liked it, and it honestly made me think of a book or movie I had seen before. I can't quite get the exact name in my mind right now... but I will be sure to edit this blog if I remember. I think the introduction was very good about detailing what will happen and what the stories will be explaining. However, I do think there could have been some better images used just to help readers make some connections with the story instead of relying on solely imagination to think of how this may be taking place. However, I loved this storybook.

3. In The Digital Age

This storybook also took a perspective using elements from the 21st century. What I really liked about this storybook was that it didn't focus on a certain group of characters, or one story. It incorporated a number of different stories under an umbrella theme. I really liked how this design and layout of the website was well thought out. The introduction was really good about getting readers interested in each story that would be coming up by giving tiny snippets and previews. This really got my attention, and was also a favorite Storybook. 

Some of My Favorite Places

Throughout my entire life, I have traveled with my family. My dad has a desire to visit everywhere in the world with us. So far, we have visited about 20 different countries, and today I want to share with you some of my favorite places!

1. London, England

Tower Bridge, London, England. 

Son of Groucho (2010). Source: Wikipedia

     London has always been one of my favorite places I've visited because of a number of different nationalities that reside here. I especially love the amount of Indian influence in this country. My parents and I actually had the opportunity to eat at the #1 rated, and oldest Indian restaurant in the UK. The place was called Veeraswamy. The memory of eating there still is talked about in our family today. Hopefully, before I graduate, I hope to take part in OU's Honors Program called Honors at Oxford, where I would live in Oxford for a month and take a class while discovering England on my own!

2. Spain

A matador seen with a bull in the final sequence of a bullfight.

Madrid, Spain. MarcusObal. (2008). Source: Wikipedia

      I visited Spain before I began my freshman year at OU, and it was such an amazing experience. I was the translator the whole time for my family since I was proficient in Spanish. However, the Spanish spoken in Spain is a little different, but the people there were able to understand what I was talking about. I recommended to my family to go watch a bull fight while we were in Madrid, and it was definitely a different cultural experience. It was sad to see the animals being killed, but we knew that it was a part of their culture. I also really enjoyed Barcelona, more than Madrid. Barcelona was old-fashioned, while Madrid was more modern. We also got to visit Toledo, the place where Don Quixote originated. I really loved this country, and the amounts of history and culture you could see all around. 

3. Tokyo, Japan

Japan - Bullet Train. 

Viator - Things To Do. 2008. Source: Flickr

      Japan was one of the friendliest, and cleanest countries I have ever visited. They were highly advanced in technology, and the people there were always willing to help you. I had some preconceptions before visiting this country, but all were negated when I actually saw what the country was like. I had the chance to visit Mt. Fuji, and to travel back to our hotel, we took the Bullet Train. This train is the fastest in the world or was at the time, I am not sure if that still holds true today. However, it was truly an amazing experience, and my dad hopes to revisit Japan again someday.

4. Rome, Italy

Trevi Fountain - Rome, Italy. 

Dilif 2008. Source: Wikipedia

     Rome was everything that I had imagined it to be, and more! For someone who grew up watching The Lizzie McGuire Movie, it was a dream come true! The pizza in Italy was something that I still miss to this day, however, at home, we make our homemade pizzas completely different as a result of this trip. Every scene, during the day or night, was too good to be true. It felt like I was walking around in a picture frame. We only had the chance to visit Rome, and we saw the Trevi Fountain, the Roman Colosseum, and The Vatican. However, I hope to return to Italy with my family again and visit Sicily, Florence, and Venice. 

5. China

   

(Imagine Information: personal photo of me at the Great Wall of China;

photo from June 2016)

     Because this trip was fairly recent, I was able to dig up a personal photo! China was a country that I was nervous about visiting. We hear about stereotypes, and then have our own misconceptions about a country and its people. However, my dad had already visited there on his own for business several times. I trusted his judgment. China was absolutely amazing. It was very clean, and people were very nice. As you can see, we had the chance to visit the Great Wall of China. I was surrounded by breathtaking views and so much history. I would definitely visit here again. 

6. India

Taj Mahal - Agra, India. Afternoon.

AshishSharma. (2016). Source: Wikipedia

        Last, but not least, I love India. I haven't been there since 8th grade, however, I hope to go back again with my parents once I graduate from college. India is continuing to develop, and there are so many beautiful places to visit. I really love going back there just for the food. I will never forget when I was about 5 years old, I was visiting the Taj Mahal with my parents and we saw famous Bollywood actors there acting for their film. India holds a close place in my heart, and I hope to visit there again in the near future. 

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     These are just some of my favorite places. I have visited over 20 countries with my parents, and I cannot wait to continue to add to the list. I have several pictures that I have taken on my own, and I will have to go dig them up. I would've loved to add them to this blog post! I cannot wait to see what 2017-2018 holds for me and family, as we decide on our vacations for the next year.

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Fall 2017!