Classmate Interview

I had the pleasure to interview my fellow classmate Ana Mena. Her parents were born and raised in Yucatan, Mexico. Ana’s father originally came to the United States to work. Eventually he brought Ana’s mother along with him when they got married. Ana is currently twenty- two years old and has an older brother who is twenty- four. She lives in the city of Oxnard with her parents, brother, and aunt. Ana attended Oxnard High school and graduated from there in 2009. She worked in a public library for seven years and has recently quit her job in order to complete her school. Her career goal in life is to major in art and study art therapy. She is an outgoing, funny, friendly, and passionate person.

            Ana is motivated to attend college because she wishes to break away from the traditional role of women in her culture. In the culture she was raised in it is expected for women to become traditional housewives. If they decide to receive a higher education they are frowned upon by their society. Ana is currently taking two art classes, English, and math. All of her classes are in the morning and this is her first semester enrolled as a full-time student. Since she has a busy schedule its hard for her to balance school and family at times. She often finds herself giving more attention to one and neglecting the other. She doesn’t have anyone in particular she looks up to because unfortunately all the individuals she has ever admired as role models have failed her one way or another. Ana has been some sort of role model to some teenagers she looked after from church. These boys looked up to her as an artist so she tried to set a good example for them.

            Ana describes herself as being a bubbly, bold, and funny person.  In five to ten years she sees herself completing school and getting a job in her career field. In the future she maybe sees herself having a family of her own. Her future life plan also involves moving into a big city and leaving her hometown of Oxnard behind. The motto that Ana goes by in order to be successful in school is “Don’t procrastinate!” .During her time as a student in Oxnard College she has met many interesting people, especially in her art classes. Before she met these people she thought she was weird, but now she realizes that people just like her do exist. Something that Ana believes Oxnard College could improve on is emphasizing more on counselor involvement with students. Ana’s culture encourages her to not become a conformist who will settle for less than what she deserves. The biggest surprise Ana has encountered in her college experience was when a stranger told her she was beautiful. She then realized college students are more bold and daring. Rather than being part of a clique or social group, they are individuals.

Loss of a Loved One

I was overwhelmed by sadness and could not hold back my tears.  My eyes were bright red and somewhat swollen from crying continuously. My body trembled as I hugged my father very tightly. I could not grasp the idea that my grandfather had passed away.

            I was eight years old.  My parents, my little brother, my grandfather, and I lived in a very small home. It was painted a light shade of pink and was located in a small neighborhood. My parents at the time worked a lot and did not spend much time at home. Therefore, my grandpa cared for my brother and I.  I was very close to my grandpa since we spent a lot of time together. My grandpa was about average height, dark complexion, and had hazel eyes. He had a bit of a belly and a habit of smoking. Every time I would hug him I could smell the scent of cigarette within his clothes. He would always were a hat when he went out because he did not feel comfortable showing his bald head.  He was very funny and always made me laugh with his silly jokes. He always seemed to be in a good mood with a smile on his face. My grandfather was incredibly patient, so he rarely was mad. He took me and picked me up from school every day because he feared I would get lost walking by myself.  Our home was small so I spent most of my time outside running and playing. My grandfather took me out to play whenever he had the opportunity to do so. Every night he would tuck me in at night and would tell me stories about his childhood, until eventually I would fall asleep.

One day my grandfather decided to fly out to Mexico with one of my aunts for vacation.  Everything seemed to be going perfectly fine on his trip until one day my parents received a mysterious phone call from my aunt in Mexico. My father answered the phone. He looked very serious like I had never seen him before. His face turned a pale white color as he struggled to hold the phone steady in his hands. He finally hanged up the phone and turned to my mom with intense sadness in his eyes. As he begins to speak to her, my mother bursts into tears. Even though I didn’t know what was happening, I knew something was wrong by the expressions in their faces.  I became worried and I asked what was wrong, they simply stood quiet. When I asked again, they said there was nothing to worry about and that everything was fine but I didn’t believe them.  A few days later my mother and brother flew to Mexico; I stayed behind with my father. That same night my dad was acting a little out of the ordinary. When he looked at me it seemed as if he wanted to tell me something, but he just wasn’t able to. He finally ended the silence and he said, “I have something very important to tell u mija, I just don’t know how to”.

“What’s wrong?” I said. My heart pumped at a very fast pace as I braced myself for a bad news.

 “Your grandfather died. I want you to be strong” he replied.

“No, that can’t be!” I cried.

At that moment my world fell apart, I was devastated. I could not believe what he was saying.  Immediately after this, I began to cry and I reached out to hug my father very tightly. He continued on talking and he told me my grandpa had suffered from a stroke and he unfortunately had not made it. He said that after he suffered from a stroke, half of his body was paralyzed and after that, everything took a toll for the worst. He also told me that this was the reason why my mother had left to Mexico. He said they didn’t tell me sooner because they knew I would be very upset. They were afraid I was only going to feel worse since they would not allow me to go to Mexico due to school. To make matters worse, my father told me that most of my relatives had flown to Mexico for my grandfather’s funeral.

            I was overwhelmed by a mix of anger and sadness. Such emotions dwelled within me because I wasn’t able see my grandfather for one last time or attend his funeral. He left this world before I even had an opportunity to tell him how much he meant to me and how much I loved him. It seemed unbelievable that my mother didn’t take me with her to say good bye to my grandpa. During this time, I was a little too young to fully grasp the idea that I would never get to see him again. This was all very new to me since it was the very first time I came across death. It was very hard for me to understand why this had happened and why my grandfather was gone.  Every night I cried myself to sleep, thinking about the moments I shared with my grandpa. There was not a day that I wouldn’t miss him. With time, my sadness slowly faded away and my pain grew easier to manage. I finally was ready to continue on with my life.

            After my grandfather’s death I learned that loss is an emotion that can really break down even the strongest individual. Loss can bring about sadness, disappointment, and even pain.  It is an inevitable sensation that each person must undergo at a least at one point in their life.  Loss can come into someone’s life in many ways, but the feeling remains the same.  In my case, it came about as a result of my grandpa’s death. The death of a loved one can truly change you forever. My grandfather’s unexpected death made me a stronger person. I learned not to give up hope regardless of how complicated a situation might seem. Most importantly, his death taught me the meaning of life and death. It made me realize that we don’t live forever and that while we are blessed with life we need to cherish everyday as if it was our last. 

Texting

Now days, almost everyone owns or has access to a cell phone. This has led the majority of people to rely on texting as a source of communication. It is and easy and convenient way to keep in contact with others. By using the widely known text abbreviations, you can say a lot just with a few short words. It is amazing how advanced technology has made it possible for people you know to simply be a click away from a button.  

Although, texting is a convenient method of communication it is harming our society.  Texting is causing many driving related accidents. Many young people tend to text while they drive. This distracts them from keeping their eyes on the road and often causes them to crash. Not only are they putting their own life at risk but the lives of innocent people as well.  Texting is also affecting many relationships. A lot of them now rely on texting as their main source of communication, rather than phone calls. This is a problem because relationships should be based on getting to know one another at a deeper level; with texting you simply can’t do that. Texting prevents you from having long personal conversations.  Another texting related issue being seen today among relationships is the sharing of inappropriate pictures from young girls to their boyfriends. Texting such intimate picture is risky since they are more likely to become public. Texting is convenient but can be harmful and even dangerous if it is not used wisely.  

Reality Tv

Reality Television is increasingly popular within our society now days.  The drama that comes along with reality television draws attention from large amounts of audience. I am unfortunately among these viewers. I must admit that watching reality tv shows is a guilty pleasure of mine. When I have free time and I can’t find anything more interesting to do, I often rely on them for entertainment. The conflicts and situations the cast members encounter while they are being taped catch my attention. All family, friendship, and romantic related conflicts in these shows are over the top dramatic and the even sometimes end in a physical altercation. This type of tension and suspense keeps you glued to your seat in anticipation of what might happen next. Some shows that I enjoy watching include Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Snooki & J Wow, Ti & Tiny, and lastly House Wives of Atlanta. Most of these shows are based on the daily lives of famous celebrities. Viewers, such as myself, are able to experience famous people living their ordinary lives and get to know them for who they are rather than for their celebrity image they portray. During the short amount of time that these shows air; we are allowed to enter their world.  These celebrities share with the audience their personal lives. They expose the relationships they have with their family and friends. They also tend to focus on their professional lives as well. We are able to see what they do for a living and how they manage to balance their busy schedule between their loved ones and their profession. I enjoy watching them not only because I get to see their lavish life style, but also because I find them to be very humorous. Sometimes the way they act or what they say causes me to burst in laughter.

Even though I enjoy watching some reality television shows, there are some things that I dislike about them. Reality television is believed to be based on real life events that happen to people who are being filmed during the taping of a show; however, this is sometimes far from the truth. Often these types of shows are carefully manipulated by the scripts of the show’s producers. The cast says, does, and even dresses as they are directed to do so. Therefore, all that the viewer’s watch take place during these shows tends to turn out to be unrealistic. The producers and directors deceive the viewers to believe that these situations are real life events. In other words, they create an unrealistic world. I also believe that it might be more harming then beneficial to our society. Some shows contain inappropriate language and behavior that is not acceptable to society. This can influence young viewers to display similar like behavior. Young children tend to believe that everything they see on tv is ok to do. It can also influence the way they live their lives including the way they choose to dress. Although reality tv can be very entertaining it can also be very harmful.