Evita

So... I really don't have too much to say for this week. It has been pretty laid-back as compared to other weeks. My first exam is on Monday night, and I'm interested to see how it goes. But for right now, I am going to promote the musical Evita. It is about the rise of Eva Peron during the labor rights movement in Argentina in the late 1940's to the early 1950's. The musical was created by Andrew Lloyd Weber, the composer of other numbers such as The Phantom of the Opera and Cats. Maria Eva Duarte de Peron was born as an illegitimate child and lived in poverty as a child. She supposedly "slept" her way up to fame and fortune as an actress and radio speaker. She met her future husband, Juan Peron, at a fundraiser, and they rose to the top of a labor rights party and became the president and first lady of Argentina. During that time, Eva instituted many programs to help the lower class. After a few years in power, she developed cancer and died. She was embalmed and placed in a coffin for the public to pay their respects. Her body was stolen by generals opposed to Juan Peron, and it wasn't returned for over twenty years. By that time, Peron was with his third wife, and when the coffin arrived on his doorstep, he kept it with him until he died. His third wife had Evita buried in the Duarte family tomb. The movie was great, and if you loved Phantom of the Opera, I'm pretty sure you'll like this movie. It is like Phantom of the Opera except with more of a Spanish feel.

To forgive or not to forgive?

I believe forgiveness varies greatly between people. As suggested by the video, As We Forgive, some people almost can't bring themselves to forgive. Rosaria forgave Santeri almost immediately. Chantal, on the other hand, was still irate over the murder of her father by one of his best friends. She took over six months to forgive him. If I had been put in that situation, I don't know that I could forgive someone for murdering my family. Sometimes, I can easily forgive someone for doing something that angered me. A good night's sleep helps calm me, and I'm completely cooled down the next day. But I do hold grudges, and a problem that huge would stay with me forever. I am naturally a very stubborn person, and grudges come easily to me.
I think forgiveness and reconciliation are possible. One just has to open his heart to change and accept the past for what it was. Many people are unwilling to forgive because of the suffering they have endured and the memories created during that suffering. Forgiving is setting yourself free of a burden you have shouldered for a long time. As someone once said, "To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you."

Homework = Doomed Infinity

At this point in time, I am learning what a "full work load" really means. I have had so much homework this week that I am ready to pull my hair out! It doesn't help that our engineering class isn't told everything when it should most likely be told. This Thursday, our professor told us specifications for our engineering project. By the time we were ready to get materials to practice with, others from the other division of our engineering class warned us not to practice with the other materials, telling us that our professor, who teaches both classes, had told them to not do that. My group and I were upset, to say the least. I wish that he would keep track of what to tell the classes so neither of our divisions are ignorant of what he said to the other class. 

Needless to say, I have been pulling all-nighters to get a great deal of my homework done. It's become extremely hard to balance my social life, health, and academics. October Break is going to be a great respite from all my activities and schoolwork. Sadly, it will probably be used to catch up on sleep. Anyway, I am having fun contrary to my large amount of responsibility. I hope I can get ahead!

The Hour Takes On Child Soldiering

My impression of Beah from the interview is that he is very relaxed now. He seemed like he was just being himself, even though he was talking about a very serious issue. I also noticed that he didn't blame anyone. When he discussed the lieutenants as "father figures," Beah simply explained his and other soldiers' impressions of them; he didn't call them lunatics or murderers or anything of the sort.

Ishmael stuck to many of the ideas and parts of the novel he wrote. There was a lot of repetition for those who had read the book, and most of his interview was laced with commentary that seemed to be quoted from the book. 

On-air, Ishmael Beah is very casual, laid-back. He is very much in control of his life as it appears from his interview. He even seemed happy.

I thought the book was extremely interesting. It presented the lifestyle of a country torn by war. As compared to the American Civil War, Sierra Leonean soldiers and rebels took more drastic measures: torturing others, raping women, pillaging, and forcing people to do many different and, to some, unethical atrocities. I believe that the book reveals a very dark side to human nature when causes are involved, and it shows the extent of the startling behavior and attitude people take toward others. I have already mentioned this book to my friends at home and to some friends here at Purdue. I will not, however, mention it to my family. My mom rarely reads books in her free time because she lacks free time, and my dad doesn't like those kinds of books. My grandmother, on the other hand, might enjoy it, so I will mention it to her when I return home for October Break. Otherwise, I will recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what they may have been missing in the rest of the world.

Here's the address for those that would like to see his interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K4yhPSQEzo

My Day at the Animal Shelter

       Hey, it's me AGAIN!! This year I decided to participate in volunteering with Helping Paws club at Purdue. It's a form of getting involved with the Humane Society. We went to a shelter today on the outskirts of town called Crystal Clear Kennels. There were so many dogs and cats! They were all well-behaved, though, and I greatly enjoyed the trip we made there. We tried to train dogs with the basic commands: sit, down, heel. The dog I was training would heel, but she refused to sit. Her name is Maya, and she is a chocolate lab, by the looks of it. She was so interested in everything else that she wasn't focused on treats or training. My time there made me realize that most of the animals at the shelter were actually really nice and gentle. Sometimes, I expect the animals that weren't adopted to be rude and mean (just in the biting sense, not attacking). Training with Maya showed me that isn't true. In a way, that kindness reminds me of the book we're reading, A Long Way Gone. People can be so nice, given they don't feel threatened by strangers. Animals are the same way. If they feel threatened, they will let you know, usually through a growl or their stances. People tend to be the same way; however, they don't always get the chance to redeem themselves for behaving badly in times of fear. Animals are treated the same way. Bite a person once, and you're gone. That seems to be the motto of today's population. Second chances are few and rare; any time you get one, use it.

A little about myself...

Hello, I'm Taylor Willett. I live in a small town called Cameron in Illinois. I love living out in the countryside and enjoy the freedom and open space. Living in a city just doesn't provide the beauty of nature as much as in the country. My family has two pets: a dog and a cat. Our dog, Ella, is a golden Labrador retriever, and she is just as hyper as a puppy, even though she is approaching five years old now. Maddy, our cat, is genetically Siamese, but she matches all the criteria for a Balinese cat. She is almost fifteen years old now, and enjoys lying around the house. I love animals a lot, and being away from them is pretty tough. I can't wait to get an apartment just to have a nice furry animal to keep me company.
I am going to Purdue to study biomedical engineering. I really enjoyed my biology classes in high school, and I want to help people, so biomedical engineering seemed like an interesting field to go into. I am a behind-the-scenes type of person. I don't want my face covering newspapers or anything close to newspapers. I don't even like being in photos!! Otherwise, I am usually pretty outgoing, and I hate disrespecting others. 

I am really excited to experience college life, and I am looking forward to English this year!

P.S. I am a huge fan of James McAvoy's acting!