Ads, Fads, and good 'ole English papers

Team Purple Ninjas:

Katie Morgan-

“Cyber Bullying.” Online Image. 21 Nov. 2008. Agency Spy. 14 April 2010. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/original/cyberbully.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mediabistro.com/agencyspy/saatchi_saatchi/victim_or_culprit_one_ad_mans_fate_has_been_decided_101523.asp&usg=__nDkLqU14iSQxKz_atxQy8ed-72c=&h=201&w=209&sz=30&hl=en&start=6&itbs=1&tbnid=nLQ0qTDgong7hM:&tbnh=102&tbnw=106&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcyber%2Bbullying%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1.

This image clearly shows an example of cyber bullying. Someone has sent someone else a text saying that they hate them. This is happening more and more since technology has started to become a big part of people’s lives. The majority of the people doing cyber bullying are teenagers. Cyber bullying can happen on a cell phone or the computer. There are many different forms of cyber bullying. Sometimes it is just someone in a fight and they will get over it and other times it is more serious. Some people actually threaten others lives over the Internet.

Stacey Heffernan

“Teenager, Adults, child reading books and using modern technology” Online Image. Istockphoto. 14 April 2010.http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-10364887-teenagers-adults-child-reading-books-and-using-modern-technology.php&usg

In this picture teenagers are using modern technology. They are also working on homework. However it seems that they are distracted by all the technology that is around them. None of the teenagers in this picture are actually having a conversation with a person in this picture instead they are talking on their phones to someone or texting someone. The teenagers do not seem very focused on what is really in front of them like the book in front of the girl. She is concerned with her phone and something that the boy is holding. This supports what I am trying to say because technology is becoming a big part of teenager’s life and in some cases it is hurting them and not helping them.

Protective covering

This image makes a very gutsy claim in its advertising. Trojan took a picture of 4 girls and then filled the room with all pigs and one guy. The girl that is talking to the one guy is happily in love, while every other girl is disgusted. This ad is saying a couple things. Not only is it saying that guys who do not use condoms during sex are pigs, but that woman are disgusted by them. At the bottom of the ad it says "Evolve. Choose the one who uses a condom everytime".

The lighting in this ad has a slight spotlight on the happy couple showing that they use condoms every time and they are as happy as can be.

This is a very bold advertisement in my opinion!

Folktale - Tarzan

For my Research Project 2, I have decided to research the movie/folktale/history of Tarzan. I have chosen this topic because I believe that it shows a very good moral on how to live one's life. It shows that in a society not your own where you are out of your comfort level, you can overcome the odds, and fit in to the group you were raised with and eventually become the leader and saver of the group. This is a great story of having nothing and being an outcast of society to becoming a very well known and powerful person, just through living life and working your way up the political ladder.


As you can see, the cover of this book shows a gorilla feeling the face of a young boy. This shows the connection that the two have even though they are opposites. In society some view gorillas to be mean and nasty to anyone not its own kind, and through this movie/book, the authors are able to show that not everything is as it seems and if you are kind and loving to everyone, you will go far in life.

Walt Disney. "Disney's Tarzan." Digital Photo. Biblio.com. 13 March 2010.
http://www.biblio.com/author_biographies/2083133/Justine_Korman.html

A new addition to the family

You know... Its Friday... and I've had mixed feelings about this week. I've had somewhat a lot to do for everything that I'm involved in, errands to run for myself, people to make happy, etc. Its not that this has been a bad week, just been a different one. The weather here in Muncie hasn't been the best, and its 2 weeks before finals week... So people are starting to stress out just a little bit about their classes and grades with everything. I have been trying to not get stressed over everything this week, and to just go with the flow, even if things conflict and there is a major problem. We can solve it in a few seconds, no worries. This week has flown by though, and I feel that it may be due to the fact that this is going to be a big weekend for me personally. I have a big greek/fraternity event to attend to this Saturday, and have bunch of little stuff to do so that I stay up in all of my classes.

Like I said, this weekend is a big weekend for me and Sigma Phi Epsilon. Joining a fraternity I had a small idea of what i'd be getting myself into. I knew there would be a lot of work, a lot of parties, and a ton of girls. Now to a freshman college guy, the two pros (parties and girls) absolutely outweigh the one con (work), no debate or comparison at all. Now although the parties and girls sound good, there's one thing that sets SigEp apart from the other fraternities. That thing is that little con that was outweighed by the pros earlier. The work.

For the most part, other fraternities on campus will rush a new pledge class, give them bids into the fraternity, and then after a week or two of a few odds and ends, the new pledges are allowed to wear their greek letters on shirts, shorts, sweatshirts. You name it and they can wear it if it has their greek letters on it. That isn't the case at all for SigEp. The theory that we live by is that we must gain respect of the older brothers and alumnus by learning the history of the fraternity we are about to become a part of history for, knowing the older brothers on a more personal level, and making sure that we joined the fraternity for the right reason. Unlike other fraternities, we are not allowed to wear our greek letters until we have completely finished our first stage of the brotherhood which is the "Sigma" stage. All new guys go through this, and do a couple traditions that have been passed on through generations that every Sigma class has had to go through.

One of those rituals that every Sigma gets to go through is called "Big Brother Night". Personally I have been looking forward to this night since I became an official pledge. This night is special because it is the night where we as new pledges get to choose who we'd like as our "older brother" to help us through the next few years in the fraternity. After the semester long process of Sigma we finally have our Big Bro night this Saturday. We don't find out who we get until that night though, so that is the catch. We have an idea of who we might get, because we had to submit a list of our top 5 older brothers that we wanted to have as an official Older Brother. My top choice goes by the name of Joseph Vonderheide. He is a junior this year and we have been hanging out a lot this semester and have talked about a lot of things that the other brothers and i have not, so hopefully he accepts my bid to have him as an Older Brother to be part of my family and to be there for me when I need someone to help guide me. (( I'll keep you updated once I know for sure who I got))

One reason I cant wait for this night, is because all brothers put all of their differences aside and come together to celebrate us getting through the Sigma Stage. Another big thing I'm excited for is adding a new "brother" to my family, and having someone here at school and in my fraternity that I can go to if I need someone to talk to, or just chill with. A big reason this is also a favorite night among the pledges is because once you get your big bro, your big bro gives you clothing with all 3 greek letters on them, and from that point on you are officially allowed to wear the greek letter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Its meaningful, not because you finally get to wear your fraternities letters, but because your new Big Bro gives them to you, which is why this night means a lot to me personally. Yea the parties are nice, and the ladies are fine as always, but its deeper than that for me. Going through all of this hard work and endless hours of random shenanigans that we have had to do, I truly do understand why SigEp makes you earn your letters. By doing all of this you gain so much more appreciation for the letters, and get a better understanding what it truly means to be a brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Until later,

Peace. Love. and Brotherhood.

-Alex Jordan DeFreeuw

Back to the grind...

Thanksgiving break is over... :(

Such a sad day in the life of Alex Jordan DeFreeuw. My family and I got back from Pittsburgh around 1030pm on Saturday night and what do you know my two best friends Brent and Kalyn were at the house waiting to hang out! haha coincidence?! I THINK NOT!! So we hung out for an hour or two and just chilled till we were too tired to do anything. Then sunday morning I got up at 930 to drive down to Columbus, IN again to visit my friend Christian Miller. Got there around 1ish and hung out with him all day. Drove back to school and then reality hit, that I only have 2 weeks left before finals week.... OH. SHIT.

Now, I'll be honest, at the beginning of the semester my grades were not very good but I have gotten my grades up to an average that I'm not necessarily thrilled about, but based on my grades before, I'm happy with. Plus I will be taking easy classes next semester to help get my GPA up for a good overall. NO WORRIES MOM! I'LL BE FINE!! lol

The next two weeks are going to be hell weeks. I have a couple health assignments due Friday, there is a BSU vs. Butler men's basketball game tonight that I'm going to. Should be a good game!! I have an english project where we have to make a website dealing with an issue we see at BSU and my group is doing the dining services at BSU, specifically where our money goes if we do not use it on meals. Other than that I'm just trying to survive the last few weeks of my first semester as a college freshman. Its kinda weird to think that this first semester is almost done with and I'm almost half way through with my freshman year as a college student. Seems like just a few weeks ago we were moving in and doing "Welcome week" activities and whatnot. Doesn't seem real.

Gotta love being a college student!

Peace. Love. and Cardinal Basketball!

-Alex Guinevere DeFreeuw XXI

The 3 things

For an official and successful McGrath Family Thanksgiving you need 3 things. Those things are:

1.) Friday night lasagna

2.) B-Dubs with the older cousins on Friday

3.) and Football.

Without those three things you can not pull off a successful Thanksgiving. Ask anyone in the McGrath family tree and they would agree.

- It is a tradition in our family to have a lasagna and spinach salad dinner the Friday after Thanksgiving after everyone has gone shopping, after the High school and older cousins have gotten back from the Buffalo Wild Wings and after everyone is done stuffing themselves already from earlier in the day. My grandma spends all day preparing the meal while everyone else sits back and enjoys the company of each other.

- The other new tradition that has been started is the "High School+ cousin's trip to B-Dubs", for all of you that do not know B-dubs is formally called Buffalo Wild Wings, aka BWW, aka BW3, whatever you want to call it. Every friday for the past 3 years there has been an Ohio University football game, and since 3 of the McGraths went to that school for college, we have gone to B-dubs to watch them play football, along with any other big games. this is just a way for the cousins to get out of the house, relax with one another, play "family-friendly" trivia, and tell jokes the whole time.

- What is Thanksgiving without football?! Whether it be playing or watching there is always football involved in this family gathering. We have one family that is from Detroit, Michigan area so they are Detroit Lions football fans. The Lions have signed a contract saying that they will always play a game on Thanksgiving, so the big family always tunes into that game to watch them play, and most likely lose. They have won a few, but for the most part they haven't really been too successful. Again, there is the Ohio University football game, and then the Dallas Cowboys games that we always tune into.

Thats just a little bit of how the McGrath Family Thanksgivings role in these parts of town.

This year in Pittsburgh has been a lot of fun celebrating with everyone, and really the 6.5-7 hour drive wasnt that bad, slept most of the way.

Next year is at our house which is that much better because that means that much less traveling we have to do. We just have to get everything prepared and ready. Should be fun!

Maybe my slacker sister will be able to make it next year unlike this time. She says she's been traveling too much, I say she's just lazy and doesnt love us! :(

we'll see... wont get my hopes up on that one considering i'm not her favorite brother anymore because I responded last to a text message she sent out to my brother and I. I see how she rolls...

Hope everyone had a good holiday break. I'm headed back to Funcie on Sunday night right after I visit my best friend in Columbus, Indiana. Yes Columbus, the same place I almost got lost coming back from, if you've been paying attention to my blogs! Should be fun!

Go Penguins

Go Bobcats

Go Colts

Peace. Love. and Turkey.

-Alexander Jordan DeFreeuw

The greatest

Everyone has their favorite holiday. Mine is absolutely without a doubt Thanksgiving. Yes St. Patricks day runs a close second because I am Irish myself and I used to thrive to be the little leprechaun at the Notre Dame games when I was little, but there is just something about Thanksgiving that just shouts LOVE ME ALEX!!! and so I listened to it and now it is my favorite holiday.

Why is this my favorite holiday you may ask?! Not necessarily because of the 7 hour car ride there, although there are never dull moments with those ((Especially if you get all 3 stooge kids in the car at the same time haha)). Its not because of the annual movie that we also go to during the break as a huge family. Its not because of the new Buffalo Wild Wings tradition ((all of the older kids go to BWW and chill, drink, and watch Ohio University football game)). Its not because of the lasagna dinner that we have every Friday. And its not about the family football game that we play in the backyard every year. The one thing that makes this the best holiday overall, is the quality time with family. Every year we get together with my moms side of the family, and she was the oldest of 8 children so this is a huge thing for our family. We are all spread out around the nation in different states. I love it.

This is how It is broken down:

(( FAMILY NAME (STATE): # OF PEOPLE IN THE FAMILY *Includes husbands and wives of the children that have recently been married))

DeFreeuw (IN): 5

Garrity (MI): 4

McGrath1 (PA): 2

McGrath2 (PA): 4

McGrath3 (PA): 5

McGrath4 (PA): 5

McGrath5 (MI): 5

Hayes (OH): 9

Mahlow (TX): 8

Landberg (MN): 3

Total: 50+ **varies each year depending on who shows up

There aren't enough words to describe how much I love this holiday because of those statistics right there lol

Every year we rotate between which house will be holding the family. Last year it was in Ohio, This year it is in Pittsburgh, next year it will most likely be in Michigan.

There are so many family traditions involved in the "McGrath Family Thanksgiving" which makes it that much more special and unique to me and the extended family.

We are leaving early Wednesday morning to drive all the way to Pitt. which should be an interesting situation. Me + Eric my brother + 7.5 hours of driving + A.D.D = deadly combination, really fun and entertaining, but deadly combo!

I will keep you updated once I get there and am settled in with the family.

This is gonna be an amazing Thanksgiving break!

You stay classy Muncie,

Alex " I'm going to gain so much weight this weekend " DeFreeuw

"I know you havent made your mind up yet, but I would never do you wrong. I've known it from the moment that we met, no doubt in my mind where you belong."

-Adele, Make you feel my love