Saturday, January 30, 2021

Week 2 Reading Overview

Just looking through the readings for this semester has me pumped! There are so many great stories that I've never read and always wanted to read. I've sat on the sidelines in so many conversations with friends when discussing the classics or specific classic stories not being able to offer much due to the fact I've never read any or even gazed upon their summaries. I hope this semester by reading so many I will become better read and be able to converse well enough with some background on these stories!


Choose from CLASSICAL and/or BIBLICAL units for Weeks 3 and 4. 

Week 3: Homer's Iliad: A condensed prose retelling of Homer's Trojan War epic by Alfred Church.

Week 4: Homer's Odyssey: Tales of Odysseus's wanderings in a prose translation by Tony Kline.


Choose from MIDDLE EASTERN and/or INDIAN units for Weeks 5 and 6.

Week 5: Ancient Egypt: Tales of gods and goddesses (Ra, Isis, Hathor, Thoth), plus Egyptian magic.

Week 6:  Folklore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian, and Jewish

Choose from ASIAN and/or AFRICAN units for Weeks 7 and 9. [Week 8 is review week.]

Week 7: The Monkey King: The wildlife and adventures of the audacious "Monkey King," Sun Wu Kung.

Week 9: Brer Rabbit: Brer Rabbit stories, including the famous tar-baby and the briar patch!


Choose from NATIVE AMERICAN units for Weeks 10 and 11.

Week 10: British North America

Week 11: Marriage Tales: Tales of animal brides, animal husbands, and a Zuni Cinderella legend.


Choose from BRITISH and/or CELTIC units for Weeks 12 and 13.

Week 12: Celtic Tales: Fairies, leprechauns, ghosts, and goblins, along with a Celtic version of "Snow White."

Week 13: Beowulf: The fearless warrior battles Grendel, Grendel's mother, and a fire-breathing dragon.


Choose from EUROPEAN units for Weeks 14 and 15.

Week 14: Inferno: Dante meets many infamous sinners as Vergil leads him through the circles of Hell.

Week 15: Hans Christian Andersen: Some of his short tales, plus the long story of the "Little Mermaid."





Great Habits to form: Time Strategies!

 There are two kinds of people in this world: those that make excuses and those that find a way.


A firm believer in the quote above and definitely guilty of not always living up to it. Regardless, it's easily one of my favorite quotes that I heard, it resonated again with me while reading The Myth of being too busy. The author is correct in everything he says. One prioritizes time for what they truly want. I love tieing this to the above quote because you'll see the difference in the results of the two types of people and it will spill over into all aspects of their lives.


The second article that resonated with me was The Habit of Just Starting. I read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg twice and it was so insightful. Habits are in control of 80%+ of our lives so this article is so powerful because if we build the habit of just starting we can do anything and all things are accomplishable.


Love the formula they give for motivation and if anyone else loved this out definitely read POH by Duhigg.



(formula for motivation)

Technology for writing: Grammarly FTW

 Most of what was covered I knew, including how to manipulate the images but every blog is different and I'm more versed in Tumblr blogging. A few things were definitely very helpful. As someone who is well versed in google chrome and its many tools, I did not know about word count or the enhanced spell checker. Those two alone made me incredibly excited to get back into the settings and extensions lists. I will say though that my favorite online tool of all time is Grammarly! It's a lifesaver and a godsend for a person like me. If I could have it on everyday speech whilst talking I would!






Week 1 Assignments


I thought the class assignments were creative enough to allow the student to pick and choose what they were passionate about to an extent. Some of my favorite assignments were using the theme or underlying plot of an Epic and rewriting it with a fresh face! I did a finding Nemo and Wizard of Oz version of two different Indian Epics! The thing I'd like to do differently this time around has nothing related to the assignments except the fact of getting ahead with them! It's so easy to get ahead and so easy to fall behind, I'd like to be part of the latter.



Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Storybook Favorites

Peter Pan: Revisited

This was such a fun interesting take on a classic kids fairytale. It's so well thought out because most if not all can immediately relate to the familiar story! I love that Jake gets the opportunity to tell the story from someone else's viewpoint. It gives a fresh fun look into a classic tale most of us already know and love. The introduction is enticing and captivating. You're automatically wanting to read on to see learn the truth, what actually happened as it pertains to something you think you already know. Has a similar theme to the "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" which I loved as a kid. Jake also did a great job with the design and color scheme to really capture the feel of the storybook!

This one I also really enjoyed because of its "cross universal" take. It would be as if the justice league met the avengers and maybe throw sky high in there for laughs. Another thing that sparked my interest was the setting is a world where Zeus and Thor share the skies but a young up comer causes chaos to unfold. This theme plays on what the reader probably knows some about and then teaches them what they don't know in a very fun way.

This one has a very unique and cute theme to it. It is well thought out because most people know who pegasus is, the winged horse who helps demi-gods (mostly Hercules) but nothing about him in-depth. It also connects it for readers to the Oklahoma backyard that is Texas making it more relatable. This story is cute, creative, and comical. It also does a great job capturing the reader making them want to learn more about what is to happen in pegasus' journey for love, giving a fun initial background on the majestic beast. It's also a very nice and easy layout making everything quite accessible and user friendly which is very much so appreciated




Tuesday, January 26, 2021

A Growth Mindset

 I thought I'd share more about myself in connection to my "introduction from 24to 25" blog post as they connect very well and update it on a few things.


Let me start out by saying I am a firm believer in having a growth mindset. My parents have always told me that one cannot grow inside their comfort zones. I said great I am moving to Texas for school, a place I've never been, with zero family members. They didn't see that one coming. During my freshman year of Baylor, I decided to partake in the hardest and oldest internship in the nation with Southwestern Advantage. Students in the program relocate to another part of the country where they've never been, they learn how to run their own business going door to door selling educational books apps, and websites to families. It was 13 hours/day, 6 days/week, a very grueling program, that tested and heightened my EQ every day. Perseverance is a must, learning how to deal with rejection is a must, and figuring out how to best communicate with people from different socio-economic backgrounds comes with time. I am who I am today because of it and wouldn't trade all the hardness of it for anything. 

 

As a result, it has caused me to be hungry for growth. 
Update: I have since trained for a half marathon and a full marathon both canceled due to COVID. I believe discipline and consistency are integral for growth. I am currently up at 5am, in the gym 6 days a week, and on a strict clean diet. I choose this every day because I am intrinsically motivated to hit my goals. If you are not hitting your goals you have two options: you either raise your effort or you lower your goals. Rise with Rebecca is a great mentor who believes in the intrinsic motivation around growth and reaching your goals. The last thing I'll leave you with is if you're going to live somewhere the best place to live is outside of your comfort zone, that's my motto anyway.



Here is a link to my bookman page where you can see more about the program and see all the families I've been able to help throughout my summers.


 

(There's no misnomer here: Clearwater Beach FL.)




 My family lives in Land O' Lakes Florida and one of my favorite beaches is Clearwater Beach. Clearwater is not just a place for you and me to enjoy, local animals: birds, fish, and turtles also call these beautiful teal waters home.





The sand is so white that it reflects most light from the sun making it cool enough to enjoy walking on and laying in. Relaxing on a beach like this is more than doable.
(Clearwater beach sand dunes)https://www.google.com/clearwaterbeach



Next time you're in Clearwater look out for me and if you have trouble spotting me here is a picture of me so you know what to look for... 

(Pineapple Clearwater Beach sand) https://www.google.com/clearwaterbeach

Monday, January 25, 2021

Introduction from 24 to 25

 Well, my name is David Czovek and I had just turned 24 this time last year. I was in Indian Epics with Laura in the Spring and thought I'd reuse this blog post but update it with what has happened since. So in case, you're wondering I am now 25! You're probably thinking "that's a tad old for an undergrad" and you'd be correct but that's what makes this all the more fun. I am from a city in Connecticut called Bristol and graduated in the spring of 2014 from Bristol Central high school. On a normal track, I should've finished my undergrad in the spring of 2018. While in high school, I applied to 8 schools and got into all of them. I decided upon Baylor University. I had never been to Texas and was excited to get away from home and go somewhere warmer. I enrolled as a General Engineering major and by the end of my freshman year, I realized it was not for me. Typical freshman who didn't know and was trying different things. I ended up switching my major 2 more times. Finally, I went to my counselor and she had me take tests to figure out what careers would be best for me. The results? They all came back: middle tier, a great candidate for any occupation... I was very annoyed.


I continued on and thought well let's keep getting gen-eds done. After a while I decided upon physics for a major: it was one of my favorite subjects and I excelled at math and science. I took your basic calculus' all three of them, took your differential equations class (a step above all the calculus'), even higher level physics courses. So at this point, I am 22 turning 23 and I have credits in multiple degrees with no actual degree and to make matters worse? Yep, I am now realizing that I would not be happy doing anything in the realm of physics... So what to do?


I went home that Christmas a tad annoyed and unsure. My parents then asked if I'd like to shadow around and I said 'why the heck not'. I ended up shadowing my uncle who owns his own dental practice. I instantly fell in love. Backstory: I was the kid obsessed with clean teeth, loved going to the dentist, got toothbrushes as presents for Christmases and birthdays. I never thought about it as a career. I loved that my uncle got to help people in a social atmosphere and it was over one of the things I loved: dental hygiene. So as I made my way back to Texas I had a lot to think about. My next step was a year-long internship that I had previously committed to, in where of all places? Yep, Oklahoma! Even though it took time away from what I thought I really wanted I was grateful for it because it caused me to look into OU as a transfer option. It was cheaper and had its own dental school. I finally sent in my application made the commitment to transfer and here I am and last spring was my first semester at OU! I am finishing my prerequisites done for dental school while getting a B.S. in biology (the fastest thing I could get while coinciding with my reqs). It's been a whirlwind for sure. 


In December of 2019, I welcomed 24 finally the year that I'd figure everything out (or so I think) with direction and purpose and I wouldn't take a second to look behind me, just focused on the horizon. The me who was 24 and thinking all this did not know something named COVID was about to happen two months later. Hindsight being 20/20 I now know 2020 coincided with COVID and a lot of cultural strife here in the US but to be honest I will not remember 2020 as 2020 I will remember it as 24. Regardless of what happened this past year, I crushed it in life; in my fitness, in my academics, in all my goals, while overcoming the craziness of the world around me. The thing is there are two types of people in this world: those who make excuses and those who find a way and during 2020 I found a way. I looked mediocrity in the face along with every struggle and obstacle this past year and knocked it all out of the park. So yes I'm now 25 and yes I am still an undergrad but man am I peaking now and I'm still going up. Here's to 25!



Week 12 Reading A: Beowulf

King Hygelac and Queen Hygd of Geatsland The Geats were warriors. Caves were inhabited by monsters and beasts found in the forests. Hygd was...