Getting this out of the way :)

While typing up my interview questions, I stumbled upon an amazing website www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
It provides great information such as, treatment options and tips, as well recent publications and helpful links.

I also heard a commercial once on TV about a special on eating disorders, however, I forgot where I heard it and even the title of the film :(
I did however, through a helpful classmate, get the name of a famous feminist author, speaker, and filmmaker, Jean Kilbourne. Her film "Killing Us Softly" depicts how women are strategically used in advertisement and its effects on impressionable women. I'm so eager to begin watching this film, and I hope it will provide some useful information on my research topic!

Surviving with no AC

So my AC broke on Friday night, and I have been without AC ever since.
I have nooooooo clue how anyone survived prior to the invention of air conditioning. My room feels like a sauna causing me to be very irritable. :( Needless to say, I did not get much school work done this weekend.
I'm hoping this week I can get more accomplished.

Growing up in Manhattan

Manhattan, one of the five boroughs of New York, is a major commercial, financial, and cultural center of both the United States and the world. Filled with many famous landmarks, tourist attractions, countless museums, and the home of several international headquarters, such as the United Nations. Manhattan is also one of the most densely populated areas in the United States. Rich in culture and history, one can wonder how growing up in such an area can be. I spoke with a student here at St Thomas University who grew up in this glorious city. Not affected at all by the big city during her early years, the student then realized the importance of the city once she moved to Costa Rica.
Given the history of crime in New York (ethnic gangs, mafia, etc), I was curious to see how this could impact an individual who was surrounded by this environment. The student clearly stated that violence and crime was apparent. She recalls an incident in her old apartment building where a man was shot, stating "my grandfather saw blood along the walls and floor." She also recalls seeing needles in a local park nearby her school.  A more tragic event in the city was the September 11 hijacking. Although the student was living in Costa Rica at the time, the events still impacted her as she felt for the families of the victims. When asked about the controversial building of a Mosaic near the World Trade Center memorial, the student feels that although there is a freedom of religion, the site should be relocated to a less sensitive area.

Literacy History Interview

Today I interviewed a student at St Thomas University about her literacy history.
When I asked her about when/how she learned to read, she responded that she began reading in elementary school. Her parents did not teach her prior to elementary school, however, they did hire a tutor to further assist her in her studies. When asked if she would have liked her parents to take a different approach to reading/writing, the student responded that she would have liked if her parents would have encouraged her to read more during her leisure time. She continued on by stating that she would encourage her future kids to read, as well as write, for it helps them widen their imaginations.

When asked about her high school experience, the student clearly expressed that she was not interested at all to reading/writing. She recalled a teacher who was highly critical about the writing styles of each student, and assigned an immense amount of books to read throughout the semester. The student stated that she was pushed away from writing, until she came to St Thomas University. At the university level, the student had a professor who made her enjoy writing/reading once again. The student then decided to add English has her second major. Although the student prefers writing over reading, she does enjoy reading fan-fiction novels from time to time.

Questions, Questions, Questions...

So this week we worked on formulating questions that can better guide us towards a research proposal.

My topic of choice is Body Dysmorphia and Eating Disorders in Universities.
Some of the questions I came up with are:

-Individualism difficulties
-Does overwhelming stress have an effect on women/men's eating habits
- What are the male/female perspectives on the "ideal" body.
-What is the role of the media (advertising stereotypes/ pro eating disorder websites/ etc)
-Eating Behaviors/habits in the U.S. vs Europe