Katie+Gardiner

=**Introduction**= My name is Katie Gardiner, i have lived here in St.Marys County my entire life. I'm 19 years old and will hopefully become a kindergarten teacher someday. I love working around little kids. I would have to say that spring and summer are my favorite times of the year.I am currently a full time student here at CSM, and will continue going here until i have enough credits to transfer to a school hopefully far far away from here!

=** Bio Poem: **=

Katie Sister of two musically inclined brothers and one creative younger sister Who succeeds at cheering people up   Who loves her family, friends, and boyfriend Who feels confident in my future Who needs to practice guitar more often Who fears snakes, spiders, bridges and tractor trailers Who gives great thoughtful advice Who would like to see Italy and Paris Resident of Avenue, Maryland Gardiner

=** Formal Essay: **= I choose this essay because this was a very easy topic for me to write about.This topic choice was available for me to choose right after i actually stopped being friends with a person. I felt very strongly about everything that was said in this essay. I feel that knowing what to look for in a good friend is something very important, and also that the qualities that are listed are just a few that I felt were very strong points to a friendship. ** Definition Essay of a Good Friend **

It is hard to tell who is a good friend in a person’s life. So many people come in and out of our lives that make it hard to realize who is going to be there for the long run. How many people have thought they were close to a person, and thought they had a good friend but soon came to realize that they were wrong? There are many qualities that a good friend should have, such as honesty, loyalty, and support. Good friends are very hard to come by. Everybody should have a good friend in their life to be there when that person is most needed. Honesty is a great quality for a friend to have. No matter what is going on in a person’s life, a friend should always be there to give the truth about a situation. Even if it is not something that is easy to be heard they will be honest. A friend should treat a person the way everyone deserves, and if a “friend” would lie or not tell the truth about a specific subject then they are not a “friend” at all. For example, if a person’s girlfriend or boyfriend was cheating on them, it would be expected that a good friend would inform that person about this issue. Honesty is the best way to keep a friendship strong; then there are not going to be trust issues. A good friend is someone who will be truthful and give an honest opinion about a topic. That person will also not try to avoid hurting feelings. Honesty is not always going to be satisfying, but it is better than a lie. Loyalty is another important quality for a good friend to have. A friend will be there no matter what. If a person is upset and is hurt, he or she is going to be there to try and change the mood and bring a little happiness to the situation. Being able to depend on a friend if times are tough is a great feeling. Knowing that he or she will not judge a person for something that they wouldn’t choose is a good friend. An example would be if a person had stolen something a friend might look down upon this. A good friend would tell them that they may have made a mistake, but know that it was that person’s decision. Good friends will not ever turn away if a person is upset, because a good friend knows that no matter what being by a friend’s side is always the best place to be. Support is another quality from a person that would make a good friend. Everyone should have the support from a person. Even if a friend does not completely agree with what’s being done they still know that they are going to be there to help show support through everything. Everyone has had friends in the past that did not agree with things that he or she wanted to do. Some may be very negative about the situation. It can honestly hurt someone’s feelings, because if the situation were reversed, a person should know that he or she would be there to support them and give them advice and help. Good friends will be there to tell what’s right and what’s wrong. Good friends are extremely hard to come by. Never knowing when a good friend might come along is tough. A person cannot be looking for a good friend either. A lot of the time friends will come along even when you do not expect it. Good friends will always be there no matter what the case may be. It is nice to know that a person can be counted on through thick and thin. Once someone has trust for a person fully and knowing that they are going to be supportive and be there and be a loyal friend, then that is when they are able to enjoy all the good times that are available. Being able to do things such as going out and just hanging out with them are enjoyable. Not being judged or afraid that they are going to leave if something goes wrong is good to know. In Conclusion, at the end of the day a good friend is a very important aspect of life. Everyone needs to know that they will always be ready to lend a shoulder if needed, and that they have someone’s back, as well as that person having theirs as well. Friendship is a very important thing to have to get through life. Without a good friend people would be alone. Good friends are the most important people in life besides family.

=**Journal Entry # 1:**= After i read the article "Why Should I Be Nice To You?" I realized that i really liked it because the writer talked about her job as a Barista, and how monotonous it was. Seeing how I myself am a Barista and actually like my job i was very interested in writing this journal entry.

** “Why Should I Be Nice to You?” ** After reading the paper by Raine called “Why Should I Be Nice to you?” about her job as a barista and how she feels that it is not that great of a job. I found that I partially agree and disagree with her statement and what she says about it. She feels that it is at the lower end of jobs and that it is very monotonous. Raine stated that during her job of working in a coffee shop that you do not really get to talk to people and get to know them. She states that the job is just fast paced, and people come in and get there coffee and leave. You take their order, take their money, and make their coffee and they leave. Not many conversations get started and you don’t really get to know somebody personally. She doesn’t believe that it is a good paying job and doesn’t feel like it’s a decent job either My current job is actually working as a barista also. I find that my job is very personal. I love my job and I feel that Raine’s personal experiences with working at a coffee shop are different than my own experiences. I do agree that the job can be monotonous, and repetitive. Now maybe Raine worked in a bigger chain of coffee shops, and I work in a very small one but I found that we become very close to our customers. It usually consists of the same people coming in at the same times to get the same drinks, so you learn a lot about people. I don’t believe that this should be considered a temporary job because at my job we become very close. Our customers are very friendly, and we always try to ask how everyone is doing just to be nice.

= Journal Entry # 2: = The journal entry "Adam and Steve Together at Last" was a great topic to write about, i found it really easy to find the claims that Pollit was addressing.

** “Adam and Steve Together at Last” ** In the essay “Adam and Steve Together at Last” by Katha Pollitt she makes claims about gay marriage. One claim that Pollitt makes is that marriage between gays and lesbians should be allowed as if it were heterosexual marriages. She states that conservatives such as David Blankenhorn and Jean Bethke Elshtain express that marriage is about procreation. Pollitt went through with details stating the theory of marriage for procreation is not always true. For example, the law allows for those who are infertile, elderly, those who use birth controls and ones who choose to celibate to wed. Another claim that Pollitt states is that marriage is a way to domesticate men. She stated facts from George Gilder that says married men are less likely than those of a single status to kill people, crash a car, take drugs to commit suicide. Pollitt said that gay men and lesbians that want to marry don’t impose on the “male improvement project.” Pollitt also says that the things that men will do does not explain why marriage should be only restricted to the heterosexual couples. Pollitt’s third claim is that history over time shows that marriage is based on love. She proves that in human history polygamy was the rule. There were many people who were involved in arranged marriages, forced marriages, child marriages, and marriages that were based on the subjugation of women. Gay marriage in her opinion would be like a romance compared to those cases.

**Journal Entry # 3:**

My last journal entry i chose was "Crossing the Line" and "Illegal Immigrants". I enjoyed writing the argument about illegal immigrants, as well as the rebuttal from someone different to give a different opinion on how the government is taking care of the situation.

** “Crossing the Line” and “Illegal Immigrants” ** After reading both “Crossing the Line” by Dan Stein and “Illegal Immigrants” by Gregory Rodriguez there is a specific counterargument and a rebuttal. In “Crossing the Line” Stein suggest that the government is not doing much to help with the illegal immigration. The banks are the ones that are profiting from the immigrants. Stein also says that the illegal immigrants are going to be held to a lower standard when they are issued with credit cards. Steins claim is that he does not believe illegal immigrants should have the rights that the Bank of America is giving them. Rodriguez refutes that giving the illegal immigrants the right to coming to America is allowing the American government the opportunity to make more money. That is what the American government is mostly focused on. Rodriguez does not agree with the name of illegal immigrants. He believes that hardworking immigrants who have made themselves something in America, America should give them a chance to achieve the “American Dream”. Rodriguez also states that these immigrants come here for their economic needs, but those who work hard should be able to gain happiness in the system.

= **Research Abstract:** =
 * Thesis**-Open adoptions allow for information to be given to the adoptive person upon request, but how much are they really allowed to know?

I choose to write my research paper on open adoptions. Specifically on how open adoptions truly are not open enough. If you are involved in an open adoption there is so much more information that you are able to gain through this as a side to those of a closed adoption. It does seem after researching though that open adoptions do not give all the information to the person who would like it. You must be in a fully open adoption to get the rights to all documents and anything else legal. If you are in a closed adoption you have no way of finding out anything about your biological parents.A semi-open adoption increases your chances of knowing more, but is still extremely limited.

Open adoptions are a great way to give people certain information that they have been without. For example, medical history, or any information regarding their ancestry. In this research paper i was able to explain most of the positive effects that come from people being involved in open adoptions, as well as give a little insight for some negatives too. Open adoptions are great to inform people of there biological heritage. With an open adoption biological parents are able to call, write and even visit the adoptive person upon the adoptive parents consent. This paper really just gives the information that people should know if going through an adoption, or are thinking about adoption for their child. Adoptions are very popular all over the world now the goal needs to be to make them more open for the families.

=**Final Reflection:**=

In this English 1010 class this spring semester I have learned a lot. I have learned everything from knowing about comma splices, to how to write a good research paper. In this class we read many different articles from so many different people. After having to really sit down and concentrate on what I was reading I found that I did not dislike reading as much as I thought I did. I love to read outside of school, as long as it is something that really catches my interests. This class really got me to appreciate what I am reading. By the end of the semester I did not mind reading these articles and giving my opinion on them. Another thing that I got from this class was that I watched my writing slowly progress from the very first essay we wrote up until the last one. I learned where to put certain information, how to site my sources that I used to find any information that was not already common knowledge, and to write formally. It was very difficult for me at first to not write using the words such as “I, you, and me” and so on. From taking this class I have grown to realize that in order for me to accomplish my goal at becoming a teacher I really need to focus everything that I have into doing well. English is a very important subject to do well in, and this class is just the start of my goals for the rest of college. I am very proud of myself and what I have accomplished in this class. I am not the best writer, and I am pretty sure I will never be but this English 1010 class has taught me some great things to keep on writing and doing well when having to write different types of papers.

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