Eyes Up Here Sweetheart

My fellow students, we need to lift our heads up. 

Out of the myriad of topics we have discussed, read and reviewed, I have chosen to focus on one I believe is of the upmost importance: The Flight From Conversation. In Chapter Two of Rhetoric and Civic Life, Sherry Turkle laments on the lack of true connection through conversation between humans. 

This deficiency, as Turkle continually illustrates throughout the chapter, is due to our absorption in technology. You can witness this for yourself by just walking around campus. Everyone is in their own little bubble: earphones in and eyes glued to a screen. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I love technology just as much as the next person, but the lack of conversation has reached an epidemic. When I walk down the street and see people avoiding eye contact with me by whipping out their phones, it disappoints me. I can’t safely navigate the sidewalks without the threat of someone running into me head first, and it’s infuriating! I can’t even count the number of times I’ve stepped out of the way at the last second just to avoid another oblivious student. 

Not only is technology used as a way to avoid talking in person, but in cyberspace, it’s used as a means of keeping each other at a safe distance: “not too close, not too far, just right.” We edit and “perfect” our pictures, texts, and emails to present ourselves in the best light. In reality, “human relationships are rich; they’re messy and demanding.” It’s through the mistakes and blunders that we learn who someone is, what makes them tick, and what makes us love them. 

What I think is the most important point of Turkle’s argument is that by constantly being connected to our technology we don’t have time to connect to ourselves. We don’t self-reflect, which is imperative to growing as a person. 

So, the next time you are alone, instead of automatically reaching for your phone, I implore you to take a few moments to enjoy the solitude. Enjoy being in your own company instead of superficially associating with others through a device. This way, you will be able to connect to yourself. 

What to do, what to do...

Hey everyone! Welcome to my RCL Blog!

Now just if I could figure out what to write about.

When I was asked to find a topic for my Passion Blog, I was initially stumped. I had to think long and hard about what topic I could sustain for ten weeks. Nothing jumped out at me that was particularly blog worthy, until I once again had to take two more tums for an upset stomach.

Now, I know that sounds odd, so I’ll provide a little background. My mother is a fantastic cook. She also is very much into the organic lifestyle, having managed two CSAs within the last ten years. I was extremely lucky that I had someone who would make delicious, healthy food for me on a regular bases (side note: my friends even call her Saint Carla because of her kitchen expertise). At home, I also worked in a farm-to-table restaurant called Emma’s Food for Life, where Emma (the owner) raises animals at her own farm, butchers them herself, and then uses the meat in her DELICIOUS handmade cuisine. Needless to say, switching to dining hall food has been an extreme change in my diet, making the tums necessary.

So how does this relate to my blog you ask? I’ve decided that my Passion Blog is going to be a guide on making the most out of what’s given to me. I’ll be posting about different restaurants, healthy snack tips, dining hall options, and anything else relevant that just might help you beat the dreaded Freshman Fifteen!

It’s unrealistic of me to think that I’ll be eating like I did at home, but hopefully I’ll be able to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle, while enlightening some people along the way!

If you want to check out my other blog, here's the link: http://raffifteen.blogspot.com/