After considering my options, I have decided upon my topics for my Passion and Civic Issues blogs.

Passion- I decided to leave behind my bucket list blog to go for a movie review blog. I knew that by the end of the semester, I would run out of ideas for the blog after completing so much last semester (not saying this campus is boring, it’s just hard to find new interesting things to do). For my movie blog, I would select a new movie to watch each week that I have never seen before and give my opinion on it. I would probably write it like a regular movie review, including a short plot synopsis and characters involved in the story. I will also include my critiques of the movie and how I would rate. For people commenting on my blog, feel free to add a suggestion of two of movies you would like me to see. I will like to see what tastes in movies our class has.

Civic Issues- I decided to focus on politics, particularly on the changes that political parties have undergone in American history. With talks of extreme partisanship and unwillingness to compromise between Democrats and Republicans, I would like to explore how our country ended up in these situations with our political parties. I will focus on whether parties are good for the nation to promote free opinions, or if parties make it difficult for the nation, especially Congress to operate. I also want to look into the role of the media in portraying the fierce debates and rivals between liberals and conservatives, and if their reporting actually holds our nation back from progress. Although I could expand on the multiple topics surrounding politics in this nation, I think the differences between the parties would be relevant and interesting.

Every summer, my relatives from Florida visit my family for a week, an event I always look forward to. It is during this time that I get to see my cousin, who has grown to be one of my best friends throughout my life. Whether we are telling each other stupid jokes, competing in games, or watching movies, we connect and have the greatest time together. One of the best moments for me is seeing him pull up in his motorized wheelchair, give me a big smile, and say “Hey Joe.”

My cousin has muscular dystrophy, a condition that causes degeneration of the muscles, making it difficult to move his arms and legs. While this was hard to understand at a young age, I have fully understood the disorder and noticed the gradual progression of muscular dystrophy on his body. Even over the course of a couple years, he has lost a majority of movement in his arms and hands, only being able to move them a few inches. He has been unable to walk for years, confined to a motorized wheelchair for what appears to be the rest of his life. The life expectancy for muscular dystrophy is 25, an age too young for anyone to die at. It is difficult knowing that in a short while, I may have to say goodbye to my best friend.

Although my cousin must grapple with this disorder every day, he remains one of the happiest people I have ever known. It’s no wonder that his grandfather refers to him as “Smiley”, as you will always see him lighting up a room with his smile. I can’t think of a time where he has been truly upset, speaking to the power of his positive and upbeat attitude.

He has carried this personality towards his pursuit of a normal life, not letting his condition overwhelm and define him. He graduated high school and is now pursuing a college degree. Still smiling. He has been an active player on his power soccer team. Still smiling. He receives stares from strangers, unable to understand and accept muscular dystrophy. Still smiling. He has undergone numerous treatments for his disorder, takes medications to slow the progression of muscular dystrophy, and will never have the strength to walk again. Still smiling.

My cousin is my role model, able to find happiness and joy in the darkest situations. He inspires me to look on the bright side of life and enjoy every moment that I am alive. Whenever I am down or saddened, I wonder how he would react, and immediately beam from ear to ear with joy.

I believe in the strength of those battling illness. I believe in the importance of an optimistic mindset, that life can and will be better. I believe in the power of a smile.

Well, it’s time for a second semester of RCL, and with that means changes to the blogs and assignments. While I have many ideas for each thing we are doing in the class for the first couple weeks, I have decided to narrow it down to a couple options in each category.

First is the “This I Believe” podcast. One idea I have for this assignment is to elaborate on my belief of a strong work ethic. Growing up in my family, I was always taught to work as hard as I can to be successful in any aspect of life. Although I found myself stressing out over this engrained mindset that I must work my hardest at everything, “try hard” if you will, I knew that I was better off and would not be where I am today without this belief. I see people in today’s society that believe that it is perfectly fine to coast through life without any effort, they will never understand the true benefits, and how much they can achieve, of hard work and dedication.

Another idea I have for the podcast is to discuss my belief in living life to the fullest. One of the greatest and most important people in my life is my cousin, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Although we live multiple states apart, we have grown closer while his condition has worsened. Whenever he visits us, he is never without a smile and upbeat personality, even in the confines of a wheelchair. I notice how he continues to pursue a normal existence, even when his condition attracts stares of those that don’t understand his illness. His perseverance through life with happiness and joy is vital to my existence, teaching me that a simple smile and a sense of purpose can go a long way.

For my civic issues blog, I have narrowed it down to two options. One option is Politics, a subject I have always been interested in. I have always wondered about the true purpose of government, and whether candidates for positions actually care for the citizens or themselves. I also am interested in the political parties and how they have increased their distance from each other, as well as how the media has portrayed a lack of bipartisanship. Another option for me is Race, which also appeals to me. With increasing diversity in the United States, it is important to look at how race relations have been maintained in the country. With the occurrence of many events in the past year that have involved race, I would like to look at how the relations between races has been threatened by these harmful events. I would also like to look at programs set in place to assist minorities, and if they are truly beneficial or fair.

For my passion blog, I am torn between my topic from last semester or a new topic. Last semester, my blog was on my Penn State bucket list, where I described the experiences that I believe every Penn State student should take part in before they graduate. Some of these were major (Whiteout, climb Mt. Nittany, picture at Lion Shrine), but some of my events were minor but still vital (see a volleyball match, eat West cookies, canning). I might continue to pursue this topic, but I may find myself running out of ideas during the semester. My new idea is to write a blog about the movies I watch. I love to watch movies, but I also love to analyze movies and discover their deeper meaning. My true level of enjoyment is whether I can see that the movie has a clear sense of direction and poignancy, not just a silly plot line that can is predictable (don’t get me wrong, I love a good comedy even if it has a stupid plot. Napoleon Dynamite and Office Space are two of my favorite movies and they are pretty simple in structure). My blog would be reviews of the movies I watch, discussion of their themes, and whether I would recommend them. Hopefully I can find the time in my schedule to make this blog work, but I believe it will be entertaining for others to read.