Congratulations, we have all survived and made it to the amazing reprieve that is spring break! It’s been a while since winter break, so most students had been dying in anticipation for their next break, especially after two months of continuous school. The week started off strong on Monday with the hope of spring break right around the corner, and some unseasonably warm weather. However, the week continued to drag on ceaselessly as it was filled with multiple assignments, projects, and midterms. The weather mirrored this dreariness as throughout the week the temperature constantly decreased and we had some showers in the middle of the week. Yet, we all persevered, and can now enjoy some time away from schoolwork, hang out with friends, family, or just chill.
Last week during our class on Tuesday, we received some humorously crafted paragraphs, and we had to rewrite the paragraphs to precisely and efficiently convey the meaning. Our group received an informal job application with the language and wording similar to a quick text message to a friend. Through defining the rhetorical context of this paragraph we were able to change the tone to aptly reflect a job application, and change the wording and sentence structure to make the writing more seamless. If I was a professor who received an application or an email of the original job application, I probably would have stopped halfway through and moved on to the next applicant. As someone currently applying to different labs to work over the summer, it is crucial that I have these skills to even be considered.
During Thursday’s class, we reviewed the health justice presentations of the previous semester and discussed what we liked and disliked about them. We talked about the importance of being concise, but also not leaving out crucial information. An integral part of the health justice project is unpacking our discussion on the connection between race, socioeconomic status, gender identity, and their effects on health outcomes.Throughout history there have been many discussions and different types of literature that extensively cover these topics separately as well as their intersections. However, all of this background information can’t fit into a two to three minute presentation. Which is why it is important to accurately condense your topic in such a way that covers the major points without leaving your project open to misinterpretation.
So far during my spring break I have enjoyed a few days without thinking about assignments and catching up on sleep, which has been a bit more difficult due to daylight savings. While I would love nothing more than continuing to relax, I’m also planning on starting my rough draft of my health justice presentation. Especially since condensing isn’t my strong suit, the more time spent on it the better it will be. It also just so happens that today, March 14 is π day! In addition to enjoying my spring break I was able to celebrate through math puzzles and problems, as well as trying to memorize digits of pi. Although, since spring break is about relaxation, it might be more apt to recommend sitting down to enjoy a pie, whether it be a baked pie, a pizza pie, or a chicken pot pie. I went out and got a deal of $3.14 for a chicken pot pie that was delicious!
I look forward to enjoying the rest of my spring break, and hopefully by the end I’ll be ready to finish out the rest of the semester. However, knowing myself I’ll wish it were just a few days longer…
Featured Image:
Rainy Day at UNC-CH. UNC Alumni Association. 19 February, 2020. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/rainy-day-at-uncch–152137293650923072/