Ah, the values of small business.

Mr. Phillip Marks almost immediately pointed out to us that NO ONE IS HIRING.
Well, doesn't that just suck. I guess I'll just sit at home and mooch off Mom and Dad until I retire. Oh wait, I have to have a job in order to retire...
Je blague, je blague.
Mr. Marks said there is pride in being an Honors student. We are the best of the best, the brightest of the brightest. Basically, we rock.
So that should mean we're going to get hired right away, correct? Maybe not. See, big companies aren't hiring anymore, BUT smaller companies are. In fact, about 68-80% of employees belong to small companies. THERE'S OUR ANSWER! We work for small companies and violà, secure jobs forever. (Hopefully.) If that doesn't happen, we could always open up our own little shop. (OMG I'm not a business person. No shops for me, thank you. If I had to work in business, I'd rather be in the restaurant business. XD) Now, you are asking yourself, as I was, why a small business instead of a large one? Well, that's simple. There is more money and freedom in a small or self-owned business, and you can do better for yourself. You have to identify your product or service, but it isn't too bad; making a name for yourself is harder in small business, but it is more gratifying. Mr. Marks recommended starting IT companies, service companies or tool and die companies (whatever that is...), so if you're planning on starting up a little company of your own, there are some potentially successful examples.

 Onto the values of small business:

1. You are only as good as your last sale. (In the business world, reputations count.)
2. You must police yourself ethically. (Make sure you are following the rules like a good little businessperson.)
3. Have a good work ethic.
4. BE WILLING TO TAKE A RISK. (Easier said than done, but, yeah, necessary.)

BATTLE OF THE BANDSSSSSS

Just kidding.

Dr. Borah (OMG ROHIT'S DAD!) was quite the speaker. He talked clearly, intelligently and passionately.
MAN did he get some of us thinking.
I mean, with that whole Democrats vs. Republicans stuff, who wouldn't? I guess as college kids it's our job to... ahem, discuss (some more strongly than others) those kinds of things.
He's right, though. Siding with a political party is usually due to similar interests, or VALUES.
Here are some generalizations:

1. Democrats are not against higher taxes, but Republicans are.
2. Republicans are against abortion, while Democrats are pro-choice.
3. Democrats are for a smaller military budget, but Republicans lean toward a higher one.
4. While Republicans favor the death penalty, Democrats oppose it.

And so on and so forth. Dr. Borah discussed human values as something abstract, something not tangible. He said we need to try and prioritize our values, or decide what exactly is important to us. We have to choose between right and wrong.(This is called self direction...) 

Hence the examples with the political parties. 

So here's my spiel. IT IS DIFFICULT TO CHOOSE ONE SIDE. Both have appealing propositions, and the two also have their unappetizing offers. I won't go into detail on that, but let's just say I'm an independent. I don't want to choose, and I know I'm in the gray area, but for now, I'm okay with that.With self direction, though, we should be able to seek a compromise and achieve universalism: social justice and equality.

0.o

Dr. Desselle sure woke us up...

Anyway, he talked about some of the values someone in the medical field should have, such as experience, trust and mentorship.
Um... a doctor/nurse with experience... YES PLEASE. I mean, in order to go into the medical field, a prospective medical caregiver has to go to school, what, eight years... or more? And during that time, they have to do their residency for several hours a week to gain even more EXPERIENCE. But then again, with any career, experience is needed. Nowadays even a job at your local burger joint requires an experience in high school, preferably graduation.
It takes a lot of trust to to be a doctor, and even more is required of the patients. I trust my doctors with my life. (Duh, shouldn't we all?) They have to trust in themselves to cure and save their patients from their ailments, whether it be a simple cold or a bullet to the gut.
To be great, you gotta learn from the greats themselves. Dr. Desselle told us of his own mentor, now a great friend to him. Mentors teach their pupils how to become the best they can be. (I can only hope to find one as good as Yoda.)    

"The road to success is always under construction."

Senator Tammy Irons took time off from her busy, bustling, Montgomery-based schedule to talk to the freshman honors class about courage, passion, kindness, honesty, commitment, integrity, and good work ethic, all makings of a good and efficient attorney... and human being. Shall we define the aforementioned? (These are strictly my own definitions, so don't go quoting me.)

• Courage- the ability to do what you like, or what is right in the face of ridicule, or worse... failure. "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." -Mark Twain
   

• Passion- the degree to which tasks are performed. For example, the more passion you have for something, the better you will do it.                                                                                                 "Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you."  -Oprah Winfrey    

• Kindness- showing that you care enough about people to help them out; a very worthy quality to have.                                                                                                                                              -"Ask yourself: Have you been kind today? Make kindness your daily modus operandi and change your world."   -Annie Lennox      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

• Honesty- "Know the truth will set you freeee" or something like that.                                            "Honesty is the cornerstone of all success, without which confidence and ability to perform shall cease to exist." -Mary Kay Ash   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

• Commitment- You know that thing you do when you promise to stand by someone or something? Stick-to-itiveness...                                                                                                                           "A total commitment is paramount to reaching the ultimate in performance."  -Tom Flores    

                                                                                                                                                                                     

• Integrity- having the power and will to make moral choices; goes hand in hand with honesty. ("Integrity, concentration, perseverance, respect and obedience, self-control, humility, indomitable spirit."  Ah, my old Tong Soo Do chant...)                                                                                           "Honor your commitments with integrity." -Les Brown   

                                                                                         

• Work Ethic- believing that, with hard work, you will go far.                                                            "Hard work... pays off!" Rodrick Sheppard                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

I just gotta say

that Matisyahu was... AMAZING. Like, just... whoa. I can't even describe how great he was. I went to Oktoberfest for a while, then ate some delicious arroz con pollo and picked up Melissa then had the BEST night everrrrrr, 'cause Matisyahu is just awesome.