"I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and myself and I hoped we passed the audition."

-John Lennon

Who, by the way, is very missed. ='[

Well freshman fall semester, you were interesting,

but I won't say I'm sorry to see you go.

No, wait. Yes I will. That means that I am 1/8th of the way done with college.

(sad realization there...) You went by kind of fast, now that I think about it. Actually, REALLY fast. I cannot believe you're gone already.

I am TAKING MY FINALS FOR FRESHMAN FALL SEMESTER. OH MY. I'm sitting here studying

Haha. Or having a failed attempt at it. 18 hours was such a blast. No, really. Some girl asked me how many exams I had to take and I said, "Six," to which she answered, "Wow! I only have to take two more after this one." But on a serious note, I really am glad to have taken what I did. Just goes to show myself how tough I am.

So, anyway. College hasn't been too different yet. (Must have something to do with the fact that I am from here and I live at home... XD) I've made some new friends, hung out with some old ones, talked to people I hadn't talked to much in high school... Uh, oh yeah, and I still don't know what I want to do with my life. Same old stuff.

I guess I've learned some values along the way with all these speakers we had.

It is wise to have these:

• 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

as Senator Irons told us. Also, like Dr. Desselle suggested,

• Experience
• Trust
• Mentorship

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...)

And from our businessman Mr. Mark Phillips,

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

Words of wisdom from our farmer, William Lee,

• Go ahead and try, like Mr. Lee did with farming. It's not going to hurt, and it might even be what you want to do.
• Cotton, just as we, must have a long season. This means that our jobs, family and other things important to us take commitment in order to give them that long season.
• Be innovative, like Lee was with his little car. Make something amazing and useful out of something plain.
• Know how to identify the good and the bad part of your crops. Take care of the good and toss the bad.
• Try to achieve a good harvest. Our own harvests are our report cards, or our income later on.
• Most importantly, don't give up. There will be dry spells, floods, tornadoes... you name it. But we have to keep going.

Trustee Steve Pierce, one of the top dogs at UNA, said that to be successful, we had to know how to plan and how to be leaders. You learn a lot about people (but more about yourself) when you are in a leadership position. Mr. Pierce said that in his experience in politics he had done just that, plus a little something about decision making. In order to call the shots, you have to first research all of your options. Then, you need to be ready to listen to others, know how to take advice. If someone doesn't agree with you (chances are there will be those), don't take in personally. It is imperative that you get people in the community involved, as they should be the ones wanting to make it better.

Most importantly, have a vision.

Before all that, we definitely have to enjoy college life, but we also have to make it count for something. Get involved in extracurricular activities and volunteer. This will help you achieve a good reputation that you need in school and the business world. (School is waaayyy better than the business world, by the way.) Also, make sure to study abroad, as this opens myriad of doors for you. But seriously, take advantage of your allotment in college. That cliché about time flying? It's true.

From Dr. Z we learned that studying abroad was a must. Think about it this way: when do you not hear about what's happening in China, or Egypt or any other foreign country? If you pay attention to the news at all, chances are slim. Travel abroad also gives you a sense of a different culture and experience in treating others in a culturally sensitive way.

In order to get and keep a good job, Mr. Hargett said to:

• show up to work (No duh. But recalling my high school days and all of my classmates that did the opposite of that, this point makes much sense.)

• be prepared (That's why we're in school, right? Employees are gauged by how capable they are of doing the job, so we must learn to do it.)

• be professional (In all careers, professionalism is a necessity. A hack job does not bode well with the boss.)

• do your job right (There is really no point in doing that job if you are not going to do it correctly; there is especially no point in getting paid for doing a job wrong.)

• exceed expectations (It is better do do too much than to do too little.)

• capture opportunity (It doesn't come around often, but when it does, be ready.)

Both hilarious, knowledgeable and interesting, my favorite speakers were by far Dean Jacobs and the Wizard of tUNA. Oooh boy, were they interesting!

If you want to go into education, Dean Jacobs is the person to see. Candidates must have speaking and writing skills (a no-brainer if you ask me); they must be interested in what they are teaching (I would make an extremely bad math teacher because... let's just say it's not my forté nor does it interest me as much as, say, YouTube); and they must be dedicated to their job (I had a teacher who never, EVER missed a day of school; how she did that, I have no clue).

Once you are a teacher, there are values to uphold, such as professionalism, integrity, and trustworthiness. Oh, it also helps to have a sense of humor (by the way, Dean Jacobs was absolutely hilarious) and be sarcastic every once in a while. Teachers must be caring, mature and responsible. "Don't distract students," Dean Jacobs told us, "aid them." Teachers must have goals, a good (if not WONDERFULLY FANTASTIC) resumé (having two languages on there helps =D), and pride in their work.

And then there was the Wizard, who did something actually cool: he froze his index finger and smashed it with a hammer. 0.o BUT DON'T WORRY, FOLKS! It was just a hot dog. (I was sitting in the front row, and Dr. Mike just so happened to catch the appalled look on my face as he tested to see it his "finger" was frozen just right. Then, with a devil-may-care grin, he pounded the hammer on his frozen limb and pulverized the contents of his glove. He came over to me and said, "It's all right. You have nothing to worry about!" I was thinking to myself, Oh, sure, it's just a finger. Then, the rascal took of his glove and demonstrated his actual pointer and the impaled hot dog. OH... MY... GOSH.)

So after nearly giving me that heart attack, Dr. Mike gave us examples of what scientists like himself valued:

• Scientists value simplicity (really? So... what about all those chemical formulas?)
• reliability
• testability
• accuracy
• precision
• generality
• heuristic power (such as discovery and inventiveness)
• novelty
• controlled and unbiased observation
• peer review
• confirmation of prediction
• repeatability and statistics
• universalism
• communism (GASP!), as in, sharing knowledge (oh, okay.)

So, you might be wondering why I chose John's quip that he said from the rooftop of Apple Studios. Welllll, I feel that, corny as it may seem, this semester was our audition. And I certainly hope we passed! Creativity, integrity, curiosity, achievement and service, along with all previously mentioned ones, are our values for the Honors Program at UNA. Not only do I hope to pass my classes, but also with upholding these values.

Aight, well, I hope this is substantial enough.

Les Affaires sont les Affaires...

So on Tuesday Mr. Billy Hargett, who was a former CEO of Houston Exploration and an Honors Director, graced us with his knowledge and presence on Tuesday. Consequently, he talked about the world of Business. His tips on how to succeed were as follows:

• show up to work (No duh. But recalling my high school days and all of my classmates that did the opposite of that, this point makes much sense.)

• be prepared (That's why we're in school, right? Employees are gauged by how capable they are of doing the job, so we must learn to do it.)

• be professional (In all careers, professionalism is a necessity. A hack job does not bode well with the boss.)

• do your job right (There is really no point in doing that job if you are not going to do it correctly; there is especially no point in getting paid for doing a job wrong.)

• exceed expectations (It is better do do too much than to do too little.)

• capture opportunity (It doesn't come around often, but when it does, be ready.)

Mr. Hargett also emphasized how we as employees need to figure out what kind of environment, or culture, we want to work in. Is it a strict office with cubicles or a big room with bean bag chairs? Even if the person is highly skilled, they cannot prosper if the work culture is not the right one.

More than likely, we won't be working for just one company or corporation, but for many. Hence the importance of having good communication and networking skills.

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” - Lin Yutang

Dr. Chunsheng Zhang and some students came to talk to us about studying abroad.

I'm just like:

It's what I want to do. What I've always wanted to to. That's why I'm learning all these languages. STUDYING ABROAD. Just, ughhhh. I really, really love traveling. To get school credit for going to different places? That right there sounds mighty appealin'.

Not only is it an honor to have the opportunity to study abroad, like Dr. Z said, but it gives travelers an understanding of what is outside of home... our comfort zone. (Seriously, all those "exotic" foods and animals that don't even exist for us here in Florence, Alabama... like fried Guinea pigs...) But hey, don't knock it 'till you try it.

Obviously, one requirement for studying abroad is to know the language of your host country, at least enough to get around. (Dr. Z broke out the Americans-only-know-one-language gag on us.) Knowing about the country itself would help, too. In return for an amazing experience in a different nation, you gain foreign experience that will certainly be relative to your job one day. In fact, employers don't necessarily look at your resumé closely, but where you have been.

Think about it this way: when do you not hear about what's happening in China, or Egypt or any other foreign country? If you pay attention to the news at all, chances are slim. Travel abroad also gives you a sense of a different culture and experience in treating others in a culturally sensitive way. (For instance, I'm not going to go to Japan and make sick faces at their squid-wrapped-in-seaweed sushi,

just like I'm not going to go make fun of Italians' noses.) This "cultural way" of dealing with people teaches all to appreciate not only other-worldly ways of life, but our own as well. You learn a little about you on the way, too. =]

I know that I am going to study abroad. I HAVE TOOOOOOOOO. I must. There is a bit of a dilemma what with "the economy" the way it is (or me being kind of, just a little bit, scared of being completely and utterly alone. JK). But hey, there is the AMAZING Magellan program, and all we have to pay extra are the airfare and our expenses. Yikes. But guess what? There are SCHOLARSHIPS!

So yeah, I liked this presentation. I want to go everywhere. Seriously. I will see the world!!!!

(here it is.)

Kidding. XD

How cool would it be to work for Google?

Seeing as they get paid big bucks to spend at least 20% of their day just thinking outside the box, I would say extremely cool.

So trustee Steve Pierce, one of the top dogs at UNA (as well as a business owner,) talked to us about what it takes to be successful in life.

First, he wanted to commend us on the Honors program and stress just how important it is to the university as a whole. He gave us the "crème de la crème" talk and launched into to further that success.

He said that to be successful, we had to know how to plan and how to be leaders. You learn a lot about people (but more about yourself) when you are in a leadership position. Mr. Pierce said that in his experience in politics he had done just that, plus a little something about decision making. In order to call the shots, you have to first research all of your options. Then, you need to be ready to listen to others, know how to take advice. If someone doesn't agree with you (chances are there will be those), don't take in personally. It is imperative that you get people in the community involved, as they should be the ones wanting to make it better.

Most importantly, have a vision.

Before all that, we definitely have to enjoy college life, but we also have to make it count for something. Get involved in extracurricular activities and volunteer. This will help you achieve a good reputation that you need in school and the business world. (School is waaayyy better than the business world, by the way.) Also, make sure to study abroad, as this opens myriad of doors for you. But seriously, take advantage of your allotment in college. That cliché about time flying? It's true.

So back to the part about having a vision. "What a shame it is to have sight but no vision," said Helen Keller. Visions are long-term goals that you hope to achieve in your future. Sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions on this path, but they will turn out well later. On this note, Mr. Pierce advised not to be afraid of going against the grain.

In conclusion, Mr. Pierce advises to make a plan, be a leader, use your college time wisely and have a vision.

It's not easy being a farmer, but it has its rewards.

"There seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbors. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favor, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry."

Clearly Ben Franklin thought very highly of farmers, as it should be.

Our speaker, Mr. William Lee, is a commercial farmer; he is also an Auburn graduate, assuring us that he would not love what he does for a living had he not had such a good education. Also, coming from a farming family, he got to go home and gain valuable experience with his job. He confessed to have little interest in farming before going to Auburn but later was very glad to have farming in his family.

Mr. Lee told us about the different kinds of things he used in his job, such as tractors and a special little car used to test the soil (rights owned exclusively by Mr. Lee, seeing as he came up with it). He also explained that you don't always have to be conventional; for instance: yes, Mr. Lee is a farmer, but he is, unlike other farmers, not tilling his land as this is a much more eco-friendly thing to do because it reduced run-off. He has been implementing this type of technique for 20 years (which is not much considering how long people have been farming). This way, the land doesn't get ruined and could even be left in a better shape.

Here come the... values, I guess I'll say. These not only apply to farming but to any career.

• Go ahead and try, like Mr. Lee did with farming. It's not going to hurt, and it might even be what you want to do.
• Cotton, just as we, must have a long season. This means that our jobs, family and other things important to us take commitment in order to give them that long season.
• Be innovative, like Lee was with his little car. Make something amazing and useful out of something plain.
• Know how to identify the good and the bad part of your crops. Take care of the good and toss the bad.
• Try to achieve a good harvest. Our own harvests are our report cards, or our income later on.
• Most importantly, don't give up. There will be dry spells, floods, tornadoes... you name it. But we have to keep going.