Looking Back On My First Semester In College

When I first moved everything in, I wasn't sure how I would adjust to not being in Charlotte. I knew I would miss my family, my boyfriend, and my pets. I went home a lot throughout the semester to see them, so that helped me.
I had always heard that when you go to college, you tend to eventually lose contact with your friends from high school. I don't really believe that is the case for me. I will never lose contact with my best friends. Three of my friends from back home are actually moving up here next year, and we are all going to live in a house together. I am so excited about that!!
I kind of knew my roommate through a friend of mine, so I assumed that things would work out well. Boy, was I wrong. I am moving out at the end of the semester which I am really looking forward to! My friend, Kristen, that I went to high school with is transferring to Boone. I plan on moving in with her for the spring semester.
I came to college planning to major in Apparel and Textiles. Those plans have not changed. I believe that this is something that I would really enjoy doing, but only time will tell. A class that I really dreaded going to was English. I have never liked writing, and I doubt I ever will.
I wasn't sure if I would really meet anyone since the school is so big. But, I have met some good friends here that I plan to stay friends with forever! I can't wait to make more memories that will last a lifetime!

The Waiting Room

The play begins with three girls gathering in the waiting room to their doctor's office, each with a different problem. Victoria, an English woman, wears a corset and is suffering from hysteria. Forgiveness From Heaven, a chinese woman, had her feet bound when she was a little girl, which is causing her toes to fall off. Wanda, a girl from New Jersey, was having problems with her breast implants. She later finds out that she has a tumor in one of her breasts.

Throughout the play the three of them become friends. Victoria begins being treated for her hysteria, Forgiveness From Heaven receives surgery on her foot, and Wanda has her breast removed. Wanda will need to decide what she wants to do for continuing treatment for her cancer.

At the end, they are in the hospital laying with their beds side by side. Forgiveness From Heaven is on drugs to help with the pain, which was pretty funny. They are all talking to each other, when Victoria's husband shows up. He tells her that one of their children is sick and that he wants her to come home. She packs up her things and says goodbye to the other two girls. Wanda gives Victoria her breast implants in a jar for Victoria to remember her by. Wanda and Forgiveness From Heaven begin telling each other stories. Wanda tells a story about three girls who did things to change themselves to be beautiful. She looked over at Forgiveness From Heaven, and she had died. The play ended with Forgiveness From Heaven waking up to normal feet and doing a dance.

Overall I really enjoyed this play. It mainly seemed to be about the constant quest for beauty. The three women wanted so badly to be beautiful, but in the end they all had to pay for it. There were some parts that were really funny. However, I did feel that it lasted too long.

The Waiting Room Issues

The Waiting Room is a play that will be held November 19 at ASU. It has to do with certain issues including foot binding, hysteria, corsets, and breast implants. Below is a little information about each issue:

Foot binding is done on young girls from the age of four to the age of seven by their mother or grandmother. Foot binding is done so that the girls feet will not grow anymore. Typically the four smallest toes as well as the arch of the foot would be broken to make the foot binding process easier.

Hysteria was known to be a disease causing symptoms such as stomach pains and/or a yearning for education. Doctors used to give a pelvic massage as a form of treatment. This would cause the patient to have an orgasm. Eventually doctors began recommending vibrators to patients rather than having to spend so much time stimulating their patients.

Corsets were worn for medical reasons such as Scoliosis or to promote good posture. Some women wore them improperly causing problems such as broken ribs, damage to their organs, or deformation of their stomach.

Breast implants typically require three incisions. The implants are placed below the mammary glands and the major muscles of the breast. Capsular contracture, which is when the body forms a capsule to protect itself from a foreign body which is perceived as a threat, can be an outcome of breast implants. These capsules can create a lump on the breast that can be painful. There have not been any proven links between breast implants and diseases.

The Image the Media Portrays

What I find difficult about being a female is the image the media portrays as "beautiful". The media portrays beauty as being skinny and tan. I believe beauty consists of intelligence and who you are as a person more so than how you look. I am proud to be a confident, intelligent, and creative female. However I feel limited when the only comments I receive are based on my appearance. Women should not feel powerful about looking beautiful, but about something more important such as solving a problem. A time when I felt proud of myself was when I wanted to start a club in high school, but the teachers who were in charge of the clubs kept throwing up all of these road blocks. It seemed like they wanted me to fail. However, I answered each issue they had until finally I gained their approval to form the club. The club held a major fundraiser each year it was in existence. The first year we raised over $600 for Crisis Assistance Ministries. The second year we raised over $500 for Teen Health Connection. It was tough going up against three teachers, but I succeeded! A woman I look up to would have to be my mother. I look up to her for several reasons. My father lost his job 12 years ago, and my mother has worked to support our family. She has been able to provide well for us, pay for my brother and I to attend college, and give us memorable vacations. She also helps not only my family members when there are problems, but she also volunteers with several organizations because she believes in helping others.