Final Essay

Final Exam Essay

Holocaust Overview

Holocaust Overview

Free Write 5/9/13

First off, today is the last day of class before finals.....woo! I am so excited, but time has definitely flown by. It feels like we just started the semester! Anyways...what I really wanted to write about today was my new job. On April  29th, I began working at Mercy Hospital. So far, it has been absolutely wonderful! I am working as a PCA on the Cardiac floor. I have already seen so much and learned so much that it almost doesn't feel real. I am so honored to have been able to start this job for many reasons. If I so choose to go to nursing school, I will have already had so much experience in the hospital setting and not feel like such a stranger to it all. Also, I will already have a head start on learning so many of the basics of working in the hospital by being a PCA. The team of coworkers that I have are fabulous and so very friendly!  They have been very welcoming and helpful. I think I am really going to enjoy this job! 

Birthday Movie

Free Write 4-4-13

Yesterday, I was on  my way to work and I recieved a phone call that made me very, very excited. On Tuesday, I had gone in for an interview at Mercy, and while I was on my way to work yesterday, they called me back to offer the job. I am very excited about it! I will be working on the Cardiac floor of the hospital as a CNA. Getting this job will hopefully help me decide which career path I want to take. I'm still in a toss up between Nursing and Social Work, but hopefully being more in the hospital setting will help me make my decision. I do love the job that I have now, but I feel like this is a great opportunity. I feel very blessed and cannot wait to begin this new part of my life!

Free Write 4-2-13

Yesterday was one of my favorite days of Spring... opening day. I grew up around baseball and I have always loved it. Two of my brothers played growing up and I always enjoyed being at their games. My favorite team is the St. Louis Cardinals, go figure! I love, love, love to watch them play. David Freese is the player that I like most. Also, the most attractive player! He is such a cutie. Unfortunately, he bruised his tailbone during Spring Training, so he is starting the season on the Disabled List. I can only hope that he doesn't need much more recovery time! My birthday is April 10th and I could not be more excited for it! I will be spending my day at Busch Stadium watching the boys play! This will be their third home game of the season and I am so excited that I get to be there. My dream is to watch Freese hit a home run; there would be nothing better. I keep praying that he will get better so I can at least see him play!! I will be very disappointed if I am not able to. But he still has 8 days to rest up, so I'm crossing my fingers!We may have lost the game last night, but I still believe that this will be a great season for the Cardinals!

Free Write 3-26-13

For many reasons, I am ready to move out of my parents' house. For the most part, I have got my life going pretty well and it is time for me to start thinking about that anyway. There is one thing that is really, really pushing me to move out though... the dirty bathroom. One of my biggest pet peeves is to have a dirty bathroom. Having to share my bathroom with two brothers, ages 9 and 15, is such a pain to me. They aren't disgusting, they could be much worse, but they could also be so much more clean. Every little thing gets to me in a bathroom, I feel like it should just be such a clean place. It drives me absolutely crazy when they leave stuff cluttered on the cabinets and bottles without lids on them. It also makes me crazy to see the toothpaste tube squeezed right in the middle and the cap popped open. When my brothers do try to clean the bathroom, they leave streaks on the mirror and on the granite counter top; I can't stand it! Maybe I'm a little too obsessed with my bathroom, but I can't help it. It has always bothered me to share a bathroom with anyone. I like things to be very organized and in place, especially in the bathroom. The thing that bothers me most about my brothers sharing a bathroom is that, when they bathe, they leave their dirty clothes in the floor. Every single day I find myself picking up after them because they just leave it all behind! When I do move out and have my own bathroom, I guarantee my bathroom will be one of the cleanest you have ever seen. :)
                                                

Warsaw Ghetto Video Response

Watching the video on the Warsaw Ghetto was very disturbing. The video was made to show what the Germans wanted people think the Jews went through on a day to day basis in the ghetto, but in reality, it was much worse. They staged many scenes with the Jews acting more content and comfortable in their environment than they were sure to be. The film makers would have many takes of scene to try and make it look as realistic as they could. They even filmed the Jews walking down the streets who seemed not to care at all that they were walking over and around dead bodies; they were everywhere. It is impossible to watch something like that and not feel completely sick at your stomach. From shootings to starving, people were dying so rapidly that it was unreal. There was no food to spare, no nourishment at all. These people were so thin that they looked like they could just fall over any minute, and so many of them did. When the Germans finally removed the deceased bodies from the streets, they would carelessly pick them up and throw them in to a wooden box. The Germans took mass amounts of dead bodies to a big “grave” and just dumped the corpses on top of each other, piling with no limits. Each of these bodies was like skin and bones, nothing to them. Staging scenes throughout the ghetto was simply a way for the Germans to cover up evidence of all that was going on behind the scenes. I cannot even begin to imagine how the Jews living in the ghetto felt. The fact that one human could even do these things to another is so sickening. The video definitely opened my eyes even more to what ghettos in the holocaust were like. I cannot even begin to imagine being one of the survivors and looking back on these videos.

Holocaust Testimonies

Joseph Morton was born July 11, 1924 in Lodz, Poland. Joseph and his family grew up in a small apartment with 6 children who all shared a room with their parents. His father was a Tailor, while his mother stayed at home cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the family. There were 5 sons, and 1 daughter, Joseph being the oldest of all 6. When Joseph began hearing of Hitler, he became very scared for him and his family. Before he knew it, his family was taken and dumped in a ghetto, where his father was made a policeman. The ghetto was closed shortly after in. Their beds were filled with lice and there was no form of nurture to anyone. The Jews were given yellow bracelets to wear to identify themselves. When this ghetto was closed, his family was reunited on a cattle wagon that took them to Germany. When they arrived to Germany, later in 1944, the Germans began making strict orders and separating all of the people in the wagons. Unfortunately, Joseph lost everyone except for his father, one brother, and a male cousin. They were sent off as workers to pour concrete, work on railroads and airports, and do many other tough jobs. This camp was also closed not long after due to too many deaths. At this time, Joseph was 20 years old and being moved to a different camp. He later caught an illness and was separated in to a group called the “sick Jews,” who were not expected to live. Fortunately, Joseph survived all of these tough times. He and his family were liberated by an American Army, and while he was too sick to remember the whole process, Joseph, his brother, his father, and his cousin were sent to a DP Camp in Canada and eventually made it back to the US where they were united with their whole family! Joseph described his way of survival as strictly luck.

“I was so sick when I was liberated I couldn’t even celebrate because I was out of it.”

“Being in the ghetto, the starvation was very tremendous.”

Edith Coliver was born July 26, 1922 in Karlsruhe, Germany, and raised in San Fancisco. She remembers her childhood being very peaceful and coming from a middle class family. While she remembered being very active in her Jewish culture, until things began to change in 1938, starting in the public school that she had attended. The Germans had stopped allowing Jewish children to attend the school. Her father made the decision to take the family away because he knew there was a war coming. When they returned to Germany, her family filed for her to get a Visa to make it out of Germany to America. Edith’s family stayed with her in New York for about four weeks, and then relocated to San Francisco. Not long after, Edith was moved back to Germany, she wanted to be a part of the Nuremberg Trials. Edith describes her way of survival being that her family was able to make it out of Germany before the killing started.

“I was in a gang, an upscale gang.”

“After Liberation, many more Jews died because their system could not accept food in to it.”

Free Write 3-5-13

I'm currently sitting class, and wondering if people have just lost their minds, or like to freeze when it is this cold outside. It is 34 degrees outside and there is a girl sitting in front of me wearing a skirt. I'm not sure what went through her mind this morning, but it obviously wasn't very much common sense. I do not have any idea why she would want to wear a skirt on such a cold, gloomy day. Maybe it's just me, but I much prefer to wear a skrit on a warm, sunny day! She may have a good reason to wear a skirt and I just don't it, but it really does not impress me that she has. I'm over here in a sweater and jeans, trying to keep a little bit of my body heat. She's obviously not too worried about that. It would make sense to wear a skirt with leggings, maybe, or tights; even boots. But no... that's not what she was thinking. Its still winter, lady, cover up.

Free Write 2-19-2013

One thing that I do not like, is when someone tries to change my mind on a decision that I have made. It is irritating to me and I feel like they should not try to make me change my mind. One of the things that bothers me most that people try to persuade me about is my career. I have chosen to be a Social Worker. Most generally, when I respond to someone that has asked me what I am going to school for, they look at me like I'm crazy. People often say things like "You won't like that." or "That's a hard job, are you sure you could handle it?" It bothers me becasue, I may not know everything to expect from this career, but I do know that it will be a very hard job. I also know that I can handle it. I would not be so confident in my choice if I didn't belive I could do it. I am very much looking forward to this career. Another thing that I don't like people trying to change my mind on, is tanning. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I am aware that it can cause cancer and is bad for your skin, but so are so many other things that people do on a daily basis! I am well aware of the situation that I am putting myself in. It especially bothers me when people who smoke or drink all the time tell me these things. It's 100% hippocritical for them to try and make me stay out of a tanning bed. I do not tan to the point that I look a different race, but just so that I have a nice color. I blieve that I am pretty good at judging my own decisions and I don't need anyone else to try and tell me what I should or should not do.

Free Write 2-14-2013

Today is Valentine's Day. For many people, this is a very special day, filled with love, laughter and romance. For others, like myself, it is just another ordinary day! Some get very bitter around Valentine's Day if they are alone and do not have a companion. I do not think that people that should feel this way. Yes, I am single, but I am not sad about it. I appreciate that there is such love around me and that other couples can be so happy. I do not feel that there should be any negativity for being "alone" n Valentine's Day. When there is no significant other, there are still many other ways to enjoy this day, just like every other. A simple solution would be to grab a friend and do something you both love! Today, my friend and I have quite the day planned for after school. First, we will go to the spa for a little pampering. We love our mani/ pedi days! After, we are going to have a nice dinner, then see a movie! We may just be best friends, but there is no sense in spending the day alone when we could be spending it together. Plus, we have a good excuse to pamper ourselves. :)

Free Write 2-5-13

One thing that I cannot wait to have is a family. I am very excited for my future and I already have a a lot planned... that I hope will fall in to place. I hope to meet my dream husband before I finish college, and become engaged no sooner than a year after we begin dating. After that, I hope to be engaged for at least 8 months, then we will have a big, beautiful wedding in a large church. We will need a lot of seating for both of our large families and friends. After our wedding, I hope he would be kind enough to take me on a cruise. That would be my dream honeymoon. I have already been on a cruise to the Bahamas, so I think Jamaica would be a nice place to go for our honeymoon. I am not hoping for an extravagant house, but I hope that we can share a cute little home with a beautiful view. Not out in the country, but on the edge of town. This house should have a few extra bedrooms, preparing for our children a little while down the road. 

Free Write 1-31-13

I know that this topic is over used and a little cliche to write about about, but I just want to write about one thing I feel very strongly against, abortion. This kills me to think about. Unless it is a life threatening situation for the mother, I do not know how any woman could be so selfish. I think it is completely offensive. There are many women out there who would give anything to be able to have a child, and it is physically impossible for them. It is kind of a slap in the face to them when someone else just choses to take the innocent life of a baby for selfish reasoning. I understand that some people feel uncomfortable with having a child spur of the moment, but if you are going to put yourself in that position, you need to be able to step it up and take the "consequences." I do not feel like there could be any legitimate reasoning behind an abortion unless it is going to harm the mother in an unhealthy way. It is also not fair to the women who have became pregnant and miscarry. It happens all the time. There are so many mroe options than abortion that any pregnant woman could think about. These women that cannot have babies would love to adopt, they're everywhere. I know that it is hard to think about this kind of situation when I have not been in this place myself, but my bestfriend just lost her baby. I have never seen such heart break in a person as I did in her. It takes a lot to grow up and be a mother, but throwing away that opportunity is so unforgiving.

Free Write 1-29-13

Today, I am choosing to write about the weather. It is currently close to 60 degrees out, which is extremely rare for January. It is muggy and very windy, I am expecting some rain today. I do not like cold weather, so this type of day in the winter is kind of nice for me, however, I also do not like humid weather. Today, it is ver humid out. I thought it would be a good idea to straighten my hair today and wear it down, like I normally do, but I was so wrong. My hair has become a frizzy mess, and it is only 8:30 in the morning. Thanks to the weather! If we could keep this temperature, and take out the wind and humidity, today would be a perfect day! A little bit of sunshine would be wonderful. I cannot wait for summer to get here, it is my favorite time of year. I am also really looking forward to spring though, because this spring break, I am taking a trip to Panama City Beach, Florida! I am so excited. I just hope that there are no days like this while i am on vacation. I wouldn't be too thrilled. Here lately, you can never tell what the weather is going to be like. It varies so much from week to week. One day it could be snowing, then just a few days later, be warm and sunny. Just the other day it was almost 80 degrees outside, after we had just had snow. This weather is crazy! On days like today, I would much rather just be curled up on the couch with a blanket, watching movies all day long.

Intro

Hey, everyone! My name is Sarah Wilkinson and I am from Bolivar, Missouri. For those of you who do not know where that is at, it's just about 30 minutes North of Springfield. I graduated from Bolivar High School in 2012 and this is my second semester here at OTC. I am not 100% decided on what I am going to school for, it's still a toss-up between Nursing and Social Work. Hopefully I can make my decision soon!

While attending high school, I danced on the Elektra Blue Dance Team at the school for four years. Dancing is my favorite thing to do. My Junior and Senior years, I was lieutenant of the team. My senior year, we took first place in pom and second in kick at the MSU Sugar Bears Dance Competition. I was very pleased with my team. Besides dancing, I also enjoyshopping, watching movies, going out with my friends, and spending time at my job. I'm currently a CNA at a Residential Care Facility in Bolivar and I enjoy my job very much. I am also a member of Rondo Southern Baptist Church and proud to say so! I believe that each owe many thanks to the Lord for our wonderful lives.
One of the most important things to me in life is my family- I love them very much! My family consists of my two brothers, two sisters, dad, step-mom, my dog, and myself. Pictured above, from left to right, are myself, my older sister Brena, my youngest brother Johnathon, my younger brother Ryan, and my younger sister Kaylea. Along with my family, my friends are also very important to me. I'm excited to start this semester and meet new people!

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Free Write 1-22-13

I currently have one pet. My pet is a Boston Terrier dog, named Ford. Ford is perfectly marked with black and white. He is a slender dog, with unusually long legs for his kind. He is very active and always has a lot of energy. Either by himself, or with a member of the family, it seems like he is always playing. He will run in circles around the outside of my house for no plarticular reason...it's kind of cute. Ford is also a very loving dog. He has never been mean to anyone, altough sometimes he can play a little aggressive. I love most when he cuddles up on the couch with me before he goes to bed. When bed time comes around, he knows exactly what to do. At 9:00, my dad will tell my youngest brother that he needs to get ready for bed, and Ford knows that it is his bed time as well.

Free Write 1 -17-13

Choosing a career is a very tough thing for me to do. Since I was about five years old, I always told my mom that I wanted to be a doctor. It was all I would ever talk about. To this day I would still like to work in some clincal setting, I just feel like it is where I'm supposed to be. In 2011, I took classes and got CNA certification so that I could start out working in basic healthcare and I have really enjoyed it. I have worked through CMH in Bolivar since April of 2011. While taking my CNA classes, I also got to job shadow a lot of different hospital facilities and see what it would be like to work in each setting. I have wanted to be a Pediatric Nurse for as long as I can remember, and while I enjoyed job shadowing there, I felt most comfortable in the OB/GYN. I found that I would absolutley love to deliver babies. It is a wonderful thing to be a part of, and while it has its faults, it is such a blessing to get to feel as such an important part of a beautiful thing. A few months ago, I just had a change in heart. While I would still love to deliver babies and work in a hospital, I also really feel like I need to be in Child and Family Social Work. I did a research paper to inform myself more of the details of the job and it really interested me. In both cases, my job would be very tough at times, but also extremely rewarding. I know I'm not prepared for everything that I will see in either career, but I know that I am an emotionally stable person and I am good at helping others cope in hard times. I am currently just taking classes that could be used for either career choice and hoping that these will help me make my decision. I can not wait to see how the rest of my life unfolds.

Free Write 1-15-13

I was born in El Dorado, Missouri and lived in Stockton, Missouri until I was in second grade. At that time, I lived with my mother. When I finished second grade, I then moved to Bolivar and started going to school there. I now live with my father. I have lived there since then, and still do! We have a nice sized family with five children. While I grew up, I lived in a house with my father, step-mother, two sisters, two borther, and two dogs. My older sister, Brena, is just a year older than I am, and she moved from our home last summer to live with her boyfriend in a house that my parents had built. My younger sister, Kaylea, is two years younger than I am, and she recently moved to Willard, Missouri to live with her mother. My two younger brother are Ryan, 15, and Johnathon, 9. They both happily reside at my parents' house, with me! We no longer have the two dogs that i grew up with. The female was a white Boxer named Cotton, and the male was a beautiful tan Boxer named Max. Since they have both passed, we now have a very hyper, lean, black Boston Terrier named Ford. I love my dog very much! I graduated from Bolivar High School in 2012. While I was attended school there, I also danced, which is my favorite thing to do.