Sept 7th, 2023: An Introduction

Part I

Hola! My name is Melanie and my preferred pronouns are she/her/hers. Besides my name Melanie, I have been called many names. Some being Mel, Melody, Melanoma, smelly, Mel Mel, and so on. Therefore, I truly do not mind any nickname, but Melanie works just fine. Currently, I am a junior majoring in English Education. Besides college, I am working three jobs. Technically two, if you consider the ones I am getting paid for. As for some of my interests, I find that most of my hobbies fall under the creative umbrella. Including writing, music, film, and so on. I also love the outdoors, the color green, and (more recently) cooking. 

When it comes to starting a new...anything, I find that I always experience a certain type of anxiety. A fear of the unknown, if you will. Therefore, when it comes to starting a new course, that fear and anxiety arises. Questions like this often pop into my head; "What if I don't like my professor?" "Will I like the content or the way the class is structured?" or "What if I fail?" However, these little fears tend to go away once I attend the first session, but they still linger a bit throughout the year or at times of high stress.  

As for the things that I hope for during the beginning of a school year, I find that I have many goals that I strive for. The main thing being to simply learn as much as I can so that I can be best equipped to teach my future students. And to make the most out of my college experience and to truly grow beyond the classroom. 

When I had initially read in the syllabus that workshops of our work was going to be something that we do regularly, I had that fear of the unknown creep back in. But once that fear had sat and occupied some space, it had quickly morphed into excitement. I realized the value and chance for growth that sharing my work will bring me. And though it will bring slight discomfort, I will welcome it and do my best to embrace it. As for giving others critiques, I find that I am excited to do so as well. As an English Ed major, I am often the person my friends go to for advising on a paper. So, this is certainly not something i'm unfamiliar with. However, it is a skill of mine that I could improve, hence my excitement to do so in this course. 

Some stories that I have always found myself drawn to when reading, are one's that will consume my mind. This quite literally could be any genre, mode, author and so on. I find enjoyment in art and literature, therefore, I love to read literally anything. As of late, I have been diving into poetry, and thoroughly enjoying what I have found. 

Part ll

Absolutely nothing compares to the excitement of going to the movie theater. As an avid movie-goer, I am more than happy to see a movie in the theater more than once. In fact, I think my record would be four for the 2022 hit movie Everything Everywhere All at Once. The feeling of seeing a trailer, months in advance and just knowing that the movie is one that you want to see. To then buying your tickets and waiting in very line for some buttery popcorn, peanut M&MS, and a nice ice cold Sprite. With your goodies in hand and friends of choice, you then get to actually sit down and simply view the movie that you had been anticipating for weeks. Simply soaking in every single frame. The acting, soundtrack, cinematography, and so much more wrapped up in a plot that you can consume in just about two hours or less. A chance to escape in a cheesy romantic film, a dark comedy, or a two hour and nineteen minute film that will result in you questioning everything you ever thought you knew. So much so that you had to go see it again...and again...and again. Sure, there is always Netflix, Hulu, and some other streaming service named after an animal that I could find a movie on and enjoy. Despite that, I still somehow find myself in a movie theater. And I will continue to do so again...and again...