Fresh Start

My academic years at San Jose State have been a roller coaster ride. Let me begin with the Fall of 2005. It was my freshman year, coming straight from high school and ready to begin a new chapter of my life. I decided to choose Computer Science as my major, since I liked computers, playing video games, and technology in general. My career goal at the time was to get a job in the video game industry. I used to play video games a lot and wanted to work for a video game developing company like Electronic Arts (EA). After a successful first semester, reality set in the following year. Introduction to Programming, one of the first core courses for the major, was a complete pain in the neck and required a lot of time to learn the language of Java. Add to that Calculus 2 and Physics 50 and I was soon digging myself into a whole. It was just too much for me to handle and I began to look for resources on campus. The tutoring was still not enough and I began to fail class after class after class and so on.

Two years later, I knew I had to make a change in the direction I was going. Since I had taken plenty of math and science courses, I decided to change to a major that required the courses I had already taken. I changed my major to Materials Engineering, with the hopes of improving my academic standing. However, the same two courses continued to haunt me: Calculus 2 and Physics 50. To make things worse, I had to take Chem 1A, a course that requires every minute of your life. After talking to my major adviser, I came to the conclusion that math and physical science majors were not for me.

I began to research other majors to see which ones caught my interest. Then I came in contact with the Political Science Department. I looked back in my senior year in high school and remembered that I did well in my American Goverment class and was interested in learning more. It was the Fall of 2008 when I made the decision to change my major to Political Science. The following semester, I took POLS 1 and POLS 20, along with two other GE courses that I had not taken yet. I did really well in those courses and improved my GPA to get out of academic probation. Not only did I pass those Poli Sci courses, but I enjoyed both of them as well.

This semester, I am taking POLS 2, 3, 4, and 100W so I can begin taking advanced GE courses and classes required for the major. I feel like I have been given a fresh start and a new outlook in life. I plan to take advantage of this opportunity because they do not come often. I do not know what career I plan to pursuit, but it will involve the government.

Vocabulary Words
Repudiate (v.) - to divorce or seperate formally from

Enervation (n.) - to lessen the vitality or strength of

Impressions of the SJ Sharks' Season so far...

After watching today's game against the New York Rangers, I am very pleased with the way the Sharks have played. A complete team effort was given today from the Sharks, starting with goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. He has made spectacular saves that has kept the Sharks in the game for the most part this season. Most of the Sharks' defensemen are in their first year with the team, so there are question regarding team chemistry. Led by Rob Blake and Douglas Murray, the Sharks defense will need to make some adjustments to start shutting down opposing teams. On offense, the Sharks received a huge upgrade by acquiring Dany Heatley, the disgruntled left wing that left Ottawa via a trade. Since the NHL lockout in 2005, Heatley has scored 188 goals, 3rd among active players. At home, the Sharks continue to dominate their opponents with a record 2-0-1 this season. On the road, however, the Sharks have had a rough start, posting a 3-3-0 record to begin the season.

The biggest question is whether the Sharks will get past the opening rounds of the playoffs. Last year, the Sharks ended the regular season with the best record in the NHL, but got eliminated in the first round by the Anaheim ducks. This has been the story for the San Jose Sharks for the past four seasons, with each early playoff exit feeling even more bitter. The Sharks off season roster moves are sure to bring some new life to a fan base that has been left with disappointment. One can hope that this is the year the Sharks get "over the hump" and advance to the Stanley Cup. Only time will tell.

Vocabulary Words
Replete (adj.) - abundantly supplied or provided; filled

Overwrought (adj.) - extremely or excessively excited or agitated

Long Night

After I was done with work yesterday, I decided to go to Starbucks and have a coffee. I needed an extra push to help me stay awake and finish my assigned reading. I arrived at Starbucks around 8:00PM and decided to buy a grande White Chocolate Mocha. I was reading A Discourse on Voluntary Servitude by Etienne de la Boetie, which was assigned by Professor Quill of my POLS 3 class. It was a very interesting reading that talked about how nations fall victims to a single tyrant, who's only power comes from the people of those nations. He stresses throughout the book that a people should never take their freedoms for granted. So I stayed at Starbucks for a good two and a half hours until I finished the reading.

When I returned home, I decided to write my previous blog, since I was falling behind the past couple of weeks. I was still wide awake from the coffee I drank, so I had no problems finishing my blog. While I was writing the blog, I decided to watch some TV with my friend. It was around 12:00AM when I finished writing my blog.

This is when I started to worry that I was not going to get enough sleep. I showed no signs of drowsiness and did not feel tired at all. So I started talking to my friend for a while about random topics, hoping that I would start feeling sleepy. It was 1:00AM and I said to myself "What the heck, I should go to bed regardless how I feel". While in bed, I was listening to my Zune for a while, again hoping that this would help me fall asleep. Unfortunately it didn't, so I just put my Zune away and closed my eyes shut. I ended up falling asleep around 2:00AM and woke up around 7:00AM. Fortunately, the workout at the gym today gave me an extra energy boost to stay awake throughout the day.

Vocabulary Words
Jingoism (n.) - extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy

Delate (v.) - accuse, denounce

Review of the SF Giants 2009 Season

Although the Giants did not make the playoffs this year, they made many improvements compared to previous seasons. First of all, they finished the season with a winning record of 88-74. The Giants posted four consecutive losing seasons before the start of the 2009 season. Secondly, the Giants pitching rotation proved to be a force to be reckoned with. The late season acquisition of Brad Penny provided a boost to the Giants pitching core. The dynamic duo of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain had outstanding performances and combined for a record of 29-15 and 432 strikeouts. The rest of the rotation, consisting of Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez, showed signs of improvement and brought optimism for the upcoming season. Two of the highlights of the Giants pitching staff included Jonathan Sanchez no-hitter and Randy Johnson's 300 career win. Finally, the Giants were able to establish a new identity following the end of the Barry Bonds era. A mixture of young players and veterans brought the Giants back to postseason contention. Pablo Sandoval, who earned the nickname "Kung Fu Panda", became the face of the Giants franchise along with Lincecum and Cain. Sandoval led the team in batting average, home runs, runs batted in, and other offensive categories. Randy Johnson, Edgar Renteria, and Aaron Rowand provided guidance to the Giants' pitching staff, infield, and outfield respectively.

The 2009 Giants still showed signs of weakness in certain areas. They had an impressive home record of 52-29, but it was overshadowed by their mediocre 36-45 record on the road. Most of the Giants hitters performed below expectations and put all the pressure on Pablo Sandoval to provide the offensive punch. Playing in his rookie season, Sandoval performed at his very best, but eventually ran out of gas towards the end of the season. Sandoval's main goal this offseason is to trim down his weight with hopes to improve his already stellar rookie season.

Vocabulary Words
Kin- a group of persons of common ancestry

Irenic- favoring, conducive to, or operating towards peace, moderation, or conciliation