Blog #1: Introduce Yourself!

Hometown:

Minnesota is where I was born.  I was raised in a German farm community on land that my immigrant great-great grandparents settled in the 1860's. The community was so small that everybody really did know all your business. We did not even have private phone lines and people would listen in on other peoples phone conversations. My father was born and raised in the city of Minneapolis but when he married my mother, he moved to the farm with my mother and grandparents. I went to a small VERY strict parochial school and it wasn't until I went to high school at an all girls Catholic high school in the big city of Minneapolis that I realized how ridiculously sheltered a life I had lead. Catholic high school girls can be sooooo bad. After high school and some college I travelled with friends to California to visit their relatives and never went home. 

Facts about your family:

I have been married FOREVER and have 4 grown children and 2 step children.  

Why did you choose to attend Cal State Long Beach?

After I decided to pursue a degree, I naturally decided to attend where 3 of my kids attended.  They all had great experiences and I have actually had courses with some of their former professors.

What do you want to do when you graduate from the university? 

I hope that my degree will help me to get a better paying job. My husband though is just hoping to have more time with me with me no longer worrying about my courses. 

If you could choose one personal object to represent you, what would that object be? 

This one is hard for me,  but. . . the best I can come up with is my car.  Not the vehicle itself but what it represents for me.  I've travelled all over the U.S. and would love to jump in the car and do it again. I never get tired of road trips.

Who are your heroes? 

Ralph Nader is way up their on my list of heroes.  What a selfless, civic minded man. He is proof that regulations on big business are necessary to protect the American people from corporate greed.  Another hero of mine is Michael Moore.  He too fights the powerful to improve the lives of the powerless. 

If you could travel to one spot anywhere in the world, where would you want to visit? 

I have always wanted to go to Niagara Falls. Ever since I was a little kid I thought of the Falls was a must see.  Still waiting.

What are your current favorite books? What books would you recommend to someone you just met? 

I just read Hunger Games. I think most everyone would enjoy these books.  One of my favorites of all times though is Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri.  Though not a new book it is written as a series of short stories about immigrant Indian people and it is really well written.

What pushes your buttons? What are your pet peeves? 

Bullying is so unnecessary and really just makes me nuts.  I become so upset when I see it that it is hard for me not to speak up. My pet peeve has to do with rudeness.  When someone borrows something it bothers me when they don't return it.

What music are you listening to currently? 

I really like Fleet Foxes and some of the old stuff from Bob Dylan.  

Favorite colors?  

I have always liked yellow and orange and have shades of these colors throughout my house.

Favorite Web sites? 

I'm a political junkie so I like: politico.com, salon.com and colbertnation.com.  

Favorite foods?  

Pizza is my all time favorite.  I also like cheese--I think that comes from being raised in farm country.

All-time favorite movies?  

I love the movie Life is Beautiful, such a moving story.  I just recently saw To Kill a Mockingbird at the theater on classics night. . . it still is one of my all time favorites.

Favorite artists? 

Ryan Gosling and Bill Murray are two of my favorite artists.

Favorite free-time activities? 

I do like to see movies and hang out with family in my free time.

Why did you enroll this course? What are your expectations?  

The current environment in this country has lead to my interest in social activism.  By taking this course I hope to understand the history of social activism and how it has evolved and changed over time and hopefully become more involved with social change.