SPCH, FCHD & SOC

Going through the list of classes I have taken has brought back a ton of memories! This blogging series might be more fun than I thought.

I don't plan on doing these in order...where's the fun in that?


Spring 2010. SPCH 1020-Public Speaking. Grade: B+

Oh public speaking. I'm horrible at it. HORRIBLE. I remember taking the class with a friend who was great at it. He could get up there and entertain a crowd all day. The end result? He almost failed and I got a B+. Where's the justice in that? This class was taught by a student teacher so he was totally focused on us following all the rules and guidelines. Luckily for me he didn't care how good we were at actually speaking to our group...he just wanted us to follow the outlines and the rules. I am the bomb.com at following rules so it worked out. I don't even remember what my speeches were, I just remember them being horrible. This horribleness hasn't gotten better. You should hear me speak in church...unless you're totally in tune with your spiritual side, it's pretty bad.

Fall 2009. FCHD 1010- Balancing Work and Family. Grade: C+

I know what you're thinking...Meg, you got a C+ in FCHD? yes. yes I did. Just further proof I'm never meant to be the crafty mom that talks about looooove buckets and makes chore charts. This was my second semester of college and this class was as stupid as it sounds. We spent a whole section talking about the Love Bucket (Pronounced Luuuuuuu-ve Bucket). The idea is that everyone has a bucket. At the top of the bucket is where love should be coming in, and there is a small hole at the bottom of the bucket where love comes out. To be happy, you should be constantly filling this love bucket. (This is really technical stuff you guys...I understand if you don't quite get it..) All jokes aside, this is the ONLY thing I remember from this class, so I guess the old happy man with a santa beard got his point across.

Spring 2011. SOC 3420- Criminology. Grade: A

If I didn't go into journalism, I would have gone into criminology. This stuff was fascinating! Learning why criminals are criminals. Cool stuff.  I still remember the main things people need in their lives and if they're missing too many of them, they are more likely to become a criminal. I don't remember the exact wording but I'll try to break it down for you.

People need someone to hold them accountable. If you don't have anyone in your life that would be disappointed in you (ie. parents that care), you're more likely to do disappointing things. You need something that's valuable. If you don't have a college to get kicked out of or a job to get fired from, you're more likely to do stupid stuff since you have "nothing to lose". You need to feel accepted. If you don't feel accepted you're more likely to hang around a group of people (ie. gangs) that are doing bad stuff just so you feel a part of something bigger than yourself. Makes sense right? There were a few more but I don't remember.

We were asked the question "is there a crime that is considered wrong everywhere in the world, and at all times?" This caused some conversation. people of course listed murder...but what about during war? Treason was an example...but what about the men who committed treason for The United States? I think Rape was the only one most of us could come to the agreement on...and even then it was iffy.

I remember another lesson where the professor had every one write down all the crimes they had ever committed (anonymously) and then read them to the class. It was a room full of thieves, liars, aggressors and robbers. A university course full of criminals.

This was one of my favorite classes and it made me want to continue to take more Sociology courses. (Before I transferred to the University of Utah I planned on minoring in Sociology).