The Way

I really enjoyed watching the film, The Way.  Watching each of the characters as they traveled on the camino was very inspiring.  I thought that it was really cool to see how each of the characters in this movie changed  as they walked their pilgrimage.  It was inspiring to see how they all seemed to get more in touch with themselves as they traveled through Europe.  I agree that the purpose of the Camino is to find yourself and reflect on your life and its' purpose.  I think it would be beneficial for everyone to go on a pilgrimage whether it be 3 days or almost 3 months like in the movie.  It is a great way to get away from the stress of our everyday lives.  On the Camino, I think that Tom's purpose changed throughout his journey.  He began the Camino so that he could carry his son's ashes and complete it for him.  As the pilgrimage went on, I think that Tom realized he was meant to walk the Camino not only for his son, but also for himself.  

Mixed Messages

I think that the Church sends a lot of positive messages to young women.        
The church teaches women to treat themselves with respect and to make sure that men treat them this way too.  Also, the church teaches women the importance of families and how crucial their role is as a mother to their children.  While the author of the article thinks the church is limiting women to only being mothers, I think that they fully support women who want to be a mother and have a career.  Also, I think that going to a Catholic, private all-girls school has taught me a lot about what it means to be a woman.  I have been taught to always strive for the best and to have a strong faith in God.  I have also been taught to have respect for myself and others who are around me.  While I think that there are more positive messages than negative messages, I think there are some negative messages the church teaches.  An example is that only  men are allowed to be priests.  This isn't a really bad thing, but some women see this as the church treating men and women as unequal.

Abortion

I think that the amount abortions that go on all over the world are horrible, but I think that it is even worse that in developing countries more than half of the abortions done are unsafe. Abortions done in the United States are safer than those in other countries because they are legal here. While I  think that it would be ideal for abortions to be illegal, I think in doing so, more illegal abortions would take place in the United States.  

There are several ways to help lower the number of abortions in these developing countries.  One way is to give the women access to contraceptives and birth control.  It is only fair for these women to be able to have some control over when they will get pregnant.  If contraceptives are not available, then the chance of getting pregant is much greater.  Also, I think that these people should be more educated about family planning and why abortion is wrong.  I think that some of the women that become pregnant get abortions because they don't know what else to do, when they could give their baby up for adoption instead of aborting it.  Also, while legalizing abortions in developing countries would not help decrease the rate of them taking place, it would decrease the number of unsafe abortions.

IVF

I believe that there are several pros to IVF, but of course there are also cons involved with the process.  While the Church thinks that it is wrong, I believe that if a couple can not have cildren, this is a great option for them.  The main pro to IVF is the fact that it is another chance at having a child for those who have trouble getting pregnant.  Also, IVF has been around for a while and it is relatively safe compared to other ways of pregnancy outside of natural conception.  Some cons are that IVF is extremely expensive and it is not guaranteed to work.  Another con is that is puts the mother at an increased risk for anxiety and depression because it can be very stressful.  Even though there are cons to IVF, I disagree with the Church, and I feel that if a couple wants to try IVF to have a baby, they should.  I also don't think that expensive cost of IVF has to do with the morality of the practice.  

He's Just Not That Into You

         One of the characters in He's Just Not That Into You that relates to what we've been studying in class is Gigi.  Gigi is desperately looking for someone that she can have as a boyfriend.  Gigi lacks self-confidence, and she feels that she needs a boyfriend so that she can be happy with herself.  She also constantly tries too hard when she talks to guys and she thinks too much into when a boy talks to her.  In the end of the movie, she does end up in a relationship with Alex. She relates to what we are talking about in class because she is desperately looking to be in a relationship even though she does not have to be in one.  

        Another character in the film is Beth.  Beth has been in a relationship with her boyfriend Neil for several years, and she feels like they need to get married.  Neil on the other hand does not want to get married because he is happy with the way their relationship currently is.  Beth constantly tries to tell Neil they need to get married, and after she can't take it anymore, they break up.  Eventually, they get back together and Beth realizes she would be happy to be with him even if they did not get married.  In the end, Neil proposes and the two end up getting married.  Their relationship relates to what we learned in class because they exemplify a relationship where marriage does not change their love for one another.  The two of them maintained a  steady, long-term relationship even though they were not married (atleast until the end of the movie).

The Changing Face of Marriage

When I was growing up, the "domestic church" played a role in my life, but it was not completely like everyone else's. I always went to during on holidays and during Advent and Lent, but my family and I never went to church on a daily basis.  Despite not attending church daily, my parents were still loving and the most amazing parents that I could ask for. I have always had a strong faith in God because of going to Catholic school since kindergarten and recieving the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliaton, Communion and Confirmation.  I also think that the changing structure of marriage and family is unique to each couple.  I do not think that it is a bad thing for people to have children and not be married as long as they are in a committed, loving and stable relationship.  When it comes to marriage,  I can see why a college degree may help the relationship, but I also think that that statistic could be misleading.  I think that people get divorced becuase they have tried everything, and they feel their relationship is not working for them.  A college degree of course has its benefits for both people, but I do not think that it directly relates to rates of divorce.  For me, I one day hope to a establish a "domestic church" for my own family.  While I do not want to force Catholicism on my kids, I want it to be there as an option and as something that will help them to develop their morals and thinking.

Dating and hooking-up

I do not agree with the claim that dating is essentially practice for divorce.  I think that dating is a necessary part of learning about relationships.  While there are a lot of people who are dating and and not looking for anything serious, there are also a lot of serious relationships and marriages that stem from dating.  I think that those who are 'anti-daters' exaggerate the harm that dating can do.  Compared to dating, hooking-up is much different.  In hooking-up, I think that most people are mainly looking to get with the person only once or twice.  I think that hooking-up is not meant to lead to any type of real or serious relationship.   I think that hooking-up usually cannot lead to real relationships because the two people are only sexually attraced to each other. Also, a lot of the time it causes one person begins to feel attached, with the other person moving on without any feelings. 

Love Story Reflection

My Mommon and Poppop's love story has positively influenced my perception of relationships.  From their story, I learned that you do not have to be looking for love to find it. You can meet the person of your dreams at any time or place. Because they have been married for 46 years, this proves that love can last as long as you want, as long you constantly treat your partner with love, respect and loyalty.  I can not think of a love story in a movie or book that is totally similar to my grandparents'.  I think that their relationship is completely real, which is sometimes hard to tell in movies because they sometimes seem too perfect.  Even though my Mommom and Poppop sometimes argue, they always resolve their problems and forgive one another.  I think that the media portrays love in a way in which if there is a ever a fight or agruement in a relationship, the couple is bound for a breakup. A song that illustrates my grandparent's love story is The Power of Love by Celine Dion.  In this song, Celine sings "Even though there may be times/ It seems I'm far away/ Never wonder where I am/ 'Cause I am always by your side." These lyrics relate my my Mommom and Poppop because even when their relationship is not perfect, at the end of the day, they will always fix their problems and be happy together.

Some say love...

When I am dating or in a committed relationship, I want to be in a honest relationship.   I want to be with someone who is truthful and will always be there for me. I hope to find a man who will accept me for who I am and someone who will always treat me with love and respect.

 There are several songs that talk about love.  One example is "Just the Way You Are " by Bruno Mars.  One of the lyrics is "when I see your face/ there's not a thing that I would change/ Cause, girl, your amazing/ just the way you are. " Here is he saying that he will always love his girlfriend no matter what she looks like and he says she is perfect just the way she is.  Another song is Adore You by Miley Cyrus. In this song, Miley is talking about how she loves someone so much that no mater how much they love her, she will always love and care about them even more.  Katy Perry's song "Unconditionally" is another song about love.  In the lyrics, she says "there is no fear now/ let go and just be free/ I will love you unconditionally." Katy is saying that she will always love this person unconditionally and whole-heartedly.  Another song is "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey.  In this song, she sings about wondering if her significant other will love her no matter how her looks change as she gets older. The last song I chose is "Honeymoon Avenue" by Ariana Grande.  In this song, she sings about wishing that things were back to the way they used to be when they were completely in love with eachother and in a honeymoon-like stage.

I believe that there are some people who are soul-mates.  I do not think everyone has a soul-mate but I think that some people are just meant to be together.  I also think a soul-mate is not someone who completes you.  I feel that everyone is complete the way they are, but having some who is meant for you only would make you have a strong and loving relationship.

Gender

1) When I was little I was used to the idea that girls are supposed to be polite, wear pink and play with dolls/barbies.  Boys on the other hand were supposed to be tough, play sports and show less emotion when it comes to things like crying or being sad. I was never directly taught these ideas from my parents, but it was something that I noticed in preschool and kindergarten.

2) I have two younger brothers, and they were never dircetly told to behave in a certain way.  I remember a few times when my brother Joseph was younger that my dad would try to force him to play sports and he would not want to. Eventually he started playing basketball, and ended up really enhoying it. Ever since I can remember, I have always been a girly girl.  This is mostly from my mom's influence on me.  When I was younger, my parents liked the fact that I wa a girly girl, but they also supported me when I played soccer.  My parents were never that pushy on me and my brothers when it came to behavior based on our gender.

3)I think that going to the Mount has allowed me to view gender in a very postive way.  The Mount teaches us to be empowered women who can do anything that a man can do. This way of teaching has allowed me to see that as long as I work hard and try my best, I can pursue any career that I want to strive for.

4) In a romantic relationship, I think that is nearly impossible for gender to have absolutely no role. When I get married, I want to be treated equal to my husband, but I also want my marriage to be a little bit traditional.  While I want to have a successful career, it is very important that I one day become a mom.  I want to be able to spend time at home with my kids, but also maintain my career.  Most importantly, I want to be in a happy relationship where my husband and I love, support and respect one another.

Miss Representation

After watching the flim Miss Representation, I have learned how much of a role the media has in depicting the image of women.  I always knew that the media had an impact on young girls, but I never knew how much it affected them. Also, I have seen how women are sexualized in the media, but I never knew that it was to such a great extent. I also thought that it was awful how even women in congress are treated unfairly.  Even though they are highly respectable, successful women, men make incredibly rude and disrespectful comments about them. 

In this film, it seemed like whenever there were women who made a name for themselves, men wanted to degrade them and show that they have more power. In the workplace today, I think that men and women are treated pretty equally, but most of the time men have it easier. I think that if a man and a woman are trying to get a job position, the higher up the job is, the more likely the man will get it. If the position is lower, I think that they would be treated equally, but it if it were for a higher position, men have a better chance of getting the job. Even though men sometimes have it easier, women are the ones who are usually more qualified.

I think that going to the Mount has taught me to be a strong and independent woman. The Mount teaches all of their students to work hard and be proud of being a woman. Going to the Mount has taught me that our education is what will improve our society.  Even though there are still some prejudices that women face in the world today, I think that they will one day be gone when media and society realize that woman are equivalent to, if not better, than men.

My Mission Statement

My mission in life is to be become the best person that I can be.  I want to live life to its fullest.  I hope to be happy, and make others around me feel the same. I will strive to do good for myself, while doing good for others.  I want to have a successful career that I love.  I will continue to strengthen my relationship with God.  I want my faith to grow with me as I get older.  I hope to affect those around me in a positive way.  

Identity

My family has had a large influence in shaping me as a person.  Ever since I was little, my parents have always supported me and have been extremely loving and caring towards me.  Whenever I have a problem or am stressed out, I know that I can talk to my mom or dad about what is bothering me.  My two younger brothers have also shaped me as a person. I always try my best in everything because I know they are looking up to me. My youngest brother, Jack, has taught me to love the life I have and appreciate everything that God has given me.

My friends are another important part of my life that has shaped me as a person. My friends are always there for me, and I am always there for them. They are very important to me because they are people that I can talk to about anything. Since freshman year at the Mount, I have made so many great friends who I hope to be able to stay friends with throughout my life.

Another thing that has shaped my life is going to the shore.  Ever since I can remember, I have been going to Long Beach Island, NJ every summer. I love being able to relax on the beach and enjoying the beautiful weather of the summer. Going to the shore is a time for me to have fun and spend time with my family, especially time with my great-grandmom. Even though she isn’t able to go to the shore anymore, I love reminiscing on all of the great times I have had at the shore with her.