What is a MAAP?

A MAAP, or Medical Alcohol Amnesty Program for short, is a widespread and very popular policy enacted by student governments in colleges and universities around the nation. Generally, it states that if a student was intoxicated noticably beyond the legal limit and was in need of medical help, the student his/herself, nor those acting to seek this help will be judicated by the university against university policies. This is a wonderful policy, in my honest opinion, set in motion in large part, by our current student body president, Callie Boyd. However, there are some "ethical" questions about this policy. My research of this topic led me to the Temple University student newspaper, which said, "If you’re underage and out for a night of drinking, it’s best that you drink to the point of hospitalization so that you won’t be punished by Temple." This is an utterly rediculous statement, but does make you think. How can someone, though underage, caught responsibly and controllably drinking a beer and watching a movie get punitive consequences through the college they are attending, while someone drinking to the point of a coma is left scotch-free. As negative as these issues are, I feel that MAAPs are great ideas, due to the fact that alcohol consumption is instinctively almost a right of passage for college. And most, including myself, will spend three years consuming it illegally. I certainly wouldn't want anyone thinking twice if I was in need of hospitalization because they, or myself was underage.

A ton of Ethical Statistics

This article threw a whole lot of logos and statstics at readers, but really did not surprise me to a great extent. In my little job experience for about 5 years at jobs of landscaping, lifeguarding, and working in a restaurant, I've encountered ethically questionable situations nearly everyday. No matter what we may want to think, ethics come in to play in every type of job. It may be a little matter, such as passing a job down the ladder of command that could easily be done, or a huge matter, such as embezzlement or fraud, but ethics are definitely involved in the workplace. Needless to say, these situations cause a load of distractions. People who witness unethical happenings question their right to challenge or "rat out" their co-workers, while most everyone in their own right has been guilty of unethical behavior at some point in their lives too. Thus, it's a double-edged sword. The only thing that can be fixed in the workplace is to install the right people in the right jobs and building a relationship of trust. Inevitably, unethical situations will arise and it will show true character how co-workers and bosses handle themselves when faced with these crossroads.

Writing+Web vs. Writing on Paper

This week, we're supposed to take a look at writing on varoius mediums. What I mean when I say mediums is either the new-age era of writing on the web, which includes e-mails, AOL Instant Messanger, and facebook, or the traditional way of communicating by writing on paper. The new technological breakthroughs in communication have almost created a new language in a sense. Also, style has been changed when communicating on the web. I personally feel that sentences are shortened and the true meaning and expression of feelings is not completely represented by the online medium. Conversely, traditional forms of writing communication, like business letters, seem more official now. More value is placed on these forms, as it is understood now that more time and effort have to be devoted to hand-writing a letter. For example, take college atheltics and recruting: recruits are going to value a hand-written letter from a coach a lot more than an e-mail or text message. Knowing that the person put time and effort into it makes a world of difference when selling a school to a perspective recruit. When transferring a written document onto the web, it is crucial to make sure you keep the meaning of the letter the same. Online mediums can be less personal and seem a little cold. Another thing to keep in mind when transferring a document online would have to be errors in translation as well.

Madnesss

March is my favorite time of the year. Not for the weather finally starting to thaw the earth from the icy grips of Winter. Not for all of the spring breakers raging onward, party beads and all, to youthful meccas like Panama City Beach and North Myrtle. Not even for the hopeful prospect that school is nearly over and summer is about to begin. However, the reason for my seasonal elation is the NCAA Men's (not Women's) basketball tournament. With the unveililng of the brackets, everyone starts off on even ground. Everyone has an equal opporutnity to call the big games, the no-brainers (1 vs. 16 seeds), the calculated upsets (5 vs. 12 seeds), and the miraculous underdog victories (see Davidson). Teams, regions, and players are researched with unparalelled vigor. Every possible advantage is factored in to this tedious decision-making process. Then, after the agonizingly-long four days from Selection Sunday to the first tip-off have elapsed, the madness begins. The first Thursday is like Christmas morning to some sports fans. Probably one of the most skipped days in work, employees stay at home "sick", yet uncontrollably glued to the television. Donning team colors for the past week, avid sports fans cherish their brackets and dream about their team dancing their way into the finals. Some bold sportsfans even proclaim this event: "the best days of the sporting calendar," dwarfing such mega-events as the Super Bowl or the World Series. So sit back all you sportsmen and women, and enjoy the ride that is...the madness.

Anything worth winning is NOT worth cheating for

In reaction to the article about lying on the resume, I was a little surprised by the fact that 50 percent of people lie on their resumes. Even though the author emphasized the fact that these were probably little white lies that really couldn't hurt their chances at getting a job if adressed ethically, I still was surprised that so many people would lie on the very piece of paper that was supposed to give future employers the only impression of them. I also found it interesting how much the post-test was used to unearth these egregious mistakes in judgement by employers. The consequences were harsh and probably rightfully so. I surely would hate to lose out on an appetizing job to someone that lied on their resume. From the perspective of the companies, they are losing out on their credibility and what they thought they were getting out of a hire, which could cost thousands of man hours and money. This could and should give them every right to take legal action against the guilty party as well. So in a nutshell, this whole article as well the story about Mary is urging every future job-seeker out there to, for our sakes, don't lie on the resume. It'll really come back to bite you.

The good, the bad, the ugly.

I really enjoyed all of the presentations in class over the course of this past week. This was easily my favorite class activity we've done so far. I really feel like I got to know all of my fellow classmates a lot better through their topic choices and presentations themselves. You could really see who was a good public speaker as well as those who relied heavily on the powerpoints. A few stood out to me as being very good. I forgot his name, but the guy who presented on Clemson's playground: the experimental forest. His slides and animations were very impressive and his cues were phenomenal. He never read off of the powerpoint word for word and his slide with the numbers was amazing. He really knew his topic. James Palmer's presentation topic was very interesting, as I've often wondered about alcohol sales at sporting events. Another presentation I really enjoyed was Leigh's presentation on learning styles and education. Her class activity getting the crowd involved was very entertaining and I enjoyed it. Purely on powerpoints, I think Charlie's was the best because the pictures were unbelievable and made me hungry. As far as my presentation went, I may not show it that much, but I'm actually pretty nervous speaking in front of groups. My presentation was kind of thrown together at the last minute, but was on a topic that I was discussing with my friends the days before. Wal-mart provided inspiration for the ending game by having the Top Gun soundtrack on sale for 6 bucks. I was worried it was going to be too short and I feel that I rushed a little bit, leaving out some information I had planned to share about rock and roll music being the best for you; however, I feel that it went pretty well and was pretty unique. Good class activity and I would definitely reccomend doing that for future classes.

Thoughts on the mock interview

Interviews have never been that easy for me. I've always been a little apprehensive about the whole interview process that awaits in years to come. From the time I was interviewed by Dennis Carter, a legendary local sports anchor, for some athletic accomplishments, I've always sort of stumbled over my words when being interviewed. However, practice does make perfect and I thought the mock interview was a great tool that will help me in the future.

After scrupulously examining my interviews and comparing them to others who were waiting in line in the dungeoun-esque room, I realized that my resume looked like it was done on a typewriter compared to their beautiful masterpieces these girls were clutching. Nonetheless, I persevered and made my way to the interviewing room. Honestly, I was pretty confident going in because not more than two hours before this, our health 419 Prep for Internship class conducted mock interviews as well. So I got a feel of what kind of questions they asked like, "describe yourself in five words". This helped alot when I came into Angie's interview. Halfway through the interview, I realized that I didn't have any questions to ask after the interview, but sort of winged it when the time came based on some of the information that I had read about the program I was interviewing for. The stories I used for the answers were kind of on-the-spot as well, seeing that I had never been to an official interview before. Nonentheless, I really enjoyed this low-pressure interivew and would definitely reccomend continuing it to benefit many more future businessmen and women.

Free write

Sundays are the best days and the worst days. All afternoon, motivation reaches an all-time low; Zaxbys is the preferred lunch of choice; and cumulative television hours double as this lethargic day rolls on. Stories fly around the room about the night before, fueling week-long debates of sports bets and relationship talks. Finally, at the pinnacle of laziness, a sudden and dramatic realization of sorts takes place. You take a good hard look at your week ahead and realize what tasks are looming and how much work you've piled up, shoved to the side, and said, "Nah, I'll just do that on Sunday". Well now all of this procrastination has reared its ugly head and there's no way out. Your back is against the wall. Weekend warriors trudge to the library with strong coffees in hand ready to battle on through another week. But don't worry guys, another weekend is only five days away.

They never read cover letters?

Browsing through these articles about cover letters written from a hiring manager's point of view, I've learned a few things about them I would have never known. First, I had no idea that cover letters were rarely read, and if they are read, it's after the resume. I thought that it was the other way around, which is actually what my Health 419 professor was stressing. However, no matter how often they are read, cover letters are still important. They're another selling point for you to your prospective company. The most important part of a cover letter, from what I gathered, is your description of yourself and what you can bring to the company, as well as a strong close. Just like final arguments, closings carry a lot of weight and are usually the last thing the hiring manager remembers about you, so make it count.

Still got sweaty palms

Sometime in my future, I know an interview with a prospective company is looming. While I've never been too good at situations like interviews, I think this website offered a bit of good advice. After reading two articles, I have a little better of an idea of what to expect. I've learend that appearance is crucial when giving off a first impression. Secondly, I need to do some homework about the company, possibly even jotting down some notes to show that you are really interested in the company and not merely going through the motions of an interview. The second article I read provided good information about sealing the deal. You can really blow a great interview by slipping up towards the end. As in public speaking, delivery is everything. How you say what you say is very important and can make or break you in an interview. Next, the interviewer is more likely to remember the last thing you say. Therefore, when listing things, save the best quality or job for last. Lastly, you should be aware of how the employers will get back to you before you leave, so you're not left waiting around for a phone call that will never come.

Integration/Admission

After reading Martin Luther King Jr.'s "A Letter from Birgmingham Jail", one can't help but notice the elements of ethos, logos, and pathos that pervade the persuasive document. King establishes ethos fairly early on in describing the similaritities of his profession to those of his audience. His work as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference coincides with the clergymen to whom the letter is addressed, in sharing the gospel. His personal experiences in explaining segregation and the way of the world during those times to his children creates a sense of ethos as well as the vivid descriptions of brutalities committed against "Negroes" in the South, using phrases like "bombings of Negro homes". His logos shines through when he is persuading clergymen to sympathize with his act of breaking the law, when he juxtaposes just laws with moral fortitude that uphold "sameness" and those laws that unjustly "differentiate" citizens. After seeing these three constructs of persuasiveness exemplified in King's letter, I went on the hunt to find the use of such tools in my field of Health Science.
My quest ended at the PT graduate school webpage for the Medical University of South Carolina. With students essentially paying for 3 more years of schooling, MUSC must sell itself in order to win the best students from not only South Carolina, but surrounding states as well. MUSC also uses elements of pathos, logos, and ethos to entice students to enroll there and bring them more money. Ethos is established in the school's statement of accredibility from nationally recognized Association of Accredidation in Physical Therapy Education. Also, it posts the prestigious careers of its very own educators to give off the sense that students will be receiving the highest education. Ethos is implemented by having alumni give detailed accounts of how nice the staff/facutly was and how their goal is to take care of you and guide to on to your profession. Logos was a little tough to find, but I saw it in the statistics given for the field of physical therapy in how much they make per year and how with the increasing number of older folks, the field physical therapy is a logical choice that will experience no job shortage in the near future.

In ten years I will be...

hopefully reaping the benefits of working hard now. I hope to be well-entrenched in my dream job of Physical Therapist, being a community leader, and starting a family of my own. After graduating from Clemson in May of 2009, I plan to attend Graduate School and dig myself further into student loan debt while most of my friends start making what seems like a fortune to a person right out of college. While still in school, however, I hope to get my doctorate in Physical Therapy and start practicing shortly thereafter.
Ten years from now, I see myself raising a family and living a happy, yet simple life. I plan to have an 8-5 job working at an outpatient physical therapy clinic, hopefully self-owned one day, leaving all my work at the office, and not having to work any weekends. I see myself giving a lot to my family and community, because as my Dad says about community service, "You've got to give something back. If you don't have the time, give the money; and if you don't have the money, give the time." I hope to be watching my kids go to public schools, because I think private schools give children a skewed reality and slight them on some social skills necessary to make kids humble and accepting. I'm definitely going to be involved in my family a great deal, which is one of the reasons why I chose PT instead of going to med-school and becomming a doctor or a big businessman. One thing I've promised myself is that I won't be one of those parents glued to a cell-phone all the time whose business hours run into family time. Finally, I see myself with a dog. I never had a dog growing up, but I've always wanted one.
This is an image of what I see myself like in ten years, but I'll be the first to tell you there are a whole lot things that I want to do and see before becomming the home-body physical therapist.

Web 2.0

After watching the youtube video on the web, I think the title desribes the new and improved usability of the web. Originally complicated and hard to view, post, share, and change, the web oversimplifies everything down to a level where now kids can easily do things on the web their parents couldn't even think of doing. This affects the workforce in large part due to the widespread use and understanding of the web and a huge number of people being more web-savvy. People already in the workforce, our parents for example, are finding it tough to adapt to a more web-reliant culture where all the answers to anything and everything are found on the computer. I don't think the web will ever replace the old ways completely, but the world will become based mroe around the web, as it has in the past decade, which will force us to rethink some, but not all things in our lives.

Icebreaker

Hello bloggers. My name is Matthew Rinckel and I'm a Junior health science major from Lynchburg, Virginia. After I graduate, I hope to go on to physical therapy school somewhere and maybe one day own a practice, but for now, I am coaching a youth basketball and soccer team at the YMCA. As far as interests go, I just like being active and try to avoid spending my college days on a couch. I like to play soccer, beach volleyball, and swim, but I also enjoy hiking and canoeing. I am a huge classic rock fan; however, I have everything in my tunes library from Earth, Wind, and Fire to Journey. I hope that gives you a good description about me and I am looking forward to posting more as the semester goes on.