Tech Tip: Weather Widget

Made the decision today to try and spice up my blogger page a little more than the basic design I had prior. I have no programming ability whatsoever, but this website https://www.wunderground.com/stickers/?query=Norman,%20Oklahoma&MR=1 made it so easy even an amateur like myself was able to make it happen. The weather widget brought some more creativity and depth to my blog page, and I am sure to add more to the site as the semester goes on.

Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey Part B

Ithaca by Edward Dodwell (1821) 

source: Wikipedia

Continuing on Odysseus's journey home him and his men continue to face a variety of different challenges and tribulations after offending the God of the Sea Poseidon. A series of challenges to test the worthiness of a man is nothing unique in Greek Epics, it is almost as prolific as the dorky high school kid ending up with the most popular kid in school at the end of a raunchy teen comedy. Continuing this trend would be simple enough, and would allow for differing forms of creativity to take over at different places in the story. Much like Hercule's twelve labors differing on the region of Greece he is sent, the Odyssey has differing challenges arise for the crew to face depending on the island on which they land next. The idea of choosing different islands in the Aegean Sea to design a variety of different changes for the main characters to face periodically is an interesting one, is also one that appears to belong more on a Saturday morning children's cartoon in the 1980s or '90s. Ultimately the survivors from the Week 2 story may soon be finding themselves on a dangerous trip home to their beloved home, thankful to be alive, hopeful they are able to overcome the obstacles and return to their loved ones.

Homer's Odyssey Part B, translated by Tony Kline,
http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/odyssey-ghosts-of-erebus.html

Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part A

Eastern Press printing of Homer's Odyssey 

source: flickr 

After basing my readings and story in week two on Homer's Iliad it seems only natural to select the poem's sequel for this week's focus. Crafting a story around the tumultuous trip home of a group of individuals is something that can be easily done no matter the period of time chosen for the setting. Whether this will serve as a direct sequel to my prior writing is still a decision I have yet to make for myself, it would be simpler to continue with the prior story, but a fresh start would allow for more creativity to be utilized. The story focuses on the bond of brotherhood that was formed in warfare and transitioned over to the many challenges during the travel home, this could be a theme that transfers well into a new creative story. 

Homer's Odyssey Part A, translated by Tony Kline,

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-odyssey.html

Week 2 Review: Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood

(Photograph of Mister Rogers in the late 1960s)

(source: WikiMedia Commons)

Similar to you I remember watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood on television when I was younger. I specifically remember it being played during our lunchtime at the church daycare where I would spend some of my afternoons in my youth. Seeing a link in the online announcements this week that connected me to a video including such a part of my childhood was a pleasant flashback, with a modern spin on my memory. Mister Rogers Remixed: Garden of Your Mind was a nice surprise and even a youtube video my roommates enjoyed seeing as it reignited their own memories of the show as well.   

Tech Tip: Canvas Application

I actually began using the Canvas mobile application during the fall semester since a majority of my courses had already made the decision to transition over to the new platform from D2L. I personally really like the application, especially for checking the status of grades or feedback on rough drafts while at work or walking between classes on campus. So far Canvas has been a huge step up from D2L and I wish it had been the main platform for classes during my whole time at OU, not just my senior year.

Feedback Thoughts

(source: flickr)

Getting Feedback Articles 

5 Tips For Taking Feedback Like A Champ 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/meganbruneau/2016/07/15/5-tips-for-receiving-feedback-like-a-champ/#40020ac325f3

Overcoming The Fear Of Feedback 

http://blog.impraise.com/360-feedback/overcoming-the-fear-of-feedback-performance-review

Giving Feedback Articles 

The Difference Between Praise That Promotes Narcissism vs. Healthy Self-Esteem 

 https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/03/10/the-difference-between-praise-that-promotes-narcissism-vs-healthy-self-esteem/

7 Key Characteristics Of Better Learning Feedback 

http://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/7-key-characteristics-of-better-learning-feedback/

Receiving and giving feedback is a difficult thing to do in life, even more so for me personally when working on my own writing. Writing is a strange undertaking most days for me, it is something I have been tasked with doing so many times while working as a public relations major, but it is still an area where I am still not fully confident in the product I am producing on a daily basis. Revisions are a difficult thing to take advice on from others, even more so from individuals who you do not have a personal relationship with outside of the classroom. Reading another person's writing can allow you to develop a connection to the author that can potentially be more than what was possible prior. I have a difficulty taking feedback, however providing it to others is something that I am able to do with relative ease, that is why the two articles that made the most influence on me focus on the getting feedback articles. As the title of my second getting feedback source states, I have a fear of receiving feedback from others, largely due to the issue of fearing my work would be subpar and viewed as less than mediocre. Working to be more accepting of feedback from others and using this information to better my own product is the end goal for the semester, especially since it will be such an important part of the semester. Only time will tell if I am able to us what I have read in these articles for the better over the course of this class, if I am then I will be able to get the most out of this course.      

Wikipedia Trail: From Homer's Iliad to Leonidas I

(statue of Leonidas I of Sparta)

(source: WikiMedia Commons)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad

My foray into Wikipedia this week began by visiting the page for the epic poem I chose as the basis for my story this week, Homer's Iliad. There was little new information presented to me concerning the story itself, rather the material present on the page focused more on the historical significance of the poem and whether or not the events portrayed in the story are factual or exaggerations. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey

The first link to draw my eye was to the story that was a direct follow up to the Iliad, concerning a group of soldiers who participated in the Trojan Wars and there dangerous voyage home that did not exactly end in a positive manner. The story of Odysseus and his men attempting to return home was an opportunity to for me to revisit a story that was one of my favorites during high school english. 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta

Considering this was one of the major forces I chose to use in my story it seemed almost natural for my wikipedia trail to lead me in this direction. The Spartans were a warrior culture that developed an intense training program to form the fiercest fighting force of the Bronze Age. Our generation has been introduced to the city-state of Sparta due to a fairly successful film from several years ago known as 300, which ultimately lead to my final wikipedia trail stop. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonidas_I 

My final stop on this week's wikipedia tour landed me on the legendary Spartan king who lead the famous final stand at Thermopylae against the invading Persian army as they attempted to overtake the Greek peninsula. This was the most interesting of my stops this week, presenting me with the most new information, where I had previously only known what was shown to me in the aforementioned movie 300. 

My wikipedia trail this week continued down a constant line the whole way, focusing on Greek culture and mythology. Maybe future trips down the rabbit hole will lead to a broader experience than this first one, but it was still an enjoyable first time.   

Week 2 Storytelling: On the Shores of Santorini

(a Greek phalanx preparing for combat during the Bronze Age)

(source: WikiMedia Commons) 

The ultimate sibling rivalry has been raging for thousands of years between the Greek Gods Hades and his younger brother Zeus. The two were constantly going against one another, challenging the other's claim on ruling Earth's mortals. Hades began devising a plan to overtake the Greek peninsula by backing the most dangerous group of soldiers among all the city-states, Sparta.

The Spartans were from the western region of Greece located on the banks of the Eurotas River in Laconia. The Spartans were renowned for their warrior culture and deadliest army of the Bronze Age. Hades came to Prometheus, the Spartan King, during one of his dreams, explaining to him the glory that would be his if he did as he was commanded and took his forces to conquer Greece.

Just as the God Hades commanded, Prometheus took his Spartan forces , eventually burning Athens to the ground completely. Upon seeing this destruction consuming the Greeks and learning it was due to the actions of his older brother, Zeus took it upon himself to stop this Spartan conquest. Zeus began considering the major nations and their individual heroes.

Zeus turned to his fellow God Apollo, requesting his aid in garnering the support of the Trojans, who were devout followers of Apollo. The Trojans called the city of Troy home, which was located across the Aegean Sea on the banks of Asia Minor. Apollo agreed to help Zeus, hoping to Hades overtaking the other Gods.

Apollo chose to visit Earth directly to speak with the great Trojan warrior Prince Hector, hoping to convince him of the importance of war against the Spartans. At first Hector did not see a reason to enter into the conflict overtaking lands across the Aegean Sea from his homeland of Troy. However, Apollo was able to show him the inevitable future invasion the Spartans would launch against Troy after conquering their own neighbors. Hearing this reasoning Hector agreed to lead his Trojan troops to meet the Spartans on the field of battle. Having secured a major military force to go against the Spartans, Zeus knew there was still something missing from putting his force on equal ground with the Spartans. He needed to secure the services of the world's greatest warrior, Achilles.

Acquiring the services of Achilles and his mercenary army would be no easy task to complete, even for a God. Achilles was a man who would not simply be swayed by duty or even the promises of gold. Rather he preferred the possibility of becoming an immortal himself in the history books as an unstoppable force on the battlefield. Zeus came down from Mount Olympus to seek the services of Achilles, an event that had not occurred since the days of Hercules. This meeting with Zeus startled and shocked Achilles, who never expected to meet him until the day he died. Zeus began to explain the coming war between the men of Sparta and Troy, of the glory that could be had in this conflict. Imagining the possibility of his name going down forever swayed Achilles to Zeus's cause and he agreed to join the conflict.

Prometheus's scouts began reporting the news back to their leader: the nation of Troy beginning the preparation for war and Achilles joining their forces to end the Spartan advance. Hearing this news, he became concerned in the abilities of his own nation to win this conflict on their own, calling upon Hades to give them strength and power to overcome Zeus's forces. Hades surprisingly denied him this request, explaining the glory would only be his if he could finish the conquest alone.

Wishing to avoid useless loss of life by civilians and the scorching of precious land Zeus reached out to his older brother, wishing to have he war waged between their two forces on an island in the South Aegean Sea, Santorini.

The two armies arrived on the island a few months later, understanding that only one of their forces would be leaving the island. The first evening camped on the island the leaders of the two armies came together on neutral ground to discuss the rules of warfare, agreeing that the battle would be fought to the end, with no survivors from the losing force being allowed to leave the island alive. The battle began with an eagle soaring overhead, followed by thousands of arrows being unleashed from both forces as the armies moved forward. The battle waged for hours, with no force noticeably holding the upper hand, while the Gods Hades and Zeus watched together from a mountaintop overlooking the conflict. Thousands of men were battling below, battling one another for what they believed was right. Just after midday was when the Trojan Prince Hector fell in combat to the spear of a Spartan hoplite. Seeing their leader fall in combat encouraged the Trojans to reorganize under the command of Achilles who was still leading the attack. The battle continued for several hours more with only a few hundred soldiers remaining on either side as they both pushed forward.

At this point the two Gods overlooking the battle realized neither would truly be victorious this day and that they had simply both sacrificed thousands of men for no true cause. Hades saw no issue with this occurring, while Zeus on the other hand vowed to prevent such a senseless war from occurring again under his leadership. By the end of the day both Achilles and Prometheus had perished on the field of battle, with only a few dozen remaining alive. There was no true winner this day, only losers, and one God with a new resolution to protect those on Earth more than ever before. Zeus struck his brother down and trapped him in the depths of the Underworld, himself returning to Mount Olympus to overlook humanity and prevent such a conflict from occurring again.

Bibliography: Homer's Iliad (retold by A. J. Church) 

Author's Note

I took several characters and the region depicted in the epic poem by Homer know as the Iliad as the basis for my story. Homer's Iliad describes a story when neither side truly comes away victorious in the end, rather both leave the story having lost more than is won in the end with thousands of lives changed forever due to the conflict described. It is still debated whether or not the city of Troy ever existed, or even if this battle could have possibly occurred during this time period. The story has become a popular epic poem for thousands of years and has been the basis for countless other retellings, sequels, or theories. Other than Hector and Achilles this is a story of my creation, forming a story of useless slaughter to show the futility of man and their willingness to go forth into the unknown, simply following the commands of another who they respect and revere. The story is set on the island of Santorini which is located in the South Aegean Sea. Over two days I read the poem and took notes from the reading to use here in my own writing, whether it transitioned well I am unsure of, only time will tell when I revisit this writing in the weeks to come. 

Week 2 Story Planning: Homer's Illiad

(how I feel having to write papers sometimes)

(source: flickr) 

Moving forward to the storytelling phase further research needs to be completed on the geography of Eastern Europe, specifically the Greek Islands and Western Persian Empire. Rather than setting my story in a historically known place such as Athens or Sparta, the war will instead take place on a lesser known Greek isle in the region serving as a sorta of neutral ground for the combat to take place. Moving forward I have decided the antagonist for my retelling of a Greek Epic will be the city-state of Sparta, with Achilles leading a mercenary force aligned with the Trojans of Troy lead by Hector. Pairing these two traditional rivals with one another will provide a different take on the potential legacies that could have been left behind had Achilles joined Troy during the war rather than serving the desires of Agamemnon's brother. I have no prior knowledge concerning naval warfare, especially the form that existed during the Bronze Age, so my war story will be focusing on ground warfare between classical hoplite troops of the Greek City-States from the period. As I mentioned in my first and second note taking posts a big issue I felt when going through the reading process was trying to pronounce the names of the Greek chieftains in the epic poem, so I will be using names with more of a Roman origin instead, hoping to aid in the reading rhythm of the story. This being the first story of the semester means I am going in not knowing what to expect exactly, similar to the feeling I am sure the Greeks would have felt sailing to the shores of Troy. I am hoping to tell a story in a classic age of antiquity, while implementing more modern tones of warfare story telling, rather than glorifying one central hero of the conflict my tale will be similar to the HBO show Band of Brothers, focusing on the goals that can be accomplished through the brotherhood formed in combat. Achilles and Hector will be presented as they are in the Illiad, as great warriors of a by-gone age, coming together in my story for glory and their names to go down in history forever. The leader of Sparta will be known as Prometheus, planning to overtake the Greek peninsula with the goal of pleasing the God Hades. Zeus will enlist the legendary soldiers Achilles and Hector to lead forces against the Spartans with the goal of protecting the peninsula and immortalizing their names in history.  

Bibliography: Homer's Illiad (retold by A. J. Church)

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-iliad-retold.html

Reading Notes: Homer's Illiad Part B

(painting of a triumphant Achilles with Hector's body in tow)

(source: WikiMedia Commons)

A climatic battle between two of the greatest warriors in the tale is an aspect I plan to avoid in my story post upcoming. Warfare is not about the deeds of one man necessarily, but rather the accomplishments that can be made when individuals come together as a unit to protect one another and move forward toward the end goal of victory. In points of this story there is intersection by the Greek Gods as the events ongoing on Earth, to make the story appeal to a wider audience I will be avoiding constant religious references or the appearances of Gods every other turn, rather saving their appearances for truly heroic or dramatic moments of the story. Again I find the Greek names difficult to read and pronounce in my head, leading to the rhythm of the storytelling to be thrown off, more non-traditional names could help to alleviate this issue for myself and other readers. As mentioned before on my previous notes, a series of more dramatic battles would be entertaining  and provide a faster pace for the story, rather than years of siege warfare with the occasional skirmish here and there. Hades and Zeus are traditional rivals in Greek lore, why not use them in my story, with each backing one side or the other simply to anger their eternal rival during the conflict. My story will not end with a definite end to the tale, but rather provide a cliff hanger so the reader can decide the end of the tale to be in the way they feel is best. 

Bibliography: Homer's Illiad (retold by A.J. Church),  

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/iliad-rousing-of-achilles.html 

Reading Notes: Homer's Illiad Part A

(Achilles statue in Achillion Palace garden, taken by Vince Smith)

(source: flickr) 

The idea of an entire war being waged over a single individual is nothing new or innovative, so for a change of discourse the war could be fought over the theft a sacred statue or possibly to fulfill a prophecy that was foretold by the elders of a community. Eight years is a rather long time to conduct a siege of a city, which in itself is not overly entertaining to modern readers, so a more climactic single battle or  several skirmishes could create a greater feeling of excitement for what is to come in the following lines. For a war story focusing on the exploits of a singular character, rather mentioning so many other leaders of the events could create a personal connection to the main character that is greater than normal. I plan to write a story in ancient Greece, using easier to pronounce names for the characters rather some that are shown in the Illiad. Achilles is a classic character of Greek lore that accomplished impossible feats on the battlefield, comparable to the deeds done by Hercules in his trials, he provides the perfect background for a new story centered on his exploits. Possibly instead of battling the Trojans, Achilles becomes their ally to take on the Spartan city state as they are attempting to retake the stolen time or fulfill a prophecy. Instead of an assortment of chieftains coming together to serve the bidding of one king, it would instead be one king going against the odds to overcome. 

Biography: Homer's Illiad (retold by A. J. Church), http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-iliad-retold.html 

Growth Mindset

(a brain pumping iron growing itself)

(source: Pixabay)

This is not the first time for me to be introduced to the idea of growth mindset. This is something that was presented to me during a previous communication course here at Oklahoma when I was completing my minor requirement for my major. I do believe that with a concentrated effort and confidence in one's self it is possible to expand the limits of your mind in different areas of thought and research. For me there is no plateau in the level one can achieve academically. Initially my first few semesters of college were a struggle for me to adjust to the coursework and the amount of time that would need to be invested into each class, far more than ever was expected of me during my high school days. Since the second semester of my sophomore year though I have noticed a growth in my academic abilities since changing my major to public relations and discovering what major my manner of thinking was best suited for. Going forward I have continued to struggle with procrastinating assignments, hence why I am writing on a Sunday evening at 9:30 when the blog is due by 11:59. Having been introduced to the idea previously I have a decent understanding of the content but am open to learning more about growth mindset. My biggest goal for the semester is to pass my remaining two course and to walk across the stage in May to receive my diploma, symbolizing my four years of work here at the University of Oklahoma.

Time Strategies

(time management reference)

(source: WikiMedia Commons)

Time management is an essential skill set to develop during college as a way to better prepare for the classes one is taking and to maintain a lower stress level. Entering my final semester of my senior year it is becoming clear I am beginning to suffer from "senioritis" once again. This occurred to me during my final year of high school and has reared its ugly head. Personally my time management issues lie in procrastinating till the last minute to finish an assignment or prepare studying for an exam. The two articles I chose to read related directly to this issue of mine, Four Questions to Help You Overcome Procrastination and 11 Ways Unsuccessful People Mismanage Their Time. The four question article was the more beneficial of the two for me personally as the questions it posed are the very same I struggle with myself on a regular basis. My constant struggle with time management is the little voice inside my head telling me it can wait until later so that I may do another activity that seems to provide me more entertainment at that immediate moment. My desire is to learn from the recommendations in these readings and to solve this procrastination issue once and for all before continuing onto graduate school. As for this course my current scheduling of doing the six hours of work per week over a three day interval, with two dedicated hours each day. Only time will really tell if this will be the best course of action or not in the long run for me.    

Week Two Reading Options

(statue of Poseidon in Copenhagen, Denmark)

(source: WikiMedia Commons)  

Homer's Odyssey 
http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-odyssey.html

This is actually a favorite story of mine, first being introduced to it during high school by my English teacher for an assignment. This is the story I have chosen to read for week two, hoping to enjoy the tale as much the second time as I did the first time around. I also remember watching a movie depicting the story during school that was delightfully cheesy since it appeared to be filmed on a small budget in the 60s or 70s.

Homer's Illiad (retold by A. J. Church)
http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-homers-iliad-retold.html

Being a fan of history, specifically the tales of ancient Greece and Rome I was drawn to this classic tale featuring the  hero Achilles. I have read a retelling of this story once before for a project during high school, and look forward to revisiting the beaches of Troy as she defends herself from foreign invaders. Also the action filled movie Troy with Brad Pitt may or may not have played a part in the selection as well.

Adam and Eve 
http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/myth-folklore-unit-adam-and-eve.html

This interests me as return to a simpler time in my life when I would attend Sunday school on a regular basis and the most stressful task I had to complete was practicing cursive. I have recently returned to attending church on a regular basis again and this story still remains in my memory as one of my favorites as a child.

Week 1 Story: The Country Mouse and City Mouse

Maintaining a connection with one's family is not always a simple task and on occasion requires some compensation between the two parties on a variety of different situations. This is the case concerning the cousins who are at the center of our story. One is a simple farmer, Country Mouse, tending to the fields and harvesting his livelihood from the Earth, relying only on himself and the work ethic instilled into him by his own parents as a child. The other, City Mouse, a well-to-do aristocrat from the city who has never experienced dirt and grime during his life, preferring instead to spend his time attending fancy balls and gatherings with others like himself, paying no mind to how the feast in front of him was prepared or contributed to. 

 One day City Mouse decided he would find out for himself why his cousin continued to live alone and in the middle of nowhere in what he believed to be a sad existence. So he boarded a train and left the city limits for the first time, escaping to the open prairies of his cousin's livelihood. Country Mouse was thrilled to have his cousin coming to visit for the first time. As they had only previously communicated through letters this would be their first time meeting one another. Country Mouse took his cousin on a grand tour of his farm, and that evening prepared for the City Mouse a meal he believed was fit for a king. The City Mouse, however, was shocked at the simplicity of the meal and the way of life his cousin had chosen for himself. He believed if Country Mouse could only see the City and all it had to offer someone, then he would surely leave the farm and come to live there with him. Country Mouse was hesitant to accept this suggestion, having always enjoyed the quiet and views presented to him by the open landscape. Feeling he owed it to his cousin to at least hear him out and make the trip to see this wondrous place he spoke so highly of, he agreed to go.  

The two cousins set off the following morning for what would be a visit the Country Mouse would never forget, but not for the reasons his cousin would hope for. Upon arriving the City Mouse took his innocent cousin on a tour of the City, beaming with excitement as he showed him the amazing sights and the hundreds of people calling this place home. As with the visit to the country, the two cousins shared a meal that evening prepared by City Mouse this time, allowing him to show his cousin the exotic and new foods the City had to offer. 

After the meal the cousins began discussing the visit, whereupon the City Mouse began to assume his cousin would immediately wish to move and leave the dust and dirt behind. This was not the case, though, as Country Mouse would explain, "This may be home to you, dear cousin, but to me, the place where we should all call home and hang our hat at night is where our heart feels whole." Upon hearing this City Mouse lamented, understanding his cousin's connection to his farm, and his own to the sprawling urban landscape. Family does not have to be the same to love one another. Our differences can strengthen our relationships and in turn bring us closer together in the end by allowing one another to experience new and wonderful things. 

Author's Note 

This story began as the Aesop Fable of The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse. The story is of two family members who go to visit one another to see just how the other side lives. Along the way the city mouse and country mouse both learn new things about themselves personally, while being introduced to how the other side of life lives. Eventually the City Mouse denounces his previous way of life and grows fond of the lifestyle his cousin has introduced to him. I did deviate from the original story in that the two main characters chose to continue their lives in the manner they were accustomed to. Of course I included some more modern cues to the story, while retaining the old-world feel. Ideally my desire is for the reader to imagine the story taking place near the turn of the 20th century, where the old world truly came to an end and the new modern age began to overtake the past. I was drawn to reading this story originally due to the memory it brought forth of spending time at my grandparents' house where they owned a VHS copy of this story being told in a cartoon format. I really enjoyed the cartoon as a child and sitting there with my grandparents. Now it is nice to be able to look back fondly on this memory and smile.        

"The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse," The Fables of Aesop, Joseph Jacobs (1894) 

The Country Mouse and City Mouse, oil on canvas painting by Scott GustafsonSource: The Art of Scott Gustafson) 

The New York City skyline lit up at night, Oarabile Mudongo: Wikimedia Commons

Country road scenery, Marco Farouk Basir: Wikimedia Commons  

My Storybook Favorites

(literature reading books pile)

(source: Max Pixel) 

The Sherwood Investigators ( https://sites.google.com/site/alecstorybook/introduction )

A new take on the traditional Robin Hood tale, featuring a new character who is introduced as being the new apprentice of the legendary gentleman's thief. Roger Godberd is the main character for the tale, going on a variety of different adventures in medieval England, with and without the aid of the famous outlaw Robin Hood all along the way. As usual with tales of Robin Hood there is a reward offered to the public for the capture of these individuals, however this is against the public opinion as both the men are loved and revered for the variety of adventures they undertake.

Three Labors of Hercules ( https://sites.google.com/site/4laborsofhercules/introduction )

This storybook provides a different viewpoint for telling the story. It is introduced as being a class that is taught at Hogwarts from the Harry Potter universe, with the groundskeeper Hagrid being the instructor for the course known as "Greek Myth, Magic, and Monsters 2". The 12 Labors of Hercules are a classic tale of Greek Mythology that has been retold countless times over, in this story there are an additional three labors that never became common knowledge to the world because Hera was so ashamed at the skills of Hercules in defeating her many tasks. There are three new original tasks introduced for the first time, challenging the Greek hero once again to overcome the odds and to be victorious in the end.

Rise of King Arthur ( https://sites.google.com/site/riseofkingarthur/ )

Notice a trend developing here? I have been drawn to the more classical stories when browsing the storybook selections, it could be due to familiarity or simply that historical settings are more interesting to me than the modern day. The story focuses on an orphan by the name of Riothamus who was discovered as child by the Roman Military and would go on to be trained as a soldier to serve the empire. Riothamus is a gifted soldier who is struggling to discover where he comes from and what his real purpose is in this world; is he simply meant to exist and serve the desires of the empire, or is there a greater destiny that exists for him down the line. The story tells of his arrival in Britain and the journey he embarks on while there. Is he the man we now know today as King Arthur?

Introduction to a Future Lawyer

(Myself and my mother at Remington Park, April 2016, personal photo)

Hello my name is Cole Nimmo and I am currently a senior here at Oklahoma majoring in Public Relations with a minor in communications. I am from Ponca City, Oklahoma, which is in north central Oklahoma, about fifteen miles from the Kansas state line. I have grown up in a fairly large family by modern standards, being the youngest of four children and the third member of my family to attend the University of Oklahoma, with my parents and remaining sibling attending Oklahoma State sadly. Growing up I learned the meaning of hard work and responsibility working on my family's cattle ranch, where I plan to return to one day. These lessons have aided me in achieving my education goals here at OU, such as being admitted to OU Law for the class of 2020. Studying law has been a goal of mine for several years now and I hope to one day return to my hometown to practice law and to eventually begin my own firm or rise to the position of partner in one that is currently established. This course will be testing my writing creativity, a skill that has never been a strong suit of mine as I typically restrict myself to a more professional and by the book approach. Blogging is something I am especially not comfortable with, particularly doing this on a daily basis as I usually prefer for others not to see my writing other than an instructor. So this final semester of undergrad will be one that allows for me to branch out more than I have previously and to experience a non-traditional course for the first time.

My Favorite Place: Grand Lake o' the Cherokees

(A view of a part of Grand Lake near Grove, Oklahoma.) 
Source:Wikimedia Commons 

Growing up in a rural area I was blessed to be a short drive away from bodies of water at all times and this lead to my summers being spent on the back of a boat or floating in the cool water to escape the Oklahoma summer heat. Originally my favorite lake to visit was Lake Tenkiller in eastern Oklahoma, this is where I learned to swim and would spend summer weekends on the deck of my grandparents' cabin there. This little piece of paradise  sadly disappeared for me when my grandparents' decided it was time to sell their cabin and to move onto different things in their lives at the time. For several years after this I was limited to the shores of the Kaw Lake and Lake Ponca, both of which are located in my hometown of Ponca City, Oklahoma on the Kansas border. These two bodies of water were fine for the time and both provided me the opportunity for lifelong memories to be made. Still, there was always something missing that you just couldn't receive from traveling to a lake five minutes from your home. Traveling to a different city, interacting with new individuals who you are unfamiliar with, these were things I missed about our summer visits to Lake Tenkiller. During college I have been fortunate enough to make some truly close friends and this has allowed me the opportunity to travel to a lake that was once foreign to me, but is now slowly becoming home away from home. I have spent the majority of the last three summers on the waters of Grand Lake creating lasting memories I won't soon forget, and new traditions I plan to carry on for years to come.I am never more relaxed or truly at home as a I am when I am on the water with close friends and family enjoying the Oklahoma sunshine, supplemented by a cool breeze off the water. Grand Lake is a wonderful place to visit for a day, a week, or even simply just to drive by and admire. Grand Lake has slowly become my new favorite place and I can't imagine this changing anytime in the near future, unless my family makes a return to Lake Tenkiller. Only time will tell...  

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