Case #2 Where are you going, where have you been?

Victim:

Connie was fifteen at the time and her mother felt as if she was conceited. Connie was fixated on how she looked and how she dressed. She was always looked upon as the child that didn’t do anything and also who had wild / crazy dreams. Connie’s relationship with her mother wasn’t like the ordinary relationship. Her mother picked at her so much that she wished both of them was dead.

Potential Suspects:

1.       Connie’s mother was  jealous of Connie because of her looks. She always teased her about looking in the mirror because her looks had faded away. She always picked at Connie also about different things that she could have done around the house.

2.       Connie’s Sister June was twenty four but still lived at home with her parents. She was a secretary at the school Connie attended and that was a horrible experience. June was praised highly by her mother and mother’s sisters unlike Connie. June went places with her girlfriends and their mother wouldn't allow Connie to go.
 

3.       Connie’s father was at work most of the time and when he came home he only wanted his diner and his newspaper. He didn’t pay attention to his family much. So he didn’t get to really see how irritating his wife was to Connie.

4.       Eddie was a guy that Connie met at the drive in restaurant. He asked her to eat with him and she took the offer. At first Connie was hesitant about going alone with him but then she did. While with his she felt as if she had eyes looking at her and that gave her a sense of pride. She spent three hours with this guy. They ate hamburgers and also drunk coke. Five to eleven he dropped her off at the plaza.

5.       There was this guy at the drive in restaurant that kept on looking at Connie and his name is Arnold Friend. He had shaggy black hair and was in a convertible jalopy painted gold. He stared at her with a sight grin on his face. And as she kept looking back he waved one of his fingers and said “Going to get you baby.”

 

Witnesses:

Connie was at home with her mom.

1. Connie’s friends: Connie was a wonderful girl to her friends. But she always had problems with her mom. Connie would say to her friends: “She makes me want to throw up sometimes.” Meaning every word she said.

2. One of Connie’s close friends father would drop them off at the plaza probably three miles from town. This plaza had places you could shop, eat, and also had a movie theater. He would pick them up around eleven. When he picked the girls up he never bothered to ask them what they did

The interview:

Me: Hey Connie how is you today?

Connie: I’m ok I'm just happy that I am safe now.

Me: I understand so tell me about what happen when you were at home alone.

Connie: well, I was home alone listening to some music and fixing something to eat in the kitchen and then a car pulled up. I got kind of scared because i knew for a fact that my family wasn't back that soon. So I looked out of the window and saw a car that wasn't suppose to be in my drive way. It was gold and I remember the car from somewhere but I just couldn’t put my finger on where I saw it at. So I went to the kitchen door opened it and looked outside the screen door. I recognized the driver as the guy that kept on looking at me at the drive in restaurant. He began to speak to my asking questions like; "do you like my car, you want to go for a ride?'' I tried to ignore him but that didn't seem to work. He told me that his friend in the car had a radio because his was broke down and he kept  on telling me they were listening to Bobby King. I tried to give him a dry conversation for him to leave me alone and he began to tell me what his name was.

Me: Do you remember his name?

Connie: Yes, his name is Arnold friend and that his friend that was in the car with him name was Ellie Oscar.

Me: Okay, did anything else happen?

Connie: Yes, Then the other guy read off some numbers to me and i just laughed thinking they would leave me alone. There was the numbers and some more stuff written on his car and he offered to show it to me and I said no. Then he called my name I was so scared he was the guy that kept looking at me at the drive in restaurant and the other guy was the one I went out with. Then he began to name my friends he knew and even said that my parents were at my aunt Barbecue with my sister. He described what everyone was wearing. I was scared that I ran in the house and tried to call 911 and he told me to put the phone down. He even told me if i called the police he would kill my mother. He seemed like a sweet guy so I left with him. That was the worst mistake I made in my life.

Me: I know it was and I understand. What happen after you left with him?

Connie: When I we were on the road I kept asking him where were we going. He began extremely hostile towards me. We were at least five blocks from my house and he told me to get out the car. Before we walked in the house he told me that I was going to be his wife. I felt so bad that I left my family, left my home, with a guy that I didn't even know. While in the house the guy Ellie left and it was just Arnold and I. He began to cook and told me to make myself at home. I was so paranoid I didn't want to seem like i wanted to leave so I just obeyed him. We ate dinner than he told me that my bath water was running. I didn't want to take off my clothes in front of him but he insisted. After i got out my bath he was laid across the bed and told me I should do everything I was told from now on if i wanted to live. He made me have sex with him everyday until I finally escaped. I was there for at lease 4 years and tried to escape multiple times and always got caught by him or Ellie. Every time I got caught he would rape me then lock me up in the closet. But yesterday I felt like enough was enough so when he was in the shower, I climbed through the kitchen window and ran to the neighbors house.

Me: What did the neighbors say?

Connie: The neighbors didn't say much they just called the police and held me. I was so glad to see someone other than Arnold and Ellie. So when I got to the police station today I was reunited with my family and that was the best feeling ever.

Me: I know it was. I am so glad you are safe now.


 

Side notes:

1.       When the girls were dropped off by one of Connie’s close friend’s father they would sometimes stay at the plaza but most of the time they would go through the highway ducking cars to get this drive in restaurant where the older kids hung out. While there the girls felt older and a sense that they could ignore anyone they wanted to.

2.       When Connie was dropped off at the plaza by the guy her friends were there talking to a guy. Connie asked how was the movie and the girls said you should know. Then all of them got in the car with the girl’s father.

3.       The girls occasionally went out a couple more times that week but the rest
 of the time.

4.       It was a Sunday none of them bothered to get church but everyone except Connie went to the family Barbecue at their aunt’s house. The mother was upset with Connie about not coming but Connie didn’t care. Connie watched everyone leave out of the house and began to relax on the porch. She got hot and went into the house and turned on some music. This was the last time her parents and sister ever saw her until now.

Hybrid English Course and The Almighty Regular Course

For our Capstone project we decided to right about the difference between Hybrid Courses and regular courses. A Hybrid course consist of not going to class weekly and turning in work on the Internet. This class was a big step for us this year but we all got use to it quickly. There was a big difference between a hybrid course and a regular course. In hybrid courses you work efficiently and by yourself. In regular courses your teacher  help you more and you are involved more in the classroom. While taking hybrid courses you have to be willing to check your emails, accounts, and also do work on a daily/ weekly bases.

While starting my capstone project I had different topics i wanted to work on. But when I talk to my professor about the different topics, the Difference between hybrid and regular courses was the topic that caught my eye. It took a lot of time and effort for this topic but we, Erica and I, pulled it through.

our project: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6rvKLMWmAvyNVRQQ2d4cUhYT0E/edit

The Reflection of the Alimighty Blog Posts

First off I would like to say I've truly enjoyed this course this semester. Through the long nights deciding how to write about the different topics I made it through. The diffternt types of blog post has taught me the sense of responsibility and devotion.

The way I prepped to write my blogs this semester really helped me become a better writer. As I look back on my first blog post to the one I am posting now I see myself in my writing. I had to learn as a writer you have to express yourself and also keep your material interesting. With that being said I've chosen three blog post that I feel like I excelled in this semester.

The first Blog post I picked was the first blog post I've ever done: "All About Lenore (The Introduction)." This blog post was a mini series of what is expected of me and somethings about  you might have never known yours truly. In this blog post I expressed my goals in life, told a little about me, and named a couple of things I accomplished in  high school. In this blog i didn't have a lot of media nor hyperlinks but I explained myself and showed what is there to come from an Alabama girl. :)

The second blog post I picked was, "Why College Though?'' As a student at a major university I feel as if every student at a point of time has asked themselves, Why college? Well in this blog I explained the different reasons why I attended college and also some other decisions I could've made. Throughout high school I was involved in JROTC and my main focus was the military until I went to camp. In camp I decided the military wasn't for me so I began researching  some possible careers and colleges and came to the conclusion that I would attend Jacksonville State University and major in Nursing. To me this is one of the best decisions I've made in my entire life. This blog post was so meaningful to me that I decided to revise it for another blog post activity. In my revision, ( "Im In College Now Witches") I decided to go in debt of my accomplishments and explain to my peers and instructor why I chose college and the consequences of it. These blog post are my favorite because I got to really go in debt and express myself stating the reason I went to college and why college is Important to me. I feel as if this was my best piece this semester.

 

The final piece I decided to pick for this blog post is a blog post I am extremely proud of. Within this blog post I expressed the importance of college and also why is college good for me, for you, for anyone. In this blog post, "Is College Good Enough for me, for you, for anyone?", i took the time out to to stress the importance of asking yourself are you sure college is for you. In college we, students, go through peer pressure, arithmetic, and also dorm rooms. Everyone isn't equip to that lifestyle just yet so community college is a fresh start or even the military. In this blog post I decided to poor out my opinions and compared and contrasted them with others. This blog post took time and effort but also is a good read.

 

This semester has taught me the value of taking notes, having different learning abilities, and also staying focused. I am so honored that I am one of the many college students enrolled in a hybrid English learning class and can maintain it.

I'm In College Now Witches!!!! :))

My High School days are gone!!! (Wipes Forehead) Throughout my years of elementary, middle, and high school I often asked myself, Why college? Why would I choose college over the Military or a Good paying Job? It's because of success.  My family has a variety of ways of making money and also has different inputs on success. Such as mechanics, college, and the Military. My family is also strict on having an education and accomplishing your goals in life. So  throughout my high school career I was involved in JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) in which I developed leadership skills. While being involved in JROTC I met different people from different parts of the military, had my own recruiters, won awards, was on an award winning unarmed drill team, academic team, and excelled as a leader over many companies throughout my years in high school. I was involved so much in JROTC that the military was my main focus until my first week in JROTC camp. The different tasks we had to accomplish in a day was not something I wanted to do throughout my life or even for a short period of time. So I started to think about a career choice and different Universities.Throughout my years in high school I went on college tours and meet different people from different universities. My choices consisted of a school that had a good medical program, nice campus, friendly advisers, and great opportunities. After visiting a couple of colleges my senior year I choose three schools, Tuskegee University , University of South Alabama , and Jacksonville State University in which I made my home. I started thinking about becoming a nurse because of my mom. My mother is a Cardiac Nurse so I've always sat and talk to her about her day at work and her patients. So, one day I decided to do some research about nursing and the different benefits and programs available.  So my only way to become a nurse was to go to college and achieve my Divine potential in my studies. After I had some time to think about choosing the right career for me, I started to look at different nursing programs in the state of Alabama and their student ratios. Jacksonville wasn't my first choice but it was the best decision I've made so far. :)

Another reason I feel like I should attend college is so I can support my family. I feel as if I never want my children to need for anything and anything they ask for they will get.  Many of my brothers and sisters haven't finish college or went to college because of the decisions they have  made. To me college is as important as waking up in the morning. Now a days you cannot get a great job without having a college degree. Also why wouldn't you go to college? COLLEGE IS FUN!!!But College is not just about getting you education but learning how to be responsible and still have fun. In high school you had your family and teachers to really push you but in college you have to push yourself. It's your choice to wake up, go to class, and study.

To me college is a big part of life. It teaches you leadership skills, education, and how to be a responsible adult.

Is College Good Enough For Me? For You? For Anyone?

Before anyone go to college they should ask themselves is college for me, or is it good enough for me? Before you choose to go to college you should look into other ways to have a prosperous life also. In the article,  What is College Good for? , the author Gary Gutting states that college most likely involves considerable time, commitment, effort and expense. My question to you is, is it worth it? In my opinion the time, effort, and expense for college is worth it because of the different careers, opportunities, and also learning experiences you learn from College. College doesn't just teach you the necessities for everyday life in the class room and outside the classroom it also teachers you how to maintain your expenses, studies, and your extra curricular activities. I feel as if everyone should experience college once in their life because of all the things you learn from it.College isn't the only choice you can make to be prosperous in life. Just like college the military can be used as education, show you responsibilities, and also have fun.

In the comedy blog Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal  there is this professor who is making fun of college in an negative way. She states that college doesn't teach you much of anything, most of the courses aren't favorable nor needed, you are paying a fortune to be in a dormitory of drunk teenagers, and also your scholarship pays for things that you do not need. Well some of the things that the blog states I disagree with. College is what you make out of it. Sometimes you will have professors that don't teach anything or only give work and sometimes you'll have professors that are all about teaching. Also the courses you take in college depends on your major. As college students we try to figure out the reasoning for taking some of our courses because they don't go with out major. But in the long run taking these long courses and having long nights of studying pays off.

As a freshman some schools make you live on campus for your college experience. But everyone doesn't like the dormitories. The dormitories are full of different ethnics and also different type of people. Sometimes you are able to pick your roommate and sometimes you aren't. Some schools have dormitories that you live with someone in a room and some don't. My question to you is, is it worth it? In my opinion yes, it is worth it. Being in a dorm prepare you to be out on your own. You are still without a parent but you always have someone watching you. I think as college students we should take our residents halls and apartments step by step. A freshman shouldn't get a apartment their first semester because some don't know how it is to live on there own and maintain there bills. So living in a dorm can teach you things to help you live on your own. In the article, College Dorms: Good Value or Ripoff it states that living in a dorm helps a lot with your finances because you don't have to pay for your gas, water, and also electricity bill. there are also scholarships you can get for housing.

College is good for people who want to be successful in life. In college there are so many opportunities for free tuition to those who make excellent grades and that are involved in the social life and different activities that the school have. My favorite quote for college is that "it's almost impossible to succeed in education without being willing to do the hard work of asking why you're on the educational journey in the first place." And this is so true. Without hard work in college or anywhere else in the world you will not be successful. There is a time for studying and also a time for partying, make sure you take time to do your work before your extra curricular activities.

College is good enough for me because of the different activities, opportunities, the education, and the different people i meet. I cant wait til  I get in my major succeed, get my degree, and explain to my children the different opportunities I had in college. In the article, The First Year College Experience  it sums up the different things you'll learn in college and how you'll have to push yourself. College isn't a easy thing to go by, there is hard work but it does pay off.

WHY SHOULD I GOTO COLLEGE? WHAT IS COLLEGE GOOD FOR?

While in high school we all thought about college and the different majors with in it. Many people have said that you need a scholarship to pay for college, college is high, make sure you study, make sure you get to class on time, and your instructors or professors are going to be harder than your high school teachers. But some never sat down to explain what college is really for. In my opinion college is needed to succeed in life. In college you learn skills to help you throughout life, learn wonderful study habits, meet new people of different diversities, and also learn how to own up to your responsibilities as an adult. College is a great experience that many enjoy but also learn from. In NPR staff article, “Professor: Value of College ExtendsBeyond Paycheck” the author states that there are many different reasons to got college, get involved,not just because of an education. Also the author states that you also go to college to learn how to make a living on your own and then goes into detail about the different social benefits college will teach you.

College is designed for you to get your education and work towards your degree in whatever field you major you. Throughout High school there were many different opportunities that would’ve helped you pay for college such as academic scholarships, athletic scholarships, band scholarships, community service scholarships, and even Financial Aid. And also sometimes you have the ability to make good grades and earn scholarships throughout your years in college. With that being said, making sure you have enough money to pay for your fees and tuition is a big responsibility in college. In the article “The Ones We’ve Lost: The StudentLoan Suicide”  a young man from Illinois named Jason Yoder committed suicide after finding out he was thousands of dollars in debt from student loans. This tragedy is an example of stress put on students and their parents with trying to pay for college. The way you carry yourself and how you are living in college is another big responsibility college teaches you. In college you have no one to spoon feed you, so you have the responsibilities as an adult.

College is also good for getting an education. There are a variety of Universities and majors to choose from. But be wise in the choices you make. If you know you are a party student, lazy and won’t get to class on time, don’t go to a big university start off small, a community college. Also the majors you choose determine the type of success you will have in your career. The author in “Don’t Miss the College Forest For TheCareer Tree” states that he/ she told a group of students in orientation that most of them want to master the skills that will enable you to get  jobs, career preparation is only a piece of the college experience. And this statement is so true. There is a variety of this that you learn in college today. You just have to apply them to your life. Don’t  just pick a major just to pick one. Make sure the major you pick is something you want to do in life and you’ll achieve in  it.

In college you will also meet different people of different ethnicities, backgrounds, religion, and sexuality. College helps you to interact with the different people you meet. The high school I went to was mostly African Americans. I never got the chance to really be around different ethnicities until I go to college.  In the article, “ Methodology: Campus Ethnic Diversity” the author, Robert Morse, states that college bound students sometimes believe that working with people from different ethnic backgrounds is important so they’ll pick a school that’s well rounded with everyone. That’s true. In my opinion everyone should learn how to get along with another race, religion, and even sexuality Because they might be in the same career you have.

College teaches us some of the skills we will need in life and show us what our potential is. So the question I have for you is, Why is college good for you?

Why College Though?

Throughout my years of elementary, middle, and high school I often asked myself, Why college? My family has a variety of ways of making money and has different inputs on success. Such as mechanics, college, and the Military. Throughout my high school years i was involved in JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) and developed leadership skills. While being involved in JROTC I met different people from different parts of the military, had my own recruiters, won awards, on the drill team, academic team, and excelled as a leader over many companies. At first my main focus was the military and to be apart of the Army until my week in JROTC camp. The different tasks we had to accomplish in a day was not something I wanted to do throughout my life or even for a short period of time. So I started to think about a career choice and different Universities. My mother is a Cardiac Nurse so I've always sat and talk to her about her day at work and her patients. So, one day I decided to do some research about nursing and the different benefits and programs available. My only way to become a nurse was to go to college and achieve my Divine potential in my studies. So I started to look at different nursing programs in the state of Alabama and their student ratios. Jacksonville wasn't my first choice but it was the best decision I've made so far.
 
Another reason I feel like I should attend college is so I can support my family. Many of my brothers and sisters haven't finish college or went to college because of the decisions they made. To me college is as important as waking up in the morning. Now a days you cannot get a great job without having a college degree. Also why wouldn't you go to college? College is not just about getting you education but learning how to be responsible and still have fun. In high school you had your family and teachers to really push you but in college you have to push yourself. It's your choice to wake up,  go to class, and study.
 
To me college is a big part of life. It teaches you leadership skills, education, and how to be a responsible adult.