Great White Attacks Monterey Bay Aquarium!

A great white shark is captured and displayed at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! In an article in The Californian, Richard Green writes, "the Monterey Bay Aquarium remains the only institution in the world to exhibit a white shark for more than 16 days." But, more importantly Green states that, "each (great white shark) has been successfully returned to the wild." Now, that is an accomplishment! The great white shark in the aquarium is a 5-foot 3-inch female weighing in at 79.8 pounds. She was caught off the coast of Malibu on August 12. The great white was then brought to the aquarium in a 3,000-gallon mobile life-support vehicle. She is only the fifth great white shark that has been on exhibit since 2004, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium is taking great care of her. 

Mindset: Fixed? Growth? Both?

I approach another chapter in my life, a new chance to make something of myself; all happening at CSU Monterey Bay. Do I have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset? According to Carol S. Dweck, people who have a fixed mindset "believe that they are 'set' as either good or bad" and people who have a growth mindset "view life as a series of challenges and opportunities for improving". Throughout my first week at CSUMB I had a combination of  both mindsets, fixed and growth. On the morning of my first day here, I had more of a growth mindset. I was moving my life into a new city. I was opening myself up to new surroundings and new people. I felt like I had some-what succeeded making it this far, to college. I was on top of the world, ready for a new beginning. But, as the day progressed it started to click in that this is it: my first night on my own, in my own college dorm room with two people I have never met. I no longer had a growth mindset, it had switched to a depressing non-motivational fixed mindset. I let my fear stand in the way of my opportunity to grow. I allowed myself to be content, to not embrace this college experience. In result, my mindset has changed periodically through out my first week of college.

These new surroundings are starting to become a new home and my once unknown room mates are becoming life long friends. Carol S. Dweck states, "you can't keep up with this changing world if you can't grow and can't learn." In two weeks I see myself in a complete growth mindset because I embrace growing and learning. I see myself in this mindset because in my first week of classes I was further educated in the importance of an education and how it will affect my future. I know what I want to do with my future and I also know that with out the ability of growing and learning, a person can not improve their self being.  

Jazz

Lillie Mae Jones, a well known jazz artist is an inspiration. She was an iconoclast in the beginning where she earned the nickname Betty Bebob. She scatted modern bop lines in Lionel Hampton’s more traditional swing band. She was professionally known as Betty Carter. Carter is an inspiration because women have always had a difficult time of getting their voice heard. Yet, through all of her struggles Carter never gave up.

"You had to be yourself if you were going to succeed.” This line was once said by Betty Carter and I am a strong believer in this line. Carter was a strong women who always strived for something new. She was someone that simply wanted to be herself. This inspires me because in our society today, people are affected by their peers and often, in result, are afraid to be themselves. Carter was so successful that she created her own record label called "Bet-Car" and she became a well-known jazz talent scout. What inspires me most about Carter is she taught future generations to find their own voice.