Class Overview

I will have to admit that this has been one of the most enriching and fun classes that I have taken at National. Not only was the blogging experience fun...but the weekly phone assignments really helped me get out of my box and meet some of my classmates! The class was structured so well, and I definately learned alot. The group project was also a good culmination of everything we learned and I feel blessed that I was able to be a part of it all. Thanks for the experience and I wish everyone well in their future endeavors! =)

Group Assignment Update

Well, after weeks of hard work...the group project was submitted and looked great. I am very happy with the final results and I want to say thank you to all of my group members that worked their butts off on this project! Thanks for the experience and give yourselves all a pat on the back! =)

Thought on Week Three

This last week's topic regarding race and gender and how it affects not only our negotiating skills but our opinion of other's negotiation skills has been baffling my mind. In a perfect world, the color of your skin and whether you are male or female should not have anything to do with conflict resolution, but it does. I think that our society as a whole has constructed these racial and gender roles and equality is promising, but I do not think that we can undo the years of destruction. I would like to think that our world can change because of the headway we have made within the past few decades, but even though it may seem on the surface things are getting better, there are constant reminders that the past affects us. I personally have experienced the glass ceiling at my prior job, and that is why I chose to move to a school district. Sorry, I needed to vent...=)

Experimental Exercise Week Three

My partner was Anthony for this assignment and I ended up being the employee. I pleaded my case to my boss, explaining how I had been working for the company for numerous years and never received more then a 3% cost of living each year at evaluation. I mentioned that I had taken on many projects and responsibilities outside of my job description and that I should be rewarded accordingly. Since I forgot to state the percent raise that I would have liked, he offered a 6% raise and I was more then happy and accepted! =) Thanks Anthony!

Group C Exercise Update

We are well on our way to finishing our project in group C. I couldn't have asked for better teammates or more dedicated students to work with. We all work together perfectly and are communicating constantly through email. This truly is a team effort. Thanks to everyone for all the hard work! I can't wait to see the finished product...

Emotional Intelligence Assessment

My subscale IQ score was 113 and my subscale percentile was 82. This is supposedly an emotional intelligence average. It explains that people within this range accept their ability to understand and deal with emotions, but do feel as if there is room for improvement. The more emotionally intelligent you are, the better you are able to deal with difficulties in life and move past them. It is also easier to obtain and pursue goals as well as overcome obstacles. Social interactions are seen as fulfilling and it is easier to get close with others. They do not have a problem with intimacy. They are able to empathize and are more likely to offer support to others in need.

I somewhat believe that I am emotionally intelligent. I do not mind intimacy, in fact, I crave it from others. But I do not feel like I connect with people easily. I have trust issues and therefore put up a wall and do not let a lot of people in. Maybe my answers were more ideal then realistic. It was fun taking the test though and I learned a lot about myself.

A Few Good Men

I had never seen this film but when consulting fellow family members and friends, they suggested that I see this classic movie. After seeing it, I was thankful that this assignment opened my eyes to such a great storyline, acting, and it is perfect for analysis in this class!

The first conflict lies in a soldier named Santiago that is going against the grain and considered a "screw-up" at Gitmo. This conflict led to two marines getting a "code red" order which resulted in the murder of Santiago. The whole point of this movie is to figure out whose fault it is that this marine got murdered. Is is the two marines who "went too far", or the senior officers who ordered this "code red" murder? Tom Cruise's character is somewhat of a rookie and there is conflict in his ability to get the job done as the two marines defense attorney.

The conflicts seem realistic and are portrayed in a perfect way, by making the viewer find out facts about the case as everyone else in the court is. I am not real familiar with procedures in the military, but it seems like something that could and would happen if it was given a chance.

If I were one of the two marines I would have put up more of a fight against doing the wrong thing. You have to keep in mind that I am a girl, so I do not have a problem with trying to look macho, which is more then likely a factor in this conflict as well.

I thought that Tom Cruise was the underdog and Demi Moore really knew her stuff. She seemed like she had the resources in the beginning to win the case, but Tom Cruise proved to have effective negotiation, communication, listening, and problem-solving skills which eventually won him the case. He sensed that something was not right and went with his gut feeling. He found out more then anyone else knew when he confronted Jessup on the stand.

The only issue that I was a little disappointed about in this film was the lack of order in the military and I just hoped in my heart that this would not happen in real life. If it does, I am completely disheartened because our money supports this corruptness. I am not naive to the fact that our government is corrupt, but I would hope that it would not result in the loss of someones life. I can understand the concept of friendly fire, but purposely killing someone off is different. But I think that I might have my head in the clouds...=(