Mike Nabolotny's Blog

Social Networking

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:30:15 -0500

Social Networking has really started to take on a life of its own these days. I am old enough, to remember the days of Myspace , and while I never had a Myspace account, I was interested in what it was that everyone was talking about. I am probably one of the few in this class who had to wait until I had a University e-mail address to access Facebook, and I remember being so excited when I finally signed up. While it was still in it’s developmental stages, I was blown away by what was happening. I was able to connect with all of my friends who had gone off to enjoy their own college experiences, and don’t even get me started on the day I got my first poke! Do they even still have this feature? All kidding aside, I feel that social networking is a double-edged sword. The benefits of social networking are tremendous. For me, having a cousin who is currently working at the United States embassy in Afghanistan it is always reassuring to get a “status update” on her status. It is also unique to get her opinions on the situation over there, even if it is through the use of Facebook. My Mom recently acquired a profile of her own, and after getting over the original strangeness of receiving a friend request from my Mom I have seen the benefits it has had for her. She has been able to reconnect with a number of old friends who have also been bitten with the Facebook bug. With such an appeal to a wide variety of ages, it is clear that the social networking craze is going nowhere.

I only recently created a Twitter account, and use it more for the purposes of following than to actually tweet. I have never been one to put up a facebook status or to tweet, because does anybody really care to hear every menial detail of my life (I know we all have friends who post these types of things)? With twitter I also find it hard to express your thoughts in 140 characters or less, and have actually enjoyed writing this blog for that very reason. However, I get great amusement out of following a vast array of celebrities and getting some insight into their everyday life. It is great to humanize these stars and makes them seem like they are just like everyone else in the world. I have thoroughly enjoyed the transition to a twitter filled world and can’t wait to see what the future holds in social networking.

Unfortunately, I feel that future is going to further push the limits of privacy, as the ability to connect with anybody at anytime is just downright scary. I appreciate the fact that you are able to control exactly what is visible to everyone and have selected my choices carefully. While I don’t boast the technological knowledge of others, I know it is up to me that I protect myself on these social networking sites from viruses and hackers. This is the harsh reality of social networking that when used properly it can certainly be a great tool for people to stay connected, but there are always people who look to take advantage of the situation that keep you guarded.

Plagiarism

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:29:40 -0500

A wise man once told me, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying”. That wise man happened to be my Grandpa, who barely completed his high school degree and cheated his way through a barber’s exam in order to pass and provide for his family. He was also always the ringleader of cheating during family games at parties. Perhaps Grandpa’s words weren’t something that my parent’s cared to hear him say as there is no way they wanted us to cheat our way through life. They constantly instilled in us the value of hard work and doing things the right way to combat his remarks. However, there was one time when I took his slogan too literally.

In the spring of my final year in junior high, I had what they call at the high school level “senioritis”. I was so mentally checked out that I would often procrastinate to the worst degree possible (i.e. finishing up a piece of homework during the 5-minute passing period before that particular class). I was fortunate enough that this system had seemed to be working for me, until our English teacher handed us a major assignment. It was a 5-page packet with about 20 questions that required our response on a book that we had read, or supposedly read. Fortunately I was not the only one in my class that was suffering through this “senioritis” and the race was on to find a way around this assignment. To make a long story short, my teacher nailed 25 of my fellow classmates along with myself who had answers that were a little too similar. We had all copied off of the same student in what has to be the most boneheaded effort of cheating ever. The repercussions to our actions were bad, and from that day forward I made sure that this would never happen again.

Besides the fact that it is absolutely unacceptable and wrong to claim someone else’s work as your own, I feel that it is almost more work to do so. To take the time and effort that you are putting in to cheating, you can just as easily put in your own work and come up with a better product. Likewise, you are losing the value of the assignment. Assignments are generally used to enhance your learning experience and by cheating your way through an assignment, you are also cheating yourself.

(Turning the Sound)ing Off on Rap/Hip Hop

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:29:05 -0500

Throughout my life I have seen an evolution in my musical tastes. As a child I loved the Raffi tapes that my parents would put on during a long road trip. I still don’t know what would drive them crazier, me and my sisters complaining, arguing and fighting or “Baby Beluga” on repeat. Of course, I eventually grew out of this phase, and began to explore a few other musical genres.

Throughout the nineties, there were a number of one hit wonders that I was enamored with. Whether I was “Tubthumpin” with Chumbawumba or “MMMbopping” with Hanson, I was always trying to listen to as much music as possible. After many of these one hit wonders and boy band fads finally died out, I was truly able to find music and genres that I consistently liked.

It wasn’t until I left for college that my music taste hit it’s full stride. Perhaps it was a result of living in the extremely rural city of Champaign, but I really took to Country music. It was constantly being played in the local establishments and on the radio stations that I couldn’t help but embrace it. However, within the locker room setting I was exposed to another genre, rap.

With a centrally located jukebox dominated by the seniors on the team, I didn’t have much say in what got played. Most of my teammates usually turned it up to whatever the most recent rap/hip hop songs were available. As I sat in my locker listening, I could hear many of the same things that were discussed in the documentary we had discussed. The one that stood out the most to me was the poor treatment they would express towards women. Having two sisters myself I find myself to be very protective and respectful towards women. I was brought up with core values that go against what I heard in a lot of these rap songs and usually opted to bring my ipod to avoid having to listen to something that I couldn’t relate to.

B(lo)g(s)(t)

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:28:30 -0500

Apparently my blogs didn’t get posted for the rap/hip hop or plagiarism themes. Perhaps it was a shift in that I attempted to do them from my phone that created this issue.

Truth

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:32:00 -0600

Like many Americans I come home everyday and complain to whoever is willing to listen about my bad day at work. While I am only working part-time, along with my full schedule of classes, it is easily the most exhausting part of my day. While my title is- director of an after school program, I tend to simplify it to those who are curious as being a glorified babysitter. By this point you may be wondering what any of this has to do with the question, what is truth?

Working with children has really opened my eyes to the ideas of truth. Truth in children is two-fold. Depending on the day, I will often get a group of 30 children who are brutally honest with me pointing out every flaw imaginable, or a group that will stretch the truth to a length that would leave a yoga instructor impressed. What is it that sends children to such complete opposite sides of the spectrum?

The easier answer to examine is what makes children stretch the truth. This is something that is not restricted to age, as I see many adults, myself included, partake in this practice as well. We do this to make ourselves sound more interesting, to get out of trouble, or just to see where we can go with it.

The brutally honest part is a little more interesting. This is something that I feel wears off as we get older. This is most likely a result of becoming more aware and tactful with our words as we realize the impact of what we say. However, there is something that is very refreshing when you actually hear the blunt truth.

For this I admire my filterless friends who keep me on my toes and am grateful to be in the situation that I am, where I am told what I need to hear, and not what I want to hear. While I understand the need for tact, I urge us all to speak our minds from time to time, for as they say- “the truth will set you free”!

War on Drugs

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:14:02 -0600

In my family we have a saying, “always keep your closet clean”.The film we watched on the war on drugs in Tulia was an extremely eye opening piece and speaks directly to the notion of keeping your closet clean. While I do not doubt that there are serious drug problems all over our country and around the world, the movie showed us that what might be an even bigger issue is corruption of the justice system.

When it comes to my protection I am all for a maximum security approach. I have no problem getting to the airport a little earlier to wait in line while everyone passes through the metal detector. While I understand the privacy issues that causes alarm for many, but if it means that I am getting to my destination safely I am all for it. This is the same approach that I have for my community. If there has to be a cop on every corner to ensure my safety that is fine by me. I am fortunate enough to not live in a situation where this is the case but I know this does not hold true for everyone.

When watching the Tulia, TX video we saw a community riddled with drug issues, and searching for answers. Their answer came in the form of law enforcement and more specifically bringing in a federal agent to handle the situation. Little did they know they were being duped by the system. Fueled by money, as is so often the case, we saw a complete breakdown of the justice system from top to bottom. There are so many people who can be held accountable for what occurred in Tulia but none more so than the federal agent. He wrongfully accused so many innocent people while also covering the secret of a warrant for his arrest.

The corruption that is evident in the Tulia, TX movie is shocking and appalling. To see a system that is based on doing the right thing in a situation like this makes you wonder how prevalent this is around the country and even closer to home. While you hope that most people are inherently good, it only takes one to make you guarded.

Religion

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:39:40 -0600

Religion has not been a huge part of my life. Growing up I would attend Sunday school with my sisters and a few friends from my neighborhood. I went through the baptismal, communion and confirmation process with having little knowledge of the importance or definition of these major events. I never asked my parents why they sent us to Sunday school, as religion was never strongly emphasized in my house. We are what I would consider as “ChrEasters”, meaning we go to church on Christmas and Easter, but rarely will you find me in a pew on a standard Sunday.

There is an interesting connection between sports and religion. We often see players thank God after a game and we have all witnessed the incredible phenomenon of Tim Tebow. Prior to every game we were given the option to attend an abbreviated version of mass, likewise we would get together as a team and say the “Our Father” before and after every game. The message of these prayers and ceremonies was simple. We would ask and thank God for giving us an opportunity to play a game that we all loved, and for us to remain healthy throughout. As a freshman that was just following the pack, I chose to attend the mass with a few of my teammates. Perhaps it was the fact that we won our first game in a miraculous fashion, or a bit of superstition, but I attended the masses every Saturday before games. Was this a new awakening that I was having towards religion? While I certainly enjoyed going to the masses, in retrospect it was just part of my game day routine as the only other time I attended mass during my 4 years away was with a girl that I was interested in a relationship with.

While I may not be outward and devout with my religion, I certainly feel that I do have faith. I have long forgotten much of what I have learned in Sunday school, I find myself today more curious about religion than ever. While I agree with a number of things that come from the Church, there are also a number of things that I disagree with. This has led me torn in my religious beliefs and still searching for answers, but perhaps this is what religion is intended for to begin with.

E-books vs books in print

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:42:36 -0600

I have recently become the proud owner of both an iPhone and iPad. While these gadgets are certainly revolutionary and unique, I am often overwhelmed. While there are certainly pro’s to carrying around an e-reader such as, being able to carry multiple books without the extra weight, having a dictionary on hand always, and saving trees by not using any paper, there is something to be said about the nostalgia of turning the pages of a book. We have seen the way that the digital age has effected the newspaper industry and while newspapers are not obsolete, it seems they are slowly heading that way. It is unfortunate to think that this can be the same outcome for books in print as well. We have seen major bookstores such as Border’s close, and the Ma and Pa stores have seen a similar fate.

While I understand that the direction we are heading as a society is extremely digital, I feel we are doing ourselves an injustice. I have seen how the use of technology has negatively impacted our youths as many of the kids I work with use the “I am using it for homework” excuse when they come in with a computer. I have recently put a ban on computers due to the fact that I had caught so many of them playing games rather than doing work. While I certainly appreciate all of the impacts that technology has had, and am definitely impressed by the way technology has progressed, there are certain aspects of it that have proved to be detrimental. This sense that we can be so connected at all times can be eerie at times, and when it comes to reading something, I can easily be distracted. Just typing this entry I have “taken breaks” to check my facebook and espn.com! They are now making e-readers that allow you to connect to the internet and I feel that takes away from the purpose of using it for reading, which is why a book in print is the way to go!

Herman Cain Is That You?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:10:51 -0600

Herman Cain Is That You?

2012 Presidential Election Prediction

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:09:53 -0600

I have had the privilege of voting in the past 2 years (yikes, I am getting old!), and I choose the word privilege carefully. I think it is important for people, especially people of my generation to realize the importance of voting. The most common thing I hear amongst my friends is, “it doesn’t make sense for me to vote, I am just one in a million votes that are counted that it doesn’t even matter”. While I see the logic of their argument, they are failing to realize that this is an opportunity to enact change. Just think, if everyone had this same mindset we wouldn’t have any votes!

The word change is a major buzz word thrown around every 4 years. It was one of the foundations of President Obama’s platform in the most recent presidential election. While there are many arguments that go back and forth on what kind of change he has brought during his presidency, I personally feel that we haven’t seen the change we need. With that being said, I don’t feel that we truly have a solid candidate to be the President. Last semester I took my first political science course (in a long time), and it really made me look at the state of our country. We focused a lot on the Republican candidates and every class period it seemed that they made more and more of a mockery of themselves. While Mitt Romney is currently sitting in position to be the Republican candidate how can we forget about the “pizza-man” himself Herman Cain. He sounded like the infamous Seinfeld character-Jackie Chiles while he was out promoting his 9-9-9 plan, before crashing down amid scandal. Then we have Newt Gingrich. Newt has been a lifelong name in the Republican debate, and while he certainly has made waves this year, I think it is safe to say at this point that Republicans are back to not caring about Newt anymore.

As for my prediction, I feel Obama will retain the position of the President by default although I am hoping to be proven wrong and that Romney will be the next president. The one thing that I like about Romney is his successful business background. With the state of our economy, I feel it is important that we have someone in charge who has experience handling and making tough business decisions. Romney has proven himself to do this and has recently received the endorsement of another fellow successful businessman Donald Trump (I won’t even get into his presidential aspirations). I feel that we need a President who is willing to focus on the issues in our own backyard and take care of our own before helping every other country out there. Also, I could care less about seeing our President at numerous sporting events or filling out his March Madness bracket on ESPN, all of this is just taking away from him doing his real job! With that being said I want to reiterate the importance of everyone to get out and vote, not just for the President, but for your local offices as well as it really does matter!

Lost In Translation

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:39:01 -0600

Lost In Translation

OMG Academic English is Essential!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:38:16 -0600

The day that it is allowed to compose a formal paper, letter, note, etc. with the use of SMS language such as LOL, OMG, or WTF, will mark a sad day in our society. As someone who has never used SMS language in any form, I cringe seeing it in text messages and on social media sites, and would be appalled to see it in anything other than that. It is for this reason that it is important that we study academic English.

It is important for us to learn academic English so that we know how to conduct ourselves in a professional setting. There is a right way and a wrong way in which you are expected to present yourself in a professional setting, and the usage of proper academic English is the best way to establish this precedent. We are all attending an institution of higher learning for the purpose of getting a job. Can you imagine LOL’ing or OMG’ing your way through your resume or interview even? It would be insulting to the company that is looking to hire you, and even more insulting to yourself. If you are taking yourself seriously as a student, which it is presumed we all are considering we are furthering our education, you should not want to stoop to such a low level of communicating, but rather show off your knowledge that you are acquiring. Having a background in finance, I have spent whole classes solely on the idea of how to formally communicate in a professional setting, and how to send a formal e-mail, and the idea of using SMS language was laughed upon by the professionals who lectured us.

The question I would like to pose is when do you get too old to use this SMS form of language. While I certainly would not categorize myself as old being 25, but I would certainly have to re-examine my level as I would that of my peers if I were to be using this childish form of communication.

About Me

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:48:23 -0600

My name is Michael Nabolotny, and I am a senior studying History at Northeastern Illinois University. Prior to attending Northeastern Illinois University I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where I studied Finance. I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign on a full scholarship for football. I played a number of different positions while there, but mainly as a tight end. I learned a lot from my time there and it was a great experience (especially playing in the Rose Bowl during the 2007-2008 season). After my time at Illinois I, much like many of my friends, was unable to find a full-time job in the field of finance. I began working part-time for the Northbrook Park District at an elementary school doing the after-school program. It was during this time that I was able to realize that I truly had a passion for working with kids. While I work at an elementary school currently, my goal is to become a high school teacher and also get into coaching. I am taking 24 credit hours this semester in the hopes of completing my history degree as quickly as possible so that I can move on and pursue my Master’s in education. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with friends, playing sports, and working out. I am currently in training for my first half-marathon which I will be running on April 28^th. I am looking forward to attacking all of the challenges and goals that I have set for myself this semester and am looking forward to meeting everyone in all of my new classes. This is my first blogging experience and I am looking forward to using this form of media to get my thoughts and ideas expressed, as well as seeing what my classmates have to offer.