Thursday, February 2, 2012


Hi Cornerstone Students!
Welcome to the major of Interdisciplinary Studies. We are very excited to have you as mentees. For the next eight weeks, you will need to participate on this blog to receive credit in the class. Each week, there will be a new topic for you to respond to. If you have any questions about IDS or any of your assignments, please feel free to post them on the blog and we will make sure to find the answer for you! Each mentor will be responding back to you at least three times a week.

This first week, we will get to know each other!

I believe you can tell a lot about a person by the kind of television shows they watch! 1) Tell me what your favorite show is and persuade me why I should watch it. 2) Place a link to the TV show’s website also in your post.

3)What activities are you involved with at UCF or in the community? Please link the website for the activity or club.
4)How do those activities shape who you are?

Sometimes, people can be confused as to what an IDS major is. 5) In your own words, what is IDS and why is it the perfect major for you? Explain some advantages and disadvantages.

6)Are there any questions you have about IDS? I know it can be confusing sometimes, especially when you have just declared your major.


Now, I am going to tell you a little bit about myself so you can see an example of how you should respond!


Hi, my name is Laura. I love the show Dexter. I even named my cat Dexter, after the show. Yes, I am that obsessed with the show. The reason I love Dexter, is because there is drama, action, and humor all in one show. The concept is original and the characters are like onions, lots of layers (as Shrek once explained) Dexter is a serial killer, but he only kills really bad people. He and his sister work at the Miami Homicide Department. No one knows who is truly is…a killer.
http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.sho#fbid=x1jLNqknEld

At UCF, I just created my own social studies club, called the Association for Future Social Science Educators. I am also an officer in Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education.
http://www.kdp.org/

I want to be a social studies teacher when I graduate and that is one of the reasons I created the Association for Future Social Science Educators. UCF did not have a club yet for social studies majors and this is a place where we can meet and exchange ideas on how to better our profession.

My two areas of studies Humanities and Behavioral and Social Sciences with a minor in education. IDS is the best major for me because I get to take a customized class schedule of things I will need for when I am a teacher! I wanted to take more history and political science classes then I would have been able to as an education major. IDS is a great major for people who want to be specific or general because you have so many options as to what classes to take. The only disadvantage for me in that I do not get a built in internship.

Make sure to reply as a comment and not a new post!

35 comments:

  1. Hello all,

    My name is Maria! I love the show Glee. Everyone compares me to one of the main characters "Rachael." One of my friends even calls me Rachael because we look alike and are both passionate about musical theater and Broadway shows. I find it so relateable because I was in a show choir in high school. It is not an extremely dramatic show, but I only watch shows that are positive and give me a smile. I guess you could say that I am a "gLeek"
    http://www.fox.com/glee/

    I unfortunately am not involved in any clubs at UCF as it is hard for me because I live an hour away and toll money is expensive. It costs me $280 a month in tolls for my classes alone. I am interning this semester at the West Orange Chamber of Commerce. It is such a great experience to intern with a great group of ladies who are such an inspiration to young business women. I get to work events where I meet important people from all over the county. I even have a blog on the website, "Straight from the Crate"!
    http://westorangechamber.blogspot.com/2012/02/guess-what-i-discovered.html?spref=fb

    I never knew what IDS was until last semester when I decided to change my major to IDS. I think that is a great major because, if you are like me and have ADD, I dont want to focus one one area. I had quite a lot of credits on my transcript and I kept changing my mind on what I wanted to major in. IDS seemed perfect for me and I could graduate in half the time. My areas of study are humanities and creative writing with a minor in mass communications. I have chosen a career that you do not have to have a degree in that area to work in the field. I would love to work in the communications world and I think that these ares of study will help me get there!

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    1. Hi Maria! I really like Glee too! Did you hear that the show is going on a two month break. I am sad.

      I can not believe how much it costs you to get to UCF a month in tolls. I do not blame you for not being too involved at campus.

      I think you areas match well with your minor. You need to have good writing skills to write speeches!

      Remember, when ever you need help with anything please let us know!

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    2. Hi Maria! I love your enthusiasm about your internship. What a great experience. I have never watched Glee but I will have to check it out now. I love that one of your areas is creative writing. My minor is writing, and one of my favorite classes was magazine writing. I took creative writing in highschool and really liked it. There are so many different avenues that you can take with a writing background. What do you want to do in the "communication world" specifically?

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    3. I hope to work in advertising/public relations. I recently built a new home behind the Magic Kingdom so working in Disney would be ideal just for the convenience. But working anywhere in that area would be great. I am trying not to limit myself too much because there is a vast variety of areas to choose from and places to work. I will go wherever my career takes me.

      I have not taken magazine writing yet, but I would like to. I have experience writing for magazines as I have written at my previous internships at Orlando Home and Leisure Magazine, Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine, and VS Publishing Company. I wrote for the magazine's websites as well and even had an online blog.

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    4. Maria,

      It sounds like you are well on your way in the right direction to work in advertising/public relations. I used to work for a home builder. Buying a new home is a exciting experience. I love that your willing to go wherever your career takes you. It is important to be flexible and that is a good trait for an IDS major.

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    5. Hello Maria! I used to do musical theatre in high school What is your favorite musical? MIne is Evita. I grew up going to different plays with my family and friends! It is good that you are so dedicated and drive so far to UCF. It shows character.

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  2. Hello!

    My name is Pete. I rarely ever watch TV so I can only recommend one show that a friend got me hooked to. The show is called “The Walking Dead” and is currently on its second season. The entire show is based on a worldwide zombie outbreak with a few survivors trying to make ends meet to hold onto the little they still have. As far as persuading you to watch it, what’s not to love about zombies!? Within the first 15 minutes into an episode you will be convinced! For more information about the show I encourage you to visit its website: http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead

    I am currently involved with only one club here at UCF but plan on joining a few more this semester once I get back into routine. The Photography club recently had its first meeting and I am sure I will enjoy being one of its members. This club helps shape who I am because it helps me improve my photography skills (which need much help, since I only recently picked up this hobby). I feel that taking photos to capture moments of life are extremely important in remembering who you are and where you came from. The Photography club uses Facebook for communicating with its members, you can find the group here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/335103504803/

    To me, IDS is a way to fill a void that many students find. It is the perfect major for me because it will enable me to expand on ALL of my interest rather than just focusing on one. With IDS I can study I.T., Maketing, and Journalism and use these to guide my education.

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    1. Hi Peter! I have heard great things about the show Walking Dead. I will have to check it out!. I think it is wonderful that you have taken up photography as a hobby. I need a hobby, perhaps I will try photography out. I agree with you that IDS is the perfect major because you can expand of all your interests.

      I hope you know that any time you need help with anything we are here to help you!

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    2. Hello Peter! What a fun club to participate in. I used to have a dark room in a walk in closet when I lived in Washington DC. It was set up for black and white photography. I was fortunate to live in a great and diverse place to take awesome photograhs. The museums and exhibits in the area were very inspiring as well. It was a fun hobby, I hope you enjoy it as well. What job do you see yourself in with your IDS degree? I see photography being a huge benefit to a journalism career because often a journalist will have to pay a photographer to shoot photos to go with their article, you will be able to do both (and save money).

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    3. Hi Peter!
      I'm glad to see someone else is as obsessed with The Walking Dead as I am! I've been dying over this break, and I'm so excited for the season to start back up on Sunday.
      I also used to be pretty into photography, but haven't really taken it anywhere. Maybe I should check out the club!

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    4. Hi Peter,
      Looks like there's quite a few "Walking Dead" fans. I accidentally stumbled on it and have been hooked also.Its too bad though that the season have been really short, like only six episodes.
      I feel the same way you do about the IDS degree!

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    5. Well hey there Peter,
      I haven't managed to get through a whole episode yet of 'The Walking Dead'. i have some friends that really love the show but it kind of creeps me out. I hear great things though, haha.
      I love photography and I am so excited to see that you do too!! I was involved with the photography club last year and haven't made it back yet this semester but I will get back to the meetings soon. Have you done any of the photo walks yet?

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  3. Hello Mentees! I would like to add a comment to Laura's post, so that you will have a better understanding on the process of commenting.

    1. My favorite TV show is Friends. To be honest, I've just watched it for a long time, and I love their humor. I wish it were still on TV.

    2. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/

    3. My involved with UCF is very limited since I work full time and live an hour away from campus. However, I have been involved with Career Services in regard to the interview process, and I recommend it to anyone looking to practice their interviewing skills.

    4. These activities have allowed me to shape my mannerisms and interviewing skills in a professional environment. It has also allowed me to perfect my resumé that is tailored in a way the best suits me.

    5. An IDS major is a degree that is tailored to my interests and strengths as an individual. I had a hard time narrowing my studies to a single area, and decided to combine my interests in order to develop my knowledge in all three areas. The disadvantage is that people don't recognize what it means to be an Interdisciplinary Studies major, however on the same token it's up to you to market your degree in positive light, which can make you stand out. It just depends on the way you look at it.

    I look forward to a great semester and to learning more about all of you!

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    1. From Laura Holling: Elizabeth thank you for demonstrating how to comment on the blog page!

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  4. Hey there Mentees! I am also a mentor posting on here.

    1) I do not in fact have a television plugged into the wall, and haven't in years. I do however like to watch movies from time to time. I spend most of my time reading, gardening, playing music/cooking with my room mates.

    I am involved with SGA's Environmental Coalition, also known as ECO. I am trying to get a local food Co-op on campus. I spend most of my time though volunteering at local gardens, I intern and teach workshops from time to time at The Florida School of Holistic Living.

    http://www.holisticlivingschool.org/
    http://ecoucf.wordpress.com/

    I feel these activities both keep me connected to my community and our environment. I hope to learn more about herbalisim and growing beneficial plants so that I can help our global ecology.

    I believe an IDS major is someone who can morph different fields together to make one great "smoothie". It is the ability to balance things inclusively so one has a more well rounded perspective. The disadvantage I have found is the lack of depth in some subject areas, sort of leaves you wanting to learn more- which is good.

    No questions, thank goodness! About to graduate :)

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    1. Hi Summer! Thank you for the post. That is awesome that you are working to get a local food Co-op on campus. We need some more healthy options on campus.

      Good luck this semester. :)

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    2. Hi Summer,
      Ive never heard of anyone purposely not having a TV, it must have been difficult in the beginning. I need my TV to "Decompress" lol and get away from the stressful things that go on a daily basis!

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    3. Hi Summer:

      I love the fact that you don't watch TV! In reading your blog it seems you are too busy 'living' your own life rather than watch someone's on TV. I also found interesting that you are into Holistic Living. I am too.

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    4. Well hey there Summer,
      It's kind of funny to see the different reactions you get about not having a tv.I haven't had cable in a few years, but I do have Netflix. I'm going to have to dig a little deeper into the website you posted about ECO. I am interested in learning more and maybe even picking your brain a bit in the future.

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  5. Hello Mentees! I'm also one of your Mentors or "Clues" here to help you figure out what is IDS.

    1.) My favorite TV show is also GLEE! I love the show GLEE because it has a representation of what high school-ers go through (without the slushy parts) because many students have to deal with racial discrimination, love triangles, tee-pregnancy, emotional trials and much more. GLEE just adds music and comedy to make high school into a TV show.

    2.) http://www.fox.com/glee/

    3.) I am involved with many student organizations at the UCF main campus. My number 1 involvement at UCF is my sorority, Gamma Sigma Sigma National Service Sorority, Inc. I love doing community service and building bonds with people who also love helping others. Our chapter webpage is below:

    http://www.wix.com/GSSatUCF/EtaTheta

    4.) Being a Gamma Sig has taught me that service, friendship, and equality are things I want to fight for and make an importance in my life. That’s why I want to work in Nonprofit Management or Public Administration.

    5.) IDS is a complex major to those who don’t understand the logistics of the areas of study. I explain it as taking 3 different areas and mixing them together to work cohesively in any future field of study. This is the perfect major for me because I hate doing the same thing for a long period of time. It does get boring and with IDS, I can pick and choose what my classes are going to be based on what I like. That’s the advantage. Yet, one of the disadvantages is the requirement for some prerequisites for some of the classes that I would LOVE to take.

    6.) I have no questions about IDS. But if you do have any, please let me know @ vcperez917@gmail.com ☺

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    1. Hi Valerie,
      Thanks for the great example! I also love Glee. That is awesome how involved you are in the community. It is always such a good feeling helping your community.

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  6. Hello!

    1) As a couple others have also mentioned, my favorite shows are The Walking Dead and Dexter. I am honestly terrified of all things Zombie, and the first time I saw the Walking Dead I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to cry I was so scared, but after being forced to watch it by friends a couple more times I was hooked. Although I can never watch it alone, I am so addicted to it. Very excited for the midseason premiere on Sunday! :D Dexter is also an addicting show, about a very charming serial killer. My mom got me into the show, and now I watch it more than she does.

    2)http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead
    http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.sho#fbid=EdpGYXtkKom

    3) Unfortunately I have very little free time with a full time job and a full load of classes, so most of my free time is spend studying and working on homework, making me unable to get involved in any clubs or activities on campus. Although I have been riding horses competitively since I was about 11. I have a 9 year old horse named Gucci, who I haven't been able to see as much as I'd like recently due to my busy schedule.
    http://www.bwfarm.cc/

    4)Riding horses has helped shape who I am by teaching me a lot about responsibilty, commitment, and discipline from a very young age. I raised and trained my horse on my own (with the help of my trainer, of course) Training a bratty, stubborn baby is not an easy task, so I have learned a lot about patience from that process.

    5) IDS is perfect for me because there are so many options for majors and careers, so I wanted something that would allow me to focus on a few different disciplines and mold them into a perfect curriculum for my needs and what I want to do.

    6)I don't have any questions about IDS at this time

    -Brianna Erlacher

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    1. Hey Brianna,
      I also have a full time job and taking a full class load. So I can relate to not having any time to do anything, I cant wait to graduate soon and have some spare time!

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    2. Hi Brianna:

      I was wondering what you want to do with your degree after your graduate. It sounds like you have a love of animals. Will you be able to integrate that into your career?

      Thanks.

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    3. Hi Brianna,
      I totally understand how difficult it is having a full time job and taking a full course load. Just keep pulling through! If you need help with anything, please let the mentee's know!

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  7. 1. Hi im Eli. And my favorite show right now is also "The Walking Dead." Ive always been into zombie movies, weather there good or bad. But this show is actually different in a few ways. Its creative in that the show actually starts after a virus has infected the world and the acting is very good. Its very character driven and the special effects are spot on.

    2. http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead
    http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.sho#fbid=EdpGYXtkKom

    3. The only activities im involved in the community right now is flag football.

    4. I'm very athletic and try to stay active as much as possible so flag football helps me stay in shape and in a social atmosphere.

    5. I explain an IDS major as a major that is tailored to an individual who has more than one area they are interested in. I can study digital media and sports management and it opens twice as many doors for me when I look into a career In the sports industry. The only disadvantage I can foresee is the fact that the Interdisciplinary Major is an uncommon one or one that isn't easily understood.

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    1. Hello Eli! Thank you for posting! I guess I should check out this Walking Dead Tv show because it seems extremely popular. :) It's a great thing that you are trying to stay active and fit. A healthy life is long living. Are there any other organizations at UCF you think can benefit you in obtaining experience in your chosen career?

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    2. Well hey there Eli,

      Where/when do you guys play flag football? is it with UCF? Also, what are your areas of focus as and IDS student and what do you plan to do with your major once you graduate?

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    3. Hi Eli,
      I played flag football at UCF the past two year. Maybe I have seen you out there! I like how you explain that IDS is for people who have more than one interest. Please let me know if you ever need help with anything!

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    4. To all: the flag football league I play in is in Sanford at Lk Sylvan Park. Its not with Ucf although I wouldn't mind playing at Ucf.....As far as my major, I'm sure there are plenty of organizations at UCF that benefit me in getting experience but I already have a career in restaurant management, and really dont have time to do much else. I may try to change careers and maybe use my degree at a local High Schools athletic department.

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  8. Hi, my name is Rosalind and my favorite show is Celebrity Apprentice. I feel that if Harvard watches and teaches this show, then if you are serious about succeeding in the business world you will watch it. It actually starts this Sunday at 9 p.m., February 12th. Check it out: www.nbc.com/the-apprentice/photos/categories/the-cast/1760.

    I am a returning to school adult who is an entrepreneur. Since I run several businesses, have a family, and am taking almost a full load of classes, I do not belong to any school groups. I do however participate at Calvary Christian Center. My passion besides going to church is helping Single Moms. www.calvaryfl.com. It shapes me by keeping my humble, grounded, grateful, and allows me to give back to my community.

    IDS for me is a combination of classes, ideas, theories, facts put together to enable me to perfectly blend my passions for learning. My majors are Humanities and Behavioral & Social Sciences and my minor is law. I plan on going onto law school after graduation. The advantages for me is that I love my classes and the disadvantage could be that there are still some people that don't understand this degree.

    My question for my Mentor would be: what have you gained the most by having this degree in the 'real world' after you graduated and started your career?

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    1. Hi Rosalind,
      I watched the first couple seasons of Celebrity Apprentice but have not kept up with it! You sounds very busy! What kind of things do you do for helping single moms? That is great that you give back to the community. My two areas on study are the same as you. :)

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    2. We have gone to abused women shelters and talked, held and cried with them. We have brought gift baskets and bibles and invite them to church. We help with them having clothe, seed monies to pay utilities, down payment for an apartment, etc.

      We have cooked meals for them, babysat their children so they could attend church or have some 'me' time.

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  9. 1. I don’t actually have cable so there isn’t any show that is a current favorite in the sense that I watch it every week. However, Mad Men is probably my favorite show at the moment. This show constantly hits such a high bar of time period accuracy which I appreciate. This drama takes place during the 60’s where the main character, Don Draper is a married man with two kids with a successful career as a ‘Mad Men’. The show follows Don through his ups and downs as well as shining a light on the supporting characters which are either associates of Don at his work in Manhattan or are associated to Don in one way or another. The show just pays such attention to visual detail as well as verbal accuracy. The shows strives to be as accurate as it can be to the decade it is portraying to document while still stirring the pot with all the drama from the characters and the lives they live.
    2. http://www.amctv.com/shows/mad-men
    3. I am involved with Cru@UCF
    a. http://www.cruatucf.com/
    4. Being involved with Cru@UCF has changed the way I choose to live out my life everyday. It was this club that lead me to fully surrender my life to God which is in everything I do. Additionally Cru has provided me with great opportunities to become more involved on campus as well as give me an outlet to thrive photographically speaking.
    5. IDS is a major that is creative and can be formulated for a person to get exactly what they want out of college. A great word to associate to this major is ‘customizable’. A student can pull from specific areas of focus in order to create a major that is suited just for them. The advantage is that IDS allows you the freedom to cater you major to exactly what you want. The disadvantage to IDS is that it can be a trap or waste of time for a student if you don’t know exactly what you want. You need to be prepare to utilize all areas of focus to get the most out of your IDS major.
    6. I don’t really think I have any questions right now but thanks ☺

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    1. Hello,
      I keep hearing Mad Men is good, I need to add it to the list of shows to watch!I find it amazing how getting involved in an extracurricular activity can change a person's life. I also had this experience with Student Government in high school. It lead me to a passion of being involved in many different things and also politics. Good luck this semester and please let me know if you need help with anything.

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