Rebekah Sellers

An Eye or an Eye

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:11:00 -0400

Sarasota Herald Tribune: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080321/NEWS/

I was reading this article from my hometown paper about a prostitute who fatally stabbed a client. Apparently she went to the car of male client with a steak knife and stabbed him.

Bonnie MacDonald felt it was right to stab the man after learning that he allegedly raped her cousin, who is also a prostitute.

She went to trial for second degree murder and got off. The defense focused on the fact that the client was a rapist, but nothing was filed against the accused man. It doesn’t state in the article that the cousin went to the police and filed the paperwork or did a rape kit. So it appears that there was no proof he raped the women, other than her words. Yet MacDonald still got off. Now I know that rape is not something women want to admit to and the rape kits are humiliating to do, so many rapes go unreported.

I think this is fair justice but only if the man did in-fact rape the other prostitute. Its an eye for eye. But since there was no proof of the rape, I want to know what happened to our legal system. This only teaches people that they can take the law into their own hands and get away with it.

I can see both sides of the argument and parts of me agree with both sides.Its a hard situation to be in because at one point yes what he did was not right and he should be punished. I know if that happened to one of my family members, I would want that person to suffer. But on the other hand, what if the man did not rape the women.Than is it just a prostitute beating the system and getting away with murder.

Albert and Billy the Goat want you to start Using your head for...

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:09:00 -0400

Albert and Billy the Goat want you to start Using your head for clearer think, your heart for greater loyalty, your hands for larger service and your health for better living in your UF community and world by volunteering with 4-H.

”Go Gators,” Albert and Billy the Goat said.

My Cow Clover

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:14:00 -0400

One of my projects as a 4-Her was raising my dairy heifer,female cow, Clover. She was a black and white holstein, with a white patch one her face that resembled a four leaf clover.

I raised clover from a calf. Meaning I had to go out in the early morning and feed her a bottle, walk her after school and then feed her again at night .

Clover was a very gentle cow. We worked well together. I took her to the county fair in Sarasota as well as many other fairs around the state of Florida. Between shows we would rest together. I would lay on her belly and she would curl her head around to rest on my lap. It was the cutest thing!

One time at the Central Florida Show in Orlando. She weight approximately 300 pounds and I was a 4’6”, 98 pound third grader.

The show was going great until the end. As I walked her out of the arena, she got antsy. She tripped me, walked across my back with all four hooves then proceeded to run out of the arena and around the barn.

To this day I do not know how she did not break my back. The only injury I had was bruising. Clover on the hand was fine.

It was at that point I realized I could not show her anymore. She was just a pet then and was able to graze on our farm for the rest of her life. She was a good animal.

Raising her taught me a sense of responsibility. Clover also taught me that no matter how much training an animal has, they are still an animal.

What You Might Not Know about 4-H

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:50:00 -0400

While doing my interview and researching,I found interesting facts about 4-H.

Did you know that 4-H use to be segregated? I didn’t either. Girls and Boys were separated. They had separate clubs and only were allowed to do certain projects.

The girls were allowed to do sewing, artwork, cooking and learn about family dynamics. The boys were able to do the livestock, agriculture and economical projects.

They would have mixed dances and functions,but competition were still separated.

Today 4-H clubs are mixed genders and everyone is allowed to do any project. 4-H was segregated until the mid 60s. Looking back at the time period,1902-1960, it makes sense that genders were separated but still amazing to think.

Also, I found out that 4-H was originally established in Ohio in the late 1800s. It came to Florida in 1902. The reason it came to Florida is because by legislation 4-H can only exist on land grant universities, land set aside by legislation for agriculture, and UF was the first land grant school in the state. The second was FAMU, established as a land grant university for African Americans only at the time.

Pretty cool stuff!

Interview Experience

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:27:00 -0400

I have done interviews before but not one that I was emotionally attached to. 4-H is the only thing that I finished. I was one of those kids that wanted to do many activities but once I was in them, I would get bored and quit.

Not 4-H though. For some reason I was really good at it. Working with the animals and the horticulture made my day exciting. I actually looked forward to the county fairs and the competitions.

So when I had to interview Dr. Marilyn Norman, the state 4-H representative and UF faculty member, I had a hard time keeping my composure.

At the beginning of the interview, I was fine. We were talking about 4-H and ties to the University of Florida. Then I asked her the question that did it in for me. “What can 4-Hers walk away with?”.

Dr. Norman said 4-Hers get a sense of belonging, they develop life skills, they gain independence, and they learn what generosity is.

I always knew that 4-H gave me a lot but those four things did not connect for me until she said them. Right then I started to cry. We actually had to stop the interview so I could gather myself.

The interview went fine from that point. I learned a lot of new things about 4-H and the history of the organization. It was a good experience even if it had an embarrassing moment.

How I became a 4-Her

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:13:00 -0400

I was born into a family that was very involved with 4-H. My parents were the club leaders for the Action Clovers and my siblings, the 6 of them, were officers and members. Our club was small but it was fun. Action Clovers consisted of my family, family friends and their children.

Since youth can join at the age of 8, most of my siblings were graduating from high school and out of the 4-H program at 18. I then took over the club. I made it my own. Action Clovers,the Rebekah years, remained small but it became an all girls club. It consisted of my closest friends and myself. I was president of the club for 6 years and my friends were all officers.

I felt it was important to rotate officer roles. That way everyone had a chance to be a leader if they wanted to be. Leadership is a quality that all employers look for. They want some one who is be able to take charge of projects but also be fair to the other workers.

4-H officers learn the importance of leadership as well as community service. Another key factor when applying to college or a job. The state of Florida requires at least 75 hours of community service in order to be eligible for the Florida Bright Future Scholarship program. Employers like to see community involvement because it shows that the applicant cares about their community.

Over all 4-H has taught me skills that will help me in my college career and my professional career. Plus I made lasting friendships and memories. I would encourage any youth to join a local 4-H chapter. It’s low cost, available at most schools and they will learn life skills.

For more information on how to join 4-H, visit www.4-h.org.