“The truth about stories is that that's all we are ... The Nigerian storyteller Ben Okri says that .... 'if we change the stories we live by, quite possibly we change our lives.’ ....”
            —Thomas King, The Truth About Stories

 Hi, I'm Francine. I'm a sophomore and English major from somewhere on the other side of the world. 

The piece of technology that has had the most profound impact on me has got to be the computer. Having one has saved time, money and space that would not have been if I used paper for everything, since I enjoy drawing a lot. Digital drawing is one of the few things I am not poor-to-average at, so I have my laptops to thank for making that hobby accessible. Easy access to entertainment is also a big thing computers have, especially since coming to college where TV/books you want are not always available.

I suppose I will have to go with the rather overly-obvious answer and claim "The Internet" as my most formative technology (though it's tempting to claim the microwave oven and laud the joys of popcorn). More specifically, the parts of the internet used to communicate. The earliest memories of the internet that I am able to dredge up are of ICQ, a chatting program that I recall as being popular with my peers as a preteen. I also joined various forums as I grew up--I discovered that I could communicate with a whole lot of people, many of them very far away, and many of them way more interesting than my fellow preteens.

Growing up, I was always a performer. Throughout elementary school, I acted in plays and danced ballet. My career aspirations at this point were limited to anything that allowed me to be on stage, spotlight trained on me as I shared my talent with an audience. You might say that in my younger years, I was somewhat of an exhibitionist - I gained personal gratification from being watched. In fact, the larger the audience, the better. Many performances were documented on cameras and were both still and moving images. They're still at home, gathering dust. As I grew older though, this love for performance started to fade. Maybe it was because I was tired of it or maybe it was because I had reached adolescence and had turned into the angsty teenager that refused to listen to my superiors.

Hello, my name is Cara Takemoto. I'm a junior and a Computer Science major, Japanese minor from Wilmington, Delaware. I have tried and failed at both knitting and crocheting, however this winter break I tried my hand at sewing to find that I really enjoy it. I also like to read and write though I haven't had much time to do either for fun in awhile. Now, for the most part, I buy way too many books that look interesting and make it part way through all of them.

I would say the computer, and the internet in particular, have become a very integral part of my life. I don't remember how old I was when I first started using the computer, but I remember getting my first email address. I didn't really use it too much at first, and I remember wanting to use the internet but not really having any idea of what to do. Now, I use it for so many things, researching, socializing, procrastinating, studying, reading the news, shopping, playing games, it's harder to think of sections of my life that aren't at least somewhat 'wired'.

I think the internet has really allowed me a much greater access to information and different view points and opinions that I might not have otherwise encountered, which I think is indispensable. However, one drawback of my interactions with the internet would probably be that I think it has definitely contributed to the decline in the amount of books I read, and the number of distractions it provides. It's interesting how when I go off the grid and take the time to focus on something else for awhile how much I don't miss it.

Hello everyone! I'm Sadie. I'm a sophomore Biology major. I think the most significant relationship I have with technology is the one I have with my computer. Because of my computer, I have been able to discover new areas of interest, study more efficiently, and (perhaps most importantly) explore my creativity. Because I can type much faster than I can write by hand, I often prefer to use my computer to quickly write down my ideas and work on my writing projects. I also find it easier to use a computer for longer writing projects.

 Our discussions of evolution and stories have really captivated me. The concept of truth being absent from science is a new one for me. I had always accepted that science was about facts, concrete details that were definable and correct about the universe. This new perception of science is a little mind-boggling for me. I'm fascinated by the idea that science only disproves theories, that evolution itself is only another story. If science is truly furthered by disproving ideas, then it seems to me that the failure of a theory is really a success for scientific exploration. I think there's also a connection between this scientific exploration and evolution.

I hope I am posting this in the right place...

My name is Maria Aghazarian. I'm a sophomore English major hoping to minor in gensex studies and concentrate in creative writing. I'm looking to working in the publishing industry after graduation. I like crafty things, costuming, and the Legend of Zelda. I'm not really sure what's supposed to be in this introduction so I'm going to keep talking! I'm co-head of Rainbow Alliance, dying to have some hellees, and have pretty high expectations for this class. I'm looking forward to reading some other introductions for our very large class.

 "She's still alive, my invented friend, just as I conceved here, still uncrushed by the need for happier endings.  All writing is rewriting" .... Richard Powers, Generosity, Picador, 2010