Credit Where Credit Is Due

Have you ever told someone a funny joke? Did they then turn around and tell the joke to someone else, claiming it as their own? Were you disappointed that people didn't think that the knee-slapping creativity came from you? As bloggers, we want to share our personal opinions to all of our readers, but we want each respective author to be represented appropriately and accurately. We appreciate the research of other authors, and in using their information, we want to represent them as best we can.

As bloggers, it is important to us that you are able to delve deeper into the topics that we address in our blog. We will post links for the research we reference in our posts, as well as links for supplemental readings on our topics. Since we want to give credit where credit is due, we will also use MLA citations for references we can’t link directly.

We have chosen to use MLA formatting because all of us are very familiar with the style. Based on our understanding, most of our readers will also recognize this formatting. In addition, by posting links to our research, our readers have the opportunity to review the resources first-hand. If for any reason you wish to be provided with additional information that we have not posted, please email us with any questions or concerns you may have.

Welcome to our blog!

Who we are: Leah, Caroline, Ye, Ashley, and Clancy. Five co-authors, five first-year college students, one blog, one goal. We’ve been put together as a group in our English class to combine the wealth and knowledge we’ve accumulated thus far in our lives and share it with other young scholars across the country. So let’s start at the very beginning...

Move-in Day: As a college freshman, each of us considered move in day to be one of the most important days of the summer, as well as a significant step in starting life on our own. So what was it really like?

Leah: Moving into my dorm on the first day of freshman year, I was excited, nervous, and hoping all my clothes would fit in my closet. I was prepared for some challenges, but I was not expecting my bed to not fit in my room. Yes, you read that correctly. My bed frame was too long for the wall it was supposed to fit against. Caroline: Naturally, my family didn’t leave Charlotte until 9:15, even though move-in day starts at 8:30. God forbid we move faster than a glacial pace and arrive on-time. We arrived at lunchtime, last but not least. Ye: After a 22 hour flight, at 11:00 pm, I arrived at my dorm excited, tired, and a little nervous for my new freshman life. I entered my room quietly because I didn’t know if my roommate was asleep. She is also an international student, so that made my transition into this completely new environment a bit less overwhelming. Ashley: My dad spent the entire afternoon the day prior cramming everything into the car, and on move-in day my parents and I drove the forty-five minutes from Raleigh to Chapel Hill. When I first opened the door, a sense of dread came over me as I stared at the stark white walls, with the window that was too high for me to see out of, and boring wood furniture; it was basically a clean slate. Clancy: Exhausted after carrying bag after bag and box after box up to my room, the only thing on my mind was making my bed and getting rid of my parents so I could take a nap. Exciting. Overwhelming. Busy. Freshmen move-in day is a lot of things, but “fun” isn’t usually one of them. Unless you’re prepared, that is.


Here’s what we’ve learned:

1. Bring family members to help out with the move.

2. Don’t forget your hand-truck/dolly cart or you’ll regret it!

3. Consolidate all your stuff beforehand to make lugging it upstairs easier.

4. Pack folded clothes in XL Ziploc bags, by category, then simply remove and place in drawers.

5. Keep all hanging items on hangers and just hang them up when you get there!

6. Prepare for the unexpected: rain, broken elevators, you name it.

7. Bring a toolkit to hang pictures, set up a shelf, measure your bulletin board, etc.

8. Get psyched for your first college classes, and take English 105 with Dr. Lupton!



So what’s the point? Why are we writing this? As part of Dr. Lupton’s English 105 class here at UNC Chapel Hill, we created this blog in which we’ll cover the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, each of which are assigned topics. As you’ve already seen above, each of us contributes a unique element to the blog, and together our differences create a wholesome perspective. We will present both sides of an issue and support our writing with hard evidence from credible sources. Throughout our blog, each of us will attempt to capture the interest of our readers by incorporating analysis, humor, passion, and even vivid details into our writing. We hope to use this blog as a tool to create dialogue amongst fellow college students about our many assigned topics.


My name is Leah Baker. I was born and raised in Concord, North Carolina. For those who have no idea where that is, like most, it is right outside of Charlotte. While it isn’t quite a bustling metropolis, Concord has been a place of many great memories. Some of those experiences I’ll share with you, in hopes of enhancing your transition from high school to college.

Currently, I am a student at UNC Chapel Hill. I played tennis, basketball, and soccer in high school, and was involved in several other activities such as being a student ambassador, being a student athletic council representative, and initiating Intramural Tennis Club. I have always been a dedicated student, and enjoyed taking AP Language and AP Literature in high school. These enjoyable experiences led me to pursue writing this blog. I’m looking to be involved here at college, and will do my best to help you learn from all my trials, failures, and successes. I’ve currently already become involved in the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, Cornerstone, Summit Church, and a powder puff football team. As the saying goes, what’s mine is yours, so my life is your go-to shortcut for answers. 



My name is Caroline Taylor. I am from Charlotte, North Carolina and attended Charlotte Country Day School. I am excited to start my blogging experience with a great group of other students. Throughout high school I played lacrosse and field hockey, was editor of the yearbook, coached little league lacrosse, interned for the Democratic National Convention, and was a big sister mentor in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program. I wrote a lot during my days as a high school student, and find myself continuing this passion as I start my first year at UNC Chapel Hill. I am interested in majoring in Business with a minor in Mass Communications. I’ve already jumped into college life by joining the Chi Omega sorority and attending business club meetings. College is a long road, but I am excited to continue this journey.



My name is Ye Lu. Born and raised in Shanghai, studying in UNC-Chapel Hill as a freshman, I am a Chinese girl with both traditional and international perspectives. I am interested in similarities and differences between eastern and western society. During my eighteen years in China, I have been a journalist and writer in China Youth Writer Association. I have interviewed a 95-year-old aged man with considerable memory with Chinese history and a 23-year-old soldier with 5 years experience of guarding consulate. Both interviews transformed into reports published on Xuhui Newspaper, which makes more people be closer to the backgrounds of our living country. From these reports, I explored Chinese society in a vivid and dynamic way.

Moreover, I published several essays and short fiction in Chinese concerning protection of homeless animals and avoidance of brutal killing from 2010 to 2012. Although there are no specific laws in China now to forbid abuse of animals, I wish that my words could let more people realize the meaning of “life”, not only human’s life, but also life of animals, plants and all creatures. Through this blog and ENGL course, I wish to improve my writing in English in science, social science and humanity and I want my words to make you feel enjoyable. 



My name is Ashley Fox, and I’m currently an undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill, more specifically a freshman, so still learning the ropes! Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina I attended Millbrook High School for four years where I became a member of the Laurel Yearbook Staff. Here I grew and fostered my love for graphic design (even though I consider myself technologically challenged!), journalism, photography, writing, and publication. It is because of this that I have decided to follow this passion and major in Journalism and Public Relations.

My writing style is probably a bit more serious, but as an author of this blog I will work along side of a team of fellow UNC undergraduate writers to combine our styles into something both interesting and, hopefully, enjoyable for you, our readers. One of my main goals as an author is to gain your trust as a reader. To do this I promise I will remain unbiased and always present both sides of an issue. In addition, everything I write will be backed up by hard evidence from credible sources, and I don’t mean Wikipedia! Through this blog, I, along with my fellow authors, hope to create a dialogue about the natural sciences amongst fellow college students. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it! 



My name is Clancy Russell, an 18 first year student at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My major is still undecided and I look forward to exploring my interests through taking a variety of classes. I grew up in a small town and attended South Stanly High School where I played basketball, softball, and ran cross country. I am an avid fan of movies and sports and enjoy reading in my spare time.

It is my goal to provide informative and accurate information to the general public in an entertaining way. I hope to deliver scientific stories backed up by research and facts.