Tuesday, December 20, 2011

My Social Network


As a member of Gen-Y I am a proud user and advocator of Facebook, Twitter and the like. But recently, I have questioned where the future of social networking and my personal use of these tools are headed.
            I never had a Myspace, I was a late Facebooker, and now I am an avid Tweeter. But as all things in this world, social networking has evolved.
            My Facebook journey began as a natural curiosity, soon became a terrible obsession and as of late has been a gigantic waste of time.
            I was a junior in high school when I first discovered the fun of putting silly statuses and looking at pictures online. I still appreciate the picture aspect of Facebook. Facebook was a way to stay in touch with friends after we spent six hours of the day together at school.
As I went to college I thought Facebook would be a good way to stay in touch with others. It was a great way to see what my family members were up to, how my fellow high school classmates were fairing in college and who was up to what. But the worst part, is that even though these people willingly told me they had joined a sorority, got an A on an exam or went on vacation, they weren’t telling me specifically. They were telling cyberspace and anyone who happened upon that slice of information.
I still think of Facebook as my way to keep tabs on people I don’t even want to talk to anymore. Let’s go back to good old email.
I just finished a teen fiction novel called “The Future of Us.” This story revolves around two high schoolers in 1996 who by some supernatural mistake can see their Facebook profiles 15 years in the future. They can see who they marry, where they live in the future and their children. The concept is one I’ve thought about a lot. It would be incredibly tempting to look into the future to see if I was happy and successful. But the fun of life is that it is so unexpected.
I also think Facebook is being phased out. The people I really care about rarely post anything anymore. I never post anything either, as you can tell by my poor upkeep of this blog this semester. It’s not that I’m so busy I can’t put up a post now and then. It’s that the audience I want to know things about my life will know because I will tell them in person.
Twitter is a much more intimate and small venue for personal postings. Twitter allows me to be clever with what I tweet and hashtag. Twitter is more fun than Facebook and not nearly as overwhelming. But I suspect that just as Myspace, AIM and Facebook, Twitter will find its place in social networking history one day.
Now the question is what will I do to fill my time that I spent on Facebook? Perhaps I’ll study more, exercise more or read more books. It’s probably better that way anyway.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Twilight vs. Harry Potter

    


With the premiere of the first part of the last Twilight movie upon us much too quickly, I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I’m a fan.
            I think it’s safe to assume that everyone who reads my blog now knows what a huge Potterhead I am. I love Harry Potter and will always be a dedicated fan to this series. I just can’t convert for Twilight.
            Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing inherently wrong with the Twilight series fans. These girls (I can’t think of a single guy I’ve met who is a Twi-hard) fell in love with a story about endless love, devotion, jealousy and a dash of the supernatural. Actually make that a ton of supernatural.
            I tried to read the books, made it through two successfully, and fell into the trap. I am Team Jacob, if you must know; however, the writing appalled me, the character of Bella was so angsty, I wanted to throw up, and the mix of supernatural and real world seemed asinine to me.
            I admire the dedicated fans who love the story inside and out. And almost every girl I’ve met who loves Twilight as much as I love Harry Potter is Team Edward, which might I remind you, Robert Pattinson was originally Team Potter.
            I have no room to criticize when I dress up for a series I have loved all my life.
            But there is a quote I like to refer to when thinking about the debate between Twilight and Harry Potter.
            “Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend,” said Stephen King.
J.K. Rowling explores the process of growing up in a time of strife. She takes readers on an emotional journey of self-discovery and good vs. evil.
I’m not really sure what sort of journey Stephanie Meyers takes readers on except a painful trip inside a moody teenage girl’s mind and her inner dialogue about how hot her vampire boyfriend is. Gag me with a werewolf.
Both series are good at the core. They made kids read and fall in love with something that can teach them a few things about growing up and finding themselves.
So to all the Twi-hards out there, have a nice premiere weekend. I just can’t wait for the hype to end, and unfortunately I have to wait another whole year. 


Friday, November 4, 2011

My Globe Debut


The Head of the Charles Regatta is one of the largest rowing competitions in the world.
            I had the opportunity to not only attend the Regatta, but also to cover it as part of the media team.
            I know absolutely nothing about rowing, but jumped at the chance to be part of a real press team. I wanted to search out the story and write on deadline. I wanted to feel like a real world working journalist. And I got more than I asked for.
            I went to the Charles River on Friday and Saturday Oct. 21 and 22. I watched the boats gracefully glide through the water. I watched rowers get excited for their upcoming races. I watched a city become enamored with a great day for sports.
            I wrote two stories in one day. I interviewed an array of interesting people. I learned something new. But I think most importantly I learned that being a journalist is something I want to do with the rest of my life.
            My first story is about the naming of boats. You can read it here.
            My second story allowed me to meet a true legend, write an insightful profile and to grace the pages of The Boston Globe.
            Lynn Jennings is a world champion cross country runner and an Olympic bronze medalist in the 10,000-meter track and field event. She retired from running 11 years ago and took up rowing 5 years ago. She competed in the Grand Master Women Singles 50+ event. My professor who took all his students to cover the regatta knew that Jennings’s story was an interesting one simply because she is an Olympic athlete taking on a new sport.
            What he didn’t know was that Jennings would take third place in her race.
            I interviewed her about her transition to rowing and her life these days.
            It was exciting to interview a legend, to see someone so dedicated to one thing succeed in another thing.
            I went home after a long day at the river to an email that I had a story John Powers, the sports reporter from the Globe, didn’t have, and to look for my name in Sunday’s paper.
            So Sunday I bought the Boston Globe and looked in the sports section, something I never do, for my own name. And there it was. My name was bolded in a little blurb about Jennings.
            You can read my initial story here. And if you are interested, you can check out the blog where the team of student journalists I worked with all weekend and I published our coverage of the regatta. The blog is the official news source for the Head of the Charles Regatta.
            I’ve also included a picture of my name in the Globe.
            Who knew that the first time my name would be in the Globe would be in the sports page? 

Sunday, October 16, 2011

The Buried Life


What do you want to do before you die?
This question can provoke hilarity or deep thinking. Either way, it is a question that deserves examination.
This past week, a group of four guys called The Buried Life, came to speak at Northeastern. For anyone who is not familiar with MTV, The Buried Life is one of their more popular shows that follows these four guys, Duncan, Jonnie, Ben and Dave, as they try to cross items off their list of things they want to do before they die. What’s really cool is that The Buried Life also tries to help random strangers they meet along their journey accomplish items on their list.
They spoke about how they began their project and where an idea so simple can take a person’s life and make a difference in others’.
Of course we all have a mental list of things we want to do before we die. Things like “fall in love,” “see the world” or “be happy” almost always make the average person’s list, mine included.
But the lesson I gained from The Buried Life’s inspirational talk was that even having crazy items on your list isn’t unrealistic.
It comes down to the idea of dreams vs. projects. We all have dreams that seem just beyond reach, but a project is something we can accomplish step by step. So looking at those crazy “bucket list” items isn’t so crazy after all. They are just another project waiting to be finished for our own self-fulfillment instead of at the beck and call of a teacher or boss.
Another lesson I learned is that verbalizing and putting those items in print make them just a little bit more real. Writing it down takes a dream from being an idea to an actualization of who you are and who you want to be.
            It is easy to lose yourself in college in the midst of the journey of self-discovery. I found it very therapeutic to write down my “list.”
The things I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid have made me surer of where I come from.
The things I hope to do within my career are helping me to focus on that goal while here at college.
And the things I’ve always thought about, but have never realized I can dream without being ridiculous have made me confident about who I am.
All of these things combined and just looking at the list materialize gives me hope about my future.

Here is a sampling of my list
1. Have an article published in a major publication.
2. Write a book.
3. Go to the Ben and Jerry’s factory.
4. Attend an awards show.
5. Climb a fourteener.

Maybe one day I’ll be writing an entry on this blog about one item I crossed off. So here’s to making a list. Not because we think about death or living life to the fullest. Here’s to making a list because it makes us feel just a little more human.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

¿Cuál es éste?


¿Cuál es éste?
In Spanish that means, “What is this?” I was asking myself this question this past weekend when I tried Mexican food in Boston.
            I am currently taking Spanish 1, but don’t get too excited. I only know how to say, “Hola, coma te llamas? Me llamo Maureen.”
            Taking Spanish has made me crave Mexican food more than I ever have before. So we tried a little restaurant loved by locals called Fajitas and ‘Ritas. Let me note that by locals I mean local New Englanders who would be surprised by what real Mexican food is.
            Being from Colorado, I get some of the best Mexican food around. I love tacos, smothered burritos, enchiladas, stuffed sopapillas and most importantly chile rellenos. The heat, the cheese, the spice and chile make my mouth water and erupt with flavor.
            Needless to say, I miss this food when I leave my home state. So I was willing to fulfill my craving here in Boston.
            That was a big mistake. Boston’s version of Mexican food includes only fajitas, burritos (without being smothered in chile), quesadillas and salads. No tacos, no chiles, no heat.
            The salsa was definitely from a jar that said “mild.” The chips were from a bag. The tortillas were the only things even remotely resembling something from a restaurant back home.
            I ordered the chicken fajitas. The chicken was a grilled breast. Not chunks marinated in Mexican spices. The red and green bell peppers and onions were steamed, not sautéed in those spices.
            I was disappointed in what New Englanders think is Mexican food.
            Now Boston can do some food right. There are great Asian take-out places, amazing Italian cuisine in the North End and fantastically fresh seafood.
But the next time I get a craving for Mexican, I think I’ll stick to Chipotle or wait for the next trip home.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Back to Boston

"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it."
            This quote perfectly describes the start of my second year here at Northeastern.
            I got back to the city last week, moved in a week ago, and started classes on Wednesday.
            Even though I was here last year, it is very strange to be in the same place I began my college adventures, but to be starting something completely new. It is strange to walk through campus with a new view.
            I now live on the other side of campus, so things feel new and different. I live in a single room with a bathroom I share with my suite mate. I live on the sixteenth floor of a 22-story building. I have incredible views of the city and a new perspective of what this year will bring.
            So I can see the path I will be traveling, but I don’t know where I’m headed or what life will bring me this semester. But maybe that is what makes it so exciting to have blind faith in my future and believe in myself so that where ever that path leads, I can know it is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
            I’ve included some pictures of my room, which is much bigger than my shoebox of a dorm last year. 
My room.




My "side tables" made from packing boxes and fabric.




My Harry Potter reading corner.


The view from the window behind my desk.

The view of campus from my common room.

The view of Boston from the common room.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

My Summer Job


For most kids my age, a summer job means making sandwiches, watching little kids play in a pool, folding clothes or taking children on field trips. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with working in food service, retail, as a camp counselor, lifeguard or nanny, I had the once-in-a-lifetime chance at a unique and rewarding summer job.
            Last December when my mom told me about a job our long time family friend had for me, I didn’t know what to think.
“You will be coordinating volunteers for a project her non-profit organization puts on,” she told me. Well I thought it sounded interesting enough and I would be getting paid.
Then in March when I interviewed, I still had a vague idea of what I would be doing this summer.
So June came, and I jumped right in to an experience I would come out a different person.
I was an intern for the program called Crayons to Calculators. At first glance, it just sounds like a mouthful of a program that might have something to do with education.
What I found was far more. Sure it is a program that collects and delivers school supplies for the 30 percent of economically disadvantaged kids in the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley school districts, but it was the hardest, most stressful, most rewarding job I have ever had.
For the first month I delivered a lot of posters to companies that hold a supply drive in their offices. I dressed as a crayon at farmers’ markets to raise awareness and money. I suffered several paper cuts from folding and sealing 700 letters asking previous donors for money. I worked closely with the world’s greatest boss and mentor. And I learned something new everyday.
Before I tell you what I did the last month and a half, you have to understand what we do. Crayons to Calculators main job is to fill 8,000 backpacks with school supplies for grades pre-school to 12th grade. At our location we had to sort, stuff, check and pack 4,000 of those backpacks to be delivered to the Boulder Valley school district.
So July flew by as I arranged volunteer shifts for the first week in August. There is no way my boss, the other intern and I could fill 4,000 backpacks by ourselves. We could not have done any of it without our 200 amazing volunteers.
My main job was to contact people who wanted to volunteer, sign them up and thank them when all said and done. And I am proud to say, as the Crayons to Calculators Volunteer Coordinator I successfully saw the project through and learned something new from all of my volunteers.
I learned to have patience from the Boulder Rotary Club. I learned to smile even when work is hard from the kids at American Eagle. I learned to have a good time while working from Brocade. And I learned to always be willing to take direction and help from the countless number of individual volunteers.
And I have to thank my coworkers, Cheryl, Kate and Natalie, for keeping me sane during the whole process.
I don’t know where else I could have dressed up in a crayon costume, met hundreds of new people, learned new people skills, made a music video, made a difference in the community and had the time of my life.
Thank you Crayons to Calculators for changing the way I see the world and myself. Thank you for teaching me to be a generous, kind and hard-working person.  You will always be a part of who I am. 
The music video we made when the project was finished. 

Friday, July 15, 2011

A Magical Goodbye


Dear Harry,

            It is time to say goodbye. The turning of this page saddens me. For it is not just the saying goodbye to you and your adventures on the page and screen. It is not just saying goodbye to the anticipation of a new interpretation of you and your story. It is not just saying goodbye to not knowing how you will present yourself to me next. This is a goodbye to my childhood.
            When I watched you on the big screen for the last time, I had a smile on my face, tears in my eyes and love in my heart. There were other people in the theater, kids much younger than me, and adults much older than me. But it was my peers and me I feel you were really there for. It is my generation who first read your books and fell in love with your story at the age of 5, and still hasn’t fallen out even at age 19.
            It was my generation that waited with baited breath for each new installment of the literary journey that was your life. It was my generation that dressed like wizards, witches, Hogwarts students, owls, quidditch players and even snitches to show our appreciation as we waited in lines miles and hours long. It was my generation who found the beauty in a story about a boy and a wand, not to mention the world in which he so completely belonged.  
            As you found your place in the wizarding world, we were finding our places in this world. As you were finding out your true destiny, we were finding our true passions. As you were figuring out the complexities of friendship, love and loss, so were we.
            I am so grateful you were a part of my childhood. You guided me, taught me so many things, gave me so many laughs, made me cry and cringe, but most importantly you helped me to see the magic in my life.
            To the critics of my generation who say that these fans are crazy or devoted, you are correct. We are crazy, but not for just some story. We are crazy for the characters and heart that the story holds. We are devoted to this because it gave us so much in return.
            And to those in my generation who were unhappy with the film adaptations not staying true to the books, it is not about putting every word from J.K. Rowling’s pen onto the screen. The movies are about reuniting with our favorite characters, our favorite world, our favorite boy with a hero complex, our favorite red headed sidekick with a wicked sense of humor, and our favorite brilliant and beautiful best friend. The movies are about seeing those things in a new way with all the joy the story can give us.
            Thank you, Harry, for showing me what a truly magical experience is. I lived it in every way. And thank you for giving me one last piece of wisdom before you left us. Dumbledore said to Harry in the heavenly King’s Cross Station, “Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic.”
            And so they have been. Words, Harry, gave me you and your friends. They gave me something to fall into and love with all my heart, they gave me a wonderful childhood.
            And so as your mother said to you when you asked if she would stay with you, I know that your will be with me in my heart.
            “Always.”
Love a devoted fan and honorary witch,
Maureen

Thursday, June 9, 2011

My Favorite Things (about summer)

With Oprah off the air now I feel like I need to make a list of my favorite things to fill her void. But that list would be far too long, so I’ve narrowed it to be my favorite things about summer.
1. The Colorado weather. Everyone told me when I left for Boston that I was leaving the best weather in the world. And they were right. Absolutely nothing beats a Colorado summer.
Our heat can be blistering, true, but we never reach the temps the deserts do. And the best part is no humidity. My friends from the East Coast who have never ventured West do not understand the concept of dry heat, but let me tell you, if you grow up in dry heat, you can’t even bare the idea of the humid air that occupies pretty much every other state in the country. I love how the close sun can warm my skin in an instant of stepping outside. I love the breezes that fall from the mountains through my car windows. I love the daily 30-minute thunderstorms. I love Colorado summers.
2. Summer Movies. When school lets out and boredom sets in, we all run to the movies for our escape from the weather and our otherwise uneventful summer activities. I love the movies, no matter what time of year it is, but I really love the movies in the summer. It is Hollywood’s time to impress all the people buying overpriced tickets, so they pull out all the stops to make it worth spending $10.50 to be entertained for two hours. My two favorite movies so far this summer are “Bridesmaids” and “Pirates of the Caribbean 4.”
“Bridesmaids” is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Aside from the fact that Kristen Wiig, the star and co-writer, is my hero, the movie proves that women really can do anything, even make a man laugh. “Bridesmaids” is rolling in raunchy comedy, is packed to the brim with brilliant performances, has a real “girl power” message, and deep down illuminates how truly ridiculous friendships between women can be.
Now I was not a fan of the last two “Pirates” movies, and unlike the next girl, I’m not daydreaming about Johnny Depp. I think he is just plain strange. But this fourth installment in the action-fantasy movies actually caught my attention. The story line was interesting. Johnny Depp’s infamous Jack Sparrow had some pretty funny lines, and I was intrigued. I liked following the frolicking tale through the sea and rainforest.
The two movies I’m looking forward to the most are “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2” and “The Help.” Both are based on books I have read and respect, so I’m hoping their movie counterparts will not disappoint.
3. Terrible TV. With the season of season finales, I tend to get a little depressed. My favorite shows take a vacation, but I don’t. Therefore, I am forced to watch terrible reality TV and a few awards shows here and there.
            My summer favorites include, “Next Food Network Star” and the up-and-coming “Glee Project.” Both are competition reality shows that will choose new people to be on TV, one for their own cooking show and one to have a reoccurring guest role on the TV sensation, “Glee.”
4. Summer Reading. Now summer reading is something I used to dread, especially when I’m forced to re-read a book I read in sixth grade. But finally I have the summer to read whatever I choose. So I have chosen quite the selection. I am reading all of Chelsea Handler’s irreverent comedy books, which I have to say, I really have enjoyed. I am reading Jodi Picoult’s newest installment. I want to read Tina Fey’s brilliance in print, “Bossypants.” And I am most looking forward to reuniting with my favorite four best friends from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in a new book that catches up with them ten years after the last book ended. I can read for hours on end in the summer without feeling like I’ve wasted any of my time.

I guess you could say, looking back at my list, that all I’m really trying to do is fill my days with things to do. In a way that is true, but more importantly I’m trying to enjoy my summer. Just because the things I’m looking forward to the most come in print or on the screen doesn’t mean I’m not looking forward to staying up late, eating ice cream, wearing my flip-flops and swimming in my pool. Summer was invented so the human race, or probably just Americans, can enjoy themselves, the glorious weather and summer foods, so if that means I have to find time for a few movies, some terrible TV shows and books that will never be considered classics, then so be it.  

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Advice for the Class of 2011

Yesterday I attended my high school’s graduation. I celebrated with the Class of 2011. I watched them cross the stage and walk in to the famous “Pomp and Circumstance.” I envied them a bit, but more than anything I reminisced about my own graduation that happened exactly one year ago.
            What would I have liked to know on that celebratory day? What do I know now that I can share with the seniors who are embarking on the journey of a new beginning?
1.     Cherish these moments
Right now everyone is celebrating your accomplishments. Everyone around you is proud of you because of what you’ve become. You have the world in front of you. Don’t forget that feeling, because in a few short months, that feeling might overwhelm you. It’s exciting for sure, but overwhelming nonetheless. Right now, you have some of the best friendships you will ever have. New friends will come along and you will expand your relationships. But in this moment, these are the people who spent four years of continuous days with you. They know you better than anyone. Soon that won’t be true because you will change and so will they.
This summer will be great. But this is the last summer where you won’t miss someone. Once you go to college, you miss your friends from home, and when you come home, you miss your friends from college. So enjoy the bliss of not missing someone.
2.     Be frightened, but be brave
It’s ok to feel scared about what the future has to bring. The unknown of roommates, dining halls, community bathrooms, college academia, a new place and a newfound independence can certainly be anxiety-producing thoughts. Going to college was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. But knowing it was ok to feel that way helped me to stay afloat. The fact that millions of people go to college and not just survive, but thrive is also encouraging. If I know someone before me has done this and been just fine, I feel I can do it too.
So be frightened, because that is completely normal. But be brave. Face this new change head on with the courage to succeed and create your own future.
3.     Always be yourself
Going to a new place and meeting several new people is not easy. But it will be even harder if you don’t go as yourself. Don’t be ashamed of who you are or where you come from. Those are the things that make you interesting. And if someone doesn’t like you for a special quirk you have, then who cares. One lesson I wish I had known was you don’t have to be everyone’s friend. Everyone goes to college expecting to be best friends with everyone in their hall or in their classes. But this isn’t high school. (And I doubt anyone was friends with everyone in high school either). You don’t have to be anyone but yourself, and if that self isn’t friends with the girl in the room next to you or the boy who always sits in the common room, then so be it.

So to the seniors of 2011, welcome to your new beginning. The parties will come and go. The summer nights will blend into wonderful memories. Your friends will never leave your heart. And always remember what high school gave you. The future is uncertain and scary, but anything that comes easy usually isn’t worth it. Good luck in everything you do. Take it from a girl who has been there, a little luck doesn’t hurt a thing. 

Monday, May 2, 2011

That "After" Feeling


It seems like just yesterday I was graduating from Holy Family with the whole world right in front of me, and the rest of my life ahead of me. But here I am, one year done with college.
            I feel like just yesterday I was writing my first blog entry about anticipating everything before me. And now I’m sitting in my room just as it was in August, but a new person with my first year of college behind me.
            In a way, I feel like I am the same girl who left Colorado and high school behind. But I know that isn’t true. I changed this year. I’m still an impatient, strong-minded, honest, control freak red head who would do anything for her friends. But I grew in so many ways.
            When I got to Northeastern, I was scared and ready for the year to come. And now said and done, the year was a learning experience.
            I learned how to live among a group of people. I learned to live with a roommate, how to share the laundry room and how to hold my tongue even when I couldn’t sleep and the kids in the common room were screaming. I learned that I don’t ever want to live in a dorm again, but I’m glad I got the experience.
            I had to relearn how to make friends and get to know people. I had to relearn how to share my life with my friends, and how to love someone not despite but because of their flaws.
            I learned how to cope with frustration. The most important lesson I learned from frustration was how to let go and forgive. In October, when high school was unnecessarily haunting me, I didn’t know what to do. The old me would have freaked out at the people causing me pain. Instead I freaked out to the people I knew would catch me as I was falling. A few weeks into the silly issue, I completely let go of the anger I was feeling and forgave the people causing me the pain I wanted so badly to go away. Forgiveness, I learned, is the best medicine.
            The whole ordeal in October, taught me how to handle a crisis as an adult. It helped me to grow as a person. And most importantly I learned a lesson I’ve been trying to perfect my whole life, how to let go. Now looking back on the whole thing, I smile and roll my eyes, but I’m also thankful for what I came out with.
            This year allowed me to find myself in a completely new environment. My solid and consistent background gave me a good sense of who I was, so being put into a new situation caused me to lose myself a little bit. I’m not 100 percent sure I found myself again, but college is for finding a new self identity, so I’ll get there, I’m just giving myself the time I need.
            As I packed up my shoebox of a dorm room and rolled my suitcases out, I got that “after” feeling. I was feeling sentimental about my time in Smith Hall at Northeastern. As much as I didn’t like my room, or my hall, or even being a freshman, it was still a part of who I was. It will always be a part of me.  
      So what will the summer and sophomore year bring? Who knows? But all I can say is, “Bring it on.”

Monday, April 25, 2011

You've got a friend in me

“Friends are people who know you, but like you anyway.” In the second part of my reflection series, I want to examine the social aspect of my college experience.
            In my first year, I had to make new friends for the first time in my life. And I am not kidding. I went to the same school as my two best friends for 13 years, so I never really had to forge out into the friendship seas by myself. I always had them to help me meet people and learn to love new people.
When I moved across the country without either of them, I was frightened and exhilarated. I got to be anyone I wanted without my friends there exposing all my secrets. I got to be a new friend who people discovered for themselves.
My first friend was my roommate, Niki. We drifted apart, but I certainly owe a lot to her. Without her, I would be eating meals by myself. She helped me to make friends with others and break out of my introvert shell.
One of my first memories of Niki is from the first night we moved in. We talked about the basics of our lives and showed each other pictures of those we loved back home. I was discovering a new person. I will always cherish that memory as the scariest and most thrilling night of the beginning of this journey.
Thinking about how I met my now best friends is like watching the beginning of a very familiar movie. Beginnings aren’t always exciting, but they are important. And I’ve learned that fate has an interesting effect on those beginnings we so often overlook.
In the first hall meeting, a sheet went around for us to put our names, our birthdays and our favorite candies on. I was one of the last people to get the sheet. As I scanned all the names and candies, I thought, “My future best friend could be in this very room.” Then one name caught my attention. Chelsea’s name was written in big loopy handwriting and her favorite candy was gummy bears, just like mine. I knew I had to meet her, and what do you know, I did. She is now one of my best friends.
My neighbor and future roommate, Kait, joined us shortly later to make an incredible friendship. Together we laugh, get mad and do all the things friends should do.
Along with Kait, Chelsea and Chelsea’s roommate, Laura, and her two friends, Jamie and Eugenia, we formed a good group of friends.
This past weekend I went to Chelsea’s with Kait. The three of us looked forward to meeting and seeing everything about Chelsea’s life that makes her who she is. One of her friends was surprised we knew so much about her life. But that’s what friends are. They know everything about you, and like you anyway.
We have also found it easier to talk freely about things in our lives. I told Chelsea and Kait that because my friends from home come from nearly identical backgrounds as me and I grew up with them, I never get to hear their life stories in their own words. I love hearing stories about Chelsea’s and Kait’s families, friends and memories from life because that is my way of learning about who they are.
So my social life wasn’t as cliché as a college comedy flick because I only went to three parties, but I don’t care.
The friends I made helped me to have a great first year. They taught me a lot about myself, but more importantly they shared their lives with me, and I am so grateful.


            

Sunday, April 17, 2011

ABC...123

Aside from the social stigmas of college, when all said and done, college is about the things we learn in the classroom. The academics are a big part of why we choose the schools we do. Because in the end, that degree is what we are here for. We are just lucky enough to gain so much more.
            Now that I have finished my first year of college academics, I can attest to whatever clichés high school teachers tell their students to scare them. I used to be the high school student so scared by the “college is going to be a lot harder,” talk from my teachers. But I guess I was well prepared, or maybe I chose a good major, because I didn’t find the academics much harder than some of my high school classes.
            Sure I had my challenges, but nothing I couldn’t handle. My first year was certainly a learning experience, especially in the classroom.
            I found my professors to be incredibly intelligent, hard working people who enjoy what they do. So in turn I enjoyed the courses I was taking.
            Of course I liked my journalism classes, but not because of the content. Actually the papers were my biggest challenge of the year. I loved my classes because I was learning from former and current journalists. My interpreting the day’s news professor can be watched on Boston’s nightly news as the investigative reporter. My journalism 1 professor wrote for The Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald, was an editor for The Hartford Courant and wrote a book about The New York Times coverage of the Holocaust during WWII.
            My history and psychology classes were interesting, and I learned something new.  My Black Popular Culture class was easy but incredibly fascinating.
            Now natural disasters sounds like an attractive class but think again. The lectures were quite boring even though the topic matter sounds exhilarating. But I am glad I took the class to get my science credit out of the way, and if I ever have to cover a natural disaster for the news, I will be knowledgeable enough to know what category of tornado can tear a roof off a house or level a building.
            And finally, I took my two math credits this year to get them out of the way. And for the first time since fourth grade I got an A. I actually somewhat enjoyed my math classes this year because of my clear and enthusiastic teachers. I won’t miss taking math by any means, but I’m glad Northeastern made it bearable for me.
            I am learning so much in college, but the things I came here to learn enriched my experience sevenfold. So I’m crossing my fingers for straight A’s again because that would simply be the cherry on top of my college academic sundae. 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Facing My Fears

Today I did something I’ve been scared of all year. Now you might think I’m crazy or delusional when you hear what my fear is, but I can proudly say, I’ve conquered it.
            I am afraid to interview random people for anything I’m writing. I think it is scary to approach someone unknown to ask them a seemingly irrelevant question.
            And the crazy part…my major is journalism. I should have expected to have to do this at some point. I knew it was coming. So the question is why did I pick a career path where I knew I could not avoid that. The answer: I have no idea.
            In high school it was easy to interview random people because I knew everyone in my tiny school, and no one thought it strange when you asked them questions for the school newspaper.
            As an introvert, I find it difficult to easily make conversation with someone. I also fear bad attitudes from people who I approach. Earlier this year, when I would get stories that required random interviews, the people I talked to were unreceptive and gave terrible quotes.
            So when my last assignment for journalism was assigned, I panicked. The paper is to be a reaction piece with ten “person-on-the-street” interviews.
            What I found was not as scary as I thought it would be. I made sure to approach with a smile, a friendly greeting and the understanding that the interview wouldn’t take long. I got great responses from willing people.
            Am I still afraid of random interviews? Absolutely, but at least now I know they aren’t terribly scary. I faced my fears, challenged myself and came out unscathed and that much prouder of myself.
            My freshman year of college is quickly coming to a close. With one weekend left in the city, three days of classes left and two weeks until I go home, I am looking back at everything that has happened this year.
            In the next three weeks, I will be writing a three part series focusing on the different aspects of my year. So coming soon will be the first part examining my academic year.
            I’m learning so much this year, and facing my fears is just one thing I can say I accomplished with pride.  

Saturday, April 9, 2011

A Spring Awakening


Spring has finally arrived. It is 60 degrees and sunny today in Boston with the perfect spring breeze. The birds chirp, the skirts have come out of the bottom of the drawer from under all those sweaters, and the smiles have returned to the faces around me.
            I have always loved spring because it is not just a literal emergence from a cold, dark winter, but also a metaphorical rebirth of life and enthusiasm. That sentence of parallelism and rich vocabulary would have made my high school English teacher very happy. And it makes me happy too.
            Spring gives me the promise of a clean slate. I can start again with new motivation. I can have a new style, new opportunities and a new attitude. I am ready to forge through the busy springtime with my head held high, confident that I will finish my freshmen year of college strong.
            This weather and season makes me want to pick some flowers, go to a baseball game, run through a park, go for a hike and sing at the top of my lungs. The spring rain makes me want to splash through the puddles in my Wellies.
            Whether I do these things or not, I am ready to start anew and welcome the summer with all my heart.  

Friday, April 1, 2011

A Spring Slump


I’m finally starting to feel the stresses of college. Maybe it’s just this time of year when everything is starting to wrap up that everything gets crazy, but I am in a spring slump.
            With just four weeks left in the semester, I have to cram nine papers, two quizzes, four finals and packing up into my final moments as a college freshman. Not to mention registering for next fall’s classes, applying for housing with five other girls and finding a summer internship. 
            I am incredibly overwhelmed and stressed. As fast as I want the next four weeks to go, I know they will be over in the blink of an eye. Time flies even when you’re stressed.
            The past weeks have been wearing on me and with so much on the horizon I miss home more than I have all year. I’ve discovered there are three stages of homesickness.
            The first stage is when you unconsciously miss things about home. For instance, saying, “I miss eating Which Wich.” Missing the people you love and are used to seeing so frequently also comes with this stage.
Then comes the aching stage. This is when you ache right down to the bones to go home. You don’t voice how you are feeling because most of the time you feel fine, but then it hits you like a pile of bricks, and you just ache.
Next comes the full on melt down. Crying into the phone because you are sick of living with a roommate, you are sick of school, and you just want to go home where your mom can make your favorite dinner, and you can watch your favorite episode of Gilmore Girls.
Needless to say, I reached all three stages this year. I unconsciously missed my home state for the first semester and first half of second semester. Next I ached to go home, but with everything piling up, I reached melt down stage this week.
But I think I was pretty lucky to escape from the condition for so long. I knew the crying would come, and to be frank I thought it would be a lot sooner than April.
I guess I got lucky, but I’m pretty sure that the only cure for homesickness is home. So I can’t wait to get home to the gorgeous Colorado weather, no more of this snow in April nonsense, Boston. I can’t wait to not have a million things on my mind. I can’t wait to go home.
But don’t get me wrong. Just because I miss home doesn’t mean I hate it here. I’m just ready to free myself of stress and missing that place that makes me who I am. 

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Birds of a feather


College is all about change, right? Well, I’ve quickly found that to be the number one truth of this whole first year of college experience. And rather than point and criticize and get stuck in a rut, might as well join them.
            So this weekend, I made a change. This is pretty radical for me, and if you know me, you know that means it’s not very radical at all. And of course after about six opinions I took the dive.
            I got feather extensions added to my hair.
            This new trend has been taking the West coast by storm the past few months, and is barely getting off the ground here in the East coast.
            I first heard of them when I went to Boise, Idaho, for spring break. I thought they were an interesting thing that I didn’t even consider for myself.
            Some people pierce their belly buttons; some get tattoos; some dye their hair; but I get feathers in my hair.
            And so far, I love them. I have two red and one orange with black dots in the under layers of my hair, so if I’m feeling crazy one day I can proudly display them by pulling my hair back, or if I am feeling a little more conservative, I can hide them in the thick layers of my red hair.
            The great thing is that these feathers can be treated just like my natural hair. I can wash them, blow dry them, and curl them. And in two weeks to seven months I can take them out.
            So let the craziness begin. Well, as crazy as I can get.


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

One year later...


DISCLAIMER: Not that I have any readers from Holy Family younger than me, but if you are from HF and have not attended Kairos yet, please don’t read this.

I already did a blog post about my year 2010 wrapping it up and reflecting on the year as a whole. But I want to reflect again. Today two years ago, I was on my first Kairos experience. And one year ago, I was on Kairos as a leader.
            For most of my readers who are unfamiliar with Kairos, let me give you a quick run down of what it is. Kairos is a religious retreat that many schools put on. At Holy Family, traditionally seniors would attend Kairos, with a select few juniors who went in the spring of junior year. Kairos is more than just a retreat though. It really changes lives. I’m not really sure what it is about Kairos that can make even the most skeptical kids break down to all their raw feelings, but it does, and that is why it is so powerful.
            On Kairos there are ten “talks.” These talks are speeches around a basic theme given by each of the six student and four adult leaders. Last year I gave a talk about values.
            I can’t believe that one year ago I was sitting in the beautiful Colorado mountains with a group of people I barely knew, on a mission to change their lives and experience the magic of Kairos. Now here I am, sitting in my dorm room in Boston experiencing the thrill and exhilaration of college.
            I reread my Kairos talk recently to see just who I was and what was important to me one year ago. The change in me is undeniably remarkable. As a self-study, the things I included in the talk (and the things I remember consciously leaving out) intrigued me.
            Only those people I shared Kairos with and a few close friends have read or heard my talk. I hope those people know what a true gift they have, because what I put in that talk is not something I share with everyone. The talk was “me” in words. I was exposed right down to the emotions and thoughts that made me who I was then.
            The best thing about looking back and reading my talk was seeing what was important to me at the time. Everyone used to tell me that ten years after high school no one would care who was class president, who got what superlative in the yearbook or who gave the speech at graduation. What I know now is that they lied. No one cares about that even ten months after high school.
            My talk addressed the devastation I felt when I didn’t get into Northwestern, the relationships I have with my best friends and my parents and the obstacle I overcame when I didn’t win class president, among other things.
            The truth is that everything has changed. Most of the things I wrote about don’t matter anymore. I still love my parents and best friends, but to say our relationships haven’t changed would be naïve. Both obstacles I faced in student council and not getting into Northwestern shaped who I became last year, but now I can simply call them hurdles I cleared, and in hindsight they don’t look so big.
            The most interesting thing I stated in my talk was “I don’t have any idea where I’ll be a year from now, but I’m ok with that because I trust it is exactly where I am supposed to be.”
            Well, here I am, and that is the absolute truth. I really do feel I am where I am supposed to be now. But the crazy thing is I can still say that.
            There is something about being in this formative stage of life that is scary and uncertain. I really don’t know where I’ll be next year, what I’ll be doing, where I’ll be living and who I will be. But it is safe to bet, it will be very different from who I am in this very moment.
            I’m glad I have my Kairos talk as a time capsule of who I was as a senior in high school. It is a good way to track my progress as I grow into a young adult.
            And now I have this blog to archive my first year in college. Thanks for reading this much this time around. I hope you enjoyed my reflections.

P.S. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The best holiday of the year. ;)
The Kairos leaders of Kairos 32 on Mar. 16, 2010. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

My Lenten Resolution


Tomorrow begins one of the most dreaded seasons of the year for Catholics: Lent. Sure it’s a great time to self-reflect, and to challenge ourselves to go without some things that make life a little more enjoyable, but I still dread the somber season.
            During my childhood it was always a true test to give up sweets for 40 days. The task made Easter morning that much sweeter to see a basket full of Peeps and a chocolate bunny since it had been such a long time since I had consumed processed sugar.
            I still like to give up sweets just for that reason, and it is still difficult to go without the occasional mindless dessert.
            Last year I wanted to try something even harder. Try and guess what it was. I’ll give you a few hints first. What do teenagers spend most of their time doing? What is important to a high schooler? What would most teenagers do without this particular thing?
            Before I give you the answer, I’ll answer those questions for you. Teenagers spend their time on the Internet. A social life may be the most important thing when you’re 17. And most teenagers I know would self-destruct without this precious commodity in their life.
            You guessed it…Facebook. I gave up Facebook last year, and am attempting to try it again this year.
            It was hard to resist the temptation of one small click on the computer to see what everyone in my inner and outer social circles were up to. I slipped a couple of times in the first few weeks, but I got a little better as the 40 days went on. I did however spend a lot of time on the site on Sundays (which don’t count towards the 40 days).
            I love this challenge. As a college student I spend a superfluous amount of my time on my computer. As unwilling as I am to admit this, I probably spend at least an hour of my time a day on Facebook, and much more on other various sites.
            I think the next 40 days will be a good cleanse of my horrible habit of Facebook creeping, playing Family Feud and browsing the news feed. Thank you Mark Zuckerberg for such a great time waster, social connection, game forum and small visual model of my world. But I need a break from my silly and harmless addiction. Lent is the perfect opportunity.
            So goodbye, Facebook, I’ll see you on Sundays and we will be fully reunited on Easter.
            Maybe God didn’t have these kinds of sacrifices in mind when He sent His Son to die for our sins, but in my mind this is a big sacrifice that will be good for me.

P.S. Since most of you read my blog from the posts I put on Facebook, I might sneak on to put up my newest posts in the next 40 days.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Like pins in a map

In my high school college-counseling office there is a map with pins and flags in it signaling where all the graduates have spread to attend college. There are a lot of pins in Colorado, a few spread throughout the West coast and Midwest, and there are very few on the East Coast.
            I feel like when I came to college, the opposite happened. The pins were not where we are attending college. The pins signify where we come from.
            This past weekend, President’s day, had me thinking about all the people in this country. A lot of people in my dorm had friends from home visit them. The most interesting thing is that they are not just from these hometowns where we put our pins, but they also go to colleges around the country.
            I met someone originally from Georgia, but goes to school at the University of North Carolina. I met someone originally from Chicago, but goes to NYU.
            We are not just college students in one place. We are college students with different experiences to pull from.
            As I prepare to visit my best friend this weekend in Boise, Idaho, I’m thinking about the places I come from.
            One of my first blog posts was about being fully aware about where I am from. It is important to remember where we come from. Even though this is still true, I now have two places of reference.
            I am a Colorado native and a Boston transplant. I know the beauty of the mountains and the ease of public transportation. I know the sporadic nature of Colorado weather and the convenience of having a city at my fingertips.
            I know what it’s like to be a Catholic school survivor, a journalism student at an outstanding university, a best friend, a daughter and just an average college girl.
            Who knows where I’ll be able to reference in years to come. Perhaps someday, I’ll spin a globe and say, “I don’t just know what that place is like, I know what it’s like to live there.”
            Or I’ll look at a map full of pins and think about the girl I met from there or the boy I met who went to college there.
            Just like the experiences we are, we are the pins in a map.

For my thoughts on Justin Bieber visit my new entertainment blog The Popcorn Critic http://popcorncritic.blogspot.com/

Monday, February 14, 2011

Fill your world with love


“All we really want is love’s confusing joy.” This ancient proverb was written by the poet Rumi and was a tying line in last year’s star packed movie Valentine’s Day. This line is my Facebook status and latest tweet today.
            On this holiday, this quote defines a lot. I love Valentine’s Day. Most people, especially single people, hate this day. But the way I see it, this day isn’t just about love shared between couples. It is a day to express to all the people in your life who make you feel loved that you are grateful for them and you love them too.
            When I was a kid, I couldn’t get my mind around the idea of loving a God I didn’t know or couldn’t see more than I loved my parents. I still sometimes can’t. I love my parents “to the moon and back.”
            They brought me into the world, raised me to be a caring, thoughtful, smart individual, and did it with all the love in their hearts. They are most deserving of my love because no matter what I did or who I was, I was always deserving of theirs. So thank you, Mom and Dad, for all the love you put into my life so in turn I can be a loving person too.
            The next people I want to express my love for are my two best friends of nearly 15 years. Because of Katie and Jenna, I know what it means to make your own family out of the people God puts in your life. They have loved me unconditionally for so long, I would be a bitter unloving friend without them.
Jenna’s love is sometimes tough love, but sometimes that is the only kind we need. She pushes me to be a better person because of the way she loves me.
Katie’s love is a fun love. She knows so much about me and loves me anyway.
I also need to acknowledge Taylor and Ellie, my fun loving friends from high school who show love in their everyday actions. They care so much about making the world a more fun place to live by loving and living in a way that only they can.
My newest love is for Chelsea and Kait, my very best friends in Boston. The way they love those in their lives so fiercely inspires me to feel more about everything in my life. They grasp life with every inch of love that fills them. They deserve my love because we took each other in and made college what we wanted.
Love is what you want it to be. It can be passionate, friendly, endearing or heartbreaking. Whatever it is in your life, make sure you cherish that feeling of wonderful, wonderful confusing joy of love. Fill your world with the love that others give you.
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Super Bowl Blunders

I hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl this past Sunday. For me it was certainly an interesting experience.
            Maybe I should start by saying, that even though I don’t particularly like sports, I do watch the Super Bowl. I think the fact that our country puts so much money, time and energy into a professional sport is sad in a way. But it also says a lot about our culture, but I digress.
First of all, this was my first Super Bowl not in Colorado. I can remember most of my Super Bowls. The very American tradition is more about the social gathering to me rather than the sport itself. Ask me who won the Super Bowl in 2007, and I couldn’t even tell you who played in it. But I could tell you where I was, who I was with, what I ate and possibly even my favorite commercial.
This year was still about the social gathering. My dorm threw a party, and unlike the Halloween disaster I mentioned earlier this year, it was actually successful, until half time when everyone left.
We had pizza, wings, chips and brownies, all the foods necessary to make it feel like the Super Bowl. We sat in our dark basement with the semi-quality TV and watched the game unfold. I’m not talking about the football game; I’m talking about the commercialism game.
The most noticeable difference of my Super Bowl experience this year was that I watched it with about 30 boys.
If you didn’t know this already, my dorm building is 15 percent girls and 85 percent boys. So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that I was watching the game surrounded by predominantly males.
Now one of my favorite things about the Super Bowl is the commercials. These are supposed to be the best ads of the year, right? Well…
Now I truly understand the sexist psychology behind most of the story lines of the commercials. As I sat there in the middle of a room filled with boys and watched the ads before me, I never expected the reaction that erupted.
Take the first ad for example. The kitchen remodel Bud Light commercial received laughs from all the boys in the room.
Do ad agencies know that the Super Bowl isn’t just for men anymore? Hello! It’s not an American tradition for nothing. I think someone is forgetting that half of America is composed of women. We deserve some ads too.
To be honest, the best part of this year’s Super Bowl was not the once again sexist advertisements; it was the fact that Glee came on afterwards.