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! 

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. 

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? 

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.

¿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.

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.

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 12^th 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.