Importance of Social Media in Relation to Your Job

When I was younger, my parents limited the time that I spent on the Internet. At that time, of course, I wasn't doing anything important; I was just instant messaging my friends, making my AIM profile look pretty, and writing about what happened in school hour-by-hour on Xanga.

Now that I'm older with my own laptop, I have no limit to the time I spend online. However, I don't use the Internet for the same activities. Instead, I read the news, read blogs, write, and of course...keep up with my friends and the online community with Twitter and Facebook.

At first, it seemed that these websites, among other social media sites, were to be used solely for keeping up with family and friends. The purpose of these sites, however, has completely changed.

This tweet caught my eye. It included an article called Social media skills become crucial for job hunters. Coincidentally, I stumbled upon this CNN article, 5 jobs for Facebook addicts, that same afternoon. Obviously, if you know how to work with social media, you are a step ahead in the job market.

Social media has become important in today's business world, so much that websites like Twitter have to produce "guides" to help their users understand how to get the best out of what the site offers: Twitter 101 for Businesses -- A Special Guide. Some companies are even hiring to have people tweet for them. (see The Bad Pitch Blog -- Paid Third-Party Twitter Tweets).

It's interesting how things change.

(and I love that the hours and hours I've spent on Facebook, Twitter, and blogging haven't gone to waste.)

Feel free to comment, and thanks for reading.

Radio Censorship Part 2: Its Inconsistency

As mentioned in my previous post, my complaint with radio censorship is not about whether radio should be censored, but rather that radio censorship is not consistent and uniform. When in the privacy of your own home or your own area, I believe you should be able to listen to anything you want, whether it is or isn't censored for its content. I actually prefer unedited songs to edited songs when I'm listening to music.

Radio, however, is a public entity that can be accessed by people of all ages. Inappropriate content, whether it is song lyrics or comments from the DJs, is always readily available. From what I have observed, it seems much easier for DJs and radio personalities to censor themselves, so only occasionally is it a huge problem. With music, though, it's another story.

Radio stations are given certain versions of songs to play, so of course that's what they use. A good percentage of the songs played on the radio today (especially on hip hop and R&B stations) have edited versions due to explicit, obscene, and inappropriate language. It's great that radio stations play the edited versions of these songs, but these versions are never the same across the board.

Honestly, I don't think I should have to hear 5 different versions of the same song on 5 different radio stations. When I'm listening to the radio, I switch stations quite often. There have been times when I listened to a song on one station and then as soon as it ended, I listened to the same song again on another station. Of course, each edited version of that song was different on each of the two stations.

A few examples:

Lyric--"I just wanna f*** every girl in the world/Every model, every singer, every actress, every diva." (Every Girl, by Young Money)
Station A: censors the word sloppily--you can tell what is said
Station B/C: censors the word completely

Lyric--"I've got every reason to feel like I'm that b****." (Ego, by Beyonce)
Station A: states the word
Station B: censors the word sloppily--you can tell what is said
Station C: censors the word completely

Younger radio audiences do not need to be exposed to this language. As long as there are similar radio stations with a shared audience, listeners will continually switch back and forth as I do. And if one radio station plays the version of the song that is edited well and another station plays another version of the same song that is not edited well, younger audiences will still be exposed to inappropriate language. Unless all radio stations can play the same versions of these songs--versions that are actually appropriate for all ages--I think radio censorship of music is becoming useless.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment.

A Brief Update

Last week, I made a goal to write in this blog consistently. I also made a goal to use this blog for more serious topics, instead of for my normal, every-day thoughts. After reading the blogs I follow that are written by women (you can find them on the side-bar under "i.love.these.blogs") though, I realized that I miss using my blog for shorter, less serious updates. I miss using my blog to post about my personal thoughts and more feminine topics. Photos-of-the-day, quotes-of-the-day, favorite things (music, books, fashion, etc.), currently reading...and you might be saying, "Can't you do that here?"

No, not really. Why? Because it would just be a completely different style for the posts, and they cater to 2 separate audiences.

Because I don't want to mix the 2 different kinds of posts (personal topics and more formal topics), I created a separate blog called Sincerely, Desiree'. Let's just say that it will be very..."girly."

So visit me there, follow the blog, or just...pop in every once in awhile. I love to see your comments.

By the way, I'm still posting Part 2 of my Radio Censorship post today, so come back for that!

Radio Censorship Part 1: A History

Anything about censorship in the media, whether it's television, movies, radio, music, or newspaper has been controversial. Radio censorship, however, has not been placed on the table for debate nearly as much as censorship for television and movies.

I've chosen a couple of excerpts from this article to briefly expand on the history of radio censorship: Censorship, Matthew Murray

This has been the general government standpoint on radio censorship since 1927:

Nothing in this act shall be understood or construed to give the Commission the power of censorship over the radio communications or signals transmitted by any radio station, and no regulation or condition shall be promulgated or fixed by the Commission which shall interfere with the right of free speech by means of radio communication.

So, historically there is no set standard for radio censorship. However, the emergence of self-censorship by the radio stations appeared after an outbreak of “radio vandalism,” in 1914 when "the Department of Commerce stipulated that amateur licensees must refrain from profane or obscene words:"

The one exception to the no-censorship clause of the Radio Act and the Communications Act is the following addendum: "No person within the jurisdiction of the United States shall utter any obscene, indecent, or profane language by means of radio communication." In other words, this was the one legislated area in which prior restraint was permissible: broadcasters airing obscene, indecent, or profane material could expect license revocation or nonrenewal. During its tenure, the Federal Radio Commission interpreted this clause broadly, arguing that because radio entered the home and was accessible by children, indiscretions in this area were unacceptable.

Of course, radio censorship is not equal with each individual radio station; different words and content are censored from some stations while they aren't censored from others. My complaint is not about whether radio should be censored, but rather that radio censorship is not consistent and uniform.

Check back for the next post, when I explain why I feel this way. Feel free to comment!

R&B/Pop: The Artists of Today

A couple of days ago, I heard Jay-Z's new song "Run This Town" (feat. Rihanna and Kanye West.) Listen to it here. As soon as it started, I picked out Rihanna's voice. It's unmistakable and unique.

What I really mean is that her voice unmistakably nasal and uniquely horrible.

The point of this entry is not to bash Rihanna, if that's what you Rihanna fans are thinking right now. Rihanna's has had a great amount of success with her music. It's upbeat, different, catchy, and perfect for the radio. It's marketable. But can she really sing? If you were to go to one of her live concerts, how would her voice sound? Would it sound like the recorded single?

I don't think so.

Modern technology has allowed many individuals to become extremely successful in the music industry. I understand that this technology makes the construction of songs easier, as well as more interesting if special effects or sounds are added. In my opinion, using technology for that reason is fine. The problem starts when this technology is used to fix a voice.

Let's say that a music artist didn't have an outstanding voice. It wasn't strong, and most importantly...it was "pitchy." The notes were off; the pitch was never right on. What could they do about that? A private voice coach might do the trick, but until their voice improved all that would be needed is a flip of a switch - certain technology and tools would easily perfect their voice digitally. That's what many R&B/pop artists are doing today. The worst part? Their music really sells.

To get a break from all of this, I'll tune into the adult R&B stations to listen to a mix of "old school and new school." It's like a breath of fresh air for me. These stations play songs from artists that have true talent. Artists that have true voices. Artists that sound the same live as they do on their recorded single.

Really, it's almost as if you don't need to have any real talent anymore to make it big in the music industry. Everything just revolves around selling the album and making money, regardless if the musician has true talent or not. This really does frustrate me, but it doesn't seem as though it will change anytime soon.

Until it does (if it ever will), you'll find me tuning into those adult R&B stations for a taste of true talent, good music, and unmistakable, unique voices.

To clarify, what I mean is unmistakably authentic and uniquely incredible.

Let me know what you think. Feel free to leave those comments!

Take the Time to Smell the Flowers

To put it in a nutshell, Americans are always busy. When I googled "busy americans," these were the first three results:


My favorite is the third result, from a handbook to help international students at the University of Pennsylvania become accustomed to the American lifestyle. The full quote from the search results is as follows, "Americans also tend to believe they should be doing something most of the time. You will often hear Americans talk about how busy they are, which often is true, but also is simply expected. To not be busy, since everyone is busy, may be considered rather strange. This results on a positive active range of campus activities and organizations."

It's funny to read aloud, but it's the truth. We Americans do tend to believe they should be busy for most of the time. We do talk about being busy all the time. It's built into our lifestyles; we're taught to be busy and not to waste time from day one.


Being this busy most often leads to stress--believe me, I'd know! When I start to feel the stress creep up on me, I try to remember that I really do need to take the time out to relax. Today, I'll be doing 7 of these things...hopefully I'll relieve myself of some stress, right? Here are 10 ways you can fight stress (in no particular order):

1. Listen to your favorite music
2. Turn on your favorite movie
3. Work out
4. Laugh
5. Call up a friend you haven't talked to in awhile
6. Go to bed early
7. Get creative: write, draw, compose, paint, etc.
8. Read
9. Spend time with your significant other
10...

I think number 10 deserves a whole paragraph. It comes from the title of this entry.

Take the time to smell the flowers! Take the time to appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. Go for a leisurely walk, go for an easy bike ride, or even go for a brisk run--just be sure to look around you. Look at the vibrant colors of the sky and the grass. Watch and listen to the birds as they chase after each other. See the wildflowers blow in the wind. Find a perfect spot to watch the sunset. Listen to the soothing sounds of a river, lake, or ocean. My favorite part: capture it. Bring your camera along.

Because who wants to miss out on this?

...take the time to smell the flowers...

What do you do to fight the stress? Feel free to comment.

The Arrest of Professor Henry Louis Gates: My Opinion

This situation with Professor Henry Louis Gates sparked a fire in the public eye, and although it's already been a couple days, it's still spreading quickly. From Officer Crowley proclaiming that he will :"never apologize" to President Obama saying that Crowley "stupidly arrested Gates," there are many opinions on what happened. It's easy for people to become offended, especially on racial matters, but I believe that in situations like these, people need to take a step back and think before they state their opinion. I've tried my hardest to stay unbiased as this controversy unfolds. It's hard to determine what happened exactly, due to the two differing recounts of the event - Gates is saying one thing while Crowley is saying another. From what I understand though, both of them were in the wrong in at least one way. I don't feel that I (or anyone else) can confidently place all of the blame on just one of these individuals.

A Short Analysis of the Main Problems that Arose

Problem 1: Crowley asked for identification This is where the racial profiling issue comes in. Many people are saying that Crowley should not have asked for Gates' identification after realizing who he was and that he lived in that house. They're saying that it really wasn't necessary. Gates is a well-known intellectual who is a Harvard professor, has written and edited several books, has participated in the production of several documentaries, and has received many honors and awards. He is extremely well-known not only in the Cambridge community, but all over the country. Crowley should have known who Gates was and left him alone.
(CNN) Commentary: Obama, race, and my arrest

But others are saying that Crowley was just trying to keep Professor Gates safe. Other calls had been placed about disturbances at Gates' home prior to his arrival, so Crowley was just being cautious. For this reason, he felt that he had to go through with the entire process, including asking for Gates' identification (even if he knew who Gates was). For people who look at the situation this way, racial profiling was not part of this incident, but rather it was all about keeping Gates safe.
(CNN) Commentary: Obama's rush to judgment on police

Problem 2: Gates played the 'race card' It has been reported that Gates said some things that were offensive to Crowley, including his inquiry while being questioned, "Why? Because I am a black man in America?" Many people are saying this statement was not necessary. As I already mentioned, it is possible that Crowley had no racial intentions behind his actions, but instead was just concerned for the safety of Gates.

On the other hand, it's obvious that Gates felt he was a victim of racial profiling and was offended. As a result, he proceeded to ask that question without hesitation. Many people don't believe he was wrong for thinking he was a victim of racial profiling or that he was wrong for saying what he said.

A short comment about President Obama's opinion Some articles have questioned whether President Obama, or any presidents for that matter, should make comments on heavy-weighted issues like this. Although I believe that President Obama should have waited until he knew more about the situation to make any comments, I don't believe that any president should purposely avoid commenting when situations like this take place.
Obama wades into a volatile racial issue

Until the police department release the tapes from Gates' arrest, I don't think we're going to have any solid idea about what really happened. With two different versions of the incident and several explanations to justify each person's actions, we won't be getting anywhere in deciding who should carry the blame. As President Obama said, this incident has only proven that "race remains a factor in this society.” It's sad that we as Americans, after so many years, still cannot get over these racial issues.

Feel free to comment and tell me what you think about this incident. Thanks for reading.

The Importance of Giving

I have a Public Relations internship with United Way of Greater St. Louis in the Communications department. As expected, I perform the typical tasks of a public relations intern:

• write articles and success stories for newsletters
• work with our 2-1-1 campaign and our annual campaign
• work with social media (Twitter and Facebook)
• work to promote our  2nd annual Online Auction 
  
• writing public service announcements of various lengths
• translating brochures, articles, press releases, and other information into Spanish

Not only have I gained valuable experience from this internship, but I have also seen first hand the real impact of giving back to the community. I've always been involved in community service, but I've never had to work with an organization to formally promote it. I've always known how people in need can benefit from the help of their community, but this internship has opened my eyes even more to how we can help.

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a success story about two girls whose lives changed completely after receiving help from a United Way agency. It really is a touching story. Read it here:

Two girls at St. Mary’s Preschool overcome the odds

Two young girls who have been enrolled at St. Mary’s Preschool, Madisyn and Audrey, are perfect examples of how United Way funding has helped change lives. Both girls were born with severe disabilities but have strongly benefitted from the services and aid made available through St. Mary’s Preschool.

Madisyn was born blind and had additional severe medical concerns, which prevented development in all areas to occur at the expected speed. Prior to the family’s move to St. Louis, Madisyn and her parents took the opportunity to visit St. Mary’s Preschool. At this time, Madisyn had no intelligible speech, could only walk with assistance, and had several more obvious developmental delays. Upon returning to St. Mary’s two months later, Madisyn’s condition had worsened instead of progressed: she could no longer walk, displayed regression to a great extent in every skill area, and screamed nonstop for the majority of the day.  

Audrey, who is two and a half years old, was born with Down’s syndrome and other physical impairments. Although she participated in First Steps therapy one month prior to enrollment at St. Mary’s, Audrey still could not walk. Furthermore, she had no apparent verbal skills. After the developmental therapist conducted testing on Audrey to approximate her developmental level, the scores indicated that she was 9-11 months old in the Gross Motor area, 11-14 months old in the Fine Motor area, and 24-27 months old in the Social/Emotional area.  

Madisyn and Audrey, however, have both overcome the odds. Due to help from devoted occupational and physical therapists from Delta Gamma as well as the speech and developmental therapists from St. Mary’s, Madisyn was able to receive daily therapy both at school and at home. Now with two years behind her, Madisyn’s condition has improved drastically. At times it is still difficult for her to communicate her needs clearly, but she has made many improvements in relation to her verbal skills. Now she is able to talk, sing, and walk without the help of her cane, “Shane the Cane.” Madisyn has since moved out of the St. Louis area with her family, but “before leaving, she was just great,” said St. Mary’s Preschool director Molly McCue.

Audrey as well, received several different types of therapy. She can now walk independently without touching walls or holding onto objects for assistance. “Audrey is signing more and is still practicing, but she’s still working hard on her speech and language skills. They aren’t completely there,” said McCue. One of the most important signs of her progress has been her test scores: when retested seven months after she began therapy at St. Mary’s, Audrey scored 15-20 months old in the Gross Motor area, and she scored 27-30 months in the Social/Emotional area. This signified that Audrey’s overall score was 22 month old, which is a huge jump within just seven months of enrollment at St. Mary’s.  

Obviously, Audrey and Madisyn have made complete turnarounds in a short amount of time. “They’re hard working, incredibly sweet, very loving, and have come a very long way from when they first walked in the door,” said McCue. With help from the United Way, the changes St. Mary’s Preschool has made are not only possible for Audrey and Madisyn, but also for many other young children.

I hope you enjoyed this. Here's a link to our 2009 campaign video if you want to see it.

Well, if you give back to your community, I hope you continue to do so. And if you don't, I hope this makes you think twice.

Thanks for reading! And as always, feel free to comment.

I'm Back

Well, I've been back from Mexico for about 2 weeks now. After one week of rest, I started my Public Relations internship. It's been going well so far.

But anyways, I haven't really wanted to post any new entries, which is odd. I'm not sure if it was just the physical and mental exhaustion from my 5 weeks spent in Mexico or if it's something else, but I'm finally starting to feel my desire to write coming back. There have been plenty of things I've found to write about in the past week, so definitely check back for new entries.

A couple things: Feel free to leave comments. I've also added a link to my Picasa Web Albums page in the header of this blog to feature my amateur photography. ha. Enjoy!

Trip to Mexico

On Sunday, I leave for Guanajuato. I have created a travel blog called Experiencing the World and will be writing there for the majority of the next 5 weeks.

I might post some entries here, but there are no guarantees.

Until next time!

Things are Looking Up

Note to self:
Remember that I only have 3 days left.

Although I had made the decision to drop out of my study abroad program on Friday, I started to change my mind over the weekend. I'm pretty sure that I'm still going to go to Guanajuato, Mexico this summer, especially since things are looking up.

I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm going to visit the doctor when I get home to see if I can take some Tamiflu with me. Also, the medical insurance we were required to purchase through this study abroad company will cover any hospital visits or prescriptions that I may need.

The final word: I will be going to Mexico this summer, and the media beefed the swine flu deal up way too much!

Anyways, I'm two days into finals week, and I'll be back home in 3 days! I can't wait. Until then...I have to finish these exams and pack!

Catching up:

Here's the article I wrote for the CW: UA Career Center Hosts Last Career Fair of the Year

Swine Flu

Note to self:
Remember that there will always be more opportunities.

This is going to be a long one. I haven't written in about a week, so I'll give you a brief overview of what I've been doing over the last couple of days:

• Procrastinating
• Spending time at the pool (now I kind of have a slight sunburn and I'm itchy. I've never experienced that before)
• Looking forward to the last day of work (tomorrow)
• Writing my first article for the university's newspaper
  
• Worrying and keeping up with all new information about the swine flu
• Exploring my options for this summer, now that the swine flu has become such a huge concern

I never thought anything would keep me from going to Guanajuato, Mexico this summer. It's funny how things change.

Yesterday, I received an email from ISA around 1:30 p.m., in which they reported that they were offering full refunds until May 11 for students who would like to cancel their trip. Three hours later, they posted another notice explaining that they were urging all students who have been studying in Mexico for the spring semester to return to the United States. None of the students have been sick, but ISA is taking routine preventative measures to protect all of the enrolled students.

For now, I'm going to wait and see what happens with the swine flu, and I'll make my decision to take the refund (or not) closer to May 11. Health officials will have learned more about the virus by then, and everyone will be able to make a well-informed decision about traveling to Mexico and other affected areas.

I'll admit that I was very worried in the beginning when information was being released about the dangers and the spread of the swine flu. The fact that many young, healthy Mexicans have been dying from the flu had been a huge concern for me. Also, when American health officials began to say they believed we would be seeing more severe flu cases and deaths in this country, it scared me.

However, I have been worrying less as the days pass (and as the cases increase in the U.S.--funny, huh?). No one who has caught the flu in any other country has died, and I'm sure it's because they are actually getting treatment as soon as possible. On the other hand, this might not be happening in Mexico. The healthcare system there is not at the level of others around the world. First, Mexico has a shortage of the antiviral medication like Tamiflu and Relenza. Even if Mexicans began to recognize their symptoms as soon as they started, many of them might not have enough money to be seen by the doctor. Misdiagnosis has also been a problem. I read a news article the other day on MSNBC in which the reporter said a man was misdiagnosed. Instead of being diagnosed with and treated for the swine flu, the man was treated for a stomachache. It was already too late by the time they realized he had the swine flu.

I had been thinking about all of these factors as soon as the media was reporting that only people in Mexico were dying. In the beginning, they attributed it to the belief that, although the strains of swine flu from Mexico and the U.S. were identical, perhaps the strain in Mexico was much stronger. Now the media is addressing the possibility that the strain might not be that much stronger, if not at all, and the factors that I have mentioned might have a large effect on the deaths of swine flu victims in Mexico.

The media is getting less sensational as the days go by. Take a look at this article. It talks about the effects of the regular flu season on countries worldwide. Also in the article, the information about the regular flu serves to calm the readers' worries about the swine flu, putting the situation in a different perspective that likens the swine flu to the regular flu and showing that it isn't that abnormal. Whereas the swine flu is more dangerous because vaccines are not available, Tamiflu and Relenza are still able to stop the disease in an individual if taken at the right time.
Regular flu has killed thousands since January

Anyways, I hope everything turns out okay soon. Until then, I'll be washing my hands and using hand sanitizer often...

But I don't think I'll be worrying as much.

List of Things to Do Before I Die

Note to self:
Do these things.

Three of my friends and I made our own lists of things to do before we die. Here's mine (and I'm sure I'll have to add on to it):

1. Become fluent in two languages: Spanish and Tagalog
2. Swim with dolphins
3. Go to Pangasinan to meet my mom's side of the family
4. Learn to ballroom dance
5. Become...(shouldn't say)
6. Travel all over Spain
7. Learn some French and Italian, then travel to Paris, Venice, and Rome
8. Make a significant difference in someone's life
9. Design the interior of my house (after having it built)
10. Climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge and see the Sydney Opera House
11. Travel around Central and South America to see Chichen Itza, El Yunque, Machu Picchu, Buenos Aires, and Santiago
12. Set foot in every American state and see something for which it is known for
13. See Auschwitz and Anne Frank's house
14. See the Great Wall of China
15. Be a keynote speaker at a national conference or convention

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Note to self:
Don't get jealous.

Love is in the air, everywhere I look around...

Unfortunately. Yes, I really mean it. It's unfortunate.

Seeing people in love and seeing couples start forming more intimate relationships makes me happy. Honestly, it does. But I just hate being in the presence of it when I'm away from the person who shares that kind of relationship with me.

One of my friends has been telling me about the time he has been spending with this girl we know. I think they could have ended up in a relationship before if things had been different. It didn't happen, however, and they're spending a good amount of time together now. It seems like they're enjoying each other's company, and if things go the way I think they will, they might end up together. And then I'm not going to feel as comfortable hanging out with them. Why? Because I'd feel like the third wheel all the time. Who wants to be the third wheel?

Another thing: my roommates seem to be gone all the time. Where are they at? With guys, that's where. My first roommate is in a relationship. They're close enough now, considering they made a trip to Atlanta together during Spring Break, and they went out of town together last weekend. My second roommate is in some kind of relationship with a guy, or at least is starting to form one with this guy. I could tell from a conversation we all had one night, about him coming over. She had to get ready for him, and she was definitely stressing out about it. My last roommate has been in her relationship for about a year now. I don't see her much at all--it's like she lives with this guy. They're good for each other though.

Obviously, all of my roommates have places to be, guys to see. Recently, I have been alone in this 4-room suite countless times. I don't mind being alone at all, I just hate that this acts as a constant reminder that all of my roommates are in a relationship with a guy who goes to school here, whereas I'm in a relationship with a guy who goes to another school.

It's just hard for me to see this all the time, to see most of my friends in relationships and being all lovey-dovey in front of me, talking about the time they've spent with these guys. I can do that about once every 5 weeks, when I get a visit from my guy.

It's difficult. I get disappointed, sad, frustrated, and most of all, jealous. I get jealous because I can't have what my friends and roommates have. I can't just call up my guy and say, "Hey, let's hang out. I'm coming over." If I say, "See you later," it doesn't mean that I'll see him in an hour or two. It means I'm going to see him in a month or two. When I say, "I'd like to see you soon," it means that we're going to set up a date via Skype, using our webcams. I can't say, "I want to talk with you" and expect a face-to-face conversation. Instead, I just get a voice coming out of the speaker of my telephone.

It's nothing I (we) can't get through. Like I've already said, it's just hard for me (us). It would be so much easier if we had both gone to the same school.

I have to emphasize though, that we are so much stronger because of this experience. I am somewhat grateful that we have this challenge because our feelings for each other have only grown.

perfect fit

Note to self:

Smile

When I started thinking about college and applying to college, I wasn't ever sure of where I wanted to go. From the beginning, the only place I really confident about was Mizzou. I applied to several state schools in Illinois and Missouri, even if I didn't really want to go there. For example, I applied to Eastern Illinois University and Missouri State University, although I never had any intention to go to those schools, no matter how much scholarship money they awarded me. So why did I do that--why did I apply to these schools?

Because money has always been a concern for my family, and they didn't want me to have all these loans piled up if I went to an expensive school.

Yes, that's very reasonable. I know I'm not the only one who made their college decision based on their family's financial limits. It's very common for any student who wants to go to college. I really just hate that it's like that though.

So, I had my mind set on Mizzou after Ivisited them. Their journalism school was top notch, and it seemed like I would have really enjoyed attending school there. But then in November, a letter came from the University of Alabama, offering me almost a full ride to attend school there. The only things I would have had to pay for were my books and my meal plan. Of course, my dad and I made the trip down to UA to visit. Twice.

As soon as I step foot on the campus and spoke with professors and students, I was sold. Hands down, I knew I wanted to go to UA.

And now here I am, almsot finished with my sophomore year, and I'm wondering if I really made the right decision two years ago. Everyone says that "College is going to be the best time of your life." If that's true, UA hasn't pulled through for me. In the beginning, it was great. I was having a great time, and I know that all came along with being a freshman, finally finding freedom from the parents, and being 8 hours away from home.

I'm realizing now that the people, the events, the campus, the classes, the organizations, the social life, etc. just...doesn't satisfy me. It really doesn't. Now I'm wondering how much I really enjoyed the school while I was visiting...was it really genuine, or was I being unknowingly influenced by the knowledge that I would be going to school here almost for free? I know I would have never chosen UA if they hadn't offered the scholarship package to me. So...if I had just had a normal college visit, as a student who wouldn't have been offered as large an amount in scholarship money, how would I have felt about UA then?

I'm not saying everything about UA is horrible. I know some great people, I have great opportunities, and I know the academic programs are pretty amazing.

And no matter how I feel about this situation, I know I won't transfer.

It's just that everyone tells you that you have to make sure the college you choose is a perfect fit for you. The University of Alabama definitely is not the perfect fit for me, and I'm just not sure I really made the right decision.

Election

Note to self:
Never neglect to use my voice.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, our university held SGA Executive Office elections (President, VP for External Affairs, VP for Academic Affairs, VP for Financial Affairs, VP for Student Affairs, Executive Vice President, Executive Secretary, and the Senators for all colleges). Every year, supporters for each candidate execute serious and extensive campaigns, using every resource possible to spread the word about the person they support: chalking, posters, flyers, customized items (cups, bottle openers, koozies, t-shirts), stickers, banners on fraternity and sorority houses, and more. You get the picture.

The SGA Elections Board watches the campaigns every year to make sure each "party" is following the campaigning guidelines, which are outlined for each and every candidate who is throwing their name in the hat for whichever position they desire. This year, however, unethical campaigning happened far too often. The polls (online this year) closed at midnight on Wednesday, and there was to be no campaigning after 9 pm on that night. Instead of following that guideline, a large number of students continued to campaign, many times unethically. Furthermore, unethical campaigning did not happen only on Wednesday night--it was present throughout the entire campaigning period.

This "unethical campaigning" is only one small part of the election and the influence on voting practices, however. On our campus, a large group of students has created a way to literally control what happens with SGA elections, and even homecoming queen elections. I am not going to discuss explicitly these practices or describe the group of students who are members of this group because the most important thing to understand is this: these students only compose a small percentage of the entire student body, but their influence spans across a majority of the part of the student population that actually participates in the elections. Their influence is so strong that, almost always, their candidate takes the SGA office or the homecoming crown.

Due to the unethical campaigning that has been linked with the group of students mentioned above, many members of the student body have questioned the results of the election that took place last week. This year, over 14,000 students voted, and the winning candidate won by just 261 votes. Many members of the student body have become outraged, disappointed, and frustrated. These students believed that it was finally time for an independent candidate to take the office of SGA president, but once again, that certain group of students who have found a way to control the vote prevailed.

As aforementioned, that certain group of students only composes a small percentage of the student body on this campus. If all of the students had voted in this election, it is very possible that the independent candidate would have actually won. Our campus experiences such voter apathy...

I'm realizing that I can't just be angry with the group of students who strongly influence and control the student vote. I have to be angry with the 7,000 students who did not vote. With those extra 7,000 student votes, I'm sure that the independent candidate (who I supported) would have won indefinitely. We didn't have those votes though, and the other candidate won again.

This is all about a small, college campus SGA election. What difference is this really going to make in the world? None, really.

But for me, I'm realizing how important a person's voice really is. I've always known the importance, especially in relation to national presidential elections, but to have something hit this close to home puts it into perspective even more. I feel that I have a deeper, improved understanding now, whereas before I just accepted the belief without thinking about it any further.

I really wish others would notice the importance of expressing your voice: on campus, and nationally.

Goals

Note to self:
Stick to this.

I've recently decided that I want to change some things. I want to be different, I want to be better. I don't know what to call these goals. To me, they seem like "late" or "delayed" New Year's resolutions. But anyways, here they are (short and sweet, no explanations):

1. Manage time better
2. Make better study habits
3. Read more
4. Gain all the experience I can
5. Become more organized
6. Make more connections; network
7. Really focus on my future
8. Be confident
9. Explore all options
10. Be a better speaker

If some of my friends or acquaintances read this entry (and I could name specific individuals...), they'd probably be thinking to themselves: "Why exactly does she feel this way? Doesn't she do enough already?" But I've realized that if I want to do something, I have to do it for me, not for anyone else. That realization came along with being 8 hours away from home for school...I've learned so much more about life, about other people, and about myself. I feel like I'm finally becoming comfortable with who I am, and the only person I need to satisfy is me.

Redoing the List

Note to self:
Try not to get hooked on surveys.

1. I'm doing this because it's fun and my boyfriend's new list made me want to redo mine. AND I only made a list of 16 things.
2. I cleaned the entire dorm Sunday night, and my roommates have already found a way to make the room dirty.
3. I'm avoiding homework.
4. I love learning and speaking Spanish.
5. I'm listening to Andrea Bocelli: Amore.
6. I speak my mind more now than before.
7. I'm obsessed with getting straight A's.
8. I'm excited that my family is coming to see me Friday.
9. I bet you a million bucks that my boyfriend is better than yours.
10. I had to buy 9 books for my literature class this semester.
11. I'm an ambassador for my college and have to wear an ugly, bright, red blazer.
12. I go to school 8 hours away from home and it's a love-hate ordeal.
13. The wipe board calendar on my wall is still written for January.
14. My room is pretty n pink.
15. I'm already tired of hearing about the Chris Brown and Rihanna case.
16. I'm sure I watch more news television than you--my TV stays on CNN.
17. My TV also plays the Cosby Show and Fresh Prince occasionally.
18. The built-in DVD player on my TV is broken.
19. I'm sick of writing about my TV.
20. I hate being so far away from the people I love.
21. If I could have another hobby, it'd be professional photography.
22. I'd have to learn how to become an amazing photographer first though...
23. I have problems remembering to make my make-up off before I go to sleep sometimes.
24. I strongly dislike my current internship.
25. Writing 25 random things is pretty difficult for me.

starting fresh

Note to self:
Never delete another blog.

I've started and deleted blogs on this website about...three or four times. I won't do that again because it takes too long to think of a clever blog title. More to come later...