'Tis the season

It begins on black Friday. The day when people rampage through department stores like herds of cattle in preparation. These same people go ballistic at the sight of a sale or great deal on Christmas decorations. This can't be what it's all about can it? Of course not! It's about loving one another. Being with the people you love. Reaching out to a friend in need. Writing a small note of encouragement. Just like Jesus. It's so simple. We're celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. How cool is that?
I would encourage everyone who is distracted by finals, shopping, or whatever else may be drawing your focus away from the main point of this time of year, to stop and re-frame your thoughts. Think about what is stressing you out. Is it finals? If it is, that's fair, but also consider, is it worth it to freak out this much? What will it help? Wouldn't it be better to take a deep breath, study as much as you can and then just do it. Freaking out will only hurt you in the end. I can't say I'm a prime example for this yet, but it's one goal of mine: only freak out when absolutely necessary.
Are you stressed about finding enough gifts for people? Or even about affording said gifts? If so, why? If you don't get someone a gift, will they love you any less? If they will, then there are some serious issues in that relationship. If you can't afford to get big gifts, write a heartfelt note, or make a small gift. As cheesy as it is, it's way cooler, and people will actually care about it later on.
Throughout this special time it is important to take advantage of the extra time we have been blessed with to enjoy the one around us, but also out creator. This past weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to go on tour with my choir. I cannot think of a better way to start of the Christmas season than spending quality time with my close friends serving others. Because that's what it is really. The concerts are a group experience and we want the audience to get wrapped up in the service.
In addition to getting the opportunity to sing beautiful music under the direction of fantastic directors, I get the opportunity to get to know the people in my choirs and the others even better. It's practically a whole weekend devoted to relationship building. Everyone comes together to make a beautiful sound. No one voice is more important than any other. It's the most amazing experience and there is not a doubt in my mind that God is sitting in the room with a smile on his face. Music really does transcend every other form of communication.
Music is what brought all three choirs together. The Whitworth Choir that is big, powerful and amazing, yet an amazing group of people. The Men's Chorus, who have grown so much in the last couple years. Not they are an amazing group of men who are not only a blast to be around, but they are darn good now! Also. They serenaded me, so they get a few extra life points in my book ;) And last but definitely not least there is the Women's Choir. I've been a part of this ensemble for three years now. The ensemble has changed in many ways and I have changed with it. There is a feeling of love and mutual support that abounds among its members. Each person is important to the ensemble as a whole. I am going to miss it so much when I leave Whitworth. Choir has been such a blessing in my life. Many of my closest friends have come from various choirs and some of my favorite experiences have come during choral gatherings. It also helps me to stop and slow down once in awhile and focus on God in such a beautiful way. Choir time is a time that is solely devoted to choir. And nothing else. It is a time when I do not allow myself to worry about whatever else I may have going on at the time.
This weekend with the choirs blessed me immensely. I consider myself so lucky to get to be a part of the choral program at Whitworth. So much so that I encourage anyone else who feels like they want an opportunity to slow down to come to the concerts this weekend. Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 3 and 7 at First Presbyterian Church in Spokane. See you there :)

Mattress Multimedia Musings

This is all prompted by the fact that I just got another multimedia posted on the Whitworthian website. It's a show about Once Upon a Mattress go enjoy it please!

But might I take this moment to say that as a photographer on the newspaper you rarely get recognized, but you contribute one of the most interesting parts to a newspaper. The photos. What catches your eye when you open the paper? An engaging photo. That's right. But how do you recognize a photographer? You can see which article gets the most online views....oh wait that credit goes to the writer. Word of mouth? Well who can measure that. Sadly it's the burden we bear as photogs. We get over it though.
A fun new outlet that I've discovered is multimedia . I have learned how to gather interview audio and edit it together, and take photos that come together in a cohesive story. It's quite amazing really. It's wonderful because you get to hear the source talk about their story. You get to hear their passion and hear things in their words. The visual aspect allows many more pictures to go with a story as well, not just the one that runs in print. Some things lend themselves to multimedia better than other. For example, my show on the Men's Chorus that I did last year. The music lent itself perfectly to audio clips. The photos end up working out but only because I spent so much time going to several rehearsals to get the right photos.
Another thing about multimedia. It takes time...so much time. I've done enough of these to safely say that for every minute I have of audio I spend editing.
For example. Three minute show-at least three hours of audio editing without fail. Hours staring at squiggly lines that move and move. The men's chorus one that was a little over four minutes-that took somewhere around five or six hours of audio editing. Then there's the photos. Take hundreds. Use about 35-50 depending. Hours more there editing them all to look just right. But wait...there's more. Production. It's not enough to have audio and photos ready to go. They have to match up. The photos have to be lined up with the audio that goes with them if possible. Picture times have to be determined and transition must be set. It's a lengthy process.
But in the end it's worth it. Especially if it's something people enjoy. People love the way it goes even farther in depth than a regular written story.
How did this all start again? Oh yes. How does a photog get recognition. This is how. We put in a heck of a lot more work, but if I may say so myself. People love the result far more :)

WBC worries...but not about Whitworth

I suppose it was only a matter of time.
Yes, only a matter of time before I chose to address the one, the only, the Westboro Baptist Church.
I must say that I am to impressed with our President. Dr. Beck Taylor. This man's only been our president for a matter of months and already he's fending off protesters as our fearless leader. Late one Sunday night the emails started to appear in his inbox. Students were livid that a group like this could be allowed to protest anywhere near the university.
The truth of it is this. They are completely within their rights. As much as it pains me to say it. I'm in Gordon Jackson's Media Law class right now and my eyes are opened each day as I learn what can and cannot be done.
Honestly, I'm not worried about Whitworth. We're all big kids. We may get upset or angry, but I pray that we are able to maintain our composure as our campus comes under spiritual attack. The wonderful thing about Whitworth is that we are a Christian institution. We adhere to and even teach Christian love. We are able to see where this group is so incredibly flawed and are able to respond with as much maturity as we can muster. The best response to this group would be no response, as the cartoon this wonderful Whitworthian article suggests, but as we all can guess that rarely works with a large group of idealistic college students. I commend Whitworth for providing other opportunities for students to express their opinions whether it be at the town hall style forum or the alternative responses drafted as a result of the meeting. The Whitworthian has been following this story closely and has kept students informed as to what will happen on that day. There will be a love walk/run to raise money for organizations that reach out to the groups that the WBC target and there will be a banner that is held by ASWU members to represent the student body. Some students are satisfied with this response, some are not. At some point, you can't please everyone.
Of the many suggestions given, I think this is a good synthesis of the ideas that people had. Although I will say that I think one of my favorite anti-protest ideas (which I heard from Thomas Pendell, [oh look, here's his blog]) I heard was this:

Evacuate the campus and leave a large sign outside that reads:
"Raptured. Sorry we missed you."

Anyway, as I was saying....
My worry comes for others in the community, specifically Ferris High School. The picket site was changed on the WBC website from Rogers High School to Ferris for a reason unknown to us. This is where I see problems arising. Both of these schools are not Christian institutions. They are public schools that are not allowed to teach the love of Christ. These kids are also younger and more impressionable. Many may be persuaded that Christianity is not worth it if it produces people like this.
Also, to be perfectly honest, high schoolers are more likely to respond on an impulse reaction and not consider the consequences of their actions. They are more likely to respond violently whether it being throwing eggs or spitting on them (I've been keeping tabs on facebook and have heard these and many other absurd suggestions presented).
I believe that Whitworth and the Christian community of Spokane has a duty to reach out to these schools in our community. The community of Spokane affects Whitworth but Whitworth is also a part of Spokane and affects it's growth and personality (there's a little reference to Systems Theory for those of you who took Ron Pyle's Theories class).
We as Christians have a duty to come alongside out brothers and sisters and show them the true love of Christ.
I also believe that the Christian high schoolers in the Spokane area have an amazing opportunity to engage their peers in discussion about Christianity. What a better way to bring up the topic in a public school setting?
I have already emailed the pastor at my church and told him that I think the youth pastor should talk with the kids about this amazing opportunity that they've been presented with. While I haven't heard back from him personally I have a feeling I'm not the only one who is thinking along these lines.
My prayer is this. That we come alongside and pray for our brothers and sisters under attack who do not know the love of Christ. I pray that this evil attack (because that's what this group does frankly) is used as an opportunity to lead even more people to Christ. We've been given an amazing opportunity to minister here.
As I sit here thinking about this I start to giggle a little bit.
Doesn't God work in ironic ways?

The first of those amendments

Do you know just how important the first amendment is? I mean not just to someone who deals in journalism, but to everyone. Nearly all of our other freedoms and rights stem from that one right to free expression.
I am currently enrolled in Gordon Jackson's Media Law class and McPherson's Media Law class. Both classes are teaching me about the importance of the first amendments. Entire chapters and weeks of classes are spent on it.
I am realizing just how lucky we are to live in a country where we can express nearly any sentiment we want.
Now I just finished up a chapter that dealt with personal injury laws. It was a little heavy to read, because there was example after example of people who had died from copying something they saw or read in a publication. At first it makes you want to jump in and censor everything that's published. In retrospect though, I am realizing that although tragedies happen, if we did allow censorship it would turn into a slippery slope and the lines between free speech and threats to personal safety would be pushed past their reasonable limits.
I am starting to appreciate freedom of expression. Even nasty expression. Obvious example. The almost Koran burning. While I come nowhere near supporting this, I do at least appreciate why he had the legal right to do this had he actually gone through with it. Ethically speaking is separate from the law. you can't regulate ethics without standardizing them and I think everyone can appreciate that sentiment at least.
Needless to say, all my classes are making me think. They make me think about the ethics of laws, whether or not they should be ethical, and what I value in my own life concerning freedoms.
I worked on our student publication in High School and we were constantly fighting the administration to combat prior restraint. I had an amazing adviser who instilled pride into us and taught us that as long as we were fair ethical journalists, we had the right to publish whatever we liked.
I even had a parent on my case for using the word "sex" in one of my articles, even though I was quoting an outside source. It never went much farther than that, but it was still fascinating to see just how much people so badly wanted to restrict our rights to expression.
It wasn't so long ago that people were jailed and injured for opposing the government. When you study the history and progress of free speech, it makes you appreciate how far it's come and what value it holds. I'll be the first to admit that media has plenty of problems. But is there a field out there that doesn't?
After I left my high school, I kept tabs on the journalism program to see where it would go because it was on track to really go places. Latest I've heard since a new adviser for the paper was hired: before it goes to print, a copy goes to the administration for "final edits." This cuts right to my heart. The sentiment of the first amendment is lost.

NOTE: I went to a private school so legally speaking, the school has the right too do this. Whether or not they should....that's up for a whole lotta debate.

And so it begins

Another year begins. Senior year. Wow. How'd that happen? I think I'm getting old. Gone are the days of staying up until 3am just for fun and because I had energy. Somehow I've managed to survive school up to this point and all that it has thrown at me.
I look forward to seeing what this year has in store for me. I know it will be an exciting one to be sure. Even as a senior, I love meeting new freshmen and helping them along in their college journey.
New living situation. Just one lovely housemate. Although we live next to a lot of really cool people for sure :)
This year classes will test me I think. In number the classes are not too many, but in content they are heavy. It will be a year that tests everything I've been working for all these years. But isn't that kind of exciting while being scary at the same time?
Choir is beginning again on Monday and I could not be more excited. I couldn't decide which ensemble I wanted to be in so I put it in God's hands. I was called back for both and I am back in Women's Choir again :) I am so happy. If I had made it into Whitworth Choir I would have had to learn an all new ensemble and be away from the ensemble that I've grown to adore over the last two years. I'm excited to pour my heart into the new group of lovely ladies. This is going to be an amazing year for the choir's. I can feel it. The Men's Chorus is gaining numbers, and I think the quality of Whitworth and Women's Choir is going to take a huge leap. I'm so excited to see what happens. especially at Christmas :D
As I year up for this year to really be kicked into gear I am excited to see what God holds in every aspect.
It's gonna be a good year :)

Junior Year Reflections

What a whirlwind this year has been. If at the beginning of this year someone would have told me what this year was going to be like there's no way I would have believed them.
New living situation: theme house. That was a lot of fun. Putting on a different activity each month merely added to the things I had to do but it was fun. It kept us connected to the campus community and gave people even more of a reason to come have fun at the Decades house. I'm still amazed that the NY times somehow latched onto the theme house program. On July 25th there will be an article featuring theme houses at Whitworth. My housemates and I were interviewed and photos were taken and the article is set to run July 25th in the Life and Education section. Go figure. Yes in the end there was some shuffle with the actual occupants of the house but what group is without conflict. Next year. Pirate Clubhouse (I still think Pirate Playhouse would have been fun however ;)
Same major: While I did not change to communication like I thought I might I have enjoyed everything about the Journalism major and the Visual Communication minor. I think I'm even done with all the class for my Vis Comm minor. Wow. Journalism is still on track with only a minor set back with the unexpected need for me to drop one of my classes. But I'll make it up so no harm done really.
Medical issues: Probably the most unexpected turn of events for the year I'd say that threw a wrench into life. What if you woke up one morning and couldn't see out of one eye? What is you blew it off and attributed it to exhaustion and the same thing happened the next day? Well that's what happened to me. Optic Neuritis. Not what I was expecting. Swollen optic nerve to be specific. For two and a half months now I have had anywhere from no vision to incredibly foggy vision. After a series of doctors, optometrists, neurologists, MRI's, spinal tap(which by the way royally suck) and countless blood tests they still can't really figure out what happened to me. Admittedly most of the nasty diseases they tested for came back negative, however a conclusion still has not been reached as to the cause. They are sending me to more doctors over on the west side but most everyone has estimated an almost complete recovery of my vision which is quite relieving. The recovery process is slow, one step forward and two steps back but it's going. I can see far more than I could before and I am used to it quite frankly. It's getting better and better. My personal goal is to have it all the way better by the time I go back to school which would be about 5 months from the start of all this.
Throughout all this I have seen the expanse of how many people love and care about me. Friends, family, peers, peers I haven't met, my church family, my work family, friends of friends, friends of friends of friends, professors, people I will never ever meet. That's how many people have been praying for me. It has been hard to deal with all the doctors appointments and school while away from home. It was hard to find ways to get to and from doctor appointments and hard to get all my work done. However more people than I know are praying for me and I cannot help but feel uplifted by their love and care. In the times when I have felt lest hopeful and most scared, there has always been someone looking out for me. God has mad it explicitly clear to me that he will not let me go through troubles alone. He is always there for me and that is shown by the love he has surrounded me with. To everyone who has cared for me or prayed for me throughout all of this. Thank you. You all show God's love through your thoughts and prayers and it has been such an encouragement. Being home is so reassuring for this process and will help me in the coming months as I continue to deal with the recovery of my sight.
While this sudden overnight loss of vision did make my grades suffer, cause me to drop a class and become emotionally overwhelmed, within the first week of this God was teaching me so much. What an unfortunate way to have your stubbornness attacked and broken down. BUT I could not have asked for more loving and caring arms to be met with by my peers when that wall of stubbornness was broken down.
Friends new and old: I have met so many new friends, and retained so many older friends. I met new freshmen, sophomores, juniors and even seniors. To everyone of you that I met, thank you for enriching my life. I could not have made it through this year without you in my life. Each one of you is special in their own way. Some of you have driven me to the doctor, others of you have greeted me with a hug and a smile whenever I see you. Others of you have put up with my antics. I honestly don't know how you do it sometime ;)
I met friends ust beginning their college journey and watched them grow, I had friends who were ending their collegeiate journey and got to help them plan and cry as the whole process occured. I watched friends struggle and reach out for help. For anyone in that boat I hope I was there to catch you when you fell and lend an ear to listen. Some of you, you know who you are, helped me out so much this year. Listened to me, laughed with me, cried with me, pulled pranks with me. I cannot describe how thankful I am for you.
Breaks: My breaks were filled with short excursions home to see friends and family and remember where I came from. Insanely enough I came home one time to discover that my family had finally moved(who would have thought that day would happen). I even got to spend one break going home with a a particular close friend and got to see where he comes from. You can learn a lot about a person by learning where they come from. I got to meet his family and friends and see all the places I had only heard about, see where he grew up, went to school, and became the person he was. I am so greatful for that experience.
Choir: Yes it gets it's own special section because more than the newspaper or any other thing I have been a part of choir has enriched my life in the way that only music can. The lovely ladies in women's choir brighten my mood on the darkest of days and choir was my time during the week when I would regain the sanity lost earlier in the day. Debbie is one of the sweetest directors to work with and her love and comitment to the choir makes us all want to succeed. To the ladies in choir, thank you for all your laughter, jokes, and hugs. You enriched my life so much.
Nothing however will compare to the bonding experience of the Christmas choir concert tour. All three ensembles gathered together for one purpose. There's really nothing like it. I'm already looking forward to next year's tour. I bonded with the women's choir, whitworth choir and even the men's chorus(who will always have a special place in my hear ;). It was by far the highlight of my year. There is a way that choral music changes people and binds them together that I will never fully understand but maybe it's because I can see God acting through each person involved.
Graduation: This marks the hardest end of the year for me yet. It only took this long, but Whitworth has become more of a home for me than it ever was before. I was not in a rush to leave this time. I knew a lot of people graduating that I will miss dearly in the coming year. Good luck to everyone who I know that graduated, you will all go on to do great things in your lives and I hope you visit and stay in touch. You will be dearly missed.
Alas there was so much that happened this year that I know I cannot even begin to exhaust it all in one measely blog post but my goodness does it feel good to try. I'm sure in a matter of minutes I will remember even more of the year that was significant but for now this shall suffice. This year was nothing short if insanity and I wouldn't have traded it for anything!
Now a new chapter begins. Interning for the Sammamish Review. I begin that adventure in a few short days in addition to the search for a paying job. This summer could shape up to be quite an adventure. My oh my I can't wait to see where it leads. My sister is graduating HS and starting a college journey of her own. I am continuing in my own endeavours. I wonder what God has in store for me next? Whatever it is, I know it's going to be exciting!

Tall Tully's Musings

So today marks the first of many days that I will most likely be kicked out of my house for several hours on end. It also marks a milestone for me as I have not had coffee since Monday morning, until now. My sister is working on her senior project in which she will be recording song and as such she needs "silence" in the house. Which apparently I'm not very good at.
It is rather amusing to see the kinds of people around me here at Tully's. First we have a woman who appears to work in the PR department of a company and is making calls and online orders with what sounds like customers.
Then there are the two guys who look like students studying like mad during finals. Ensconsed in their laptops with headphones and focused expressions I cannot help but remember that I was in their place very recently.
There is a surprisingly old couple sitting and reading the paper, occasionally exchanging small conversation but mostly just enjoying the afternoon.
There are two men about my age(one of them is rather attractive :P) that have just say down for a catch up chat. They have taken the two comfy chairs in front of the fire, otherwise known as the chairs you can only hope to be productive in.
On the other side of me there is a pair of middle-aged women who have just sat down for a lovely chat. Of course next to them is the Indian guy who has been on the internet on his phone since I got here. There's even a woman with a baby chatting what looks like business with two other people.
Of course then there's me, the college student on break for the summer killing time until work kicks in and there is no time at all.
It struck me that there are only a few places you can go in the world where all kinds of people young and old can gather and not feel out of place. Most venues appeal to a certain demographic, but coffee shops like Tully's have somehow managed to span that boundary and can appeal to everyone. This is how we should all attempt to direct our attitudes in life I think. I think that most people in the younger demographic are not comfortable with all ages and it saddens me to think that we have lost touch with them. Older folk are full of knowledge and wisdom beyond out years. They are worth getting to know. Personally I get to return to the church I grew up in this week where I am friends with more people over the age of 35 than under the age of 25. I don't consider this a loss, but rather something to be thankful for because I can gain a lot from them if I simply take the time to get to know them.
In this fast paced world it is easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget to invest in others. Take advantage of the people in your life. And I mean all of them. Don't take them for granted.

Where is you home?

So over my Spring break this year I got to go visit a friend in southern California. We went to the San Diego zoo, Disneyland, and this little island called Balboa. It was so much fun. I have to say one of my favorite things were the panda bears at the zoo(consequently that is one of them over there). They were so cute I very nearly hopped the fence to go hug them. But, the sun was out, it was a perfect temperature. I was nearly converting to a Cali girl. Maybe it's that my mother is from southern California originally but moved away because she didn't like it. But I have never had this wonderful of an impression from that state as a whole. Yes I'm sure there is some stereotyping involved there, but really I came out of my trip loving it.
This got me thinking about what I will do after graduation. Which may be a year away, but at the same time, it's only a year away. For college student what to do after you graduate is a big deal. I come from an immediate family who moved away from the majority of their family to start a new life somewhere else. My mother moved out of California, and my dad from Oregon. I have grown up thinking that when you grow up, you move away. Over the last few years I have come to realize that so many more people than I realize stay close to home their whole life.
While I have no idea where my life will take me after graduation, I am open to the possibilities. I am open to staying close to home. However I am also open to the idea of moving away. If I were to move away I know that I would want to move away for a good reason. I would move because I had roots there, or a way to set down new roots.
I feel like in college I have learned that you can create a new home somewhere else, you just have to have the resources and the desire to.
SO think about it. How far would you go from home? Even better, think about why you would go.

Breaking News: texting kills comm major

Many of you who know me, may already know that I suck at texting. Maybe it's that I only get a limited number a month and therefore don't text as often as some(sometimes intentionally). Maybe it's my personal vendetta against excessive texters. However it is this journalist's opinion that texting is the source of the slow painful death of interpersonl communication in our culture.
Do I understand the occasional text when you are not in a position where you are able to call someone? Sure. Do I get that sometimes it's just easier to send someone a quick text. Yes. Do I understand the people who use it as their only medium of communication. No.
Texting has taken over our lives. Some no longer even like to call their friends anymore. All they do is text. To me texting is so much more impersonal. Yes it can be made personal by what you type etc, but it has become a crutch to our culture and quite frankly it bothers me.
If I have learned one thing as a communication studies student, it is that good interpersonal communication skills are important no matter what field you go into. Business, science, music, even accountants all have to interact with people in some capacity and our generation is losing the ability to communicate with each other because of texting.
I understand that this does not apply to everyone, however I routinely ask people to call me, one, because I think it is easier and less time consuming. Two, because it is clear and easier to understand. Three, because is more personal because you can hear the other person's voice.
I love my friends very much and getting to talk to them is one of my favorite things. It means that I get to have a conversation with them and that I want to talk to them personally.
I do not have a problem with the principle of texting, seeing as I do in fact text from time to time. Really its the people who have deep intense conversations over texting that bother me. I have had this happen to me, where I am talking to someone and they pause to text a friend but apologize to me for doing so but they say it was necessary because they are in the middle of a "deep intense conversation" with their other friend. If that is the case, then neither party is that focused on the conversation at hand, so how can it be that meaningful? I would hold that it means less to text someone than to call them and make the effort to hit the send button than fidget around on your phone's keypad.
While searching through facebook fan pages I found pages advocating for texting and found all sorts of comments on the pages about how people "hate calling people" and "only use calling as a last resort." I think my favorite may have been the one that said "I asked a girl out, but she was too shy to text back." Seriosuly, if this guy was too shy to have the guts to call this girl up and ask her out properly and she was too shy to even text back, neither of them deserve a relationship. What would an actual relationship be like between two such people I wonder?
The art of interpersonal communication is dying a slow and painful death even though no one knows it yet. It's rather akin to the story about the frog who was boiled alive without realizing what was happening until it was done. If we keep sacrificing our interpersonal skills, then we are going to lose them before we know it.
So go ahead. Be brave.
PICK UP THE PHONE.
People aren't that scary to talk to. I promise.

Whitworthian-3 Whitworth-0

I would like to take this post to thank the Whitworthian for attempting to uphold dwindling moral standards on the Whitworth campus. This past week in the Whitworthian there were multiple articles calling attention to the falling standards with regards to the entertainers Whitworth has brought to campus. I'm sure everyone remembers the email headline "live group sex therapy" that circulated around. While this did in fact get me to read the email, I was slightly offended that this is the level that Whitworth was sinking to in order to get my attention. Because of night class I was not able to attend this "therapy session" but did talk with others afterward. Whether this was a comedy act or not was up for debate.
This has been a common pattern among recent entertainers on Whitworth's campus. I remember attending a comedian about a month ago and while I was only there for about 20 minutes of it I left feeling unimpressed and offended by the humor.
I am the kind of person who can take a bit of what is considered "dirty" humor. If cleverly used. However this comedian was more offensive than funny. The only laughter was nervous laughter.
This combined with Daniel Packard's performance that inspired no less than three articles in the Whitworthian about his offensive performance leads be to believe that Whitworth needs to consider who they endorse on campus. In one article, the writer reported being so offended in her interview with Packard that she ended the interview prematurely. In another article, the writer expressed similar concerns about Whitworth's boundaries and standards.
I recently attended the slam poet on campus and he was practically boring in comparison to the uprising about the Packard performance. He still used inflammatory content in an attempt to "make a point" as he said.
As I walked away from the poet with my friends there was a distinct divide in opinions about the poet. Everyone agreed that he was talented but there was a great discrepancy as to the nature of the content in his performance. Some of my friends thought it was great that the poet was touching on awkward topics, others did not and thought that Whitworth needed to uphold their standards a little better.
While this is a topic that has been covered in recent Whitworthian articles I am simply taking the time to agree with them and let them know that I appreciate the honest work the Whitworthian does in trying to hold the administration accountable for their actions. If that's not what journalism is all about, then I don't know what is.

I just became a fan of "not being a fan"

Almost everyone in college is on facebook and has been undoubtedly asked by several of your friends to "become a fan" of "i used to blow air back into my Capri-Sun to make it look full again" or "sleeping with one leg out of the covers." Personally, I can't think of a worse idea that facebook has come up with. Not only is the fan pages just another version of the group joining trend that swept facebook last year, but it is now an even better way to exploit just how little life people have.
"Fanning" something has a less committed feel than joining a group ever did. It only barely associates you with a concept or cause. Now I believe some fan pages have their place. Personally I am fans of such things such as The Whitworthian, the Whitworth Men's Chorus, my church from home, and a friend of mine who is a singer. I'm also a fan of Bill Robinson, but then again, who isn't?
A few pages have their place. The Whitworthian posts updates about the publication from time to time and helps avid facebook users keep track of what they do. Some fan pages, people have personal stakes in, such as a music group and they can use the social networking to get the word out about the music.
It's the hundreds of extraneous fan pages I have a beef about. I see no point in becoming a fan of "I hate it when one string on my hoodie becomes longer than the other," or "Hi, Hi, who was that...I have no idea." If you look closely the only thing any of the pages have posted is a really excited couple of comments saying "OMFG we got like 1000 fans in 47 minutes!!!! Keep it going!" What have we accomplished here? The tween world has simply discovered a new way to annoy every other facebook user out there who gets requests to "fan" such pointless pages.
But then what about all the angsty high schoolers "fanning" things such as "I knew I wanted you from the moment I met you," and "I like you and you like me so why don't you just ask me out already?!?!" and "I really like you....but I can't tell you." By the way, my inspiration for this tirade was when my housemate just burst out laughing on the other side of the room at one of her facebook friends who had just become a fan of all three of those things at the same time. Teenage desperation at it's finest. Is "fanning" things becoming a new way of flirting? I hope and pray that this not be the case.
The next time, you blindly accept a fan request just so a page can obtain it's 1 billionth fan, think about why in fact you are becoming a fan "leaving post-it notes on the fridge." Defy the trends, be different, listen to Nietzsche and don't follow the Herd (yay Core 250).
I will say, for the sake of full disclosure, that I am a fan of exactly 14 pages at this time and about 10 of those actually deserve pages. I will also admit that I caved and became a fan of "Taylor Lautner shirtless," but can you blame me on that one?
♥~

A Semiotic Superbowl

So anyone in the communication department at Whitworth has taken a class in communication theory, most likely from Ron Pyle. When he starts the class he promises you that the class will ruin your life. The theories you examine will start appearing in all your everyday interactions and you will being to analyze your actions and the actions of everyone around you. Well he was right. I took that class last semester and it is still ruining my life and will most likely continue to for years to come.
The theory of semiotics, which is a theory dealing with how meaning is created through signs and symbols has entered into my mind. Maybe it's because for my Media Criticism class I read nearly 40 pages on the subject, or because I read two subsequent chapters on the application of the theory, including a whole chapter on semiotics in football. However I spent more time during the game analyzing the hidden messages in the game than actually watching it.
Whether it be the scantily clad dancers on the sidelines or the sexually charged commercials I was constantly analyzing every single thing.
This naturally led me to inform all my friends around me of what I was observing. Of course since none of them are communication majors it was slightly less groundbreaking news to them. In fact they grew quite tired of hearing about the in's and outs of the media from me. The effects of the media however should not go unchecked as the media influences nearly every single aspect of our lives through news broadcasts, radio, magazines, and advertisements. A single photo can have an incredible amount of subtle messages. Expand that to a 30 second commercial in the super bowl and you could begin to worry about indoctrination with how many subtle messages are crammed into such a short period of time. Then again who can blame them when a 30 second commercial costs anywhere form 2.5-3 million dollars! In some commercials it was unclear what company was advertising because they were so focused on flashy shots of cute animals on the Budweiser commercials, or sexually suggestive women on the notorious GoDaddy.com commercials. The commercials were not trying to show the merits of the company but simply trying to make their audience draw positive associations or images with their company. Showing a beautiful woman gets your attention more than a list of the benefits of a company. I have been watching the super bowl for years and seen the GoDaddy.com commercials and to this day I do not know what the site is for because the ads never explicitly says but for my own peace of mind I have never had the courage to go to the site to figure out what on earth it is all about. However I know there are people that are swayed by such images.
As such I would encourage people to start noticing what they notice. That maks sense if you think about it. Why do you remember what you remember? Do you remember a company based on their level of quality? Or because there was a beautiful woman talking about it. Or a talking dog advertising he product. Advertisers do not care what gets people to consume their product but maybe it should concern us what sticks in our minds.

Get away and be still

So I haven't posted on my dear old blog ad I realized that I quite miss it. 

So just yesterday a friend and I took a nice long 2 hour sunday afternoon walk. It was lovely really. We walked from our house down Ivanhoe to Holland, over to Holmberg park, then snaked our way through the neighborhoods to five mile and back to campus. We didn't talk about anything that deep or anything, we admired what we liked about each house we passed and just enjoyed each other's company. It was not that warm really. It was kind of a grey day but walking is such a lovely way to spend an afternoon. It's slow paced so you get to enjoy the beauty of the nature around you and spend quality time with people(in addition to getting a small dose of fresh air and exercise). I don't generally have time to get out and walk as often as I would like these days but when I do it is a lovely escape from the business of life. Over the summer a friend and I would walk every day after work. We chose to walk briskly to get exercise but it was still a wonderful way to spend the last few hours of daylight.

It's a also a fun way to get out and explore your surroundings which can be quite charming even on the worst days. Another way I enjoy taking time is by riding my bike around. It lets me cover more ground more quickly, but the pace is still slower than driving and lets you get out and be in touch with nature. I plan on going out for a bike ride this afternoon actually. I've got the day off and it's finally sunny outside! (this is not to be confused with warm...it is still winter in Spokane...) 

In college group at church on thursday a friend talked on the idea of being still. It's nearly impossible these days with how wired and scheduled out lives are. Being still is hard for us. But when we take that time to be still, rest, and listen to God, it could not be more rewarding. Sometimes I do this by taking my camera and going exploring, it makes me slow down and observe the little intricacies of the world around me. This can be achieved by walking, biking, taking the dog for a walk, going somewhere in seclusion etc. College is so hectic and you spend your whole time around other people that sometimes you just need to leave them all behind to get away and recharge your batteries. 

So get away and enjoy some alone time. You'd be surprised how much good it will do for you. In fact, I think I will go on my bike ride right now :)