Giving up Twitter

While I actually gave up Twitter for Lent, it seems I inadvertently gave up my blog too.  After I no longer had to continue blogging for my intro Journalism class, I swore that I would continue, because I liked it so much and to a lesser extent, because it's important for developing my resume and skills as a writer. 

But due to a combination of writer's block and lack of free time, I haven't blogged in a month and a half. I partially attribute this to giving up Twitter for Lent, since my blog ideas tend to come from the things I find worthy to rant about or comment on in Twitter. 

I decided to give up Twitter for Lent because I definitely use social media too much, and wanted to prove to myself (and my friends that doubted me) that I could give up Twitter.  

Once the first week passed, it was actually pretty easy to be off Twitter. It was odd not checking it, but I compensated by checking Instagram and Facebook more (which defeats the purpose of giving up Twitter..).  While I occasionally had a thought or comment that was tweet-worthy, I didn't feel like I was missing out on much.  

But the lesson I learned from giving up my favorite social media--is it really all that necessary? Yes it is an easy way to get first hand and a variety of news, and as a Journalism major I know and enjoy how it allows for such easy and global citizen journalism.  

I began to consider the tweets that never happened, were they all that important? Some included complaining that I needed copious amounts of coffee, that I couldn't find a seat in Lindy, or that the warm weather had not come yet. Others were more substantial, about my newfound love of yoga, the announcement of a new pope, or how it was the year anniversary of when Lehigh beat Duke.  

Did the world, or at least my 200 twitter followers, really need to know these things about my life? I could have just as easily turned to my friend to complain about or discuss any of the above, did the wider virtual audience really need to know my every thought? No. And this is the problem with my social media use, and giving up Twitter taught me to stop incessantly tweeting (or posting on Facebook or Instagram)  and save my posts for those that have some merit or weight. 

Have we as a society turned social media into shameless, constant self-promotion? I remember the days of MySpace "Top 8", profile pictures with the peace sign and kissy face, and when your popularity was determined by how many people liked your profile picture. While this is mostly reserved for middle and high school students, there is still social media self promotion among college students. 

In college, it is more common that students use social media to create the image that they party a lot and to complain about exams, the weather, and the administration for not resolving any and all issues that we may confront in our daily lives.  

This is very generalized, but I think most college students end up using social media to do one or more of these things at least sometimes.  

But now that Lent is over and I have returned to Twitter, I will use social media in a more constructive way- to better communicate my take on events and with others, not to post incessantly about insignificant things. 

Reaction to woman suing Lehigh for a receiving a C+

The latest local news circulating around campus is not the newest party list that Lehigh has topped or an influential speaker coming to campus, but that our university is being sued by a former grad student for receiving a C+.  If this wasn't outrageous enough, she is seeking $1.3 million in damages.  

Also, in court testimony it has been stated that the plaintiff, Megan Thode, cursed in class (the grade in question was in a master's fieldwork class) and acted inappropriately in general.  

When I first heard of the lawsuit, I was baffled because of the ridiculousness of the case.  I have received less than stellar grades before, but knew it was because I did not put in enough effort in the class.  Thode is saying that she could not continue with her program and had to get a different degree, so she is seeking damages to make up for the loss in salary.  

This is the second thing I am baffled about--if you are not willing to act in a professional manner, you will not receive good grades, and consequentially you may affect your future prospects, and possibly you directly affect your career, as Thode did.  

What happened to taking responsibility for your actions??

As a Lehigh student, I am angered at this lawsuit.  I hope Lehigh does not settle, and certainly hope Thode does not manage to win the case.  I, as well as many of my friends, am taking loans to pay Lehigh's tuition and am working hard to get good grades so that I can have the career of my choice.  It would be a travesty if Lehigh students, their parents or whomever foots the tuition bill ends up paying Ms. Thode for her lack of responsibility, decorum and hard work.  

Additionally, Thode did not even have to pay tuition because her father is a professor at Lehigh.  Not only did she receive free undergraduate tuition at York College of Pennsylvania, but she was attending Lehigh's College of Education for free (she did graduate, but with a master's in human development instead of counseling and human services).  So she not only received all of her higher education for free and now has a job as a drug and alcohol counselor, but is trying to win $1.3 million from Lehigh, taking it away from students, programs, athletics, and scholarships that need it.   

Lehigh prides itself on being a tough school that graduates students who go into successful careers.  Ms. Thode's lawsuit undermines the legitimacy of our university and I sincerely hope that she does not win and that she learns some sense in the process.  

Not Another Bitter Rant: a Different Single Girl's Perspective on Valentine's Day

DISCLAIMER: this is not another one of those bitter single-girl rants. I can't stand when people do that, so I hope they stay off my social media timelines this week.  

I feel like Valentine's Day is very similar to New Year's Eve--hyped up by the media,  society, and retailers by how amazing, fun, and special the day is, but it always ends up being a let down.  I have never heard anyone say, "Oh my god, I had such a great New Year's!"  Likewise, I have never heard anyone said, "Wow, my Valentine's Day was so great."

Why is that?  If someone is in a relationship, it just did not live up to be the most romantic and special night of their lives, which is what it is expected to be.  And if you're single, then you did not receive a  dozen roses from an anonymous Lothario or the man you've been crushing on in class/the office/the gym/elsewhere did not suddenly profess his love to you. 

Sometimes I miss the Valentine's Day of elementary school, when everyone would send the paper cards that fold over and candy to everyone in their class.  In second grade I had N*SYNC cards and sent the Lance Bass ones to my closest friends and three crushes in the class and the Joey Kirkpatrick ones to the kids I didn't like so much, whoops.  I remember overanalyzing the cards the boys in class sent, and if he put a smiley face after his name it must mean that he was madly in love with me.  And in second grade terms, this meant he wanted to hold my hand in recess.  

This generation's N*SYNC cards.

Valentine's Day is much less of an event in college.  There will likely be a few extra people complaining that Lehigh isn't a dating school, some dates to Asian Bistro or Mama Nina's, and probably a Heaven and Hell themed party or something of the like.  

How will I be spending my Valentine's Day? I have a Senate meeting and exam that evening, so pretty much like any other night.  When the exam ends at 8:30, I don't know how I will spend the rest of my night, but I can guarantee it won't be with a bottle of wine in front of "The Notebook" or "When Harry Met Sally" (while those are two great movies).  I will not tweet about being "forever alone" and I refuse to wallow in the day that many of the single people in the world have decided is their day of mourning.  And I will absolutely not call it "Singles Awareness Day."

While I am single right now, I don't feel like there is any lack of love in my life.  I have my best friends and an amazing network of people at school plus an incredibly supportive and loving family at home.  

So this Valentine's Day, I am going to let them know how much I appreciate them being in my life, because that is what the heart of this holiday is all about (no pun intended).  Plus, I always love an excuse to craft.  

But in the spirit of the day, here are some of my favorite romantic clips from movies, TV shows, and YouTube. 

High Five for First Kiss

The Notebook, of course

When Harry Met Sally

The Parent Trap

So no, this scene from Gilmore Girls isn't exactly happy and romantic, but I bawled the first time I watched it and it is a great scene.  Also, none of the other Rory and Jess scenes I love were on YouTube. 

So many scenes in P.S. I Love You are great.

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day! 

The Winter Blahs

Late January to early March is without a doubt my least favorite time of year.  The excitement from the holidays is over, New Year's resolutions have generally been broken or given up on, the flu tends to be going around, and there is an overall negative feeling in the air.  

I call this time of year "the Winter blahs."

It's persistent, frustrating, and feels impossible to shake off.  I have no motivation to do my work, it's harder than usual to wake up in the morning, and I don't get excited for things that I usually do, like having a good workout at the gym or an interesting speaker coming to campus.

Everything feels like a chore, and no matter what I'm doing it seems like curling up in bed and watching Gilmore Girls would be a much better option.   

It doesn't help that I've been feeling under the weather for the past two weeks and never seem to get the good night's sleep that I need.  But I almost never get the optimal eight hours a night and usually can keep up with my usual schedule even when I have a cold.  

I have even complained about writing this blog post, and am finding it difficult to put together coherent thoughts or even have the desire to finish it...

So how can you combat the winter blahs?

Slowing down a hectic schedule and getting a good night's sleep can be a good starting point.  I also made a point to not worry about the pile of work I have and took advantage of National Frozen Yogurt day, which did cheer me up a bit.  

At least for me, though, the winter blahs will only truly be over when the temperature gets to 60 degrees and I can sit on the front lawn in between classes and afternoons are spent at barbecues.  

For now I'll bide my time, combating the winter blahs with maybe a little more sleep and remembering not to let everything pile up so I feel overwhelmed. 

Art Inspiration Mondays

Well, it's been a bit of a hiatus.  

2013 and spring semester kicked off a lot faster and busier than I anticipated.  A rushed last week at home led into a busy recruitment week, Big/Little week, and ensuing weeks of meetings, other obligations, and my usual frantic running from one thing to the next.  

But after a nice half weekend home (Thursday night to Saturday evening), and an extra long sleep last night because I was feeling sick, things feel a bit more on track.  

This week's Art Inspiration Monday is bold, which is because I need a little pick-me-up when feeling sluggish and uninspired.  

Picasso's "Woman in a Hat with Pom Poms and a Printed Blouse" is one of my absolute favorite pieces.  It isn't one of his most well-known works, but I was lucky enough to see it in person at the Met two summers ago.  It was part of a special Picasso exhibition, and it absolutely took my breath away.  

It is a linoleum cut made in 1962 and is believed to be inspired by his wife at the time, Jacqueline.  I love the bold colors, that she looks directly at the viewer, and despite disproportionate facial features and straw-like hair, she has a reserved confidence that I would like to emulate.  By the straw hat, unkempt hair, and rough material of her dress, she is clearly not a woman of status, but she appears proud of who she is.  

Happy Monday!

The Year 2012

A year ago today, I had a Facebook status that said, "last year I had no idea where I would be but knew what changes were coming..this year know where I'll be but no idea what changes will come!" (please excuse the corniness, I am slightly ashamed of my 2011 self)

While the mere fact that I had a Facebook status says a lot about the changes of 2012, this status was actually very accurate.  I am still in the same physical place (ole South Mountain, also known as Lehigh University) but am by no means the same person I was at the end of 2011.  

2012 introduced me to new friends, difficult setbacks, lots of new experiences, and a realization of what I want to do for the rest of my life.  

Some highlights of the year...

Bid day-January 15

Sorority recruitment as a potential new member is extremely stressful, and I was anxious to get into a house that was a good fit and I would be happy in.  When I was handed my bid to Alpha Gamma Delta, I did get into such a house.  From celebrating with my friends in the morning about our respective bids to being picked up and meeting over 100 new sisters at the house, bid day was an exciting and overwhelming day.  

Lehigh beats Duke-March 16

When the NCAA brackets were released and we found out that Lehigh would be facing the powerhouse Duke in the first round of the tournament, many people saw it as a death wish.   I only basic knowledge about basketball but had a gut feeling that Lehigh was going to win. We watched the game at a fraternity and it was mass chaos when the clock ran out-people were screaming, hugging, and the fire alarm was going off.  We all ran out of the house and there was a mob of people on the hill, which ended up sprinting down to the front lawn.  Some of the chairs that are on the lawn were set on fire, and it was easily one of the best nights of my life.  

If you want to see what it was like, this YouTube video has a mob shouting "Levels", and this is a video I took after we won.  There is also an official Lehigh beat Duke rap, and this blog post by local Lehigh valley blogger "Lehigh Valley with Love" actually pretty well described what the campus was like after the win  (he was predicting what it would be like if we won).  

Visiting my friend Julia at Lehigh-June

One of my best friends lived at Lehigh over the summer and took classes, so I visited her one weekend.  We explored all parts of campus and found the way onto the roof at Linderman.  We went up to the sculpture garden and I spontaneously decided to walk through the fountain in front of Alumni Memorial.  

 



















Alpha Gamma Delta Convention-July
I was lucky enough to be one of three members of my chapter to attend Alpha Gam International Convention this July.  It was amazing to meet women that I had an instant connection with because we knew and lived by the same purpose and ideals of the fraternity.  There were also lots of great workshops that helped me understand the workings of Alpha Gam and there were lots of great ideas that we have brought back to our chapter.  Plus, we got to explore St. Louis a little bit, and went to the top of the arch!

The view from the top of the arch

An unplanned week in Pittsburgh-October

I previously blogged about adventures in Pittsburgh during Sandy, and this unexpected week away with three of my best friends was one of the most memorable parts of the year.  

It was difficult to come up with a few concise, precise moments that "defined" 2012-it was a year of changes, but so many were gradual and so many of the moments that made this year great were tiny ones that added up.  There is no way to describe how I became best friends with thirty girls, almost all of whom I did not know at this point last year.  Or how a hobby became a major and potential career, or how the many decisions that I made, whether good ones or bad ones, affected the person I am today.  

So what's in store for 2013?

• getting a new member class of Alpha Gam, and a little!
• my 20th birthday (also the first birthday that I am in denial for, two decades is old)
• Paris summer program (fingers crossed!)
• starting my junior year of college...
• my brother's high school graduation and college move-in

2012 in tweets

I am obsessed with Twitter, so I sorted through this my tweets this past year to find a few funny ones that sum up 2012.  

January 15-The last time I was this excited was when I decided to come to lehigh! #beyondhappy #ΑΓΔ

January 22-Sunday brunches at bone are probably my favorite part of the week

March 16th-Breathing is difficult #LEHIGH #UpsetCity (tweeted with about five minutes left in the Lehigh Duke game)

April 13-officially have downloaded call me maybe, the remix with levels, and the acoustic version. #toomuch? #ithinknot

May 8-"how lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard" Winnie the Pooh. Thanks for an amazing year Lehigh

July 18-"After 7 hours, a confrontation with a Russian woman, and begging, pleading, and tears at the gate, I have finally landed in St Louis"

July 22-"Boarding group 7 basically sentences me to being "that girl" who can't find a spot to shove her huge Vera duffel #apologies"

July 28-"6 hour car ride home with my dad, aunt, uncle, two cousins, and two of my brothers. In the same car. #thiswillbefun"

August 2-"Crying from happiness, so happy for Gabby Douglas!!#lovedherfromtrials #TeamUSA #3allaroundsinarow"

August 21-"Lehigh bound tomorrow am! #unreal #finallyhere"

December 20-"if the world ends tom., I spent my last night blogging, eating banana bread, & reading art of war #iregretnothing #jokesseeyousaturdaymorning"

2012 was a great year, and I hope everyone has a happy new year and 2013!

Looking back-Fall 2012 Semester

I declared my majors (Political Science and Journalism), moved into my sorority's house, and learned a lot about who I am.  Fall semester sophomore year was a whirlwind, but I wouldn't have changed one moment of it.  

Some highlights of this semester: 

Move in
I was anxious to move back to Lehigh last August, as I missed South Mountain and all of my friends so much over the summer.  Moving in is a blur of excited reunions with friends.  The first few days also involved eating lots of cheese sticks and kale chips, which were some of the only things in the kitchen in the beginning.  There was no rain and I remembered my pillows, so this year's move in went a lot smoother than last year's.  

Hanging out in the quad (common area between 4 of the rooms on our side of the house) during move in

Greek week

The purple team in the stands during the lip synch dance

As I mentioned in a previous post, Alpha Gam was on the purple team for Greek week with DU and Sig Ep.  Attending and participating in the week's events was a lot of fun, and my biggest contribution was helping win the trivia competition with my friend Caroline (giving her the recognition she does not get, but deserves!) by knowing 9 of Lehigh's 14 presidents.  Besides the dance (also previously mentioned) my other favorite memory of Greek week is blasting "We are the Champions" and driving around the hill after winning.  

PC '12 watching chariot races during Greek week

Date parties and formals

Some pictures from date parties and formals of the semester

Senate
Senate was the first organization I joined at Lehigh and I have made so many great friends and gotten so much from being a member.  I was elected Club Affairs chair for this school year, and I loved leading my committee and working with clubs and administrators.  

Sisterhood event at Dorney Park
About 30 girls in my sorority went to Dorney Park in October for a sisterhood trip.  I've been there before during Senior Week in high school, but did not go on as many roller coasters as we did this time.  It was a great afternoon out of the "Lehigh bubble" and laughing at the weird faces we made when the roller coaster cameras took the picture.  Plus, amusement parks always have Dippin' Dots, and who doesn't love Dippin Dots? (especially the banana split flavor)

Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy was not only a defining time of the semester but of 2012 and probably the decade.  I am still stunned and lose the feeling in my stomach whenever I see photos of the shore or towns elsewhere devastated by Sandy.  

Lehigh Lafayette week
I wrote about Lehigh Lafayette week in a previous post, but it is such a huge part of every fall that it requires repeating.  Between the Timeflies concert, winning (again) or wandering into a Lafayette party before the game (they were surprisingly welcoming), it was definitely a great week.  

Taking advantage of different opportunities at Lehigh
It is a commonly heard complaint that there "is nothing to do at Lehigh."  While I have never found this to be true, I took advantage of different opportunities and attended events this semester that I may not have if I stayed within my typical daily schedule.  

The first of these opportunities was GEM, or the Greek Emerging Leaders Program.  I learned a lot about confronting the variety of problems that can emerge within your chapter or between chapters at our meetings, as well as what it means to be a leader.  I also learned about my personality type and met some great friends.  

One assignment I had in my journalism class was to attend a speech and write an article about it.  I chose a talk titled "Are Citizens Silenced In Bethlehem’s New Town Square?: Labor’s Struggle For Free Speech -- From Company Towns To Casinos."  I chose to attend this talk because the subject was something we were studying in my other journalism class, Media Ethics and Law.  Also, I have always been interested in Bethlehem Steel and the redevelopment of the Sands Casino and ArtsQuest center.  This talk focused on an issue that I had no idea existed-the Sands tries to restrict how people can use the park near the casino, which they technically gave to the town.  It was an interesting talk and I learned a great deal about the history of free speech in public forums and the progression of labor and free speech revolving around Bethlehem Steel and now the Sands and ArtsQuest.  

I've been to Zoellner's art gallery to see the Andy Warhol exhibit in fall 2011, and I went again this fall to see the "African Visions of Barack Obama" exhibit.  It was bold, inspirational and surprisingly did not have an underlying political statement.  Many of the artists were Kenyan or lived elsewhere in Africa, and created their works after President Obama's inauguration in 2009. 






One of the philanthropy events that Alpha Gam does regularly is visit Donegan Elementary School every Thursday and play with the kids in the after school program along with Sig Ep.  I have gone many times and playing hockey or board games with the 3rd-5th graders is a refreshing break from the "Lehigh bubble."  Also, I babysat, tutored, taught CCD, and worked at a rec camp during high school, so it is nice to be able to volunteer with kids again.  They are so excited when we come, and it has been great to know that I am contributing to the community in a small way.  

A few of my good friends were in Lehigh's production of "The Crucible", so my friends Laura and Toby and I went to see it one Saturday evening.  "The Crucible" was one of my favorite plays that we read in high school, and Lehigh's production of it was absolutely amazing.  

Discovering what I love to do
I have changed what I want to do when I "grow-up" a dozen times over.  It started with first woman president at the age of 4 (that hasn't changed) and gone from writer to history teacher to curator to lawyer...and now journalist.  I always struggled with what to major in or potentially have a career in because my interests are so varied--while I am generally not good in math or science, I still like learning about specific topics within the fields.  Writing also always came easily to me, but I had never really considered a career in journalism until I joined the Brown and White freshman year and took Writing for the Media this semester.  While it was always difficult getting interviews for my articles, writing for the sports section came easily to me and I loved seeing my name in print.  This continued with Writing for the Media, where writing the articles for class were fun and came easily.  Plus, I got to go to art exhibits, speeches, and other events that I would have attended anyway because they were interesting, but now I got to write about them too.  When we received the blog assignment (yes, this blog was created as a class assignment--don't know if I ever mentioned that) blogging came easily and I was rarely at a shortage of ideas for posts.  With all of these realizations, I was able to declare my majors of Journalism and Political Science, and am so happy to not only be on a more specific academic path now, but to have discovered my niche.  


This was a hugely long post, but this semester was full of big changes and lots of memories (plus I am known for not really being succinct).  It is crazy to think of how much has changed this semester and I am excited for the new challenges and experiences that spring semester 2013 will bring.