Response to Lauren Swanson's "That's For Girls..."

    In Lauren Swanson's recent blog, "That's For Girls...," she discusses an incident that she had with one of her newly adopted little brothers, in which her brother Brian labeled a toy as one for girls. I can definitely relate to this topic because I was raised in the same type of household. I too experienced outside forces that led me in the trap that Brian has fall in.
    When I was younger, I was so not into dolls. My little sister was but I was way too concerned with my Lego projects and playing basketball pick up games with the boys in my neighborhood. Once my mother took us to McDonald's for a fast meal. I was about 5 or 6. At that time, McDonald's was offering two type of toys: Hot Wheels and Barbies. My sister wanted the Barbie toy and I wanted the Hot Wheels, naturally. Mom pulled up to the drive thru and asked for two Happy Meals, one with a Barbie toy and one with a Hot Wheel toy. The woman running the drive thru asked what gender my mother's kids were. Mom refused to answer her question and requested the two different toys again. The drive thru employee continued to ask my mother for the genders of her children, much to my confusion and to my mother's annoyance. So my mother pulled around and chewed this woman out for her lack of customer service, for her attitude, and for her limited point of view. We didn't eat at McDonald's for long time after that. That woman also never got over that point and basically refused to serve us.

I Love College...No, Really.

    College is such a fabulous experience. You learn so much in such a short time and the knowledge you acquire is not just in your field of study but about people, about living, about the world, about yourself, and about life in general. I wish all people could experience college and could have access to the same opportunities I have had.
    In college, you learn about all different types of people and what diversity really means. You learn about the struggles that others go through and how you never truly are alone, that there are others struggling just as much as you and sometimes more. You learn that the saying "If you throw everyone's problems in a pile, you would pick yours every time" is absolutely true and you appreciate friendship more than anything. You discover what friendship really means and you are taught, through trial and error, who your true friends are and who should be considered more acquaintances.
    In college, you learn to live on a budget, and how to survive/not panic when your bank account balance drops below $10. You figure out how to jerry-rig everything when it breaks so that it looks like a mess but can still complete its original function. You learn how to do without. You learn how to pinch pennies so hard they scream and you also learn how to effortlessly throw money away on a good time with those pals of yours. You start asking for functional gifts for Christmas and birthdays, like socks. You also become a little amazed at your parents, that they are so functional, and their house looks decent 90% of the time, and that they know how to cook. You learn that having nothing but a cucumber and a case of beer in your fridge is normal. You learn how to survive.
    You also become aware of the world, how big it is but also how small. You find out about opportunities to go abroad and it boggles your mind that access to other nations is available to you. And if you get the opportunity to study/go abroad and you take it, you discover how small you really are. You talk to international students and learn about the different cultures they come from. You talk to students in different parts of the US and learn about the differences between the regions of our country in customs, traditions, food, and mannerisms. You talk to people you were never supposed to associate with as a kid. You expand your horizons and point of view. You become more cultured.
     In college, you also learn about yourself. You learn about what kind of a person you are, how much adversity you can take, how trustworthy you really are, how tough you can be, how venerable you can be, and how independent you can be. You spend the worst moments and the best moments around your peers and grow stronger for it but learn how to cry gracefully as well. You transition from being a kid to an adult somewhat, and then learn the important balance of both in life.
    I am so grateful to have had this experience, especially at such a beautiful place. I look forward to the memories I will make in the remaining time of my experience at Witt and could not be more appreciative of the memories I have already made. College students are so lucky.

Blogging about blogging

    I had my doubts about this experience. I previously saw blogging as a way for people to vent on the internet or to share recipes with fellow chefs or something like that. I was not excited about the idea at all. But after getting the first couple of blogs out of the way and reading others' works, I see blogging as an interesting and informative exercise, if done the right way. I think that it is a great way to convey information but unfortunately you can never be too sure on the validity of the information shared on a blog. It is also nice to hear others' opinions on certain matters but rants turn me off immediately. I don't think that after this class I will continue to blog but I do have a greater appreciation for it and for those who partake. I am glad that I got the opportunity to try something new and to get a new perspective on something that I had previously written off.

Why Does Santa Keep Swallowing Turkey Day?

    Christmas is easily one of my most favorite days of the year. I haven't really matured much since I turned five and I still get absolutely swept away by the magic of the season. I love every aspect of Christmas: the snowy days, the heightened sense of family, the secrets whispered in the halls about all the perfect gifts you purchased for your loved ones, the coziness of a fire in the fireplace with a cup of eggnog in your hand, the music, the baking, the memory making...I could rave on and on. But you know what other holiday I really love? Sorry, this is a trick question because the answer is all of them. And when a specific holiday steps on another holiday's toes, I get downright disgruntled and cranky about it. This seems to happen with a good many holidays but one of the worst cases in the United States of holiday neglect would be when Christmas overshadows Thanksgiving.
     It seems like earlier and earlier in the year Christmas products begin popping up like weeds in department stores. Alarmingly enough, this year I saw Santa stuff before Halloween was over. That is a full 2 months early...why in the world would we as Americans need that much preparation for a holiday? My family doesn't get around to putting up lights and decorations until a week before Christmas, if that. In addition to completely disregarding Thanksgiving, stores are now allowing Halloween to be overshadowed as well. These holidays are important days of celebration for various reasons, hence the title "holiday." Thanksgiving is an incredibly historically important holiday to our country. It is a time to celebrate our American heritage, to give thanks for anything that you were individually may be grateful for, to recall a time when life was so much more simple and hosting a feast between two very different peoples was the ultimate gesture of kindness and friendship, and a reminder to look to the future with that same mentality. Honestly, I feel like Christmas has gotten too big and it is so commercialized its sickening but that's another blog for another day. But I think that it is disrespectful to disregard a time honored tradition and a day that promotes family time and values. The idea of Black Friday right after Thanksgiving is bad enough but now stores are not even waiting until Thanksgiving is over and opening their doors for Black Friday at 8pm on that Thursday. I don't know how to fix this problem at all but I personally don't pay attention to Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. That means no Christmas music yet, no eggnog, no shopping, nothing. And maybe if people started putting the same constraints on themselves, we would be able to bring Thanksgiving back from its current obsolete state.

The Green Movement: Time to get with it, America

    I am a big supporter of the Green Movement. I have been since I was a little tyke and Earth Day won my heart with baby seal pictures. As I grew older and realized how important the movement was, I jumped on board with actions like recycling and turning off lights when I left the room. In this way, I thought I was making a big enough impact. And honestly, I was in comparison to many Americans. But then I traveled to Spain in the summer of 2013 and I discovered that the United States is super behind in their efforts to reduce energy and the environmental movement.
    Much like the United States, Spain's economy and unemployment rate recently dipped to an all time low, the lowest it has been since the days of Franco. To combat this dip, Spain had to act fast and in a constructive way. One of the ideas that was proposed to alleviate the effects felt on the economy and job market in Spain was the adoption of some green energy methods in order to save money on importing energy, energy consumption rates, and in order to provide jobs, at least on a short term basis for the country's transition. Spain's government decided to hop on the green movement train as much as possible. So the country underwent some small but pivotal alterations, alterations that I believe would work really well in America.
   One of the alterations that the Spaniards made to change their energy consumption was in their electrical fixtures within establishments. The government created an ordinance in which businesses were told to implement timers and motion detectors for the light switches within the bathrooms and other rooms not constantly in use in a building. The timers would typically be set to turn off the lights in a room after two minutes without detecting movement. Granted, it was pretty annoying when the lights went off when you would be in the bathroom and you had to wiggle around and act like a fool to get the motion detector to see you. But after awhile, you began to get used to the interruption. I was in Spain for only 10 days and was able to adapt to this fairly quickly so I predict this would also be fairly easy for other Americans to adjust to the timed lights in bathroom or in rooms that were not used very much.
    Another constructive change that Spain has made in their businesses and daily lives to be more energy efficient is to change all businesses' restrooms to have automated water supplies. All toilets were supplied with automated flushers so that the same amount of water was used each time for each flush. A few businesses had a different flush setting for liquid waste and for solid waste, which cut down on the amount of water used for liquid wastes. All places we visited, in areas of poverty and in areas of good fortune, had automatic faucets and automatic paper towel dispensers or high efficiency blowers. These changes allowed for energy to be more efficiently used and for materials (like paper towels or water) to be easily wasted.
    A third alteration that Spain's businesses made to be more energy efficient and economical was shown in large hotels. In America, typically when a person first enters a hotel room, the first thing they do is turn on the light and then go about their merry way. Often times when a resident of a hotel leaves their room, they leave at least one light on. This is obviously a large waste of energy, especially when multiple lights are left on when a resident exits the room and the room is no longer in use. To combat this waste of electricity and resources, the large scale hotels in Spain have developed a light switch that can only be turned on when the resident sticks their key in the switch. When the key is removed, the lights are immediately switched off. This means whenever the resident leaves the room, since they have to remove their key from the switch to get back in, the lights will shut off in the room and remain off until the resident returns. I think that this system could work very well in America, not just for large scale hotels but also for small scale hotels, office buildings, and dormitories.
    The Spaniards also have windmills everywhere to harness the energy coming from the constant wind sweeping over the flat farmlands of the country. While we already have a good many windmills in the US, we can always have more. The Spanish have introduced some hydroelectric power and some solar power throughout the country. The economy in Spain is steadily improving and one of the primary reasons for this is the country's embrace for conservation of energy and resources. I think that America would benefit greatly from adopting these same changes into our society. Maybe the first step to this sort of initiative could be started from Wittenberg University. Our sustainability project task force could consider and creatively incorporate these changes into our daily routines as students. This could bring a lot of positive PR to Wittenberg and save us a good chunk of change in the long run.

Common Cents

    A penny for your thoughts. It seems like that's all you can get with a penny these days. But does that necessarily mean that the coin is worthless? For several years now, there has been talk of discontinuing the penny for good. Critics of the single cent coin cite several reasons in support for the discontinuation. I, on the other hand, would like to advocate for the penny and can counter with some alternate arguments. 

    Some claim that the penny has gone out of style, that no one ever uses the coin, usually they get tossed to the side, thrown away, ditched in the parking lot, etc. I'll be the first to admit it, I definitely used to do the same thing...used to. Then I discovered the true value of the penny. 

    A penny is truly an American's vest friend. On a very general basis, pennies add up. I have a change bucket that accumulates all of my spare change whenever I break a dollar and it was the smartest decision of my life. Folks, it only takes four quarters to make a dollar and 100 pennies to make a buck. Ok, yes 100 pennies sounds like a lot. But it really isn't, especially when it gradually accumulates over a period of time. There is no greater feeling in the world when you decide to cash in your change at the bank for some cold hard cash. And those pennies really do add up fast. 

    A penny can bail you out of a lot of desperate situations. Think back to a time where maybe you didn't quite have enough cash for an item you were purchasing and were saved by the "Take a penny, leave a penny" tray at the counter. Or take a second to recall when you didn't quite have enough for that Double Big Mac with cheese and had to go cushion diving in your car for a few pennies to pay your outstanding balance. Or maybe you got caught at a surprise toll stop and once again were saved from being stuck by a few copper coins. Consider all those times when you were young, found a penny on the sidewalk, and sang that little rhyme to yourself ("See a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck") while sticking it in your shoe. Some of us also might have a lucky penny that has been carried around through good times and bad and clutched firmly in times of dire need. 

    If those reasons don't convince you, put yourself in the shoes of someone down on their luck financially. For a person in that situation, every penny literally counts and can be the difference between a hot meal and dry feet or an empty belly and leaky boots. A few coins in a cup can make someone's life a little better for at least a small period of time and that, my friends, is power. 

    In addition, the penny is an important piece of America's historical heritage. It is a tribute to President and civil rights leader Abraham Lincoln. It is a celebration of the rich minerals, like copper, that the United States is graced with. It is a symbol of the American dream, a symbol of capitalism, and a symbol of saving to build oneself up from nothing. It is a memory of the old days when a penny could get you very far and a reminder that the coin is more important than ever now that the economy is still in remission. 

    So the next time you pass by that lonely penny on the sidewalk, give ole Abe a smile and recall the penny's true value, both as a monetary coin, a symbol of the American dream, and a historical reminder.

Response to Lauren Swanson's "Greek Affiliation of Administrators"

   In Lauren Swanson's blog about the events of Greek Week, she discusses the possible problems with the affiliation of certain administrators to fraternities and sororities on campus. When I read Lauren's blog, I realized I was conflicted about her argument in some ways. I completely agree that it frankly doesn't look good for Carol Nicholson and Jon Duraj to openly proclaim their affiliation with fraternities and sororities on campus. But the reason I am conflicted with this is that as young people looking for mentors, we need to be able to relate with the role models/administration set before us by Wittenberg. I can easily see a Greek affiliated student who is sitting in Carol Nicholson's office facing disciplinary charges or attempting to get a social approved thinking, "What does she know about me or my sorority? She was never in one." I think it is perfectly ok for Nicholson and other Greek affiliated members of Wittenberg's faculty and staff to openly state that they are a member of the Greek community. It is part of their identity and I think hiding that fact would indicate they were ashamed to be a part of the Greek community, which would make us all look bad frankly.
   Now, what is questionable is if those faculty and staff members should announce which fraternity/sorority they are members of. This one is tricky because of the special circumstances that surround some members of the faculty and staff. There are a good amount of alumni who work at Wittenberg, Jon Duraj being one and Mallory Roth being another, who were members of fraternities and sororities here on campus. It would be impossible to get rid of that knowledge of which fraternity or sorority they were affiliated with, especially since the two employees are young and people still remember their time here on campus as students. Obviously, the reason why this knowledge could cause problems and controversies would be for the possibility of favoritism between fellow brothers and sisters from the administration. I think that since Wittenberg hired these folks, they are trustworthy. I know that our faculty and staff are awesome people and would never stoop to a low level such as that.  That all might be blind faith but I know also that if the university got any kind of feeling that that sort of unfairness was occurring, those faculty and staff who violated that privilege would definitely be removed.
   That being said, I do agree with Lauren to say that the particular question posed to the participants in the competition asking for the affiliations of Greek administration members was very wrong. The reason being is for the favoritism aspect that was previously mentioned. But I think that it would be a perfectly acceptable question to ask if a student could list off faculty and staff members who participated in the Greek community in their years at college because there ain't no shame in being Greek affiliated. At least, I hope not...

Response to Ciara Colbin's "Is the HPER Center doing too much?"

    When Ciara Colbin discussed the HPER Center changes in management, in guidelines, and in employee expectations, there wasn't much background given on the reasons for these new modifications. I would love to shed some light on this because I don't believe it was talked about much around the university.
    Last spring, a Physical Plant employee discovered that there was a man unaffiliated with Wittenberg University living in the HPER Center and apparently had been living there for quite some time. Maigan Larsen, HPER Center Coordinator, was in her first year employed with Wittenberg University when this information was acknowledged. The immediate reaction to this knowledge was to establish some sort of check-in for the safety of students. Thus began the routine checking of student ID's for all visitors to the HPER Center.
     So there's the background to the new changes. Now to answer the question if the HPER Center is doing too much. I would call myself a sort of live-in visitor at the HPER Center as well, especially during my season and have been watching the development of these new changes with great interest.
     While I definitely agree that the HPER Center changes are annoying and seem over the top, there are specific reasons that Larsen is implementing these with such vigor. The reason that the student workers are being restricted and held to a stricter standard is because safety at the HPER Center is still very much an issue. The uniforms that the workers have to wear now are not unlike the uniforms that the student workers in Recitation have to wear, not to mention the uniforms allow the workers to stand out in a crowd for athletes to find them quickly if needed to get entry into a locker room or training room.
    Another big plus about the changes is that the student workers are asked to make rounds of the HPER Center once every 30 min to make sure everything is still locked up and secure. This can be somewhat beneficial when you need a key into your locker room and the worker happens to be walking by. But it can be a disaster if the student worker is on a round and you have to run around the HPER to chase him/her for the keys.
    Now I know what you are thinking because upon first glance, this all seems very excessive. But (as much as I hate to say this) it still may not be enough. Last week, the volleyball shed in the arena was broken in to while people were working, swiping people in, and making rounds. Apparently someone took a hammer to the combination lock and gained access to a ton of volleyball equipment. As far the team could tell, nothing was taken but the incident was reported to Larsen. Additionally, we had someone break into our locker room that same weekend who messed with our stuff in our lockers, wrote on the wipe-off board, and rearranged the locker room. Security is also breached routinely when the Upward Bound students are on campus: during my sophomore year, we had someone go through all our backpacks and take a total of $200 in cash. These are only incidents happening to the volleyball team so I have no clue about the other sports teams and if they have experienced any issues in security. However, I imagine that this crime pattern is common especially with the locker rooms that the swim teams have to share with the overall community. One last point I would like to bring up here is that bigger universities and colleges also have this type of security. I know Wittenberg is not a big school in lots of ways but we do need to recognize that Wittenberg is growing. I think some changes are necessary right now and should continued to be expected/embraced if the changes will assist us in the long run. 
    The new changes to the HPER Center are definitely annoying because we are not used to the new regulations. But in my opinion, I believe they are a necessary evil. Larsen is also talking about how to help the situation a little better and provide more security with a swipe system, not unlike the swipe system that the library has for study tables.

Flashing Lights

   Wittenberg University has many quirks that make the campus and college unique. One such oddity would be the erratic street lamps that light the sidewalks around the university's grounds. Every Wittenberg student, at least once in their college career, has been walking past a street light on campus and had that particular light extinguish itself, plunging the traveler into darkness. The question in the back of these students' heads is, "Why on earth is this happening?"
    There are several theories that students have invented to explain this phenomenon. One such supposition is that Wittenberg has become the home of Albus Dumbledore. The infamous headmaster is said to be residing in the Hogwarts-like Ferncliff Hall and apparently enjoys roaming Witt's campus with his deluminator, quietly snuffing out the street lamps for secrecy.
    Another theory is that the university has incorporated our motto into the very architecture of campus. Since "Having light we pass it on to others" has been a very fundamental theme in all that Wittenberg embodies and stands for, it stands to reason there is a possibility that the Board of Directors decided to take this concept very literally. Some students believe that the reason the lamps go off right when they pass by is because the street lanterns are passing their light onto the traveling students.
     Other less common theories include that since Wittenberg is in trouble financially, the lights around campus are short circuiting and, with the budget cuts, the university does not have enough funding to fix them. There's another theory that the flashing on and off is old Ezra Keller's ghost winking at students. Additionally, some students believe it's the ghosts from the cemetery next door.
      Although these theories all have some merit, there is an official explanation for the lighting spasms. A couple of years ago, through Wittenberg's Sustainability Task Force, Physical Plant was able to install light retrofits in several of the outdoor lights on campus and in some of the buildings as well. One of the goals of the light retrofits is to conserve energy and, thus, the street lamps are on timers that occasionally trigger on and off all around campus. In this way, some energy can be conserved on a sporadic/casual level.
     Regardless of the official explanation of the fickle lights, the other theories from students have not been debunked yet. So whenever those lights shut off on you as you pass by, give a slight nod to good old Ezra Keller in the shadows or salute Dumbledore the best you can. And above all, never forget to pass that friendly light on to others.

Response to Luke Black's "Is Rock Music Finally Dead?"

  In his blog dated September 16, 2014, Luke Black argues that rock music might as well be dead because society isn't giving these budding artists similar to the Beatles and Led Zeppelin "a chance." Black seems to direct blame for this issue towards mainstream music, illegal downloading, and the lack of interest in rock music from today's generation. I would like to argue against this mentality for several reasons.
   I am also a rock fan, although I enjoy most types of music (NOT country). I too listen to the greats, the Beatles, the Eagles, AC/DC, Queen, KISS, etc. However, the greats of the past ARE (sadly) in the past. While these artists are in their retirement years, it does not mean that they shall ever be forgotten or disrespected simply because the world is moving on. Instead, they are honored through pop culture references, vintage labels, "greatest hits" albums, reunion tours, etc.
    I think that some of Mr. Black's frustration is coming from wanting something new that sounds the same as the greats. Unfortunately, because of the flow of music and the continuous culture changes within the industry, one won't find an artist absolutely identical to these legends. I personally think that classic rock lovers should embrace the change, keeping an open heart and mind, and be the listeners that give the upcoming stars their "chance."
    As I stated before, I enjoy most genres of music and I am always exploring new music. So I have a few solutions to offer Mr. Black with his problem. One simple way to find new contemporary bands with the same feel as artists like the Beatles would be to create a Pandora radio account and listen to the Beatles' station. Pandora does this great thing where it likes to bring in some contemporary music and blend it in with the a playlist of the greats.
    Another way to explore would be to open up your iTunes account and check out what is new in the Rock genre of the music section. There are a lot of different present-day bands putting their music out on iTunes and some of the more "mainstream" music will be cut down in your choices for you. You can also visit the Genius section of iTunes to find further matches for your tastes. Additionally, there are places on iTunes that allow you to view other consumer's playlists that could expose a rock listener to more artists and albums like the classics.
     I would like to suggest a few artists for you, Mr. Black. If you haven't already, check out The Black Keys. Their sound is more of a blend between blues and rock but there are a good bit of guitar solos in there for you that may satisfy your fix. Neon Trees are also similar (if they aren't too mainstream for you, make sure you listen to their whole Habits album). Breathe Carolina is a harder sound, a lot like AC/DC. I would also check out The Fratellis; they are from Sweden I think but have a really good sound that you might enjoy.
      I'll leave you with one last argument here. When you look back and reflect on the artists mentioned in Black's blog, they were considered mainstream in their hay-day. The artists that are labeled today as "mainstream" are also changing/challenging music just as the Beatles did. The beauty of culture lies in its constant evolution. Embrace it and when it comes to the music of the past, let it be.

White Lightning Strikes in Local Supermarkets

    Moonshine is a liquor that has a past of flirting with both sides of the law. But now it appears that moonshine is being sold in certain superstores as a novelty item by licensed companies.
    The liquor known as moonshine, white lightning, white whiskey, hooch, and other such nicknames has been a controversial product since Prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s. Manufacturers of the spirits during the prohibition were primarily found in the Appalachian Mountains where the stills could be hidden more easily from the law. All alcoholic beverages had been outlawed by the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. However, there were a good many shrewd business men not afraid to dirty their hands by running moonshine through the States. These businessmen included lawmen themselves, as well as serious gangsters, such as Al Capone. Moonshine was made in homes, with large scale homemade stills.
    After Prohibition was annulled in 1933, white lightning remained illegal due to the dangerous methods that it was manufactured. Lead poisoning from the copper piping used to distill the liquor was common and hooch was very easily contaminated during the fermenting process. In addition, the sour mash produced during the process is incredibly flammable and there have been many instances in the past with disastrous effects from a misplaced match or cigarette near a still. And yet, moonshiners continued to manufacture the spirits, because the demand for moonshine was never eliminated.
     Before the recent recession, the only state where the operation and mass production of moonshine was in Tennessee, and even then, the process was only legal in a few counties. However, with the severity of the recession, state governments were searching for additional ways to bring money into their economies. One way this was accomplished was by loosening up the regulations on distilled liquor. Moonshiners have never quite disappeared from the Appalachian Mountains and this leeway allowed for those with the family business alive and thriving to create a legal living producing the spirits.
    One such business is a distillery located in both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee by the name of Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine. Ole Smoky became the first distillery in East Tennessee that was federally licensed after distilleries became legal in the state. Since 2010, Ole Smoky has been manufacturing its moonshine and shipping it in the classic mason jars to stores all over the nation.
    I've seen Ole Smoky products in stores, such as Walmart, Kroger, and Meijer, here in Springfield. I have also seen the moonshine craze starting to hit Witt, especially during this summer. Although the Ole Smoky sold in supermarkets is only 40 proof and, frankly, not very economical considering the price is $22 per jar the last time I visited the local Meijer, I know that they are selling the 100 proof 'shine at Wine Works and at Keg 'n' Cork in Springfield as well. I personally love the taste but it's a little hard on the taste buds. To keep the natural taste of the shine with a smoother after taste, just put a stick of cinnamon in the jar for a little while and the cinnamon will flavor the spirits beautifully. I recommend trying the 'shine if you get a chance, not only for its great taste and rich cultural background, but also because drinking from a mason jar is truly a college experience.

Swerve

9/7/2014- Today I have the opportunity to tackle a new skill set: longboarding. This is a recent outdoor trend that is sweeping, or rather swerving, across the nation. Although the sport is incredibly similar to skateboarding, longboarding's appeal lies in the extended length of the board itself. Because the board is longer, it is not typically used for trick riding but more for zipping down hills at top speed and getting from point A to point B. The longboard is also heavier than a skateboard, which allows the rider to get a smoother and speedier ride.
    I am being taught by a fairly new enthusiast, Erin Murray, who's expertise is questionable but who's passion is undeniable. She has recently purchased her own longboard and has been scooting around campus with an kamikaze gleam in her eye. We are traveling to the parking lot in the back of Hollenbeck Hall to begin my training. Along the way, Murray demonstrates the proper way to place one's feet while longboarding (closer to the top of the board, front foot planted towards the destination and back foot perpendicular to the board). The way to steer, she explains, is to wiggle your back foot to slant the board in the correct direction. This is different from a skateboard, where steering includes using gentle repositions with the rider's back foot and physically lifting the board up slightly using the back foot. In longboarding, one can still steer using this method but it is more difficult with the size of the board and it makes for a smoother ride to use body weight shifting the board in the desired direction.
   I am about to begin my first experience on the board that is long. My knees are quaking slightly with the fear of being scraped. My stomach feels like I have already gone up and down several hills. My teacher has a small devilish grin that is consistently accompanied with silent snickers. And here I roll.

   Update: Having longboarded for a total of 30 minutes, I have only wiped out severely 4 times and have just one small scrape, located on my behind. Things are really looking up for this adventure and I am excited to get some more practice under my belt so that I can roll with the best of them. I recommend this thrilling ride to all who are brave and not afraid to throw themselves in a ditch from time to time!

Shared Light

   This past weekend, Pam Evans Smith Arena at Wittenberg University was packed with some of the top teams in the Division III Women's Volleyball nation. Among these teams included the #1 seeded team, Calvin College; #5 Cal Lutheran; #8 Juniata; and of course the #9 Wittenberg Tigers. However, with all these headline drawing teams facing off in one tournament, there was not one mention of the event in the local newspaper, the Springfield News-Sun.
   This all was called to my attention by an employee of the HPER center at Wittenberg. The employee disclosed to me that he had tried to find the report on the tournament in the newspaper and he also had attempted to listen on the radio to the games, but was unable to find even a snippet on the event. This lack of interest in Wittenberg Athletics by the local news has seemed to be a common trend from the Springfield community. When my anonymous source discussed the issue with me, he said that when he talked to Ryan Mauer, Wittenberg's Director of Athletics Communications, about the lack of coverage from the local news sources, Mauer replied that all necessary information was posted online. The HPER center employee argued that there were some people in the community who didn't have a computer or internet access and that he was one of them. The employee said that Mauer's response to this statement was simply a shrug.
   Incredibly, I personally noticed a large amount of support this weekend from the Springfield Community at our high profile volleyball tournament. But I question how much more the community would support Wittenberg in general if the University communications and the Springfield news sources collaborated with each other. I believe a remedy for the lack of communication and sharing of the campus news with the community (and visa versa) would be an alliance between the Springfield News-Sun and the Torch. This alliance could be a sharing of sources, information, and latest news concerning both the Springfield community and Wittenberg University alike. There could a short blurb in each paper concerning events occurring in the opposite area. Awareness of the local news from both the Wittenberg community and the Springfield community could lead relations between both communities to be a little smoother and allow both communities to become more involved within each other. While I understand the concept of the "Wittenberg bubble," I would like to mention that I have noticed in my 4 years attending this university that the bubble is not as strong as it once was and may pop soon. The amount of collaboration between Springfield and Wittenberg is growing but has a lot more progress to make. And what better way to kick that progress off with an alliance in the two biggest sources of local news in both communities? The Torch and the Sun shouldn't have to work too hard to understand each other...after all, they both pass the light of knowledge off to others, as is demonstrated in both newspapers' names.

Outstanding Outdoor Activity at Wittenberg

    In the beginning of the Fall Semester in years past at Wittenberg University, it has been very common for campus activity to die down as students retreated indoors to tackle large mountains of schoolwork from overenthusiastic professors. However, this fall semester, I have noticed a change in this routine. More and more, it appears that students are taking advantage of the fair weather in the evenings and flocking outside to have some outdoor fun with friends before buckling down on homework each night.

    Due to the nature of my schedule with classes and athletic practices, I plant myself in the library or in Post 95 each night by around 7:30pm or 8pm. On my walks to said study areas, I have observed a spike in outdoor activities around campus. Joggers circle the hills, sweating and jiving to their music. Cyclists, skateboarders, longboarders, and roller blading fanatics wiz by, creating a lovely breeze for pedestrians. In every open field or grassy area, there are informal games galore of catch, frisbee-golf, and soccer. Shouting and laughter reverberate throughout campus from the pick up games on the volleyball and basketball courts outside of Firestine and Tower Halls. Students, old and new, have been spotted enjoying casual strolls around the campus grounds or visiting on the red chairs in the Hollow. Some ambitious and focused students have even taken to studying on blankets in the grassy areas during the day, soaking in the sunshine and breathing in the fresh air. I have also noticed students arriving in my usual study spots at later and later hours. Last year, the rush times for new arrivals at the library and for Post 95 ranged in between 7pm and 9pm. Lately, it seems the rush times have been pushed back and are now ranging in between 8:30pm and 10:30pm. 

    I can't quite put my finger on the cause for the sudden fad of enjoying the great outdoors, but I am thrilled at the sight and sounds each evening of a very active campus. I have found myself rushing to get my schoolwork done at a faster pace so I can catch some fading daylight in the evening to take a long walk with pals or to enjoy a bike ride before hitting the hay. The thirst for the fresh air and evening exercise is beneficially addicting and deliciously contagious, so if you haven't been bitten by the outdoor bug yet, I guarantee you will be bitten one way or another by stepping outside and enjoying the fresh air!

Career Conflict Late in College

Throughout a student's life, one of the main pressures and source of stress is the worry about becoming successful. In my opinion this past week's convocation speaker, Dr. Jeremy Hunter, did an excellent job of quelling those fears for the freshmen students present at the event. However, his words and reassuring statements resonated greatly with myself as well. I hate saying the word "senior" because I never want to leave Wittenberg. This place is so magical to me and has essentially become my home. To graduate from such a prestigious university and to be expected to move on and make something of myself with such high achieving alumni before me was/is a lot of pressure. I was confident coming into my freshman year at Wittenberg in what I wanted to do for a career. The long term goal was to become a photojournalist and work my way up to getting a job at a magazine, National Geographic for example, where I would be able to travel the world, meet exciting people, learn about life outside of the United States, and have amazing adventures for the rest of my days. The career path was absolutely perfect and fit my personality to a "T." However, after spending time at this wonderful university and sharing experiences and memories with some of the most kind hearted and loving people I could ever dream to know, I came to realize that I simply would not be able to carry on with my career path. I realized that what gives me the most pleasure in life is not just adventure and learning and meeting people who are vastly different than I am. What really makes me the happiest is helping people live better lives. I discovered this past summer that there would be no way for me to travel to some of the poorest areas on the planet and put my camera in between a person who clearly needed help in order to capture their moment of pain and suffering to make a living for myself. After thinking it through, I recognized that if I were to continue with my original career plan, I would most likely return from wherever I was located, show up to work the next day, my boss would ask me for my work, I would hand he or she a story and they would say, "Where are all your compelling photos to accompany this work?" and I would be forced to reply, "I didn't have time, I was too busy helping a family build a house." Therefore, I am switching my career path to work for an organization such as UNICEF or Habitat For Humanity. 

Now, some students hearing this story may begin to panic for me and think, "Heavens, you should have thought about this sooner! You just wasted all this time!" Actually, I didn't. I got a great education, I met amazing people, I've won a volleyball National Championship, I've had more adventures than you could shake a stick at, and I've discovered who I really am and what I am supposed to do. On top of all that, I'm still using my degree from Wittenberg and merely building on it by going to graduate school. 

I think that the reason Dr. Jeremy Hunter's words stuck with me was because of his primary message about the difference between making a living and making a life. I wish that all seniors had attended the convocation, in order to remember why we are at Wittenberg and to have confidence entering this exciting year. Hopefully, with this new career path, I will be making a life rather than making a living in the future. 

Expectations for Advanced News Writing

My expectations for this class are fairly large scale. As an aspiring journalist, I am looking forward to gaining the skills and competency for my future career. I am very grateful for the opportunity to take this class because, after completing an academic internship for The Torch last semester, I realized how much I have to learn and how much I need to build on my past experiences to perfect my abilities as a competent journalist. I am really looking forward to seeing other classmates' work and learning from different perspectives as well and will do my best to approach this class with an open mind to learn as much as humanly possible.