As we go on we remember all the times we had together..

So it’s almost graduation and I’m feeling a little nostalgic. For those of you who may not know, I’m graduating an entire year early. Why? Several different reasons… When I first came to Wittenberg I started dating a senior. After we’d been together for a year (and yes, stupidly thinking we would be together forever) I decided I wanted to graduate early so I could be with him. Well then he decided to be a 5^th year and shortly after we broke up. By that point, I’d already started taking extra classes in order to graduate early and since my mom works here and I get free tuition, I’m only allowed to go here for free for 8 semesters (the amount it should take to graduate on time). Sooo now that I’m ahead of the game I can’t really back out now.

Another reason I wanted to graduate early? There are so many aspects of Wittenberg that I just don’t like. That sounds horrible and I don’t want to offend anyone who loves every single thing about Wittenberg, but it’s how I feel. I don’t feel like I really fit in that well, although that may be due to my extreme anti-social attitude. I love (most of..) my professors and I love the campus.. but the people and the environment are just not for me. I feel like a 30 year old in a 21 year old body. I absolutely HATE beer and I don’t feel comfortable at house parties so that pretty much rules out the social scene at Witt for me. Call me crazy, but I’d pick a relaxing night watching a movie and drinking wine over drinking a beer at McMurrays any day.

 
Now that I’ve been completely pessimistic about my time at Witt, I should probably say why I find myself sad to leave. For one, I started dating the nicest, sweetest, most perfect guy I’ve ever met, and he isn’t graduating until next year. Two, I won’t get to see my favorite professors nearly as much. And three.. as weird as this sounds after everything else I’ve said…I will miss socializing with the few real friends I’ve made at Witt. Real friends are so hard to find; they’re a diamond in the rough. After graduation I’m scared that it will be impossible to make new, real friends. But I guess that’s what happens when one door closes. The opportunity arises for another one to open.

Bros before hoes..

Right now I'm currently wondering why guys take the "bros before hoes" code so seriously, but girls have no qualms about putting their guys before their best friends. Why does it seem like guys value friendship so much more than girls? According to my friend Alex, guys bond more easily and girls just hate on eachother. This is definitely true. How often do you see guys just sit around and trash other guys? If they have a problem with someone, they tell them, whereas girls avoid confrontation which actually hurts a relationship more than helps it. Honesty, trust, and loyalty shouldn't only exist in romantic relationships, but in friendships too. That country song is right, you really do find out who your friends are.

Students actually care about politics... Who knew

So I'm sitting at work with one of my best friends, Alex, and he wants to know why the Torch doesn't write more articles relating to politics. This suprised me, because in class we always say that no one cares about what's going on in the world. He thinks that people don't take the Torch seriously becasue it "lacks substance." While this may be true, the fact that it is still a college paper makes it difficult to write about topics not directly influencing students on campus. However, I do believe that the Torch should write about politics and world events IF they can relate it back to Witt students. Students (ok most of them) are selfish and only want to read about things involving them, so it's important to give students a reason to read the articles. Anyway, I challenged my friend (who is a poli sci major) to write an article about politics that students will want to read. So we'll see what happens with that..

the big 2-1 is fast approaching..

My 21st birthday is Monday. Oddly, I don't feel as excited as I should. This could be partly due to the insane amount of stress I'm currently under to finish the thousands of assignments I have to do before I can graduate. Also, I just realized that turning 21 means being able to buy my own drinks at bars and restaurants, which means I'm going to be spending a LOT more money. That I don't have. And now I have no excuse NOT to go to the bar (since I don't have to pay the stupid $5 cover), so I know I will be harrassed endlessly until I give in. So turning 21 could actually hurt me more than benefit me, haha. ANNND I have to figure out how much I can drink before I hit the legal limit to avoid getting a DUI. Turning 21 is just too much work and way too much pressure!

Oh, scheduling..

So, this semester has been pretty bittersweet. It's my last actual semester meaning I did not have the pleasure of registering for the fall. I do, however, have to register on April 11 for the two summer classes I have to take to complete my 130 credit hours at Witt. Anyway, like most everyone else, I have hated scheduling for classes the past three years. No classes I needed were ever open or even being offered, leaving me to sign up for pointless classes I couldn't care less about (i.e. weight training and film noir). I used to complain endlessly about how ridiculous scheduling was until I realized pretty much everyone has the same problem and there really isn't much that can be done about it. However, this semester I couldn't get into a class I wanted (Revolution of Romance) and it turned out that a ton of other people wanted in that class, so the professor was able to add another section of the class. This doesn't happen often, but it was extremely helpful. I don't see how adding 10 more seats to a class is that  big of a deal, but it is something that apparently can't be done. I digress...no more scheduling woos for me. :)

Spring Break 2011

Where to begin, where to begin... This spring break, I went on an alternative spring break community service trip to Rincon, Georgia. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't super excited about spending my senior year spring break doing work instead of spending it on the beach, but it didn't turn out all that bad. We stayed at a retreat center in the middle of nowhere, in cabins without tvs. Besides the sub-par food (scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast and sack lunches with ham and turkey sandwhiches everyday) and scraping my ankles on thorns while weeding a field of dafodils, I did make a new friend and connected more with an old one. We got to go to Savannah on our half-day and walk around, which was also a positive of the trip. So...while there were definitely some BIG negatives to the trip, there were a few very positive ones that made the whole thing worth it in the end.

Least Favorite Thing

When asked to come up with my least favorite thing about Witt, quite a few possibilities came to mind. I could easily say the food in the CDR, the incredibly slow dorm computers, or the walk up Myers hill to Hollenbeck, but then something even better came to mind: the P.E. requirement. Witt is one of the only colleges to require 2 physical education credits in order to graduate. I don't know about everyone else, but I hate this requirement. Not because I think it's pointless, because I actually think it could be very beneficial when used correctly, but because I participated in 2 years of a "club" sport and got nothing for it. While some people don't classify cheerleading as a sport, the ridiculous amount of push-ups and lifting prove otherwise. Just like any other "varsity" sport, we had practices where we ran until we could hardly breathe, had to wake up for 7am practices as a form of punishment, and had to re-do each and every stunt, cheer, and dance until it was perfect. In my eyes, this counts as a form of physical education and should be given credit just like every varsity sport. I wonder what a sport requires in order to be considered varsity. What about rugby? They sure as hell work just as hard if not harder than the varsity sports teams, but get no credit for it. This flaw in the system makes the P.E. requirement my least favorite aspect about Witt.

Favorite Thing about Witt

So after hearing all the complaints about the Torch being so negative towards Witt, I sat and thought about I like about Witt. After about 10 minutes of thinking and thinking, the only thing I could come up with is the group of friends I have here. I met my bestfriend at Witt, and by my senior year, I now have a solid group of friends here that I know don't judge me and will be there when I need them. I feel like there are so many people at Witt that are judgemental towards others and it's nice to know that you will always have those few people who accept you for who you are.

Can Guys be Raped by Girls?

For my big story, I'm exposing the other side of sexual assault/harrassment and rape. There are always rumors/stories about girls being sexual assaulted or raped on campus but no one ever hears about the guys who have been taken advantage of. I've actually talked to 3 different guys who have said THE SAME GIRL "took advantage" of all three of them (at different times, obviously, ha). So, what's the story behind this? Are guys just saying a girl has taken advantage of them as an excuse for hooking up with the girl or is something really going on? All three guys said they were incredibly drunk and the girl had only had a few drinks. They all said they didn't actually have sex with the girl, but she did other stuff to them (use your imagination). I always wonder though, how a guy can...perform sexually when he is THAT intoxicated. I definitely need people's thoughts and suggestions for this!

Spring Break 2011

So this year my spring break plans are a little different from the usual "go to Panama, get wasted with friends." I still have to fulfill my community service requirement, so I decided to take an alternative spring break community service trip. Me and 14 (I think) other Witt students and 2 staff members are going to Rincon, Georgia and staying in a Lutheran retreat center. We're driving half-way, spending the night in a church in North Carolina, and then driving the rest of the way to Georiga. It's supposed to be in the 70's and there is a pool where we're staying in Rincon so that will be enjoyable. We don't really have a set schedule of community service activities--we're just doing pretty much whatever we're needed to do. I'm actually pretty excited. Going to Georgia is at least better than staying in Springfield!

Tanning Obsession?

sevensidedcube.net

This is going to sound crazy, but the other night my boyfriend and I were talking about our favorite compliments we like to hear, and I realized that I love when people tell me I look tan. Being told I look tan makes me feel better than if someone told me I was smart or beautiful. How weird is that? And then I thought about what people said they were doing over spring break and several people said "laying in a tanning bed." So what is the obsession with tanning? In my opinion, I enjoy going tanning (especially in the winter) because it's hot, and I feel like I look prettier and healthier when I'm tan. I also heard that getting so much exposure to UV Rays a day can boost your dopamine levels, making you happier and refreshed. Another plus to tanning? The 15-20 minute rest you get while laying there. And they play music in the tanning bed which, according to Shelly's Sex and Music article, can release the same chemicals in your brain as having sex. I know most of you are going to say, "Tanning gives you cancer" and trust me, I'm well aware. I've had several moles already removed for looking "suspicious." But somehow, I don't care. I guess to me, the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to tanning. What do you guys think about tanning? Why do you think so many people (especially girls) continue to go tanning even after knowing all the risks involved?

21st birthdays..



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In honor of my best friend turning 21 today, I thought I'd dedicate my blog to my thoughts on turning 21. In the United States, turning 21 (for most people) is the biggest, best birthday of their lives. It means devoting the entire week of your 21st to drinking until you black out. Why? Because you're finally 21 and, legally, you can! There is even a game called 21 where, on your 21st birthday, you take 21 "birthday shots." To me, this sounds a little dangerous. The whole idea of turning 21 kind of scares me because I know when my turn comes, everyone is going to be handing me drink after drink until I can't stand up. And if you know me at all, you know that I can't drink that much and I'm bad at telling people "no." In my opinion, 21st birthdays have gotten so out of hand because Americans have to wait SO LONG to turn 21. In any other country, the drinking age is 19, 18, even 16! If the United States had a lower drinking age and viewed it as socially acceptable, maybe Americans wouldn't go crazy binge drinking on their 21st birthdays. Just a thought. :)

Latest Story

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So the story I'm working on is the Newlyweds on Campus story. I'm going to talk to Steph Springer who I know recently got married and Jules Lininger who got married last summer. Both girls are seniors who are currently living the married life. I'm going to ask them what the biggest differences are between being a regular student and a married student, what the pros and cons are of being married while still in college, and also why they decided to get married when they did. I'm also going to talk to a few students about their views on getting married in college. For awhile it seemed as though people were waiting longer to get married, but getting married young may just be coming back in style. Does anyone know anyone else who is married on campus that I can talk to? A guy maybe?

Blog 4. Story ideas.

So here are a few story ideas I have:

1. Newlyweds on campus-->talk to some students who recently got married and see how they are managing being a newlywed and a student
2. Rumor control-->discuss how to combat fictitious stories and stop the spread of rumors. Could be interesting if you talk to students and hear some outlandish made up stories they've heard about themselves.
3. Sexual assaults/harrassment on campus-->I know this is touchy but it definitely needs to be addressed. It could just discuss how to protect yourself and avoid potentially dangerous situations.
4. Jersey Shore-->Why the craze? What do students find so captivating about it?
5. Students lack of school spirit-->I was talking to a few guys and they were discussing the lack of student attendance at sporting events and wondering why no one comes to the games. How could we amp up school spirit?

How far have we really come?

historyking.com

Last semester I took Intro to the City, an urban studies class about how cities grow and develop. We watched one of those Dateline special news type shows about how blacks are still treated differently than whites, despite how far people believe we've come since segregation. We saw a white man try to buy a car and he was immediately offered a deal of $5,000, but then later a black man talked to the same salesmen and was told the same car was $8,000--no deals offered. We also saw a black man try to rent an apartment from an elderly white couple and he was told the apartment was already rented out. But then later a white man tried to rent the same apartment from the same couple and was gladly shown a tour of the apartment. Even at Witt, there is a feel of segregation between the black and white students. If you look around the CDR, you will usually notice a few tables of only black students, and then whole tables of only white students. There isn't much variety among friend groups on campus. Also, there is a whole club called Concerned Black Students. Why couldn't it just be called Concerned Students? If we want segregation to end, we need to start doing things together, instead of in separate groups. These examples just help to show that, despite what people may think, society really hasn't come that far since the days of segregation. No matter what, there will always be those few people that still believe blacks are inferior to whites, and the only thing we can do is to continue to educate those people and hope they eventually change their thinking.

Week 1, Blog 2

So for my first short story I want to write about recreational drug use on campus. So far I have talked to a few fraternity and sorority members on their views of drug use on campus. Almost everyone agreed that drug use has increased significantly since their first years on campus. Now I just need to figure out why..

Week 1, blog 1.

So my main thoughts lately have been about recreational drug use on campus. When I came in as a freshman at Witt I can honestly say I had only seen weed/marijuana/whatever you like to call it one time and had only pretended to take a hit. By the end of my first semester here I realized that marijuana use was much more common than I thought, and it became harder to refuse each time I was confronted with the opportunity to smoke. Now as a senior it seems as though smoking marijuana socially has become the norm and could (possibly?) be leading to students smoking more often than just 'socially,' say everyday or several times a day. I guess I'm wondering what is causing us to smoke more. Thoughts?