No Regrets.

This year has been an interesting and very educational experience. I have grown as a student, but more importantly as a person. Going to college was a very difficult transition for me at first, but the moment that I was used to college, as if in the blink if an eye, the year is over. I have made so many new and amazing friends and have met such cool people. I have learned that I have to be strong and stay true to myself despite the pressures to change and be someone I am not. I would be lying if I told you that I haven’t made mistakes this year. For a while, everything about my life seemed to be in order. I had my family, good grades, and an awesome guy. At least, until life threw me some curve balls that I didn’t know how to handle. I made the wrong choices and messed up my next to perfect life. However, I am ok with that. Nothing is perfect. And more importantly I have learned a lot about myself and have become a much more independent and stronger person from my mistakes.
Everyone makes mistakes. Now this I know to be true. However, if one were to go a lifetime without making mistakes, I would feel sorry for them because that person would have gone a lifetime without ever really experiencing life. I feel as if no one really lives until they do something crazy. And most of the time, doing something crazy could mean doing something that you shouldn’t do. I’m not saying that you should go out and do anything illegal or anything like that, but doing something out of your character will help you to find yourself and know who you really are and will help you to stand true to yourself in the end.
And in conclusion, Live Life without Regrets. Every choice and mistake will shape you into who you are. So, rather than regretting the mistakes you have made learn from them and know that those experiences have made you into who you are today.

Normal, Il.

As a freshman, I don’t have a vehicle here and therefore do not venture off campus all that much. So, I would suggest that my friends to the place in which mean the most to me here. I would want to take them to where I have the most and best memories.
First and foremost, when visiting normal Illinois, I would suggest taking a walk on the quad and a tour of the campus at Illinois State University. I feel as if the quad is really beautiful and is a sight that should be seen. If possible, I would go to the quad at night. At the beginning of this school year, I would go to the quad at 11pm when it was basically deserted. It was so peaceful and relaxing. My friends Daniel and I would go sit on the middle of the quad and work on homework and just talk. I have always wanted to take my guitar out there at night and play; just because it is so pretty because you can see the stars and all the trees remind me of home.
Next, I would definitely suggest that for dinner you go eat at Avantis. The restaurant is famous for its bread and everything there is good to eat. I think that when one goes to normal, they just have to eat there at least once. It’s not a place that you go to all of the time, but you definitely need to experience it if you are visiting. That is always where we take our friends when they visit. Plus, it isn’t a bad walking distance from tri towers.
Finally, I would suggest that for my female friends to go to the mall. (Although this might be Bloomington, I am not sure) I would do this, because there are a ton of my favorite stores there and it isn’t ever really that busy. However, if you aren’t looking to not spend money I would suggest going to the tennis courts. Now, I am not saying the courts are any different than anywhere else, but I have a lot of memories there and always love a good game. So, I would suggest that they go and play a game and I hope that they have as much fun and make some cool memories there as well.

Secondhand Serenade Concert!

Last night, I went to the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and the Secondhand Serenade Concert. As soon as I found out about the concert about two months ago, I talked to my closest friends here and ISU about getting a group together to go. So, when February 13th rolled around and tickets went on sale, one of the people going in our group went to get tickets as soon as they went on sale. Phil got there early to get our groups tickets, and there was still a line of 200 people who beat him there. So, despite the long line, we got our tickets and had planned to go to the show on April 2nd. Well come the week of the show, I planned my schedule out to where I got all of my stuff done before Thursday night so I could go to the much awaited concert. This plan works out until, Wednesday morning, when I find out that we were only getting two days notice on a big calculus II exam. So, from the time I found this out, I studying every waking hour so I could still go to the show. Well, after basically only taking breaks to eat, shower and sleep, I studied and decided that I could still go to the concert. So, I went to the show and sat in the 8th row with four of my friends. Ironically though, the original group did not go and I had to find others to take their tickets. Michelle and Katie unfortunately had too much stuff going on and couldn’t go after all. So, I talked a few other friends into it. The group ended up being me and 4 of my guy friends at a Secondhand Serenade concert. It ended up being awesome though and we had a lot of fun. I am so glad that I was still able to go to the show even though I had a calculus test the next morning. I woke up with a sore voice from screaming at the show, and took my test at 9:20am. And to top it all off, I feel pretty confident about the calc exam and I think that I did a lot better than the last one. =]

Double Feature: The Dark Knight and Pineapple Express

Last fall, I believe sometime in November, I attended a double feature night on Campus. The event was an early showing of the two movies, The Dark Knight and Pineapple Express. The movies were not yet released on DVD and theatres were no longer showing them, so I went with a group of friends to the double feature night. I had really liked the Dark Knight when I saw it the first time in theatres over the summer and I had also heard from numerous people that Pineapple was pretty funny and that I would like it if I were to see it. So, we decided to go. That night, our group got to the Capen Auditorium in Edwards Hall, where the movies were being shown, and found seats in the upper balcony to the left. The entire place was completely packed! There were so many people there, that they had to turn some people away and could not let everyone who wanted to attend in the auditorium.
The atmosphere was really fun and upbeat. Everyone was excited about the two movies and before they began there was a loud excited buzz of conversations discussing the movies that were about to start. Then, the lights dimmed and students awaiting the movies cheered for the event. A UPB director made some announcements about upcoming events and then the movie began to play. After the Dark Knight was finished, they turned on the lights and let some more people in to fill the seats of those who left after the first movie. After about a 15 minute break allowing for people to get concessions, the second movie, Pineapple Express Began.
The event taught me that the UPB always have new and exciting events going on all of the time. I hadn’t realized how many on-campus events the UPB organized. The UPB director spoke, as I mentioned before, at the beginning of the event, announced a lot of upcoming events that were fun and exciting to me as a college student. For instance, I am really excited about going to The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Secondhand Serenade concert that is at the Bone Student Center next Thursday.

Practice Makes Perfect

So, as I may have mentioned in my first blog entry, I really enjoy music and everything about it. Whether I am just listening to it and singing along on the radio, or making it myself, I love it. I really love to sing, I played the flute for four years in my high school’s symphonic and marching band, and I was always really involved with the theatre department’s musical productions. More recently though, I have started to teach myself to play the guitar. I am not really any good at all yet, to be completely honest, but I love to try. It is a fun and entertaining way to express one’s self. Eventually though, I think that with much more practice and dedication I will improve immensely.
The other night, I actually took a break from studying and actually practiced the guitar. My friend Steve came to my dorm after he got out of his band practice around 10pm, and he gave me tips and pointers on what I was doing wrong and what I could be doing better. Then, he began to teach me to play the song “anyone else but you” that is in the movie Juno. It is the song that Juno and Bleaker play and sing at the end of the movie. (If you have ever seen the movie, I’m sure that you know the song) And, we also played “Hallelujah.” This song has many versions by a wide variety of artists including Kate Voegele and Jeff Buckley. However, the songs are simple enough that I am able to play them somewhat. Mainly though, they both help me learn to strum better. They also serve as a good way to practice and improve on switching from one chord to the next. The songs have also taught me new chords that I didn’t know before. In other words, the songs will after much practice, help me to improve the basic skills that one needs to play the guitar well. So, thanks to the help from my friend Steve, I am well on my way to improving.

Rule Number One: Quit School

If I were given the cost of tuition for four years at Illinois State University, and the rule that I have to quit school and go out and spend the money, I would first and foremost, spend the money on the costs to start my own photography business. I would love to be a freelance photographer. I could take family photos, senior pictures, photograph weddings and so on. Therefore, I would spend the money on getting the state of the art equipment and other business necessities. I would need a few great digital cameras, photo editing programs, lights, and props. Then, I would need to buy a space or building for my business. And I would also need to purchase business supplies such as computers, prints for advertising and etc. After purchasing all of the necessary equipment, I would then spend the money on advertising for my business to get my name out there as being reliable and good. I would have to get personal training through other professional photographers. And then, a good amount of the money would have to go towards something to live off of until my business took off and was successful and profitable.
After spending the money on starting my own photography business, I would use the remainder of the money, if there was any, to travel the world with my family and friends. There are so many places that I would like to see and visit before I die. For instance, my dream vacation would be going to Italy. I would love to visit Italy and all its beauties. I think that Italy would be a beautiful place to photograph and capture. This scenic place would be the first place on my list to visit.
Overall, I think that it is safe to say that given the option, I would be a photographer if I was given the rule to quit school. I would definitely start my own business and do what I love to do, and be a photographer.

Surviving College

Rule number one: Do Not Procrastinate.
As an incoming freshman, I was not used to having as much freedom as I have now. I no longer had to be home by a certain time and I could do practically whatever I wanted. It seems as if you have all the time in the world, because now you are only answering to yourself. This freedom caused me to procrastinate. I would go and hang out with friends and get wrapped up in all the social aspects of college, all the while putting off my homework and studying. My freedom was fun at the time, however the night before an assignment was due I would be stressed trying to get all my work done on time. And in college, all of your tests and big assignment’s due dates usually fall on the same two week period. So, I would put off studying and end up completely stressed struggling to find the time to do so. So therefore, rule number one is this; do not procrastinate, in the end you will regret it.

Rule number two: Bring a backup umbrella.
As an ISU student, you will walk everywhere. Most freshmen do not get parking spots and even if you are lucky enough to get one, your car will most likely reside in the farthest parking lot from your dorm. One morning I woke up, got ready, and left for class grabbing my umbrella on the way out the door. I began walking to class in the pouring rain, safely underneath my protective umbrella when all of a sudden, a huge gust of wind took me by surprise. The next thing I knew, I was standing in the rain holding a misshaped umbrella that was no longer serving its purpose. The metal that held my umbrellas normal shape and helped to shield me from the rain had snapped in two. And being a freshman, I hadn’t a car to make a trip and buy a new one. So, the moral of the story is this. Rule number two; bring a back up umbrella.

Rule number three: College is not high school.
When you get to college, you are coming to a completely new and unfamiliar place. You will be surrounded by new people, each having their own history and past. In college, people do not care if you were the star of your football team or if you were the valedictorian. No one knows the person that you were in high school, and neither do they care. Be mature and leave the drama at home. I say this because no one cares for immaturity and stupid high school drama. So don’t start it. Therefore my rule number three is as following; College is not high school, so be mature and forget the drama.

The only good thing about mondays...

Every Monday night I can be found in my dorm room, television on and tuned to channel 8. Among me and my friends, this has become a ritual that marks the beginning of every week. My favorite TV show, One Tree Hill, is the only thing that makes us look forward to Mondays. The show, which is in its 6th season, airs on the CW Mondays at 8pm. The show began years ago, centering on a group of Tree Hill high school juniors, their families, and the dramatic and intense lives they live. I started watching the show with my older sister because the show is relatable to my own life [although, me life is not near as dramatic]. I began watching the show during its second season, and have watched it ever since. I still call my sister after I watch the episodes and discuss the events of the show. And along with the show being relatable, it is also very interesting and always keeps you guessing about what will happen next.
The show first began set in high school. However, after the success of numerous seasons, the characters had to eventually graduate high school and move on with their lives. So, the show decided to skip four years ahead and continue to air episodes about the lives of the characters after their college years. Through the use of flashbacks, the writers fill in what happened during the 4 years when the characters were separated. This also allowed for more new characters to enter into the plot line of the show.
The overall story line of the show is just about friends overcoming life’s normal and in some cases not so normal obstacles. Lucas is now a published author whose book is being made into a movie. Peyton, who is engaged to Lucas, has her own record label. Nathan is working his way to the NBA and is happily married to Haley, who together has a son. Haley has gone on tour and now teaches high school English. Brooke owns her own clothing line and boutique which is being stolen by her mother. Brooke is also a foster mother. These characters have overcome many challenges and still face obstacles as the show continues. Therefore the show is relatable in the sense of dealing with the good and bad events of life in an entertaining and suspenseful way.

Advertisment Analysis

When I begin to think about specific advertisements, the first one that pops into my head is the recent super bowl commercial for Miller Beer. The commercial was simple and this is how I remembered it. A man was standing in front of a wall of Miller High Life beer in a warehouse. In the background there was a giant sign that displayed the Miller emblem. A black man in a uniform stood looking at the camera and said “High Life!” while he raised his arms in the air. And then the commercial was over. It was only one second, so it is easy to recall the details of the advertisement. Here is a link to the commercial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYiGpVGTU2U
This commercial sticks out in my mind to be the most memorable and easy to recall, because it aired during the super bowl and lasted for only one second. Advertisers pay millions of dollars for 30 seconds of time to tell convince you to buy and use their products. However, rather than using a slot of 30 seconds to convince you to buy their beer, Miller had the idea to produce a one second commercial. I believe that this commercial was effective because it was different and not expected. That made it memorable and caused a lot of talk. For instance at the super bowl party I was at, we talked and discussed that single second for a good 45 minutes while we watched the second half of the game.
The advertisement didn’t persuade me to purchase beer because I am not 21 and I do not drink alcohol. However, I believe that the commercial was indeed effective to advertise for their product and utilized the element of surprise and being different. The commercial sticks out in peoples mind because it is so different from what people normally expect out of super bowl commercials. Most beer advertisements use humor and sex to get you to buy their products. Miller took a different unexpected route that stood out.

if only there were more hours in a day...

So just as every other student, whether in grade school, high school, or college, I wish for the school week to pass faster and for it to be the weekend already. When you are a kid you cannot wait until Saturday morning to wake up and watch your favorite cartoons. In high school, you cannot wait till the Friday night football game. And in college, you cannot wait to release some stress and let loose a little. This past Monday night, I was talking to a few friends casually discussing the events of the weekend. The conversation sprouted from one thing to another and by the time I went to bed that night, I had planned out next weekend entirely. There is always so much I want to do, but I never seem to have enough time to do it all. During the week, homework and studying for my classes take up the majority of my time. I don’t ever seem to have time to relax and hang out with friends very much. So each week, I wish the week away, longing for the next weekend to finally be here. I wish to finally get to do what I please. I am teaching myself how to play the guitar, for instance. Throughout the week I never have time to practice so it becomes a very slow process. My weeks are filled with classes, friends, working out, staying in touch with family and friends from home and therefore always exhausting. I never seem to get everything I need to get done. I unfortunately have to choose one thing to do over another and someone of something always gets disappointed. Sometimes it’s my friends when I tell them I cannot hang out because I have a test to study for. Other times it’s my grades suffering from spending time with friends. And sometimes I do not get to hear about what is going on at home with my family because I do not have time to call and talk. If only there was more time in the day to do it all…

♥ home is where the heart is...

The day I left home for college was one that I will never forget. The night prior to leaving, I spent with friends in my living room. We were talking, reminiscing about the past and what could be to come in our futures. It was a sad occasion to be leaving the place I grew up. I was scared to be leaving my small corner of the world that was so familiar. I mean, what would I possibly do without my family and friends? They got me through thick and thin and now I was moving 2 and a half hours away from the people I loved the most.
That morning I awoke, with having gotten barely any sleep at all. It was so early, that the sun had yet to rise. It was an unusual feeling. I never imagined actually leaving my home. I would picture myself away in a dorm, living the life of a college student but I never imagined the day I would actually pack my belongings and leave. My mom, dad, and I packed the car silently and when I was all set to go, I went and woke up my 15 year old brother to say goodbye. He hugged me goodbye and gave me his favorite jacket that we would always fight over. I would always borrow it, and he would always get mad that I wore it more than he did. I started to cry thinking of how much I was going to miss him and the rest of my family.
Now that I have been away from home for a semester, I still miss my family and friends immensely. However, I realize that I am settled and happy living on my own. I have made even more close friends in addition to my friends at home. I have grown as a person and learned a lot about myself over the past semester. I am independent and love my new friends. Looking around now, I cannot imagine my life any differently. I will always love and have my family and friends at home where ever my life takes me. However, now I have the opportunity to meet loads of new people and spend time with my new friends here at school.

On this day in history.

Every once in a great while there comes a day that will forever be etched in the memory of every American and even the memories of people across the globe. These days are far with much in-between but every once in a great while they do occur. Sometimes these days are immortalized because they are unfortunate, such as the day Kennedy was assonated, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the unfortunate occurrence of September 11th. This past Tuesday became one of these days, however not because of a tragedy. As of Tuesday, January 20th 2009, Barack Obama was officially sworn into office as our newest president of the United States. This day will forever be remembered in history.
Unfortunately for me, I do not have any extraordinary stories to tell about this historic day. For me, Tuesday remained to be ordinary and seemingly uneventful, despite the meaning of the day for our country. It all began when I woke up for class, showered and then left twenty minutes before my class began. At the time of the inauguration, I was sitting in my first class of the day at 11am which happened to be my philosophy class, ‘the ideals of democracy’. We went about class as normal and I listened to my professor lead a discussion on the beliefs of liberalism, or some related topic. Political philosophy wasn’t really my forte. When class was over, I walk to the library and studied for some time before I decided to get some lunch before my next class. So, after I was through eating, I walked to my last class of the day, which was mass communication. I listened to my professor lecture on the critiques of mass communication and the power money has in the field. After class was finished, I went back to my dorm and finished my homework for the next day. As I said before, the historic day was uneventful to me. I’m sure that I will always be able to tell of where I was when Obama was inaugurated and recall some details; however, my story just won’t be very interesting to tell to others.
As for the inauguration that I didn’t get to watch, I didn’t really hear too much about it. There was the anticipated buzz among people about their favorite parts, but nothing seemed to stand out to me since I wasn’t able to watch it myself. While talking to my roommate, who was able to watch it, later that evening, she mentioned that she was not overly impressed about the speech Obama made. She simply thought that the speech could have been better. I think that this could have had to do with the all the publicity running up to the inauguration. From all the commercials, advertisements, and press for the event her expectations were set extremely high, almost guaranteeing the disappointment if something were to go wrong. The last thing I will mention is the cost of the inauguration. This year’s ceremony has made history in more than just one way. The government has never before spent so much money on an inauguration. Yes, I will say that I do believe that there is a call to celebrate this historic event, but at the same time, I cannot help but to think of what else we could be putting that money towards. With our country already in debt and our economy already said to be bad, I just wonder how much good such an elaborate inauguration is really worth when the money could be out towards something much more helpful for all.

The introduction

Hello there. The name is Sammy. I grew up in a small town about an hour north of St. Louis where I have lived nearly all my life. I guess you could say that I am a small town girl with small town values. I am a very reserved, quiet person until I really get to know you. Once I get past the shy part though, I never shut up. I always have something to say or a random story to tell. And that is another thing important about me that you should be aware of. I am random. I absolutely love spontaneity and just seeing where I end up. This little fact about me can help explain how I have not yet declared a major of study. I just simply cannot see myself doing one thing for the rest of my life. I have too many different interests to tend to. For starters, I absolutely love music and theatre. Until college, I have always been very involved in the fine arts. Through performing, enjoying, or backstage work, the fine arts have been a huge part of my life since grade school.
Another interest that I have always had is sports, specifically softball and tennis. Although I do not play softball anymore on an actual team, I would say that it is one of my favorite past times. I just started playing tennis recently in the past few years, but I wish I had discovered it sooner.
I also love photography. I always have my camera on me wherever I go and I am always snapping pictures. This may sound cheesy, but I want to capture the beauty of life. With photos, one can feel as if they are actually there with you seeing the same things as you, even if they are miles away. Each and every picture is worth a thousand words and has its own story and memory.
And for a few concluding random facts about me; some would consider me to be a movie buff. Audrey Hepburn is my favorite. I am a sucker for cheesy 80s’ movies, chick flicks and comedies’. I love Harry Potter, High School Musical, and the Twilight Saga. I don’t watch television with the exceptions of one tree hill, gossip girl, and the office. And above all, I love God, my family, and my friends. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today and I would have nothing. And I would do anything for them in a heartbeat.