I may have finally bitten off more than I can chew. To be admitting this possibility is a huge step for me, but that doesn't help me very much otherwise. Basically, this is my life right now:
1. RHA Secretary
This is a fairly large responsibility, consisting of writing and typing up minutes, attending roughly three meetings weekly, and doing other campus activities.
2. Equestrian Club Secretary
This is a slightly smaller but still important post, and part of my job will be to help the club write up bylaws and a constitution. It also involves me hanging out at the barn all the time, which is very fun. :D
3. Debut Day Leader (?)
This is my latest piece of news. At my school freshmen and transfer students go through a "Debut Day" in the summer that helps them get familiar with the campus and meet new people. I recently recieved an email that said I was chosen as a finalist. I must give a presentation on Wednesday, and they will pick the official leaders after that. If I get this job (yes, it pays!), I will have to go through a lot of training, and then I will help run the Debut Days over the summer and give tours on campus during the spring and fall semesters.
I am very excited about this opportunity, and I really hope that I get it. However, I'm a bit nervous about what this will do to my sanity. The only problem is that I want to do it all, so I would have a hard time giving something up. Only time will tell.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Meyer book is no more, bad move
I first became a fan of Stephenie Meyer when I read her adult book "The Host." Later, at the insistence of a friend, I read Meyer's young adult series "Twilight." Although they weren't the best books, they were easy to read, were relatively rich with action and had some well-developed characters.
However, recent events have made me want to deny that I was ever a fan and supporter of Meyer.
She had given incomplete copies of her next book, "Midnight Sun," a repeat of the first book written from a different character's perspective, to "trusted individuals." Recently, one of these copies was leaked onto the Internet, and within days a large number of people had read the unedited draft of the first 12 chapters.
On Aug. 28, Meyer announced on her Web site that the book was no longer going to be published.
"If I tried to write 'Midnight Sun' now, in my current frame of mind, [the bad guy] would probably win and all the [good guys] would die…I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on 'Midnight Sun,' and so it is on hold indefinitely," the announcement read.
Seriously, Meyer needs to step back and do a reality check. Anyone who writes extremely popular books will have details leaked, but that's simply the price of fame. And in this case, it is not the fan's fault, but the fault of Meyer herself.
It is not as though someone hacked into her computer; she gave copies away. She should have known that there was a chance that it would be posted on the internet, and she shouldn't be punishing her fans for a mistake that she made.
As for her statement on Meyer's Web site, it makes her sound like a child. Of course it is upsetting when someone betrays your trust, but the way she reacted is something that you would expect from a child, not an adult. Saying that the villain would win and everyone would die is taking the situation a little too far.
Many of her fans who knew about "Midnight Sun" were eagerly awaiting its release and anticipating the insight it would give them into the other character. They weren't the one who posted her work online for the whole world to see. They had absolutely nothing to do with the leak, but now Meyer is punishing them after they stood by her for so many years as she made her way to the top of bestseller lists.
And it's not like releasing the finished book would hurt her sales seeing as how she's already so popular. Plus, not everyone is Internet savvy and constantly searching for leaked books.
Meyer should get over the fact that her work was leaked and move on. It is understandable if she needs to take a break, but canceling her book permanently because she can't get over it is simply being rude to her readers and unprofessional toward her publisher(s) is not.
If she wants to be respected she needs to grow up and stop punishing fans for something that wasn't their fault.
However, recent events have made me want to deny that I was ever a fan and supporter of Meyer.
She had given incomplete copies of her next book, "Midnight Sun," a repeat of the first book written from a different character's perspective, to "trusted individuals." Recently, one of these copies was leaked onto the Internet, and within days a large number of people had read the unedited draft of the first 12 chapters.
On Aug. 28, Meyer announced on her Web site that the book was no longer going to be published.
"If I tried to write 'Midnight Sun' now, in my current frame of mind, [the bad guy] would probably win and all the [good guys] would die…I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on 'Midnight Sun,' and so it is on hold indefinitely," the announcement read.
Seriously, Meyer needs to step back and do a reality check. Anyone who writes extremely popular books will have details leaked, but that's simply the price of fame. And in this case, it is not the fan's fault, but the fault of Meyer herself.
It is not as though someone hacked into her computer; she gave copies away. She should have known that there was a chance that it would be posted on the internet, and she shouldn't be punishing her fans for a mistake that she made.
As for her statement on Meyer's Web site, it makes her sound like a child. Of course it is upsetting when someone betrays your trust, but the way she reacted is something that you would expect from a child, not an adult. Saying that the villain would win and everyone would die is taking the situation a little too far.
Many of her fans who knew about "Midnight Sun" were eagerly awaiting its release and anticipating the insight it would give them into the other character. They weren't the one who posted her work online for the whole world to see. They had absolutely nothing to do with the leak, but now Meyer is punishing them after they stood by her for so many years as she made her way to the top of bestseller lists.
And it's not like releasing the finished book would hurt her sales seeing as how she's already so popular. Plus, not everyone is Internet savvy and constantly searching for leaked books.
Meyer should get over the fact that her work was leaked and move on. It is understandable if she needs to take a break, but canceling her book permanently because she can't get over it is simply being rude to her readers and unprofessional toward her publisher(s) is not.
If she wants to be respected she needs to grow up and stop punishing fans for something that wasn't their fault.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Women Can Play Video Games, Too
It's an hour after dinner, and I decide to unwind by breaking one of the most common gender-based stereotypes. I turn on my TV and start playing a video game.
I am not what you would call a hard-core gamer, but I play quite a bit and like comparing games with other people. But whenever I join a conversation about video games, I am met with strange looks. One friend put it quite bluntly: "Girls who spend more than 20 minutes on their hair don't play video games."
But why should it be that way? I shouldn't get strange looks when I play video games or when I walk into a GameStop store. Guys aren't the only people who can enjoy video games. The only problem is that women aren't expected to. Believe it or not, women are interested in more things than shopping and doing their hair. We shouldn't be dismissed in the gaming world.
According to ABC News, the number of women playing video games is on the rise. This encouraged me, until I did a search for news articles concerning women and video games. It seems that we have yet to escape the stereotype.
In the articles that I found, various marketers were quoted regarding the types of games that appeal to women. I was disappointed to hear that we are still battling the assumption that women just care about shopping. Women shouldn't be afraid to play video games, and guys should be more accepting.
The reports claimed that women only like nonviolent, peaceful games, like The Sims and Harvest Moon. Now, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with these games. It just annoys me that developers think that is all we enjoy.
I have played shooter games, racing games and RPGs, also known as Role-Playing Games. And even though I'm a girl, I enjoyed them. They are a great way to relieve stress and it's nice to know that if you make a mistake, you'll be able to jump back up and try again. I'm currently making my way through The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a game that, according to experts, shouldn't hold my interest.
I don't have a problem with women who only like the nonviolent games. I know it's a personal preference, and I respect that. The only problem I have is being treated like we don't belong in a world of gaming, when both men and women should be able to enjoy themselves. There shouldn't be an unspoken assumption that keeps us out, and we shouldn't be treated differently when we try to join.
Unfortunately, gaming is not the only stereotype we have to deal with. Head over to the gym, and you'll see that almost all of the people playing basketball there are guys. Very rarely do you see a girl there. If they do join the games, they have trouble being accepted into the action and respected for their shots. These stereotypes against women are going on everywhere. Most people just choose not to see it.
I am not what you would call a hard-core gamer, but I play quite a bit and like comparing games with other people. But whenever I join a conversation about video games, I am met with strange looks. One friend put it quite bluntly: "Girls who spend more than 20 minutes on their hair don't play video games."
But why should it be that way? I shouldn't get strange looks when I play video games or when I walk into a GameStop store. Guys aren't the only people who can enjoy video games. The only problem is that women aren't expected to. Believe it or not, women are interested in more things than shopping and doing their hair. We shouldn't be dismissed in the gaming world.
According to ABC News, the number of women playing video games is on the rise. This encouraged me, until I did a search for news articles concerning women and video games. It seems that we have yet to escape the stereotype.
In the articles that I found, various marketers were quoted regarding the types of games that appeal to women. I was disappointed to hear that we are still battling the assumption that women just care about shopping. Women shouldn't be afraid to play video games, and guys should be more accepting.
The reports claimed that women only like nonviolent, peaceful games, like The Sims and Harvest Moon. Now, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with these games. It just annoys me that developers think that is all we enjoy.
I have played shooter games, racing games and RPGs, also known as Role-Playing Games. And even though I'm a girl, I enjoyed them. They are a great way to relieve stress and it's nice to know that if you make a mistake, you'll be able to jump back up and try again. I'm currently making my way through The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a game that, according to experts, shouldn't hold my interest.
I don't have a problem with women who only like the nonviolent games. I know it's a personal preference, and I respect that. The only problem I have is being treated like we don't belong in a world of gaming, when both men and women should be able to enjoy themselves. There shouldn't be an unspoken assumption that keeps us out, and we shouldn't be treated differently when we try to join.
Unfortunately, gaming is not the only stereotype we have to deal with. Head over to the gym, and you'll see that almost all of the people playing basketball there are guys. Very rarely do you see a girl there. If they do join the games, they have trouble being accepted into the action and respected for their shots. These stereotypes against women are going on everywhere. Most people just choose not to see it.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Plan B
Today was supposed to be the day that my blog changed. Unfortunately, my original plan got changed, and I seriously need to rant about it before my head explodes. So even though Plan A failed, I shall change my blog with a flimsy Plan B.
See, last week I wrote a column for my school's newspaper that was supposed to be featured on Wednesday. However, a timelier article was written and my column got pushed back until this Friday. Of course, I told this news to pretty much everyone that I know, from my journalism professor to my grandparents. This morning I picked up a copy of the paper, flipped eagerly to page 4 and saw...someone else's article. After much swearing and ranting to both my parents on the phone, I called my editor and left an impressively calm message. He texted me back a little while later and promised to call me between 10 and 11am. It is now 1pm, and I am still waiting for his call.
Now, I'm not an unreasonable person. I understood when my column was pushed back in favor of the timely article. I would have probably understood if my editor had bothered to tell me that my column wouldn't be published on Friday. The only problem I have is that nobody bothered to tell me anything. If somebody had bothered to explain, and if my editor had graced me with a call this morning like he promised, I wouldn't be so mad. Apparently that's just the way life works.
Hopefully my column will be published one of these days. And if not, the newspaper's supervisor will definitely be hearing from me.
See, last week I wrote a column for my school's newspaper that was supposed to be featured on Wednesday. However, a timelier article was written and my column got pushed back until this Friday. Of course, I told this news to pretty much everyone that I know, from my journalism professor to my grandparents. This morning I picked up a copy of the paper, flipped eagerly to page 4 and saw...someone else's article. After much swearing and ranting to both my parents on the phone, I called my editor and left an impressively calm message. He texted me back a little while later and promised to call me between 10 and 11am. It is now 1pm, and I am still waiting for his call.
Now, I'm not an unreasonable person. I understood when my column was pushed back in favor of the timely article. I would have probably understood if my editor had bothered to tell me that my column wouldn't be published on Friday. The only problem I have is that nobody bothered to tell me anything. If somebody had bothered to explain, and if my editor had graced me with a call this morning like he promised, I wouldn't be so mad. Apparently that's just the way life works.
Hopefully my column will be published one of these days. And if not, the newspaper's supervisor will definitely be hearing from me.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Blog Revamp
After a long absence, I have decided to revamp my blog. The title and "theme" is going to be changed, and I will be updating at a regular pace with editorials/opinion articles that I am writing for my university's newspaper. I will also probably write posts on whatever happens to be on my mind at the time. The first opinion article that I post will probably be the last one with a more "female take" on things; after that I will change my style of writing.
So please keep visiting; I promise that this will be more active very soon. Any comments are appreciated!
So please keep visiting; I promise that this will be more active very soon. Any comments are appreciated!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Original Rants: "Advertisements"
Since there's really nothing for me to write about right now, I decided to post another one of my old rants. Enjoy.
I was in the middle of a perfectly nice game of Bejeweled on MSN today when suddenly my game was at a standstill. “Your game will resume in 10 seconds”, the screen told me. Slowly, the numbers counted down in a time span that I am sure was more than 10 seconds. Meanwhile, an ad for the Atkins diet was shoved in my face. First of all, I am not on a diet. Second of all, I came to play Bejeweled, not to see some stupid ads every three levels or so. It’s bad enough that when you click on the game to play it, it shoves a huge ad in your face and makes you click again to actually start. But this? This is insane.
If you go play a game on MSN, you’ll see what I mean. They have four ads on the page where you select the game you want to play. Then there are three ads on the page where you select if you want to play the game online or download the *free* trial version, or you can even play for cash when available. So I click to play, and half the times they show me an ad and make me click again. Then on the screen where I can actually play, there are another two ads on the side. Then they have to shove ads in every few levels! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS?!?!
If I want to go on a diet, I’ll look for diets myself. If I want a new car, I’ll go to a car dealer. If I want a new pair of jeans, I’ll go to the store. I DO NOT NEED ADS SHOVED IN MY FACE EVERY TIME I WANT TO PLAY A GAME!
I understand that MSN needs money to keep them going. But this? This is insane.
Our world is simply drowning in ads. You don’t have to look very far to see them. In fact, it’s hard not to when they’re jumping up every time you open a page on the internet. Free prizes? Yeah right. I’m the 100,000th visitor? Possibly, but not EVERY TIME I go to that same page. They’re just shoving a bunch of crap in our faces, hoping that one of us is stupid enough to believe them.
And just wait, folks. It’s only going to get worse.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Secrets, Secrets
While I was in bed this morning, waiting for the sleep that never did come, I made one of the most difficult decisions that I have ever made so far in my life: the decision to forgive and forget. And coming from someone who is very good at holding a grudge, it was a surprising choice. Hopefully I won't regret it.
The whole thing started a little less than a year ago, when I first went away to college. My roommate was trusted with a secret, but I found out that she told some of our friends this secret. That fact ended our friendship for a long time, until a few days ago, when she contacted me for the first time in months. At that time, she was willing to put everything aside, but I guess I wasn't, because we got into a big argument again, and things ended badly a second time.
But ever since that last argument I've been thinking. Yes, she betrayed my trust and hurt me a great deal. But does that mean I should throw away our friendship? When she was willing to put everything aside and start over? Maybe I'm being weak, just trying to avoid conflict, and I guess that's one way to look at it. But when I think about everything, I realize how much we went through together, and I realize that I'm not quite ready to lose that.
The whole thing started a little less than a year ago, when I first went away to college. My roommate was trusted with a secret, but I found out that she told some of our friends this secret. That fact ended our friendship for a long time, until a few days ago, when she contacted me for the first time in months. At that time, she was willing to put everything aside, but I guess I wasn't, because we got into a big argument again, and things ended badly a second time.
But ever since that last argument I've been thinking. Yes, she betrayed my trust and hurt me a great deal. But does that mean I should throw away our friendship? When she was willing to put everything aside and start over? Maybe I'm being weak, just trying to avoid conflict, and I guess that's one way to look at it. But when I think about everything, I realize how much we went through together, and I realize that I'm not quite ready to lose that.
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