Category Archives: Uncategorized

Back to the Concrete Jungle

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For those of you who don’t know, this past summer I participated in an internship program through the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), which is a highly competitive 10-week program that selects 24 college juniors from across the country to work at well-known magazine companies in New York City and Washington, D.C. Only 10 percent of those who applied were accepted in 2010.

Did I mention it was paid, too?

That may not seem like a big deal to some, but for those struggling in the journalism field, we know how precious it actually is. Unpaid magazine internships are hard enough to land — paid mag internships? Well, you rarely hear of that these days, especially in such a struggling economy.

So, in the beginning of June I packed my bags and moved into a quaint NYU dorm nestled right in the heart of Greenwich Village. I had the time of my life, met amazing people and got to do the work I love every single day at FITNESS magazine. Life couldn’t get any better.

Then I came back to Oswego for my senior year. This semester has been a struggle, to say the least. I’ve been taking extremely demanding classes (but learning a lot!), working as a public relations student manager and a personal trainer at the fitness centers, blogging here and for my fitness blog, The Pulse, and I launched the Ed2010 chapter at Oswego State.

So what’s on the agenda for winter break? You’d think it would be a lot of relaxation, sleeping in and watching mindless television, right? Wrong. Instead, I’m not giving myself a vacation. Right after my finals are finished Monday, I’m packing my bags once more and heading back to the concrete jungle!

Fortunately, the editors at FITNESS were impressed with my work ethic and the quality of work I presented to them on a daily basis (at least, this is what they told me). I’ve kept in touch with quite a few of them while continuing my studies here in Oswego, and as it got closer to winter break, I asked the Executive Editor, Pam O’Brien, if they would be interested in taking me back on the staff while I’m out of school. She, along with the editors she spoke with about it, said yes right away! It felt really good to be accepted back so quickly because it made me feel as though I really left my mark. So in less than a week, I get to reclaim my old desk and resume working at a magazine I absolutely love.

But that’s not all.

As if it couldn’t get any better, right? Starting in January, I will begin a second job while in NYC. I’ll work for FITNESS three days a week and the remainder of the week I will work for The Association of Magazine Media, formerly known as the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA), to assist with their National Magazine Awards. Not to mention I’ll be working alongside one of my good friends, Nina Fortuna, every day I’m there. Once again, it’s a paid position, so both jobs will definitely help me work toward the permanent move to the city in six months.

So keep your eyes peeled for blog posts about all of my activities while I’m back in the city, readers! I’ll be talking about the goings-on at the mag and MPA, and my experiences of living on the Upper West Side. I rented a room from a student who is traveling over break, and will have two other roommates, so I’m sure there will be adventures to share!

Have you ever done a winter internship? What are your plans for this break?

Ninth Day of Practicum, Fall ’10

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So, today, I finally taught, and yes, it is odd that I went to Practicum on a Tuesday, but this past Friday, I didn’t go due to the weather. It wasn’t much better today, but I had to go. Not only did I need to teach, but I needed the hours put in. Anyway, teaching went really well. I was really nervous, because this was my very first time teaching ever, but it actually turned out great. The students responded very well to me and seemed to like me.

I thought that my Practicum time was now over, but apparently, it is not. I have been concerned about the time that I have put in. I have missed a couple of days due to my ride not being able to go or because of weather conditions, and so I contacted the Field Placement office out of fear that I would be denied credit. They contacted me back and did not give me a straight answer. They said that if I have not put enough hours in, then I should go at least twice during Finals Week. I’m sorry, but that can’t happen for many reasons. I just find this to be so unfair.

I find it to be very unfair that out of about twelve weeks, I go to ten of them, and my credit still might get denied, even though that is a vast majority. I especially find that to be unfair because I have no other way of getting there. The Field Placement office suggested that I “coerce” a friend to bring me (not possible), take a bus (also not possible, because that will not bring me to the school, only to the Regional Transportation Center), or rent a Zip car (also not possible, because I can’t afford that). My only option, if they tell me that the amount of hours that I have already put in are not enough, is to go again this week. I hope to hear from them soon and really hope that I can resolve this if I need to.

Flirting With Danger

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              Though I realize that the next few years are going to entail progressively harder work I still tend to bite off more than I can chew, inside and outside of class as well. This is because it is really the only way to test your limit. You have to walk the razors edge between satisfaction and disaster. Though it may sound like pure vanity, its not. However you do need a lot of confidence to flirt with danger though too much can leave you in a worse position than not having the audacity to push your self. 

            I think that this delicate tango between you and danger makes a person know when they should lead, when to watch there toes, and even more unnerving take a calculated risk and let fate lead. And I know it may sound crazy putting myself through hell to push the limits of my chemistry capacity and it is, but people do crazy things when there in love.

A Night At The Ellington

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Hello Everyone,

The Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated Sigma Omicron Chapter and the Student Association Programming Board present “A Night at the Ellington”. This year is the first ever Masquerade Edition! For those of you who do not know what the Ellington it is a sophisticated dinner infused, with neo-soul poetry, elegant dance performances, and rhythm and blues engulfing your ears.

Every year colors are chosen that attendees are recommended to wear to create a calm and sophisticated atmosphere. This year Maroon, Cream, and Black are the colors to set the mood.

This year we will honor human rights activist, revolutionist and pioneer of Afro-beat Fela Kuti.

The Ellington will be held on Friday, December 3rd 2010 in the Hewitt Union Ballroom. Doors will open at 6:30 pm and performances will start promptly at 7:00 pm. Dinner and drinks will be served at this event.

If You Do Not Have a Ticket There Will be Special Entry at 8:30. You can enter for free at that time. Although you will not receive a masquerade mask without a ticket.

The required attire for the night is elegant casual/casual chic. To set the tone for the evening, we ask, that you dress accordingly with the theme.

Come enjoy the performances we have lined up for you all!

http://www.youtube.com/user/SigmaOmicron1906?feature=mhum

It’s 33.7°F , Light Snow & Windy!

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Man, I felt super guilty I haven’t been around these parts in forever! Life has been super crazy . I’d say I cant even explain it but I definitely will attempt to…just not right now.

My blog has probably been the best snap shot of what kind of semester this has been for me. That would consist of plenty of high hopes, many a day dreams, one to many broken promises (like the introspection series right? I know) and never able to stay in one spot ling enough to accomplish it all(me blogging every week now to every 3 weeks). This has been Fall 10′ for me. What can you expect though, That’s rhetorical by the way. You have to have an adjustment period at some point and the work has to be put in to get the desired results no?

Well if I didn’t know that before I certainly do now. As it is I’m typing this from the computer lab in the Campus Center , stealing precious moments of freedom to show you all that I am alive. There is plenty left to be accomplished and completed in these two short weeks. Will I be back to keep you abreast on how I’m coping ummm you never know. Lets agree no more broken promises this semester alright?

In the meantime I’m going to get back to this studying and academic vortex of stress, lack of time and panic and I hope you as well as myself the best.

– Kwame Forever in a Daze of newness and madness Belle

Home is Where the Heart Is

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I just got back from Thanksgiving break, and as cliche as it sounds, I must say that I wish break hadn’t flown by so fast. I’ve loved being at school and taking more steps to get me closer to the career I want, but sometimes I just really miss my family. I haven’t been home for more than three weeks all year, so I was grateful that I was able to spend time with a lot of family members over break.

However, I didn’t head straight home for break. Instead, I traveled through Boston, all the way up to Manchester, N.H. My mother’s entire side of the family, all of whom I’m really close with, live around Manchester and I always make a point to visit at least once a year. Thanksgiving break was my time to visit this year. I stayed at my Aunt Sue and Uncle Dave’s house throughout the week, but was lucky enough to see every family member.

Tuesday was just a day of traveling, so I didn’t do much more than hang out around the house. My friend, Kait, was awesome enough to offer me a ride from Oswego to Worcester, which is right outside of Boston. Then her parents became even more amazing and offered to drive me the whole way to Manchester so that I wouldn’t have to take a bus.

Wednesday became the special day between my Aunt Sue and I. Nicknamed her “special girl,” we hit the mall for some shopping, grabbed lunch and margaritas at Shorty’s, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, and went to the movies to see Love and Other Drugs. In case you were wondering, it’s a must-see movie.

I also had breakfast with my Grammy and caught up with my old friend, Nick, after the movie at Applebee’s. I’ve known him since we were little kids, but we often only see each other once a year and talk the rest of the time via Facebook or text messaging, so it was nice to catch up in person again.

Thursday was Thanksgiving! My uncles, aunts, baby cousin Devyn, Grammy and I went to Hart’s Turkey Farm, a restaurant famous for their turkey dinners. It was delicious! I followed my Surviving Thanksgiving Dinner guidelines too and ate rather healthy. Unfortunately, my family then surprised me with a birthday cake (apparently my birthday is a week-long celebration), which totally de-railed any healthy eating habits I had going. Not to mention I wasn’t expecting it at all, so my face turned about 10 shades of red.

I spent Friday with my cousin Joclyn, who shares a special bond with me because she’s exactly 10 years younger than me (Well, her birthday is the day before mine, but it’s close enough). I bought her a “Fight Like A Girl” T-shirt that Colleges Against Cancer was selling this year to benefit the American Cancer Society, and we both had black boots, so she loved the fact that we could dress up as twins for a day.

I headed over to my Aunt Carol’s on Saturday, where I got to have a second round of Thanksgiving dinner with her, her boyfriend Jim, my mom, step-dad, and my little brother, Scott. Once again, I followed my Survive Thanksgiving Dinner tips and ate a delicious yet healthy meal!

We also had family game night, and the girls kicked butt in Catchphrase for three rounds. I also won a round of Apples to Apples, but my Aunt Carol and Jim were able to claim a round, too. Scott put up a valiant effort each time, but was unable to clinch a title like he usually does.

I spent all of  Sunday traveling on a bus, which wasn’t fun because my phone decided to call it quits about two minutes after I boarded. Fortunately, I had my boyfriend’s phone number memorized and was able to get to a pay phone so he could pick me up safe and sound. And when I got back to Oswego, the view was definitely worth it.

How was your Thanksgiving break? Did you experience any memorable moments?

Enduring like Atlas

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          It has been a short break and as much as I would like to expound about all the sleep I got, all the food I ate or all the work I tried to avoid I have to buckel down and get all my work done.

          Although the break seems like an all too lucid dream it serves as a reminder that although you may be away from family and friends they remember you and wish only the best for you. This reminder should be used as a shot of adeniline to keep us going in the weeks to come and give us a little leverage on our unweildy mountian of work.

Greening the conscience

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Today is the day after Black Friday, and I must admit that this year’s Black Friday deals and hoopla seemed to be a lot more than they were last year. Every time I opened my browser to the news, all of the articles popping up had to deal with which stores are giving the best deals. Where can you go to get the most for your money?

Black Friday honestly disgusts me. It’s the most primitive expression of our obsession with consumerism and how we’re being brainwashed into thinking that we need to pay less and less for what we get. The items that are featured in the sales range from TVs to gaming consoles to computers to cookware to clothes to shoes to tools and more. What we don’t realize is that our demand for lowest prices creates a vicious cycle for those who make those products.

Most of our electronics come from parts of Asia like Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea. Because technology is constantly updating itself, our current electronics are outdated within a year or two so we discard them and get new ones on days like Black Friday where we could get the best deal for them. Have you ever heard of something called E-waste? E-waste is electronic waste that is discarded in developing countries where they are taken apart to salvage metal from them.

60 minutes did a feature on e-waste talking about how in China this is a huge pollutant and cause of certain human health concerns. “Following the Trail of Toxic E-Waste”. This e-waste comes from developed countries, like the U.S. and the EU.

So, how can we help stop this e-waste problem in developing countries? Our companies in the U.S. get away with exporting this waste to other countries under the pretense that these computers and electronics are “second-hand goods” for re-sale. Most of them are just junk computers and TVs.

The American consumer needs to think twice before buying new technology just because the deals are cheap. We need to choose wisely when buying new computers and such and make sure that it’s something that we actually need and not just want. We want to help save the environment by demanding less “new” stuff every year. But, if we HAVE to buy something new, we should think of how best to dispose of our waste and to make sure that it is going to the right place. Instead of just leaving the electronics on the street corner, we should pay attention to centers that do the recycling in-country. A simple Google search will help us find nearby locations.

Most of all, Americans need to remember that the holidays are more about family and togetherness rather than buying, buying, buying. When outside cultures look at our culture, they see a bunch of spoiled American consumers who are always buying something or shopping and who have so much stuff. Let’s change that for the sake of our dignity as Americans and for the sake of our environment.

Join us in Buying Nothing. Buy Nothing Day – Adbusters.org.