To the Moon and Back

Monday, June 6, 2011

MTV Movie Awards

Much like millions of others, I tuned in to watch the MTV Movie Awards last night. Mistakenly, I expected big things to come out of the awards, and for "Twilight" to not walk away with multiple awards- courtesy of the twilight teens who voted incessantly for Mr. Rob Pattison and Kristen Stewart to win best kiss, best movie and best male lead. To add flame to my fire, the Justin Beiber movie won "Best Jaw Dropping Moment," beating out "72 Hours" and "Black Swan"- both phenomenal movies in their own rights.

I'm just baffled, appalled and sick to my stomach that people seem to think Justin Beiber and love-making vampires is better than a thrilling, post modern and inside look on the secret world of ballet and the thrilling story of a man who cut off his own arm to survive. I mean, really?

I am in no way trying to diminish the work the both the Beibs and the cast of "Twilight" put into their work, because I appreciate hard work and yielding a following. What I can't understand, or moreso what bothers me, is that perhaps the reason both movies have such a large following is that the leads are incredibly sexy. Is that what we've been diminished too? Good looks and a nice butt?

My favorite part of the entire Movie Awards was when the camera flashed to Emma Watson (lead in the Harry Potter series) whenever "Twilight" won an award. She look genuinely pissed off and irritated.

Now, I didn't vote and I understand that I could've gotten off my butt, picked up my phone, paid 10 cents to vote and perhaps changed the course of the votes altogether but I don't feel that is my responsibility. I feel it is the responsibility of teens to recognize that there is more than just a strong jawline and nice butt to a lead character and more depth to a movie that kisses in the rain, passionate love-making and singing 17 year olds.

Graduation

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Photos

Here are some of my favorite Winter break photos:

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Pay It Forward

Feel good show of the week: Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Seriously. It always gets me. Tonight I came close to tears; felt that clenching of the throat, my eyes started swelling with water... the whole nine yards. Since I was so touched I decided to research job opportunities with Habitat for Humanity.

That is besides my point. It's not the fact that the show gets me, it is a commercial I saw while watching the show. This new show that will be airing is called Secret Millionaire. The gist of the show is that millionaire's go undercover to these really impoverished areas, live there for awhile, make a connection with an underprivileged family and then reveal themselves to the family and present them with a check for X amount of dollars. Alright, I, in no way, have an issue with donating money and helping other people in their situation. BUT if you are doing so, and in the process, having your face plastered all over the television and get great publicity, then I really don't agree with it. True, the show may inspire a watcher to donate their time and money to something like Habitat for Humanity.

I don't know. I'm skeptical. I've never seen the show, so I can't really judge since I have no basis to judge anything. Oh well. It'll be interesting to watch.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Graduation Article

Hi! I wrote the following article for a new online newspaper, of which the name escapes me! I'll post it when I remember/find out! Enjoy!

GRADUATION

Cap- check. Gown-check. Ropes-check. In a few short months thousands of college seniors across the nation will participate in the age-old tradition of graduation. What does it all mean? To me it means leaving the safety and comfort of Immaculata University (IU), my home for the past four years. It means putting all my hard work into practice. It means ending one chapter of my life, and beginning another.

Four years ago graduation was nothing but a small light on my horizon. Now that the light is shining brighter, my thoughts have turned in another direction: concern about the unknown. Yes, there is the possibility of securing a job. Yes, there is an acceptance to graduate school. But, the fear comes from knowing that each of those things is short-term. What if the job falls through? What if graduate school isn’t for me? Thoughts like this have been frequenting my mind lately, and all I can do is pray that Immaculata has prepared me for possibly the biggest transition of my young life.

As a soon-to-be college graduate, I realize my thoughts should be with healthcare, the current financial crisis or even the job market. Surprisingly, they are not. My biggest concerns are on more intimate level. Do I move back home or stay in Pennsylvania? Is graduate school what I want to pursue following college? Am I accepting a job offer that matches my values? What do I really want to pursue for the next few years in my life? As I embark in my final semester of college, I am focusing on myself, rather than the larger society.

At Immaculata, my experience has been nothing short of fantastic. I have done things I never thought I would, and I have achieved honors and recognition that I presumed unreachable. The support of the IU community is wonderful. My peers have become my family and my teachers my mentors. While Immaculata has prepared me well, through challenging courses and teachers who push students to do their best, I am still concerned. Did I take all the right classes? Have I utilized all the resources available to me?

Well, I would say yes. I took eighteen credits for most of my time at Immaculata. I will be taking twelve credits in the spring, and can focus a majority of my time and energy on my internship, finding a job, applying to graduate school and enjoying my senior year.

I was also able to develop myself outside of the academic arena. I played sports, got involved in student government, went to New Orleans to help rebuild, and wrote for the newspaper. Each experience led to my development, not only a leader, but as an individual. It was at Immaculata that I truly found myself, and molded myself into the young women I only imagined to become. I can only hope that I will be able to exhibit all that I have learned to a future employer.

Despite all of the concerns that have been frequenting my brain for the last four months, I believe that I have been fully prepared by Immaculata to enter the workforce, or at least pursue some form of higher education. My father gave me great advice, and this is what I would like to share with graduating high school seniors: the only thing that matters is that you are able to look in the mirror at the end of the day and be happy with your decisions and actions. Along with that, make positive decisions, find your passion and don’t be afraid to try something new.