Juliana's Juncture

2011 Monument Ave. 10K = Complete!

2011-04-02T16:03:00.002-04:00

Waking up at 6:45 isn't usually a pleasant thing to do on a Saturday morning....that is, unless you're super excited for a race!!! As you all know, I've been anticipating this day for several months now, so it was totally refreshing to wake up, gobble up some Special K with skim milk (my personal favorite "Breakfast of Champions" haha), put on my running gear, and start my 1.4 mile walk to Monroe Park.


(Please excuse the poor quality...my digital camera finally kicked the bucket and my new one isn't supposed to come in until Monday, so I had to resort to my BlackBerry camera).

I'm not normally this awake before 7:45 on a Saturday! LOL

I checked my bag (obviously can't go anywhere without my cell phone, chapstick/lipgloss, and keys haha), and then headed a few more blocks over to Broad to wait with the other 40,000 runners. It was quite a long wait, since I had arrived around 8:20 (the first wave started at 8:30), and my wave wasn't supposed to start until 9:16....what can I say? I like to be early for things that I'm excited about, and apparently thousands of other people felt the same way! :) This is the first race I've run in that used chip timing, and I am definitely a fan! Anticipating a gun shot to start a race always makes me feel like I'm gonna throw up....I blame that on my years of track & cross country. So, after what seemed like forever, Wave QA approached the starting line, then before I knew it, we were off! I was near the front of the wave, but about 2 blocks in, I could feel my knee brace sliding off my knee, so I had to make 2 very quick stops to try and fix it. By the end of the race, I think it was acting as more of a calf brace, but I finally decided to suck it up and quit wasting time trying to adjust it. As I told my Mom on the phone during my walk back to my apt., I think it's time to buy new knee braces that use straps instead of the pull-on one that I've been using.

Aside from the knee brace annoyance, the race was pretty awesome! The live bands and cheering spectators made it lots of fun! The one thing I learned for next year is that it's not a good idea to sign up for a slower wave than what you're capable of running just to stay on the safe side. Even though I knew I should finish under 60 minutes (notwithstanding a bad injury or an act of God), I signed up for a 61-65 min. wave, thinking that it would be better to run at the front of a slower wave than at the back of a faster one. The result: I got stuck in more bottlenecks than I've ever seen at Capital Ale House! The joggers who signed up for the faster waves were spread out everywhere across Monument, so those of us at a faster pace ended up zigzagging back and forth just to get through them. Not a huge deal, just something that could have been somewhat avoided if I had been in an earlier wave....but at least now I know that. :)

Overall, it was an awesome experience and I ended up setting my personal best record:

During the race, I kept thinking about Dad and reminding myself to push harder because I was running this for him. And I also wanted to have a good report to give Mom and Jon when I called after the race. When I crossed the finish line, I didn't think I had improved much, if any, on my usual time, but when I got home and checked the chip time, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I had knocked about 5 minutes off of my usual 10K time. Granted, this was a very flat course and much easier than most other routes that I tend to run, but I'm still pretty satisfied overall. I hope Dad was watching....I'm pretty sure he was :)

Okay, well, as if all of the black and yellow this morning wasn't enough of a reminder, VCU's big Final Four game is tonight so I should probably start getting ready before my neighbor and I go scope out the least crowded local bar to watch the game. Let's Go Rams!!!!

Long Overdue Update...Monument 10K is almost here!

2011-03-28T00:11:00.003-04:00

I just finished baking and icing strawberry cupcakes for a work friend's birthday tomorrow and I remembered that I haven't posted anything on here since Dad died, so I figured a new post was long overdue. On that note, it doesn't seem possible that he's been gone for a little over 2 months now....we miss him soooo much :( Everyone says it gets easier with time, but I'm still not convinced. It's true that the tears don't come quite as often, but even thinking about the happy memories makes me sad when I realize that those are the only memories we have to hold on to for the rest of our lives until we see him again in Heaven. Sometimes when I don't feel like being sad, I try to push the thoughts out of my head, but then I realize that it's good to think about him as much as possible, since those memories are the only ones we have and I never ever want them to fade.

On a happier note, I'll be running in the Monument Avenue 10K this Saturday in honor of Dad! Feel free to check out my Massey Challenge page here. After a couple of decent training runs last week, my "good" knee decided to start giving me problems, so I took the past few days off to hopefully give it a rest so it will be fresh for the race this weekend. As usual, Mom keeps telling me not to push it too hard, and that I shouldn't run if my knee issues continue flaring up, but she knows I'm a stubborn one and when I sign up for a race, I'm going to finish it, even if I have to limp across the finish line. Hopefully that won't be the case though! Haha. Of course, next Saturday is going to be an especially epic day for Richmond, since now in addition to the 40,000 runners making their way down Monument Avenue that morning, VCU will be playing in the Final Four of the NCAA Tourney!!! Obviously, I'm a lifelong, dedicated JMU fanatic and my allegiance will always be with my beloved Dukes no matter what, but living in the middle of Richmond amidst all of the VCU hype is kind of contagious! Plus, it makes perfect sense to support the only Virginia team in the Final Four! This city has come alive with VCU fever....walking down the street in the Fan, bypassers shout "VCU! VCU! VCU!" Cars drive past with the windows rolled down, honking their horns continuously while the driver shouts "Go Rams!!!" All of the restaurants and storefronts are decked out with VCU banners and Rams' horns. Richmond is just buzzing with basketball fever and it's a blast!

In other news, my good friend and former D.C. roommate flew up from Georgia to visit me several weekends ago. We had a blast doing some touristy things that even I hadn't done yet, as well as spending time at some local Richmonder hangouts that I've grown fond of over the past year.

Carytown!

Maymont Park

George Washington statue in the Capitol

Another Carytown shot

Speaking of that, it's crazy to think that I've lived in Richmond for over a year now! Even though my long-term job stability is entirely dependent on the voters of Virginia (among other factors), and I have no idea what path my life may take in 2.5 years, if things work out, I could definitely see myself staying in Richmond for a while. My neighborhood is awesome for running, super convenient for walking to all sorts of great restaurants, and only a short drive away from Downtown. I've made some wonderful friends here, and I've finally found a church that seems to be the right fit for me. The only downside is being 2 hours away from my incredible family and friends back home, but luckily that's close enough to allow for frequent weekend drives back to the Valley.

For those of you who chose to give up something for Lent, you probably know that we're just about halfway through. One of my good friends at work and I share an addiction for ice cream, and before the Lenten season began, we had a tendency to be bad influences on each other by taking afternoon field trips to various ice cream shops (not to mention our unsuccessful quest to find Shamrock Shakes in Richmond....luckily both of our respective hometown Mickey D's came through for us and we were able to enjoy our favorite March treat during the weekend before Fat Tuesday). In the midst of our ice cream ventures, I started feeling guilty for completely reversing any minuscule results that I should have been achieving at the gym, so he suggested that it would be appropriate for us to give up ice cream for Lent, and I agreed wholeheartedly. However, I had already intended to give up chocolate, which I did successfully 2 years ago. So, deciding that I couldn't bail out on my original plan, I decided to combine the two and gave up ice cream AND chocolate. I figured it wouldn't be too hard...just have to keep both of those items out of my kitchen and desk and I should be fine. Sounds easy enough, right? On the Thursday after Lent began, unaware of my decision to give up chocolate, my boss walked in to the office and put a full carton of Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans on my desk (there is almost always a supply of these on my desk, thanks to my obsession that one of my favorite people instilled in me right after I moved here, and that I have since shared with several of my friends in the office). As if this wasn't enough temptation, he completely restocked his candy dish with Hershey's miniatures (including my fave dark chocolate!!!). And then, several days later, when I was convinced that my will power was stronger than these temptations, my boss plopped two boxes of Girl Scout cookies on my desk! The Thin Mints tormented me for the few days that they lasted, but I was good and didn't give in. Lucky for my friend and I, a new frozen yogurt place just opened up in Carytown about a month or so ago, so we can still get our frozen dessert fix without cheating on our Lenten promise. Sweet Frog is by far my new favorite guilty pleasure (but most of the flavors are non-fat, and I top it with fruit so it's not too terribly unhealthy...or at least that's what I keep telling myself haha). They have a whole wall full of flavors from cake batter (my absolute fave!) to bubble gum to mango.

The best part about Sweet Frog, aside from the delicious yogurt, is that it is a Christian-run business! FROG stands for "Fully Rely On God." Love it!!!!

Well, on that note, I should probably sign off and get some sleep. Gotta get up a tad bit earlier than usual to go decorate someone's office for her birthday! :)

Have a wonderful week, y'all!

Every Day, It's Sinking In....

2011-01-26T00:34:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday evening started off much like any typical Thursday night in Richmond during session...after leaving work, I accompanied a good friend to a reception at the Jefferson Hotel. Then we headed back Downtown to the Tobacco Company for Thursday Night Caucus, which is a fun weekly session tradition in which legislators, LAs, lobbyists, and others in the political arena gather together to enjoy drinks and each other's company before the week wraps up. I spent most of the evening gabbing with a few good friends and my former roommates, as well as other LAs who I worked with at the General Assembly last year. The group I was sitting with established that the working world must be wearing on us, because by 10 p.m., we were all already pretty tired and getting ready to call it a night. It wasn't quite 10:30 when I noticed that my cell phone was vibrating in my purse, so I hurried to dig it out. The caller ID showed that it was Jon, so I answered and said “Hey Jon! I'm at caucus and it's super loud in here. Can I call you back later?” He said that was fine, but for me to call him as soon as I got back to my apartment. So, I took my sweet time, finishing up conversations and telling friends good-night. I finally arrived home about half an hour later, called Jon back, apologized for blowing him off, he asked about caucus and we made small talk for a little bit. Finally, he double-checked to make sure I was indeed back at my apartment. I assured him that I had literally just walked in the door and was hanging up my coat, he took a deep breath and began with “Well, I'm sure you probably know why I'm calling....”

For the past few months, every time I saw Mom or Jon's name pop up on my caller ID, my stomach flipped and I braced myself for the worst, and then breathed a sigh of relief once I realized that was not the news they were calling to tell me. But on Thursday when that was indeed the phone call that I'd been dreading, I wasn't expecting it. I'm so thankful to my bro that he wanted to make sure that I was safely home before delivering the news, but felt bad for making him wait 30 minutes to tell me.

As odd as it might seem, I didn't really even cry at first. I wanted to, but for the first time since Dad's diagnosis, the tears didn't come. I just sat there on my bed, shaking, yet numb, and hugging my favorite stuffed animal as tightly as I possibly could (yes I'm 23 and still sleep with a stuffed animal....Disney's Stitch, the adorable blue alien to be precise...and I've admittedly needed to hug him a lot since August...maybe I'll grow up one day).

For anyone who knows me well, it's probably needless to say that the not being able to cry part didn't last too long. I sat there for a while, not moving, just staring blankly at the floor, clutching onto Stitch while a million thoughts ran through my head, wanting more than anything to be at home with Mom and Jon. I finally managed to fall asleep sometime after 1:30, then woke up early and started throwing things into my suitcase. After stopping by the office for a few minutes on Friday morning, I hit 64-W and headed home. The two-hour drive, combined with an assortment of songs on the radio, provided lots of time for reflection as fond memories filled my head, coupled with thoughts of the last few times that I spent with my dad, including the very last time that I saw him, on Monday afternoon when I left to head back to Richmond.

As friends and family have visited over the past few days, lots of stories and memories of Dad have been shared. From tales of his hunting adventures to memories of him working at his beloved hardware store, these are the stories that will live on through those of us that he has left behind. I am grateful for these memories and so proud of the many lives that Dad touched over the years.

It's tough coming to grips with the fact that he's really gone and realizing that he won't be there for any of our life events in the future. He won't be there to walk me down the aisle if/when I get married. We won't get to tell him about career changes, ask his advice for big life decisions, see him smile and laugh at funny moments (he had the best smile and laugh!). I know he'll be looking down and watching us from heaven, but it's still hard and painful beyond words.

Despite the sad time that Mom, Jon, myself, and the rest of Dad's extended family and friends are going through right now, the outpouring of support over the past few days has been incredible! I feel so blessed and loved beyond measure by all of the wonderful people in my life who have visited, called, emailed, sent flowers, food, let us know they are praying for us, and offered their support in so many ways! Love you all SO very much! God's comforting touch through each of you is what's keeping us strong and getting us through this together.

As much as we love and miss him, Dad is in a much better place, free from the pain and suffering that he endured for so many years. I smile to think about him seeing Jesus face to face, and being reunited with my grandparents and everyone else who was there to welcome him to Heaven.

In case you were wondering, I've been bawling my eyes out pretty much the entire time that I've been writing this, and I'm sorry if this post has made you do the same. Tonight, I just finally got the courage to put my raw thoughts and emotions into words, and thought I would share them in case anyone was interested in reading them. Regardless, writing always makes me feel better, so it is what it is.

Save A Place for Me by Matthew West has been by far the most soothing, yet heart wrenching song for me during this difficult time. I've been listening to it on repeat for the past few days and no matter how many times I play it, it never gets old. In case you haven't heard it, I've posted the video below. I also included the lyrics, because they are spot on with how I'm feeling right now:

Don't be mad if I cry
It just hurts so bad sometimes
'Cause everyday it's sinking in
And I have to say goodbye all over again
You know I bet it feels good to have the weight of this world off your shoulders now
I'm dreaming of the day when I'm finally there with you

Save a place for me
Save a place for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon
Save a place for me
Save some grace for me
I'll be there soon
I'll be there soon

I have asked the questions why,
But I guess the answer's for another time.
So instead I'll pray with every tear,
And be thankful for the time I had you here.

And I wanna live my life just like you did
Make the most of my time just like you did
And I wanna make my home up in the sky
Just like you did
Oh, but until I get there
Until I get there

Well, I hope you enjoyed that song as much as I do. Thanks so much for reading, but now it's time to wipe away the tears and think happy thoughts....it's what Dad would want for all of us.

Much love to you all,

Juliana

Father's Day 2010

Family Pic - August 2010

Christmas 2010

We Love You, Always & Forever, Dad!!!!

Please Help Me "Put Cancer On the Run!"

2011-01-17T21:51:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you all, but I'm not a huge fan of the cold weather that comes with winter. So, naturally, I'm already looking ahead to the spring! In addition to the warmer weather, I'm looking forward to running in the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K on April 2nd! I signed up several weeks ago and I've already started training for it, (at the gym that is, not outside in the cold weather, ha!), but I still have quite a long way to go to get my time down to where I want it to be. I'm really excited to be taking part in this annual Richmond event, along with the other 40,000 runners and walkers! People wear costumes, bands play, and cheering supporters line Monument as the runners pass by, followed by a Post-Race Festival in Monroe Park. (And I bet you non-runners didn't think a 10K race could be much fun! :P)

Putting the fun aspects of the race aside for a moment, on a more serious note, I've designated my run to benefit the VCU Massey Cancer Center. In case anyone is curious, the Massey Cancer Center is "one of just 66 cancer centers out of 1,500 nationwide designated by the National Cancer Institute to help lead and shape our nation’s fight against cancer." This is a wonderful cause, and it's one that is especially meaningful to me this year, since I'll be running in honor of my dad, who has been battling cancer since August.

Below is a link to my Run 4 Massey page:

Juliana's Run 4 Massey 2011 Page

Please check it out and consider helping out a great cause that is very dear to my heart, now more than ever. Also, if anyone is interested in joining my team and running with me, definitely let me know. The more the merrier!!! :)

Thanks for reading and stay warm!

Counting My Blessings As Thanksgiving 2010 Approaches

2010-11-23T22:45:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but around this time every year, it seems like I'm never prepared for how fast Thanksgiving just seems to sneak right up on us. Leaves start changing color, pumpkin spice lattes come back in season, hoodie/sweater weather arrives, and Halloween comes and goes. Alas, the Thanksgiving season is upon us once again, and after a half day of work tomorrow morning, I will be hitting the road and heading home to the Valley to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

Do you remember back to those days in elementary and middle school when this time of year rolled around and your teachers asked you to write a list or draw a picture of things you were thankful for? It seemed so routine back then. The teacher would hand you a construction paper cut-out shaped like a turkey, leaf, pumpkin, or even a cornucopia. Then you would list one word responses as they came to mind. From what I can remember, mine typically went something like this: "I am thankful for...my family, friends, food, clothes, shelter..." Granted, the list probably became a bit more elaborate as I got older, but you get the idea. Then, the teacher would display what we were thankful for on a hallway bulletin board for others to see.

It's kind of funny to me that now, many years later, I was just thinking about this for whatever the reason. In the adult world, I feel like it's so easy to get caught up in our day-to-day affairs, that we oftentimes forget to stop and realize how blessed we really are. Please don't think for a second that I'm pointing fingers here. I'll be the first to admit that I am guilty of this far too often. Sometimes I think it's almost like we have this sense of entitlement....the notion that "I deserve to have a great job...I went to college" or "I deserve to go out to dinner several nights a week....I work hard all day!" But whenever those thoughts pop into our heads, we need to push them aside and remember that these things are not entitlements, but rather, they are blessings from God, and they can be taken away from us just as quickly as He gave them to us.

I took a women's studies course during my junior year at JMU (it turned out to be a terrible idea on my part, but I thought it was going to be an easy A, and by the time I realized that the opposite was true, there were no other electives left that would fit in my schedule. I painfully tolerated the class and did a LOT of lip biting, and did manage to pull out an A in the end, but I digress). I remember one topic that was discussed in that class quite frequently was the idea of oppression of certain groups in society (for brevity's sake, I will not elaborate on this, as it will likely throw me into a tangent). One of the discussion topics that my professor brought up (and many in the class sided with her on) was the idea that it is wrong for you or me to refer to ourselves as being "blessed," because that insinuates that we think we're better and more deserving of gifts/material wealth/social & economic stature/social acceptance/etc. than oppressed individuals/groups. I honestly can't recall a statement from a professor in my entire 3.5 years of college that made me feel more angry/upset/violated/hurt than that moment. How can anyone possibly be of the notion that it's selfish to consider yourself BLESSED?!?!?! Is anyone else on board with me in thinking that it's beyond selfish to consider ourselves as anything BUT blessed?! There are certainly plenty of less fortunate individuals in the world, but God expects us to use our blessings to help those in need.

So, while I still ended up going off on the tangent that I had intended to avoid, hopefully you can still see my point. We are never too young or old, too rich or poor, too busy or bored, too hurt or depressed to stop counting our blessings. Therefore, I'd like to take a few moments to expand upon my elementary school assignment and share what I'm thankful for with you. And yes, I realize that I posted a similar list back in the summer after my surgery, but in my opinion, you can also never count your blessings too often! :)

I'm thankful for.....

a wonderful, strong, and loving family and great friends who are always here for me through everything
being able to spend Thanksgiving with my family, especially God's blessing of letting Dad spend one more Thanksgiving with us, and his determination not to adhere to what the doctors predicted
faith. I have absolutely no idea how anyone manages to get through life without it.
good, soul-soothing music. Songs with lyrics that tug at your heartstrings and remind you of special/fond memories. Maybe that's a weird thing to be thankful for, however, I've been dealing with some pretty painful stuff in my life lately, and the music really helps. I don't like silence, especially when I'm by myself with lots of time to think, so the likes of Daughtry, Jon McLaughlin, John Mayer, Lifehouse, Five For Fighting, Josh Wilson, Matthew West, and Chris Tomlin have all been dominating my playlists lately. There's nothing quite like a song that fully expresses exactly how you're feeling at any given moment in time.
having a job that I enjoy and the best bosses/coworkers/friends that I could possibly ask for!
overall good health, positive follow-up reports at the retinal specialist, and a diagnosis for my knee injury so it can start healing
forgiveness. Goodness knows I've made well beyond my share of mistakes, so it sure is refreshing to know that with a simple prayer for forgiveness, God wipes the slate clean
great memories and the people who experienced them with me. Even when you're going through a sad or painful time, all it takes is one sweet memory to make you smile :)
concerts & football games
fun times, laughter, & every moment of every day that brings happiness to the people I care about :)

The is certainly not even close to being an exhaustible list, but alas, I need to start packing for the holiday weekend. As usual, thanks so much for taking the time to read my ramblings. I would love to hear what you're thankful for if you're willing to share, but either way, on Thursday, when you're about to dig into that turkey (or tofurkey, since my coworkers have been picking on me about that for the past week or two), don't forget to stop and remember what the holiday is actually about. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!!!!! :)

Brrr it's Fall....the perfect time of year for cooking with Pumpkin!!!!

2010-11-11T19:40:00.000-05:00

Wow, I've certainly been slacking big-time on my plan to update this thing more often. Oops! Well, what better way to make a come back than by sharing a recipe that I just concocted about an hour ago! One of my favorite things to do when I have the time is to experiment in the kitchen. Whether trying out a brand new recipe, tweaking an old one, or just perusing my cabinets and concocting something out of the ingredients that I have on hand, cooking experiments are oh so much fun! Fall recipes are my absolute favorite (especially ones that include pumpkin or butternut squash!), and since my pantry was already well-stocked with canned pumpkin, tonight I decided to raid my spice cabinet and create a new pumpkin soup recipe. Certain people tend to think that I have unique tastebuds, so this recipe might not be ideal for many of you, but if you do decide to try it out, please share your feedback! :)

Juliana’s Homemade Pumpkin Soup Recipe

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (15 oz.) cans pure pumpkin
2 1/2 cups organic low-sodium vegetable broth (from 32 oz. carton)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup nonfat half & half
1 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch cajun seasoning
1 large pinch chili powder
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch salt

Directions:
Saute onion and garlic with olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in pumpkin, vegetable broth, milk, half & half, bay leaf, and maple syrup. Add garlic powder, cajun seasoning, chili powder, parsley, black pepper, and salt.

Bring mixture to boiling, then turn back down and simmer on low for about 15 minutes, or until heated through and of desired consistency (mine was pretty thick, but that's how I prefer it). Remove bay leaf from soup and serve.

Makes approx. 4 servings

The final product....fresh off the stove-top

I garnished mine with more parsley and freshly ground black pepper (Can you tell I'm a little obsessed with freshly ground black pepper?....I think I enjoy using the grinder too much! Haha).

Be Thankful :)

2010-06-16T23:39:00.002-04:00

Well, it's certainly been quite a while since I posted on here and I apologize for being such a slacker. Needless to say, A LOT has happened during my 2 month blogging sabbatical! I won't bore you with my typical rambling stories detailing every aspect of that time frame, but here are a few highlights: After my tireless job search last winter (which, looking back, I apologize for complaining about so much), in April, I was blessed to receive two job offers. Thankfully, God pointed me in the right direction to a job in Richmond that I absolutely love. My coworkers are fabulous and the work environment has proven to be exactly what I'd hoped for! I found a cute apartment in an adorable neighborhood, and have been enjoying pretending to be an adult in the sense that I now get excited about shopping for furniture and house wares, and thinking of ways to decorate my humble abode. Fun times!

It didn't take me long to adjust to my new beginning/first full-time job/really being on my own for the first time. I was quite content with the way things had been going...that is, until several weeks ago, when life decided to throw me a monkey wrench.

It all began on Memorial Day. My boyfriend and I spent the holiday shopping at Short Pump Town Center. As we perused through various stores, I randomly started noticing lots of floaters and red and yellow flashes of light in my peripheral vision of my right eye. Despite the fact that my retinal specialist constantly warned me that these symptoms are a sure sign of another retinal hemorrhage (or worse), I shrugged it off as being paranoid, and continued shopping. Later that evening while out to dinner, I again noticed the symptoms, but yet again, decided to ignore them, convinced that I would sleep it off that night and wake up symptom free. Well, imagine my disappointment when I awoke the next morning and the first thing I noticed was a lighting bolt shaped flash of light in my eye. By this point, I had transitioned from blissfully ignorant to slightly concerned, so I did the adult thing to do and called my retinal specialist. After describing my symptoms, they scheduled an appointment for me with a specialist here in Richmond for the next afternoon. Upon heading to my appointment, I had already prepared myself to hear that I had relapsed and was suffering another retinal hemorrhage (I had the first one during my freshman year at JMU)....I would probably have to endure another round of Avastin injections in my eye, and maybe a few Visudyne (photodynamic) treatments, but I survived it before and now I knew what to expect, so this should be a cinch....or so I thought.

It turns out that the reason I was seeing all of those flashes of light was because I had experienced a retinal detachment, the doctor explained to me, and I would thus need to undergo surgery the next day.

Okay, so I wasn't ready for that news after all. Surgery?!?! I'm the girl who didn't get her wisdom teeth cut out because I was terrified at the thought of undergoing surgery (which was okay, b/c my orthodontist assured me that I had room for them to come in...what he didn't prep me for was how painful the "coming in" process is, but I digress). Anyway, since it was scheduled for the next day, I didn't really have time to stress out about it, which was certainly for the best.

I've rambled too much already so I will spare you the details of the surgery, but it went really smoothly and I've spent the past 2 weeks recovering. I was especially thrilled yesterday when I convinced my doctor to let me return to work tomorrow on a part-time basis. She replied with "Wow, you sure are motivated aren't you?!" considering the fact that the recovery process is supposed to take 3-4 weeks. But being the energetic and social person that I am, 2 weeks of being mostly confined to my apartment is about to drive me crazy! But anyway, the point of me telling you this lengthy story, (yes there actually is a point! haha), is not for you to feel sorry for me, but rather to serve as the backstory for the title of this post ("Be Thankful"). Admittedly, I laid around for the first couple of days after surgery feeling sorry for myself with the typical, yet pathetic, "why me?!" attitude. But being forced to lay around for 2 weeks provided lots of time for me to think and reflect upon things, and God quickly took the opportunity to change my mindset and help me realize how much I have to be thankful for. So, I'd like to take this opportunity to share with you several of the things that came to mind.
I'm thankful...

that God knocked some sense into my stubbornly ignorant head and prompted me to go to the doctor in time before the detachment was so bad that I lost my eyesight forever
for all of my wonderful family & friends and all of the thoughts and prayers that they sent my way before, during, & after my surgery
for my friend who took off from work to drive me to my appointment, waited with me so I wouldn't have to nervously await a diagnosis from a new doctor at a new clinic in a new city by myself, did his best to make me laugh and cheer me up once I heard the news of my impending surgery, emailed everyone back at the office with a status report so I wouldn't have to break the news to them, drove me home, then drove me to my surgery the next day and again waited with me until they took me in for prepping
for my boyfriend who spent countless hours helping to take care of me, keeping me company, and driving me to and from my follow-up appointments
for all of the flowers, cards, phone calls, visits, food, etc. from my wonderful family & friends just to remind me how much they care :)
for my coworkers that picked up my slack while I was out and took care of a lot of stuff in my absence so I won't be overwhelmed with work when I return tomorrow
that the surgery went smoothly with no complications
for so many blessings in my life that God has given me to be thankful for!

Isn't it awesome how God can take an overwhelming and difficult event and turn it into something so positive?! And while there are a million more things that I am thankful for, there's one more that I want to discuss here; I'm thankful for my eyesight.

Since I was a kid up until 2 weeks ago, I always wondered why I had to be the unlucky one with the thick glasses, special contacts, and the designation of being "one of the most nearsighted patients" at every eye doctor's office that I've ever visited. This used to really bother me and I dreamed of the day when I could have corrective surgery so that I could at least wear normal glasses and contacts. Now, don't get me wrong, I still hope to have the surgery one day, but my 2 weeks (and more to come) of being totally dependent on only one eye has given me a new perspective on things. At least I have the comfort of knowing that in several weeks, my eye will heal, and with an increased prescription, I should be able to see pretty well out of it again. But my temporary predicament has given me a whole new respect for how blind people go about their daily lives. I frequently found myself complaining about how bored I was just laying around my apartment with nothing that I could do besides sleeping, listening to music or audiobooks, or talking on the phone. Watching TV or movies was too strenuous on my good eye, and I found that even simple tasks require a certain level of depth perception that just one eye doesn't provide. And although over the past few days I've managed to walk safely to the post office, pharmacy, and library by myself, watching for traffic with limited peripheral vision can prove to be an interesting task. So if these things are this difficult and nerve-racking for me, I can't begin to imagine what a blind person endures in his or her lifetime. I know people say that your other senses learn to compensate for the loss of another, but I'm here to tell you that undergoing that transitional process is not as simple or painless as it may sound. So, now I realize that despite the fact that I may need thick glasses or special contacts in order to see, at least my vision is correctable. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who would be more than happy to wear thick glasses, or any other visual aid that may be deemed socially unattractive, if it would only grant them the ability to see God's beautiful creation.

Anyway, getting back on topic, I'll wrap up by saying that I'm thankful that God granted me a speedy recovery and that I get to return to work tomorrow! On that note, I should probably be getting ready for bed soon, considering that I actually have a daily schedule to get used to following again. So I will leave you with a challenge....the next time you are faced with an unexpected hardship or bump in the road, try to take a moment or two to stop and reflect on the situation and see if you can find something to be thankful for. Chances are, once you find one thing, the list will just keep growing from there! :)

Thanks for sticking around to read this ridiculously long post to the very end! Goodnight and God bless you! :)

George Strait Touched My Hand!!!!! :D

2010-04-04T19:20:00.019-04:00

In keeping with my concert-going trend as discussed in my previous post, I checked another phenomenal show off of my list last night. Don't worry, I haven't already abandoned my aforesaid intention of cutting back on shows until I find a job... It just so happens that Jon's Christmas gift to Mom and I this year was 4 tickets (2 each) to the George Strait, Reba McEntire, and Lee Ann Womack concert at JPJ. The show was originally scheduled for January 31st, however, that concert date just happened to fall smack-dab in the middle of one of the various snow storms that hit Virginia this winter, so the show was rescheduled for yesterday evening. Unfortunately, Mom wasn't able to enjoy her gift, as she ended up having to stay home to take care of my father after he suffered a recent setback due to his Multiple Sclerosis. :( Although bummed out that Mom couldn't join us, my brother, my boyfriend, and I met up in Charlottesville for a tasty pre-concert dinner at Mellow Mushroom (which has become a favorite spot over the last few years, since its menu caters to my "tree-hugging vegetarian" diet by offering hummus, tofu, and lots of veggie options, as well as pleasing my bro's carnivorous tastes with the likes of the infamous "Mighty Meaty" pizza. After dinner, we headed over to JPJ and started getting pumped for the concert.

Somehow, Jon always manages to get fantabulous seats for shows....we were on the floor for the Jimmy Buffett show last fall, then lower tier for John Mayer, and 4th row off the floor last evening....however, there was a super exciting perk to our seats last night: We just so happened to be seated directly beside the entryway where the performers entered and exited the arena!!! So, we got a perfect view of Lee Ann, Reba, and George as the security guards led each of them past us toward the stage!

Lee Ann Womack opened the show and got things off to a great start! Admittedly, I'm not a huge follower, so I had never heard several of the songs that she sang, but she sounded awesome, nonetheless! As expected, she wowed the house with "I Hope You Dance," and I especially enjoyed singing along with "Last Call" and "Ashes By Now."

Next, the stunningly gorgeous redhead took the stage and gave a dynamic performance! I was thoroughly impressed as Reba exhibited all of the qualities of a true entertainer. She captured the audience with an all-star combination of her glowing personality, band interaction, upbeat dancing, and (last but definitely not least) her incredible voice. She dazzled with older favorites like "The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia," "Why Haven't I Heard From You," "The Fear of Being Alone," etc. Then, naturally mixed it up with some songs from her newest album, including "Strange," "Consider Me Gone," "I'll Have What She's Having," and her current single "I Keep On Lovin' You" (written by Ronnie Dunn). Midway through Reba's portion of the show, Lee Ann came back and joined her for a stunning duet performance of "Do You Love Me?" (originally recorded with Linda Davis). Even Reba's former co-star and current host of The Singing Bee, Melissa Peterman (who played Barbara Jean on the Reba sitcom), stopped by for a quick comedy bit leading up to the performance of the show's theme song, "I'm A Survivor."

As Reba left the stage prior to her encore performance, it was blatantly obvious to the audience which hugely popular song had been left out...Minutes later, the jumbotron began playing a clip from a 1990 music video that opened with Reba sitting in the back of a taxi cab, staring out the window while donning huge 80's style sunglasses and a fur coat....I think most of you probably know where this is going. Immediately, a smaller scale model of a taxi cab drove slowly by us toward the stage, then stopped, and Reba jumped out of the passenger side door in a red-sequined dress and matching heels, then she returned to the stage to join her band on "Fancy." Needless to say, Reba sure knows how to make an entrance!!!! (not to mention ending her part of the show on the highest note possible)!

Then, after a brief intermission, it was time for the King of Country (not to mention the world record holder for the most #1 hit singles!) to take the stage. Yet again, another great mix of classics and newer songs. He included hits from his newest "Twang" album, including the title track, along with "Where Have I Been All My Life," and "Living for the Night." He also pleased with "Seashores of Old Mexico," "She'll Leave You With A Smile," "Give It Away," and "Troubadour." But of course, the crowd favorites were the oldies: "Check Yes or No," "Amarillo By Morning," "The Chair," "Heartland," "Ocean Front Property," and "I Cross My Heart" (the hit song from Strait's box office hit, Pure Country). I must admit that I was somewhat disappointed that he didn't sing some of my other favorites: "Carrying Your Love With Me," "Write This Down," "I Get Carried Away," or "Blue Clear Sky," but as we discussed after the show, when you have 57 number one hits, plus a new album to promote, that gives you no choice but to leave out some popular tunes.

The absolute highlight of my night, (which I'm sure you've already guessed by now, based on the title of this post, lol), came after George finished his encore performance and headed off the stage. He veered off path a bit to touch the hands of his adoring fans along the first and second rows of neighboring sections, then headed for the exit....but I was ready! I had been plotting my move all evening, so I jumped over Jon (okay okay, so I didn't literally jump over him...in fact, he moved aside quite willingly for me, but jumped just sounded so much more epic!) so I would be standing directly against the side-rail of the stands. I stretched out my left hand, yelled "We love you George!" (which I'm pretty sure he didn't hear, considering the loud roar from all of the cheering fans in the arena), and he reached over and touched my hand for a full second (just to clarify that it wasn't one of those quick hand slaps like when players on high school sports teams do the whole generically nonenthusiastic "good game" lines after a match-up). After he released my hand and exited the arena, I turned around to Jon and Scott, jumped up and down in my typical mondo-excited manner, and screamed like a little kid. The way I see it, you're never too old to show genuine excitement over events like this! :) As we headed up the stairs to leave the arena, I texted Mom to tell her about this unforgettable experience....Since she couldn't be there to experience it with me, I wanted her to at least be the first person I shared my story with!

So, while this may be my last concert post for a while (unless the tides turn in my job search anytime soon), it was an incredible show, and I highly encourage other country music fans to check out the show if it comes near you.

Hope you all had a blessed and Happy Easter!!!! :)

Life In The Post Graduation Real-World: Phase II

2010-03-21T14:54:00.013-04:00

Well, it has officially been one week since the 2010 General Assembly session adjourned Sine Die and I moved home from Richmond. Thus, I have officially been unemployed for one week, as well. On that front, I had an interview in DC last week and should hear back something from them later this week, and I also have an interview in Richmond this week, so please pray that God creates an opportunity for me wherever I am supposed to end up. :) The upside to not finding a job yet is that I have plenty of time to catch up with family and friends, sleep in, and just relax in general. :) On another optimistic note, spring is here! (hence the pastel spring colored theme change on my blog :) I've been enjoying all of the driving that I've been doing lately, thanks to the gorgeous warm & sunny weather! The coming of spring also seems to have helped get everyone past the gloomy winter blues and into their happy, smiling selves again, which is certainly a positive transition to witness!

I spent yesterday evening enjoying the gorgeous weather with a good friend at the charmingly adorable Charlottesville Downtown Mall. At the suggestion of my friend, we started with dinner at Downtown Thai, which I eagerly agreed to (FYI, I love Thai and Indian food!). We were seated by the window, which was the perfect spot to watch passersby on the street outside while we enjoyed our dinner. I highly recommend the Drunken Noodles with Tofu....absolutely delicious! Afterwards, we went for a stroll around the mall, which was filled with other people who were also out enjoying the beautiful Saturday evening. For dessert, we ordered crepes with strawberries and white chocolate from a little crepes stand that was tucked away on Water Street, but it was certainly a nice find! (I would have never discovered it on my own, but luckily my friend graduated from UVA Law, so he knows many of these hidden treasures that the city has to offer). Needless to say, they were incredibly tasty, but countered the 3.5 mile run that I went on earlier that morning. So much for that Post-Richmond detox diet that I keep saying I'm going to start....maybe tomorrow's the day....haha. Anyway, we had tickets for the Carbon Leaf concert at the recently renovated Jefferson Theater, and had been anticipating the show for several weeks. Having just recently become a fan of this Richmond based band, this was my first time seeing them perform live, and I must say that they put on an impressive, high-energy, toe-tapping show! I will definitely be on the lookout for any of their nearby shows in the future.

On that note, having just gone to the John Mayer concert at JPJ earlier in the week (the tickets were a surprise birthday present from my awesome brother... Mayer was every bit as amazing as I expected, by the way), one of my friends mentioned this morning that I go to a lot of concerts. This led me to take a minute to think back over the concerts that I've been to within the past year and this is the list that I came up with (starting with the most recent):

Carbon Leaf (3/20/10)

John Mayer w/ Michael Franti & Spearhead (3/16/10)

Daughtry (11/09)

Jimmy Buffett (11/09)

Journey (9/09)

Counting Crows w/ Augustana and Michael Franti & Spearhead (9/09)

The Doobie Brothers (8/09)

A Capitol Fourth w/ Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin, Natasha Bedingfield, and The Jersey Boys cast (7/4/09)

I guess it's pretty obvious that going to concerts is one of my favorite hobbies, but I mean, what's not to love? Nothing beats a night filled with live music & dynamic performances from my favorite musicians...an awesome experience that is shared with family members and/or close friends, not to mention the dancing, singing along together, and fun memories that result! However, as I told my friend, frequent concert-going is an expensive hobby, one that I will unfortunately have to give up should I not find employment soon. This helped me realize my dream (although incredibly farfetched) career.....an entertainment critic! I mean seriously, how cool would that be?! Get paid to attend concerts, plays, films, you name it, and then write a column about it. That would quite possibly be the most enjoyable job that I could ever imagine. Sooo if anyone knows of any newspaper/online blog producers who might be looking to fill such a position, please send them my way!!!! :)

Don't worry, I'm not giving up my day job (er, make that job search) anytime soon.

Hope you all got a chance to go outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather that we were blessed with here in the Valley this weekend! :)

Take care until next time....

Snowed In....Might as well post something

2010-02-06T19:41:00.004-05:00

The Virginia Capitol after last weekend's snow

For the second straight weekend, I, like most of you, am snowed in once again. My weekend thus far has consisted of napping, laying on the couch, listening to music, wasting time on Facebook, reading, going to the gym, and oh yeah, eating....A LOT. I returned from the gym earlier (after feeling really guilty about that dark chocolate peanut butter that I scarfed down at lunchtime), with the mindset that I was going to be good for the rest of the evening and save those burned calories for tomorrow's Super Bowl watching party. But, as soon as I got back to the apartment, my roommate says "We should order pizza!" I thought that sounded like a fabulous idea, but was reluctant to admit so at first, as the guilt hit me again, so I attempted to dance around the subject by responding with "Do you really think any place is delivering in this weather?" Well, to make a long story short, it turned out that Papa John's was indeed delivering (and the 2 hour wait that we were told to expect turned out to actually only be a 30 minute wait!). So, 2 parmesan garlic breadsticks, 2 slices of green pepper & onion pizza, 1 container of that infamous garlic dipping sauce, and 1 Diet Coke later (as if the Diet part is supposed to balance out the rest of that meal, ha!), I am again slammed with that guilty feeling of wasting my time at the gym. Maybe I'll order a salad while watching the big game tomorrow....but then again, I wonder how many cheese fries or nachos will be consumed in addition to that salad? Hahaha....okay, enough about food....you know you must be bored when you blog an entire paragraph about eating.

On a random note, one amusing discovery that my roommate and I made a few days ago (and have been enjoying ever since) was that among the plethora of digital cable channels we receive, there's a channel called CMT Pure, which plays country music videos 24-7. (You remember, like the original CMT used to do before it got all corrupted with random TV shows that have nothing to do with country music). This has taken me back to my roots and gotten me back on a country music kick....which makes me miss singing karaoke even more than before, but alas I'll hopefully get a chance to get back to that soon!

Switching topics entirely, I'm still trying to figure out what to do with my life once session ends in mid-March. I'm not usually one to plan things too far in advance, but having a job is kind of important, so I've been trying to act like a responsible adult and have been working on job applications....so far I just keep hearing back that most stations aren't hiring and won't be for at least several months, and even then, they want someone with "experience." I've decided that "experience" is one of my new least favorite words. In college, everyone advises you to get an internship, because apparently that's supposed to count as experience. So, I heeded their advice, applied to the NJC, got accepted into the program, moved to DC, and completed the internship, (while having the summer of my life in the nation's capital!). I came back to JMU last fall to finish my last semester of undergrad, thinking that I now had the "experience" that I needed to get a job. I mean, I worked for a TV news program in DC, and have lots of hands-on video/studio experience from SMAD classes...that should count for something, right? Well, apparently not....I'm sorry, this wasn't intended to be a rant about my fruitless job search. I'm more than grateful that my current boss so graciously offered me this position, and I realize that many December grads still haven't found even a temporary job yet. It's just discouraging to realize that I'm stuck in a loop wherein I need experience to get a job, but I need a job in order to get experience. In the meantime, I can feel my videography skills getting more and more rusty with each passing day....okay, that may be an exaggeration, but seriously, the saying goes that "if you don't use it, you lose it," and I certainly don't want to lose the skills that my parents paid 3.5 years of tuition for me to learn.

Okay, on that note, I think I'm going to go enjoy a cup of coffee while getting back to more country music videos. Enjoy being snowed in and be careful if you have to venture out in this weather!!!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.....Go Saints! :)

Inauguration Day Pics!!!

2010-01-17T16:58:00.005-05:00

Inauguration Day festivities were a blast! I thought I'd share some of the pics I took for those of you who couldn't be there.

Lt. Governor Bolling takes the oath of office.

Governor McDonnell takes the oath of office.

Governor McDonnell gives his Inaugural address.

Fife & Drum Corp. marching in the Inaugural Parade

MRDs!!!!!

First Week of Session Down....Inauguration Day Ahead!

2010-01-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

Wow, what a fun-filled first week of working at the GAB! It's been a great experience thus far, although I'm still trying to learn my way around the building and remember whose office is where. LOL. My roommate and I went to Lt. Governor Bolling's Inaugural Celebration at the Science Museum of Virginia on Thursday evening. It was a very nice event and we had a blast....not to mention the fact that it was free, which is always an added bonus! In a little bit, I'll be heading back to the Capitol for Governor McDonnell's Inauguration, followed by the Inaugural parade, and then a celebratory reception at the Marriott sponsored by Americans For Prosperity. It's a happy day for Virginia Republicans, (and we need a morale boost after losing that Senate seat earlier this week)!

Well, I should probably go finish getting ready for the festivities ahead! Have a wonderful (in some cases extended) weekend everyone! :)

A New Year's Resolution....To Post More Often...Ha!

2010-01-06T21:52:00.004-05:00

Happy 2010 everyone! I suppose a New Year deserves a new blog post…hopefully now that I’ve graduated I’ll do a better job of posting more frequently, especially since I no longer have the excuse that I’m too busy studying for exams, writing papers, or pulling all-nighters in order to finish final projects. With that being said, I’m in the process of packing up to move to Richmond where I will be working as a session aide for my state senator. After thoroughly enjoying my experience living in D.C. last summer, I'm super excited to move to another capital city where I can observe the legislative process firsthand (not to mention the fact that Richmond has considerably more options for twenty-somethings to spend their free time than my beloved H-burg). I'm also really looking forward to learning more about state government, and can't wait to meet new people! Of course, I'm going to miss everyone back home, along with my JMU friends (it's such a weird feeling not to be getting ready for classes when everyone else is coming back to start a new semester). Alas, I will return in two months and go back to the drawing board in my job search, but that's not even on my radar screen right now....I'm too excited about (and very thankful for) my current opportunity and hope to make the most of it!

On that note, my room currently looks like my closet exploded, so I should probably get back to the packing process. Expect another post once I get settled in at my temporary new place. As always, thanks for reading, God bless, and I hope 2010 is treating you well thus far! :)

The beginning of my last semester at JMU....and the job hunt begins!

2009-08-30T16:01:00.013-04:00

Well, I have officially completed my last "first week" of college ever! It's an exciting, yet bittersweet feeling, but I know the battle of conflicting emotions will only increase as the semester progresses and brings about many more realizations of "lasts" as a JMU student. My professors have certainly wasted no time dishing out assignments; I have 6 chapters of assigned reading to complete this afternoon, along with writing a news brief, and getting started on a video project. So much for a gradual transition back into the typical college workload. That's certainly one thing I already miss about my "real world" internship experience in D.C.; when I left the office at the end of the workday, the evening was mine to enjoy (well, with the exception of several reading and reporting assignments for my NJC internship component, but those assignments were nothing compared to a semester full of coursework)! Getting re-acclimated to this concept of having massive amounts of homework is proving to be rough thus far. Then again, I've survived the same transition at the start of every semester for the past 3 years so this should be no different, however, this time there's an added component that I hadn't fully considered until a few days ago: job hunting!

Throughout the summer, I was continuously presented with this seemingly simple question: "So what are your plans for after graduation?" Not being the type of person who plans my life out in advance, I usually responded with something along the lines of "Oh, you know, I'm just gonna look for a job in TV news, or maybe something in politics if the media market still isn't doing any better by then." And so it went that I would provide this rather vague response time after time, taking relative comfort in having the padding of one more semester at JMU standing between me and the real world.

Then, last week, I had a few extra minutes to spare in between classes (but not enough to warrant starting on any homework), so I stopped by the office of someone who has become a mentor-like figure to me over the past year, with the intention of catching up on each other's summer experiences. Well, the conversation quickly turned to him asking me: "So, you're graduating in December...how many resumes have you sent out so far?" I stared back at him with what I'm sure was a comically blank expression on my face. "Well, just one so far," I replied. "But I don't graduate for several months and the jobs that are open need to be filled now; nobody is going to even consider my resume when they see that I can't start working until January!" He then started shaking his head and provided me with some insight that somehow hadn't occurred to me previously: It's better to have your resume on file now so that employers might make note of it if a position opens up when graduation time rolls around, as opposed to receiving and seeing your resume for the first time in January along with 15 others who are applying for the same job. This seemed logical (and I don't have a logical mind, hence why I probably hadn't thought of it before, lol), but despite being the typically relaxed, take-life-as-it-comes-at-me kind of person that I am, now I felt like I was already behind on this whole job hunting process.

Thus, I spent some of my spare time this weekend perusing numerous career search engines and relevant websites, looking for leads on media or political jobs. There doesn't appear to be anything out there currently, unless you have at least 3-5 years of experience, but of course, I'm going to keep looking and praying that the right job will be waiting for me when I graduate. In the meantime, I get to teach myself the art of balancing school and job hunting, without letting senioritis kick in and destroy my GPA. Ha!

Sorry for the rambling personal narrative....I'll aim to post something of actual substance soon! As always, take care and thanks for reading! :)

“From Mean To Green: Why Conservatives Should Conserve”

2009-08-18T00:09:00.006-04:00

If you scroll down through my posts to the one about Joe Scarborough’s book promotion event at the NPC, you’ll see that I promised to share my reaction to The Last Best Hope. Well, I know it’s long overdue, but I had a pretty busy summer and now that my internship is complete and I have a few days until classes start up, I’ve had some free time to pick the book back up. Yesterday afternoon, I picked back up where I left off in chapter two, but once I finished reading that chapter and turned to the first page of chapter three I literally started jumping up and down with excitement (this is not an exaggeration, either! LOL). Joe’s clever title gave me the only details I needed to know before reading it that this would be my favorite chapter: “From Mean To Green: Why Conservatives Should Conserve.” Before I read any further, I ran to my desk and grabbed a notebook and a pen. Now, anyone who knows me very well is aware of the fact that I rarely even take notes on reading assignments for my classes, much less on a book that I’m reading for enjoyment’s sake. So, that should give you an idea of how excited I was to learn what Joe had to say about Republicans and the environment. As it turned out, I wanted to jot down nearly every sentence in the chapter and refer to it in this post (yes, it was really that good)! However, that would a) be an infringement of copyright law, and b) take entirely too much time, so I forced myself to narrow down the points/ideas that particularly resonated with me. Alas, here is my summary/review/praise for chapter 3 of The Last Best Hope.

Scarborough begins the chapter with a quote from Ronald Reagan, which begins “What is a conservative after all than one who conserves….” One thing’s for sure, there’s no better way to grab the attention of a devout conservative than by mentioning the Gipper. Great way to draw them in to the topic, Joe! Another effective approach he uses is to state up front that he has no intention of taking a stand one way or the other regarding “global warming, carbon footprints, or how human activity is altering geographic patterns.” Scarborough goes on to say that “those debates only distract from my larger point, which is that now is the time for American conservatives to go green” (99).

Joe argues that “despite the misuse of the environment to promote a radical agenda, now is the time for conservatives to claim the cause of conservation….Why? Because it is both morally right and politically smart” (101). I couldn’t agree with him more! This is exactly what I have been trying to tell my fellow Republicans, though mostly to no avail. But then again, I’m just an ambitious college student, therefore I guess they think that I don’t have enough life experience/knowledge to know what I’m talking about. However, since Joe has a pretty impressive resume, including former congressman representing the first district of Florida, it is my hope that our fellow GOPers will read his book with an open mind, consider his points, and finally come to embrace his views on conservation. Regardless of whether or not our political cohorts will actually step up and join our cause, I applaud Scarborough for his well-versed arguments and his efforts to bring others onboard.

On a related note, Joe also discusses how John McCain’s pro-environment values, once reflected in his senate voting record, were forced to take a backseat after he secured the GOP presidential nomination. “When winning the hearts of his party’s true believers required a shift on the issue, John McCain forgot he was an environmentalist” (106). Scarborough urges a need for this to change, and reminds his readers that if members of today’s Republican Party would stop and trace their roots back to the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, they would realize that conservation has not always been an unpopular concept in the GOP. And when it comes to voter opinion regarding the issue, he points to his own experience as a “green” congressman: “I doubt I ever lost a vote on the right for my environmental stance. But I certainly picked up moderate voters en masse” (110).

Well, with that, I'm still not quite halfway finished with the book (although it's going to be awfully tough for the rest of it to compare to chapter 3 in my opinion, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it nonetheless), but I just had to stop and share my excitement/echo Joe's points/cheer him on while the material was still fresh in my mind. Now, I'm off to resume my reading with chapter 4! :) As always, thanks for reading and please visit your local bookstore to pick up a copy of The Last Best Hope, and when you finish reading it, share it with a friend so the message will be spread far & wide, and then we can get our party back on track!

Well-known Economist Offers Advice For “Winning Back Prosperity”

2009-08-05T12:10:00.003-04:00

Last evening, Wall Street Journal economist and editor, Stephen Moore, warned a gathering of several hundred college students about the “axis of evil."

However, he was not implicating the threat of nuclear attacks or terrorist activity from Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. Instead, he urged a pressing need to defeat the health care, cap & trade, and card check bills-- “three most dreadful pieces of legislation”--that are presently before Congress.

These keynote remarks were directed at an attentive audience of conservative students that filled the grand ballroom of George Washington University’s Marvin Center. The banquet concluded a full day of events that kicked off the beginning of the Young America’s Foundation’s 31^st Annual National Conservative Student Conference.

The conference brings together college students from across the country, and even a handful of international students, to the nation’s capital in order to train them to uphold the conservative movement by spreading its ideals throughout their respective college campuses. Speakers such as Moore provide critiques of liberal policies and aim to motivate students to action.

In his address, titled “Winning Back Prosperity,” Moore discussed the history and implications of the current economic crisis. He even pointed a finger at Republicans of the Bush administration era for squandering away the $200 billion surplus that had been accumulated by 2000 as a result of the effective budgetary policies of the 1994 Republican Revolution. He suggested that Republicans are in disfavor with voters today because “they were supposed to give us limited government, but instead they decided to spend money like drunken sailors."

Moore also took this opportunity to make a case for tax reform, complementing his speech with various charts, graphs, and economic statistics. In order to provide an illustration to demonstrate his point that the rich pay more than their fair share in taxes, Moore presented a relevant scenario to the students.

“Let’s use tonight’s dinner as an example. So let’s say I split this room in half and everyone sitting on the left side of the podium makes up the rich 1% of the tax bracket and all of you on the right side are in the bottom half of the tax bracket. Then, if I divided the bill between you based on the current tax system, the group on my left would have to pay 97% of the tab, while those of you on my right would only have to pay 3% of the whole bill.”

He wrapped up his speech by offering three suggestions for fixing the economy. He called for an 18% flat tax in which everyone, regardless of income bracket, would pay a fixed rate of 18% on income. Second, he encouraged a cap on government spending, and his final proposition—followed by cheers from obvious Ron Paul supporters in the crowd—is for the US to return to the gold standard.

Attendees showed their support with a standing ovation following his remarks.

In addition to Moore, other notable speakers scheduled to address conference attendees this week include Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Rich Lowry, Monica Crowley, and Ann Coulter.

Coming Down to the Home Stretch...

2009-08-03T10:17:00.008-04:00

It certainly doesn't feel like 2 whole weeks have passed since I wrote that last post, but alas, my summer in D.C. has dwindled down to its final week. As far as progress on my list goes, my biggest accomplishment has been finally venturing to the Newseum. As expected, this news junkie was not disappointed! It was definitely worth the $18 admission fee (with valid student ID).

While many of the goals on my list remain unfulfilled, here are a few activities that I've completed over the past 2 weeks in addition to the ones I had originally intended:

• Dined at Froggy Bottom

• Enjoyed a late dinner at Utopia Bar & Grill while soaking in the ambiance and listening to some phenomenal live jazz musicians!!!

• Dined at Jackey Cafe in Chinatown
• Nats vs. Cubs game (7/19/09)
• Went dancing at Lima and Lotus
• Dined at Capitol City Brewing Company
• Attended Michelle Malkin's book promotion event at the NPC
• Dined at Mayur Kabab House
• Attended a service at Reston Bible Church
• Dined at Lucia's Italian Ristorante in Herndon

Despite the way that it looks, I promise that my life doesn't entirely revolve around eating out, but it's so hard to resist when there are so many enticing options to choose from! Anyway, as far as this week goes, tonight's plan is to walk over to the Mall with friends to Screen on the Green where On The Waterfront will be playing. I'm pretty excited as I hear that it's quite a classic movie (not to mention the fact that it will be one more thing to mark off my list! :) Well, on that note, I guess it's time to get back to work. Have a wonderful week ya'll! :)

Only 3 Weeks Left?!?!

2009-07-17T18:38:00.008-04:00

It almost doesn't seem possible that I have lived in D.C. for exactly 2 months now! That being said, I only have 3 weeks left as a resident of Capitol Hill. Before I moved up here, I made a list (which I've frequently made additions to as the summer has progressed) of things that I wanted to do/places I wanted to visit/restaurants I wanted to try/etc. I've fulfilled quite a few things, but still have quite a few left to do.

Here is a condensed version of that list for anyone who might be interested in what I've been up to aside from my internship. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for things that aren't on my list that I should do or see before I leave, please feel free to share your ideas! :)

Fulfilled:
• Go to a Nationals game (Nats vs. Pirates 5/19/09)
• Go to a real Irish Pub w/ a live band and dancing (The Old Brogue in Great Falls=great fun!)

• Visit the Library of Congress

• Visit the National Harbor
• Visit the Museum of American History

• Visit the Supreme Court and sit in on a ruling

• Visit the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum

• Go see Night at the Museum II at the Air & Space Museum IMAX theater

• Visit the National Zoo (x2)
• Visit the U.S. Botanic Gardens
• Visit the WWII, Lincoln, Washington, Vietnam, and Jefferson memorials/monuments at night

• Attend a service and intern Bible study at Capitol Hill Baptist Church

• Attend National Community Church services at the Union Station Phoenix Theatre

• Enjoy coffee at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse (they brew fair-trade coffee, the atmosphere is very chill, it's only a 2 minute walk from my building, AND all of the proceeds go toward church missions....can't beat that!)

• Attend a service at the National Presbyterian Church

• Go kayaking in Maryland

• Dancing at Third Edition
• Visit Eastern Market (x3)
• Go shopping in Georgetown
• Walk around Georgetown University’s campus
• Get cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes (sooo yummy!)
• Go to “A Capitol Fourth Celebration” concert on the Capitol lawn (Barry Manilow!!! need I say more?!?!)

• Visit the National Gallery of Art

Restaurants I've Been To:

• Rosa Mexicano

• Ardeo

• The Dubliner
• White Tiger
• Union Pub
• Kelly’s Irish Times

• Eat First in Chinatown

• Jaipur Royal Indian Cuisine in Fairfax (delicious and the decor was all PINK!!!)

• Peacock Café in Georgetown

• The Reliable Source at The National Press Club

• Banana Cafe

• Armand's

• Market Lunch (for the infamous "blue buck" pancakes!)

• Mediterra

• Clyde's of Chevy Chase

• Cafe Luna

• The Cheesecake Factory (kahlua cheesecake=AMAZING!)

• Chadwick’s by Georgetown Waterfront

• Station Grill at Union Station

• Rock Bottom Brewery in Ballston

• Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe in Dupont (cool atmosphere with tasty coffee drinks)

Things I Still Need to Accomplish:

• Go to the Newseum

• See a show at the Shakespeare Theatre
• Go see “Spring Awakening” at the Kennedy Center

• Visit Old Town Alexandria

• Take a Ghost & Graveyard tour in Old Town Alexandria

• Spend an evening at a piano bar

• Find a fun karaoke bar and sing there! :)
• Go to Screen on the Green

• Go out in Clarendon

• Visit the Museum of Natural History (it's been several years since I've been there)

• Go hiking/have a picnic at Great Falls Park

• Take a day trip to Baltimore to see an O's game and visit the Inner Harbor (one of my fave places to visit!)

• Visit Annapolis

• Put my detective skills to good use at "Spy at Night" at the International Spy Museum

Dine at:

• La Loma Mexican restaurant
• Kenlaya Thai Cuisine
• Mehak Indian Cuisine

• Thai Coast

• Cactus Cantina

• Old Ebbitt Grill

• Busboys & Poets

• Teaism

• Tortilla Coast

• Nirvana

All in all, I feel that I've had a wonderful city-life experience with a decent mix of touristy adventures combined with a taste of what it feels like to be an actual resident of the nation's capital. Now, I just have to make sure that I squeeze in as many things from my list as I can before August 9th!

Have a wonderful weekend ya'll! :)

“Saving Freedom” From The Hands of Big Government

2009-07-10T18:27:00.003-04:00

In the aftermath of our country’s largest government bailout, the concept of big government is an evident reality to many Americans. In his new book, “Saving Freedom,” Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) sends out a “cry for help” by offering advice and a call to action for his fellow Americans to join the fight against big government.

On Wednesday evening, DeMint promoted his book by addressing a crowd at The National Press Club. Attributing the title of his book to an inspiration from the award-winning film, Saving Private Ryan, the senator emphasized the importance of ensuring that our freedom is maintained. “It’s key for younger generations to understand where our freedom comes from.”

DeMint claimed that many Senators today are failing to uphold the oath that they affirmed upon taking office, in which they each swore to ”support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” He pointed out that the founding fathers intended the document to limit government, but that intention is being compromised by the government’s “death grip” on healthcare, transportation, energy, and other prominent issues. “You’re delusional if you think we’re following the Constitution,” he said.

The senator also pointed to religion as a driving force for freedom. “Democracy doesn’t work without Judeo-Christian values.” He explained that the values of early America created the principles of freedom that our country is built upon. “We don’t want a government that is trying to purge religion.”

Again making reference to a Hollywood classic, the senator stressed the important role of every American in preserving the freedom of our country. For the younger audience members, he briefly recounted the plot of It’s A Wonderful Life, in which James Stewart’s character, George Bailey, believes the world would be better off without him. Then, his guardian angel shows him the negative effects his town would suffer without him in it, and helps him realize that he has indeed touched lives and made a difference in his community.

Similarly, DeMint believes that individual Americans have a responsibility to get involved in the government process. “We can’t look at the problems in Washington and say ‘someone needs to fix it.’ It starts with the individuals.”

The senator recently attempted to put those words into action when he became the first Republican to support S. 604, The Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2009. S. 604 is the companion to H.R. 1207, legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Ron Paul, calling for an audit of the U.S. Federal Reserve. However, on Monday, Democratic leaders in the Senate blocked DeMint’s proposed amendment to the annual spending bill based on procedural grounds.

Despite this bump in the road, he is not backing down from his fight against big government. He acknowledged that U.S. spending is following an unsustainable course that requires action. “I do think it’s the eleventh hour….and if we continue to vote with our hearts instead of our brains this November, we’re going to lose our country.”

I'm Back! and "The Last Best Hope"

2009-06-18T21:31:00.007-04:00

Well, after three straight semesters of being required to maintain this blog for my political communication courses, I'm finally home free! However, tonight I realized that I actually kind of miss blogging and want to pick it up on my own again. So alas, here I am! For those of you who are not aware, I'm interning in D.C. this summer, which gives me lots of opportunities to attend events and find some decent content for blog posts.

This evening, I was very excited to attend Joe Scarborough's book promotion event at the National Press Club! Joe and his co-host Mika Brzezinski made a stop in the nation's capital today as part of their book tour to promote "The Last Best Hope." Scarborough and Brzezinski kept the audience entertained with their friendly jests back and forth. They fielded questions from the audience ranging in topic from gay marriage to whether Joe has ever considered running for president, in response to which he made a witty remark about working his way up the offices of Rotary Club.

At the close of the Q & A, I hopped in a rather long line to get 2 copies of his book autographed. The wait was quite lengthy, but it was totally worth it! Joe and Mika both took extra time to engage in personal conversations, pose for photograph after photograph, and write personal messages in books. I found them both to be refreshingly delightful! They even told me that I have a lovely name (thanks Mom & Dad!). LOL.

As I was waiting at the Metro station following the event, I read a few pages of my freshly autographed book. On page 6, I read the following:

Because of Burke--and the words of Russell Kirk and Ronald Reagan--you'll also discover another area where I believe conservatives can make great gains, and that's the environment. To my friends on the Right I say, "Hear me out. It's the job of conservatives to conserve."

Amen to that!!! Thank you, Joe! Finally, a fellow conservative who is willing to take a stand when it comes to the environment!!! That statement perfectly conveys the point that I've been trying to make to other conservatives for quite some time now. How can we call ourselves "conservatives" when we don't make an effort to conserve the earth which God left to us to preserve for all of the generations after us?! What if our ancestors had been as careless toward the environment as so many of us are today? It's a scary thought!

Obviously, I was completely thrilled when I read Scarborough's take on this issue, and I'm sure there will be plenty more "ahh yes! well said!" moments as I read the rest of the book!

On that note, I'm off to pack for a weekend trip back home! :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

The poli. sci. major who took this pic didn't do the best job with the framing, but we can't all be SMAD majors after all :P

"Brew 4 JMU"?

2009-05-04T16:22:00.002-04:00

Last Thursday, I stopped by the Commons to check out an event sponsored by a few of my fellow classmates. These guys chose to advocate an open discussion about bringing alcohol to JMU's campus. While JMU has an ABC license and is allowed to serve adult beverages at catered events, there is no place where students can hang out and enjoy a beer with friends. Apparently, George Mason and several other universities across the country have such on-campus pubs, which prompted my classmates to explore bringing a similar facility to campus. A handout that they provided outlined several reasons why we should consider bringing a bar to campus. These included: providing "revenue for the school during difficult economic times," providing a "much safer and supervised environment for students 21 & older to drink in," possibility of promoting "positive drinking habits," and "strengthening connections between JMU and the local community" by selling beers from local microbreweries. This is certainly a controversial topic, but the guys were out on the Commons, handing out pizza, stickers, and flyers in hopes of engaging others in conversation about the idea. I was there early on, and at the time, while lots of flyers were handed out, few people actually stopped to discuss the matter, but this may have changed as the evening progressed. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the idea of a bar on campus. While it is widely known that college students drink, I am unsure as to whether the line should be crossed between the behaviors we engage in off-campus and those that are promoted/allowed on-campus. "Brew 4 JMU" certainly has the potential to spark arguments from both sides, and the result should prove to be quite interesting.

A Post-Event Analysis of the Healthy Eating Advocacy Project

2009-04-30T13:26:00.013-04:00

Now that it's over, it is nice to be able to look back over the course of the semester and see how our final project planning came together and resulted in an actual advocacy event with moderate attendance. If you read over my posts from earlier in the semester, you will notice that my fellow group members and I were initially unsure of the type of event we wanted to promote. Early on, we were leaning toward sponsoring a healthy run/walk for children and families, but soon realized that such an event would require money and more time/effort than we would be able to devote to it in the midst of a semester already filled with lots of papers and projects for other classes. A brainstorming session led us to the idea of hosting an on-campus speaker from the nutrition field who would discuss healthy eating. After further discussion, I suggested hosting a panel of speakers so we could present varying perspectives from experts in different nutrition/health related fields. The other girls liked this idea, so we agreed to move forward with planning for such an event. Each of us contacted possible speakers for the event; I contacted JMU Dining Services, while the other girls contacted professors in the Health Comm. dept, UREC staff, and the Dietetics dept. It turned out that the Health Comm. professors declined our invitation, since they don't really focus on nutrition, which we understood. Then, I received an enthusiastically positive response from Dining Services, who promised not only to provide a speaker for the panel, but also agreed to cater healthy snacks for the event! This was certainly an encouraging response to receive as we were excited to have secured at least one speaker, along with snacks that would provide an incentive for students to come to our event. Then, we heard back from UREC, who recommended a particular grad student who would be able to participate on our panel. Also, our contact in Dietetics referred us to the registered campus dietician from the Health Center. We reserved a room in Harrison for Thursday, April 23rd at 6:30 p.m., since this date and time worked best for those we had asked to speak. We thought 6:30 would be early enough to catch some students who were still on campus, while not affecting typical Thursday night college activities. It turned out that the dietician had to cancel at the last minute due to a funeral, but we replaced her with another person from dining services. So, for our actual event, we had 3 panelists: the marketing director of dining services, the district manager of dining services, and a UREC grad assistant.

All in all, we felt that our event was a success. While the speakers did an excellent job of talking about nutrition, fitness, and eating healthy on campus, it would have been nice to hear a dietician's opinion. Also, during the question and answer session, several questions addressed topics that only a dietician could effectively answer, and the panel speakers noted that fact. The speakers provided lots of informative handouts for students, but the most impressive part of the event was the selection of "light snacks" that Dining Services provided. As you can see from my pictures in the previous post, the catering far exceeded our expectations! The spread consisted of red pepper hummus dip, pita bread, bean dip, couscous salad, fresh veggies, trail mix, and angel food cupcakes. Attendees even got to take home leftovers!

Finally, in hindsight, there are several things that we could have done differently that may have resulted in increased attendance. Near the end of the semester, students tend to be busy with projects and papers, and aren't likely to attend educational type events unless they are required. Holding the event earlier in the semester and attempting to make it a wellness passport event would likely have helped attendance. Also, I realized that we should have created a Facebook event to invite friends and classmates, since it would have provided a subtle reminder for those who may have considered coming but forgot about it. Lastly, most students are eager to get off campus on Thursday evenings, so a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday may have been a better idea. Despite these factors, I still feel that things went very well for our first attempt at putting on such an event. Hopefully those in attendance left with a greater knowledge of how to incorporate healthy choices in their everyday lives.

Pics from tonight's event

2009-04-23T20:12:00.020-04:00

Overall, we deemed tonight's event a success!!! Here are some pics so you can see how it turned out. I'll post a write-up within the next week.

Delicious & healthy refreshments courtesy of JMU Dining Services

I know what you're thinking..."how are cupcakes healthy?" They're angel food and made with low-fat ingredients...even health nuts can enjoy tasty treats! :)

Handouts for attendees

Mrs. Angela Ritchie, Marketing Manager of JMU Dining Services

Stephanie Hoshower, Director of JMU Dining Services

Sarah Price, UREC Graduate Assistant

Sarah, Kristen, Alex, and Me...all smiles that our event was successful! :)

Amusing Conversation at Market One

2009-04-22T21:56:00.002-04:00

Leave it to me to engage in a healthy-eating related discussion in the drink line of a campus dining facility...but I found this exchange amusing and wanted to share it with you all.

So, I had just gotten my red pepper hummus and veggie wrap (like I do practically every day) from the sandwich shop in Market One and was standing in line at the fountain drink machine. One of the dining services ladies was in line ahead of me. It turned out that we both began filling our cups at the same time, mine with Coke Zero and hers with Mr. Pibb. She looked over at my cup, then back to hers and said "Yeah, I prefer the high fructose corn syrup in my soda, while you're being all healthy with your no-calorie drink." I laughed a bit and then she added, "but at least I'm being somewhat healthy and eating a salad along with it!" She motioned to the prepackaged salad in her hand, and I couldn't resist jumping at the opportunity to take our discussion one step further. "Ah, well that's good...but are you going to put dressing on it?" She responded "Oh yes, but not too much though." To this I replied "Oh ok, but what kind of dressing?" I had a feeling I knew what was coming...and she quickly validated my suspicion. "Oh, I love ranch dressing!" At this response, my health conscious self couldn't resist making a final remark. "Ohh, but ranch is one of the worst ones for you!" I played this off with a slight laugh, as if I was joking, in an attempt to keep from offending her, to which she responded "Oh well, it's not like it matters to me...I'm not on a man hunt or anything!" Priceless response, although it's kind of sad that the only incentive for some people to eat healthy is the idea that they should maintain their weight in order to impress the opposite sex.

While my discussion with the dining services lady in Market One today was quite amusing (to me at least), it provides an example of a typical healthy eating myth that needs to be debunked. While it is true that eating a plain salad, or one with low-calorie/low-fat dressing is indeed healthy, combining it with a sugary soda and high fat dressing completely obliterates its healthiness. Many restaurants have taken advantage of this recent popularity of salads by introducing all types of chicken salads, fiesta taco salads, cobb salads, seafood salads...you name it, and it's probably in a salad! Sure, anything with "salad" in the title automatically sounds healthy, but once they add cheese, croutons, creamy dressing, bacon bits, etc. these salads end up having as many calories and fat grams as a burger!

Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't order salads...definitely not! Just make sure that you make smart choices when you order (i.e. order a low cal dressing and ask for it on the side, avoid anything crispy, and ask them to go easy with the cheese). Okay, I feel better now that I've debunked that myth for anyone who was unaware of this. Be sure to come out to our Healthy Eating panel discussion tomorrow to hear many more myths "debunked!" (Shameless plug for our advocacy event....you knew it was coming!)

Hope to see you there!

Healthy Lifestyle panel discussion event...finalized details!

2009-04-20T16:14:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe that our Healthy Lifestyle panel discussion is this week! For anyone who is interested in coming (and we hope you will!), our event is this Thursday, April 23rd in Harrison room 1241 from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.! There will be representatives from UREC, Dining Services, and Dietetics engaging in discussion and answering panel questions. As an added incentive to attend, Dining Services has kindly agreed to provide free healthy snacks for all attendees! I realize there are many other things you might rather be doing on a Thursday evening, but our event will be over by 7:30, which leaves plenty of time to go enjoy the typical H-burg Thirsty Thursday nightlife. Our group is really excited to see our event coming together and really want it to be a success! Hope to see you at our event on Thursday, and please bring friends! :)

Healthy Lifestyle event progress

2009-04-04T08:53:00.004-04:00

Well, things seem to be coming together for our advocacy event. Sarah, Kristen, Alex, and I met several times over the past 2 weeks to plan who was going to contact which potential panel speakers, coordinate possible days/times to hold the event, and update each other on the progress we were making. We came up with a tentative title for our event: "Debunking the Myths: Nutrition in College, On & Off Campus." It turns out that our initial idea of having a Health Comm professor on the panel wouldn't really make sense, since neither of them specializes in nutrition. However, Professor Thompson provided some useful suggestions on people from the Dietetics department to contact. So far, we have lined up a speaker from Dining Services and another from UREC, and working on finding one more speaker, hopefully from Dietetics, to complete our panel. Tentatively, we have set the date for our event on April 23rd, but are still waiting for confirmation of an available room in Harrison or Taylor, and also need to make sure that date will suit everyone on the panel. Dining Services has even been so kind as to offer to provide light, healthy snacks for event attendees. Hopefully all of the details will be finalized within the next week, at which point we can begin publicizing/promoting our event through fliers, table tents, word-of-mouth, making announcements in classes, etc.

So far, this event has been fun to plan! The members of our group are really passionate about our topic and we work well together. We just hope that everything comes together and that we have a decent-sized turnout for our actual event. Nutrition and healthy eating habits are essential at every stage of life, but with our busy and sometimes stressful schedules, college students tend to neglect focusing on what they should be eating. Instead, many of us choose the most convenient options, which are usually the least nutritious. By putting this issue at the forefront of students' minds, we hope to alter their every day lifestyles and make them think twice before reaching for that Pop-Tart or whatever unhealthy foods they typically turn to. Let's just hope that we are successful at achieving this goal!

C-SPAN Civics Bus Visits JMU

2009-03-17T15:12:00.004-04:00

Following class this afternoon, several of my classmates and I flocked across the Quad and boarded the C-SPAN Civics Bus, which was parked in front of Wilson Hall today as part of James Madison Week. The inside of the bus was pretty impressive, complete with all sorts of technical equipment that was definitely appealing to a SMAD digital video major like myself. There was even a soundproof interview/edit room in the back of the bus. We were escorted onto the bus and sat down on a couch that faced two large flat-screens. The presenter proceeded to show us a split-screen that demonstrated the difference between C-SPAN's unbiased, non-commentated coverage as compared to the presentations of the same story as presented by other popular news networks, including CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, in which these stations used split panels in order to emphasize certain aspects of stories. She also showed us C-SPAN coverage of the steroid hearings from several years ago. The sneak peek into the bus was really cool, and it was neat to have an opportunity to take a behind the scenes look and realize that there's more to C-SPAN than just the seemingly neverending telecasts of Congressional hearings.

Advocacy Project Topic in Planning

2009-03-03T15:03:00.002-05:00

My advocacy project group met today after class in order to narrow down our advocacy project topic. Initially, we had tossed around the idea of putting together a Fun Run/Walk for kids that would provide healthy snacks for participants, along with display tables that would promote healthy lifestyles at a young age. However, we realized that this would be a pretty large undertaking for only four students without a means of providing funds for this event. We thought about getting sponsors for such an event, but then decided that it would be difficult to get everything together by April. Instead, we have decided to sponsor an on campus lecture in which a panel of speakers in nutrition and health fields will discuss the fallacies of junk food advertisements and how we can advocate healthy lifestyles/eating in a more appealing manner. We still have some specifics to nail down, like who in particular we plan to ask to be on the panel, when/where it will take place, etc. However, we are excited about the event that we are advocating and hope that with the necessary planning and publicity it will be successful in raising students' awareness of the importance of healthy eating.

As always, thanks for reading, and if you have any suggestions for health/nutrition professionals who we could invite, please let me know. :)

Have a wonderful afternoon!

Ehninger & Zarefsky articles applied to argument for healthy eating

2009-02-22T17:08:00.003-05:00

We read an article for class this week by Ehninger, who provides various characteristics of an argument. He says that argument is not the same thing as coersion; arguments always require some type of a risk. In the case for healthy eating, people must decide whether they are willing to give up their favorite, unhealthy foods in exchange for a healthier lifestyle. Ehninger also discusses argument as bilateral, where no force is involved, but rather free choice is always employed. Advocates of healthy eating do not force healthy foods down others' throats; instead, they present reasons (i.e. avoiding health problems, having more energy, physical appearance, losing weight) that encourage other people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Argument must end with a compromise. In this case, that compromise may be that everyone is allowed to reward themselves once in a while with an unhealthy treat that doesn't fit into the typical healthy diet.

In a different article by David Zarefsky, the author presents his belief that reality is constructed through argument. He discusses his idea that "definition of terms is a key step in the presentation of argument." He also believes that power lies in the ability to create a definition for the topic at hand. When applying Zarefsky's ideas to my advocacy topic, I realized that the first step is in defining what exactly "healthy eating" is. This can mean many different things to many different people, so in order to fully present our case in favor of adopting/maintaining a healthy diet, advocates must create a definition of what "healthy eating" means to us.

My response to the "Learning From Losers" lecture this afternoon

2009-02-10T16:08:00.003-05:00

I just returned from Dr. Anne M. Fletcher's "Learning From Losers-Healthy Weight Management for a Lifetime" lecture, which was sponsored by JMU Dining Services. As I mentioned in my previous post, this interested me since it is right on target with my advocacy topic, and it worked out perfectly that both of my afternoon classes ended up being cancelled (for differing reasons), which allowed me to attend the lecture. I arrived approximately 40 minutes early to ensure that I received a free, autographed copy of Dr. Fletcher's national bestseller Thin For Life. There ended up being a standing room only crowd, likely due to the fact that this was a passport event and several teachers apparently required their dietetics students to attend. However, I can happily say that nobody forced me to go, rather, I attended because I am genuinely interested in diet and nutrition.

Dr. Fletcher started her discussion by sharing 2 disturbing statistics: 1 out of 3 teenagers and 2 out of 3 adults in the U.S. are overweight. Surprising? Unfortunately not, but certainly not something to be proud of. She then discussed obstacles that prevent college students from maintaining healthy diets, such as stress, lack of sleep, less physical activity than in high school, unlimited choices/portions in campus dining halls, low budgets of off-campus students, and last but certainly not least, partying. Regarding that last factor, she then displayed a chart showing caloric value of some common alcoholic beverages:

12 oz. beer=160 calories
5 oz. glass of wine=100 calories
8 oz. margarita=270 calories
2 oz. shot of liquor=128 calories

Obviously, college students are not prone to being satisfied with only 1 drink, so multiply any of the above by 3 and that's at least 300 extra calories, (and on any given Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, you would need to multiply that number by many more than 3). Not to mention the fact that alcohol consumption lowers inhibitions and makes you likely to eat incredibly unhealthy food that you might not eat if you were thinking clearly (Chanello's at 3 am anyone?). These facts alone are enough to make anyone run to UREC the next afternoon to work off all those empty calories, but even a rigorous workout won't be able to undo all of the damage. Some students may not see signs of this yet, but my guess is that college partying behavior will catch up to their waistlines sooner than they might think. Dr. Fletcher didn't elaborate about college behavior as much as I just did, but the information she shared was enough to make me start analyzing the situation.

She also shared her "12 Keys to Success" for losing weight and keeping it off. This list included tips ranging from the obvious (i.e. not skipping meals, exercising, down-sizing portions, keeping track of what you eat, etc.) to ones not quite so typical ("Be realistic-find a comfortable body weight," "Don't deprive yourself," and "Get rid of the diet mentality"). In her book, Dr. Fletcher tells the stories of people whom she calls "masters of weight"-adults who diet, lose weight, and successfully keep the weight off for years after they lose it. Their stories serve as an inspiration for others who want to be successful at maintaining a healthy diet. Many times, we only hear negative stories and statistics about dieters who lose weight and then gain it back, so the author feels it is important to share success stories in order to motivate others and make them realize that this not an impossible feat.

Following her talk, attendees were invited to a mini reception next door where Dining Services had prepared several of the healthy recipes that Dr. Fletcher includes in her books. Overall, I enjoyed the lecture, and I can't wait to delve into her book whenever I get some free time....whenever that might be. LOL.

Have a wonderful evening everyone, and as always, thanks for reading! :)

Now, go eat an apple! :P

Best-Selling Health & Lifestyle Author to Speak at JMU

2009-02-09T23:55:00.002-05:00

From the JMU Dining Services website:

In partnership with JMU Dining Services, Anne M. Fletcher, M.S., R.D., a best-selling health and lifestyle author, will make an appearance at the Festival Ballroom on Tuesday, February 10 at 2:00 pm. Fletcher has appeared on the Today Show, The View, CNN, the CBS Early Show, and Good Morning America. Come and hear firsthand her secrets and tips for maintaining a healthy weight and making healthy eating selections a part of every day life. The first 50 attendees will receive a free copy of her national bestseller, Thin For Life, and there will be a question and answer session at the end of the presentation.

I am looking forward to the lecture and will hopefully have time to post a response sometime tomorrow evening. Hope to see some of you there!

Follow Up on Yesterday's Post...

2009-01-23T15:56:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I personally strive to maintain healthy eating habits, and (as many of my family members and friends will tell you) I sometimes attempt to impose those habits on the people close to me. I won't bore you with a laundry list of items that are included in my diet, but here's a basic overview: I don't eat red meat. Instead, I get my protein from hummus and tofu. I am also overly obsessed (and willing to admit this fact) with strictly watching my intake of unnecessary fats. Pretty much everything I cook or bake (including desserts) is either low in fat content or fat-free. I enjoy trying new, healthy recipes and then testing them on my loved ones. For instance, one of my specials is Tofu Spinach Lasagna...but when I serve it, I fail to mention the tofu part until they've eaten it. (Cruel huh?)

Thinking back on it, I guess my awareness regarding the importance of a healthy diet came to full bloom during my senior year of high school. In my agro-ecology class at governor's school, we spent a decent amount of time focusing on nutrition and healthy eating. Assignments for this unit included reading Eric Schlosser's eye-opening novel, Fast Food Nation, and viewing Morgan Spurlock's documentary Super Size Me. Then, with a newfound interest in the subject, I chose to read Spurlock's book Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America. Let me just say that after being exposed to all of this disturbing information, I had never been happier to be a semi-vegetarian! Now, don't get me wrong, the occasional enjoyment of unhealthy food is okay as long as it is done in moderation. However, based on statistics, it seems that many Americans choose unhealthy foods more often than they opt for fruits and veggies.

So, I hope this gives you some background on why I choose to advocate healthy eating habits.

Thanks for reading!

Advocating a Healthy Lifestyle

2009-01-22T14:51:00.002-05:00

Okay, so after thinking about my advocacy topic over the past week, I have decided to shift gears from my usual pro-environment concerns to another issue which I find to be incredibly important: maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Of course, there are many components involved in living a healthy life, including diet, exercise, proper ways of dealing with stress, and lifestyle behaviors (such as drinking or smoking), among other factors. Narrowing this down, I intend to focus on the importance of healthy eating and nutrition as part of every person's ongoing daily routine. This is a topic that I have been advocating informally for several years now, and I feel that society as a whole would greatly benefit if more Americans became more health conscious. Some individuals may argue that their personal eating habits are their own choice and do not affect anyone other than themselves, however, in a country where obesity rates continue to climb (and thus the number of people suffering from obesity related diseases like Type 2 Diabetes also increases), we will all eventually suffer from increased insurance rates in order to cover these costs. I feel that steps are being taken in the right direction in order to overcome these circumstances (i.e. schools replacing soda machines with bottled water), however, there is still a long way to go. This issue is really important to me, and I look forward to working with several classmates on an advocacy project that will promote healthy lifestyles.

I will post again later regarding my personal eating habits and the amazed reactions I sometimes receive when acquaintances first become informed of my non-mainstream diet. But alas, that post will have to wait until late tonight or tomorrow...class awaits. Have a wonderful Thursday everyone! :)

My First Semester as a....SENIOR!!!!

2009-01-13T21:16:00.003-05:00

It hit me yesterday that this upcoming semester will (hopefully) be my last spring semester at JMU (thanks to transfer credits from governor's school and taking extra credit hours during several semesters...guess that stuff was worthwhile after all! Haha). I still can't completely grasp the fact that I'm set to graduate next December. Then I'll be forced to enter the real working world...which should prove to be interesting based on the current job market. Ah well, in the meantime, at least I have another year left to enjoy college! Speaking of which, the whole initial point of this post was to inform you all that for the third semester in a row, I again have Mike as a professor for political communication. This semester, I am taking his Argument and Advocacy class, and yet again, he is requiring that we maintain a blog. The difference is, this time we have to blog about a single topic that is important to us. This may come as a big shocker to most of you (insert sarcasm here :P), but I'm strongly leaning toward focusing on conservationism. I'm going to think about it a bit more before I make my final decision though. Another exciting, yet challenging component of this course is to complete an advocacy project concerning the issue that we blog about. So in other words, if I choose conservationism as my advocacy issue, then I will have to organize a campus or community-wide event that puts my advocacy into action (i.e. a park clean up day). I'm open to any ideas/suggestions about this, so please feel free to comment with any ideas that you may have.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week! :)

Happy New Year!!!!

2009-01-01T01:36:00.004-05:00

I spent my final afternoon/evening of 2008 doing two things that I absolutely love: running and singing karaoke (not simultaneously though! lol). There's nothing quite like running a 5K in 31 degree temperatures with a bitter wind blowing and snow flurries flying! But once you run the first half-mile or so and the feeling returns to your toes, it's not so bad. After the race (and several hours of relaxing/warming up at home), it was off to Luray to ring in the new year by singing some Page County karaoke! It was certainly a fun-filled way to send out 2008 and bring in 2009!

It just hit me that I will (hopefully) be graduating at the very end of 2009, so I am looking forward to my senior year of college and the opportunities ahead. I wish you all a very happy and blessed new year!!!! Here's to 2009!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

2008-12-24T14:56:00.005-05:00

Here's wishing you all a very blessed Christmas indeed! This is truly the most wonderful time of the year! Just always remember that Jesus is the reason for the season! While we're all having an enjoyable time with our families and friends during the holidays, let's all take the time to stop for a moment and think of those who are less fortunate, and particularly those who are experiencing hardship or loss. I especially hope each of you will say a prayer for the family and friends of Jean and Jim Smith, who are dealing with a very tragic loss this Christmas, and also for a dear friend of mine who is going through his first Christmas without his twin brother. My heart goes out to both of these families.

May each of you experience the peace and love of Christmas during this holiday season and always! God bless! :)

Final Presentation Day aka I'm officially finished with Fall Semester '08

2008-12-11T16:50:00.004-05:00

Ahh, how nice it is to finally be able to refer to this semester in past tense! Before I completely transition to Christmas break mode and get pumped up for our final playoff game against Montana tomorrow night (don't forget to Purple Out!!!), I wanted to post one final, graded blog entry about a particular presentation that interested me. One of my co-presenters on the environmental topic panel discussed Pickens Plan. While researching political advertising during the 2008 campaign as part of a project for my Media & Politics class, I saw several of the Pickens ads, but knew very little about the actual plan. The presentation today provided a detailed overview of the plan, and peaked my interest to do further research about it. From what I understand, the Pickens Plan is based on the idea that

the United States is the Saudi Arabia of wind power.

It advocates utilizing wind energy in order to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I have not had time to examine this in depth, but for those who are also interested, you can read the plan here. One question was brought up in class today whether the windmills' effect on birds has been addressed, so this could certainly become an issue for animal rights groups. If anyone out there has any information on this, I would be curious to learn more.

On that note, I am off to Starbucks to actually relax and drink coffee for pure enjoyment rather than for caffeine purposes. Have a wonderful evening and I hope to see you all "purpled out" tomorrow! Show your pride and support for JMU Football!!!!! :)

As the semester draws to a close...

2008-12-10T23:02:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is our final day of class presentations and then the semester will be finished! Thinking back, I honestly had no idea what to expect out of this class when I signed up for it. However, I must admit that I learned a great deal about social movements and how they have effected change on our country over the years. This class opened my eyes to the numerous methods of studying these movements, from the characteristics of social movements to emotions of protest, symbolism of collective action, social movement theories, and so much more. What initially sounded like a dry topic that was simply going to fulfill one of the course requirements for my political communication minor (sorry Mike!), turned out to be very informative and thought provoking. Although I have always taken a pro-environment stance, this class (and especially the amount of research I conducted for my final paper), encouraged me to learn more about the environmental movement. Now I better understand the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes, the planning/structuring that is required, and the framing and other techniques that are employed in order to win possible participants over to the cause. Final presentations during the last two class meetings have shown that my fellow students have also learned quite a bit about the social movements that they chose to study. The knowledge that we have gained from this course has provided us with a deeper understanding of movements beyond what's on the surface. We now have the ability to analyze these movements and determine what methods have contributed to their success, or lack thereof. So, as the semester comes to a close, I realize that despite my initial lack of enthusiasm regarding the course subject, this class did indeed surpass my expectations.

Obama’s plans for the environment

2008-11-27T16:50:00.003-05:00

In taking my own advice from a previous post (and also to get back on the topic of my favorite social movement), I want to bring up the issue of president-elect Obama’s plans for the environment. Being the pro-environment girl that I am, I must admit that I am optimistic about his overall environmental agenda. After spending the last semester doing extensive research on his environmental plans (for a paper that I am writing for my Media & Politics class), I can definitely say that he has good intentions. He is determined to “take a leading role” in combatting climate change by implementing a cap and trade policy that would reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. He is also a huge proponent of conservation, along with creating clean, alternative energy technologies.
Based on early assessments, it looks as though the environmental movement is likely to gain some ground under an Obama presidency. Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if Congress agrees with his environmental plans. It should be an interesting topic to follow over the next four years. As for other issues, I’m not so sure, but I’m keeping the optimism intact thus far.

You can read more about Obama’s environmental plans here and here.

And in news completely unrelated to Obama, I found this New York Times article to be quite interesting and wanted to share it. Even Broadway is going green! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T16:05:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone has a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving! Be sure to take a few minutes to think about all the things you have to be thankful for! :)

Much anticipated political post....sorry, couldn't resist

2008-11-19T12:07:00.010-05:00

So, I haven't blogged on anything political for a while, and now that the election is over, I think it's time to resume that. But, for the next 2 weeks, this still needs to tie in with social movements, so please bear with me. :)

As most of you know, the election did not turn out how I would have liked. While I was expecting a successful result for the Democratic party, I still held on to a shred of hope that the GOP would pull through, but clearly that did not happen. Was I disappointed? Certainly. However, I must say that my disappointment continues, only now the focus has shifted to the behavior of some of my fellow Republicans. The outcome of the election obviously shows that the GOP has some serious work to do toward reforming our party and our campaigning strategies, however, most of what I've been hearing is not about how we can improve, but rather how miserable life is going to be with Obama as president. I wish people would think back to the inspirational and heartfelt words of Senator McCain during his concession speech:

I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that. It is natural. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.

Sure, our parties have stark differences in certain beliefs and moral issues, but in the overall scheme of things, we all want to live the American dream...we just have different philosophies on how to go about achieving that dream. Yes, we may disagree with many of president-elect Obama's policy plans, but like it or not, he is going to be our President come January and no amount of complaining is going to change that. As our commander-in-chief, he deserves our respect. Since the election ended, I have received numerous facebook invitations to groups such as "Now that Barack is president, I think I'll be a lazy bum" or "Don't Blame Me...I Voted for McCain!" What happened to giving the guy a fair chance? He hasn't even taken office yet and these are people's sentiments? It's no secret that I was a McCain supporter, but there comes a point where you have to stop being a sore loser. America is America because of democracy and free elections. The Democrats won this election because Americans apparently wanted a "change." Give Obama time to take office and start implementing his platform. If he screws up and you voted against him, then you have a right to start complaining, and maybe the majority who supported him will end up joining you, but in the meantime, show some optimism and refrain from the negative accusations. He is going to be our president for the next four years, like it or not.

Are these feelings the result of the liberal college atmosphere rubbing off on me? I don't think so. I remain firm in my conservative values and I still support the principles that the Republican party stands for. I am simply appalled by the behavior of some self-professing Republicans who seem to have forgotten the meaning of respect toward our country's leaders.

Okay, sorry for the rant. I just needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for reading! :)

MLK’s objectives in writing “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”

2008-11-08T01:17:00.001-05:00

One of the assigned readings for our current study of the Civil Rights Movement was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” King wrote this letter in response to a claim by eight Birmingham ministers that segregation was moving too quickly and should be fought through due process of the law instead of on the streets. Their letter was a reaction to the demonstration against segregation led by King, which was the reason he was in jail at the time. Directly quoting their resentment toward “outsiders coming in,” King addresses this assertion by justifying his reason for coming to Birmingham. He writes, “I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.” That statement provides basic justification for bringing his fellow demonstrators to Birmingham, but it serves as a segue for him to delve into the fundamental reason for marching there: to bring attention to the injustice that is occurring in the South. “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He then writes, “Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.” This serves to address, yet again, the ministers’ accusations that King is an outsider who came to town to stir up controversy.

He makes an unwavering effort to appeal to the consciences and emotions of fellow Christians. “Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.” He goes on to compare movement participants to the early Christians who were similarly persecuted for being “outside agitators.” King continues to lay a guilt-trip on church members by discussing the fact that young people are fed up with the current state of the church, meaning that church membership will dwindle in years to come. This serves as a call-to-action for Christians to stop ignoring their God-given responsibilities and instead join the peaceful fight against injustice in the form of segregation. He adds to his morality argument and reinforces his determination to overcome injustice by calling attention to the overlap of legal & moral obligations. "One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws," King said, "but conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." He substantiates his basis for this claim by pointing out that Hitler’s policies in Nazi Germany were “legal,” while it was “illegal” to provide any aid to Jewish people. This comparison is meant to evoke strong emotions typically associated with the injustice, devastation, and inhumanity of the Holocaust, and likewise, bring the public to view the oppressive state of segregation in a similarly unjust light.

In sum, King’s obvious overall objective is to bring an end to segregation, both in the literal sense and in the attitudes and actions of people everywhere. Regarding this letter specifically, his aim is to defend the method of nonviolent protest which he employs, to refute the statements made by the Birmingham clergymen, and to make known to the public the vital need for the Civil Rights movement to intensify its efforts. In writing this letter, his heartfelt, yet firm words serve as a motivation for others to get involved and fight for his just cause.

Campus Sustainability Day

2008-10-21T19:18:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, colleges and universities across the nation will be observing "Campus Sustainability Day." This is JMU's first time participating in the event, and they intend to "trash" our campus in order to make an impression on students. Does this sound like an oxymoron? Probably. For those of you who have not heard about this event, allow me to explain.

According to JMU's website, tomorrow at 9:00 am, three dumpsters full of trash (taken from UREC, a faculty building, and a dorm) will be unloaded on the steps of ISAT. Then, students from JMU EARTH, JMU Recycling, the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World, and health classes will sort through all of the garbage to determine how much of what was thrown away could have been recycled. The results will also be compared based on which location each dumpster came from.

This event is kicking off JMU's waste reduction effort, which is one of the main areas of sustainability that JMU is focusing on as part of the American College and University President's Climate Commitment that President Rose signed earlier this year.

This is just another example of how the environmental movement is impacting JMU and in turn, how JMU is contributing to the environmental movement by encouraging students to adopt lifestyles that contribute to sustainability. So, if you're not doing anything tomorrow between 9:00-11:00, make plans to stop by ISAT and witness this "trashy" event.

JMU's 2nd "No Drive Day" coming up this Wednesday, Oct. 15th

2008-10-10T17:26:00.004-04:00

The JMU Clean Energy Coalition, Shenandoah Bicycle Company, and JMU's Institute for the Stewardship of the Natural World are sponsoring the 2nd annual "No Drive Day" this coming Wednesday.

Here are some interesting stats from last year's event (taken from the JMU website):
During No Drive Day last year:
-From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., traffic on campus was reduced by 7.7 percent.
-2,801 fewer vehicles navigated campus than on an average day.
-Transit ridership increased by 14.06 percent.
-Five tons of carbon dioxide were saved from entering the atmosphere.

Obviously, I believe this is a great cause and encourage everyone to participate!

More information on this initiative can be found here.

Radical groups and their effect on other social movement organizations

2008-10-04T12:37:00.010-04:00

Recently, we read an article for class titled "Earth First! and the Rhetoric of Moral Confrontation," written by Brant Short. I was personally not familiar with Earth First! before reading this article, but I learned that this radical group uses extreme (and often illegal) measures such as "placing metal spikes in trees to prevent logging, pulling up survey stakes on land development sites, vandalizing machinery, and sitting in trees that are scheduled for timber harvesting." The founders of Earth First! split with the mainstream environmental movement, accusing its members of being too "soft," and "selling out" to political agendas or personal motives. Today's mainstream environmental groups fear that Earth First!'s tactics will hurt the overall environmental movement by causing the public to associate all environmentalist causes with radical environmentalism.

The author also uses Earth First! as an example of how agitation and confrontation can be important rhetorical tools for a social movement. Now, I would like to make it clear that while I consider myself to be very pro-environment, I am by no means a radical environmentalist, and definitely do not support the tactics that are employed by Earth First! However, it is interesting to consider how Earth First! can actually help the larger environmental movement. First, the radical group's controversial policies bring publicity to the concerns that the movement is aiming to address. Secondly, by creating a counter-response, these radical extremists make other pro-environment groups, such as Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, etc., seem much more moderate/rational in the agendas they set and the actions they take in order to preserve the environment.

Short's ideas on rhetoric can be applied not only to environmental groups, but to social movement organizations of all types. No matter what the cause, if a radical movement develops from a larger, but more moderate movement, the publicity they attract will reflect back to the moderate group. Thus, the larger movement will be given an opportunity to counter the radical agenda with a more rational one that the public will be more likely to support.

Class-cultural social movement theory exhibited in "Harlan County, USA"

2008-09-24T23:30:00.012-04:00

During our last class session, we started watching “Harlan County, USA” a documentary from the 1970s that provided an extensive account of the coal miners’ strike against the Duke Power Company in Harlan County, Kentucky. Seeking higher wages and safer working conditions, the miners went on strike after the company refused to negotiate a contract with the United Mine Workers of America. After watching this documentary and completing the assigned readings for class this week, it is worth noting that Rose's interpretation of class-cultural social movement theory can be easily applied to the Harlan County strike.

Rose states "members of the working class participate in work that is routine and repetitive over which they have very little control." This is especially true in the example of the Harlan County miners. Day in and day out, the men descended into the mines, inhaled the coal dust, mined the coal, and resurfaced from the mines at the end of the day. However, explosions and cave-ins, over which they had no control, occasionally disrupted this routine, usually wounding or killing many men. For those that escaped these tragic occurrences, many suffered from the symptoms of black lung disease for the rest of their lives. However, in one particular scene, Duke Power's spokesperson is heard denying that mine dust "necessarily" causes pulmonary disease.

According to Rose, "working-class people live in a system of enforced authority, and they tend to approach social change through organizing around immediate, perceived interests." Rose's analysis is exhibited in the miners strike; the workers are tired of being controlled by mining company bosses who show no concern for them whatsoever. Therefore, they decide to initiate a social change by organizing a strike based on their common interest (better working conditions and fair pay). The economic hardship facing the miners is exhibited through footage of families living in low-class housing that lacks indoor plumbing. In one interview, an older man recounted a conversation that he had with one of his superiors at the mine, wherein he was told to take all needed precautions in order to protect the work mules from falling debris inside the mine. The worker responded by inquiring, “but what about me?” His boss replied “I can always hire another man to take your place, but I would have to buy another mule.” Comments such as this help to illustrate the lack of regard for worker safety and well-being, and further motivate the workers to fight for a better working environment.

Rose goes on to say that "The form of working-class organizing is a direct outgrowth of the external regulation of the working class. Workers experience opposition to their wants and needs from the power of outside groups that control the system of rewards and punishments." This logic is easily applied to the Harlan County strike. The miners felt that Duke Power was denying them of basic human needs such as fair pay, a retirement plan, medical coverage, etc. When the company failed to address these issues, the workers united, forming a cohesive group to protest against the unfair opposition they were facing.

Environmental Institute Formed at JMU

2008-09-22T00:23:00.002-04:00

Since the particular social movement that I tend to focus on the most is environmentalism, I thought I would share this recent bit of news from JMU’s public affairs department. Formation of the “Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World” provides yet another piece of evidence as to JMU’s role in the environmental movement. Environmentally concerned students and faculty persuade the university to enact more environmentally friendly measures, and in turn, once those measures have been implemented, the overall student-faculty body begins to adhere to these practices. Although there may be opposition at first, as with the removal of trays at D-hall, the eco-friendly measures will eventually become the norm for students. For example, after the class of 2012 graduates, the subsequent classes of students from then on out will not recall a time when trays were actually used in D-hall, therefore, the trayless system will be the norm for them. We current students complain about the new policy, because we remember the added convenience of trays, however, the incoming students will (hopefully) accept it as a standard campus practice, because they have no other option to compare it to. Based on this assumption, I contend that JMU, though an institution instead of an individual, is an active participant in the environmental movement. By creating situations and instituting policies that condition students to reduce their ecological footprint, JMU advances the pro-environment cause. While it would be absurd to expect every member of the student body to become an activist in the movement, I think it is safe to assume that several activists will emerge from the eco-friendly setting that the school provides. By contributing even a few activists to the cause, the institution can thus take credit for increasing participation in and furthering the reach of the movement.

Revenge IS Sweet!!!!

2008-09-21T07:28:00.006-04:00

Words cannot adequately describe the level of excitement at yesterday's huge game against App. State. Going into the half, things were looking a little grim for us, but whatever Coach Matthews said in the locker room must have worked as we were on fire for the 2nd half of the game. Okay, so this has nothing to do with social movements (sorry Mike!), except maybe the uprising of the DUKES against the Mountaineers, but nonetheless, I had to post something about our amazing win over the number one ranked team in our conference!

Singing the "Hey, Hey, Hey.....Goodbye!" song to ASU

Final score: JMU-35 App. State-32

Rushing the field after the game ended.

Way to go DUKES!!!! Guess App State isn't as HOT HOT HOT as they like to think they are!

Absentee Ballot Rumor Addressed

2008-09-20T08:11:00.002-04:00

It was interesting to see this article in today's DNR that "debunks" the idea that absentee ballots aren't counted unless there is a tie. I have heard several students in my classes pass this rumor along by saying things like "Well, they don't count the absentee ballots anyway, so sending in my ballot is just a waste." I am hoping that these particular students, and others who have heard the myth, will read this article for clarification and realize that every vote is counted.

In JMU sports news, the DUKES will take on App. State tonight at 7:00 pm in Bridgeforth Stadium. This is a HUGE game for us as we seek to avenge our heartbreaking loss in the last 22 seconds of the playoff game last season. On that note, I am including App. State's promotional video, which we DUKES all find incredibly hilarious.....

After tonight, hopefully they won't be thinking they're so "HOT HOT HOT" anymore!

Have a happy GAMEDAY! :)

Authors and their influence on social movements

2008-09-15T16:46:00.003-04:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I personally could not have asked for a better weekend football wise....JMU, VT, and the Redskins all came out on top of their respective games, while UVA suffered a painful loss to U.Conn. Ah, gotta love football season!!!

Anyway, on the subject of social movements, (since that is technically what I'm supposed to be blogging about, LOL), I was browsing through some environmental articles and I found this interesting piece from U.S. News & World Report. The writer interviewed Bill McKibben, who is an environmental author/activist, and he points out that environmental literature is at the center of the environmentalist movement. Essentially, he believes that the movement stemmed from the writings of authors such as Rachel Carson, who caused the public to become aware of/concerned about issues that they had never taken the time or initiative to contemplate previously.

Regardless of your stance on environmental issues, I just wanted to share the idea presented in this article, because it applies to all types of movements. Even though we may tend to think of social movements in the context of groups of people who stage protests and circulate petitions to get what they want, it is important to also pay attention to the writers who share their own opinions and ideas with the public through words on paper. While these authors may not be activists themselves, they can potentially start a movement simply by bringing an issue to the forefront and sparking a need for change in the minds of their readers who will then take the initiative to make those changes occur.

Reusable vs. disposable cup usage

2008-09-05T23:04:00.003-04:00

To anyone who has read my blog over the past several months, it is obviously no secret that I consider myself to be a part of the Environmental Movement, so to speak. Last week, I posted my reaction to the removal of trays at D-hall, but since school has started back, I’ve been reminded of something that really bothered me last year, and continues to irk me this semester, as well. At the beginning of the fall semester each year, dining services issues large, reusable plastic mugs to every student who has purchased an on-campus meal plan. These mugs can be filled up at the soda fountains in any dining facility on campus. The idea is for students to actually use these mugs in place of the paper cups, plastic lids, and straws that are provided at the dining locations, however, I continually see students roaming around campus, sipping from these paper Coke cups. Now, don’t get me wrong, using these cups on an occasional basis is understandable, however, I know some people who use the paper cups every day of the week! Now, I’m sure some of you are thinking that I’m a crazy environmentalist at this point, but seriously, stop and think about that….some people go through at least 5 paper cups a week, then multiply that by the number of weeks in a semester, and that’s approximately 75 cups thrown away by one person in one semester! I’m sure I would be appalled if I knew how many cups are actually thrown away at JMU on a daily basis. I wonder if anyone else has contemplated starting some type of campus-wide initiative to promote using the mugs instead of wasting paper cups….I realize that some of the city’s trash is incinerated and converted to steam that heats/cools campus, but I’m quite certain that by cutting back on the number of cups that are thrown away, there will be a noticeable drop in the amount of trash produced on our campus daily, thus extending the lifespan of the H-burg/Rockingham landfill.

Thus my rant is finished....temporarily at least. LOL. Comments are encouraged and appreciated. :)

"Local Republicans 'Energized'"

2008-09-05T09:26:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I know my blog is supposed to be focused on social movements this semester, but I can't resist from posting some political things now and then. Maybe I can link this to SM's by saying that the local Republicans are united in our "movement" with fellow GOPers across the country in order to elect McCain/Palin '08! Haha, yes that's a bit of a stretch, but at least I made an effort. Anyway, here's a link to today's front page DNR article by Jeff Mellott....and when noticing my Redskins jersey, please don't hold against me the fact that they lost to the Giants last night; true fans stay faithful no matter what! :) Football aside, I had a blast last night watching the RNC coverage as the elegant Cindy McCain and of course Senator John McCain gave their respective speeches. I'm sooo energized for our ticket now and can't wait to start campaigning around the Valley!

Another post will hopefully be coming later, but I've got to go take a quiche out of the oven and then head to campus to work on an editing project for my Video Production class. Have a wonderful Friday! :)

Social Movements

2008-08-26T21:39:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm happy to report that I made it through my 2nd day of classes! This is going to be a reading/writing/group project intensive semester for me, without a doubt! I'm ready to take on the challenge, though! It turns out that I am going to be graded on my blog again this semester....I enjoyed SCOM 353 so much last semester that I signed up for another course with the same professor, and he's giving us a blog assignment for this class, as well. This course is titled "Communication and Social Movements," so I must warn you that my reaction posts this go-round will likely not be as interesting to read as my political commentary, but I suppose we will determine that soon enough. I'm hoping to continue posting my own original content aside from the course requirements if time allows, but regardless, I hope you guys will still visit my blog frequently and leave your feedback/reactions, as well.

Oh, and one more thing! I ate at D-hall today for the first time this semester and they have done away with trays!!! In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, our main dining hall no longer provides trays for students. The explanation for this is posted in the facility and it states that washing trays uses detergent, which pollutes our waterways. I was admittedly pretty surprised by this new policy, and I'm all for saving water that no longer has to be used to clean trays....but it seems to me like wastewater has to be treated before it can be dumped into our local waterways, so I don't really understand how having detergent in the water is a problem since it's going to be treated anyway...Maybe if I get a free moment I will try to dig through some of my environmental science and natural resources management materials from Governor's School to see if I can make sense of this. In the meantime though, I must admit that not having a tray wasn't really an inconvenience...I just balanced my plate and salad bowl in one hand, and made separate trips for drink and dessert items...which makes you get a tad bit more exercise in the process....which is certainly needed at any buffet style dining facility, in my opinion at least. And with that, I am off to spend the rest of the night attempting to get on top of my overwhelming amount of reading assignments....

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless! :)

Back to School

2008-08-25T20:00:00.003-04:00

Ahh, what a fun, yet incredibly hectic time as fall semester classes started today. To my readers who reside or work in the 'Burg, I know you guys are enjoying the insane amount of traffic, long lines at Wal-Mart, crowded restaurants, trails of SOLO cups, etc. that have returned to the friendly city in the same fashion that it occurs every fall when we JMU students move back. Oh, but don't you miss us when we're gone?! Hehe. :)

Anyway, I only have one class on Mondays: HD Video Production, so I spent the afternoon running errands, buying oh-so-cheap textbooks (note the sarcasm in that reference), relaxing a bit, and going for a run. Not such a terrible way to spend my first day back, if you ask me. Tomorrow will be a different story with classes from 9:30 til 4:45, but hopefully it won't be too bad.

On a political note, campaign signs seem to be popping up everywhere. My townhouse community has a no-sign ordinance, so I'm not allowed to display my McCain, Goodlatte, etc. signs here. However, the parking lots are a different story! I've seen plenty of Obama '08 bumper stickers....heck, my roommate actually went beyond that and in addition to her Obama sticker, she also has a "McSame" one right beside that. I'm dying to find a "NOBAMA" sticker to counter hers...wouldn't that be an interesting sight to see those contrasting bumpers parked side-by-side in front of our house. LOL. Ohh ya gotta love politics!!!

Okay, time to go start on some reading assignments! Have a wonderful evening ya'll! :)

"Young Voters Speak Out"

2008-08-02T02:03:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I have been slacking to post here all summer and I know that I should have done a better job of maintaining my blog, but hindsight's always 20-20 and there's nothing I can do about it now. However, since I was interviewed for a story in today's DNR, I figured I would take this opportunity to post a link to the story for anyone who might be interested, so please check it out here.

Thanks and have a wonderful and blessed weekend! :)

Around the Valley in 60 Days!

2008-06-20T01:37:00.002-04:00

I keep forgetting that I'm not being graded on the content of this blog anymore and can therefore discuss things other than political issues. That being said, I would like to introduce my readers (if any of you are still out there, haha) to my new favorite blog: Around the Valley in 60 Days. It's the place to go for everything related to Valley League Baseball! My friend and former classmate (from our days at the Massanutten Regional Governor's School) serves as photographer for the blog and does an incredible job of capturing all the VBL action at the games she attends. So, to all the baseball fans out there, I definitely encourage you to check out their site and also come out to the games and support our local teams!

Congrats to the Luray Wranglers for their 11th inning win over New Market tonight! :)

Frederick elected RPV Chair!!!

2008-05-31T15:48:00.002-04:00

This afternoon at the RPV convention, Jeff Frederick defeated incumbent John Hager in the race for Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. Being a huge Frederick supporter, I was ecstatic to hear this great news! I wish I could have been there to join in the celebration with the Frederick campaign! Way to go guys and major congrats Jeff! I cannot wait to see the great things you will do for the party!

Happy Summer everyone!!!

2008-05-02T09:54:00.002-04:00

Ah, what a relief to be finished with exams and final SMAD projects! I hope that you all have an AMAZING summer! To the seniors, I will miss you guys like crazy, but I wish you luck in your future endeavors. I can't wait to hear your success stories! Now that the semester is over (and thus my blog will no longer be subject to grading), I may tend to sway a bit from posting solely on political issues. Anyway, it's hard to believe that I'm now a junior! Time flies!

Take care ya'll and thanks for reading!

Battle for Democratic nomination continues...

2008-04-23T09:04:00.002-04:00

As I'm sure you all are aware by now, Hillary won the Pennsylvania primary last night, meaning that she and Obama will continue to duke it out for at least another two weeks. There's a great article on Drudge that discusses what this means for McCain. Most Republican strategists see this continued internal fight amongst the Democrats as beneficial for McCain, however, the GOP candidate himself has refrained from making such assumptions.

So, with the Democratic nomination still up in the air, the debate continues as to whether the country is prepared for its first African-American or female president. We have been discussing this issue in class and there are mixed views. A few articles that we studied include:

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/02/12/pa-gov-ed-rendell-some-white-voters-not-ready-to-elect-black-candidate/

http://www.newsweek.com/id/115397

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-kinsley27mar27,0,6660646.story

Personally, I feel that gender and race should not be the primary focus of an election. Rather, voters should support a candidate whom they feel will best fulfill the duties of the office. Vote for a candidate because you feel that he or she is most qualified for the position and because you share similar beliefs with him or her. However, voters should not push all rationality aside and vote for a candidate on the sole basis that they want to see the first African American or woman in the White House. While I believe that America is ready to overcome these race and gender issues, I hope that voters will make an informed decision and vote for the best person for the position, not simply the first.

neVer forgeT 4/16/07

2008-04-16T09:34:00.005-04:00

It is hard to believe that an entire year has passed since the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech.

JMU is having a candlelight vigil tonight at 8:00 PM on the Festival Lawn to remember those who lost their lives and the entire VT community that was affected by the shootings.

Please take some time out of your day to remember and pray for the Hokies.

Del. Jeff Frederick at CRs

2008-04-14T23:43:00.003-04:00

Delegate Jeff Frederick (R-52) visited JMU this evening to speak at our College Republicans meeting. Delegate Frederick is currently running for Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia against current RPV Chairman John Hager. I first met Del. Frederick and his Communications Director at the annual Page County Reagan/Lincoln Day dinner back in February. I was really impressed with his speech that night and enjoyed chatting with him afterward. He seems to have great ideas for the future and exhibits a genuine devotion for getting our party back on its feet. After hearing him speak that night, I was eager for him to come to campus and hopefully have the same effect on other CR members that he had on me. At tonight's meeting, he talked about how he reactivated the CR chapter at Emory College when he was a student there, and then went on to discuss his current campaign. I highly encourage you to check out his website, and if you happen to be a delegate for the RPV State Convention, please keep Del. Frederick in mind as you cast your vote!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!

Bob Marshall speaks to CRs

2008-04-08T13:44:00.003-04:00

Delegate Bob Marshall, who is running for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator John Warner, spoke at our College Republicans meeting last night. Despite the fact that I don't think he has any realistic chance whatsoever of beating Gilmore, I must admit that he gave a convincing speech. I was quite impressed with his sense of humor, as well. As expected, he discussed social issues quite a bit, touting the fact that he authored VA's Marriage Amendment. He also pointed out the differing views between Gilmore and himself on issues such as abortion, transportation, drilling for oil in Anwar, etc. However, what is most impressive to me about Marshall is his stance on environmental issues, for which he has been recognized by several pro-conservation groups. (Leave it to me to pay the most attention to a candidate's environmental stance, LOL). Taken from the Bob Marshall for Senate website:

As a state delegate I received a"2007 Legislative Hero Award” from the Virginia League of Conservation Voters for my 100% voting record in environmental preservation. I also received endorsements from the Farm Bureau and Sierra Club, a rarity for a social conservative legislator.

I am particularly fond of this quote, also taken from his website:

I believe that the earth is a gift that must be preserved by good stewardship so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy what our forefathers enjoyed. Wasting or destroying our natural resources is like stealing from our future generations.

So, despite the fact that I don't necessarily agree with Marshall on some issues, it was nice to realize that we share common beliefs in certain areas. I'm glad that Delegate Marshall took the time to come speak at our meeting last night and offered us the chance to ask questions afterward. TV-3 has the story and video footage from the meeting here.

Speaking of conspiracy theories....

2008-04-08T12:39:00.004-04:00

As I was doing my daily scan of the Drudge Report this morning, this article caught my attention. I thought it was interesting that the Princess Diana murder conspiracy theory is getting press coverage in the midst of our study on such theories. According to the Associated Press, a coroner's jury determined yesterday that there is no evidence to prove that the Secret Intelligence Agency or any other government agency organized the murder. Apparently, despite this ruling, Fayed still suspects foul play, however, Princes William and Harry endorsed the verdict.

Ah, conspiracy theories....

Anyway, have a wonderful Tuesday and thanks for reading!

Conspiracy Theories

2008-04-05T23:01:00.005-04:00

Our current topic of study/discussion for class this week is conspiracy theories. In particular, we have been studying various 9/11 conspiracy theories. Several examples of our assigned readings can be found here and here. Personally, I believe they are all bogus, but one of the great things about America is that everyone is entitled to have and share their own opinions, no matter how skewed they may happen to be. Other conspiracy theories we discussed in class in addition to 9/11 are whether Apollo 11 really landed on the moon, if aliens were found in Area 51, and the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. On that note, I'm curious if there are any conspiracy theories that you guys believe in, and/or what your feelings are regarding conspiracy theories in general.

As usual, thanks for reading and take care!

Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter

2008-04-02T09:14:00.003-04:00

After reading my post about No-Drive Day, a friend passed along an article regarding the Pre-Ignition Catalytic Converter and its potential to help vehicles get 5x better gas mileage. More information can be found about this latest development in fuel economy technology here. If this really works, I hope people start embracing this technology ASAP! What an awesome way to help the environment, lessen our dependence on foreign oil, AND save money! Please encourage your legislators to look into this technology and fight for the EPA to review it.

Thanks and have a happy No-Drive Day!

No Drive Day-April 2nd

2008-03-27T09:36:00.006-04:00

On Wednesday, April 2nd, the JMU Clean Energy Coalition and HDPT are sponsoring JMU's first No Drive Day.

You can find more information on the Clean Energy Coalition website. Here's a bit of information they offer that you may find interesting:

Approximately twenty pounds of CO2 are created for every gallon of gasoline consumed. A simple three-mile trip back and forth to campus generates 2.5 pounds of CO2!

I highly encourage you to take part in this great cause. Okay, so call me a tree-hugging Republican (there don't seem to be too many of us out there), but I support any reasonable initiative to preserve our environment. Maybe my environmental concerns can be attributed to the fact that I attended a Governor's School for Environmental Science and Technology. Regardless of your opinions on global warming and more "controversial" environmental issues, there is no denying the fact that the Shenandoah River fish kills and the abominable condition of the Chesapeake Bay require serious attention.

Speaking of the environment, one of John McCain's platforms that has appealed to me since early in the campaign is his take on environmental issues. A quote taken from his website states:

America has been blessed with a rich and diverse natural heritage. In the tradition of his hero, Theodore Roosevelt, John McCain believes that we are vested with a sacred duty to be proper stewards of the resources upon which the quality of American life depends. Ensuring clean air, safe and healthy water, sustainable land use, ample greenspace - and the faithful care and management of our natural treasures, including our proud National Park System - is a patriotic responsibility. One that must be met not only for the benefit of our generation, but for our children and those to whom we will pass the American legacy.

Amen to that! I just wish more people would come to realize that preserving the environment should not be a Democrat v. Republican issue, but rather a bipartisan goal to work toward. Being someone who has a deep faith in God, I personally feel that we should do everything within our power to take care of the earth He has given us during the time that we're here.

Anyway, that was my environmentalism rant for the day. Don't drive on April 2nd, walk/bike to class, get some exercise and a breath of fresh air, and help preserve the environment. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend!

Bolling Announces Plan to Seek Re-election

2008-03-24T15:03:00.004-04:00

Earlier today, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling announced that he will seek re-election in 2009 for his current office, instead of campaigning for the GOP nomination for Governor, as many had been anticipating. More details can be found in the press release on his website.

Admittedly, I was a bit surprised by this announcement, expecting him to declare his bid for the Governor's mansion. However, I am quite pleased with his decision, as it should prevent a heated battle for the GOP nomination by making Bob McDonnell the obvious frontrunner for the nod. With this news, I wish Lt. Governor Bolling much success in his re-election campaign!

Lt. Governor Bolling Visits CRs

2008-03-19T12:25:00.004-04:00

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling stopped by JMU last night for a pizza party with the College Republicans. He ate and mingled with the students, asking questions about our hometowns, majors, etc., and showing a genuine interest in getting to know more about each of us. Once he had a chance to meet everyone, we sat down and gave him our attention as he spoke on everything from his entry into politics to the importance of getting out to help campaign for GOP candidates next fall. He thanked us for being so interested/involved in politics and encouraged us to focus our efforts on helping John McCain, Jim Gilmore, and Bob Goodlatte win their respective elections, but jokingly added that we should also aim to stay on top of our studies in the process. He also took time to respond to several questions from club members following his address. I was quite pleased with the event and feel that it was a great opportunity to be able to hang out with the Lt. Gov. in the informal setting that the pizza party provided.

The DNR has a great article about it here.

American Politics and the Permanent Campaign

2008-03-11T14:45:00.002-04:00

Our topic of class discussion/study this week regards the permanent campaign, which plays a large role in American politics today. One of the articles we read in order to introduce the subject was an article by Michael Kazin in The Washington Post. It is common to hear people complain that campaigns start earlier these days than they ever did before, however, in reality, the permanent campaign began with Martin Van Buren prior to the 1828 election. One major difference between now and then is today's 24-hour news cycle, which subjects politicians to constant public scrutiny. This factor greatly contributes to the permanent campaign by requiring politicians to act in ways that will gain public favor.

Personally, I have mixed feelings regarding the permanent campaign. On the negative side, the permanent campaign prevents elected officials from revealing their true opinions and standing up for their personal beliefs for fear that they will lose public support from certain groups. For instance, many legislators today who want to maintain reputations as moderates are hesitant to propose legislation that would in any way align them with either the far left or right agenda. This ongoing campaign process also makes it necessary for a candidate to raise (or have plenty of their own) funds in order to counter an incumbent, or to maintain a viable candidacy. On the positive side, the permanent campaign forces elected officials to be responsive to public needs. In the United States today, it seems unrealistic to think that the permanent campaign will ever lose its permanency. What do you think? Do you support or oppose the permanent campaign? Are there other pros and cons that I overlooked? I'm interested in hearing your opinions so please feel free to comment and have a wonderful day!

Virginia Lottery Trust Fund

2008-03-10T21:47:00.008-04:00

I hope that everyone had an awesome spring break and is getting back into the swing of things just in time for the Centennial festivities this week! College Republicans started off the 2nd half of the semester with Senator Mark Obenshain coming to speak at our weekly meeting. One of the main issues he discussed with us was the budget dispute in Richmond, which will likely wrap up and close the session tomorrow. A major point of controversy came in the efforts of the Senate Democrats to approve a budget that would re-route the distribution of lottery proceeds from funding education to use in the general fund. Lt. Governor Bill Bolling tried to prevent the budget from passing the Senate by declaring that in order to re-route these funds, a 4/5's vote would be necessary. His decision was initially overruled, however, a senior staff lawyer with the state agrees that routing the funds is unconstitutional. The Examiner has the story here. Following this controversial decision, Senator Obenshain introduced Senate Bill 800, which sets up a Lottery Trust Fund to ensure that all revenue from the Lottery will be used directly for education as required by the Virginia Constitution. In order for Obenshain's bill to be implemented, it must pass in the Senate, House of Delegates, and gain Governor Kaine's approval, as well. The Daily News Record has the full story. I personally hope that Senator Obenshain's bill will pass and require our lawmakers to uphold our state constitution when it comes to budget allocation. Any of your thoughts/opinions regarding the situation are welcome!

Spring Break!

2008-02-29T09:17:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to wish my fellow Dukes a very happy and safe spring break! I am leaving today to take part in a mission trip to Milton, Florida. I will be incommunicado (at least in the online sense) for the next 8 days, but will hopefully be back to blogging more frequently upon my return.

Take care until then!

CPAC recap

2008-02-12T19:08:00.000-05:00

I promised to give you all a recap of my CPAC experience when I returned, so here it is! The overall mood of CPAC was a bit dismal at the realization that we no longer have a truly conservative candidate in the race. Many speakers and attendees voiced their dissatisfaction with McCain’s platform and voting record. While I agree with their concerns, I have chosen to support him based on the fact that I would prefer to have a moderate Republican in office over a liberal Democrat. However, my intent in this post is not to sway people one way or the other, but rather to give a summary of CPAC from my point of view.

I arrived at the Omni Shoreham around 7:00 PM on Thursday. Since I had missed all of the candidate speeches, I just spent the evening mingling with fellow conservatives, and finally crashed around 12:30 AM to get a bit of rest for the busy day ahead.

My friends and I woke up bright and early (around 4:00 AM) on Friday morning in order to get in line for President Bush’s 7:30 AM speech. It was definitely worth the wait and I personally felt that he did a wonderful job of holding our attention at such an early hour. He mentioned issues ranging from his tax cuts to national security to the established representative government in Iraq, to education, etc. He also brightened the early morning atmosphere by throwing in several jokes throughout his talk, such as “Listen, I'm not known for my English…” and “I used to think that leading a group of strong-willed senators was one of the toughest jobs in the country. I may have found an even tougher one: father of the bride.” He closed by thanking attendees for our support and urging us to fight for another Republican victory.

Later that day, I attended the Thomas Phillips Student Luncheon with Michelle Malkin. She was wonderful and very friendly to those of us who stayed to get her book signed. However, the highlight of the conference for me was attending Ann Coulter’s speech (which was televised on C-SPAN) and getting to meet her afterward. She was absolutely hilarious, but made serious points, as well. She even joked on herself about her previous claim (before Romney dropped out) to support Hillary if McCain became the GOP candidate. I was extremely excited to meet her and get my book signed following her speech. Despite what some of you may think, she is without a doubt one of the most lovely, genuine, and congenial people I have ever met. As anyone who talked to me that evening will tell you, meeting her completely made my weekend!

Another memorable moment occurred when several members of the JMU CRs, myself included, along with other CRs from across the country, were interviewed by Fox News and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher regarding the presidential campaign. Our Fox News interview concluded with the reporter asking us to hold hands and sing “Kum Ba Yah,” which I heard was aired over the weekend and I’m sure was quite entertaining.

Newt Gingrich gave an eloquent speech on Saturday afternoon. He called for conservatives to declare independence from the Republican Party by embracing "Real Change" as elaborated on in his book of that name. Several people commented afterward that they wish he would be our presidential nominee, however, others responded that he has too many skeletons in his closet.

In sum, CPAC turned out to be everything I had hoped for and more! It was an exhausting, but fun-filled and motivational weekend. I only wish that the events could have been scheduled a little differently, since there were other speakers (Dinesh D’Souza, John Bolton, Mike Pence, etc.) who I wanted to hear, but missed because I was either attending another event or waiting in line to get a good seat for a highly popular speech. I came back with an armful of conservative books that I can’t wait to read! Now, if only my hectic schedule would allow for some free time to do that...

Anyway, I hope everyone had a Happy VA Primary day!

Romney Drops Out

2008-02-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

Wow! I am completely shocked at Mitt Romney's decision to suspend his campaign for the GOP nomination. You can read more about it here.

"I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country."

Romney was quoted in his speech at CPAC earlier today. I believe this was a noble decision on his part, and because of it, I now have a greater respect for Romney. With McCain now clearly the Republican candidate, this will hopefully help bring the party together to focus on his campaign against the Democratic nominee, instead of continuing the inter-party conflict. While I do not agree with McCain on certain issues, I plan to support him, as I am much more closely aligned with his stances than those of either of the potential Democratic nominees.

This breaking news is going to make for an interesting turn of events and atmosphere at CPAC. Ah, never a dull moment in the world of politics! Well, I must go finish packing for the weekend! Check back next week for my CPAC recap!

CPAC!!!

2008-02-06T12:28:00.000-05:00

I will be attending CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) this weekend at the Omni Shoreham Hotel and I am extremely excited about it! Unfortunately, I will be arriving after the presidential candidates give their speeches on Thursday, however, there are going to be many other great speakers and events throughout the weekend. President Bush and Vice President Cheney are scheduled to speak, as well as many other big-time conservatives, such as Dinesh D'Souza and Newt Gingrich. Thank goodness I registered early for Ann Coulter's speech and Michelle Malkin's luncheon. I received confirmation to attend both of these events, sponsored by the Young America's Foundation, but apparently the waiting list is quite long.

I'm looking forward to a great weekend and the opportunity to network with other conservatives from throughout the nation. I will have a follow-up post on the conference sometime early next week after I return to JMU.

On a side note, following Super Tuesday's results, it looks as though our VA Primary next Tuesday will be a bigger race than initially expected. Instead of each party having a definite frontrunner, nominations are still up in the air. Obama and Clinton are in an extremely tight race on the Democratic side. On the Republican side, it should be interesting to see how things turn out between McCain, Romney, and Huckabee. For those of you who, like me, are still undecided about who to vote for, we have less than a week to decide.

Have a great weekend everyone!

News Coverage of Gilmore's speech

2008-01-29T12:48:00.000-05:00

First of all, I would like to say "thanks!" to everyone who came out last night. I must admit that it was nice to see that all my publicity work actually paid off. I was quite pleased with the turnout, as well as the number of media outlets that were represented: The DNR, News Leader, WHSV TV-3, The Breeze, and New Dominion blog all provided coverage of our event.

Here are links to the articles for those who couldn't make it last night:

"Gilmore Stops at JMU" by Kelly Jasper, Daily News-Record.

"Gilmore Stumps at JMU" by Nicole Barbano, Staunton News Leader.

"Gilmore Visits JMU" WHSV TV-3

"Gilmore addresses war, economy issues at JMU" by Chris Graham, The New Dominion.

I was personally quite impressed with what the former governor had to say. Following his speech, he fielded questions from the audience, which consisted of College Republicans, College Democrats, members of the student body, and citizens from the local community. I admired his ability to address the questions that were presented to him in a tasteful, yet unwavering manner. Though I realize his battle against Mark Warner for John Warner's Senate seat will be a tough one, I wish him luck in his bid for the GOP nomination.

Gilmore to Make Campaign Stop at JMU

2008-01-26T22:36:00.000-05:00

This is pretty much a shameless plug, but since I'm in charge of publicity for CRs, I figured that I might as well publicize this event on my blog, as well. In case you haven't already heard, former VA Governor Jim Gilmore will be speaking at JMU on Monday, January 28th at 7:30 p.m. in HHS 1302. Click here to read the DNR article for more details.

Hope to see you there!

Thompson Drops His Presidential Bid

2008-01-22T21:08:00.000-05:00

As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, earlier today Fred Thompson officially withdrew his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. I was disappointed to hear this, considering that he was my favorite of the nominees, although I must admit that his chances were looking very slim. Now we're left to choose between Huckabee, McCain, Romney, Paul and Giuliani. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to get excited about the idea of any of these guys as our nominee. While there are a few things I like about each candidate, there are also a few (in some cases more than a few) things that I dislike about each of them, as well. Now that Thompson's out, I need to figure out who to support in the VA primary on Feb. 12. So, if any of you who are reading this have already aligned yourself with a candidate, please tell me who you are supporting and why. Any input is greatly appreciated as I am interested in hearing your opinions.

Please Support Adopt-a-Platoon!

2008-01-17T00:23:00.000-05:00

The College Republicans kicked off our Adopt-a-Platoon drive this past Tuesday. Kaleigh Maher, news editor for The Breeze wrote an excellent article about it:

College Republicans adopt...a platoon, that is.

I realize that many of the people reading my blog affiliate themselves with the party at the opposite end of the political spectrum from myself, however, this really is a bipartisan issue. As Mike Sargent points out,

"...it’s not a Republican or Democrat thing. There are people who need socks whether or not they’re a Democrat or a Republican."

Despite whether or not you support the war, I urge you to show your support for the brave men and women who are putting their lives on the line in order to defend our freedom. So I'm asking, when you see us out on the Commons throughout the semester, please donate whatever you can. I realize that college students don't have a lot of extra cash, but every little bit helps. On Tuesday, it was heartwarming to see so many people stopping by to support our drive. I'd like to say a huge "Thank you!" to everyone who has already contributed. This cause is especially dear to my heart, as my brother's high school best friend/college roommate is being deployed to Iraq within the next month, and I'm sure that many of you also have family and friends serving overseas. Please help show the troops how much you care....support Adopt-a-Platoon today!

Is the Media Biased?

2008-01-11T11:31:00.000-05:00

During our last class, we discussed the article "What Biased Media?" by George Case. This topic has always been of interest to me, seeing as how I am planning for a career in broadcast journalism. Back when I was in high school, I used to tell people that I intended to be an effective reporter, however, I was going to be different from the others in that I would present the facts of breaking news in a completely unbiased way. Since then, I have come to realize that this was probably an unrealistic idea. As much as any reporter may sincerely intend to present news stories in an unbiased way, his or her strong personal beliefs regarding certain issues are likely to slant their presentation of the story at least slightly. This is not to say that reporters intentionally use their positions in order to sway the public into becoming aligned with their personal beliefs and values. It is simply a part of human nature to think more favorably of causes that you support and less favorably of opposing ones. I'm certainly not suggesting that this makes the media any less credible, however, I do believe that the public needs to take this into consideration when consuming news from the various media outlets. In order to be well informed citizens, we should attempt to get our news from several different sources. As I have been taught in several of my SMAD classes, "the media doesn't tell us what to think, but rather, what to think about." Major media outlets decide which stories are of interest to the public and then present them to us. Once we learn the basic facts of these stories, it is up to us to use other available resources, along with our intellect, in order to decipher these media messages. If we choose to get our news from only one source, then we have no right to complain about the "biased media." By getting the story from several sources, it should be easy to distinguish the facts from the biased views. Although it actually requires a little bit of effort on our part, each of us is consequently able to determine our own view of newsworthy events.

Textbooks

2008-01-09T17:38:00.001-05:00

Though this may not be a political issue, I feel the need to rant briefly about something that all college students face: textbook prices. I just purchased the final books that I need for this semester, bringing my total to a whopping $493.29. I find this completely ridiculous and appalling. I am taking 6 classes this semester, 2 of which do not require textbooks (God bless those professors!), which means that the aforementioned total is for 4 classes. That comes out to be approximately $123 per class...ouch! Even worse is the fact that some of my friends in other majors fork out even more than that! Usually, I try to buy used books, however, when new editions are printed and selected by professors for class use, buying a used book is not an option.

Well, that's my rant. Please share your feelings/experiences on the topic.

My Blogging Debut

2008-01-08T19:51:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Welcome to my first attempt at running a blog!

I created this blog as an assignment for my SCOM 353 (American Political Culture and Communication) class at James Madison University. Although I have frequently followed the discussions on many Virginia political blogs in the past, I'm pretty excited about actually contributing my own perspective to the blogosphere.

Please visit often to see my new posts and feel free to leave your own comments/reactions. I will also appreciate any suggestions anyone has to improve my blog, since I'm new to this.

In the meantime, have a wonderful week!