What is a Wingman?

Are your good looks, charm, and outgoing personality not helping you land the guy or girl of your dreams? Do you constantly find yourself as the third wheel at the end of the night? Then maybe your love life needs a wingman. I have seen many successful people who needed a wingman. Scotty Pippen to your Michael Jordan, Robin to Batman, Kenan and Kel, and Goose to your Maverick.  Even some of the most successful people in history have always thrived with a sidekick by their side. A wingman is important to successfully initiating a relationship with the person of your dreams. Wingmanlaws.com explains that this concept dates back to WWI when pilots found that attacking in formations provided more support than attacking a target on their own.  Over the next decade, the concept of the wingman has been translated into social terms.  The most famous duo that helped coin the term wingman is from the 1986 blockbuster hit, Top Gun. The charaters Maverick and Goose played by Tom Cruise and Anthony Edwards were not only wingmans in the airspace, but also in social situations.  Hence, coining the term “wingman” and allowed it to evolve into the social phenomenon it is today.  In one scene, located in a bar, Maverick tries to seduce a woman by singing her, “ You’ve lost that lovin feeling” by the Righteous Brothers. Goose, in true wingman fashion, was right by his side singing along with him.  A true wingman understands that two is better then one when it comes to alehouse serenades. When choosing a wingman one must understand the mission at hand and always lets you get first dibs but will still chat it up with the potential interested friends.The best wingman will take one for the team so you can live the dream.

Spilling The Beans

I was in Starbucks line the other day standing next to a man in hospital scrubs. The line was long so I started to dissect him. He was probably 6 ft tall, no wedding ring, on the younger side and pretty good looking. That is what I thought until he ordered a Vanilla Latte and a donut. I couldn't help but judge him by his order. I began to wonder, can you judge someone by their coffee order? This summer I interned in a corporate office setting. Every morning I would get a cup of coffee and put 2 sugar packets and creamer in my cup. I was pinned as an intern just by what I drank. The people who I sat around drank their coffee black and I aspired to do so to fit in. Black coffee signifies that you're an experienced coffee drinker as well as experienced in the work field. I tried so hard to drink black coffee but I don't think I will be able to drink it in the near future. Maybe when the work world steals my soul I will drink it. But until then I will ordered my Pumpkin Spice Latte ( in a mug of course) and breakfast burrito and hoped to be judged as festive and fun!

" What is diversity?" - Ron Burgundy

Whenever I tell someone I interned at ESPN and I aspire to work there, their response is “ you’re going to be the next Erin Andrews?” I first took it as a compliment because Erin Andrews is beautiful, articulate, and well known in the sports industry. Erin became more popular when a stalker put a camera in her hotel room and videotaped her getting ready naked and leaked in on the internet. She was labeled as a slut and accused of knowing that it was happening to become famous. This was an invasion of her privacy and you can still find pictures of her naked on the internet.  She has also been given the name “the sideline siren”.

The more I thought about it the more it concerned me. People associate Erin Andrews with sports because she is pretty instead of being known for her talents as a reporter and knowledge of the sports industry. I have wondered if this is a bad thing or if it is a step in the right direction for women in the sports industry. There are many other reporters that work for ESPN, CBS, and Fox Sports that aren’t as recognized. Is it because they aren’t as pretty as Erin or because they don’t do a good of a job? If a man was to say that he wanted to work at ESPN the first question someone would ask him was, “ what do you want to do?” instead of “do you want to be on camera?” I want to make a statement that there is a place for women in the sports industry that is not just in front of the camera. 

School Is For Fools

I have taken some amazing college courses and some pretty awful ones. As a student in The New College I have the freedom to create my own major and shape my curriculum. I work closely with my advisor and pick out classes that are the most interesting to me and that pertain to my major. The New College understands that each student is unique, and that students are capable of accepting much of the responsibility for their own learning. Although I have the freedom to select my own core courses, I still had to take the University's required classes like history and science. Those were my least favorite classes because I didn't want to be there, my other classmates didn't want to be, and the teachers never seemed to want to be there either. If none of us are enjoying it or taking anything out of it and learning, why are we all wasting our time and money? I am a firm believer that you will try and do better if you care about what you are learning. I have an appreciation for other departments on campus but I believe that students would receive a better and more personalized degree without required courses.

When I Grow Up

 
If money was not a factor in what I would do for a living I would probably be a history tour guide. I am the biggest history nerd. This summer I interned in Connecticut and was surrounded by tons of historical places. Every weekend I would take a train to a different city and explore. My favorite city was Salem, Massachusetts because it was the city that the witch trials took place. I was able to see the House of Seven Gables, houses that inspired the Parker Brothers board games such as Monopoly and CLue, and went on a witch ghost tour ( with a real wicken) . I am from Orlando, Florida and I don't like to be "touristy" because I am bombarded with tourists everywhere I go, but I went into every gift shop and bought every souvenir. I think it would be fun to dress up like a character and take other history nerds on tours... well for a little bit.

Gangsta Paradise

Do you ever listen to music and think you know the lyrics-- or you make up your own words? When I later find out  what the lyrics are actually saying I am usually surprised. I was listening to some rap music and some of the lyrics are about shooting people and sex.  Like other genres, musicians in rap and hip-hop have to fulfill certain requirements to been seen as genuine and credible. For example in 50 Cents song “ Wanksta”, he raps “You said you a gangster but you never pop nuttin', We said you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'”. If they were rapping about their life on the street selling drugs, shooting people, and having sex with many women you would expect them to be rapping about their reality not fiction. These qualifications are not usually legal, but consumers associate rap artists with this lifestyle. If these artists are really writing about their life on the streets, is this considered a creative piece of work? In every genre there is an expected image that musicians are supposed to uphold. Rap has transformed and grown to the dislike of many fans.

 

Can you define peace?

When I first attempted to define peace, I was instantly faced with the difficulty of making it a tangible thing. The dictionary defines peace as "the absence of war," but I feel that peace is more than that simple statement can encapsulate. It's an emotion, an action, and a movement; it's love. People are resistant to accept peace and trying to achieve it because today it is often overexposed as a fashion statement or a trend and resented because of it's connotation with the hippie movement of the 1960's. Many people negatively associate the hippies with drugs, free love, and protests. Different groups of people will always find unique and various ways to interpret and achieve peace, but I think the best way to achieve peace is through developing hope, dealing with inner conflict, inspiring others, and loving selflessly.

Far Out Dude

Do drugs really stimulate creativity? Kelly Stafford's article "Use and Abuse: Do Drugs Really Stimulate Creativity" explores the correlation between artists and their creativity. She claims that many artists like Ozzy Osborne credit their creativity to drugs. Like Ozzy, The Rolling Stones were using marijuana, LSD, cocaine, acid, and heroin and it became a part of the rock image. Drugs were influential and prominent in the Stones lyrics such as Sister Morphine, Mothers Little Helper, and Dead Flowers where the lyrics say “ I’ll be in my basement with my needle and spoon.” The influence of drugs are apparent in the sounds and tones of the music. The influence of drugs has a strong connection to the experimental and psychedelic music produced out of the sixties. Drugs were glamorized and spread through the music and continued to become more readily and available and popular. I agree that drugs can affect the creative process by allowing people to express themselves, but I don't believe that it is the main source of an artists creativity. 

Rethink Columbus Day

Columbus Day celebrates the day that Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. Is the man the discovered the Americas worthy of his own holiday? It is a controversial holiday because of the way he treated the Native Americans. They claim that Christopher Columbus is guilty of genocide and was the cause of slavery. I don't think that Christopher Columbus single handedly created the slave trade and was the reason that it continued for hundreds of years. I can understand that he mistreated the natives but are we really wasting our time to try and reverse a holiday that has been around for 100 years? Also, I don't remember the last time anyone celebrated Columbus Day. Why don't we focus our energy on something worth fighting for like the sex slave trade of young girls or domestic abuse? This is just annoying and they obviously don't care enough about their cause to renew their website.

Quarterbacks Throwing Balls to Pirates

Nick Swardson is my favorite comedian ever. In his standup " Seriously Who Farted?" he joked that, "Wouldn't that be a cool world, if we all became the very first thing-- the very first thing you commit to, that's it. You have to be that. You have no choice. It'd be crazy. There'd just be ninjas running around, princesses. Quarterbacks throwing balls to pirates. Rarr. It would be crazy." I began to think about it and I wanted to first girl in the NBA. My dream was to play beside Shaq and Penny Hardaway for the Orlando Magic. When did my dream become so far fetched? Who made me feel like that was impossible? I sometimes wonder when did our parents, teachers, and other members of society let us know that our dreams are unrealistic--I thought they said we could be anything we wanted. I now know that it would be impossible to play in the NBA at 5'3 but still funny to think about. I might have been going to school with a bunch of ninjas and princesses. 

98 and ¾ percent guaranteed

“So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life's A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you'll move mountains.” 
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!


In high school there are so many required texts you have to read. Does anyone really enjoy reading 1984, Hamlet, or Wuthering Heights? I could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students it would be Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. I received this book for my high school graduation gift. At the time I thought it was a useless gift because I was too old for a Dr. Seuss book. After I read it I found it extremely appropriate for a graduation gift. Although Dr. Seuss is known for his children’s books he wrote this particular book for adults. This is a timeless book that addresses the future journeys, hardships, and decisions we will all face but in a positive way. Dr. Seuss uses colorful illustrations and provides a lot of insight in simple rhyme that is easy to understand. This is a must read because it is timeless book for all ages that addresses the future journeys, hardships, and decisions we will all face. 

What makes you lose track of time?

Sometimes I like to pretend that I am Martha Stewart. Decorating and crafting have become my hobbies. When I find a project that I want to take on I get into a “flow”. My project consumes me and I become completely involved in it.  I usually begin by researching ideas on blogs or websites like Pinterest. I have created multiple folders on my desktop and a pad of paper next to my bed for all of my ideas. I usually do my research before I go to bed and then I realize I have been up for hours on end saving pictures to my desktop. I enjoy the creative process and figuring out the cheapest way to execute my projects. I thrive off of the creative freedom that comes with executing an idea. When I am in my zone or flow, it is a stress relief or a type of meditation for me. I lose track of time because I don’t think about anything but what the end result will look like. 

An Ode to Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was the inventor and founder of Apple and an entrepreneur

His legacy as a great innovator will endure

Apple has changed the way the world works

And provided us with many perks

In his lifetime he patented 342 inventions

Including touchpad speakers, power adapters, and lanyards for conventions

Because of Steve I traded in my PC

for an Ipod, Macbook laptop and Apple TV

Without his creations and new technology

I wouldn’t be able to Face Time with my friends in Tennessee

Steve showed the world that you don’t have to have a college degree

To make more money than a doctor or television emcee

Although Steve is gone

His legacy as a pioneer will forever live on