Team Edward vs. Team Jacob

I finally was able to go see the newest Twilight movie Breaking Dawn a few days after it's release. I got there early and was still sitting in the front row. I was amazed at the turnout to see the movie days after it had been released. Twilight has been a huge phenomenon that has become an obsession for many of its fans. It has sold more the 13 million copies in just the United States according to The Strap Times. Also, Joe Naumaier reported it as being ranked No.1 on the New York Times Best Seller list in 2005.  Many people wonder what makes the series so popular. Is it the plot line of an unconditional love story?  It could be, but perhaps it has something to do with why Victorian novels like Weathering Heights written by Emily Bronte, Pride and Prejudice and Emma by Jane Austen, and Dracula by Bram Stokers were and have remained so popular over time. They are all similar in the types of gender roles their characters possess.  Or maybe the fascination comes with Edward’s admiration and protectiveness for Bella that creates a desire in readers. Although I wouldn't consider myself a "Twi-hard" I do enjoy getting wrapped up in this book series. 

Are You Typical?

I came across this video from National Geographic about the most typical person in the world. With some of the statistics from this video I forgot how lucky I am to not be so typical. It made me feel lucky to have some of the things that I have but it made me feel wasteful at the same time. Living in the United States I think we forget that we aren't the center of the universe. Our continent is so small compared to Asia or Africa but we act like we are the most important people on the planet. I was surprised to see that the most typical person was a 28 year old Asian man. This video is a great reminder of how large this world is and how small and insignificant we can be. 

Like Crazy

I happened to stumble across the movie trailer for an indie film called Like Crazy on a blog that I follow. I don't know how many times I watched the trailer-- probably close to 100 times, seriously. It was so touching and immediately I became obsessed. It won a Sundance award and received incredible reviews. After 2 months of anticipation the opening day arrived... and of course it wasn't playing in Alabama. So when I went to Orlando for Thanksgiving I made sure I went to see it. This movie was incredible! It was the most convincing relationship I have seen in a movie because the dialogue was improvised and they were having conversations that you could relate to your own relationships. You know that conversation that starts with " why are you mad at me?" and the other person answers " I'm not mad.. there is nothing wrong" but you obviously know that there is. There wasn't any glamour or glitzto the movie it just told a story about a young couple in love trying to overcome problems with their long distance relationship. The realness to the movie made it so appealing and relatable. It was so refreshing to see an unpredictable story unfold. I highly recommend seeing this movie.. and bring a tissue and put your phone away because you're going to want to contact your ex.

Joshua Bell Experiment

In the middle of Friday morning rush hour traffic to work a violinist performed six classical pieces of music in a DC subway station. He played for 43 minutes collected $32 during his performance. Only seven people stopped to listen out of the 1,097 that passed by. Little did the people in the subway know that the violinist was child prodigy Joshua Bell. Bell was playing on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars and the night before sold out a performance where average seats went for $100. Doesn't this seem weird? Why didn't people stop to listen? Were they too busy to stop and listen or do they not even hear the music when they are in the zone on the way to work? After I read this experiment by the Washington Post, I assumed people didn't stop to listen because in places like the subway there are always musicians playing. Personally I think the location has something to do with the way people perceive the quality and talent of the musician/ artist/ or performer. This just shows you that we need to take the time to see the beauty around us and pay more attention to the details.

Girl Scout

Bobby Montoya, a 7 year old transgender child was denied a membership to Girl Scouts because he had "boy parts". Bobby refers living as a girl and enjoys doing "girl things". He was frustrated when he wasn't able to join the Girl Scouts. It broke my heart when Bobby said "It's hurting my heart. It hurts me and my mom both." Later Girl Scouts released this statement: " Girl Scout is an inclusive organization and we accept all girls in Kindergarten through 12th grade as members. If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout. Our requests for support of transgender kids have grown, and Girl Scouts of Colorado is working to best support these children, their families and the volunteers who serve them..."
     I feel for Bobby because this is just the beginning of rejection and disappointment in his life. We all go through times where we are picked on or made fun of but this is going to be even more difficult as a transgender. Bobby is frequently bullied and made fun of in school and Girl Scouts would have been a place that he could feel comfortable and accepted. I am happy that Girl Scouts is accepting of transgender children but it makes me wonder if they only put out this statement because of the media attention the story was getting. This is an opportunity to teach tolerance and acceptance as well as bring light to the transgender community. I am upset that this had to happen to an Innocent child, but without this incident there wouldn't have been the progress in the Girl Scout community.

Bags Fly Free

It was one of those mornings that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. I was flying back to school from Orlando on Southwest Airlines. I let my brother book our flight and of course he picks the earliest flight possible. I wasn’t able to fall asleep until 2am and I had to wake up at 5am for my flight. I was already exhausted and irritable before my trip.  When I went to baggage claim my bags were nowhere to be found. With my luck my bags never made it on my flight—I knew I over tipped the man at the counter. Anyways, I tweeted at Southwest “ Thanks for losing my bags @Southwestair” and an hour or so later I get a response from @Southwestgabe, “@aacampisi sorry to hear that! Hopefully you were able to file a report at the airport.” I have heard stories about the PR department for companies doing this but never expected to get a response. I do think it was a nice gesture on their behalf because I checked the account that responded to me and they don’t respond to everyone. This seemed to be a common response to complaints. It did make me feel a little better about the situation but it still doesn’t help me get my bags any faster. I wish more companies would use Twitter as a tool to help customers because it is the little things like a response that make an unhappy customer a little happier. Although my bags flew free I would have liked them to be on time, thanks Southwest.

In 4 Years Time

As I reflect on my four years of college I feel like I am a part of a very special time in the University’s history. In sports, the graduating class of 2012 has had the most winning record in school history resulting in a 2 undefeated seasons, 2 SEC Championship appearances, a National Championship, and possibly another appearance in a National Championship. We hired a new basketball coach and ranked among the top programs in the nation, and the gymnastics and cheerleading teams both won national championships. Academically, the school is rapidly growing and is recruiting the brightest students in the nation. I participated in the largest sorority recruitment in the country as well as being around for two new sorority chapters to colonize on campus—and build 4 new houses.

I won’t forget being on campus when President Barrack Obama took office. Not only was it monumental that a black man was president for the first time, but it was my first time being old enough to vote. Also, Tuscaloosa helped pass alcohol sales on Sunday.

No one will forget April 27, 2011.  It was the day that changed everything we knew in Tuscaloosa. Not only did it change the landscape of our city but the atmosphere around the city.  I have so many memories from these past 4 years—good and bad that I will be able to share with my kids, family, and friends.

This song sums up my feelings on the past 4 years..