The end of the semester is almost here, and life is a little crazy. Thursday was a really busy day. I had my first exam of the semester, and I feel pretty confident that I did well on it. There’s still a couple more to go though. As soon as my exam was over, I ran over to the Perspective office. Today was the day that our magazine, INcite, was coming back from the press! We were all really excited, and we had big plans for the day.

From 11 - 1, we sat in the Sullivan Center, handing out magazines to all of the students. The entire campus gave us an awesome response, which was really nice, because we worked really hard to put it together for them. As soon as we were done doing that, we had to return to the office to get ready for our release party. Everyone came together and did what they could to clean up, set up, and prepare everything.

We cleaned and decorated the office, put out tons of food and balloons, and hoped for the best. We saw a really great turnout and received nothing but compliments about the magazine. Everyone seemed really impressed with what we had done, and it made me want to get started on the next one! All in all, it was a really good end to the semester as far as the newspaper/magazine goes. Now I can’t wait for next year!

If there is one thing that Buffalo is known for, it may be the weather (either that or chicken wings - but for the sake of this post, we’re going to go with weather). As unpredictable as it may be, there are definitely a number of upsides to the city that many people overlook. Only recently have I really understood how beautiful of a city Buffalo is. In the past two or three weeks we have been roaming around town to take pictures for the magazine that we are producing. In our travels, we visited the History Museum and the Albright Knox Art Gallery - both of which are gorgeous. We also have the beautiful Forest Lawn Cemetary and Delaware Park (which has recently been packed with people enjoying the warm weather).

In addition to the beautiful scenery, there is such a unique culture in Buffalo. This weekend, my boyfriend and I went to Elmwood to find a birthday present for my mom. There were so many people walking around, stopping in all the shops, and eating outside at all the cute restaurants. It really felt like summer. Anyways, there are some really cool places on the Elmwood strip that you really can’t find anywhere else. On our 80 degree Saturday, we ate lunch on the patio at Kosta’s Restaurant on Hertel Avenue. The streets were alive there, as well. I was so excited to eat outside for the first time this year. Judging by the amount of people there, I think everyone else is excited to see that patios are being reopened, too.

Driving around, we saw people having picnics, taking walks, and playing basketball. The energy that comes with warmer weather is just contagious, and this weekend, everyone was enjoying the beauty that Buffalo offers.

Last week Monday I attended Take Back the Night, which was co-sponsored by Student Involvement, Student Activities, and Counseling Services. If you don’t know, Take Back the Night is an event that takes place all over the world to inform people about sexual violence towards women. It promotes safe environments where women do not have to worry about walking alone or at night. I was not sure what to expect, but I found that it was a very moving program - and I was really impressed by the turn-out.

The event began in the Lecture Hall, where a Medaille graduate and survivor of sexual abuse shared her story with the audience. Then we traveled outside (it was a beautiful night!) and lit candles, taking a symbolic walk around the quad to “take back the night.” I think it is great that we have events like this on campus, and I think it is even more impressive that students take advantage of them - particularly in this case, guys. There was a much higher number of guys in the crowd than I would have expected, and I think that is great to see.

I give the speaker so much credit for being able to stand in front of a crowd and talk about her experiences. She displayed a lot of courage in doing so. As I listened to her story I found it hard not to think about what I would have done or who I would have been if I were in that situation. She has turned into a truly beautiful person who has used her past to create a future for herself - in helping children, specifically abused children and children in special education. It gives me hope to see that good things can come out of terrible occurences.

Its been warmin’ up the past few days and I can only hope it lasts. I took advantage of the nice weather with a jog in Delaware Park the past two days. There’s just something about being able to be back outside that feels awesome.
Besides the increase in temperature there has been an increase in stress as well.With the last weeks of school ahead there’s alot to get done. Papers, projects, articles, not to mention the stuff at home thats going on. I just gotta keep on keepin’ on till its finally over.
In my psychology class we’re required to read two books on which we do a report relating to a disorder or theory. I just finished my second book, The Last Time I Wore a Dress. It details the hospitalization of a young girl who has Gender Identity Disorder. She is placed in a mental hospital just because she refuses to act “normal” in the eyes of her physicians and the rest of society. It is rediculous that just because she did not adhere to society’s standards she was locked up for more than three years of her life. Whose business is it how someone chooses to live their life? I mean, this girl wasn’t hurting anyone yet she was locked up because she didin’t fit the girly-girl mold society set out for her.
So the next time you see someone different, don’t make fun of them. If you dont have anything good to say…leave them alone.

Peace

In my Mass Communication Theory class, we have been talking about the effects of television on its viewers. One particular topic that we discussed was that of media and its relation to crime and/or violence. While it’s true that there is a considerable amount of violence on television, can we really blame the media for what people to choose to do? Is the exposure that television provides us with enough to push people over the edge to commit crimes or acts of violence?

One of the things that is especially important is what kind of impact the media has on our children, whether it be concerning issues of violence or anything else. Young children can not always comprehend that what they see in the television is not always real. Are the kids of today’s society more violent than ever because of what they are seeing on television? From a different angle, are the kids of today’s society more anorexic than ever? The media portrays an unrealistic image of what “beauty” is supposed to be, and many young girls employ unhealthy tactics in an attempt to look like the celebrities they are seeing on the screen.

Surely, I think the media can be a factor in all of these issues. There are so many other questions out there about how much of an effect television really has on a person, and I think it depends on the individual and the situation. It is scary to think that the impressionable brains of young children can be molded into something completely unwanted depending on what kind of shows they are watching on television.

The issue that I have with people blaming the media entirely for anything and everything is that when it comes down to it, you are the one who controls turning the television on or off. The media does not control you. When it comes to children, it is entirely the parent’s responsibility to monitor what their child is watching and how much time they spend in front of the tube. We can’t be so quick to blame the media, because it is 100% voluntary. Parents should be held responsible for what their children are being exposed to.

Why in the world do breaks go by so fast? Suddenly, all the things you planned on doing aren’t done, and tomorrow you have to go back to school. I shouldn’t act surprised. That’s how it always goes. No time to dwell on it, though – there are way too many other things to do. In addition to end of the semester schoolwork, over at the Perspective office we are trying to juggle two newspaper productions and a magazine production in the next month. Talk about hectic. When it is all said and done, there will be a lot to be proud of. But in the meantime, there is a lot of hard work and things to get finished.

Tuesday morning, a few members of the senior staff for the magazine took a “field trip” to Borders, where we spent hours looking at magazine layouts. We got a lot of good ideas! As soon as we got back to the office, we were eager to start. We have put a couple pages together and it is really exciting, because this is the first time that Medaille will have a student-run magazine. It’s really awesome to get to be a part of it. Unfortunately, we are so excited about it that we keep forgetting we have two papers to produce! And that we also have classes to go to, and homework to do. I can only hope that teachers are feeling generous and don’t assign too much these last few weeks.

After talking about it and wishing for it, Spring Break is finally here. Friday was the last day of classes, and Saturday morning, the senior staff of the Perspective boarded a (delayed) plane to New York City. We were traveling there to attend the College Media Advisers Spring National Conference, and it turned out to be a really fun couple of days. The conference had about 10 different sessions for every hour (9am - 2pm), and students were able to choose which sessions they thought would be the most interesting. I attended some really informative and entertaining sessions which gave me tips on feature design, writing, and managing peers. There were also sessions with sports and photography themes, which were good for our photo editors and sports editors.

We were lucky enough to be in New York City on St. Patrick’s Day, and it was absolutely crazy. There were so many people there that I really didn’t get to see much of the parade. It went on for hours. We actually got to meet quite a few people from Ireland, which was really cool. I want an Irish accent so badly after talking to them! Over the course of our stay we also made it to Times Square, Little Italy, Chinatown, and Central Park. It was a really fun bonding experience, and I lucked out, because New York City is one of my favorite places. The conference helped to give us some great advice, and also, a little self esteem boost. Colleges from across the nation were at this conference, and we all brought our papers to swap. Believe it or not, the Perspective was competitive with some of the best student newspapers in the nation.

Spring Break has finally arrived, and I’m sure it’ll probably fly by as well. The week leading up to Friday was pretty much full of finishing things off. In my last Analytical Writing class I had a paper due, but we also talked about a very interesting reading we had for homework.The reading was, at least for me, a blast of reality. It proposed the question of “how Christian is America today?”. Since roughly 85% of the U.S. calls themselves Christian why are they living in a way that is contradictory to Christianity’s fundamental belief that we should help others, and love our neighbor as ourself. The reading went on to provide example of how Americans are in direct opposition to the fundamental pillar of Christianity. For example, why if we call ourselves Christian do we focus so much on ourselves and the enhancement of our financial/economic standing in the world, instead of helping the poor in our own nation (18% of which are children). The reading also pointed out the recent increase in the numbers of Mega Churches that have sprung up, which offer tips on how to discipline your children, how to eliminate your debt, and also offer drive thru doughnut and coffee shops for our convienence.

The reading made me step back and question how Christain I really am. Am I just going through the motions or am I encourporating Christainity and its fundamentals into my everyday life? And I think that this is something everyone who calls themselves a Christian should really take time to think about.

With Spring Break only a few more days away, and I can’t wait, it is really starting to hit home that in less than 2 months I will be a college graduate. Monday was the Medaille Media Awards Lunch and the seniors were the ones presenting the awards. This was the first and possibly last time that all of the media seniors will be together. I was sitting at a table with a bunch of us and I couldn’t help but become a little sad. For four years I grew up with these people and I’ve come to depend on them, but now everything is changing and soon enough we all will be spread across the country. It’s a scary thought.

But on to happier things, like Spring Break!!!! I can’t wait, we have a 1.5 weeks off this year and I just want to be home, but not before a little NYC trip. I haven’t been home all semester and I can’t wait to see my dad and friends, although the majority of my friends will still be at school. And then almost the week after Spring Break I get to go home again and for my friend Maureen’s art show.

This year is moving quickly.

The last week is always the hardest, isn’t it? Spring Break is days away, but there is so much to do before then. Having been assigned more papers than I think I ever have been at one specific time in my life, I am swamped with assignments as we approach the middle-mark of spring semester. I will be thankful when this week is over.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are always a nice break for me, since I only have two classes instead of four. Today’s classes were especially interesting. In my GEN230 Creative Expression class, we have just started our “hip hop culture” unit of subversive art. This morning we watched a really interesting documentary on the origins of graffiti art, breakdancing, and rap music. It’s a really fun topic, which is exciting, but I will admit that I am nervous to write my own rap and create my own graffiti (assignments I will have at the end of the unit).

Then I had a really informative Child Development class. We are currently learning about autism, and today, we had a guest speaker. The woman (Debbie) is a single mother of two children, one of which has autism. She talked to us about her experiences having her son diagnosed and the daily problems that she faces as a result of his condition. Learning about autism and the logistics of the disorder is interesting and all, but hearing about the effects it has on a family’s life has even more of an impact. It was a really emotional class, because you could really feel for her and what she deals with every day. As a conclusion to her talk, she read us “Welcome to Holland.” I would highly suggest taking a look at it, because it explains the experience of raising a child with a disability, something that many people don’t know or understand.