Saying Sayonara to Senior Year

     Although I still have a semester left before graduation, I'll be spending it student teaching, making this effectively my last semester at Witt. Wow.
     How did three and a half years pass so quickly? I remember staying up late and ordering pizza with my friends, then eating it in the wide hallways of Myers Hall. I remember trying to study for finals with friends, but learning more about what happened at parties over the weekend than climate change or the pluscuamperfecto tense in Spanish. I remember "wolf-packing" it to the gym to relieve finals stress, then the same large group later walking to the CDR to replace some of the burned off calories with ice cream and pizza during Midnight Breakfast.
     This semester has been stresssful to say the least; each day I've counted down how long it is until the next break and weighed whether I would make it or not. Part of me feels a bit guilty because I haven't truly enjoyed my last real semester at Witt, but another part of me understands the stress and frustrations and is justified in saying "get me the hell outta here!" More than anything, I've been very frustrated with one particular teacher that has been challenging and not as supportive as I've needed. In addition to making me cry in class, this teacher has also made me second-guess my major that I hold most dearly and told me she didn't believe I could do an honors thesis if I didn't have the bulk of it written before spring semester started.
     Luckily, I leave campus tomorrow and will not be coming back until January. While I've had countless wonderful experiences at Witt, at the end of this semester I'm at a point where leaving campus is all I really want right now. I'm hoping my last semester will revive love I have for this university, but right now I'm just very tired and need the break. Although this is my good-bye post to senior year, it's not over yet and I'm hoping I can take the next five months and make more wonderful memories before I have to leave campus, not for break, but as a graduate.
   

Gaining Credibility As a Journalist

     Although I know I've grown a lot as a journalist in the past four years of writing and shooting photos for The Torch, I didn't realize how much other people have noticed that growth until the dance concert a few weeks ago. When a friend in the concert told me the dress rehearsal schedule, she also mentioned that Shih-Ming invited me to come early to take photos of dancers getting ready.
     This was such a big change from my first dance concert, where a nervous freshman stumbled into the seats, was asked to move, then was told if I didn't turn off my "flash," I would have to leave. The "flash" was really an indicator light that showed that the camera was focusing and adjusting for lighting, but I didn't want to say anything to make Shih-Ming more curt with me. I uncomfortable stretched my finger so that it would cover this light throughout the show. Once the show was over, I just left.
     For this concert, I sat down and was getting ready to take our my camera when Shih-Ming asked me to move. No big deal. She was taking video and wanted a clear shot of the dance floor. After the concert ended, she asked about my photos. I sheepishly responsed that I got some good shots and she smiled at me.
     Through photographing every dance concert, I built up a rapport with her. Even though I do not really know Shih-Ming, I feel much more comfortable around her now and feel like a more experienced and better-known photographer because of my experiences with her.

Student Blogging

     12 students lean over their computers. Some stare at their computer screens in focus, others joke, "blogging is sooo fun!" Fun or not, our teacher just assigned us to write one blog before class ends.
     This is Advanced News Writing and as part of our course, we're writing five blogs every two weeks. Topics run the gamut from human rights and street harassment to weekend parties and issues in athletics.
     One of my favorite things about this experience is reading other people's ideas and thoughts; I may not know a lot about baseball or football, but reading Luke's blog allows me to keep up with the big events. Even though we pride ourselves as being a very active campus, not everyone can be at every event. It really allows me to learn about things happening on our campus through other's eyes.
     As for myself, one of my favorite parts of this assignment has been being able to catalogue my thoughts and have an outlet with which to write. Sometimes something will come up where I'll be more comfortable writing my feelings or opinions rather than saying them. This blog has definitely given me an outlet for that as well.
     I think in the future this should definitely be kept for the course, but maybe give students a set number of blogs to have by the end of the course and have "check in" assignments. While at first I thought 5 blogs every two weeks was nothing, it's proven to be quite difficult now that my semester has really kicked into gear. I wish I would have written more when I had the time, rather than stressin to get them done on top of many other assignments.

Philadelphia Features

     Even though we spent a fairly short time in the city of Brotherly Love, I met a fair amount of people and was able to learn a bit about them just through brief conversations.
     Nick was born in New York and lived there for 20 years. He then went to Oregon for a year, but eventually settled in Philadelphia. He goes to school at Temple University and studies social work while working at a deli in Reading Terminal Market. He gave us samples of food and smiles everytime he came over.
     Another man currently works as a tour guide for a Ghost Tour in Philadelphia. He's lived in Philadelphia for many years and has worked as a tour guide for seven or eight of those years. Even though he likes his job, he dreams of doing improv comedy in Chicago. He has some family that lives there and joked that even though he hasn't been there in 30 years, he still loves Second City.
     A Ghost Guide co-worker went to college to teach English and even worked with 7th graders for a while. He changed his mind and has been giving tours recently.
     So many of these people have more stories than what I found out by talking to them for a few brief moments. I would love to delve into more feature stories, especially during traveling, and meet new people and find out their stories.

Long-Form Journalism and Why I Can't Wait to Get on the Road

     I went to a journalism session this morning all about long-form journalism and let me tell you, I can't wait to start writing! A teacher took a summer trip to show his students that there are stories everywhere; what started as a road trip turned into a collection of stories totalling 14,000 words.
     After graduation I will be going on two big trips: the Wittenberg Europe trip and a Canadian road trip with one of my best friends. Hearing story ideas and how to craft a long-form piece made me even more excited to try it. I think it would be a fun way to document the people's stories that I learn while I'm on the road.
     It also can turn into a fun challenge; the speaker joked that he could stop at every Dairy Queen on a certain road and interview people to put together as a story. Something like that would be really fun and almost like a bit of a road trip challenge for my friend and me. I'm already thinking of fun interview topics and different locations that I could find stories.

Creative Response to Luke's "Why Do Bands Change Their Sound"

     When I was in high school, I went to concerts almost every weekend. Whether it was a local show or a larger band playing a bigger venue, I was there and was as close to the front of the crowd as I could get. I'll always remember those nights, sweaty and sore, pressed up against other bodies, or a metal barricade, screaming out the lyrics to my favorite songs.
     These days, I don't have the opportunities (or the funds) to go to so many shows. I'm lucky if I go to a few concerts in a year, let alone in a month. When I think about the bands I used to see, I probably still know all the lyrics to the songs, but not any of the recent songs. This is because the band's changed their sound and I lost interest.
     Luke mentions that many bands "abandon their initial sound in exchange for a different, sometimes better or worse, sound." For some bands, this can be devastating for their record sales. Audience expect one sound or genre of music and get something completely different. For others, however, a new sound provides successful opportunities to explore different styles of music.
     All of this had me thinking about Bring Me The Horizon, one of my favorite bands when I was in high school. Way back when, they were considered a "metalcore" band from Sheffield, England. Their guitars were heavy and their vocals were a mix of high pitched screams and gutteral growls. I loved this sound and voraciously listened to all of their albums as quickly as they came out.

(Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

     This changed for me with the release of their third album, "There is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There is a Heaven, Let's Keep it a Secret." While this wasn't a bad album, for some reason I didn't connect with it in a way that I had with the other albums. I didn't really follow them for a few years; I listened to a few singles from "Sempiternal," their fourth studio album, but still wasn't really into them again. 

     Then a few days ago, I heard their latest sound "Drown." The lyrics really jump out to me and have made me more willing to come back to the band. The sound is different, but it's a good different. It's a lot softer, but part of that is because a guitarrist left the band and was replaced by a pianist.

     Even though I haven't listened to the band in a while, I'm coming back to them because of another change of sound. I think it's interesting how the changing sound of a band can have such a strong negative or positive effect.

Dying My Hair and Losing My Confidence All At Once

     I look like a mom. A 35-year-old mom that would fit right in screaming at her son to watch his dirty soccer cleats while clammering into my meticulous mini-van after his pee-wee soccer game.
     My hair is now about chin length and carrot orange and I look like a mom. Nothing against mothers, or orange hair for that matter, but when I'm a 21-year-old who went to the salon to get a chin length dark auburn lob and came out with this cropped carrot-colored mess, I think it's reasonable that my confidence is a bit shaken.
     I definitely try to be someone that focuses on inner confidence, but I just can't feel this do. I wanted to wait until the last day of break, but now I'm just wondering how possible it would be to run to the nearest Walgreens and do a dye-over.
     I don't think I would mind as much if this was what I asked for and was just a bit surprised by the length. That wouldn't be so bad, but just watching her cut away and trim my hair far past what I asked for was tough; seeing the color once my hair dried was even worse.
     This might just be a long-winded rant about how I didn't get what I want, but I'm feeling pretty low because of it. Here's hoping this hair will grow quickly and that I can find some cute fall hats to cover it up in the meantime.

Jennifer Lawrence Speaks Out About Nude Photo Hack, Sexual Violation

     It's been a little over a month since many nude photos of female celebrities were stolen and spread through the internet and for the first time since the event, Jennifer Lawrence is talking.
     In Vanity Fair's November issue, Lawrence speaks out about issues of consent and why this isn't a scandal; it's a sex crime.
     "It is a sexual violation," Lawrence said. "It’s disgusting. The law needs to be changed, and we need to change. That’s why these Web sites are responsible. Just the fact that somebody can be sexually exploited and violated, and the first thought that crosses somebody’s mind is to make a profit from it. It’s so beyond me. I just can’t imagine being that detached from humanity. I can’t imagine being that thoughtless and careless and so empty inside."
     Laurence also talked about slut shaming and how women are held accountable for things that are not bad for them to do. Taking nude photos is someone personal and she is not in the wrong for taking the photos, rather other people are in the wrong for spreading and viewing them

     "I don’t have anything to say I’m sorry for," she told Vanity Fair. "I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.”

     I think Lawrence sharing her views about the event is very powerful and shows that this is not going to bring her down. Although this was a horrible event to occur to anyone, Lawrence has dealt with it through a perfect blend of sass and class. She is not going to apologize for her actions (nor should she have to,) but she also isn't going to dwell on this forever. Investigations are going on, but until they are finished, she is gracing famous magazine covers and getting ready for the release of the newest Hunger Games movie.

Don't Be a Racist for Halloween

     We're already a few days into October, which means Halloween will be here in just a few weeks. Delicious candy, children trick or treating, the start of cold weather and ridiculously racist costumes.
     Huh? One of these things is not like the others... But it's true!
     Something about Halloween makes people throw on Native American headdresses, don blackface, and wear provocative scraps of material made to resemble an "exotic princess." There is apparently something sexy and fun in getting to imitate another culture, but for the cultures being appropriated, nothing about these Halloween costumes is fun or acceptable.
     In fact, students at Ohio University created a campaign called "We're a Culture, Not A Costume" through their STARS (Students Teaching Against Racism) student organization. The group has made photo campaigns for the last three years. The 2011 photo campaign features students of various ethnic backgrounds holding photos of their cultures being represented in costumes with texts reading "We're a culture, not a costume" and "This is not who I am and this is not okay." Other years' slogans are "You wear the costume for one night, I wear the stigma for life" and "When this is how the world sees you, it's just not funny."
     These campaigns are very necessary and powerful, but some people still continue to make a mockery of them. On "Chicks on the Right," a blog focused on giving Conservatism a "Makeover," writer Mockarena suggests that "this entire country...[gets] the twist out of its collective panties and freaking LOCATE ITS SENSE OF HUMOR." She also questions if we have "really gotten this completely hypersensitive? Are people really this incapable of just laughing at themselves a little?"
Well sorry Mockarena, a middle-aged white woman as seen in her profile picture, but you'll never experience systematic racism and never need to "just laugh at yourself" when someone wears your culture and lifestyle as a fun, one-night-only identity.
     As a young middle-class white woman, the only stereotype I often get assigned is that of a ditzy person that wears leggings, UGG boots, a Northface or Patagonia jacket, and totes a Starbucks drink everywhere I go. I have never been arrested, killed, racially profiled, or negatively affected by this stereotype. Whereas if I were any other race or ethnicity, any one of the negative things listed above could happen to me on a daily basis. I would also have to come to terms with my identity frequently being used as a joke and a parody by people who have no real connection to it.
     Even though people think it's a fun Halloween costume to throw on some "ethnic" clothes, they only wear that identity for a day and never face any negative consequences because of it. They never have to face the very real negative judgement, discriminations, and other actions that people of color face on a daily basis. For that very reason, I ask you to please not dress like a racist this Halloween.

Please Don't Take Photos Up My Skirt

     Next time you’re in Texas, be mindful of what you’re wearing or who’s around you because the Lone Star State just reversed their decision on a photography law that bans people from taking photography for sexual gratification in public places. In other words, if a pervy guy takes a photo up your skirt for his own sexual purpose, he’s not committing an offense in the eyes of the Texas Court.

     The statute in Texas Penal Code section 21.15(b)(1) stated that “a person commits an offense if the person photographs...or transmits a visual image of another at a location that is not a bathroom or private dressing room: (A) without the other person’s consent; and (B) with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.”

     Sounds pretty valid. I wouldn’t want someone taking photos of me, without me knowing it, and later using it for their own sexual desires.

     Texas, however, changed their mind and decided that due to paparazzi journalists’ and other photographers’ professions, keeping the law in place with its current wording could get them into hot water. Theoretically, any paparazzi could take a photograph that could be interpreted sexually and be charged for it.

     Unfortunately, by protecting photographers and journalists, the law also could protect people like Ronald Thompson, who was caught taking underwater photos of young minors at Sea World in 2011, then tried to delete them before his camera was seized. The 73 photos were mostly of children and were “targeting the children’s breast and buttocks areas,” said District Attorney Susan Reed.

     Although Thompson was initially indicted with 26 felony counts of violation of the Improper Photography statute, the case was sent to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals; there it was ruled that photography was protected by the 1^st Amendment as an expressive outlet.

     The court also decided that due to the broad wording of the law, and the inability to differentiate between regular street photography and photography with sexual intent, the statute should simply be struck down.

(Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

     Although I can see the desire to protect photo journalists or paparazzi photographers, I also think that by striking down the law creates so many problematic situations of assumed consent. Just because someone isn’t taking a photo of me for their sexual gratification doesn’t mean that I want them to have a photo of me at all! Also, in some cases, paparazzi photos are taken and shared with explicit sexual content, so I don’t think paparazzi are fully innocent in their efforts to do their job.

     Anne Hathaway was unfortunately subjected to this during a Les Miserables premiere. While leaving her car, paparazzi took photos that showed her vagina. Instead of deleted these photos, however, the photos were sold, released, and promptly spread around the internet. What does Texas plan to do about cases like these? Cases that would have been prosecuted under the previous Improper Photography law.

     I think this is an issue that will only become more and more common as the destruction of privacy and non-consensual commodification of human bodies continue to become more commonplace in our society. Although I agree that maybe the original law could have found some people unintentionally violating the law, Texas’ decision is not a move in the right direction as far as protecting victims of sexual harassment.

Closing Hour

     I'm currently sitting in the FLLC at 9:30. I can tell that there are two, maybe three, students in the center right now. We close at 10 and there are usually just a few stragglers that stay to finish up homework or make sure that they can conjugate all the right verbs for their quiz tomorrow. Right now, Shaydon is talking word etymologies and a student is loudly typing away on the computer. 

     "I just don't understand" says a language student. It's pretty common to hear here. 

     A wall of foreign magazines sits behind me and I can't help but think how much I'll miss this place once I graduate. When I think about it, I've spent so much of my time junior and senior year here and it really does feel like a second home. Even when there's not the noise and bustle that comes with afternoon shifts, the center is still exciting. Every day I feel like I find and learn different things. I've been learning a few phrases in Russian and can confidently say a few German words, albeit with a pretty bad accent, but hey. I'm trying.

     About 10 minutes have passed. I'm staring at a lost water bottle that has been sitting in our lost and found for weeks and wondering at what point it becomes socially acceptable to just take it. One would think the owner would have come back, but maybe not. Maybe if it's still here at Christmas...

     Shaydon is talking about gender roles in languages and there's still 20 minutes left in this shift. I love the FLLC, I really do. But closing hour is the hardest.

Response to Ciara's "Is The HPER Doing Too Much."

     As a Wittenberg student and student worker, I think Ciara's article brings up many valid issues. Until recently, I was not aware that HPER Center student workers weren't able to do homework at their job. If I worked my 12 hours a week (an average to light load compared to some jobs) without being able to do homework at work, I probably wouldn't be working 12 hours, or wouldn't be getting good grades in my classes. 

     In fact, I'm typing this entry as I sit in the FLLC right now. There are currently no students needed help with their Spanish and there are also three other Spanish tutors in the center right now. We are all working on homework, but would drop it instantly the minute someone called us over for help. Am I a less dedicated worker because I want to balance my academics with helping people with theirs? Am I not as good of a worker as I should be because instead of cleaning the FLLC and reorganizing our movie collection, I am typing up this blog entry? Dr. Bennett might have some thoughts on that, but effectively, no. 

     I can both be a great tutor and get my work done. In fact, right now, between typing this blog, I am helping a student with her Spanish homework and am judging a game of Manzanas con Manzanas (the Spanish Apples to Apples). Yes, I'm getting paid for maybe not really working, but I am practicing my Spanish and bettering my language skills, which eventually will help my tutoring. When I do homework (which is almost always Spanish as I'm taking 14 credit hours of the language), I consider it making me a better tutor. 

     But even if I wasn't actively improving my Spanish, me doing homework at work shouldn't be seen as a negative thing. Yes, I am a student and my main priority is my academics. Working is just an added benefit that helps me offset the cost of college living. And while I understand the argument that student workers should focus on their jobs, I don't understand why they can't also do their homework during slow periods at work. If students ask me for help while I'm doing homework, I instantly put my homework down and help them. When they say "Sorry, I don't mean to be a bother, but..." I tell them it's my job to help them and that is always a priority. But there are also times where during my five or six hour shifts, I'll only have two or three Spanish students. There must be a more productive way to spend my time than looking at decorations in the FLLC and that is by doing homework. Hopefully the HPER Center work rules won't spread to other areas on campus; I literally can't afford to not work on any homework at work.

     

On Moving to Canda

     I'm obsessed with Canada. It's no secret. I'm in love with the hockey, the friendly people, the landscape, and the aspects of their socialist system are just an added benefit for me.
     Ever since visiting Vancouver my freshman year, I fell in love with the city and started to think about moving to Canada after graduation. While I did visit Niagara Falls (on the Ontario side) when I was about four years old, I mostly remember being amazed by the falls and crying in a tall building because I was terrified of falling.

Mountain view from downtown Vancouver (Elizabeth Doll)

     A lot has changed since then; during a Torch conference in Seattle, two friends and I made the drive to Vancouver to go to a concert that was 21+ in the U.S., but only 19+ in British Columbia. I was still a few weeks shy of turning 19, so I took to the streets of Vancouver and walked around for hours while Martin and Kate were in the venue. While this might've seemed very gutsy for someone that was walking alone at night in a city they've never been to before, I felt very safe and there were a lot of other people out as well. I got to see Rogers Arena, home of the Canucks, as well as the Vancouver Art Gallery and many shops downtown.  The city was incredible and even though I just saw a few parts of it, I fell in love. That night, we couch surfed at a home outside of the city. Even though we got in late and left fairly early in the morning, the owner of the house pointed us in the direction of a great breakfast diner. She apologetically told us that she had work that morning, otherwise she would have given us a tour of the city. As is, I felt like she was a great host and gave me a really positive view of the city. Later on, we walked around the Gastown District downtown. 

     Now, I'm halfway through my last real semester at Wittenberg and next semester I'll be teaching Spanish to high schoolers at Shawnee High School. Before student teaching, the Education Department has various meetings to talk about licensure and testing and basically getting ready for life after graduation. At one of these meetings, I found out that my Ohio licensure is reciprocal with British Columbia! So now I'm working out the details and looking up jobs and legal forms, but if all goes well, this time next year, I'll be in Canada, living out the dream.

Vancouver at night (Elizabeth Doll)

Why I'm Obsessed with Emma Watson and Her United Nations Speech on Feminism

     Emma Watson, the actress most famous for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter series, recently spoke to the United Nations about feminism and her fight for equality. I have always been a fan of Watson's acting and knew that she was very involved with human rights, but while listening to her speech, I realized that she summed up exactly how I feel about gender inequality around the world.

(Wikimedia Commons)

     "I decided I was a feminist and that seemed uncomplicated to me, but my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word," Watson said. "Women are choosing not to identify as feminists."
     All I could think of was an experience sophomore year when a girl in my choir said that she would never be a feminist because she loved her boyfriend. I tried to explain that loving your boyfriend and believing in equality of the sexes weren't mutually exclusive; she could be in her relationship and still fight for equal rights, but she too viewed feminism as a men-hating religion and she wanted no part in that.
     "For the record, feminism, by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities," Watson said. "It is the theory of political, economic, and social equality of the sexes."
     I am a firm believer in feminism and I too want to change its connotation. I think any woman could and should be a feminist. Some people have told me "I could never be a feminist. I want to be a stay at home mom and take care of my kids," but as a feminist I believe that women should be able to do what they want with their lives and not be held to a lesser standard because of it. I hope that with more visibility and education, more people will realize the benefits of feminism and that the equalities of the future that Watson talked about can come true much sooner. For now, I challenge everyone, especially men, to educate themselves about feminism and gender inequalities throughout the world. Like Watson says, "gender equality is your issue too."

Columbus' Craft Boutiques Are Hurting My Wallet

     I'm a crafty person. I'll never try and hide it; in fact, I will probably try to pawn off my crafted goods onto you if we're friends long enough.

A wooden keychain, pins,
and two charms bought
from a boutique (Elizabeth Doll).

     I love most vintage things and I love thinking of ways to repurpose old items and charms. Some of the decorations in my room are a print of a vintage Chicago map, a linen towel with a map of Canada on it, terrariums, among many other things. The only thing I don't like about crafting or buying vintage? Everything seems to come with a very high price tag.
     Over the weekend a small boutique in Columbus, that was always closed when I tried to go, was finally open. I loved looking through everything, but by the time I left with a few charms, a tote bag, and four very tiny buttons, my total added up to almost $40!
     I love supporting small businesses and I love the things I buy, but I can't help but wish things were a little cheaper. I guess I've just gotta understand that that's how the system goes, but until then, I'll try to contain myself when I walk into craft stores and vintage boutiques.

Two vintage charms that I
plan to make into earrings (Elizabeth Doll).

Race Relations on Campus and Why I'm Not Satisfied

     Race relations on campus aren't ideal, but last Monday's Town Hall discussion did have me feeling more assured about the issue. Students and audience members chimed in when a guest speaker said something problematic (Such as Prosecutor Andy Wilson's comment about fatherless black children); moderator Julius Bailey also did a great job of educating white audience members about perspectives and experiences from his own point of view as a black man. One quote really stuck out to me: "Can't you understand that it's not as easy to take, especially young black men, to have them ride along in police cars, as if this is a safe and protective space. It's not that easy." As a white, middle-class woman, I can say I have never experienced what Bailey talked about and I most likely never will, which is why I too need to be educated.

                   (Photo courtesy of Darrin Pope)

     What troubles me though is that many people that need to hear about these issues and need to understand the state of law enforcement and how it is prejudiced against people of color were not present in the audience. Although Bailey Auditorium was nearly full, with guests sitting along the flanks, I would have loved for this event to have taken place in the HPER Center with a mandatory attendance policy for students. I learned and grew so much from this event and I wish others could also have been enlightened about racial issues in our country.
     During my time at Wittenberg, I have heard many stories of prejudice on campus and I have seen it with my own eyes. A friend of mine is an international student from Africa and she told me she has heard students making comments about both her skin and athletic abilities due to her race and her nationality, with her close enough to hear them.
     One early afternoon, I got a frantic text from Kate Causbie, my then-photo editor for The Torch; she asked me if I could take a photo of the fountain now. Someone had written the n-word on the fountain and we were covering it for the paper. I grabbed my camera and ran to the fountain. As I was there, taking photos of the word, written in haunting black ink, a student walked quickly by me and once he saw what I was doing, began to interrogate me.
     "What are you doing? How did you get here so fast?" He asked. "We're printing this in The Torch. We have sources." Even though I was a bit scared, I stood my ground. I had every right to be there. "Who told you?" He hissed. "We have sources," I repeated. He began to walk away, going even faster now, and I knew this was important. Members of the paper decided we had to print this; students needed to know and someone needed to be held accountable.
     Even with efforts from students and groups on campus to raise awareness, I wish they were more widely received. I'm glad that there has been improvement with awareness on campus, but I guess I'm just not okay with settling for fewer racial remarks, or less comments about how many black students are only at Witt because of Affirmative Action. I don't want to hear those comments at all and if educational discussions like this can change that, then I think our entire campus should be on board.

Country Living in Columbus

     Middle-age white moms are toting bags filled to the brim with their treasured finds, you can hear the twang of bluegrass music in the background, and the air smells like sweet buttered popcorn; the Country Living Fair has returned to Columbus, Ohio.
     While most of the shops have a similar array of glitter-encrusted pumpkins and overpriced "vintage" finds, if you search through the madness, you can really find something magical. Furniture pieces always go quickly and decorations can disappear equally fast if they're in high demand. Although there are many stores, there's always something special for each shopper. A small porcelain doll might be just as meaningful for one person as a handmade baby outfit might be for another.

Vintage campers at the Country Living Fair (Elizabeth Doll)

     There is also an area set up to showcase both vintage and new campers; Go RVing sponsors the area and even has raffles and giveaways throughout the fair. Some of the prized items? A new iPad, Go RVing materials, and more. Although some people still use their vintage trailers to go camping, others have taken to converting them into mobile shops that can travel from fair to fair. While this Country Living fair did not have many of those, at other fairs, such as the Hobnob Market in Danville, Illinois, they are very common.
     After searching for fun clothes, crafts, and housewares, a fair goer can relax and listen to some music while snacking on an apple fritter or some kettle corn, washed down with fresh squeezed lemonade. The lines are long, but they move quickly. This year a new vendor, Sweet Carrot Casual Cuisine, had guests lined up at two locations in the fairgrounds. From pulled pork to their signature "Grown-Up Mac & Cheese," Sweet Carrot drew in huge crowds.

Edited to add photo 2:14 p.m. September 14th

Hockey Season is Coming, but Not Soon Enough for Some Fans

     Even though the National Hockey League (NHL) starts October 8th, a group of friends and I have decided to get into the spirit early; for our second year in a row, we've started up our Fantasy Hockey League with our draft last Thursday.

Brandon Saad (Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

     There are four of us in the league: myself, Linda, Katie, and Mary Kate. Although we don't play for money, the league is still a fun way for all of us to keep up with current NHL games, as well as talk to one another about a sport that we're all passionate about. Last year, I came in last place, but it was fun to watch games, then see the immediate results of how it would (or wouldn't) change my position in the league.
     The first round of this year's draft saw big names like Patrick Kane, 2007's 1st overall draft pick, and Tyler Seguin, 2010's 2nd overall pick,   but a few less familiar names as well. Brandon Saad, drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft, has played for the Chicago Blackhawks for three seasons not, but has not necessarily lived up to the hype that came with him right after the draft. Similarly, Jonathan Drouin, drafted third overall in the 2013 still has not debuted in the NHL; instead he is continuing to play with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where Drouin has remained for three seasons.
     Other quickly-drafted players in our league are Sidney Crosby, Drew Doughty, Carey Price, Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie Benn, and Jonathan Quick. Noticeably absent from our draft was Jonathan Toews, captain of the Chicago Blackhawks and two-time winner of the Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold with Team Canada.
     "So nobody drafted Toes... brb laughing forever," joked Mary Kate in our Facebook group message for the league.
     Even though Fantasy Football and Baseball continue to dominate the fantasy leagues in the U.S., there is definitely a small, but dedicated group of hockey fans that want to get in on the fun. Even though the season doesn't start for another month, I'm already looking forward to being able to stream a game online, then check out how my team is doing afterwards. I probably won't come in first at the end of the season, but the fun comes in the journey along the way.




Photo retrieved from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Brandon_Saad_Hogs.jpg

Inclusivity at the Stratford Theatre Fest

            The 2014 Stratford Theatre Festival brought a lot of underrepresented groups to the center stage, quite literally. Two plays in particular, “Mother Courage” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” feature sign language and deaf characters throughout.

            In Bertol Brecht’s “Mother Courage,” the title character’s daughter, Katrin, is mute and communicates through hand motions and shouting. She became my favorite character throughout the festival because of her ability to act and create emotions and dialogue without actual words. Towards the ending of the play, she resolutely beat a drum to warn the village of an attack, but was sadly killed for it. Even though Mother Courage’s other two children also died in the play, I didn’t feel the same sense of sadness.

Katrin truly shined in the play and showed me how many feelings and emotions can be communicated without words. Although Katrin did use hand motions at times, in other scenes she was silent and relied just on facial expressions and body language to speak for her.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” also used sign language throughout the play, except that was a special feature to this interpretation. During a question and answer talk back, Bethany Jilliard, who plays Hermia, mentioned that the cast included two hard of hearing members. Adding sign language to the play not only helped include all cast members, it also made the play feel more modern.

At first I didn’t understand this element of the play; I wasn’t really familiar with the plot and thought that Jilliard was signing the entire play. While that would have been incredible on its own, it turns out that the signing was more woven into the play by featuring Egeus, Hermia’s father, as a deaf character.            

Not only did including deaf and hard of hearing characters create an interesting and unique take on the play, it also made the play much more inclusive and representative. In fact, Jilliard mentioned that they cast was working at a version of the play with all dialogue signed to make Shakespeare accessible to an audience that has not really been able to enjoy Shakespeare before.

Response to Brian Raymond's "Nudie Magazine Day ft. Katniss Everdeen"

     Although Brian Raymond's article on Jennifer Lawrence's stolen nude photographs brings up some interesting points on rape culture and how America treats and shames female sexuality, it also includes some extremely problematic language and ideas.
     The first paragraph completely contradicts the more progressive ideas in the later part of the entry. Although Raymond refers to the original poster of the photos as one of the "sick minded people" in our society, he also says that privacy breaches like this "made many young guys dreams come true" and says the release of "a gorgeous nude photo of one of [a young man's] favorite celebrities" is "better than winning the lottery."
     He later goes on to write that Lawrence is a victim of a system that permits sexualization and commodification of women and their bodies. While this is a very valid point, it is very problematic to say that Jennifer is a victim, yet still promote the photos with language used in the first paragraph.  
     Something that some people may not realize is that even if they did not personally steal and post the photos, they still allowed and promoted that action by looking at them. By searching and looking up photos that stem from a sex crime like this, people can support the action without having stolen anything in the first place; they benefitted from the system that gave them the opportunity to see the photos and for that, they are not completely innocent either.
     While it is very positive to say that "It is time America looks itself in the face and says this can't happen," it might be more beneficial to look closer to home. What words and ideas are you promoting, consciously or unconsciously, that contribute to a misogynistic culture that continues to abuse and belittle women? Calling the visual results of an unwarranted sex crime against someone "better than winning the lottery" might be a good starting point.

Stolen Photos and Victim Blaming: Misogyny at Its Worst

     If you've been on social media recently, you probably heard about the "leaking" of nude photos of many female celebrities. Although multiple women were targeted, Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen in "The Hunger Games," has taken the brunt of the criticism. A quick Twitter search of her name brings up some disgusting comments like @howe007's "On one hand I feel bad that Jennifer Lawrence's nude photos were leaked. On the other hand, well.. that hand was busy." and @kennytarmac1's "THEY FOUND THE BODY OF THE HACKER WHO STOLE JENNIFER LAWRENCE'S PHOTOS. HE'S THE FIRST MAN EVER TO BE 'HIGH FIVED' TO DEATH!"  

Jennifer Lawrence (Courtesy of WikimediaCommons)

                     
     Comments like these perpetuate the blaming of victims of sexual assault and sexual crimes. In this case, it is very important to realize that Lawrence's photos were not, in fact, leaked; they were stolen from her personal iCloud account. Someone hacked into her account, stole the photo files, and posted them on a 4chan.org, a site with many online messaging boards. From there, the photos were posted to many other sites. Although Lawrence took these photos in private, her intimate photos are now on the internet for anyone to see. She is currently working with the FBI, Apple, and Twitter to remedy the crime.
     While the concept of victim blaming is not new, a strong response against it is. Emma Watson tweeted "Even worse than seeing women's privacy violated on social media is reading the accompanying comments that show such a lack of empathy." Anne Hathaway told Matt Lauer "I'm sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants" after a tabloid photographer took and released a photo of her exiting a car without wearing underwear.
     Although the illegal release of Lawrence's and many other celebrities' photos is disgusting and tragic, the conversation and outrage that followed shows that many people are fed up with society and the media's treatment of women. To constantly abuse and blame women for acts that are committed against them, against their will, is ridiculous. Hopefully with more outspoken celebrities and more backlash against acts and "leaks" like this, there won't be any more destruction of privacy.

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Weekends Away from Witt

     This year will be the first since I came to Witt where I will be away on weekends more often than I will be on campus for them. I didn't plan it that way; there's no hidden agenda for me to get away from my friends. It just so happens that a lot of stuff has come up this semester.
     For one, I'm going to Canada for a weekend to see plays at the Stratford Festival. I've wanted to go on this trip since I was a freshman, but never got around to signing up in time. As a senior, I've seeing my life in lasts: last chances, last undergraduate moments, last opportunities, last memories of Witt. I want to be able to graduate and say that I got the most out of my education and my time at Wittenberg. If that means spending a weekend in Canada and shirking a few classes, so be it.
     I'm also seeing my parents more this semester than usually. My Mom is coming up in September for a Crafts Fair in Columbus and some good 'ole mother daughter bonding. She already told me that she wants to go to North Market for food and Jeni's and who am I to turn down ice cream and seeing my mom for a weekend staying in and doing homework?
     The next weekend both of my parents will be up for Family Weekend (their first), but since a lot of the events are geared towards younger siblings, we probably won't be spending all weekend on campus. While some people may not get along with their parents or want to see them all the time (that's why some people go to college far away from home, right?), after graduation I want to move to the Pacific Northwest (either Seattle or Vancouver), so I'll take any family bonding I can get before then.
     Initially, that was about all I planned for, but since starting classes other great opportunities have presented themselves and who am I to turn down an adventure? One of the clubs I'm in wants to go camping, our new choir director planned a retreat for us, and while no real plans have been made yet, I'm quietly hoping The Torch goes to the annual ACP conference.
     While some people might be bummed about not being on campus as much, I'm so excited for all the fun plans I have for this semester. As new opportunities for adventure present themselves, who am I to say no?

Musings on Senior Year

     Starting senior year I thought I would be more anxious and nervous. I mean, in a year I will hopefully have a great new job and will be exploring a new city. Maybe the nerves will kick in later, but for now, I'm excited. My classes are fun, but already a bit challenging, and I can't wait for The Torch to pick up again. 

     My freshman year I had no intentions of ever writing for a newspaper. I wandered over to The Torch's booth to talk to my RA, Maggie McKune, then the editor-in-chief. Despite her leadership position on the paper, she was very quiet and there weren't many people coming by to sign up. People would look, then walk away. I decided to take matters into my own hands and call people over. Later she told me that I had to come to a meeting and of course, I agreed.

     Three years and many hours of work later, The Torch has given me some of the best experiences of my college years. I've seen Seattle and Chicago for conferences and I've grown as a writer, a photographer, an editor, and a person. It sounds cheesy, and maybe it is, but the hours spent in our Torch office has become some of my favorite memories.

     As a senior I hope to take full advantage of my last semesters at Witt. I want to learn more, see more, experience more, and grow more, both with my personal life and my "Torch life." Although I joined as a photographer who sometimes wrote stories, I've now found a balance of the two that I really enjoy. Keeping that balance and developing both skills would be my goal this semester. With lots of practice, constructive criticism, and new ideas, I hope that Advanced News Writing will help me grow as a writer and as a journalist.