Black Friday

Black Friday is a shoppers dream. It is the day after Thanksgiving, and marks the start of the holiday season. Stores open at insane hours- Kohl’s opened at 6am, Target at 7am etc. Each year during the week of thanksgiving stores such as Kohl’s and Target advertise their insanely early store hours to lure customers in. They have special “door buster” sales and other promotional offers to attract you in.

I for one have never gone to a store before 10am. And why would I? I don’t see the need to shop at Target at 6:00 in the morning to save a few bucks. Unless they were to give away a T.V for every $100 spent or something, then maybe I would consider going. However, I did make my way downtown to go shopping with my parents. Economists say that “Black Friday” is a good way to see how the economy is doing, and how much consumers are willing to spend. I was anticipating heavy traffic into the city, and large crowds of people in the stores. I was surprised when I got downtown in thirty minutes, and was able to move on Michigan Ave. with ease. I was able to get around large department stores such as Bloomingdales easily, and didn’t feel overwhelmed like I thought I would. From my observations, people were definitely willing to spend money. They had multiple large shopping bags, and had no problem throwing down hundreds in specific departments such as shoes.

While I love shopping, I think that the overcrowding on black Friday is a myth. It was just like any other shopping day- although there was a sense of holiday spirit in the stores, which I love. So for those who think that the economy is on a downward spiral, they clearly haven’t gone shopping in downtown Chicago, because while it wasn’t completely packed, I’ve never seen more shopping bags before!

Different Cultures = Different Body Language

I was born and raised in Chicago. I’m used to a fast paced lifestyle, and avoiding eye contact whenever possible. However, since I’ve been in Dallas I’ve noticed that the people down here will do anything to start a conversation, and move at a much slower pace. Also, when they first meet you they are really excited, and shake your hand, and sometimes even kiss you on the cheek. Back home this never happens, and chances are the person you just met will forget you in five minutes.

For example, whenever I’ve gone to Whole Foods, or Tom Thumb, the check out lady/man will start a conversation with me, and seem genuinely interested! At first this was so strange to me! I’m usually in such a hurry to get in and get out, but the cashier wants to talk. Now, after have experienced this a few times it’s kind of comforting. But as far as the slower paced lifestyle- that’s something I am not used to!

Just the other day at Whole Foods, the cashier was engaged in a rather lengthy conversation with the lady in front of me. Now I was in the express line, so I thought I’d get out of there fast. But no! They continued to talk for a good five minutes after she’d already paid and bagged her items. Now I understand that they were having a conversation, but it was making me very impatient. But it does comfort you knowing that people are interested in your life.

This whole idea made me think of Heat-Moon in Blue Highways. While he was on his journey, he met so many interesting people and had some of the best conversations with them. He traveled the USA on small, off-beaten roads and learned so much about himself. I think that coming to school in Texas is my version of the off-beaten path. While I do miss the fast-paced lifestyle of Chicago, it has been nice to come to a completely different part of the country, and meet people with different backgrounds than me.

Will it all be worth it?

Okay, like many of you reading this, you’re probably just as freaked out about rushing in the spring. Today was Panhellenic Preview. For the first time we were able to visit four of the eight houses, and meet the girls one on one. This was one of many activities we’ve had this fall to “ease us” into the recruitment process and make us feel less scared. Personally, with each event, I become more scared! They want us to feel excited (don’t get me wrong I am excited) but I’m beyond terrified! Each time I meet a sorority girl, I’m immediately worried about how I look, if my hair is okay, and what I’m going to say. I obviously want to make a good impression, but I also want to be myself. They tell us to just have fun, and I am, but it’s so hard to have fun when you could think you’re friends with a girl from a specific chapter, that could ultimately cut you on bid day.

As I was walking around to the houses today I was beyond nervous! I kept my cool while talking to the different sorority girls, but I was just so worried. Do they like me? Am I pretty enough for them? Are they judging me? In a way it’s nice that we get to rush second semester so that we can get our grades up, and feel at home at SMU, but the pressure to be on our best behavior is very overwhelming. Especially with websites like “dirtydtown” featuring freshman girls not on their best behavior.

After all this I can’t help but wonder if it’ll be worth it. I can’t even tell you how much money I’ve donated to the different chapters philanthropy events, or how I’ve gone out of my way to impress the girls. I just hope that on bid day, I get into a house I want, and that I really do develop a special “sisterhood” bond with my future chapter.

Going to Church, on my own

Tonight I went to church for the first times since I can’t even remember. However, this time was different. I wasn’t dragged with my parents, I went on my own. I’d been having a really stressful week, and my roommates asked if I wanted to join them at church. I reluctantly said yes as I hadn’t even started my homework yet. But, when I got there I felt really at peace, and knew that it was where I was supposed to be. School gets so crazy sometimes that its hard to set out a time during the week to just relax. While church may not be relaxing to some people, I found it to be just that tonight.

I was really surprised at how many students were there on their own. And it wasn’t just that their bodies were there, their minds too. They were actively listening, and singing along. It’s one thing to just go to church, but to actively go, and participate brings new meaning. When I was growing up church was always something I was forced to go to with my family, and I dragged my feet each step of the way. It was really nice to see other students like me at church on their own free will. It’s comforting to know that however stressful the week may be, there’s always 5:00 mass on Sundays to look forward to.

I love SMU

Just this past weekend I visited one of my best friends from home at the University of Arizona, in Tucson. It was really nice to get away and have a change of scenery, but I didn't realize how much I would miss SMU. I knew I was attending a great school academically, but I didn't realize how good I really do have it. From the minute I stepped off the plane I already missed Dallas. I guess when you're living in a big city, you take advantage of it and don't realize how good you have it, until you're in the middle of nowhere. The town had only one main street of restaurants and shops. Now coming from Dallas, this was strange. Not only is there more to do in Dallas but it is so much cleaner! The streets of Tucson and the campus were filthy! Trash was everywhere, and the dorms were very unkept too. I just didn't feel safe and clean the way that SMU makes me feel. I used to question why we were paying so much to attend SMU, but now I know why. SMU is extremely clean, they offer "giddy-up" and now SMURides, where as Tucson, you're on your own. I guess you pay more for added safety and comfort- which I cannot complain about.

Now, I can't completely rant on Arizona. There is one thing they've done right, the dining on campus. They have multiple dining halls, with real restaurants that feed into your meal plan, and that are open late...but RFoC is a whole other issue that would be it's own blog.

SMU: My New Home

Family weekend has come and gone. I remember anticipating my parent’s arrival for weeks. It meant free food, shopping with my mom, and a taste of home here at SMU. I did manage to eat amazing food off campus and shop, however my parents visit reminded me that I am on my own, and that SMU is my home now- not Chicago. I loved every minute with my parents this weekend, but much to my surprise when the time came to say goodbye, I wasn’t upset. When they left me back in August, I was a mess. I was so unsure of everything and had no idea what to expect. Now that I’ve become acclimated to Dallas, and made new friends, I’ve started my own life here, independent from my parents. I almost couldn’t wait to have my parents leave so that I could resume my newly created life. Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents more than anything, but i’ve just become so used to my new routine and way of life that I was ready to get back to it. I feel guilty for being happy that they left, but it just didn’t feel right. This is my home now, and I’ve built a life independent from my parents. It will be interesting to see how things are when I go home in three weeks…will I fall back into old routines, or have a hard time leaving my SMU life?

Early Adoption: A good or bad thing?

If your anything like me, you’re dying to get an iPhone- if you don’t already have one. Unfortunately for me, my cell phone carrier doesn’t support the iPhone. While I was upset at first, I knew that Apple would release something similar or market the iPhone to other cell phone carriers. And, true to Apple form, they have released a similar product to the iPhone: The iPod touch.

I’ve always been one to buy new technology before anyone else. I love trying out new products, and nowadays with technology booming, it’s hard to resist. I bought the first generation iPod before people really knew what they were. And now with millions sold each year, I feel proud that I was one of the first people to buy one. But, like most early forms of technology, there are problems. While I love my iPod, I can’t even count how many replacements I’ve had. Just from the hard drive freaking out and crashing, or the screen freezing. While Apple gladly replaces them, each time it breaks I find myself saying, “That’s it, I’m done with iPods!” but then I realize how amazing it is when it does work.

This leads me to the iPod touch. I’m dying to get one. It has everything I want from the iPhone, just not the phone. It’s even thinner than the iPhone too! I’ve been doing research on the Touch, and after much consideration I’ve decided to wait. This is rare for me. I usually buy new products impulsively, but I’ve not read many great reviews. And, i’m almost completely convinced there will be flaws in the first models of the touch, and just like the iPhone, the Touch will go down in price by at least $100. While the Touch does boast a new, very exciting feature: Wireless iTunes music store, I’m not completely sold on the whole concept yet.

So is it really better to buy early so you can be one of the first owners, or to wait, read the reviews and wait for a price slash?

YouTube

YouTube. We all use it. I’ll even admit to using it. I constantly go on to watch funny video clips that my friends discuss, most of them hilarious, some just stupid. Just this past weekend my roommate shared with me some of her favorite video clips, and I was genuinely disturbed. I think Youtube is a great site to go to when you want a good laugh, but if you really think about it, why on earth are people broadcasting themselves on the internet doing the most absurdly strange things?! There are two people on YouTube that I’ve found who have “Video Diaries”. Basically it is them recording themselves talking about their lives. The first guy my friend showed me a few months ago. It was hilarious at first, and I honestly could not stop laughing. But while I was laughing, I actually felt sort of bad. While it gives me a good laugh, I worry about these people. Why would they videotape their lives and post them for everyone to see? I wonder if they realize that people just watch their video clips for pure amusement? I mean if they have 100+ entries all with mean comments, you'd think they'd read them and stop broadcasting themselves. One comment on his most recent video should make anyone stop posting videos. "first off, you're ugly as hell, second, get a pair of balls already, she is jsut a girl. third, who fucking cares about ther JACKET! look at you tie!" I mean, come on! Are people that bored and desperate that when people are blatantly mocking them, they STILL broadcast?!

We all know that Britney Spears has been a big topic of discussion lately, and in response to her flop at the MTV VMA’s, Chris Crocker- a YouTube video diary addict posted a seriously disturbing video . While he says that he is serious, and really is upset, I really question what he is doing on YouTube.

I would never be caught dead doing that and it worries me that some peoples lives revolve around YouTube and how many hits they get.

Have We Forgotten?

September 11, 2001. That date is forever etched in my mind, and the images that follow will disturb me for the rest of my life. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Who would have thought that at the age of 13 my world would be forever changed? I was school when the news broke out and I remember the day being filled with questions and confusion. Was it really World War 3 as people were saying? Did New York City really explode? I guess everything got blown out of proportion that day as most adolescents don’t’ know what there talking about when it comes to world news. But I do know this- the world did change, and it may not be world war 3 but there is definitely a war still going on, whether people want to admit that or not.

As the six- year anniversary approaches this week, I find myself filled with confusion again. My heart breaks when I think back to that dark Tuesday, and I can’t help but think that people have forgotten what happened that day. Each year I become more observant of people around me and I’ve noticed that as the years go on people seem to have really forgotten. The first anniversary was the hardest one, and the ceremonies that took place were extremely moving, and I noticed Americans taking pride in our country. But now, no one seems to notice that the anniversary is this Tuesday. I think it should be a national holiday or day of remembrance for the thousands of innocent lives that were lost.

Another issue that has been on my mind for the past few years is the War on Terror were fighting. I’ll admit, I’m guilty of not following the news on a regular basis, and I just read the headlines on the Internet. However, I don’t even need to read the headlines to be enraged. I just listen to ignorant people talk around me. “We shouldn’t be fighting in Iraq! Were killing innocent people!” “Why can’t we all just get along and be peaceful!?” I too wish the world could be a peaceful place full of rainbows and butterflies, but that is just not the case. People in America seem to take advantage of our freedom, and fail to realize that if they were living in the middle east their freedoms would be greatly limited. I just wish people would understand that even though Osama Bin Laden and his Al-Qaeda terrorist network are rooted in Afghanistan, the middle east is the forefront for the war, be it Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan etc. I just recently watched a video online saying that Osama Bin Laden is probably hiding in the mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan. What angers me is that our troops can only search for him on the Afghanistan border, which makes no sense considering we give 10 billion dollars in aid to Pakistan- you think they’d let us look for him?

I hope that that by the next anniversary of 9/11 in 2008 I’ll be able to blog about the capturing of Osama Bin Laden instead of his search.

I can't believe i'm doing this//How To Be Good: College Style

Okay. So from the title of this blog you probably know that i'm not very excited about this blogging thing. I consider myself to be very internet savvy and technical. I have an active facebook account, I write emails daily, but i've always laughed at those people who keep blogs. The idea of posting my thoughts on the internet doesn't appeal to me. However, i'm going to give this a try.

How To Be Good. This phrase has been everywhere on campus in lieu of our summer reading book. Nick Hornby's, How To Be Good wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but it did get me thinking. Here at SMU, or any college campus you have so many negative factors looking you straight in the face daily. Learning how to be good in college almost seems like a death sentence. If you want, you could party every night, sleep through your early morning classes, drink all day long etc. Every day that i've been at SMU thus far, i've been faced with tough decisions that could ultimately affect my goodness. Do I go out on a Monday night and socialize, or do I stay in and get ahead in my school work? I'm also scared to be the one person that doesn't go out when everyone else around me is. It's the first semester of my freshman year, the last thing I want is to be different from everyone else...right? So far, i've gone out a good amount to meet new people and have fun, and i've managed to stay on top of my school work. But as the semester goes on, and the work load only gets heavier, the daily choices I make will become harder. I've learned that college is a balancing act, and I believe that if your life is balanced and you are happy, then your considered to be "good". Overall, How To Be Good just frustrated me. I'm 18 years old and I have no idea how I want my life to be. Well, I have some idea, but it seems to be changing every day. Is it too much to ask to just get through my freshman year, and not have my whole life planned out yet?

This is my first blog so please leave comments.