(NOTE: I may be posting some of my articles I write for the Loyola Phoenix on this blog as well, to keep those outside the Roger's Park circle in the loop on my journalistic endeavors.)
When I first listened to Contra, it was as though I had been listening to their first, self-titled, album Vampire Weekend on a rickety, fading transistor radio: each song takes the elements that make the band so timelessly enjoyable to listen to, and explodes them into Technicolor sound. From the quirky head bopping first single “Horchata” to the lilting, reminiscent finale “I Think Ur A Contra”, this notorious college band proves Contra is no sophomore slump.
On Contra, Vampire Weekend experiments with their staples. Synthesizers, bongo drums, pianos, strings, Caribbean beats and lead singer Ezra Koenig’s buoyant, lilting voice are puppeteered to create a sound that is reminiscent of Vampire Weekend, but unapologetically adventurous on its own. The outcome is a delightfully modge-podge mix of afro-pop and Upper West side attitude that plays with different beats and shifting melodies, while still featuring hooks that will take up permanent residence in your ear. However their strength doesn’t simply come from catchy lyrics and melodies, but also that each song is slightly unpredictable. Driving percussion and guitar riffs break into light hip-swaying bridges, and quiet bongo drums liven up the slower ballads. This contrast enhances and deepens the listening experience on every track.
While Contra stays true to Vampire Weekend’s sound and memorable hooks, the subject matter of their lyrics is definitely post grad. Vampire Weekend focused on crushes on girls in cable knit sweaters and the social intricacies of seeing an ex on campus, the songs on Contra speak of a deeper awareness of the hypocrisies of the world around them. “California English” asks “’Cause if Tom’s don’t work, if it just makes you worse/ would you lose your faith in The Good Earth?” questioning the ironies of wealth and charitable giving. The bouncy, SoCal tone of “Holiday” contrasts with the temptation to forget about the troubles of the world by escaping to the beach, saying “A t-shirt so lovely/ It turned the history books gray”. And the quiet, strings-heavy ballad “I Think Ur A Contra” remembers a former lover, lamenting “You wanted good schools/And friends with pools/…/ Complete control/ Well I don’t know”. However, they stay true to their playful roots with songs like “Diplomat’s Son”, a six minute long romp about getting high and waking up where you least expect it, and “Cousins” is the super up-beat, get-off-your-ass-and-dance track, with Ezra Koenig wailing “Me and my cousins/And you and your cousins/I can feel it coming” as the beat heavy hook. Listeners are once again guaranteed an Ivy League vocabulary lesson from these Columbia University graduates, with references to Contra Costa, horchata, balaclava, 96 point Futura, and Richard Serra. This intelligent wordplay continues to be the basis for Vampire Weekend’s lyrical success and sets them apart from the vague ramblings of many alternative bands today.
While other bands have overhyped their releases, only to disappoint on release day, Vampire Weekend made sure not to make the same mistake. The entire Contra album was made available to listen to six days before the release date, which allowed listeners to take in the entire album before deciding to buy. While slightly a risky move, (if the album wasn’t good this would prominently affect sales, plus allow hackers to rip the songs early to make available on file sharing sites) ultimately it showed their hard working commitment to creating a quality album their fans would enjoy. This paid off as Contra debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and continues to sell strongly.
Interestingly, I think Contra sounds more like Vampire Weekend than Vampire Weekend. While the band could have found marginal success in creating a concoction of head bopping tunes using the same formula, they instead chose to take the fundamental sound of Vampire Weekend and expand it into a new realm of melodic experiments and lyrical intricacies. Though the album title refers to an ambiguous struggle, unsure of what to fight against, Contra comes across as a clear example of how a band should grow while still fine tuning their sound. Clean, smart, and a little bit wild, Vampire Weekend has found its voice.
1.31.2010
1.27.2010
@StateOfTheUnion: The President and Twitter
"America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation. Again, we are tested. And again we must answer history's call"
"It is because of the spirit and resilience of Americans that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight"
"The bank bailout was about as popular as a root canal. But I promised I wouldn't just do what was popular- I would do what was necessary."
"People are out of work. They are hurting. They need our help. And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay."
"Because of the Recovery Act, there are about two million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed."
"We can't allow financial institutions, including those that take your deposits, to take risks that threaten the whole economy."
"All of our men and women in uniform around the world must know that they have our respect, our gratitude, and our full support."
"I never said change would be easy. When you try to do big things & make big changes it stirs passions &controversy- that's just how it is."
A 7,137 word speech, reduced to a eight sound bytes totaling 185 words. 2.6% of the speech was delivered to the people who decided not to tune into the address, but receive 140 character messages to their mobile device as not to interrupt whatever other important activity they had to do. While I agree The State of the Union can be a little tedious to watch (Obama: "My fellow Americans-" Cue entire democratic side 3 minute standing ovation and the entire republican side scowl, sink back in their seats, and shake their head/text. Repeat at least 55+ more times), I think it is a shame this is all some people are getting. The State of the Union isn't something we should take for granted. It is the president clearly stating what he wants to do and his take on the current political environment of Washington. Even if you don't support Obama, at least listen to what he says in order to legitimately back up your claims.
"It is because of the spirit and resilience of Americans that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight"
"The bank bailout was about as popular as a root canal. But I promised I wouldn't just do what was popular- I would do what was necessary."
"People are out of work. They are hurting. They need our help. And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay."
"Because of the Recovery Act, there are about two million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed."
"We can't allow financial institutions, including those that take your deposits, to take risks that threaten the whole economy."
"All of our men and women in uniform around the world must know that they have our respect, our gratitude, and our full support."
"I never said change would be easy. When you try to do big things & make big changes it stirs passions &controversy- that's just how it is."
A 7,137 word speech, reduced to a eight sound bytes totaling 185 words. 2.6% of the speech was delivered to the people who decided not to tune into the address, but receive 140 character messages to their mobile device as not to interrupt whatever other important activity they had to do. While I agree The State of the Union can be a little tedious to watch (Obama: "My fellow Americans-" Cue entire democratic side 3 minute standing ovation and the entire republican side scowl, sink back in their seats, and shake their head/text. Repeat at least 55+ more times), I think it is a shame this is all some people are getting. The State of the Union isn't something we should take for granted. It is the president clearly stating what he wants to do and his take on the current political environment of Washington. Even if you don't support Obama, at least listen to what he says in order to legitimately back up your claims.
1.13.2010
Earthquake in Haiti: What Happened, How to Help
On Tuesday, January 12, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake, leaving thousands dead and nearly one-third of their population in need of emergency aid. This 7.0 magnitude earthquake toppled the presidential palace, the tax office, a prison, hospitals, schools, and almost entire neighborhoods. According to an Associated Press article, run on Chicagotribune.com, by Jonathon M. Katz, the death count is unsure, but Officials in Haiti are estimating anywhere up to 100,000 (estimates have also run upwards of 500,000) have died from the destruction and its aftermath. In addition, the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission was missing and the Roman Catholic archbishop of Port-au-Prince was dead. It is reported that the main churches and seminaries of Port-Au-Prince have been reduced to rubble.
When I heard this news, I was in shock. Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to be a docent at the Our World At War photojournalism exhibit, which was hosted by Loyola's School of Communications and sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross. In this exhibit, five photojournalists from the VII Agency traveled to war torn nations around the world and photographed the conflict and its victims. Ron Haviv captured the conflict in Haiti, and the stories told by his photographs, combined with the background information on the current condition of the country, moved more than one hardened business executive to tears (See the photos below).
Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and has been ruled by violence for most of the last 30 years. A majority of its population live on less than $2 per day, and have resorted to eating mud cakes flavored with small amounts of butter or salt to sustain themselves. When the ICRC conducted a survey of people in Haiti 98% of those surveyed responded they had felt the effects of armed violence, whether or not they had been directly affected, and 66% of those directly affected said they had limited access to such services as water, electricity and health care.
Haiti needs our help. The conditions in the country were horrendous to begin with, and now they have been hit by a natural disaster that threatens to throw the nation into even deeper turmoil. Imagine this event in America: the White House collapsing, the nearest hospitals and schools reduced to rubble, several large organizations and buildings devoted to peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts (the church and the U.N.) destroyed, and piles of bodies lining the streets of New York, L.A., Chicago, and even the Twin Cities. We are so lucky to have a stable country and not be hit by a natural disaster, and now it is time to take advantage of our wealth and stability and help a fellow nation get back on its feet.
THURSDAY UPDATE:
International relief has started to make its way into Port-au-Prince. Planes carrying rescue workers from China, France, Spain, and the United States landed, bringing people to provide aid and tons of food, water, and medicine. However, it took nearly six hours to unload the supplies from one Chinese plane, hinting at a possible bottleneck as relief continues to pour in from around the world to the already damaged airport.
Though there is little authority (many UN trucks and state vehicles are stuck trying to get through crowded streets of people and stopped cars), many people are being freed by neighbors and volunteers, and there are reports of little to no gunfire in this normally chaotic city. There were reports of looting immediately after the quake, but people were taking food, and disturbances are rare.
The dead lay along the streets, some covered in white cloth. Some try to drag dead bodies to hospitals to dispose of them, some are taking bodies to the hills for impromptu burials. Brazil, the largest military force currently in Haiti, is urging authorities to create a cemetery in order to prevent an epidemic.
While Haitians wait for supplies, they have used what they can to help and transport victims. People are being carried to hospitals in wheelbarrows and makeshift stretchers fashioned out of unhinged doors.
*Check out this piece written by Bill Clinton. It is a quick but poignant read about the earthquake and what needs to happen now.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1953521,00.html?xid=rss-topstories
Below I have compiled some basic facts about Haiti, its conflicts, and the earthquake that hit. I have also put together a list of websites and resources where you can donate money and learn more. (Note: the text messaging option is really quick and really easy- I did it and it takes less than 30 seconds and donates $10, which can help a lot)
Please donate, get informed, and tell others about the earthquake and Haiti's conflict.
This is a photo of the Haiti wall at the Our World At War exhibit.
The second photo on the left is of the mud cakes that people eat.
http://www.mandyhenry.com/blog/?p=306
A close up of the first picture on the left (from above).
This woman was running away from gunfire with the pictured child, when she lost her footing and dropped the child. The child was paralyzed from the waist down from the incident.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/haiti-news-081009
Basic Facts:
-Location: Island in the Carribean
-Capital: Port-au-Prince
-Population: 9 million (2 million in Port-au-Prince)
-Life Expectancy: 60.8 years
-Poverty: 78% live on less than $2 per day
-Earthquake hit: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, afternoon
-Magnitude: 7.0
-Number of Deaths: Estimates anywhere up to 500,000
-Number in need of aid: Approx. 3 million
-Current Concerns: Not enough hospitals, spread of diseases such as fever, malaria, and measles, respiratory disease from inhaling dust, escaped prisoners from the collapsed prison, lack of food and drinking water, lack of shelter for those displaced
Links to learn more:
LIVE UPDATES: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456322.stm
PHOTOS: http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishredcross/sets/72157623201983100/
GOOD HISTORY OF HAITI: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456728.stm
GOOD SOURCES FOR UPDATED INFO:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/haiti/
http://haitifeed.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456819.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8455774.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/americas/14haiti.html?hp
How to Help
-Text the word Haiti to 90999 to donate $10
*Through the Red Cross
*Taken out of your phone bill
-Text the word Yele to 501501 to donate $5
*Through Wyclef Jeans organization Yele Haiti
*Take out of your phone bill
-http://www.yele.org/ to donate any amount of money
*Organization ran by Wyclef Jean
*Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health,
environment and community development.
-Here is a link to all the organizations accepting donations for relief:
*http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-haiti-help-boxjan13,0,6665203.story
"Teach us to give and not count the cost"
-St. Ignatius of Loyola
Sources:
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/haiti-news-081009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/haiti/sns-ap-cb-haiti-earthquake,0,1861962.story?page=1
When I heard this news, I was in shock. Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to be a docent at the Our World At War photojournalism exhibit, which was hosted by Loyola's School of Communications and sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross. In this exhibit, five photojournalists from the VII Agency traveled to war torn nations around the world and photographed the conflict and its victims. Ron Haviv captured the conflict in Haiti, and the stories told by his photographs, combined with the background information on the current condition of the country, moved more than one hardened business executive to tears (See the photos below).
Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and has been ruled by violence for most of the last 30 years. A majority of its population live on less than $2 per day, and have resorted to eating mud cakes flavored with small amounts of butter or salt to sustain themselves. When the ICRC conducted a survey of people in Haiti 98% of those surveyed responded they had felt the effects of armed violence, whether or not they had been directly affected, and 66% of those directly affected said they had limited access to such services as water, electricity and health care.
Haiti needs our help. The conditions in the country were horrendous to begin with, and now they have been hit by a natural disaster that threatens to throw the nation into even deeper turmoil. Imagine this event in America: the White House collapsing, the nearest hospitals and schools reduced to rubble, several large organizations and buildings devoted to peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts (the church and the U.N.) destroyed, and piles of bodies lining the streets of New York, L.A., Chicago, and even the Twin Cities. We are so lucky to have a stable country and not be hit by a natural disaster, and now it is time to take advantage of our wealth and stability and help a fellow nation get back on its feet.
THURSDAY UPDATE:
International relief has started to make its way into Port-au-Prince. Planes carrying rescue workers from China, France, Spain, and the United States landed, bringing people to provide aid and tons of food, water, and medicine. However, it took nearly six hours to unload the supplies from one Chinese plane, hinting at a possible bottleneck as relief continues to pour in from around the world to the already damaged airport.
Though there is little authority (many UN trucks and state vehicles are stuck trying to get through crowded streets of people and stopped cars), many people are being freed by neighbors and volunteers, and there are reports of little to no gunfire in this normally chaotic city. There were reports of looting immediately after the quake, but people were taking food, and disturbances are rare.
The dead lay along the streets, some covered in white cloth. Some try to drag dead bodies to hospitals to dispose of them, some are taking bodies to the hills for impromptu burials. Brazil, the largest military force currently in Haiti, is urging authorities to create a cemetery in order to prevent an epidemic.
While Haitians wait for supplies, they have used what they can to help and transport victims. People are being carried to hospitals in wheelbarrows and makeshift stretchers fashioned out of unhinged doors.
*Check out this piece written by Bill Clinton. It is a quick but poignant read about the earthquake and what needs to happen now.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1953521,00.html?xid=rss-topstories
Below I have compiled some basic facts about Haiti, its conflicts, and the earthquake that hit. I have also put together a list of websites and resources where you can donate money and learn more. (Note: the text messaging option is really quick and really easy- I did it and it takes less than 30 seconds and donates $10, which can help a lot)
Please donate, get informed, and tell others about the earthquake and Haiti's conflict.
This is a photo of the Haiti wall at the Our World At War exhibit.
The second photo on the left is of the mud cakes that people eat.
http://www.mandyhenry.com/blog/?p=306
A close up of the first picture on the left (from above).
This woman was running away from gunfire with the pictured child, when she lost her footing and dropped the child. The child was paralyzed from the waist down from the incident.
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/haiti-news-081009
Basic Facts:
-Location: Island in the Carribean
-Capital: Port-au-Prince
-Population: 9 million (2 million in Port-au-Prince)
-Life Expectancy: 60.8 years
-Poverty: 78% live on less than $2 per day
-Earthquake hit: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, afternoon
-Magnitude: 7.0
-Number of Deaths: Estimates anywhere up to 500,000
-Number in need of aid: Approx. 3 million
-Current Concerns: Not enough hospitals, spread of diseases such as fever, malaria, and measles, respiratory disease from inhaling dust, escaped prisoners from the collapsed prison, lack of food and drinking water, lack of shelter for those displaced
Links to learn more:
LIVE UPDATES: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456322.stm
PHOTOS: http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishredcross/sets/72157623201983100/
GOOD HISTORY OF HAITI: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456728.stm
GOOD SOURCES FOR UPDATED INFO:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/haiti/
http://haitifeed.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456819.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8455774.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/americas/14haiti.html?hp
How to Help
-Text the word Haiti to 90999 to donate $10
*Through the Red Cross
*Taken out of your phone bill
-Text the word Yele to 501501 to donate $5
*Through Wyclef Jeans organization Yele Haiti
*Take out of your phone bill
-http://www.yele.org/ to donate any amount of money
*Organization ran by Wyclef Jean
*Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health,
environment and community development.
-Here is a link to all the organizations accepting donations for relief:
*http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-haiti-help-boxjan13,0,6665203.story
"Teach us to give and not count the cost"
-St. Ignatius of Loyola
Sources:
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/haiti-news-081009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/haiti/sns-ap-cb-haiti-earthquake,0,1861962.story?page=1
1.03.2010
2009: A Hybrid Marathon/Mensa Exam/Psychotherapy Session
The next morning after 2009 ended, after the ball was dropped, after everyone cheered 2010!!! for about ten minutes (appropriate yes?) longer than necessary, after people kissed, after the hangovers were slept off, and after I changed out of new years clothes and into the first outfit of 2010 (sweatpants, appropriate? eh it was comfortable) I realized something: 2009 was a marathon of a year.
It suddenly felt like my mind had just taking the SAT 30 times and ran the Chicago Marathon seven times in 40 degree weather while being told I'm the most successful person in the world and the biggest failure of the world. Basically the equivalent of an Iron Man competition, the entrance exam into Mensa, and psychotherapy combined. I realized not only was this year the most eventful of my life, it was easily the most emotionally and physically draining as well.
Think about it: college acceptance/rejection letters, the end of senior year, graduation, prom, a summer of working and hanging out with friends non-stop, orientation, moving out, first semester of college, grades, back home, and before I knew it there was a fresh new year, a new decade, being handed to me on a big shiny silver platter before I even had time to digest the old one.
I sat down in front of my room heater (I hear heat facilitates the growth of mental activity plus it was -10 degrees) and let my brain finally contemplate, ruminate, mull, study, ponder, and consider the year that had just wrapped me up in its hell-bent tornado and spat me out.
It was hard to imagine how exactly it all happened. Graduating high school is a big deal right? I did it. Going to college is a big deal right? Just did that too. However I have no recollection of really processing how important these two events were within the course of my life. I remember going through with the graduation ceremony as though it was another thing on my to do list- I just wanted to get the whole high school list checked off so I could move onto college. Summer was a big ol' sepia toned lick of ice cream sprinkled in tan lines and cliche top 40 hits. Absolutely perfect, but almost too perfect- by the time it rolled around to head toward Chicago I didn't want to leave the best friends that had made those three months so memorable. I got to college and was thrown into a chaotic mix of new friends, activities, classes, and exploring my new surroundings. I dove into anything I could find just to immerse myself in the "college life" and make a new perfect life at Loyola- just like the one I had left behind. It was a lot to handle: two jobs, three activities, a social life, and schoolwork (...priorities) and I never really took a chance to breathe or sleep. I just focused on the "now", what I was feeling that second, what I could do to to get instant gratification without stepping back and seeing how this semester was just one part of my four years of the college life. This year has been so monumental, so eventful that I felt that everything I did had to be another pivotal event in order to make my life successful.
But even as I did all this, I would still feel empty, like there was more I should be doing. I realized this was because I never stopped to think about what exactly I had accomplished. I was on this achievement high- everything I did had to have some monumental importance. Where are you supposed to go from high school graduation and starting college? Nearly everything is going to seem insignificant and purposeless when you start over at the bottom, and I didn't realize this. Thinking back on this year, I have had the most productive year of my life but I wasn't aware until it was over.
And then on top of these events in my personal life, the world was working through some sizable moments of its own. Of course, Obama was sworn into office, making him the first African-American president and a beacon of hope for a more diplomatic, peaceful, and healthy future. He was handed the biggest tangled mess of predicaments probably ever handed to an incoming executive and it has been a long tough year of discussion especially regarding the economy, health care, and most recently the war in Afghanistan. However when America wanted action most, its been forced to take a slow trek down Obama Road- a lot of talk and little specific results thus far. Though this is frustrating, I have faith. Just as I have to sit back and let my life run its course, I think as a nation we have to have a little faith that the nasty mess Obama has been given may take a couple years to clean up, and we're going to have to be patient to see what can happen.
There was also the Bernie Madoff scandal, Michael Jackson's death, Tiger Wood's scandal, Kanye West's impromptu speech, the Ling sisters not being allowed to leave North Korea, swine flu paranoia and the Fort Hood massacre to name a few of the top events. These events seemed to signify a decline in a national feeling of morality, safety, and security. If the leaders in economy, sports, pop culture, and the military can't even hold it together, how are we supposed to? In addition to dealing with the pressures of everyday life, we were pummeled with new stories about scandal and failures every morning.
However, though 2009 was a strenuous year, it is now over. We all have a fresh new blooming year and can use the strength and hard work that pushed us through this last year to its growth. I plan on taking more time to reflect on what I am doing and why I am doing it and whether I am doing these things just to do something or whether I actually think this will benefit me one day (I swear my life isn't as vague as that sentence). I want to have a lot of amazing experiences, but I'd like to actually take the time to appreciate that I lived the moment instead of hopping to the next one. I believe 2010 will be a regrowth year, and we're going to start off this decade stronger than ever.
Happy New Year! Thanks for reading!
Check back frequently, I plan on stepping up my blogging game this year (it may or may not or absolutely may be a resolution of mine) as well as expanding my social media network thingy by hittin' up every social media network thingy website I can! So add me on facebook, tweet me @karis02 (I pride myself in creative usernames), digg this blog, and tell your friends using those archaic mediums such as texting, calling, e-mailing, or mailing about this blog! Also please comment, I always love feedback. Thanks!
Also check out my personal favorite 2009 end of the year diddly-doos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNzrwh2Z2hQ
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/features/specials/top89/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/top-trends-facebook-2009_n_399929.html
It suddenly felt like my mind had just taking the SAT 30 times and ran the Chicago Marathon seven times in 40 degree weather while being told I'm the most successful person in the world and the biggest failure of the world. Basically the equivalent of an Iron Man competition, the entrance exam into Mensa, and psychotherapy combined. I realized not only was this year the most eventful of my life, it was easily the most emotionally and physically draining as well.
Think about it: college acceptance/rejection letters, the end of senior year, graduation, prom, a summer of working and hanging out with friends non-stop, orientation, moving out, first semester of college, grades, back home, and before I knew it there was a fresh new year, a new decade, being handed to me on a big shiny silver platter before I even had time to digest the old one.
I sat down in front of my room heater (I hear heat facilitates the growth of mental activity plus it was -10 degrees) and let my brain finally contemplate, ruminate, mull, study, ponder, and consider the year that had just wrapped me up in its hell-bent tornado and spat me out.
It was hard to imagine how exactly it all happened. Graduating high school is a big deal right? I did it. Going to college is a big deal right? Just did that too. However I have no recollection of really processing how important these two events were within the course of my life. I remember going through with the graduation ceremony as though it was another thing on my to do list- I just wanted to get the whole high school list checked off so I could move onto college. Summer was a big ol' sepia toned lick of ice cream sprinkled in tan lines and cliche top 40 hits. Absolutely perfect, but almost too perfect- by the time it rolled around to head toward Chicago I didn't want to leave the best friends that had made those three months so memorable. I got to college and was thrown into a chaotic mix of new friends, activities, classes, and exploring my new surroundings. I dove into anything I could find just to immerse myself in the "college life" and make a new perfect life at Loyola- just like the one I had left behind. It was a lot to handle: two jobs, three activities, a social life, and schoolwork (...priorities) and I never really took a chance to breathe or sleep. I just focused on the "now", what I was feeling that second, what I could do to to get instant gratification without stepping back and seeing how this semester was just one part of my four years of the college life. This year has been so monumental, so eventful that I felt that everything I did had to be another pivotal event in order to make my life successful.
But even as I did all this, I would still feel empty, like there was more I should be doing. I realized this was because I never stopped to think about what exactly I had accomplished. I was on this achievement high- everything I did had to have some monumental importance. Where are you supposed to go from high school graduation and starting college? Nearly everything is going to seem insignificant and purposeless when you start over at the bottom, and I didn't realize this. Thinking back on this year, I have had the most productive year of my life but I wasn't aware until it was over.
And then on top of these events in my personal life, the world was working through some sizable moments of its own. Of course, Obama was sworn into office, making him the first African-American president and a beacon of hope for a more diplomatic, peaceful, and healthy future. He was handed the biggest tangled mess of predicaments probably ever handed to an incoming executive and it has been a long tough year of discussion especially regarding the economy, health care, and most recently the war in Afghanistan. However when America wanted action most, its been forced to take a slow trek down Obama Road- a lot of talk and little specific results thus far. Though this is frustrating, I have faith. Just as I have to sit back and let my life run its course, I think as a nation we have to have a little faith that the nasty mess Obama has been given may take a couple years to clean up, and we're going to have to be patient to see what can happen.
There was also the Bernie Madoff scandal, Michael Jackson's death, Tiger Wood's scandal, Kanye West's impromptu speech, the Ling sisters not being allowed to leave North Korea, swine flu paranoia and the Fort Hood massacre to name a few of the top events. These events seemed to signify a decline in a national feeling of morality, safety, and security. If the leaders in economy, sports, pop culture, and the military can't even hold it together, how are we supposed to? In addition to dealing with the pressures of everyday life, we were pummeled with new stories about scandal and failures every morning.
However, though 2009 was a strenuous year, it is now over. We all have a fresh new blooming year and can use the strength and hard work that pushed us through this last year to its growth. I plan on taking more time to reflect on what I am doing and why I am doing it and whether I am doing these things just to do something or whether I actually think this will benefit me one day (I swear my life isn't as vague as that sentence). I want to have a lot of amazing experiences, but I'd like to actually take the time to appreciate that I lived the moment instead of hopping to the next one. I believe 2010 will be a regrowth year, and we're going to start off this decade stronger than ever.
Happy New Year! Thanks for reading!
Check back frequently, I plan on stepping up my blogging game this year (it may or may not or absolutely may be a resolution of mine) as well as expanding my social media network thingy by hittin' up every social media network thingy website I can! So add me on facebook, tweet me @karis02 (I pride myself in creative usernames), digg this blog, and tell your friends using those archaic mediums such as texting, calling, e-mailing, or mailing about this blog! Also please comment, I always love feedback. Thanks!
Also check out my personal favorite 2009 end of the year diddly-doos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNzrwh2Z2hQ
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/features/specials/top89/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/top-trends-facebook-2009_n_399929.html
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