A few things I’ve noticed when talking with people is your degree of agreeability. It has a great impact on that positive first impression you work so hard to achieve. Think back to a time that you have had a conversation with someone for the first time where your responses received some form of rebuttal or pessimism. What was going through your head? I can imagine you are beginning to find yourself on the defense, attempting to keep the conversation on track and lead it down its original direction safely. This becomes a problem that can often be overlooked when actively participating within the conversation. Begin to take a few moments to think about the responses you make towards people beforehand and see if they are fitting this model of positivity and agreeability. The point of conversation is to participate in a discussion, not a debate.
“When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.” This quote encompasses a lot of the negative events that occur in our lives, but when we are looking at opportunity, things should always be coming your way. Let this be an encouragement to place yourself in the real world and experience life to the fullest. Take as many breaks as necessary for your own personal sanity, but be sure your youth is enlaced with opportunity. To those who work and are busy on the weekly I send mad respect. It takes a special person to deal with the stresses of work, school, and home.
With the economy being in the current state that it is, this may not be the best time to rush through a degree and graduate. The career pool isn’t what it used to be, and undoubtedly could be changed for the next decade. A large mark that could be overlooked in this whole global crisis is the fact that we are looking at a selfish society that has more or less fallen on itself. If we can’t survive these events with a strand of sanity then of course we haven’t learned from these greedy mistakes.
Stay on top and be a winner. Not only is it psychologically part of being a twenty something, but also a mandate if we are to singlehandedly overthrow the world with our leadership and assertion. Be driven.
The proofs for the business card design have been finished. Soon we will be on our way to saving the world. T-shirts are being printed as we speak and should arrive by this time next week. It will be interesting to gauge the responses of others to my campaign material. It’s about time someone stood up
for what they believe in and really bring things into perspective in this world. Where does this concept come from, you ask? Simply, the printing company was having a sale and I decided to monopolize on the opportunity to print my face and
contact information on every surface possible. Making my mark in as many ways that were provided through the company. I will change the
world.
Experiencing the first lockdown on the USF campus since I began school here was frightening and unnerving. My calculus class lecture which took place in the CWY building had just been released at 1:45PM, approximately 15 minutes after the first report of the gunman on campus. Students pushed through the doors unsuspecting of the events transpiring only a few buildings away. As I walked outside the eerie shrill of the emergency alert system was sounding and instructing students to stay inside of the building. Understanding the severity of the alerts, I retreated back into the atrium of the CWY building and gathered my classmates to search our phones for an answer to what exactly was going on.
The MoBull Plus alert system was sending text messages to us consistently throughout the event and alerting us of new police developments as time went on. Twitter updates from USF Oracle and various USF departments were flooding all of our phones. Facebook was a sea of status updates from students who had been in the library during the evacuation, and those who had actually witnessed some of the suspects on campus. We huddled around our laptops and phones eagerly, scared for our own lives. Little did most of us know we would be spending the next 3 hours locked in the building awaiting the clear.
More alarming to me than the crisis itself was the way most of the students were acting about the event. One class had been released an hour after the lockdown began and the entire class walked out of the building and proceeded to talk and act as if nothing were going on.
It is to my personal horror that I realized the complacency of my fellow students who are becoming desensitized to these types of emergencies occurring on campus. Not only are lockdowns performed for personal safety, but also in assisting the police department in being able to spot suspects on campus. Another concern was the lack of direction provided by the staff members of USF. A few USF Physical Plant staff members were located on scene but did not stop anyone from leaving or entering the building and also seemed nonchalant about the entire situation. I found myself in a position where I had to perform crisis intervention and provide updates to students who did not have text messaging plans on their phones or no phones at all. A group of us remained by the doors to speak with those coming in and out of the building who did not know the situation.
Technology has created a different environment around USF’s campus, and I believe that events such as these feel much safer with the instantaneous methods of communication that are used by the university. Thankfully no one was hurt, but I personally don’t want to see students fail to take campus wide emergencies as lightly as they have again. Frequent emergencies may begin to numb some students to them but I believe a better program for emergency education is in the future for students here at USF. A fatality or injury should not be the wakeup call.
Dear Friend,
Today I found the value of life. I don’t spend a lot of time with you when you are around, things are easier this way. We know you are sick but the home remedies won’t work any more. I know how you love them. At times I feel like we fall away from each other but I know you love me. I like it when you smile at me. You get weak sometimes and fall asleep way before bed time, but you are getting better now. Slowly I know you are feeling the burden lessen on you and I am very happy. Things are looking up now, I smile a lot more when I think of you and like to talk about the times we share together. It all happens suddenly that your pain has gone away and you are much better than you’ve ever been before. Sometimes the house still smells like your beauty and feels like your love. Tonight I found out you died.
Today I found love. She makes me forget about pain, about my future, and time stands still. We spend a lot of time together. The nights we spend on the beach together, counting the grains of sand and lying in each others arms. I look in her eyes and pretended like it doesn’t matter, she smiles back. She can see through me. We are traveling together and road trips are a lot less lonely with her. When she laughs I melt inside. She is so beautiful when she cries. She takes care of me when I am sick, chicken noodle soup, warm blanket. This is the one. I’m standing on the side of the road and she looks angry. Why is she angry? I love you. We celebrate our time together and miss the time we spend apart. There are days when we lie in bed staring a the ceiling, she spends a lot of time combing my hair with her fingers. When I think of her I get butterflies in my stomach. I am driving home and I call her on the phone, she won’t answer. There’s a song playing on the radio. Tonight she told me I couldn’t have her.
Today I found inspiration. I was always confused when you were hurting. You break a bond, and they say I will understand when I get older. Naive, but I remember everything. How can you let this happen? I am running away but will be here with you the whole time. It tastes bitter at first but warms my body quickly. He stands here with his hands near you but I can’t budge. I feel out of place and out of touch. These pills are hard to swallow but I know it will be better soon. Life slows down and my feelings fade. Tonight I lost hope.
Today I found success. Can’t believe the news. Stepping out into this new life feels so wrong but so right at the same time. Didn’t think I could make it this far. I feel like a cloud high in the sky. My friends are waving, as I shake the hands of those on stage, a white rose is placed into my palm. A beacon calls for me in the distance and I hear the sound of victory. There are cheers and music is playing, thickly, in the air. I am proud to be where dreams come true. Everyone knows my name, and many have adopted me as their own. Celebration follows but only for a moment, than the moment is gone. Tonight I meet the world.
Today I found beauty. I sat at home, angry at you. Our fight didn’t happen that long ago. How could you be so selfish? Revenge was sweet, though, after what you did to me. We spent a lot of time together riding around in the mountains. I love you like a brother and brothers fight. Your smirk always makes all the girls giggle and gets you out of trouble. I look up to you. We all miss you since you’ve been gone. I pick up a guitar for the first time. My hands bleed the more I practice. Now I play each string for you, every time. When I sing I know you are listening somewhere. I hope harmony that rings is as loud as my love. Sometimes I sit outside and play to the clouds that I know you hide behind. Tonight I found music.
Today, I am strong.
