My calendar tells me that July’s rent is due this coming Wednesday, but it’s difficult to believe that this Wednesday will mark the first day of July already. Where has the summer gone? Not counting this one, only eight weekends remain before the start of fall semester. There’s still so much I want to do before the summer ends — so much hiking, stargazing, organizing, reading, writing, scrapbooking, exercising — and that isn’t counting all of the tasks on my list of things that I actually have to do. It seems as though summer has just been silently slipping away.

This summer has been so amazing, I sometimes find myself wishing that classes would never start back up again. Just a year ago, I never would have believed that I could feel that way. I love learning, and I always have, and the idea of enjoying something else more than I enjoy going to college classes would have seemed preposterous to me. I wanted to take as many classes as possible and soak up as much knowledge as I could in four years. Yes, I’ll be the first to admit — I’m whatever your favorite term is for one who actually enjoys learning. A dork? A nerd? A smarty pants? Pick your favorite, I don’t care. People shouldn’t be so opposed to the idea of learning something new. I’ll never understand the stigma assigned to people who like to read, or who enjoy being challenged to understand new things. But that’s a post for another day.

The point is, a year from now I wished that I could stay in school forever. Now, I’m toying with the idea of graduating early. My love of learning hasn’t changed, but the way in which I desire to learn has. I’ve enjoyed being challenged in a classroom setting. It’s been fantastic being forced to think and analyze…having to really push myself. But this summer, I’ve enjoyed working full-time more than I could have imagined. I love the hands-on learning–the real world experience–that working gives you. I love t

he (occasional) variety that exists even among the routine 9-5 schedule. I also love having the weekends to truly explore whatever I want. For the first time since I arrived in DC, I feel like I am finally getting to know the city. During the school year, I rarely have the chance to get off-campus because classes are so demanding. But this summer, I’ve finally had the opportunity to explore the city that I have lived in for the past two years.

Everyone keeps telling me to stay in school as long as I can. Go to law school or get a masters. Anything … just stay in school until the economy is better. And that was my original plan. Either to go to law school or to participate in the BA/MA program that my university offers. The program allows students to take graduate classes their senior year and then obtain a Master’s degree after just one more year of classes. But now, I’m not so sure that’s the direction I want to go.

The professors are always encouraging us to travel abroad (as most students at my university do) and to conduct large-scale research projects. I truly admire those students who pursue such paths. I love traveling and I actually also like research. But those things aren’t what I’m truly passionate about.

Over six years ago, I started volunteering for the American Cancer Society. I’ve lost too many people that I love to cancer, and I wanted to do something about it. I’m very involved with ACS and have no plans to ever discontinue my level of involvement. For starters, I’m the president of my university’s ACS Colleges Against Cancer chapter, I’m a member of my ACS divisions CAC lead team, and I’m an active member of ACS CAN. I love the American Cancer Society and the difference that they make in people’s lives. The programs they offer, the life-saving research that they fund, the legislative work that ACS CAN does … it’s all truly amazing. But this summer, I’ve been working for theyouth advocacy division of a tobacco-control non-profit organization. And something inside me…says YES, this is it.

As a volunteer for ACS, I’ve always been passionately against tobacco. Everyone I’ve lost to cancer also was a regular smoker, and I’ve never doubted for a moment that their cancer was a product of tobacco use. So in that respect, tobacco control is a perfect fit. But it’s the YOUTH advocacy that has really clicked with me. Youth … as in, the leaders of tomorrow?

Do you remember in school, when all of the adults were always telling you in school assemblies that “YOU are all the leaders of tomorrow. YOU are the future”? I do, and I remember thinking that, if that was case, we were all doomed.

But training youth to be advocates…to be leaders in their communities…makes so much sense. You can’t just stand in front of a podium at a school assembly and say “Go! Go be leaders!” because it doesn’t work like that. You have to give them something to passionate about. You have to TRAIN them and give them the tools they need to be successful. Give them the keys to be leaders and to make a difference in the world.

And what could be better, in my opinion, then being passionate about educating people about the toll tobacco has on those who use it? About preventing people from becoming a cancer victim. About helping someone improve their odds of never having to go through what someone with cancer goes through. No one should have to watch the people they love die because of tobacco.

It is important to cultivate a generation that at least has the desire to DO something…to take action…to make a difference somehow, no matter how small. Anything. People who care, people who have some sort of driving force or motivation, are better than a world full of people with no ambition whatsoever. And training them to be advocates, I feel, a fantastic step in the right direction.

So I like where I am at in life right now. I feel as though I’m finally figuring things out. I’ve joined a network here in DC and I’m meeting women who also want to make a difference in the world, and hopefully those connections will help me when it comes time to find a permanent job.

The thing is, I analyzed my academic plan the other day and realized that it is very possible that I will be done with classes at least a semester early, if not an entire year early. However, to graduate a full year early, I might need to take a couple classes next summer. The idea of graduating early had never occurred to me before, mostly because I never dreamt it was possible since I am double majoring. But, unless I’ve missed something and am entirely mistaken, it looks like it is definitely a possibility. I’m meeting with my academic advisor next Wednesday to find out what my advisor thinks. Graduating a full year early would save me almost $25,000 in debt.

Anyway, while some pieces of my life seem to be falling into place, it looks like I have a big decision up ahead. Graduating early is, to me, a huge decision. It means an entire year of undergraduate experience that I can never get back. Classes that I’ll most likely never have the chance to take again. I had a four-year plan in my head, that involved not only classes but also clubs and internships, and that would be radically altered. So sometime soon, I have to decide what’s best for me.

Hopefully I make the right decision.

It recently came to my realization that I haven’t yet blogged about my trip to Peru that I took last spring break. In fact, I don’t think I’ve even mentioned it. Last spring break, I traveled to Peru as part of a study/travel program offered through the university honors program. Only 20 students, plus the honors director and Ambassador Quainton (who previously served as an ambassador to Peru), went on the trip.

Despite four years of Spanish in high school, I still barely understand the language. So Peru was quite an interesting experience in that respect. Being surrounded by sounds that mean nothing to you, and not being able to understand anything anyone is saying, is an odd feeling. However, my Spanish did improve in just the week

 that I was there. I feel like if I ever had the chance to spend 6 months or a year abroad in a Spanish speaking country, I’d pick the language up. Whereas I’m nearly certain that I’m unable to grasp it in a classroom setting. 
Despite the communication barrier, and there were actually plenty of people in our group who spoke Spanish and were able to translate for those of us who didn’t, the entire experience was amazing. For the first few days, we stayed in Miraflores in Lima. The food was positively … fantastic. Honestly, I’ve never had such fantastic food. Even though I originally thought I wouldn’t try the ceviche (basically raw, citrus-marinated fish), I did because I wanted to get the full experience and not appear rude…and it was GREAT. I ate it many, many more times after that. 

My first night there, I was in a car accident. Until Peru, I’d only been in one other car accident … and it was only a few months before. Four of us were in a cab headed back to the hotel, when the cab driver turned straight into an oncoming car. The impact was quite a jolt and a surprise, since it happened so quickly, but everyone was unharmed. The cab, and the other unfortunate car, were badly damaged though. The other three people I was with spoke Spanish, so we were able to catch another cab and make our way safely back to the hotel, but we were pretty shaken up for the first few minutes because we were in an unfamiliar area and several cabs turned us down before one finally agreed to take us. 

What was interesting about the accident was the way the police responded. Two cops on a motorcycle happened to pass by and they stopped to see what was going on, but they only spoke for two seconds with the cab driver and did not even approach us to see if we were okay or if we needed assistance. 

Each day was packed with great activities, and each evening was packed with fun out in the city. We had the opportunity to go to the American embassy and meet with Ambassador McKinley, where we were briefed by the other diplomats on Peru. We visited a drug abuse prevention center, where kids and young adults from the community are working fervently to prevent drug use among their peers. The neighborhood it was in is a high crime area. In fact, our bus drive was not pleased at all when he learned where he was supposed to be taking us for the day. But the trip was amazing, and the center that they are running is amazing. 

Towards the end of the trip, we went to Cusco and then spent a day at Machu Picchu. It was breathtaking, and I’d love to go back and spend more time there, though I’m sure I probably won’t ever do so.  

I have pictures of Machu Picchu, but I haven’t been able to upload them yet because I seem to have misplaced my USB cable. I’ll do a second post on Peru and what I learned about the country and some of the problems it is currently facing at a later date and include the pictures from Machu Picchu. 

It’s been quite an interesting month. May is always hectic, since it is the conclusion of the academic year, but this May was extra busy because I made a rather large leap forward in life — I moved off campus. 

The entire apartment search process was rather overwhelming at times. DC is a tough place to find an apartment in — especially if you really want to be close to campus. The area near my campus is incredibly overpriced. And while going just a couple metro stops away results in a sizable decrease in rent, it also makes getting to morning classes incredibly unenjoyable. 

Even after we thought we had found the perfect apartment complex and felt confident that everything was going to work out, we learned that getting an apartment was going to be far more difficult than we anticipated because we couldn’t meet the complexes income requirements and most of us had no, or just not a long enough history of, credit.

Eventually we snatched up the last small, 2-bedroom apartment available at the apartment complex near campus that everyone tries to avoid because its notorious for problems. Regardless, its full to the brim with students from my university because of its incredibly convenient location. 

My boyfriend’s parents came up Easter weekend to move him in and bring us furniture, and my parents came up the weekend after. After two weeks of moving in, we were living in the apartment full-time. And shortly after, school ended and my new, full-time job/internship began. 

I absolutely love my internship. Which is great, since I spend 40 hours a week there. The days go incredibly fast. And working is far more relaxing than the school year. You have no idea how much of a relief it is to not have grades to worry about, or to dread Sundays because that means you have very little time left to finish your homework. 

On top of my amazing internship, I’m also working a part-time job that requires a minimum of 7.5 hours a week, but I’m trying to work 20 hours because I really need the money.

It’s exhausting, I won’t lie, but I want to be able to pay for as much of my cost of living once the school year starts as possible, so that I can minimize the amount of student loans I have to take out. I’m not able to work as much during the school year.

So far, the summer has been fantastic. Despite the increased responsibility, both financial and otherwise, I truly enjoy being on my own and working full-time. Which makes me optimistic about my future. In just two short years (I’m a rising junior), I’ll be finished with school, out in the “real world” for good, and hopefully working full-time at a job that I love as much as the one I have now. And if my experience so far is any indication of what’s to come, I’m looking forward to the future.

Recently, it seems that every morning when I read the news, there is another headline about a parent murdering one, or more, of their children. While I am not naive enough to believe that parents murdering their children is anything new, it still shocks, and perplexes, me. I believe statistics show that most violent crimes, of which murder certainly qualifies, are committed by someone you know. But a parent?

Even more perplexing are the sentences that are handed down.

In Philadelphia, a mother of ten pleaded guilty to starving her daughter, who suffered from cerebral palsy, to death. She was 14 years old and, at the time of her death, weighed only 42 pounds. According to the news article, “In her last days alive, during an August heat wave, the bedridden girl had flies and maggots hovering near her open sores and could muster only enough energy to ask a brother for ‘water.’”

The mother’s sentence?  20 to 40 years. 20 years is the same sentence that was handed down to Amanda Hernandez Smith, who was found guilty of possessing 200 to 400 grams of cocaine in San Angelo. Granted, that is a hefty amount of cocaine, but it does not compare to starving a 14-year old child to death. Additionally, 20 to 40 years is the same sentence handed down to Christopher Roy Welk, 29, for a series of burglaries.

Are these two crimes nearly as heinous as the starvation of a 14-year-old girl?

Don’t get me wrong - I understand that, with the way our system of justice currently works, criminals can often negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecutor by entering a guilty plea in exchange for a lesser sentence. But does that necessarily mean that it is the right thing to do in all instances? What message does this send to society? And what does this mean 20 to 40 years down the road when she is released? Perhaps we should re-evaluate our prison sentencing, at least to ensure more consistency in sentencing. At least in my mind, stealing from a few homes (without harming anyone) is NOT within the same realm of seriousness as starving a child to death.

Am I wrong?

I will be on hiatus until April 30, 2009. After that, I will finally begin blogging again.

On the 16th, I arrived in D.C. with my mom and grandma ready to move in to my dorm. We were each hauling two large suitcases…and then I also shipped a variety of items. I know it sounds like a lot, but most of the items were large so it wasn’t as much as it appeared to be. My memory foam (the mattresses here aren’t the greatest) and my printer, for instance, were both rather large. And, of course, so was my bedding.

Last night, I went with my uncle, my cousin and my grandma to see The Music Man at an outdoor theater. I was incredibly excited about getting to see The Music Man onstage again. It happens to be one of my favorite musicals!

We arrived at 6:00 for a pre-show dinner and then sat around in our seats waiting for the show start. The show was scheduled to begin at 8:30. At about 8:00, it began to rain. My uncle had asked one of the ushers what the bad weather policy was and was informed that it was more or less “the show must go on” and the only circumstances which might prompt an actual cancellation would be lightening or damaging storms.

At 8:30, the theater’s owner came on stage to thank the sponsors and do his usual pre-show talk. However, at the end he informed us that they would be delaying the show for ten minutes to see if the bad weather would persist. The crowd urged him to start the show anyway, and he promised to take our wishes into consideration. Around 9:00, the show finally started and it appeared that the bad weather was coming to an end. However, not even 15 minutes later the weather picked up and the audience was informed that they would be delaying the show for at least a half an hour until conditions were safe for performing.

In all likelihood, the weather was not going to get better. And, according to the theater’s policies, they only  had to get in 60 minutes (or half of the show) for it to be considered a showing not in need of a cancellation. So a vote was taken and we decided to leave. If we had stayed, we wouldn’t have arrived home until 1:00 a.m. or later.

Sufficed to say, we were all incredibly disappointed. My six year-old cousin even cried.

On the drive home, I had quite awhile to sit and think. And I came to the realization that I’ve been a little more negative than usual lately.

At school, I don’t think I’m a very negative person. At least, I certainly hope I’m not. And I honestly believe there really isn’t enough time in life to dwell on all of the negative aspects.

And besides, what do I honestly have to be negative about? On the drive home last night, this is exactly what I was pondering.

On the whole, my life is pretty darn good. I’m happy with who I am and overall I have come to accept that I can’t change the rest–that is, I can’t change those around me. So as long as I’m happy with my actions and the way I’m living my life…there isn’t anything else to worry about. This philosophy got me through high school. Actually, it more or less has been responsible for getting me through life thus far.

Sure, there are some … not so great … stories in my past and a few things in the present that I wish weren’t happening, but everyone has those chapters in their lives. There isn’t a person alive today that hasn’t gone through some type of tough situation or tough times in their life. Things are bound to happen. The trick is to remind yourself that when bad circumstances happen, it is time to create some good circumstances.

I think that this summer I have forgotten to keep in mind just how grateful I should be for what I have.

Negativity, it seems, is contagious. I live in a household where negativity runs amuck and since arriving home I have come progressively more negative myself.

Last night, I took a step back and analyzed my thoughts and words from the past few weeks and decided that it is seriously time to stop dwelling on everything that goes wrong in my day and start focusing on everything that has gone amazingly right in my life. There’s plenty of it and there’s much more to be excited about in the future. This past school year was fantastic and I’m really looking forward to being back in DC and getting this next school year started. I have a feeling it is going to be amazing.

So, here’s my warning to all of my readers: Be careful–negativity IS contagious and you just might catch it! If you think you might be suffering from a case of negativity, however minor, take a step back and remind yourself of all you have to be grateful for. Focus on the good things, not the bad.

A few nights ago I was watching our local news and the newscasters played a segment about a kid at Wrigley stadium. Apparently, a dad gave his young son what appeared to be a beer and it was caught on camera and, naturally, made its way to youtube. 

As I turned off the television, I started thinking about the world we live in today. A world that is, compared to previous times, very connected. 

Just a few years ago, a dad might have given his son a sip of his bear at a baseball game and that would have been the end of it. True, a few people in the immediate vicinity might have witnessed it but it certainly would not have ended up on the local 10 o’clock news across the nation.

Today, however, you never know what might wind up on the internet. In schools, public restrooms and other such areas, the introduction of camera capabilities on cellphones quickly led to the abuse of the picture phone. No doubt the increasingly common video and audio recording features on cellphones are causing even more trouble. 

If I were to take a picture or video of someone without their knowledge, I could easily set it on the path to fame. In a matter of minutes, I could email it to everyone I know, post it on facebook, blog about it, digg it, stumble it, etc…all from my phone no less. 

And now, things you say or do on the internet, even if it is just on your own free time in the comfort of your own home, might get you fired from your job. 

Now, I want to make it clear that I am not advocating the elimination of picture phones or video capability, nor am I criticizing the internet. On the contrary, I think the internet is an amazing resource and invaluable to exercising the right to free speech. In fact, I think the world wide web provides amazing opportunities.

However, some personal responsibility and the practicing of morality is certainly in order, which the inhabitants of the world seem to definitely lack. Without a doubt, the people who are abusing their cellphone capabilities are the source of the problem, not the phones themselves. 

Anyhow, while I was surfing the internet today I stumbled upon an interesting twist in the impact of the internet. 

Even though you THINK no one may be listening or reading your blog, you very well may be wrong. 

Brandon Dilbeck, 20, a student at the University of Washington, was complaining recently on his blog, Brandon Notices, about Comcast’s practice of posting ads in its on-screen programming guide.

He assumed he was writing for his own benefit. “It feels like nobody ever really reads my blog,” he said. “Nobody has left a comment in months.”

Shortly afterward, he received an e-mail message from Comcast, thanking him for the feedback and adding that it was working on a new interactive guide that might “illuminate the issues that you are currently experiencing.”

Mr. Dilbeck found it all a bit creepy. “The rest of his e-mail may as well have read, ‘Big Brother is watching you,’ ” he said.

But Frank Eliason, digital care manager at Comcast, says he was just trying to help.

While I will admit that my initial reaction was one tinged with a bit of discomfort, I eventually had to dismiss any discomfort I felt. After all, by blogging…aren’t automatically put into the position of having our thoughts become pubilc? And, for most bloggers, isn’t the goal to be heard? To have someone listen to what we have to say?

Bloggers who aspire to create change or make a difference should, in my opinion, be pleased. The blog-o-sphere has become quite the sphere of influence. Bloggers ARE being heard in all different arena’s–political and otherwise. If you don’t want someone to read what you are writing, then I would highly recommend not creating a public blog. Otherwise, by blogging…you run the risk of having your blog read

As I was reading the news today, I found an article titled, “Should Criminals Go Free When Police Blunder?“ 

Before reading the article, I stopped to think about the question being asked. For most of my life, I have always been very prosecutor-minded. However, this past year I took a course on civil liberties which forced me to think critically about defending our rights and what happens when no one challenges the status quo. Sure, rules are great and, on most occasions, should be followed, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t responsible for staying alert and aware and challenging unjust laws or preventing unfair legislation from passing. On the other hand, however, if there are rules in place to protect us which are persistently abandoned, they will not serve their purpose.  The question is, where do you draw the line? (and of course, another question is who defines what is unfair and unjust. But that is an entirely different issue)

Anyhow, this summer I have been working for my uncle, a defense attorney, which has really forced me to see the other side of the law. While I have always admired his legal career, I have always been … sort of against his defense practices. After all, he gets people off who have, without a doubt, committed a crime. Whether it is their sixth DUI or their second time committing assault and battery, he can probably find a loophole or a mistake and prevent his client from serving time. 

According to this article, 

The United States is the only country to take the position that some police misconduct must automatically result in the suppression of physical evidence. The rule applies whether the misconduct is slight or serious, and without regard to the gravity of the crime or the power of the evidence.

Is this a problem? I used to think so. However, after working for my uncle this summer, my opinion has changed slightly. 

If a mistake on the part of the police officer means that the person they arrested is set free, or at the very most suffers lesser consequences, that is a huge incentive for law enforcement to follow the rules. And those rules and procedures are there to protect us. 

If there weren’t consequences for the police, or whoever else is involved in the prosecution, for breaking the rules,  why would they follow them? 

Of course, I only said my position had changed slightly. I do believe that the severity of the mistake needs to be kept in mind and then weighed with the severity of the crime. For more serious crimes, I do not necessarily think that the accused should be set free due to a minor procedural error. 

What do you think?

I’ve decided to do a meme. I know, not exactly an intellectual exercise. But I spotted this one on Allyn Gibson’s blog and found it interesting. It was a reminder to myself that I have my own, always growing, list of books I would like to read. And, unfortunately, that I am falling more behind everyday. So far this summer, I believe I have managed to read one book. Pathetic! Before I get to the meme, here is the list of books I had originally planned on reading this summer:

1. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
2. The Portable Atheist by Christopher Hitchens
3. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
4. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
5. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (As a side note, I absolutely love Ayn Rand’s books)
6. What a Party! by Terry McAuliffe
7. Presidential Courage by Michael Beschloss
8. The Prince by Machiavelli (Mostly because I went to a high school that never even mentioned to us that the book existed, let alone require us to read it)
9. Day & Dawn by Elie Wiesel
10. The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin
11. Animal Farm by George Orwell
12. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou