The State of Hockey

When I decided to go to college in Iowa, one of the things I knew I would miss most was hockey. The fact that Luther did not have a hockey program almost contributed to my decision of whether or not to attend. Many of my friends at Luther from neighboring states didn't understand our affinity for hockey. They would say, "Minnesota loves their hockey. I don't see what's so great." I would just ask if they had ever been to a hockey game because then they would know why for Minnesotans, hockey is life.

I have always been a sports junkie, since about the time that my step dad came into the picture. He taught me all about ESPN and what "yards rushing" meant. Before that I usually chose my favorite team based on which uniform I liked the best and which team had the most attractive players. Well, that is still a big deciding factor. But there was always something different about hockey. Hockey is more than a sport in Minnesota, it is a way of life. You can more times than not recognize a hockey player out of uniform. He's a little rough; swears a lot; drinks; he is known for the longer, shaggy hair that I refer to as hockey hair; and tends to be a ladies man (or so he thinks). I hate to stereotype but most hockey players would probably agree with this.

For the first time in the U.S., Red Bull Crashed Ice came to Saint Paul, Minnesota. Red Bull Crashed Ice is a combination of ice hockey and downhill skating that features some of the toughest and best hockey players in the world. The sport has only been around for 10 years. There are participants from 30 nations. The rules are very simple: four athletes line up at the start and the first one across the finish line wins. Skaters reach speeds of up to 40 mph, so courage and perseverance are something that these athletes are not lacking. This is the pure excitement, pure thrill that Minnesota hockey fans/ players live to experience.

So let me just ask those who don't understand the thrill of hockey: Would you race down 1300 feet of icy hills, jumps, twists and hairpin turns?

Why Change Isn't Always a Bad Thing

             I recently switched over to the highly buzzed about Facebook timeline.  I was a little apprehensive at first, as I am when I try most new things, but mostly I was just excited to see what it was all about. The first option it gives you is to choose a cover photo, probably one of the coolest features of the new Facebook profile design. Facebook gives you a wide space at the top of your profile for a photo of your choice. What better way to give friends an idea of who you are? Here’s a chance to show your creative side or lack there of for some like me ;)

The other feature of heated debate is the profile timeline which allows you to look back at your Facebook activity over the years or even decades! I’m only 22 and haven’t even had my Facebook profile for a decade but I was able to look back at the early 2000s, which were senior year of high school and my very first memories of college. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous about what I was going to find. I’m sure we’ve all said and put things on Facebook that we wished we wouldn’t, but I was pleasantly surprised. It highlighted photos and memories that were pretty funny to look back on (photos from Halloween freshman year- our dorm totally judged us). Granted some of the posts you come across might be a little awkward or embarrassing—a friend told me he ‘Liked’ Gossip Girl in 2008 (EMBARRASSING..jk) but mostly it’s just like one giant photo album. A photo captures a million words and memories last forever after all, right?

To all of those who are uneasy or afraid of the new changes, I say just jump! Sure, the thought of the timeline is a little creepy. Now all of your Facebook friends can look back at your photos/ posts over the years but so what! I mean, if you put it on Facebook at one point you obviously assumed your Facebook friends were going to see it. Change isn’t always such a bad thing. Think of our lives before Facebook and all that’s changed since then. I say embrace the change and choose a kick ass cover photo that says something about you on the top of your profile. Mine’s currently the bean in Chi town-my attempt at being artsy, don’t judge. 

Do What You Luv and the Money Will Follow.

              Is it true that if you do what you love the money will eventually come? I'm still trying to figure that one out for myself. As a recent college grad in a struggling economy I cannot say that I am raking in the dough. However, I am doing what I love right out of school! How many people can say that? I recently started interning at a Social Media company and I absolutely love my job! I get to manage the account for one of our clients, which is a jewelry store. Essentially it is my duty to update their Facebook and Twitter accounts, research competitors' social media efforts, and measure our results. What more do I need?
            
               When people ask me what I do their answer is always, "That's so cool!" and as soon as I mention it is for no pay it quickly turns to "Oh, that sucks." Well yes, being poor is quite unfortunate but I'm learning that money isn't everything! Yes, I hope to make money someday (fingers crossed it's soon) but first and foremost I'd rather be doing something that I love. I am now well on my way to being able
to call myself a Social Media Specialist. I wouldn't be able to do this without putting in the time and without my true passion for what I do.
          
               Whoever said, "Do what you love and the money will follow" must have known what they were talking about. Or hey...what if the word money was symbolic and they simply meant you will SUCCEED? Hmm...that sounds pretty good too! Either way at the end of the day I'm doing what I want to be doing and that's worth more than any paycheck. Except when I want these cute shoes from Steve Madden. JK ;)

To tweet or not to tweet? #tweetduh

    So today I was sitting at lunch and brainstorming how I was going to set up my outline for my senior project. My senior project is going to be a humorous, self-deprecating, creative nonfiction piece by the way! I was looking through an article that my advisor gave to me that was published in the Atlantic. The article titled "Contemporary Student Life" discusses the stress of college students. Um..Hi, ya think? Authors Fallows and Tierney state that a book written by Craig Brandon claims that America's schools are "alcohol-soaked, saturated, drug-infested campuses." Essentially saying that kids spend more time partying and going on Facebook than actually reading and studying. Yes, we do in fact spend hours on Facebook and a good amount of students take part in binge drinking on the weekends, but is this really what contributes to our stress? I doubt it. Social Media is a huge part of our generation and our incessant use of Twitter, Facebook and other sites is not necessarily such a bad thing. I hope to go into PR and Social Media after I graduate so personally, when I spend my time blogging and tweeting in my spare time I consider myself to be quite productive! We're stressed out from the pressure to find a decent job after we graduate, not from the distractions of social media. I mean granted I probably spend a little more time on Facebook than necessary when I could be doing my homework, but procrastination is a personal problem.
            I'm sure my parents spent just as much time procrastinating and binge drinking in their day, they just couldn't get thrown in the slammer as easily for doing it...thanks a lot Lindsay Lohan. But in all seriousness I think the school systems can address more pressing issues than the fact that we procrastinate doing our 10-page Hamlet essay in order to play Call of Duty or get on Facebook. Do you really think if we didn't have Facebook we'd be any more eager to write about the neurotic characters in Shakespeare? Probably not. Social Media has opened up a whole new world for marketing and for social networking giving us that many more options when we graduate. So even though we are the generation who can always be found with our cell phones attached to our hands, maybe we have technology to thank. Maybe in fact, we are more aware because information is constantly flowing and is more easily accessible. You can take the girl out of Facebook but you can't take the Facebook out of the girl, well in my case anyway :)

Here is the link to that article I was talking about..see what you think! Being a student sucks.

All good things must come to an end or must they?

       Yesterday was officially the first day of my last semester in college. I cannot even believe how fast it has gone! I can still remember my first night of college...bawling on the floor and wanting nothing more than to go home. I have come a long way! Sure, college has had its ups and downs. I have some regrets, but who doesn't? The point isn't to look back and regret those experiences but to learn from them. The most important thing I found in my time at Luther was the person that I want to be. Maybe I could have spent more time studying and made the Dean's List but this isn't what I'm going to take with me from college. I am going to take with me the friendships, the lessons I've learned, and more importantly: a changed me.

Here's my reaction to my last semester of college

       Our speaker at our high school graduation talked about the importance of leaving our comfort zone in the next chapter of our lives. This is exactly what I did! I went to a school that was three hours from home where I did not know a soul and I think I am a better person because of it. Not only will Luther have taught me how to write a proper business memo, and how in the H-E double hockey sticks to figure out what Shakespeare was really saying, but it taught me independence and gave me the confidence to go after my dreams (cheesy, but seriously). I went into college thinking I was going to be a Bio major and the next Dr. Dolittle and I am graduating with a degree in English and I Facebook and Tweet like it's my job. I literally want to do this for my job. Maybe expanding my knowledge of Twitter and Social Media isn't what someone would consider impressive knowledge to take with me but my experience at Luther helped me find this passion. Hopefully when I am someday tweeting about the Minnesota Wild or the Twins for my future job I will look back and thank Luther. Liberal Arts Colleges such as Luther are great because not only do they provide a well-rounded education but more importantly a well-rounded EXPERIENCE.
      In the end I have a lot to be thankful for because I went out of my comfort zone and this is only just the beginning. I think that's one of life's greatest lessons, sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone if you want to be great. Most importantly don't be afraid to take chances and just remember: Live and Learn.