What a wonderful day it has been. I came to campus a little earlier than planned in order to do one last Ags of OAK shift. I joined OAK this semester because it was something I always wanted to do. Our purpose is just to do nice things or Open Acts of Kindness around campus. We do things from hand out candy, to open doors, to give high fives and say “howdy” around campus. I’ve had an awesome time being a part of this group and was sad to have my last shift time this morning. We decided to go to every floor of the libraries on central campus and hand out candy (Smarties) to the people studying.
Near the end of the shift, my OAK partner, Rachel asked an Asian woman if she would like some candy. The lady looked at her, paused for a few seconds, and asked, “But, why?” Rachel laughed and simply told her we were handing out free candy for no reason. Then the lady responded with “Why do you do such good things?” I laughed this time too, waiting for Rachel’s response. I honestly don’t even remember how she responded, but she could have said one of many things: because it’s the mission of our organization, because we like doing nice things, or because this is Texas A&M. It’s awesome how such a simple concept can brighten so many people’s day. While I was handing out candy a girl asked me, “Hey, aren’t y’all the nice people?” I responded, “Why yes, yes we are.” Whoop for Ags of OAK.
After my shift I went to the Marketing and Communications Graduating Senior Luncheon. It’s all happening so quickly: goodbyes, pictures, hugs, and tokens of appreciation. I don’t want it to happen, but at this point there is nothing I can do to stop it. In the words of Dalton, quoted from ‘Almost Famous’, “It’s all happening.”
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
I Can't Get Over It
Today I overheard someone complaining about President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Seriously? That happened several months ago. Get over it. On October 16th he visited campus to talk about community service. I was out of town, so I didn’t get to see the craziness that was Texas A&M on this day. I returned from San Diego and read some news articles about the event and was very proud of the Aggies – no negativity (that I could find) in the media. Whoop! Despite this, it didn’t stop a thousand or so protestors from coming to campus and making a big ruckus over something that was completely irrelevant to President Obama’s visit to campus. Again, get over it.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize, and they are not going to take it back. He’s the President and Commander in Chief, whether you like it or not. Closed-minded people and ignorance really bother me. Just like people who chew with their mouth open or don’t wash their hands. I have a lot of pet peeves, and a lot of things that really bother me. Does this make me a negative person, or just someone who is very, very easily irritated? (That is an intentional leading question, hoping for the latter) I started thinking to myself of all the things that bother me and things that even I can’t get over.
Off the top of my head, some of my pet peeves: misspelling the word ‘definitely’; smacking noises; anything that deals with bodily fluids; use of the ‘n’ word; blatant disrespect; being loud in public to draw attention to yourself; girls that act like a stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’ for attention; typing in all caps; the same question being asked a million times (ex: is the MSC closed?); when people are disrespectful to their parents in front of other people; when people don’t clean up after themselves; oh, and the list goes on….
And despite me complaining about others who can’t seem to move on, there are some things that I can’t get over myself:
1. High school class rankings – this is such a long and depressing story that I am going to make an attempt to condense. Background: in eighth grade I made the decision that I was going to be the Valedictorian of my graduating class. I told all my teachers that as well as my friends. At the end of sophomore year when we received class rankings for the very first time, I was ranked number one. At the end of junior year when we received ranks again, I was still number one. End of the fall semester senior year, I had dropped to number two. When junior year had ended I had to make a decision: take band or AP Calculus. Competing for the top spot, the question seems like an obvious one, but I chose band. This was going to hurt my ranking simply because Calculus was weighted more than band. My plan to stay on top? I would take dual credit classes after school at the local community college, with the understanding that they would be dual credit. I got this approved through my counselor and went about senior year feeling on top of the world. Spring semester, senior year rolls around, and here I am trying to finalize all my college credits on my high school transcript. Problem: my high school had never had anyone take dual credit classes that were not offered through the high school, therefore had no rules on the weight of each class or even how to transfer them. They would have to make new rules, vote on them, and start them the following school year. Here I am, a few weeks from graduation, my Salutatorian speech in mind, and I find out that I am ranked third in my graduating class. I remember leaving the principal’s office, going to the bathroom and crying. I felt like my entire high school career, my extra work, the lack of social life outside of school, was completely wasted. I balled and balled and to this day I can’t get over the fact that I did not give a speech at graduation. It seems petty. No one will ever remember or even care who was what rank, but when you work that hard and that long for something, it’s hard to just let it go. Almost five years later, I haven’t.
2. The trouble with A&M – the details to this story are in a previous blog so I won’t repeat them. Despite the trouble I got in to, and how bad the department of Student Affairs has tried to make me look and sound I cannot look myself in the mirror and feel like I did something wrong. They want me to learn something from these incidents that happened while I was in the Corps, and I cannot legitimately say that I have learned anything or that I would have done something different. I can’t get over it because the fact is that on paper I am still currently in “Bad Standing” with A&M for conduct. If you care enough to read this blog, then you have an idea of how much I love this school and how much that bothers me. I think I’ll get over this one day, but I will always hold strong animosity against the Department of Student Affairs at A&M.
3. Narrow minded best friends – when I tell people I left my home county as a Hispanic Conservative and A&M turned me into a Liberal they are shocked. A&M really is not as conservative as people think, but that fact aside some of my very best friends are very conservative to the point of ignorance and it bothers me a lot. The part that is even harder to admit is that it is something I will never talk to them about because of how close I am with them. Yes, they are entitled to their opinion, but I know that if I had not had the experiences I have had here, there is no way they would even be my friends. Why does this standard change and why can’t I stand up for what I truly believe in, including myself? This is one of my weaknesses and hard to admit in writing that I don’t share beliefs with some of my very best friends, but for that reason I will never be able to get over it.
4. Taboo – several blogs have talked about “Taboo.” Taboo was that person who defined what it means to be crazy for someone, and who I fell hard for. Unfortunately they did not feel the same way and ended up cheating on me. Those of you who have been cheated on can relate. I have never felt this close with anyone, and over two years later, I still can’t get over it. If the chance presented itself to start over, despite that I say that I “don’t give second chances,” I would probably give them a second chance. I’m weak.
This blog closely aligns to the mood I am in. I am irritated. Things are supposed to be falling into place right now, but as the days pass by I am more and more unsure of what it is I want to do come January. I am also feeling sad. It’s hard to leave here and it’s hard to look back at all these things and take a step forward with full confidence that everything is going to be okay. I’m nervous, but excited. I’ve made the most out of my time here, but I feel like I will wish I would have spent more time with my friends, or with my organizations, or at work. I guess I’ll just have to get over it. Soon it’ll be time to move on.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize, and they are not going to take it back. He’s the President and Commander in Chief, whether you like it or not. Closed-minded people and ignorance really bother me. Just like people who chew with their mouth open or don’t wash their hands. I have a lot of pet peeves, and a lot of things that really bother me. Does this make me a negative person, or just someone who is very, very easily irritated? (That is an intentional leading question, hoping for the latter) I started thinking to myself of all the things that bother me and things that even I can’t get over.
Off the top of my head, some of my pet peeves: misspelling the word ‘definitely’; smacking noises; anything that deals with bodily fluids; use of the ‘n’ word; blatant disrespect; being loud in public to draw attention to yourself; girls that act like a stereotypical ‘dumb blonde’ for attention; typing in all caps; the same question being asked a million times (ex: is the MSC closed?); when people are disrespectful to their parents in front of other people; when people don’t clean up after themselves; oh, and the list goes on….
And despite me complaining about others who can’t seem to move on, there are some things that I can’t get over myself:
1. High school class rankings – this is such a long and depressing story that I am going to make an attempt to condense. Background: in eighth grade I made the decision that I was going to be the Valedictorian of my graduating class. I told all my teachers that as well as my friends. At the end of sophomore year when we received class rankings for the very first time, I was ranked number one. At the end of junior year when we received ranks again, I was still number one. End of the fall semester senior year, I had dropped to number two. When junior year had ended I had to make a decision: take band or AP Calculus. Competing for the top spot, the question seems like an obvious one, but I chose band. This was going to hurt my ranking simply because Calculus was weighted more than band. My plan to stay on top? I would take dual credit classes after school at the local community college, with the understanding that they would be dual credit. I got this approved through my counselor and went about senior year feeling on top of the world. Spring semester, senior year rolls around, and here I am trying to finalize all my college credits on my high school transcript. Problem: my high school had never had anyone take dual credit classes that were not offered through the high school, therefore had no rules on the weight of each class or even how to transfer them. They would have to make new rules, vote on them, and start them the following school year. Here I am, a few weeks from graduation, my Salutatorian speech in mind, and I find out that I am ranked third in my graduating class. I remember leaving the principal’s office, going to the bathroom and crying. I felt like my entire high school career, my extra work, the lack of social life outside of school, was completely wasted. I balled and balled and to this day I can’t get over the fact that I did not give a speech at graduation. It seems petty. No one will ever remember or even care who was what rank, but when you work that hard and that long for something, it’s hard to just let it go. Almost five years later, I haven’t.
2. The trouble with A&M – the details to this story are in a previous blog so I won’t repeat them. Despite the trouble I got in to, and how bad the department of Student Affairs has tried to make me look and sound I cannot look myself in the mirror and feel like I did something wrong. They want me to learn something from these incidents that happened while I was in the Corps, and I cannot legitimately say that I have learned anything or that I would have done something different. I can’t get over it because the fact is that on paper I am still currently in “Bad Standing” with A&M for conduct. If you care enough to read this blog, then you have an idea of how much I love this school and how much that bothers me. I think I’ll get over this one day, but I will always hold strong animosity against the Department of Student Affairs at A&M.
3. Narrow minded best friends – when I tell people I left my home county as a Hispanic Conservative and A&M turned me into a Liberal they are shocked. A&M really is not as conservative as people think, but that fact aside some of my very best friends are very conservative to the point of ignorance and it bothers me a lot. The part that is even harder to admit is that it is something I will never talk to them about because of how close I am with them. Yes, they are entitled to their opinion, but I know that if I had not had the experiences I have had here, there is no way they would even be my friends. Why does this standard change and why can’t I stand up for what I truly believe in, including myself? This is one of my weaknesses and hard to admit in writing that I don’t share beliefs with some of my very best friends, but for that reason I will never be able to get over it.
4. Taboo – several blogs have talked about “Taboo.” Taboo was that person who defined what it means to be crazy for someone, and who I fell hard for. Unfortunately they did not feel the same way and ended up cheating on me. Those of you who have been cheated on can relate. I have never felt this close with anyone, and over two years later, I still can’t get over it. If the chance presented itself to start over, despite that I say that I “don’t give second chances,” I would probably give them a second chance. I’m weak.
This blog closely aligns to the mood I am in. I am irritated. Things are supposed to be falling into place right now, but as the days pass by I am more and more unsure of what it is I want to do come January. I am also feeling sad. It’s hard to leave here and it’s hard to look back at all these things and take a step forward with full confidence that everything is going to be okay. I’m nervous, but excited. I’ve made the most out of my time here, but I feel like I will wish I would have spent more time with my friends, or with my organizations, or at work. I guess I’ll just have to get over it. Soon it’ll be time to move on.
