Happy 2008

It's official. It's the year 2008. Wow.

For New Year's Eve I once again attended the YSA dance, this year in Mount Vernon. I'm pretty sure I've done this every year since...2002 to 2003. Wow, that seems like a long time. While I don't know very many people left out here in Virginia, I still thought it would be fun to go. After all, who could break a long-standing tradition like the one I've created over the past five years. So, even though Ruthie and Jeremy were unsure about going, I convinced them, we all donned matching black and red outfits ( haha so they weren't really matching and it wasn't really planned, but we did all wear these colors) and we set out to have the time of our lives....OK OK, so not really, but still.

I always find it interesting who I randomly see at these dances. There are always random people I recognize from BYU, or other such individuals about whom I have to wonder, "Why are THEY at my dance!" Yes, five years of attendance allows me to think of it as MY dance. Then there are the people who have probably also attended such dances for the past 5 years and who I recognize from girls camps and youth conference. And then there are the characters and the old people. That pretty much sums it up.

These dances never make it quite clear as to what the dress code is and usually everyone has a hard time actually following it. I believe this year it was technically semi-formal. However, no matter what it is "actually" supposed to be, we always have people in anything from jeans to full-out formals and tuxedos. Kinda funny and potentially awkward. I now tend to stick to the perfect medium - I wear a skirt and make some effort on my hair.

The highlight of the evening was running into my friend Kasey from my London study abroad. It was still the beginning of the dance and like....8 people were dancing. (yes, it's a church dance and they always start out lame) I hear some say Karianne?? and wow it's Kasey. Such a surprise! The classes in London were the last official BYU classes he took, and then he moved to d.c. to work. I saw him at graduation in August and hadn't even remembered he was in D.C. So that was a total shocker. But it was really really fun to see him.

Anyways, I can tell that it's late and this seems really random. But it's 2008. The first thing I think of when I think 2008 is 2004....kinda weird but I think I think in even numbers and for some reason that's the first thing that pops in my head. 2004 was a big year for me so it's kinda crazy that it's a good 4 years away. Maybe I'll look into what those 4 years have brought later. Also, no worries, I think I will be thinking about some New Year Resolutions to work on ... Ok, I'm drifting off...this is getting more confusing,...and so I'm off! Love ya 2008

No Breaks, No Gas

So being home and driving a bit has reminded me of a "game" my sis and I would play on our road....and not the most safe of all games. Being in Virginia, our street is very curvy and hilly, so we turn off of the main road and encounter a decline which gradually flattens and becomes a slight incline...and then you come to our relatively steep driveway. So the "game" is to at a certain point early on on the street you stop using the gas or breaks...and then see how far up our driveway you can get after the various hills and turns. We never got too far....probably like a 1/4 of the way into it. We would often chicken out and use the breaks, or cheat and sneak a little gas power in there....or start playing way too close to the end so of course we'd get all the way up....anyways...random

the PINK life

So the trend continues. I now have three sisters who are official Mary Kay consultants- Julie, Ruthie, and...Susie. We went to a Glamour Lash Out Party that Julie was a part of where we did basic skin care and glamour make up, including fake eyelashes (to help prepare for the upcoming New Years Eve festivities). The party had two "regional directors" I believe and about three other consultants and their guests. Julie had 5 guests there. It was more formal of a party and at the end they had a little informational thing with prizes and question and answer time...basically to encourage us to ask them questions about a Mary Kay business and why it's so great and stuff. Then they ask, on a scale from one to ten how likely do you feel about starting your own business. Ruthie was first and she was like, actually, I think I'm going to do it. Yay for her. Susie said she thought she might but didn't know if college students did this type of thing. The people told her that she should do it do take to Spain to become more familiar about the products and well then it might turn into something she could do more than selling pest control this summer....in the long run, it could probably get her more money too. (The lady there started seven years ago and now, on top of sales, she gets a check for $20,000 A MONTH) So Susie agreed after Julie offered to pay the 100 dollars to get the start up package. (Which has a 90% money back guarantee by the way-...so if she decides she doesnt want to really do it, she can still get 90 bucks back.) I said I was like a 6 (because they wouldn't let you be middle of the fence) but that I just didn't see myself doing it right now, but maybe in the future a ways. I was the last one to go and my sisters were all like...ooo Karie you should do it too...you know, sister "peer" pressure. I just don't know. I'm not sure if I could see myself actually doing it, or if I want to...the little extra money that it provides might be nice - typically doing 2 hours a week brings in about 11,000 dollars of profit for you a year. And that's just two hours. Pretty much one sale covers the start up cost...and then you have "your own business" I guess we'll see.....

MP3 FIESTA!

Ruthie told me about this site a couple of days ago and as I look into it, well, it seems pretty cool. It's a site from which you can download music legally for just 10 cents a song. You just have to pay up front with a minimum balance of 20 bucks....which gives you just about 200 songs. Kinda crazy. Anyways I think I'm going to start using it and if you are at all interested please use the link below to start your account- it will give me 5 dollars on my account, otherwise 50 songs!


http://www.mp3fiesta.com/?user=1416805

Yep...Frontier still stinks

OK the second half....I was expecting them to pull themselves out of my negative customer satisfaction....but no... OK it's really not horrible horrible, but I've had a lot better service other places. For example, their choice of snacks kinda stunk. I had potato chedder skins but it was either that or spicy peanuts or coffee granola bars. Our flight attendant was pretty friendly and kinda funny plus we sat in the exit row so we got extra leg room. So that was nice. Again, it wasn't horrible horrible and I was starting to think that it was just me being picky. But then the baggage claim time came along. First it was like a half hour wait until anything started coming out...and then well, we were the last ones waiting around and Susie's bag still didn't come. Turns out it got stuck in Denver (but not our other three bags) and it won't be arriving till tomorrow...and THEN they will ship it to us. Let's just say I wasn't exactly a happy camper about this whole Frontier thing.

Also, what's with their slogan: A whole different kind of animal....it doesn't even make sense

Frontier Stinks

Okay, so I don't remember if I have flown on Frontier before but I have officially decided that they stink...and so far it's only been like an hour and a half flight to Denver. But yea, they stink. First, no Sky Caps....maybe not that big of deal but sometimes, like today, when Susie is moving home all of her stuff, we kinda might have a difficult time lugging it into check in ourselves. Second, I thought it was rather odd that the guy who let us on our plane simply tore our tickets like they do when you go to a movie theater. The seats...were alright...I admit there was a lot of room but we got put on the very back row where you cant move the seats back at all and it kinda sucked. They also have the individual tv screens on each seat but then they make you pay to watch a movie. LAAAME. Watching a movie on a flight for free should be expected. Then, the flying itself didn't seem all that great...maybe it was the weather ??? but it was the worst "turbulence" I've ever seen on a flight. Anyways....just a simple bad impression on Frontier. We'll see how the second half goes.

Fall 2007....Done, Complete, Finished

So I finished what I expect to be my last semester at BYU ever. And it's kinda crazy. The last four months weren't anything like I expected them to be. In fact, they were completely opposite of every expectation I had. While it hasn't quite hit me that I am completely done, I've have looked back and realized I've done a heck of a lot this semester. There are several things that I definitely neglected and I probably didn't do as well in several areas of my life as I would have liked. But I can't believe that I actually accomplished some of the things that I did. So I present: My Semester Accomplishments

1. Successfully working four well-paying on-campus jobs

People say I'm crazy, but when the opportunities came, I just couldn't turn them down. I didn't work because I needed the money, but because I loved the experiences each job offered and the chance I had to further develop my skills. I wonder how many people actually have this many jobs on campus in one semester. (Wow, I've actually had 6 on-campus jobs at BYU including the Daily Universe and staff for Stadium of Fire) I also wonder how many people they actually let defy the hour limits....by the end of the semester, I'm pretty sure I had no limits on what I could work. It started as 20, went up to 25 for the design job, got an additional 20 a week of the editing job, and then of course, the TC has special privileges concerning hours during finals. I never, however, worked all four jobs in one week- the most I did was three: Finals week = 45 hours, 1st week in November = 40.

2. Designing the layout for an entire 34-page alumni magazine

This was such an amazing opportunity and is really the essence of what I really really want to be doing for a career. I have no idea how I will find out about future chances to completely design small magazines, but if I could do this one every year, I would jump at such an opportunity. This has been an amazing portfolio builder and I have loved every second I have spent working on it. (Yes, redesigning the cover like 17 times was a bit much but still very fun.) I have yet to see the final product-hopefully that will happen the first of January-and I hope everything will go smoothly and it really will look amazing.

3. Securing a freelance editing position for as long as I want it

Freelancing is always a bit hard to jump into, so I am completely thrilled that I have this set up already to last for as long as I want it. I went to the interview thinking that I wouldn't take the position - afterall, I simply didn't have enough time. But after they talked about what I would be doing and that they really wanted the position to turn longterm and have me work from home or whatever I end up doing later in life...well, can someone really turn that down?? I love that it is for magazine content, so the articles are short and semi-interesting....I just have to make it all the more so and perfect for the intended audience. In my last editing class, I kinda dreaded every assignment but that's because I know that I never never want to go into book editing, or anything for long, boring, technical writing - No thank you! But....I'll take this magazine one!

4. Making it through 3+ "cuts" and securing an internship with the Church Magazines.

This was such a long process and I had so many up and down thoughts about the whole thing. But now that it's here and secure, I'm really excited and amazed at the opportunities that keep presenting themselves to me. I'm going to be writing for the Ensign and Liahona, kinda a big task considering the multi-million, international audience. I've always enjoyed writing and have always been told that I'm a good writer, but it's kinda interesting to really see where it takes me. I actually just received feedback on my internship portfolio that I turned into the Comms department and the professor gave me really good feedback on my writing style. In all of the writing work that I've done, I haven't very often had a completely objective person tell me what they think about it (as compared to an editor or boss). I always wonder what the people from the jobs I apply to really think about my writing....is it about average, above, etc....I just don't know. Anyways, I think this opportunity will be really good for me to strengthen this aspect of my skill set just a little more....plus give me a little time to find-hopefully-the perfect thing to do after the NEXT four months.

thanks sis

So it's 12:30 a.m. and I just got to the library. And, before I can dive into the work that I've put off until this early hour, I of course have to check my email, facebook, and now blogs. My sister Christy had recently sent me an email about how she liked that I had a blog so I made sure to check hers. I loved her most recent post and think that, while some stuff is a bit different than what I think, the bulk of it covers a lot of my same thoughts. So instead of repeating...heres a link: Sick of Blogging

My short response to what she said: Christy, I loved your blog. Thanks for your comment as well...I do think I express myself more in writing and while I'm sometimes hesitant to freely advertise my blog, it is nice having some sort of place where you can let loose on whatever is going on. Sometimes I just pretend that no one else can read my blog...but then it is nice having people understand a bit more. I enjoy your blog and hope you keep it up!

just a little thought

So I've realized that we really live in a selfish world...but it's hard not to. Everyone is living a completely different life and is facing completely different issues and decisions. And, as a result, everyone is really focused on themselves most of the time. Maybe this is something I've noticed is because I am personally too selfish and am noticing how everyone is only focusing on themselves (and not on me :)...jk I don't expect that). But it's interesting. I guess it has to be a give-give situation. Sometimes you really need to talk about something and so they do...but the more than likely the other person has something to talk about as well. I really don't think this is making any sense or even getting across the idea I've been thinking about at all...but it's an interesting compromise to focus on what you are doing and offer the considerate amount of attention to other people, and to maintain a consistency through every relationship.

Dilemma dilemma

Do something you might not entirely enjoy v. Do nothing at all?

The guys goatee, my lack of sleep

I've never really cared one way or another about BYU's grooming standards for guys. Yes, it is good for some people who should never ever have facial hair, but all in all, it doesn't bother me one way or another....today I had my first unpositive (I thought negative was too strong) experience with it. It's not horrible but just one of those things you go..."are you serious" about.

We didn't know what to do for the cover of the magazine I'm designing for the longest time. The things we wanted kinda fell through and we didn't seem to have any quality pictures that were big enough to print on a cover. We had one really cute photo that was semi big enough...but it ended up looking like a cooking magazine. So when we finally thought about using this next photo, it seemed to work perfectly. It was by far the largest photo we had so we didnt need to worry about resolution...the background was kinda busy but we were able to cut that out and worked with colors and I finally got something that I liked. We wanted to send everything to the printer tomorrow but when we had the high-ups look at everything, they said we couldn't because the guy has a goatee, which is against the BYU standards so we can't distribute that on our cover. Hmmm. I guess it makes sense but still! We aren't saying he's a student and I'm pretty sure everyone is aware that some people do grow facial hair at some point.

So it's back to the drawing board for me. I thought I'd be done with my crazy schedule this evening but, alas, I am not. I have kinda put off sleep until Tuesday. I've got an average of 4 or 5 hours a night for the last week. I'm getting in a bad habit because I'm tired all day until about 10 pm and then I'm completly awake and have no problem working until 3:30 in the morning. Hopefully I'll get back on track soon. One more 16 hour day on campus won't kill me right....right?

The Offer

So I finally got the offer... I have officially been asked to work for the Church magazines next semester. I was pretty sure I would get the position but you never can tell and it took them forever to tell me. So instead of being able to move forward with plans, I had to keep holding back until I heard something official.

The Monday before Thanksgiving break, Church human resources called me twice to verify things about my application and said they usually try to tell us about the positions before Thanksgiving...Well, that came and went and nothing came. I called Human Resources again to see if there was anything else I could do, and she mentioned offhand that I was set for the magazine news. But I had no idea what that meant and was like, um, is someone going to tell me about this? I just had to keep waiting and there really wasn't anyone else I could try to talk to. I decided that I'd give it to the end of this week before I REALLY started freaking out.

6:16 p.m. Friday night: I got the call. I don't remember his name but he called to offer me the position and knew that Kathy (if that was her name) in HR had told me that I had a position. I was like, oh yea a little (but I still have no idea what was going on). So he told me that they wanted me to work in the magazine news department where I would write news stories related to the church anywhere in the world. (These are usually in the last few pages of the Ensign and Liahona). That's all the info I got because he wasn't actually at work but wanted to tell us if we got the positions before the weekend. He's gonna call back Monday with more information...

So I got off the phone and didn't really know what I thought. I kinda got teary but I don't really know why. I'm not sure if it's because I FINALLY know for sure that I have a job next semester...or if I'm not sure if I want that position. I'm just not sure...I guess we will see how everything turns out.

As I'm writing this, it's all of the sudden hitting me that I AM moving in December....in a few weeks. I'm gonna be done with school...done with this chapter in my life. (Yes, that was cheesy I know)....it's just starting to hit me...

Never ever please

Another interview. Yep, at 5:30 this evening I traveled to the Daily Herald off of Freedom Boulevard for an interview for a copy editor position. (They edit the final text and complete the newspaper layouts.) After the guy called me to set up the interview, I hung up and thought...dang, I really don't want to go. Not a good sign huh? But, since I hadn't heard from the Church yet, I had to keep some options open for my life next year.

So I went...and hated it. I walked into the newsroom and instantly hated the atmosphere. The guy met me at the door and was really awkward and didn't talk much. We went into the conference room where he "interviewed" me. I added the quotation marks because if there were an award for the world's worst interviewer, it may just go to this guy. Again, he was just awkward, which made me awkward. On top of this, I have been working to get my magazine to press by Monday and have gotten an average of 4 hours of sleep a night. So I was pretty out of it and really just babbling in this weird, awkward situation.

He asked like four times how I liked BYU and my experience there. Then he asked how I liked Provo...and then asked if I could see myself living there for a while. Initially, and what I told him, I thought, "Yea, I could stick around Provo a little longer." But in my head I started thinking "Um, no not really...not long term...actually staying in Provo really does not look good right now." After my response he explains how sometimes they hire people who later realize that they can't stay in Provo and have to leave...I was upfront and told him that I didn't plan on being in Provo very long...that I had some things I want to do this summer which is why I wasn't initially looking for a long term thing around here. (I had applied for an internship in a different department but they didn't see why, with my qualifications, I'd want a low-paying internships when I didn't need it and referred me to this position.)

By this time I'm really thinking...you know what...I really really don't want this job. And then I was kicking myself for taking an hour out of my dang busy day with a million things to do to interview for this lame position in Provo. I had to take a copyediting test and was kinda just speeding through it because I really didn't care and wanted to leave. So that guy probably thinks I'm really dumb...oopps.

But I left with the realization that I never EVER want to do copyediting at a newspaper. That's just not me and I think I would shoot myself first....OK maybe not that, but I did tell Grace that I think I would move home and be a loser without a future before I took that job. The pay probably isn't that great, the hours suck (3-12 p.m. 5 days a week), and I really just don't think it could be very fulfilling for me. So, while I did feel that the interview was kinda a waste of time that has been so precious to me lately, it did help me narrow down my personal prospects for the future. I'm still not sure what I think about writing for a daily newspaper (it's probably in the middle of the favorability scale) but I now know that a newspaper copyeditor is one position I hope I never have to fill.

Going Above and Beyond

OK, my last post kinda reminded me of an experience from a couple weeks ago. One guy really is the guy that offers an amazing service to the rest of our class. The other...well, I'm assuming he is simply a funny guy who recognizes that maybe we should simply be thankful for what people willingly do and not always demanding more, more, more.

In my church history class there is a guy who records all the lectures and posts them online so we can download them. He is WAY nice to do this and sends emails to us all answering requests for more postings or past lectures, etc. Also, as a test was quickly approaching, a lot of people were emailing to see if someone can send them typed notes for a class they missed. This was happening quite a bit. I think I got like 4 emails in one day from this. One of them was someone asking if someone could create a zipped file of their notes and post them like the guy does with the recordings. A little later I got an email that said this:

I appreciate the audio files and word documents of the notes, but i don't use my computer that much, so i was wondering if someone could text me the notes for last week's lectures. Thanks.

Who needs sleep?

Alright, alright. So it's about 1:30 in the morning and for some reason, I'm avoiding going to sleep. I've also avoided doing homework, working, or finishing a long standing list of things needed to be completed. But ya know, that's OK. Really, the I know that I will get done the things I need to get done. It might not happen in the time frame that it ideally should happen in, but I think I have a strong history of pulling through.....

Tonight I skipped FHE, couldn't work because I left my jump drive at my other work, and opted to instead help Susie on this project she's working on. Instead of just writing a paper on David for her Bible as Literature class, she's being a little more creative with the content and fashioning the project as a magazine issue focused on David: The Man of the Year. I really think it's creative and interesting and its been fun helping her with the layout.

However, we ran into a few little problems. As we were about finishing up, and the lab we were in started to close, we realized that the program we were using wouldn't let us save. We have no idea why and it was really frustrating because we asked the lab assistant why it wouldn't let us and he was like ..hmm that is strange, I don't know. But time is up and you have to go.... WHAT? I kinda started streaming silent madness in his direction...and this wasn't even my own project!! She'd be working on it for EVER, and here it was not saving and this guy wouldn't do anything about it. It was a little frustrating but then I started to think....hmm I wonder if anyone has ever thought this about me at the Testing Center when I ruthlessly show no mercy as I, in an ever so slightly rude way, inform them that time is up and they must turn in their test. Nope, I don't care if you aren't done-you should have planned ahead. Eeee....sooo yea. I can't say I regret those times because hey-it was my job. And while it seems like I have every right to even be a little frustrated with this lab assistant (who I didn't really like before this incidence anyways) who couldn't do his job because the minute hand was starting to barely creep past the closing time, I suppose that he really had no obligation to help us. Yea, it would have been nice if he had made some sort of effort...it's not like we were purposely stalling to try to be the last ones out of the library.... But you can't really expect those kinds of things out of people. Can you really be upset because people don't go over and beyond? I guess we really just can't take for granted the times when people do those things and go out of their way and we really just need to be thankful when those things happen.

My return...maybe

It's been a while since I've posted, but a little influence from some good friends has kinda sparked my interest again.

It's mid-November and I only have about a month left of classes--ever. That's crazy...It just doesn't seem like I'm old enough. I was talking with Grace the other day about some potential housing options in Salt Lake where most of the residents are young, working professionals. So basically a really good environment for where I am in my life. But, all of the sudden I starting feeling really young. I'm like, hey if anything, I'm just going to be doing an internship out there. That's not a real job. What if I'm the youngest person out there, what if the entire ward is made up of creepy, weird, OLD people!?!?

The last couple weeks have really made me appreciate so many things in my life. I think I take a lot of things for granted and often don't recognize the many ways that I am blessed. In one Sacrament meeting a while back, I remember a lot of a lot of people discussing how they wanted one thing and Heavenly Father sent them a completely different thing and, in the end, that thing really did turn out to be what was best. These examples reinforced the idea over and over again, that Heavenly Father is in each of our lives, knows us personally, and knows what will be best for us in the long run. I thought about this for a while and couldn't recognize any significant points in my life where things REALLY didn't turn out how I wanted or expected them. I realize that examples probably do exist, but nothing really trying sticks with me. My thoughts led me to the idea that, well, maybe I'm different. I'm a big planner...I like planning things out in advance and kinda knowing what I expect to be doing six months in the future and stuff. I always have several options that I sort through and think about before I feel particularly good about one and go with it. I think, for me, that this is the place where Heavenly Father guides me to make a right decision or at least prepares me to come to a certain conclusion on my own. He probably knows that I might not be able to deal with random drastic changes in my life.

Right now my life is more up in the air than I normally prefer. Honestly, I have no idea where I will be come January. I could be in Salt Lake, Provo, D.C., or some other random place. But as of this moment, there is not one stronger option than another. I developing a stronger sense of patience, I suppose. But, even with the unknown looming over my life, I feel extremely grateful for the amazing opportunities I have been able to take advantage of. It's my last semester and months ago, when I was planning my schedule, I thought, wow, this is gonna be the best semester yet--I'm gonna have so much free time!.... um, NOT. While not a whole lot of my time is being devoted to school, I have some amazing career opportunities that really just keep falling in my lap. It's simply amazing and every time something works out I have to ask, "What could I possibly have done to deserve this?" I honestly don't think I do deserve it. I'm lacking in so many ways and don't understand how blessing after blessing comes my way when there are soo, so many things I should and could be doing better. Again, I just marvel at the love I feel in my life from my Heavenly Father--He loves me even when I'm not perfect, He sees the things that make me feel worthwhile, He knows what I need to make things seems OK.

A Market, the park, and strange men

Saturday wasn't filled with anything too exciting, just tasks that really just seem English. I had been getting pretty tired from our constant goings so I took the privilege of sleeping in a bit...actually I woke up before eight, had some breakfast, read a little of my book, and then went back to sleep until 10:30 or so.

When I woke up, again, I went running in Hyde Park. It was my first time doing this and it was really fun. I hope that I will find the time to go again. The park is huge, and running is the perfect opportunity to explore it. There are so many different paths and the scenery is amazing!

After going home, showering, and eating a light lunch I went to the market! Yes, that's right, Portobello Market by Notting Hill. It was sooo much fun and such an experience. At the last market I went to I really just wondered around and didn't buy much...such a different experience this time! Portobello was huge! And had everything! Touristy stuff, fruit, meat, food, clothes, antiques, shoes, ah, it was amazing. I ended up buying a lot of little odds and ends here and there. It really is so much fun buying stuff from vendors in the street...it's definitely a different experience.

One thing I knew to keep my eyes open for while there was a watch. Since coming to London I've realized that I usually rely solely on my phone for time information. Since I have no phone, I never know what time it is. This has proven to be a slight problem when I'm touring the city by myself or when our group is on our trips and we have to meet up at certain times. So when I found a vendor selling watches I had to stop and look.

So I have been looking for a white leathery watch for a long time and I found exactly the kind I wanted except in was pink. But I did find a more dressy white watch that I also liked. They were pretty well priced (just £4 = $8) and the vendor even said I could get three for 10 pounds. I really didn't think I needed three watches but I did decide to get the two. One of them needed a new battery so while I waited one of the vendor's helpers started talking to me. He was a semi-older Indian fellow I believe...anyways he asked about how long I was in London, if I was studying, where I was fun, etc. When the watch was fixed I paid him and he wrapped them up for me, but then he kept kinda giving me like a half-way hug. I just said thank you and then he kinda walked a couple of steps before he was like, so, can I get your number? Haha it's a good thing I don't even know my number here, but I was just like, oh, no. It was the easiest turn down I've ever done. Later one of the girls in my program saw my watches and told me I had to take her back to get one another day...I wonder if he would even remember me if I go back...

Anyways, I went home to drop of my purchases, grabbed my book, and then was planning on heading off again to Hyde Park because it was a gorgeous day to read outside. On my way, this man on the sidewalk asked my for the time. Luckily I was wearing one of my new ones so I was able to tell him. He kinda kept walking next to me for a minute and I expected him to either walk faster or slower than I was so there wouldn't be that awkward moments when you are walking side by side. But instead, he started talking to me.

He thanked me for the time again and said that he had just returned from a trip somewhere (he told me but I don't remember). It was a little odd to have some stranger try striking up a conversation with me and, while my natural reaction was to clutch my purse a little tighter under my arm, I didn't really feel that he was dangerous or anything. Every time I try to recount to someone what he said, I don't feel as though I can give it justice. He really was an interesting man, and he really made me think about stuff, my life, everything. But when I tell someone what he said etc. people tend to take it in a creepy kind of light. But it really wasn't like that...just keep that in mind.

Sometime during our conversation he told me that he had noticed my aura and felt drawn to talk to me. He was a very spiritual person and had a connection with something, it seemed...I really don't know what to think about it...if it was real or what. But he did know a lot about me; either that or he was really good at guessing. He started out just talking to me about general things; recounting a little bit of the trip he had just returned from and sharing a few of his experiences. He said that he was very spiritual, very religious, and that's part of why he wanted to talk to me. He asked if I was religious, I said yes. We kept talking, he asked if I was studying and how long I was in London for. He told me that traveling in the best kind of education and there is really no comparison to the opportunities you have and the different cultures you get to experience. I don't remember very much of the exact words he said, but I do remember that while he was talking I was thinking However weird this seems, what this guy is saying really seems to make sense, I really want to remember that phrase, etc. One thing I partly remember is something like You are a child of the Universe, you grow like the trees, and...something that completed it for you.

As we were walking he would every so often stop and ask for my hand. He did this 3, 4, maybe 5 times. He would just cup it in his hand like a palm reading might and would just hold it for a second, maybe touch my thumb, and then he would release it and tell me something and continue initiating conversation. Some of the things he knew about me...He said he could tell that I was very sensitive. He said that I often get tense in my neck and lower back. (so true- actually I think when he said this he went on a bit about how we really need to just relax and take life as it comes to us, to experience the different experiences that come our way to to live life to the fullest) He asked if I had many brothers or sisters, I said yes, and he knew I was in the middle. He even knew I was Mormon! (This came a few minutes after the question of whether I was religious) He said I liked colors and that I liked mixing them. I wish I remember everything but I really don't :( Even though I tried.

So back to the actual story, as he approached me I was heading to Hyde Park to read...but I didn't want to tell him that because I really had no idea who he was and that would mean I had nothing really to do and no one knowing where I was. So when he said that he would really just like to talk to me sometime because he had seen something in my aura and asked where I was going, I told him that I was meeting a friend at Marble Arch in about 15, 20 minutes and that I was about to get on the Tube. He was like, oh don't take the Tube, you should take the bus because then you can see the city, etc. (He also related this to our conversation about D.C. because he had been doing research there or something) So he convinced me to take the bus to Marble Arch where I really had no intention of going. He decided that we had a few more minutes before I needed to catch the bus and asked if I would walk through the park with him on the way to the bus stop. I was like, Okay... while thinking, am I really going into the park with a strange man who approached me on the street? But at the same time he kinda intrigued me. So he walked me to the bus stop and said he was just going to watch the sports game in a restaurant nearby. He said he still wanted to talk to me and asked if I had a mobile number or anything. I said no, because I don't. So he said he'd give me his number..neither of us had a pen however...So he said no worries, he just feels that we will be seeing each again. And he left. And I got on the bus to go to Marble Arch. I don't know why.

I roamed the busy shopping streets of Marble Arch for a while, grabbed dinner, and got back on the Tube home. Now I went to the park to read, but only got a couple chapters read until I was too chilly to focus. The park is amazing though! It was full of people just busy chatting, eating picnic dinners, or playing football, frisbee, or something. I found a nice big tree with a nook in it to lean on however, and enjoyed a few moments there.

other fun stuff

gg

Week 2

So this is about where I got really behind and recording what I'm doing. So...here's a sum up:

Sunday:

My first church experience in Stratford. I am in the Catford ward in the Wadsworth Stake. I am supposed to be working in the Primary but they haven't specifically assigned us yet. We left at 8:30 to try out the route to get there and ended up getting there just at 10 when Sacrament meeting started. We really won't be able to get there much earlier because once we get off the tube we just have to wait for the bus. It was Fast and Testimony meeting and, like my program director said, our bishop asked the six of us to bear our testimonies at the beginning of the meeting. It's been a while since I've done it so it was a good opportunitity.

Later that evening we had a fireside with our whole group with the bishop actually from my ward, Bishop Chittock. He and a member from the Stake Presidency talked to us about the church in London and the role we can play. They basically explained that the church is really young here and that most of the members are converts. So it just takes them a bit to fully know and be aware of the proper church ways to do things. And that even the ones in leadership positions have likely only been members for 6 months or so. Plus it is very diverse out here.

Monday:

Classes start :(
Haha, OK it's not that bad. I'm not in the first class so I don't really have anything until 10:10, other then breakfast from 7:30-8:15. So I'm hoping I can use this time to one, sleep in if needed, two, go running, or three, do homework. Yay.

After class we went to the National Gallery (For Humanities we have certain paintings that we have to see for each class period so um, I'll be at the musuem a lot) From there, it was on to the Imperial War Musuem. (The picture is a part of the Berlin Wall in front of the museum)We only had a couple hours so I just got to go through a couple exhibits, mainly the Blitz and stuff about the World Wars. Then we had to back to the Center for dinner. Yum!

Tuesday:

Today we went to the British Library to see the Sacred Exhibit. It was amazing!! To see some more of my thoughts about it see this "musing" I wrote about it for my English class. There was also a really cool exhibit upstairs that had pretty much everything you would want to see: Canterbury Tales, the Magna Carta, Leonardo da Vinci's sketchings, Beethoven's original music, Shakespeare writing's, Jane Austen letters, original Beetle's music...ah it was crazy and amazing.

In the evening after dinner and such I saw my second musical: Lion King! It was really good although it was more focused on display than the music. As you've probably heard the costumes are amazing, and it was really cool to see how they portrayed different animals and the interactions between the main characters. Overall they did an amazing job. I wasn't too impressed with Disney's Beauty and the Beast when I saw it in New York, but this definitely out did that and I enjoyed it. Once again I was way close, I think it was the eight row. :)

Wednesday:

Our first day trip. We ventured to the Isle of Wight where we saw Queen Victoria's house and gardens, took a six mile bike ride, and came back to pasta dinner at the Center.

Thursday:

Not too much today...Just class, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, the grocery stores, and then dinner, and homework. I think I had like 5 papers to write.

Friday:

It had been raining a lot so our trip to Greenich was pushed back and instead we visited the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Beautiful buildings and way interesting history. Afterwards we made an attempt to find Portobello market because someone had heard it was also open on Fridays till 5, but we couldn't find it so it probably wasn't there and we went home. After a while I needed to go out so Courtney, Lauren and I went to find Primark this really busy but way cheap store we had heard about. Seriously it's huge and amazing. We didn't quite feel like shopping right then, because given the dynamics of the story you'd have to be there a long time, so we just checked it out and stopped at a couple of souvenior shops on the way home where we all finished our homework.

Saturday:

Today we all woke up early once again to meet with the youth of the stake for a 10 mile hike around the English countryside. It was long, but we only had to go up one hill, and the scenery was amazingly beautiful! We didn't get home until about 4:30 and we then had to leave again at 6 for the play Called to Account. It was a political play about the British involvement with Iraq and the indictment of Anthony Blair. It was interesting but definitely not that exciting...I kinda wish they had presented it differently because I would have loved to learn more about it but the means of presenting it kinda made me sleepy especially after the long hike. Basically it was like watching a trial. There were never more than 5 people on the stage in the same scenery- a table for the prosecution, a table for the defense, and a table for the witness. So we just saw the testimonies of the different witnesses and the questions asked by both sides.

A Saturday in London

Saturday's can often be more relaxing days...but not in London! Today is the last day (well, other than Sunday) before school actually starts, but I think we could all sense it was near. I had just barely had time to eat breakfast before a group announced they were heading to Borough's market, so I hurried and changed out of my pajamas to go. It was my first real market experience and it was really fun. There were all kinds of food everywhere! Cheeses, breads, fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, herbs, jams, everything. It was amazingly crowded and way fun. Denise, Jenna, and I bought two packages of strawberries for one pound to eat while we roamed. I didn't end up buying everything but I probably will in the future. I still want to go to Portobella markets so I'm sure I'll visit more markets in the future.

I was pretty tired after the market and hadn't had time to really get ready before we left so when half of the group left to go see Les Mes, I went back to the Center. There my professors 9 year old daughter, Kenzi, talked a couple of my roommates and I to play cards with her for a while. It was the longest Phase 10 game I have ever played.

At about 5 p.m. Denise, Jessi, and I went to mass at a church just off of Queensway. It was my first mass and definitely an interesting experience. Both of the other girls had been to one before and they said it was a lot smaller and just a little bit different. There was a lot of standing and kneeling and repeating prayers. I'm glad I went and hope to go to another one someday to see the differences.

After that we went to find dinner since the Center doesn't serve dinner on Saturday nights. We ended up going to an Indian restaurant. It was a way cool restaurant but I really had no idea what I ordered. I officially decided that I am not a "ethnic" food kind of person. I'm very picky and I decided I don't think it's cool to try random foods unless I know I'm going to like them. But...Indian food was interesting....

Tower of London

Today our whole group went to the Tower of London. We just had to be there to meet Prof. Baker for our ticket sometime between9:30 and 10:30. The whole experience was really fun and really interesting--it may be one of my favorite places so far. So when we got there we were put in a tour group with a beefeater who showed us all around and told us specific stories and history related to the various parts of the area. Ours was really quite funny and the whole tour was interesting. It was a good look into some of the history and a brief up on things I really should know. Apparently all of the beefeaters and their families actually live in the little area that we toured. And, in order to get the position, you had to complete like 11 years of military service.

After this tour ended the first thing my group did was go see the Crown Jewels. It make me think of my dear roommate Charlotte, haha. Anyways it as cool to see the various crowns, scepters, and all kinds of gold plates and serving ware, etc. Then we were heading up to the White Tower when we heard some shouting from the courtyard right behind us. We looked and there were some characters in costume summoning us to them. Haha we were like...OK, and walked right over. It ended up being really entertaining and actually really educational because they explained what was happening as they walked us to various points in the square. The first lady was the wife of one of the only people to successfully escape from the prison, John Gerald, I believe. We eventually met John himself as well as his jailer who ended up departing shortly after he escaped and then a lady warden of sort. They were all really great actors and actresses and really livened up the story and the experience all together.

After touring most of what the Tower of London offered, our group decided to go to the British Museum. We didn't have a whole lot of time but did get to see most of the Egyptian and Roman sections. Brooke, Carrie, Courtney, and I had some fun taking lots of pictures.

My first show

So the last couple days have been jam packed and I'm really hoping I'll be able to remember everything. We started out with a walk of London. Professor Backer was my guide and we kinda got lost a lot. But we walked around the financial district, saw a market or two, and walked over to Tate modern before we ended up at what I believe was St. Mary's Cathedral. There was a really pretty courtyard where we stopped, ate lunch, and rested our feet. Then a group of us heading to the theater district to see Mary Poppins--my first play in London. When we first got there we found it was £25 and a couple of us weren't sure if we were still going to see it. But then we discovered our seats would be on the fourth row and we all decided to get a ticket. Wow, it was really amazing. I loved the show (which I hadn't been too familiar with before) and it such an experience to be so close and see every detail of the performers faces. I think that my favorite scene was with the chimney sweeps when they did an amazing tap dance number. Let me tell ya it was quite good. Mary Poppins looked exactly how I would have imagined her...almost disturbingly so. Anyways it was really good and I can't wait for my next show. I really do want to see Wicked but don't know if I should do it now or to wait. Either way it's coming and I'm really excited.

Arrived in London

Hello everyone! I have arrived at the BYU London Center! No one is here right now, they are all out on orientation walks so I'm just orienting myself a little bit. The flight was good, I really just slept the entire time-- they didn't even show a movie (I was supposed to see Music and Lyrics again, Margie Susie and I just saw it the night before I left). But yea the flight came in and I had instructions they had given us in my prep class so I probably looked really confused but I eventually found my way here. I had some trouble exchanging money...nothing too big of a deal but it just took a while. Then I took the Gatwick Express to the Victoria station where I had the option to either take the Tube to where I'll be staying or take a taxi. I didn't really feel like figuring out my tube pass and such so I opted for the taxi so they could take me right to the door and I wouldn't have to worry about dragging my luggage around. And that's where I am. I rang the bell and Tony and Tina (I believe those are the names of the people who manage the center) welcomed me in and showed me my bed. I'm in the room on the bottom floor with just 8 girls in it. The other rooms have 12 to 14 girls. But I think I might be the last one here and I think I have the last top bunk. I'd prefer the bottom but what can you do. Anyways I just wanted to let you know that I arrived safe and sound and am excited to start exploring London. My director had sent me an email saying they'd be back between noon and 1. So that's either right now or within an hour. So I guess I'm going to explore the center just a little bit more and see what's going on.

Why I Am Taking This Class

News & Citizen Journalists: What's in the future for traditional journalism?

By Karianne Salisbury

With the changes new technology creates in the world of traditional journalism, many questions about the role of journalists come to mind. Who qualifies as a journalist? What will be a journalists’ role in the future?

According to Wikipedia.org, a journalist is defined as a person involved in “the gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues and people.” But, with an increasing amount of ordinary citizens stepping into the media scene and providing the public with news information, the formal definition may be expanding to include such individuals.

In fact, CNN has recently reported on the growing trend of blogger journalists and posed the question of if these individuals should be treated like members of the mainstream press. Many organizations are saying yes.

One example, as included in the CNN report, focuses on The Media Bloggers Association, an organization supporting blogging as a distinct form of media. This association has been working to create a position for bloggers in the media field and most recently obtained access into a major court trial as a step towards accreditation for bloggers.

Example after example shows the doors into the journalism world being opened. You Witness News encourages citizens to upload video feed or personal photographs of news events. South Korea’s OhMyNews.com provides a mix a professionally reported and citizen reported stories. Newsassignment.net, started by a New York University journalism professor, combines the efforts of professional editors with those of citizen journalists.

These kinds of examples are becoming increasingly popular in how news is reported. Many wonder if it poses a threat to professional journalists. Cassandra Szklarski, author of the article “‘Citizen journalism’ challenges mainstream media," explores some of the disadvantages of traditional journalism.

“The problem with mainstream media is there’s not a lot of choice,” Szklarski said. “You get what the editor gives you. And on the Internet, there’s a proliferation of choice, either by design or mass numbers, by the technology of the medium that allows you to find whatever it is you’re looking for to express whatever it is that you’re trying to express.”

The phenomenon termed “citizen journalism” entails a wide spectrum of individuals, each providing their take on the world and creating interest and involvement. Although traditional journalists are the professionals, they are, oftentimes, no longer perceived as the expert.

“The bottom line is that thanks to the Internet, we have the ability now to self-publish,” said Carla [no last name provided] in the article “Newsroom of the future: from convergence to citizen media. “You don’t need editors, or fancy front-end computer systems, or training, or paid subscribers. Mainstream journalists are no longer the experts. The idea is that citizens collectively know more on any given topic than an individual journalist.”

Does this mean the jobs of traditional journalists are in jeopardy? For those who would say no, the answer is found in the principles of journalism, principles that can not be guaranteed in a world of blogging.


“We journalists generally prize integrity,” said Amy Gahran at Poynter in the article “Citizen journalism vs. professional journalism.” “Certain core values and practices of traditional journalism – such as objectivity, accuracy, corroboration, avoiding conflicts of interest, transparency, editorial oversight, etc. – exist in order to enhance our integrity and this earns the audience’s trust.”

Although there is continued debate on the topic, many professionals are not worried and want to combine the two methods of journalism to create even better news coverage.

“‘Citizen journalism’ provides professional reporters the chance to collect many more data points than they can on their own,” said Robert Niles in his commentary “Let’s quit arguing the merits of “mainstream” versus “citizen” journalism and instead work together on “better” journalism.”

“‘Mainstream media’ provides readers an established, popular distribution channel for the information we have and can collect,” Niles said. “Not to mention a century of wisdom on sourcing, avoiding libel and narrative storytelling technique. And our readers don’t care. They just want the most complete, accurate and engaging coverage possible.”

Other Sources

1. Carla (2006). Newsroom Of The Future: From Convergence to Citizen Media. Retrieved January 24, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.
2. McCullough, T. (2006). You Witness, Where Any Person Can be a Journalist. Retrieved January 23, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.
3. Szklarski, C. (2006). ‘Citizen Journalism’ Challenges Mainstream Media. Retrieved January 23, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.
4. Szklarski, C. (2006). Citizen Journalism: All the “News” That Won’t Fit to Print. Retrieved January 24, 2007, from LexisNexis Academic database.

Karianne's Most Recent Articles

So it's been some time since I've actually written articles. But, here's just a glimpse of some of my personal favorite ones from a while back.

Survey raises concerns about college preparation: July 11, 2006

High school, along with AP exams and ACT's, may be over, but for the rising number of high school graduates continuing their education at a college or university, the end is not yet in sight.

However, as more students head to the college of their choice, a popular question is if they will meet the expectations and demands required to earn a degree.

Full Story

Stadium of Fire: July 3, 2006

Waving American flags was just a small part of the Stadium of Fire experience for the thousands of fans who filled the seats of the LaVell Edwards Stadium July 1, 2006.

From sending text messages to servicemen to reuniting one family after an eight-month separation, a main focus of the show was honoring the American troops serving their country from around the world.

Full Story

Life on Display: Gordon B. Hinckley: March 28, 2006

In the midst of students eating and talking in the WSC Terrace is a simple photograph exhibit honoring President Gordon B. Hinckley.

Starting with his birth and spanning to his 95th birthday, approximately 90 panels show and remind viewers of significant events that have occurred throughout President Hinckley's life, including his 46 years as a general authority.

Full Story

Accounting students win national xTax competition: Feb 16, 2006

BYU's accounting program may be ranked second in the nation, but five of its students trumped all when they took home the top honor and $11,000 to be divided among them from the national xTAX competition in January 2006.

Full Story