Embracing Family and Change

   Having my family here for TCU’s family weekend was an unforgettable experience. TCU put on a hefty variety of festivities which truly made the weekend exciting for all ages and was an ideal portrayal of the college TCU spirit. Coming to TCU from Colorado served as an obstacle throughout my college years during Family Weekend due to my siblings varied activities and conflicting obligations. However, I was fortunate enough this year to have my two brothers and my parents all fly down for the memorable weekend.

   We started off the weekend right with the Schieffer School of Journalism Family Weekend Kickoff Party. I was thrilled that I could introduce my family, principally my mother and father, to a number of my teachers and friends. It is one thing to communicate my class activities across a phone, but it was much more influential to share my education and knowledge gained in person. I have enjoyed the past three years in the Strategic Communication major and find myself enjoying my classes the more demanding and specialized they become. I was also able to share a new perspective of two of my professors, Professor Levering and Professor Johnson, with my parents that I had yet to acquire. Seeing Levering and Johnson perform in a band showed me a little bit more about their unique character and hidden talents. They were an amazing band and I was taken back by the musical skill and lyrical expressions they possessed. The music set the tone for the evening and allowed my parents to see what an amazing group of professors the Schieffer Journalism school has to offer. I feel that the education I have gained so far has been so effective and inspiring. 

   Morning mimosas and family adorned with TCU paraphernalia started off game day versus Virginia. Although it was an early morning, the frog fan spirit and excitement was bubbling in frog alley with the marching band entertaining the crowd. It was my parents first experience going to a college football game and they soaked up each and every minute. We stayed the entire game to ultimately see TCU dominate Virginia. 

   You never know how much family bond means until reunion incurs after a timely absence. I missed my family so much and united by happiness we lived each moment to its fullest. I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend with my family at TCU. They have seen me grow so much during high school and college, and now to have them with me while being presented my TCU class ring, I am beyond overjoyed. The real world is right around the corner, and I am confident and optimistic that the future bears many incredible opportunities and adventures for me. Family by my side, I intend to explore each venture that arises, confident that I have a strong base to fall back on.

“Lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at you.” 

David Brinkley

Uniting in the Effort for Change Over a Nation Divided

  
  September 11 will always be marked as a day of great sadness and remembrance for America. Unfortunately, this year brought further violence with the destruction and murders at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Will September 11 become a day marked by feelings of premonition instigated by imminent fear of further attacks?

   Labeled as a Millenial and nearing the end of my college years, I realize the prevalence that generation Y has in regard to impacting and transforming the future of America’s economy and international welfare. We are the voice that will rock the nation. It is a revelation that has truly changed my outlook on political awareness. Young adult’s like me will play a significant game changing role in the coming election.

   Following the heinous rioting and insurgence at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, President Barrack Obama proceeded to give a public apology expressing sympathy for those insulted by a viral YouTube video representing the Prophet Muhammad in disrespectful ways. His statement was later countered by Obama’s opponent, Mitt Romney, whose opposing opinion was highlighted in defense of the U.S. and condemning the President's apology. I personally was astounded by the public apology that Obama made when the issue at hand was far greater; trespassing, terrorism and murder forced upon the American people. 

   I for one intend to take advantage of my right to vote and stay actively engaged in world events and politics. Although I have never been one to be thoroughly engaged in the political arena, over the past few years I have learned the magnitude of how government and politics effects not only the economy but me personally. Americans are subject to the choices of the government, thus making the young people’s role in the election that much more instrumental. We are a product of our choices. The future is dependent upon the good or bad choices made now, so make those decisions characteristic of thought, wisdom and of moral vanguard.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
Maria Robinson

Blake Shelton Giving Voice to a New Year

   Thousands of Blake Shelton TCU fans flooded the Dee J. Kelly Alumni Center lawn to watch the country music superstar perform. It was an incredible experience in a breathtaking setting with the newly renovated 163 million dollar Amon G. Carter stadium in the backdrop.

   Having Blake Shelton perform at TCU really amped up the horned frog spirit, foreshadowing the eventful and unforgettable events yet to come in the 2012-2013 school year. For me this concert topped the previous three years, making my senior year just that much more memorable. This experience will resonate with all who attended Shelton’s incredible concert Thursday night.

    It was an eventful week post concert with numerous festivities surrounding the first TCU home football game versus Grambling State on Saturday, September 8. A full day of barbecues, tailgating, and game time ensued. One of the most exciting moments was when the game football was flown in by the TCU Rocketman. The unexpected entrance was followed by a killer game. TCU absolutely demolished Grambling State, concluding the game with a nearly perfect score of 56-0. It was a great start to the football season leaving the student body and TCU fans with high hopes for the success of the horned frogs.

    A number of fans stayed after the game to watch TCU present Gary Patterson with an award for being the coach with the most wins in TCU’s history. Afterwards, a beautiful fireworks show erupted over the stadium. It was a bittersweet moment when seniors realized that this was the last first yearly concert and last first TCU football game in our college years. I am grateful for the events that have made the beginning of senior year so priceless. Let’s go out with a bang TCU, let’s do it right! GO FROGS!

"LEFT SIDE! STRONG SIDE!"

-Remember the Titans-

The Ideal Balance?

As senior year begins, I find that readjusting to school life can be a bit of a challenge. I want to take advantage of each opportunity that arises and enjoy every bit of my last year in the college life. With a full load of classes, all of which I have high hopes for, and two part time jobs, I find that juggling all activities can be challenging.

After getting used to an 8 to 5 full time internship this summer, I was optimistic that I would be able to adjust easily. However, with my time being divided between school, work, and weekend festivities I find that I have little time to devote to myself.

Prioritizing my activities are so important so that I can devote a supple amount of time to exercise and self empowerment. Yoga, as a physical and mental discipline, has been an important activity for alleviating personal stress. Furthermore, I regard exercise to be a necessary part of my day. I have found that in the first few weeks of school, being able to organize my time so that I allocate an hour a day to exercise has given a boost to my health and motivation in school and at work.

A health advocate, I know that the coupled affect of exercise and a healthy diet is what it takes to accelerate weight loss and maintain a healthy heart. I have chosen to make some diet changes this semester. Some of which include:

Instead of...          Choose...

Dairy Milk ->       Almond, Hemp or Soy Milk (unsweet)

Meat ->               Beans, Legumes, Tempen or Quinoa

Cheese ->            Hummus, Olive Oil, Balsamic, Vegetables, Baba Ganoush

Eggs ->                Plant based protein shakes, Almond Butter, Oatmeal

Beyond health ambitions, I hope to set my future goals in motion and begin to establish a career path. I have found that companionship with my close friends has helped me to truly appreciate and live up my final year at TCU.

LIVE LAUGH LOVE

C'est La Vie -- A Sibling Bond

   I have heard people say for as long as I can remember, "don't waste precious moments with your family and friends." You never know just how incredibly special someone is to you until they are gone. Death is a part of life, that everyone encounters whether it be through the loss of an acquaintance, loved one, or facing your own death.

   My life has been rocked by hardship and loss. To say that any moment could be your last is a revelation that rings true to its nature. Like so many, growing up I though that I was invincible, that no one or no harm could come to me. I now realize how incredibly faulty that perception of life was. Wake up world, there is evil and danger all around.

   The Aurora movie theater shooting hit so close to home for me. A Colorado native, I was all too aware of the horrific Columbine High School massacre growing up, and yet I could not relate because I was still so young. You think, hey it will never happen to me. Little over two years ago, I was gripped by a fear all too real to imagine.

   I chose to go out of state to Texas Christian University, some 780 miles from home. Going so far from home for college was a huge decision. As an independent, strong-willed and adventurous person, I knew the choice was right. However, the first year was much harder than I had imagined. Don't ever take for granted the things your parents provide and the companionship of family. The hardest thing to overcome was being without my siblings all the time. I didn't realize how much I missed them until they were no longer down the hall. So close to my baby brother and sister, I had a trying time dealing with the fact that I would be missing school dance preparations with my sister and continuous comedian laughter with my mischievous brother. I didn't want to miss out on seeing them grow up!

   I remember the exact moment in which I discovered that my little brother's middle school was the target of a deranged gunman. I remember walking home from class on a perfect Spring day in Texas, carefree. I received a call from a friend asking if I had heard.... I remember being so confused. She told me there had been a school shooting, and I remember thinking how awful that was, yet still not grasping why she called me. I turned on the news and was in complete shock to hear that it was my brother's school.

   In a panic, I dialed my little brother and could not reach him, so I tried my parents. They did not answer. Then I tried my sister and she didn't pick up. Those first few minutes felt like hours. Trying to stay calm I tried to dial my older brother, who at the time attended CSU in Fort Collins. No answer. My panic state became uncontrollably frantic and I dropped to the floor in tears.

   So overwhelmed by the thought of losing my baby brother, my best friend, I began to think of the worst case scenario. My older brother, Drew, finally called me back but had no answers. It wasn't until later that evening I was able to get in contact with my mother.

   After such hysteria, I was terrified that my brother had been one of the victims. My mother told me he was in the hospital which made me think that he was injured. (During a crazy time like that, the way that you receive information is so critical and the first words I was told, "hospital," did not set well).

   Miraculously my little brother had not been at school that day due to a severe reaction of pain medication he was allergic to and was admitted to the emergency room just minutes before the shooting. Cole was at the hospital being treated when some of his friends, the victims of the shooting, were brought in.

   God was watching over my brother that day. God has a plan for everyone and it was a miracle he was not at school. He would have been standing in the exact area he did every day after school, where the gunman opened fire, injuring three children before a teacher and parents tackled him to the ground.

   A close friend of Cole's was standing next to a girl who had been shot, so close that blood splatter his his face. He recalls dropping his backpack and running, not thinking, just running. He was so disoriented and in shock from the shooting that he found himself lost and in an unrealistic haze between imagination and reality.

   Awful events like this seem so unreal. The sad truth is that they are very real. Just like the recent Aurora theater shooting that shocked the community at large. What truly amazes me most is that despite the evil in the world, the light shines through overpowering the darkness. People come together in grievance, giving and unity to empower one another and overcome life altering situations.

   My father always told me, "It's not about what happens to you that matters; what matters is how you deal with it and the person you become as a result." Evil will always exist in the world, but do not live in fear of evil because then and only then will evil triumph. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke

   I've seen the good in people triumph every day. I believe that no act of kindness is ever wasted. The number of heroic stories that have flooded media since the Aurora shooting is inspiring. Likewise, over the past few years I have been a first-hand witness to the empowerment and growth of my little brother since the Deer Creek Middle School shooting. He truly grasps life by the reigns and has learned to enjoy every minute of this time he has on earth. It is not fair that someone so young has to experience and witness such a trying event, which he has relived through not only his eyes but the eyes of each of his friends there that day.

   They all have chosen to take each day by storm and live each moment as if it were there last. I am so proud of my baby brother, he continues to bring joy into the lives of everyone he meets. He will be successful in whatever he chooses to pursue. I must say that he may be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. As an inventor, he is a young prodigy and as a person he is a natural comedian. I love you Bear.

  Don't take life for granted. You get one ticket on the life train and there is no return. Use that priceless gift well, do good for others, and don't waste a breath on hatred.

  My heart, words, thoughts and prayers go out to the recent victims, as well as friends and family affected by the Aurora tragedy. Healing is a process and will take time. Know that there are so many GOOD people out there willing to stand by your side through that process.

"Hatred paralyses life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it."

 -Martin Luther King, Jr.