Category Archives: Chautauqua

Chautauqua

Friday, 11 November, 2011
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Happy Veterans 2011: “It’s the Little Things That Really Mean Big”

QOTD: It’s November 11, 2011! Did you wish for anything at 11:11?

Before anything else, I just want to congratulate the UNC Tar Heels for their AWESOME win against MSU (67-55). I’m usually not a Sports fan but when it comes to UNC (and especially when it comes to UNC basketball) I get kind of excited :) Even better, we won on an aircraft carrier! Woohoo! #heelsonaboat

Speaking of aircraft carriers, Happy Veterans Day! Thank you so much to all of those who have died, fought and risked everything to protect the lives of American people. We appreciate everything you do for our country, and I can’t imagine the amount of courage it takes to do what you do. Thank you.
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Thursday, 06 October, 2011
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Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dies at 56

Every once in a while, an event as tragic as Steve Jobs’ death compels us to stop what we’re doing and be reminded of how fragile life is–but also how beautiful it can be. Thanks for everything, Steve Jobs. You will forever be remembered. 

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. 

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, or living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

iPod. iPhone. Apple. Mac. These are the types of innovations and corporations Steve Jobs helped found during his lifetime, which we use for our pleasure and take for granted every day. But his legacy is not just made up of these tangible materials. His creativity and genius has been a constant source of inspiration for not only technologists but people everywhere all over the globe. Less seriously, he proved to everybody that nerdy nerds can turn into great nerds, and then those great nerds turn into great men. 

And, by God, Steve Jobs was a great man. 

Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs. You were a truly remarkable human being, and your powerful technological contributions will never be forgotten. You changed the world. 

Sunday, 02 October, 2011
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WWW: Why Websites Wule

QOTD: If you could choose to live any one decade from history, which one would you want to live through and why?

We live in a digital age. Smartphones, iPads, social networking, GPS systems, Skype…all of that is a part of this generation. The Internet is not just a hobby for us anymore. It’s a lifestyle. We have changed the ways in which we communicate with others and share our ideas. While I will always have a soft spot for the printed media (in fact, I vow to never buy a Kindle), seeing the effects that this has had on the way our society interacts has been nothing short of remarkable.

Nowadays, we are able to discuss our opinions through forums and can even comment on blogs and Yahoo articles. Those are our outlets of discussion, and I personally think they are a lot easier than debating face-to-face, which can be intimidating. I know I feel more nervous about speaking my mind with people when I am with them…but the Internet is different. You can think before you type and there’s a lot less pressure of writing certain opinions. You can think the matter through, and you don’t need to endure of those awkward moments or be aware of certain social cues.
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Wednesday, 21 September, 2011
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“How Old Are You?” “Why Does It Matter?”

QOTD: How old are you? Do you personally think that age really matters? 

Sometimes I wish I could forget my age. Why are our lives measured so heavily upon how old we are, and not instead by the experiences we have been through and the amount of knowledge we have absorbed? I have conflicting feelings about my age…..I am 19 years old, but have always looked at least five years younger, which I tend to feel defensive about. (Bring on the kids’ menus!)

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Sunday, 18 September, 2011
1

The Art of Sophomore Swag

QOTD: What brand and flavor of chewing gum would you recommend for someone you don’t like? (You thought it’d be another “favorites” question, didn’t you?)

Note: If you don’t know what swag is, click here. And just so you know, I love first years, and I loved my first of college. :)

Living the year of a college sophomore can only be described as a trip through a very, very strange time machine. A set of twenty-four hours swishes by fast, so that the days seem to blend in and suddenly a week has felt more like one extremely long day. One minute I’m on top of the world, the next minute I’m back at the bottom scrambling for the top again. It feels like I have only been in school for a week, but no–it is already September and here I am, faced with history papers to write and mid-term exams that loom head. 

Here is a typical day in college (AKA the time machine): 

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Tuesday, 06 September, 2011
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Dear, you.

QOTD: What salutation do you prefer to use and receive? 

Perhaps in my mind I am living in the Middle Ages when Old English was still the norm, but when I receive a letter or a message that begins with “Dear,” I can’t help but feel as though I’d just swallowed a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup or received a big bear hug from an old friend. 

Nowadays, the salutation “Dear” seems to be most often used between co-workers, in student emails to instructors, and other more professional and formal written exchanges of communication. What I love about “Dear” is not only the respect embedded within the word, but also the fact that it carries such an affectionate sense of caring, fondness and amiability. We have gotten so caught up in today’s convenient “American language” and colloquialism that acknowledgments such as “Hey,” “Hi,” and “‘Sup” have replaced more traditional ways of greeting people.
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Saturday, 27 August, 2011
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Mean Irene

To all those who live on the East Coast (particularly to my family and friends living in North Carolina and up in the Massachusetts/New York area), take care and be safe!! Hurricane Irene has done a lot of damage so far, let’s hope that the storm subsides soon.

Please pray for the North Carolinian who lost his life today in the storm.

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Tuesday, 09 August, 2011
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Home, finally.

QOTD: Imagine you have one full day to drop all obligations (chores, work, cooking, blogging) and go anywhere you wanted regardless of money/time/travel constraints. Where would you go?

Home sweet home, finally!

It feels absolutely AMAZING to be back home, snuggling in my own squishy bed and eating endless slices of real pizza with real cheese on top. This year’s trip to China was definitely the longest we’ve ever had, setting a record of one month and one week! And I could definitely feel the effects of such longevity away from home.

When we stepped off the airplane and into the airport, I got almost excited when I saw Americans walking around with their luggage trolleys and speaking English. I got even more excited when I visited the ladies’ room and realized, no longer did I have to use my own toilet paper–it was provided! Those were the beginning moments of what would become a renewed appreciation for the amazing country that is America. (Yeah, I know Fourth of July is over but it’s never too late to celebrate your country, right?)

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Wednesday, 29 June, 2011
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30-Day Challenge 28: Re-Cap on 19th Birthday + Annual China Trip!

QOTD: How do you keep your email organized and de-cluttered?

Day 28: In this past month, what is something you have learned? Well, I learned that I can read a book really fast if I really want to and if I really need to. Honestly, I spent about four hours today reading the last fifty pages of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert! I think that’s the most I’ve read in a day since Harry Potter #7 came out.

Thank you everybody for all the wonderful birthday wishes and sweet comments! :) I truly enjoyed participating the Favorite Book Challenge and reading everybody else’s entries. I have so much on my To Be Read List now it’s not even funny. Well maybe a little bit considering I am a very slow reader! Honestly…I read every page at least twice. Har, harr. Anybody else like that?

On a different note, I went to dinner at Olive Garden with my awesome family and one of my best friends. I got the Chicken Scampi and it was, um, nothing short of amazing. Seriously….it was so good I was too excited and impatient to take photos for you all. So if you ever go, get the Chicken Scampi. It’s basically heaven on a plate. TOTAL YUM.

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