“What is southern pride?” I’ve lived in Mississippi for eight years now and I still don’t get it. The hunting, southern drawl, “bless his heart”, rebel flag, four wheelers, cows… why is it paraded around? Sure, hunting is an adrenaline rush, the flag has historical value, and cows are tasty, but I don’t understand the hardcore pride people hold for the south. Maybe I haven’t traveled enough but when I go up north, I don’t see bumper stickers glorifying mountain life. Why is southern culture so important to its people and why is it so vocal?
Don’t get me wrong, the yankees can’t compare when it comes to hospitality, but all the hype about coming from the good old south sounds silly to me. I grew up in a middle class area of New Orleans where Catholic traditions dominated my culture. We don’t have counties, we have parishes. We don’t have spring break, it’s Mardi Gras. So what exactly is so unique about being from the South? Is it anything more than just a reason to be obsessive about something, or is there something deeper?
Personally, I think the zombie or the literary analysis topics are the most interesting ideas so far. I’ll most likely be voting for one of them.
Monday, February 25, 2008
؟ ?
I would like to introduce you to my favorite punctuation mark: The irony mark - ؟
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_mark), the irony mark “is a punctuation mark that purports to indicate that a sentence should be understood at a second level [like irony or sarcasm]. It is illustrated by a small, elevated, backward-facing question mark. Its usage is extremely rare...” for now. I intend to eventually change that. It’s such a great member of the punctuation family! Used prudently, it could be very effective in writing, making it obvious when sarcasm is being used. Now sure, sometimes you want acerbity to be subtle, but there are times that it would be nice to not have to spell out that you aren’t being serious.
I know I’d love to have such punctuation available for my own writing. I’m not the most dignified person you’ll meet and my prose reflects that. Even if it isn’t truly necessary, you can’t tell me this little mark isn’t fun. The irony mark is a backwards question mark! It’s odd, quirky, and playful ^_^ Go ahead and draw it. As if question marks weren’t already one of the most interesting marks of punctuation, you can now draw it backwards which adds a whole ’nother level of merriment to the English language. I think it has become my new best friend؟ Since its exact usage is not set in stone, I think you could use it whenever you please instead of just when asking a rhetorical question, etc. Also, some artistic license is open for the taking. It could be used for humor. No longer is there a need to say, “here’s a joke: How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?” Now, you can go ahead and just say “How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb؟” … Alright, so it isn’t that useful in these situations, but I’m sure there are many opportunities for the irony mark shine. Just give it a chance and I’m sure you’ll find an amusing moment where it is perfectly appropriate.
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_mark), the irony mark “is a punctuation mark that purports to indicate that a sentence should be understood at a second level [like irony or sarcasm]. It is illustrated by a small, elevated, backward-facing question mark. Its usage is extremely rare...” for now. I intend to eventually change that. It’s such a great member of the punctuation family! Used prudently, it could be very effective in writing, making it obvious when sarcasm is being used. Now sure, sometimes you want acerbity to be subtle, but there are times that it would be nice to not have to spell out that you aren’t being serious.
I know I’d love to have such punctuation available for my own writing. I’m not the most dignified person you’ll meet and my prose reflects that. Even if it isn’t truly necessary, you can’t tell me this little mark isn’t fun. The irony mark is a backwards question mark! It’s odd, quirky, and playful ^_^ Go ahead and draw it. As if question marks weren’t already one of the most interesting marks of punctuation, you can now draw it backwards which adds a whole ’nother level of merriment to the English language. I think it has become my new best friend؟ Since its exact usage is not set in stone, I think you could use it whenever you please instead of just when asking a rhetorical question, etc. Also, some artistic license is open for the taking. It could be used for humor. No longer is there a need to say, “here’s a joke: How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?” Now, you can go ahead and just say “How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb؟” … Alright, so it isn’t that useful in these situations, but I’m sure there are many opportunities for the irony mark shine. Just give it a chance and I’m sure you’ll find an amusing moment where it is perfectly appropriate.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Hello, kitty.
Felines act so refined as if they refuse to be humiliated. I love the phrase “Cats haven't forgotten they were once called gods by the Egyptians.”Back home, I remember once I spent a lazy Sunday afternoon watching my neighbor’s cat languidly stretched out onto her driveway. All of a sudden, this demon mockingbird dove from out of a pine tree and attacked the cat. The cat totally flipped out, hissing and spitting while batting the air as she tried to claw bird out of the sky. By the time the bird was gone, the cat's hair was standing completely on end. She had fluffed up to twice her size. After the commotion was over, this cat (still wired with anger) glided away ever so dignified with a fire in her eyes that screamed “touch me and die…” After I had stopped laughing, I took a walk to see if I could find her. She showed up later that day, again on her driveway. This time, she was tightly curled up into a tense ball of fur.
Yeah, random post. I had nothing better to say today… I’ve seen similar events with the millions of cats on campus. Sitting poised and regal, they act like royalty until another cat or human gets within ten feet of them. Then they dart off into hiding as if they have been kicked. Yet, even though they flee as soon as you get near enough to throw something at them, I still feel like the campus’ cats are a bit dangerous. Just walk past a group of them and watch their eyes. They follow you like you are food. I’m afraid one of these nights when I’m walking behind the library or Hattiesburg Hall, I’ll trip and they will leap out of the bushes and maul me to death just for the pleasure of spilling blood. Paranoid? Maybe so. But I’m sure twenty feral house cats could take me down if they wanted to.
Yeah, random post. I had nothing better to say today… I’ve seen similar events with the millions of cats on campus. Sitting poised and regal, they act like royalty until another cat or human gets within ten feet of them. Then they dart off into hiding as if they have been kicked. Yet, even though they flee as soon as you get near enough to throw something at them, I still feel like the campus’ cats are a bit dangerous. Just walk past a group of them and watch their eyes. They follow you like you are food. I’m afraid one of these nights when I’m walking behind the library or Hattiesburg Hall, I’ll trip and they will leap out of the bushes and maul me to death just for the pleasure of spilling blood. Paranoid? Maybe so. But I’m sure twenty feral house cats could take me down if they wanted to.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Red Wings 2, Ducks 3... *sigh*
I know I said I’d rant about hockey this time, but since the Red Wings lost to the Ducks 2 to 3, I’m feeling less than enthusiastic to explain why hockey pwns all other sports. If Osgood would have just stayed in his own goal and not been wandering all over the rink… erg, I guess he didn’t do so badly. I mean, he did block sixteen shots. Truly it’s the refs that pissed me off for waving off Lidstrom’s tying goal made in the last 40 seconds of the game. If this was four years ago before the lockout and revision of the rules, Holmstrom’s “goaltender interference” would have been considered just part of the game. Red Wings would have killed if they’d gone to overtime… Oh well. Not only is Detroit is still ahead in the Central Standings with 87 points followed by Nashville with 64, but also they are on top in both the Eastern and Western Conference. Not that is really matters to the Eastern Conference at this time, I guess. It just makes me feel better after the last night’s loss.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Questions and Answers
Samantha Nix
1) Why do you think schools are getting rid of their yearbooks?
I think that college students do not know the difference between the typical college yearbook and the typical high school yearbook. High school yearbooks are really "picture books" and we value these because you can see the passing of age more overtly when you're young. But college yearbooks are really like big magazines about the past year, so it features a bigger picture of student life that is so valued in America. Perhaps if more people understood this, they would keep their yearbooks as keepsakes, or as coffee table books.
Of course, there's the obvious issue of payment. Some university yearbooks charge their students to receive the book. At Southern Miss, for full time undergraduate students who attended in both the fall and spring, the book is fully paid for through the student activities fee. I believe that some students feel that a yearbook may be a foolish thing to pay for, in light of needing a better education. Of course, I would counter that education does not occur simply through a classroom, and what makes American universities special is the existence of a vibrant student life, which is only recorded in a long term manner through yearbooks.
2) What is needed to keep a yearbook running? Funding, good staff, support from the school (anything else you can think of)? Which is the most vital?
In short, yes, you need money, a staff of diverse students, knowledge of how to create the book, etc. The most important aspect, however, is passion. Staff workers must be passionate about their university and their education. After all, they have to spend all that time working on it! I have found that the most passionate staff members not only stick around, but are Southern Miss's biggest fans. On the other side of that, the administrative and student passion for the yearbook is key. Administratively because that provides us with funds, and student passion, because that provides us with the cause for service. When our staff sees that people -want- and -look forward- to their book, it makes us strive to produce the best we can.
Another important aspect is both knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge because yearbooks are more complicated than ever: we use the same programs as contemporary graphic designers at magazines, newspapers, etc. and we expect the same photo and reporting quality as what is used in more mainstream medias. Obviously, without becoming educated in how to use the programs, write well, compose pictures, we couldn't do our jobs well. Also, our staff needs to be knowledgeable about Southern Miss. We can't possibly capture our yearly story without being "in the know" about what's going on at the university and knowing who/how to contact people. On the other hand, our staff needs wisdom, especially in the managerial positions. We are completely student run, which means that you'll often have sophomores managing freshmen, etc. Therefore, students not only become knowledgeable about their individual parts of the yearbook, but they begin to cultivate experiences that will help them communicate, negotiate, follow, and lead others. They also learn how to manage their time, survive hardships that they think they can't overcome, and how to work with a diverse set of people. These are skills that cannot be taught in a classroom effectively.
3) How can a school better keep a yearbook successful? / 4) What is the importance of a yearbook in a school?
Universities need to care about their yearbooks, and recognize them for what they are. Most view yearbooks as a passive stack of bound paper, but they are active participants in university life. They celebrate accomplishments, creating a better morale on campus. They act as time capsules for alumni, who may pick them up, remember their times at Southern Miss, and donate money. They act as recruitment tools for prospective students who are interested in what happens at the university. They act as incentive to current students to reach their senior year and be awarded high honors which get them placed in the book. They serve as one of the only student groups which serve to simulate a work experience in the media industry, etc. So universities need to recognize this, and give their monetary and experiential support.
5) Is anything lost when a school gets rid of or does not have a yearbook?
This year, Mississippi State pulled funding from their yearbook. From now on, they will only have their newspaper to document their history. They will not have graduating seniors who take their books home, and flip through them and remember their university in a positive manner.
1) Why do you think schools are getting rid of their yearbooks?
I think that college students do not know the difference between the typical college yearbook and the typical high school yearbook. High school yearbooks are really "picture books" and we value these because you can see the passing of age more overtly when you're young. But college yearbooks are really like big magazines about the past year, so it features a bigger picture of student life that is so valued in America. Perhaps if more people understood this, they would keep their yearbooks as keepsakes, or as coffee table books.
Of course, there's the obvious issue of payment. Some university yearbooks charge their students to receive the book. At Southern Miss, for full time undergraduate students who attended in both the fall and spring, the book is fully paid for through the student activities fee. I believe that some students feel that a yearbook may be a foolish thing to pay for, in light of needing a better education. Of course, I would counter that education does not occur simply through a classroom, and what makes American universities special is the existence of a vibrant student life, which is only recorded in a long term manner through yearbooks.
2) What is needed to keep a yearbook running? Funding, good staff, support from the school (anything else you can think of)? Which is the most vital?
In short, yes, you need money, a staff of diverse students, knowledge of how to create the book, etc. The most important aspect, however, is passion. Staff workers must be passionate about their university and their education. After all, they have to spend all that time working on it! I have found that the most passionate staff members not only stick around, but are Southern Miss's biggest fans. On the other side of that, the administrative and student passion for the yearbook is key. Administratively because that provides us with funds, and student passion, because that provides us with the cause for service. When our staff sees that people -want- and -look forward- to their book, it makes us strive to produce the best we can.
Another important aspect is both knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge because yearbooks are more complicated than ever: we use the same programs as contemporary graphic designers at magazines, newspapers, etc. and we expect the same photo and reporting quality as what is used in more mainstream medias. Obviously, without becoming educated in how to use the programs, write well, compose pictures, we couldn't do our jobs well. Also, our staff needs to be knowledgeable about Southern Miss. We can't possibly capture our yearly story without being "in the know" about what's going on at the university and knowing who/how to contact people. On the other hand, our staff needs wisdom, especially in the managerial positions. We are completely student run, which means that you'll often have sophomores managing freshmen, etc. Therefore, students not only become knowledgeable about their individual parts of the yearbook, but they begin to cultivate experiences that will help them communicate, negotiate, follow, and lead others. They also learn how to manage their time, survive hardships that they think they can't overcome, and how to work with a diverse set of people. These are skills that cannot be taught in a classroom effectively.
3) How can a school better keep a yearbook successful? / 4) What is the importance of a yearbook in a school?
Universities need to care about their yearbooks, and recognize them for what they are. Most view yearbooks as a passive stack of bound paper, but they are active participants in university life. They celebrate accomplishments, creating a better morale on campus. They act as time capsules for alumni, who may pick them up, remember their times at Southern Miss, and donate money. They act as recruitment tools for prospective students who are interested in what happens at the university. They act as incentive to current students to reach their senior year and be awarded high honors which get them placed in the book. They serve as one of the only student groups which serve to simulate a work experience in the media industry, etc. So universities need to recognize this, and give their monetary and experiential support.
5) Is anything lost when a school gets rid of or does not have a yearbook?
This year, Mississippi State pulled funding from their yearbook. From now on, they will only have their newspaper to document their history. They will not have graduating seniors who take their books home, and flip through them and remember their university in a positive manner.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Delayed
I'm not shirking my assignments, it's just my interview is scheduled for later. I'll post my questions and answers soon.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Sports
Super Bowl Sunday… it is the best day for a nap. Everyone is in one room, completely preoccupied, and I can lounge unbothered anywhere I want (as long as I’m not the kitchen or living room). Despite my always desperate need to catch up on sleep, I’m too much of a social creature to nap when there is a crowd in another room. So, I’ll be crammed on the couch with my roommate’s family of football fanatics, loved as if I actually cared who the Mannings are. Maybe I can pretend to be interested and feel like a normal native of New Orleans for once. I could get all excited when a player breaks away, dashing towards the touchdown line thing. Last time I was in this house and I cheered for football, I was loudly rooting for the wrong team… This game, I know which team is which (I think). Since a friend of mine has money on the line, the Giants are who I will yelp for when I periodically glance up from my computer.
See, my family has always been pretty much nonchalant about this weekend. They always will be. It’s just regular Sunday. The only occasional screech that comes from the living room is my little sister harassing my little brother and vice versa. However, I am in the midst of a family that breathes football, (Saints fans since they too hail from New Orleans). Some of them practically bleed black and gold. I bleed red like most people, but it helps that my dad is from Michigan. You just wait till the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin… that’s like a whole week of Super Bowl Sunday excitement in my house. Red Wings is the team that will get me screaming at the television. Hockey. There is a game worth leaping off the couch for. But, I think I’ll wait till next week to faun over my favorite sport.
Like everyone, I am looking forward to Super Bowl commercials. In particular, Budweiser’s because they have been my favorites every year. *rant* I think it’s a really lame for Miller to make those commercials about the Budweiser Dalmatian switching from Bud to Miller. I mean, come on! Is Miller that starved for decent advertising? It seems that they can’t come up with their own clever commercials unless they defile Bud’s. Example: Budweiser was advertising that they were the “King of beer” to which Miller eventually responds “America is a democracy - vote for Miller to be the… president of beer”? Wow Miller, create your own ads and quit leeching off of a rival company. *end rant* I actually loathe the taste and smell of beer so I have absolutely no devotion to Budweiser (with the exception of their beautiful Clydesdales). I just think Miller needs to be socked for the lame blows Budweiser.
See, my family has always been pretty much nonchalant about this weekend. They always will be. It’s just regular Sunday. The only occasional screech that comes from the living room is my little sister harassing my little brother and vice versa. However, I am in the midst of a family that breathes football, (Saints fans since they too hail from New Orleans). Some of them practically bleed black and gold. I bleed red like most people, but it helps that my dad is from Michigan. You just wait till the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin… that’s like a whole week of Super Bowl Sunday excitement in my house. Red Wings is the team that will get me screaming at the television. Hockey. There is a game worth leaping off the couch for. But, I think I’ll wait till next week to faun over my favorite sport.
Like everyone, I am looking forward to Super Bowl commercials. In particular, Budweiser’s because they have been my favorites every year. *rant* I think it’s a really lame for Miller to make those commercials about the Budweiser Dalmatian switching from Bud to Miller. I mean, come on! Is Miller that starved for decent advertising? It seems that they can’t come up with their own clever commercials unless they defile Bud’s. Example: Budweiser was advertising that they were the “King of beer” to which Miller eventually responds “America is a democracy - vote for Miller to be the… president of beer”? Wow Miller, create your own ads and quit leeching off of a rival company. *end rant* I actually loathe the taste and smell of beer so I have absolutely no devotion to Budweiser (with the exception of their beautiful Clydesdales). I just think Miller needs to be socked for the lame blows Budweiser.
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