The Five Essential Tips for College Student’s

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Interview with Brianna Johnson

Many people would find transferring to a new school over 3oo miles away from home stressful and overwhelming. Adjusting to the new living situation while not knowing anyone in the area; without the comfort of knowing you can always head home for a weekend is scary. Throw on top of that managing the academic course load along with a vigorous daily basketball practice and it is a lot to take in. Brianna Johnson, a sophomore transfer student at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY makes this major transition appear effortless.

Despite being in her first semester, Brianna is well known amongst the campus community. This can be contributed to her warm smile and friendly demeanor as well as her bleach blonde dreadlocks and basketball star identity. As a fellow transfer student, I have watches in admiration at Brianna’s positive outlook on life. She takes the time to get to know everyone around her and takes a genuine interest in them and their life. A simple task such as walking to the dining hall can take Brianna nearly twice as long as an average student, due to the fact she stops to say hello and carry on a conversation with so many students and even staff along the way. She is on a first name basis with nearly all the school workers as well as most of the students. It is evident that she only stops to converse with others because she genuinely cares about them.

I have never met a person like this before and it is truly something to take notice of. As Brianna’s roommate I see on a daily basis how her positive outlook and compassion towards others affects them. Watching her take a few minutes out of her busy day to briefly chat with a shy freshman student or a cafeteria worker having a long day and it is obvious how much this small gesture brightens that person’s entire day.

I am lucky to have Brianna Johnson as a friend and roommate and I had the pleasure of interviewing her about her adjustment to The College of Saint Rose, basketball, her family and more.

 What is your full name?

Brianna Claire Johnson

What is your age?

I am 22.

Where are you from? I was born in Houston, Texas. Then I Moved to London when I was four years old. I stayed there for about one and a half years. Then I moved to Northern Virginia, where I lived for thirteen years.

How do these places compare to Albany, NY?

They were very different from Albany. Not as cold, the landscaping is a little different. In Texas it was a lot flatter and hardly any tress. In Virginia there was a lot of trees.

Do you play any sport?

Yes, I do. I play Basketball.

 What position do you play?

I am a shooting guard.

 What is it like to balance schoolwork while playing division 2 basketball?

It can be a little stressful at times, but I think that staying busy makes things easier to get done. I know I have a certain amount of time to do it so it is all time management.

What do you think of the team at Saint Rose, How does it differ from your last school?

I LOVE my team here! There are 8 new players on the team this year (15 players total), so we are all getting to know each other. I feel like we are a lot closer than my other team and we are not as exclusive.

Was it difficult to adjust as a transfer student?

Yes and no. Yes, it was difficult because everything is so new: the people, the team, the school, the campus; but the actual transferring process was easy because everyone was really nice. My teammates were very open and the professors were outgoing and helpful.

Do you like living in the transfer house on campus?

Yes. I think I enjoy being on campus, especially for my first year. It helps to get to know a lot of people. I like how everyone in my building is a transfer student too and we are all in the same boat coming in.

How have the professors at Saint Rose been helpful or not helpful to you?

They have been helpful because they are very open to helping me. Most seem very understanding and reasonable of where we (there students) are all at.

What are your short/long term goals?

My short-term goal is to do great academically this semester. I want to  get all As and Bs

My long-term goal is to graduate with a 3.0 or higher.

 

What is your major?

My major is in Special Education. I just recently switched from Communications.

 Have you ever over came a difficult struggle? Explain.

Absolutely! I have been through many struggles. One of my toughest ones was breaking the failure mentality; that was an old habit. I had to renew my mind and see things differently in order to move forward; specifically in my academics. I also had to work on  discipline in all areas of my life.

 Give me a little background on yourself. (Culture, religion, philosophy, etc.)

I am very down to earth, understanding and outgoing. I love to help out others and I love to share. I think that anytime you have an opportunity to appreciate someone you should. I think that it is important to give thanks when it is due. I love Christ.

What is your family like?

I have two siblings an older brother who is 24 and a sister who is 28. My parents are divorced, both are not married. I am big on family. I am very close with my mom and I am working on my relationship with my father; but overall I have a great relationship with all my family members.

 Do you have any hobbies or interests other than basketball?

I love to go outdoors, I love hanging out and relaxing with my friends and family, I love to chill and watch a movie, I love to dance, I like to read. I love to go to church and hang out with my brothers and sisters in Christ and I love animals.

 Explain one lesson you learned that you would like to share with the world.

To never ever EVER give up or stop believing.

What is a fun fact about you?

I have been to 22 of the 50 states.

Thank you, Brianna. It has been a pleasure!

Thank you!!!

“Realms of the Unreal” Film Review

Realms of the Unreal is a Documentary following the life of artist, Henry Darger. The film was done in a creative way, by a combination of first person narration from a character playing Henry as well as a series of interviews with people who had met him. While the Henry character spoke, a lot of images were shown on the screen, mainly of Darger’s artwork. The film followed his life from childhood all the way through his death. The documentary came across as quite strange mainly because Henry Darger was a strange man and from what it sounded like he had some mental health problems.

When Henry was a child his father, went to live in a poor house and Henry was sent to a home. Although he was smart and loved to read. Henry did not  fit in socially at school. He made weird noises with his mouth and nose during class, annoying the other students and teacher. He noted that everyone at school hated him, yet he did not stop making the noises. Henry was told that his heart was in the wrong place and taken to a doctor but really he was taken to see if he was crazy. Later Henry was shipped off 162 miles away from his father to a home for feeble minded children. At this institution Henry worked on a state farm. He and the other children were physically beaten on a regular basis and he desperately wanted to escape. After one failed attempt Henry managed to escape. He believed he was at the institution for seven years.

After regaining his freedom Henry worked in a hospital as a janitor. He began to find comfort in   and even wrote a 15,000 page novel himself. Henry loved to collect newspapers and story books and would cut out pictures from them and paste them into photo books. Henry would spend hours and hours alone in his appartement room talking to himself and creating art. He did create many beautiful pieces and was a talented artist. He had particular interest in little girls and drew them often. Although he often drew little girls with penises suggesting he may not known the difference between girls and boys.

Henry’s neighbors noted that Henry could not easily relate to other people and spent most of his time alone. He would rarely talk to others but would talk to himself a lot in his room. He would change his voice and believed he was talking to real people. Henry had a great deal of difficulty distinguishing the difference between what was real life and just in his head. For example sometimes the character narrating his voice was a man and sometimes it sounded like a young girl. Based on this, I think there was a good change that he was schizophrenic. It sounds like he most definitely had something wrong with him but it was noted by neighbors that Henry was not out of control. The only thing Henry would talk to others about was the weather.

Religion played a major role in Henry’s life and he attended church regularly. He sometimes struggled with god, such as when he was denied a request to adopt a little girl. However, in the end he could never abandoned his faith.

Overall I found the film to be slightly creepy as Henry’s obsession with little girls seemed abnormal. It was also confusing at times when he switched between talking in a man and a girls voice. I think it accurately portrayed how Henry could not distinguish between the real and unreal, as well as showed off a lot of his artwork. The interviews with people who met Henry were helpful in following the storyline, without them it would have been impossible to know what was really happening in his life and what he thought was happening. I would recommend this documentary to anyone interested in mental disorders or in film making. It was put together in a creative way and it was effective in grabbing the viewers attention.

Response to Video Clips

I greatly enjoyed watching the video clips in class last week. In the end while, I did enjoy both clips I preferred the interview with Jonathon Miller. The reason I enjoyed his interview more was that he used humor throughout, this engaged me as a viewer and I found it easier to focus. The other video was interesting as well, but was told from the point of view of a daughter. Her voice also slightly bothered me (it was mono-toned). The topic of her mother’s photography and how she enjoyed photographing freaks was fascinating, however it was the presentation of Jonathon Miller’s interview that made me like him the best. He was quite funny when explaining how he would stutter on certain words and therefore try to get around this by either saying them in a different order or just coming at them in a unique way.

Halloween; A Child’s Dream Come True

Growing up in a small town in upstate New York, Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays. I clearly remember the excitement of picking out my costume each year. It was always such a major decision, one of the few decisions elementary me could make on their own. I was a Barbie superhero, a ballerina, a witch, Hermione from Harry Potter and a penguin just to name a few. All of these costumes were of course after I insisted on dressing as Thomas the Tank Engine three years in a row.

Going to school on Halloween was like an all day party. First overachieving homeroom moms all trying to out-do each other would bring in trays and trays of baked good’s. I’m talking Halloween themed cupcakes, brownies, cookies, rice krispy treats, blondies, you name it they baked it. This meant that a portion of the day would be spent celebrating the holiday while eating as much sugary goodness as one could. Following the food fest my elementary school would hold a parade. A time when everyone would dress in his or her costume and walk through the halls of the school. Parents were welcome to attend and take pictures. I always felt extremely proud walking down the halls in my Halloween outfit. After all, I thought I looked pretty cool.

After school the evening usually consisted of carving pumpkins. Or as I liked to do pull all of the “guts” out of the pumpkin and letting my father handle the carving part. Then after a quick dinner it was time for the best part of the day, Trick-or-treating time. In my neighborhood this was not an event to be taken lightly. This was a hardcore mission, to go to as many houses and gather as much candy as humanly possible. I usually went with my brother and our neighbors Lauren and Greg. Forget about pumpkin shaped buckets we all brought pillowcases. This way there was no way we could not fit all the candy in out container. Sometimes I would get cold or my feet would ache but I knew that if I wanted to stay with my brother I would have to walk (sometimes run) fast enough. After all this was a mission and I would be left behind if I could not keep up.

By the time we finally got home, everyone dumped out their candy and counted. First seeing who go the most and then trading with each other to get the kinds we liked best. I don’t ever remember being ripped off, but apparently according to my parents, my brother used this trading session to trick me into giving him more of my candy than he gave me. All that was fine though, I always had enough candy to last me for months to come.

I think that in the life of a young child what makes Halloween so exciting is that it is so different from most other days of the year. Let’s recap. How many days of the year can a child get away with wearing a costume, eating loads of sugary treats before lunch, pulling guts out of a pumpkin and then decorating it, running around the neighborhood ringing door bells and demanding candy from strangers and then possessing more candy than they know what to do with? Not to mention many years this is all on a school night. Did I love Halloween as a child? Of course, I did, who wouldn’t! Although it may be annoying to answer the door all night long handing out candy to children, it is important to remember the joy that Halloween brings.

The Colloseum Tells All

From the ancient roman times to present day, the Colloseum opens up about his past, present and future. 

Thank you so much for meeting with me today. I am extremely excited to learn more about your story.

It is my pleasure, I know it is not everyday someone gets to speak with something that is over 1900 years old.

What year were you built?

Construction began in 72 AD and was finished in 80 AD. It is thought that I am the best work of roman architecture and engineering of all time.

Wow, that is quite impressive that you are still standing here today. What are you made out of?

 I am built out of concrete and stone, making me able to last a lifetime. I became damaged, damn earthquakes got me, but I intend to last many years to come.

You must have seen quite a lot over the years, how has your role changed?

 Well back in the days of ancient Rome I was used for entertainment. Those were the best of times for me. I would be filled with as many as 50,000 people. Gladiator fights, dramas, executions even reenactment of famous battles were held inside me. It was never boring, that is for sure! Then in the medieval era my life became a lot less exciting. I was used more for odds and ends like housing people and as a place for religious quarters. It was not nearly as exciting as roman times.

What about now? What is your life like?

Well, I am still incredibly popular. I am one of the most famous tourist attractions in Italy. People come from all over the world to see and admire me.

How do you like the shift from active theatre to tourist attraction?

I don’t mind the attention of people taking my pictures. I enjoy hearing people exclaim at how beautiful I am. I do however miss the action of hosting gladiator fights and such. It seems to me that gladiators do not even fight each other any more. I would love to bring that back.

Bring back gladiator fights?

Why yes. The fights were so entertaining.

So other than the gladiator fights, what plans do you have for the future?

Just as I mentioned above with the fights, I would like to bring some action back to this place. I am talking about holding dramas, gladiator fights and maybe even some movies.

It sounds like you show no intention of slowing down!

 Not at all, I may be 1932 years old but I have a lot of years left. I was constructed to last forever and that is what I plan to do.

Well, that is good to hear! Thank you for meeting with me today, and I wish you the best of luck with your future plans.

Thank you, it was my pleasure.

Travel Piece – The Spouting Whale

 

            Every summer from when I was three until thirteen years old, my family spent a week of the summer in Moody Beach Maine. We went with my father’s college roommate, his wife and their two daughters to stay in a house named, The Spouting Whale located right on the ocean. To me this trip always seemed like paradise, having all day everyday to play, with my brother and friends. What could be better? Stepping out of the minivan after the seemingly endless car ride to the salty smell of ocean air, was one of the greatest feelings I have ever known.

Everyday began bright and early around 6am. When my brother, Tyler would wake me up, shouting, “It’s morning, it’s morning!” We would quickly put on our bathing suits and run outside to the beach, dragging our buckets and shovels with us. Us kids would play on the sandy beach creating magical looking sandcastles for hours on end until an adult came outside and we were permitted to enter the frigid ocean water. Some years even putting one toe in the water would cause pain, due to the chill. Other years the water was tolerable and we could boogie board, body surf and tube until the point of exhaustion. At night we would have bonfires on the beach or drive into town to go out to dinner or for ice cream. Everyday was a new adventure and I was always terribly sad when it was time to return home.

Last year, my family returned to the same house we stayed in all those years ago. The crew was different instead of my father’s friends I went with my parents, brother, his girlfriend and a friend of mine. It was remarkable to see how much my life had changed since I had last been there, but the house and beach looked exactly the same; from the close line hanging out front to the Space Jam poster on my bedroom wall.

 When we got there I soon ran down to the beach and took a walk with my friend. The sand felt soft and warm between my toes as the seagulls sang above me. The ocean breeze and fantastic ocean smell reminded me of summer’s past. I have had countless memories on that beach and in that house. Although I was older now and days were spent sleeping in, sunbathing, taking long walks and drinking (no drinking for me of course). Everyone still played in the ocean flipping over the waves and even making a sand castle or two. It was the perfect vacation, and at the end of the week I was again sad to leave. I don’t know if we will return to the Spouting Whale next summer or ever again for that matter, but I do know that no matter how much my life changes that house will always be there, remaining exactly the same as it was all those summers ago when I was growing up.

My Five-year Plan

In five years, I hope to be a psychologist working mainly with adolescents. In addition to my career in psychology I hope to continue writing on the side. Mostly for fun, but maybe I will write some articles related to the field of psychology which I will be working in.

In order to reach my goals, here is what I will need to do in the next five years:

~Earn good grades at The College of Saint Rose

~Continue to build my writing platform

~Graduate from The College of Saint Rose in spring 2014

~Attend Graduate School for a Doctorate in Psychology

~Find a job as a psychologist

~Write articles regarding psychology

This plan is not set in stone, it very well may change again. However, I believe this is what I want to do with my life. But then again, last year I wanted to be a journalist.

Earring Magic Ken

Barbie isn’t the Only One with Style

Commercial:

(2 girls are playing with their Barbie and Ken dolls)

girl#1: Why do all my Ken dolls dress in the same old boring suits.

girl#2: I know! It is soooo boring. I wish they could have more style like my barbies do.

(Third girl enters carrying Earring Magic Ken Doll)

Girl #3: Not anymore! My Ken Doll is super stylish and he even comes with an earring!

Cuts to tagline: Barbie isn’t the only one with style. As the camera shows a closeup of Earring Magic Ken.

Narrator:Earring Magic Ken comes dressed in a stylish mesh t-shirt, fabulous purple leather vest and wears a super cool earring. Not all Ken dolls have to wear a boring suit. So, if you want to have the most stylin’ Ken doll order now while supplies last.

Camera then shows a cartoon version of Earring Magic Ken dancing with a bunch of Barbies. The dolls are moving without being controlled by people. Music playing in the background is I’m sexy and I know it by LMFAO

Narrator: Order your Earring Magic Ken Doll before supplies run out. Ask your mom or dad to call today!

1-800-KEN-MAGIC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profile: Kara Goucher

 

Born: July 9, 1978, Queens, N.Y.

 Height: 5 foot 7

Weight: 119 pounds

Coach: Jerry Schumacher

(photo provided by killthepavement)

Many people would find running for 50 minutes to be a daunting task, this is not so for Olympian, Kara Goucher. In fact, she completed a 50 minute run only hours before giving birth to her now two year old son. Kara Goucher has been a major part of the running scene in the United States for years, and at the age of 34 she shows no signs of slowing down!

This past August Goucher competed with teammate Shalane Flanagan at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. Goucher finished a disappointing eleventh closely behind Flanagan who finished tenth. But, Kara did not let that race get her down, she is determined to work harder than ever to be the best she can be. This Fall Goucher plans to take a step back from her high mileage training to concentrate more on regaining some of her leg speed. She will drop her mileage from 120 miles (per week) down to 90 in an attempt to increase leg turnover and knee lift. She plans to run a couple 10ks and qualify for the World Championships before running the Boston Marathon in April. A race where she is in contention for the win.

Kara Grgas was born in Queens, New York daughter of Mirko and Patricia. Mirko died in an accident involving a drunk driver when Kara was just four years old. After this tragedy Kara’s mother moved her and her two sisters to Duluth, Minnesota. After her mother remarried, Kara and her sisters took their stepfathers last name and she became Kara Wheeler.

Kara Wheeler attended College at the University of Colorado where she studied Psychology and ran Cross Country and Track under established coach Mark Wetmore. During her college years Kara was NCAA outdoor champion in the 3000m and 5000 m, she won NCAA Cross Country Championships and even made it to the Olympic trials in the 5000m where she placed eighth. The University of Colorado is where Kara met her current husband, Adam Goucher. He too ran under Coach Mark Wetmore.

Kara and Adam currently lives in Portland , Oregon with their two year old son Colton Mirko Goucher. After graduating from college both Adam and Kara turned their running careers professional. Adam had a successful college career, he also won NCAA Cross Country Championships. After turning professional his carrer was plagued by injuries but he did manage to run some successful races and fast times before retiring last year. Running is still a big part of his life and he recently wrote a book called Running the Edge.

Kara has over came many struggles in her life, one that stands out was a serious knee injury that left her unable to run for an extended period of time. It was extremely difficult for her because she felt useless. She had just made running her career, and she could not do it. Seeing her husband run so well only made her feel worse. She soon sank into a deep depression and turned to food for comfort. She ended up gaining some weight, and felt even worse about herself. When she was cleared to cross-train on an elliptical she went at it like mad. Cranking out two hours a day at her highest intensity. This resulted in yet another injury, a stress fracture. The doctor told her she was the only person he had ever seen suffer a stress fracture from a non-impact machine like an elliptical. She was then forced to return to total rest. Eventually, she overcame her struggle with food, by learning to cook. Instead of eating entire boxes of cereal she would spend hours creating a delicious meal for her and her husband. This made her feel better about herself, and gave her something to do. Eventually she was able to resume running and has since made a name for herself as one of the best U.S. female distance runners of all time.

Kara’s hobbies include running, cooking and spending time with her family. If she could share one piece of advice with the world it would be to always believe in yourself and never give up. She is an inspiration to runners, mothers, women and people in general!

Some of Kara’s Accomplishments Include:

2006 USA Outdoor 5,000m runner-up 2000 NCAA Outdoor 3,000m (9:02.15) and 5000m (15:54.30) champion

2000 NCAA Cross Country champion

(15:14.13)

2007 World Outdoor 10,000m bronze medalist (32:02.05

2008 Olympic Trials 5,000m champion  (15:01.02)

Three-time USA Outdoor 10,000m runner-up – 2007 (32:33.80); 2008 (31:37.72); 2011 (31:16.65)

2008 New York City Marathon, 2:25:53, 3rd place

2011 Boston Marathon, 2:24:52, 5th place

2012 USA Half Marathon Championships, 1:09:46, 1st place

3rd at 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon (2:26:06)

2012 London Olympic Marathon, (2:26:07)

To stay updated on Kara’s life follow her on twitter and facebook!