College Art

Thirsty Thursday

Peace?

Guess not.

Sometimes, when you extend the olive branch, the other person snaps it in half and hits you with it.

Life goes on.

M-I-C-K-E-

Y? Because I've been accepted into the Walt Disney World College Internship!

In case you haven't been anywhere near myself, a computer or cell phone in the past month, I finally got accepted to the Disney internship that I've always wanted! You've probably already heard seeing as I now walk around saying, "Hi, I move to Disney in August. How are you?" I feel I've earned the right to be bragg-y though.

So, if all goes as planned, I move to sunny Orlando on August 24, 2009 and return to chilly Massachusetts January 8, 2010. Woah. I know. Before all that I graduate in May and hopefully spend the summer working everyday so I won't be poor in Florida. That's one of my many, understandable and expected concerns--being poor. Also on the list: getting a not so fun job with an unflattering costume, being sunburned for all 5 months and being alone/away from family and friends. My family has already planned on visiting for Christmas and my friends say they will visit on winter break.

This internship for me is:

1. An excuse to avoid the real world for a while
2. A new beginning for me

I am so excited to move to a new state and just start fresh. No one down there will know me. No one will have prejudgments. No one will already hate me--they will have at least a little while to get to know me before that happens. I am excited to make friends with someone from Morocco or some place else E.P.C.O.T.-exotic like England. On my most recent visit to the world-of-mouse I tried my best to mingle and be friendly. Not that anyone will remember me come August but it was nice knowing I'd be living with people like that someday soon.

Throughout my Expedition: Disney, I will update this frequently. Maybe with pictures. Maybe with videos. Until then, I will just try and make sure I graduate, get a job and get a head start on my tan.

Ps. I fully intend on meeting Miley/Jonas Bros./every other Disney star I can get my bloggin' hands on!

Spring Broke 2

Ladies and Gents, I did it--I left Massachusetts for spring break.

Unlike last year when I spent my week off in Taunton tan-free and totally sober, this year I went all out. Cancun didn't liquor me up and film me for a late night-censor barred commercial about previously not wild girls. I was also not found half naked on a beach in Miami with a newly inked tramp stamp of an angel flying out of my ass.

Instead, I drank Margaritas in sunny Mexico and ate fish'n'chips in jolly ol'England. I marveled at castles, came unusually close to a giraffe and flew in an elephant. No, I was not high but in the happiest place on Earth. I didn't chose the Tila Tequila-MTV route for my senior year spring break. I actually went the exact opposite and spent three gorgeous and kid-friendly days in Walt Disney World. There was sun, water and fun just with a little more clothing and a little less liquor.

Last year (and all previous years) the main problem was the cash. I never understood how people had the kind of money needed to travel anywhere other than home for the one week off we get in early spring. This year, I still didn't understand and didn't have the money necessary. Thanks to some last minute saving, my family's generous contributions and my boyfriend's credit card, my dream break happened! I hadn't been to Disney in six years and had just applied for a six month internship there for after graduation. This was the year; this was my last chance.

On a completely spur of the moment, an uncharacteristically spontaneous decision was made for my bf and I to go south for spring. We talked, we planned, we purchased and it was a done deal. The ease of all this made me realize how the tanorexic beauties and their beaus travel so extravagantly--plastic! A credit card and bill a whole month away was the key to this whole adventure.

As not-stereotypical as it was, my senior year spring break was spent exactly the way I wanted it. No longer must I envy those glistening bods on the beach because we both got what we needed and have the same credit card bill smiling back at us.

Good morning Barack Obama!

Hope everyone has been watching the patriotic-perfection that is the 2009 Presidential Inauguration of President Barack H. Obama!

Some highlights thus far of this wintry Washington wonder...

The former Chiefs of State:

• President Bush Sr.'s fur hunting cap


• President Jimmy Carter being all cute and elderly


• President Clinton's painfully awkward we're on TV-for the love of Obama pretend to like me-embraces with Hilary "this shoulda been me, damn it" Clinton

The first family:

• Michelle O in her flowing golden dress and matching cape designed by Isabel Toledo alongside Malia and lil Sasha Fierce in their fresh first kid wardrobes worthy of some kiddie runway action. (In case you missed it: the little fiercettes were recently serenaded by the Jonas Bros. in all their glory on the Disney Channel Inauguration special!)
  
• President Obama in his classy red tie and white shirt and that perfect accessory on his face--that warm, welcoming and hopeful smile from ear to ear

On a more serious swearing in of a president note, this has been a beautiful and emotional day for the whole world. As I type this, I am watching with goosebumps as Obama recites his oath, stumbling here and there proving that he is human and understands what he is undertaking (although, they do expect him to remember a lot to recite back in one take).

It's after 12:00 pm on the East Coast which officially means Bush Jr. can make his way merrily back to Texas and Obama, the forever historical first black president, can make himself comfy in the big White House.

2009 blogs to come!

Promise 09 will mean more 0Jess.

New blog ideas are brewin but until then...my latest obsession:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-54jyy935cM


BlogToYaLater

-j

The lion fell in love with the lamb, and the world fell in love with a vampire

An article I wrote for class:

There are three things known to be absolutely positive.

First, vampires are the new wizards.

Second, there is some part of this vampire love story—we are not sure how dominant that part might be—that fans crave.

And third, people are unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Twilight.

Whether or not you have read the books, seen the smash-hit movie, been to a mall within the last month or just channel surfed by a preview, it’s hard to avoid being bitten by the pale-faced, handsome heart-throbbed Twilight bug.

Following a similar trail left by the Harry Potter epidemic, the best-selling novel series turned movie pulled in $70 million in its opening weekend. Merchandise depicting the unusually good-looking cast of teens fills shelves just in time for the holiday season, from t-shirts and jewelry to posters and life-size cutouts. Twilight is everywhere.

Not since Sarah-Michelle Gellar was slaying fang-faced villains with stakes in the 1990s have supernatural blood-suckers been so hot; Twilight has brought vampires back just as Justin Timberlake redelivered sexy. For first time author Stephanie Myer writing this risqué-teen-vampire love story meant late night typing after the kids were tucked in.

All based on a dream about an attractive young couple—one beautiful girl and her dashing, sparkling vampire lover—discussing their forbidden love in a meadow. Meyer woke up and began writing her way into literary and pop-culture history.

An unsuspecting clumsy beauty named Bella Swan falls for the devastatingly handsome outcast Edward Cullen who just so happens to crave her blood…literally. It’s not so much your typical teen-flick about pretty boy meets conflicted girl or vice versa—and not only because of the whole vampire thing.

“I love Bella! She isn’t that peppy, looking for romance, going through 50 guys to find it kind of girl in other books” says Sara Gove, a freshman at Bristol Plymouth High School. Bella is clumsy, awkward and uncomfortable around the people at her new school and Edward is the epitome of that-kid-who-sits-mysteriously-in-the-corner-of-the-cafeteria-avoiding-other-everyone-else.

Meyer fell in love with her vampire leading man and cared for the young girl like a daughter; these reactions hold steady with the millions of readers enjoying the whole four book series. The world has fallen for Twilight as hard as Edward for Bella for each other, but why do we love them so much?
Professor Craig Seymour of Northern Illinois University thinks that these characters speak to people on a more personal level. “Vampires are interesting because they personify the danger that’s inherent in any sort of romance. There is always a risk when giving yourself over to someone” he explains. Romance can be dangerous and Twilight exemplifies this through the forbidden love between a girl and her vampire—in this case, Bella is literally risking her life to be with the man she loves. Seymour says it is interesting that Twilight is so popular during these hard times. People are willing to escape into this fictional world and fantasize about breaking the rules a little for love.

Gove assures that these characters are relatable and that the novel shows a good idea of high school life, minus the whole vampire thing. People are drawn to that realism with a hint of supernatural. Gove admits that she thinks that it’s fun to put yourself in the story. “It’d be cool to meet a vampire that you fall in love with that didn’t want to kill you” she giggles.

This fantasy life isn’t just for the high school kids either, “I imagine myself in the story,” says Sarah Hills, college sophomore at the University of Mass. Dartmouth and admitted die-hard Twilight fan. She explains, “Everyone in the story is so real and then there are these supernatural beings and you can’t help but think, ‘Could this really happen?’” Hills read the first three books in six days over the summer out of curious boredom and hasn’t turned back since. Although she had issues with some acting choices in the movie, she still has seen the film three times since its release. “Girls love that Romeo and Juliet aspect—it’s that forbidden love,” Hills confesses, “and I know girls can appreciate that there is no sex, it’s not about that—just a lot of romantic tension.”

“I think it helps that they’re all sexy!” assuredly blurts out a recent new-comer on the Twilight wagon, Molly-Katherine Howarth, also a sophomore at the University of Mass. Dartmouth. She was also swept away by the inherent desire to find your true love, “It is just such a good love story. It’s so believable and I guess, I just want to find my Prince Charming too.” She was introduced to the addiction by her already obsessed friend Hills who made Howarth go see the movie opening weekend. After a two-hour movie followed by eight hours of straight reading, Howarth fell hard for the vamps. Hills and Sarah look purely elated when discussing their theories on Twilight’s popularity while arguing whose “team” they are on—Hills resides on Team Edward (the vampire lover-boy) while Howarth roots for Team Jacob (the baby-faced werewolf).

Howarth may be ready to print up some “I ♥ Twilight” t-shirts now but she wasn’t so easily excited by the subject just a few weeks ago. “At first, I thought it was just Harry Potter 2.0; it was just going to ride on the coattails of the whole fantasy story excitement” she says. She really had nothing against the idea of a vampire love fest but she also had no expectations or any knowledge on the subject prior to the movie. Like many people, Howarth saw the movie first and then rushed out to grab all of the books. All that’s left is the year long wait till the sequel comes out.

Peter Gove, Sara’s father, has been watching firsthand the effects of Twilight on pretty much everyone. If Kristen Stweart (playing Bella Swan) was on Live with Regis and Kelly or Robert Pattinson (playing Edward Cullen) visited Jay Leno, Peter was there with Sara at the edge of her seat for every moment. After months of hearing his daughter talk about the books obsessively, he finally got to see what all the hype was about when he took her to the movie; “Sara was so excited to go opening day and I figured whatever, just another kids’ movie I can sleep through” he jokes. Despite his hesitations, Peter didn’t snooze his way through the theatrical adventure and was pleasantly surprised. “It was actually enjoyable” he says with disbelief.

That seems to be the general consensus among the whole world—it was enjoyable. Granted, that level of enjoyment has been taken in many different ways; some just sit back and fantasize about tasting that forbidden apple in the hands of a sexy teen vampire while others own all the merchandise down to the look-alike fashion trends and jewelry.

Once Twilight has gotten its hold on you, there is no turning back. You become a part of their world, forever in the clutches of the vampire’s grip; cursed to live an eternity with Edward Cullen in his sunlight-free world.

Can you avoid Edward’s hypnotic dark gaze? Or will you submit to his temptations of an eternal life from just one bite. You can only fight fate for so long before there is no saving you…