Autumn Colors

Some people say change is a bad thing. Others say everyone needs a little change in their life to shake things up a bit. I’ll agree that some changes are good and some are bad. However, change is inevitable. The world around us is constantly changing and evolving into something many people both like and dislike. People don’t like change because it’s not familiar to them. They feel comfortable when they know their surroundings and uncomfortable when things aren’t the same as they used to be. Certain changes can happen over a long period of time while others can be happening right in front of you and you don’t even know it.

When I think of change the first thing that comes to mind is fall. It’s cold enough to wear jeans and a sweatshirt, although it’s still warm enough to wear shorts when the sun comes out. If you live in a heavily wooded area, this will probably be your favorite time of the year as well. The golden colors of fall leaves fall to the ground like there’s no tomorrow. Their oranges and yellows and reds all make everything seem so festive. The leaves that manage to stay on the tree tops create a type of canopy for everything living below; especially the artsy type of people who enjoy taking pictures of the fall colors or even family portraits beneath the colorful trees.

Carving pumpkins seems to be a fall tradition in most households. Taking the whole family out to the pumpkin patch to hand pick their pumpkin is something every kid should experience. Not only does it create great family memories, but it also gives the kid a sense of pride that they got to pick it themselves. You don’t have to carve every pumpkin you buy. Many people like to put some out on their front porch, along with a hay bale or scarecrow, to add a little festiveness to their home.

Autumn seems to be over looked quite often. It’s not just the transition between summer and winter. It’s not about putting on a costume and asking for candy. It’s not even about eating a turkey with family in the middle of the afternoon. Fall has so much potential and everybody is all caught up with the holidays of the season. Many people don’t appreciate the beauty of autumn. I’m not saying fall holidays should be over looked either, although the start of fall should be a holiday in itself.

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Women Fear Exposure

In today’s age, media is everything; from social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, to ABC’s World News with David Muir. You see new technological advances every day and most people say it’s for the better. People say this new form of technology will help us widen our knowledge about the world and beyond. However the people that benefit the most are the people who run the media.

Within a span of three weeks, two popular women have been the target of threatening nude pictures. In late August of this year, the popular actress Jennifer Lawrence was the victim of this very crime. Someone hacked her cloud account and released some very racy pictures of her on the internet for the world to see. Lawrence was horrified because of what this would do to her Hollywood career, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. She has shown not only the hackers, but also the entire world that she can rise above what everyone else is saying about her and push through. She is more popular than ever; especially among women.

Mid-September, Emma Watson gave a very inspirational speech in New York City on behalf of the UN’s campaign HeForShe, which caused an uprising of opinions. A few days after her speech, the website 4chan threatened to expose nude photos of Emma Watson. People do not like the fact that she spoke out about a very prominent issue, so they tried to destroy her with fake pictures. The site never actually had nude pictures of Emma, they just said they did to bring publicity to their site and to shut Emma up.

People may not think nude photos are a crime, but to women they are. Girls live in fear every day because they’re wondering if they’re next. The best way to avoid this is to obviously not take nude pictures. However, many young girls are naive and stupid when it comes to taking pictures of themselves. These pictures can be leaked in many different ways, especially with the technology in today’s age. These women, along with many more, have been exposed because of selfish people who want to see other’s suffer. The women in today’s society should stand up against these kinds of crime and say enough is enough. We may live in a man’s world, but that doesn't mean women can’t step up and take control every once in a while; especially when it involves their private lives.

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Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks is an American romantic novelist, who bases most of his stories and plot lines on true events. People all over the world have praised him for his insight and depth of his characters, particularly his female characters. Many women look up to him because he understands the female mind, while being of the straight male species. Men say they don’t like his work because he’s too much of a girl with all the lovey dovey stuff he writes; which is very judgmental and misleading.

Even though he was born and raised in Omaha Nebraska, Nicholas bases all of his books settings in North or South Carolina, which is where he currently lives. Not all of his books are in the mind of a women however. He also tends to write about the mind of the sensitive and down to earth kind of man. That’s why women love his work so much. They find romance and long lost love within the pages of his books. Fairytales and happy endings rarely ever happen in the real world, so women use his books as a sort of safe haven, ironically because one of his best sellers is Safe Haven. Girls love the idea of finding the perfect guy and being swept off their feet. His female characters in his books also feel the same way. In many, but not all, of his books he tends to write the female characters as believing in love as a lost cause. He does this because he wants to relate to his main targeted audience; women. Many women feel as if all hope in finding love is lost, and he’s here to tell these women that love is all around you. You just have to wait and see what’s in stored for you.

If men in today’s society would only realize that if they want to get a girl, be romantic! Nicholas Sparks may be more in touch with his feminine side, but look at his life. He has a lot going for him. Women love him and what he writes down on the page. Men should really be taking notes and studying how he does it, rather than saying he’s a gay romantic novelist that’s not worth their time.

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Understanding Show Choir

If you live in the Midwest, you have more than likely heard of show choir. For those of you who don’t know, show choir is like dance team but with singing. Our season is pretty much all year round. Auditions are in the spring, around late April or early May, two or three dance camps in the summer, then once a week practices when school’s starts. Competitions are in January through March and as those months draw nearer, we begin to have practice twice a week. Show choir is definitely a full time commitment.

            Our show consists of five songs. An opener, a second song, a ballad, a novelty, and then a closer. Many directors will incorporate a theme into their show as well. Whether there’s a theme or not, the show should tell a story. The opener sets the stage with the emotions and setting. The second song, in many cases, is more moody and expresses anger. A good ballad is usually a tear-jerker. The ballad is supposed to be filled with hope and tell the audience that it’s going to be ok. The novelty is supposed to make people laugh, while the closer gets the crowd on its feet and ready to cheer at the end of the show.

            We spend one half of the rehearsals cleaning the choreography and the other half going through the music. A great show choir group has good diction, tall vowels, and their sound isn’t breathy. Singing in show choir isn’t just about memorizing the words. It takes a lot of work and effort to sing well while dancing. Try running around a building then have to run your whole show, going full out. Now that’s hard. Many directors will make their kids do physical activity before running their show in practice to get their stamina up.

            Many people say show choir is not a sport, and many schools don’t consider it one either. It may not be classified as a sport, however you do get just as much physical activity as a gym class would give you. It takes a good deep breath to support what you’re singing, and taking a good deep breath is tiring even without the dancing. Especially if you go all out. The way you practice your show is the way you’ll perform it because people tend to get stage fright and switch to autopilot. When someone goes all out while performing their show, they usually come off the stage drenched in sweat. People say it’s gross to sweat during show choir because you’re in a cute little outfit and don’t want to smell bad, but the people that sweat are the people who are working the hardest.

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HeForShe Campaign

            On Saturday, September 20, 2014, Emma Watson delivered a speech for the launch of the UN’s HeForShe campaign in New York City. The British actress is a feminist activist who believes that men have just as much to benefit from gender equality than women. Her speech on Saturday inspired many women, along with men.

            Many well developed countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, have adopted this type of thinking. We have laws protecting women’s rights and how we’re treated. However, there are still problems with people being prejudice towards women. Many teenage girls feel the need to be “Pretty in Pink” and “girly” just because that’s what society tells them they have to be. On the other hand, many men in today’s age have come to terms with the fact that women are just as important as men. When a man becomes a father to a little girl, they have two options. They can either accept her for who she is and love her just as much as a son, or they can disown her because of her sex. Unfortunately both of these scenarios are very much true.

            If women are not created equal to men, then vice versa is also true. Men are not created equal to women. Society has told us for many centuries that women are not muscular, they’re not strong, and their place is in the kitchen. Society has also told us that men are not vulnerable, they’re not sensitive, and their place is the garage or the gym. Men in today’s society don’t feel comfortable being themselves because that would mean showing the world that they are sensitive, and that they are capable of having feelings. Men feel as if they will be made fun of if they show their “girly” side. Men don’t feel manly if they’re sensitive because that’s what society has been engraining in our brains since day one. When women like Emma Watson give speeches about feminism, men feel as if they’re not invited into the conversation. However, Emma did something very extraordinary, that many women haven’t yet thought of. She formally extended an invitation to all men to engage in the conversation about this very controversial topic.

            In her speech, Emma makes a valid point in saying that when people think of the word Feminism, they automatically think of man-hater. Just because you want the same rights as them, doesn’t mean you have to hate the male gender as a whole. Most women’s rights activists don’t hate all men; just the men who stand in their way of freedom.

            “Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive. Both men and women should feel free to be strong. It is time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposing ideals. We should stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who we are.” This quote also makes a good point because it’s saying that we are all humans, we all should have the same rights, and be able to express ourselves equally without any judgment. The last sentence of this quote is implying that it doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, it’s what is on the inside that matters.

            Click Here to watch her official speech.

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Music Playlists

Feeling sad is a natural feeling. If we didn't have sadness or suffering in the world, we wouldn’t be able to feel the good things either. They’re a package deal. In your “Sad” playlist, first have songs that you know will make you cry because it’s ok to cry. Sometimes a good cry is all a girl needs. Getting all of those tears out of your system is a good thing. Next comes the hopeful songs. Songs that’ll make you feel like there is a way out. Last but not least, are the songs that’ll make you smile. Smiling is the best form of medicine.

            Every girl’s emotional rollercoaster has to have its ups as well. A “Happy” playlist is always helpful when you’re getting ready for a date or getting dressed for a night out of town with the girls. These songs should be the “pump up the party” type of songs. Any song that gets you ready to party is one that has to be on this playlist. These songs will lighten the mood and get you excited for whatever adventure you have in stored for the night.

           I understand that not everyone in this world is spiritual and that’s just fine. However, for all those who are, a “God” playlist is always nice to have on hand. Not every day is going to be your best day and sometimes looking for someone to go to in your time of need is helpful to you. Music is one of the best ways of worshipping any type of God. Even if you’re having the best day of your life, singing praise to your God can make you feel even lighter inside.

            Everybody has that inner kid inside of them just screaming to let loose; even snotty adults do too. Having a “Kids” playlist on your phone or iPod is not a bad thing in any way. On those days that you miss being a kid and want to take a little stroll down memory lane; what better way of doing it than listening to all those songs you used to sing loud and obnoxiously when you were ten years old. Plus it’s always nice to have kid friendly songs if you’re listening to music with a child around.

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Saving Money

In the current economy, money can tend to be very scarce. Many families are living paycheck-to –paycheck and believe they can’t afford to have nice things. However, that’s not entirely true. There are many creative ways in which you can save money and still be able to afford to go out shopping or have a night out with friends.

For those impulsive shoppers, a helpful tip is to be conscious about how much you’re spending and what you’re spending it on. While standing in the checkout line, ask yourself whether or not you really truly need this. If you have any doubt at all, don’t buy it! What’s the point of paying for something that’s just going to sit around and not get used. Your money could be used for something more useful, such as college tuition.

            Speaking of college, tuition can be pretty expensive depending on the type of college you chose to go to. Private or out of state tuition can range from twenty five to fifty thousand dollars a year. Most students receive scholarships or financial aid to help pay for college. Many schools offer scholarships for having high ACT and SAT scores, along with honors you were awarded while in high school. Check Google for more scholarships as well. You can get scholarships for just about anything; from service hours to having a big family. Even if they are for a couple hundred dollars, every little bit counts.

            Having great style doesn't have to come from an expansive high end department store. Consignment stores have a lot of nice clothes that are quite inexpensive, although some of them you can tell were well worn. Places such as Plato’s Closet and Stuff Etc. are great examples of typical thrift stores.

            If you’re not big into the whole consignment store thing, there are plenty of stores that have great clothes without forcing you to spend a bundle. JC Pennies, Sears, Deb’s, Von Maur, Dillard’s, and Maurice’s are just a few. They offer a wide variety of styles and choices to choose from. Plus, they offer special coupons if you sign up to receive their weekly emails.

            Saving money can be difficult, especially if you’re an impulsive buyer. If you have a consistent flow of income, put some of it aside for a rainy day. Or create a special account specifically for college so you don’t have the temptation to spend it.  

Word Count: 403