Playlist for a 'Cluckin' Good Time'

So, apparently, spring is upon us. That is, while the season has been here for a while, the celebration is just getting into swing. 'Spring Fling' is a real thing, and it is here. Though my friends at Student Life have kept me well apprised on this golden week, the muscley version of a spring chicken as seen on the posters did not prepare me for the extent of the festivities. Not until I heard the music blaring from the poolside and found that the entire cafe had moved into the parking lot did full breadth of "a cluckin' good time" dawn on me. Yes, this is truly momentous. Faculty mingling with students in a festival of free ice cream and beach balls, AMP radio and laughter, the smell of sunscreen and burgers wafting. Anyways, this is all to say, I pulled a few strings and managed to get in touch with the Cory the Fantastic over at Student Life, who gave me her official playlist to get me pumped for a "cluckin' good time." It came in quite handy as I mentally and emotionally prepared myself for the zombie tag, rasta concert, silent disco, masquerade ball, Disneyland, and more fun this week!

Cory the Fantastic's Ultimate Spring Fling Playlist:

1. What I got......................................Sublime

2. Pursuit of Happiness (Project X).Kid Cudi

3. The State of Massachusetts...........Dropkick Murphys

4. Feel So Close..................................Calvin Harris

5. Welcome To Jamrock....................Damien Marley

6. Ayy Ladies......................................Travis Porter

7. Santeria.........................................Sublime

8. Sorry for Party Rocking...............LMFAO

9. Sweet Child O' Mine.....................Guns N' Roses

10.What It's Like..............................Everlast

11.Shooting Star (Party Rock Remix)..LMFAO David Rush...

12.On To the Next One....................Jay-Z feat. Swizz B...

13.Soundtrack 2 My Life.................Kid Cudi

14.Erase Me.....................................Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West

15.Faded..........................................Tyga feat. Lil' Wayne

See fifteen more fabulous songs if you continue reading...

alert...awake...aware!

Being somewhat of an activist, a wannabe if nothing else, I find myself quite excited about 'Awareness Week' kicking off at Marymount College yesterday. The vague title is certainly intriguing, but it begs the question "of what?!" not to mention the sure follow up, "why?!" In a world that, not to put to fine a point to it, is screwed up, to become fully aware of its various issues would be to commit mental suicide- there are just too many issues in desperate need of attention. Trafficking, child soldiers, starvation, poverty,  the dangers of plastic, the oil crisis, genetically modified organisms, bullying, education, pollution and torture to name just a few. Hearkening back to good old Tom (Thomas Jefferson), I must note that 'eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,' the freedom so enjoyed in the United States is protected by the collective awareness of her citizens. This, I believe, is why Ductus Exemplo and the folks at ResLife focus on raising awareness for issues that potentially effect the daily life of any given college student. Last night the 'Tunnel of Oppression' highlighted all of the above plus, yet it seems that more than raising awareness for
the plethera of problems they are raising awareness for the need to be aware. Gaining a few new signatures  on a petition or having students jump on a bandwagon is not the end of the conversation. The call to awareness is a call to life thoughtfully and reflectively. Oppression exists much closer to our reality than many, myself included, are comfortable with. Sadly, as I reflected I found it lurking sneakily in some of my own attitudes, people who I thought I knew by their outside appearance.
And so, my friends, the challenge is to put that education to use- think- and with that be aware.

Joi,

Michaelanne{gelo}

Start Spreadin' the News...

'Trinity Roots' Sculpture
Trinity Church, Wall Street, NY

Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York’ has been my theme song ever since I came home from spring break. His smooth, jazzy baritone ricocheting around in my mind as I continue recover from five days with my neck craned at a ninety degree angle staring at dizzying skyscrapers. Setting my first experience in New York to words feels somewhat akin to teaching a pig to fly.  But if you insist, I suppose I would have to say I felt incredibly alive and connected to the world, while at the same time haunted by an odd sense of dissonance and fracture. I know it sounds odd, but on the one hand, the constant hum a city that never sleeps, the array of food, shops, and people shuffling here and there gives you the sense that this city is the veritable heartbeat of the nation, even the world. The days we spent at the United Nations especially felt this way, you got the sense that anyone you rubbed shoulders with just might be off to change the world. Yet on the other, it feels like a jungle of concrete and lights bearing little resemblance to life in the true sense of the word. As I look back on my photography, I find as many pictures of artistic tree-statues as I have real trees, which I find mildly disturbing...

A bit about myself....

This, is me. 

I would like to bring things down to a human element if I could, to break away from the  impersonal world that thrives in the blogosphere. Though you may never meet me, there is a real person sitting on the other side of this odd relationship, a  person who is probably sipping a cup of coffee that unfortunately did not go towards her starbucks gold card and wondering why her fingers are so cold. This short, quirky, almost-red head is a first-year student at Marymount College. She loves that she can see the ocean and Catalina island from her window as she writes this and that she is safely indoors where she can’t get skin cancer (she has very freckly skin). She is thrilled to be alive and loves exploring life! Thus far, her adventures have taken her into books, music (she adores that spotify connects her with mainstream and obscure artists for free!), cooking (she especially likes to explore ethnic cuisines) and all over the United States. At Marymount, the fields of Global Studies and Business have piqued her interest and she plans to major in both. And this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Joi,
Michaelanne{gelo}

Hello there

I am undertaking to write, as many have before, about the curious life of a college student. As I write this, carpe diem comes to mind, along with about a million other quotes in the vein of ‘Dead Poets Society.’  In sum, much like a scrapbook, I intend to carpe as many memorable diems (pardon my poor latin) of life at Marymount College, and perhaps a few of the less memorable ones as well. To live abundantly and let you all experience it vicariously on this here blog. To Live! To Eat! To Be Merry!

Joi,

Michaelanne{gelo}