Thank You, Honestly

I thought I'd have to lie to write this thank you note for the donor who provided money for my journalism scholarship. After all, the scholarship is supposed to go to someone interested in North Carolina culture and history. But as I wrote the note, I realized that none of it was a lie...

Dear [name removed],

I am so thankful to you for providing me with some of the money necessary to continue my education. You will be in my thoughts next semester as I sit through my journalism classes and gain the knowledge and understanding I need to be a contributing and impactful North Carolina resident, just as James Davis was.

To tell you a little bit about myself, I am currently finishing up my sophomore year at UNC, though I wish I was not already halfway through my college career. Coming to school in Chapel Hill from Cary has further increased my love of all things North Carolina. Although I am a transplanted Yankee, my roots are now firmly planted in the South.

Currently, I am most interested in learning about southern food. As a double major in American Studies focusing on American foodways, my appreciation for local foodways has developed into an obsession—visiting nearby farms, frequenting the Carrboro Farmer’s Market and eating cornbread like it’s my job. I’ve adopted the culture; and the culture so rich in that infamous southern hospitality has also adopted me.

With my education, I plan to fill my repertoire of experiences with visits to foreign countries and more familiar states, sharing conversation with anyone and everyone and learning through living. That’s what you have given me: the opportunity to live more fully without the fear of incurring debt.

I know that I will leave this place in two years with bittersweet feelings. But as a journalist, I recognize the importance of leaving in order to gain a new perspective, one I’m sure will eventually plant me back here where I belong.

Thanks again for your generosity,
Meghan

I never, ever expected to love North Carolina this much. (Chapel Hill, specifically.) But at this point, I'm rather addicted. Yes, I want to leave, to explore other places and other opportunities, but I think I'll always be pulled back here.

Sh-whoops

I was setting epic records for a while there, posting almost as often as I had a new thought. Apparently I have been focusing my thoughts on other topics, such as my many end-of-the-year papers. Whew.

March Madness is the most fitting excuse I can think of. And I'm not just referring to basketball.

Here is a rundown of the last month, with pictures:

We made our first meal of spring.

Slept in boxes during a rainstorm.

Celebrated Katie's 20th birthday.

Celebrated a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Celebrated JJ's presidential retirement.

Visited the Carrboro Farmer's Market, ate lots.

Held our last full SAIL meeting before commencement.

So, many celebrations occurred. Plus, today is Easter, so I will be elaborating on my life later.

A Celebration of Two Eves

Today marks the one year anniversary of Eve Carson's death.

Time has passed so quickly. Campus wounds are scabbing over. A few years from now, we'll carry the permanent scar. Healed, but with the ever-present memory.

That Eve still makes an impact from beyond says so much about her strength of character. She brought the campus together countless times as student body president. We're all together for her again.

She inspires me to be better. I know I'm not the only one.



On another note, I'm going to Germany tomorrow. It's the eve of my trip. And today was absolutely beautiful.

A Lesson in Civility

I attended the ACC Leadership Conference this weekend at Virginia Tech, and while I'm not sure I took away the main points of the meeting, I really did learn something.

We had a case study involving Rwandan health issues, but I found a few other studies more interesting. A further study of people, for instance.

Specifically, the other ACC schools opened my eyes to a world outside the UNC bubble. I always forget that not everyone shares an experience similar to Carolina's. I feel enlightened after hearing the ways that other schools operate.

And I still like mine best :-)

I will have to elaborate on those thoughts later, however. A weekend devoted to leadership leaves little time to do actual coursework.

A love for weekends and a weekend of love

This weekend was especially enjoyable with all the Valentine's Day festivities. I didn't participate in anything too spontaneous or exciting, but I find that a combination of good food, good friends and a few favorite movies also do the trick.

Here's Katie snuggling in her festive red blanket-with-arms. I introduced her to the glory of Office Space on Friday night. And she looked so cute, an even better advertisement for snuggies than the television commercials, I just had to take a picture.

And these beauties are the absolutely delectable white chocolate cherry shortbread cookies I made to commemorate the holiday.

I ate a lot of really amazing food, which is crucial during this season. Eating is one of the most pleasurable experiences that exists. What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than to eat lots and lots?

Lin, Elly and I tried Fiesta Grill, a restaurant 5 miles past the middle of nowhere. The place was incredibly crowded and we waited about 45 minutes for a table. When my flautas fiesta arrived, however, I forgot all about the wait. My plate, appropriately, represented a whole party of textures, and tasted like one big piece of fried tortilla and meat heaven. Totally worth the drive, and absolutely worth the $10 price tag.

Naturally, gorging oneself on Mexican ought to be followed up with chocolate. Bliss, the new boutique bakery on West Franklin Street, made the sweetest ending. Chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate ganache? Yes, please. Chocolate-covered strawberry on the house? Bliss accomplished.

An Election Upheaval

Just when we thought six candidates running for student body president was overwhelming!


Hallie Lipsey has a rather large sign in the Pit and a new Facebook group. And apparently, a rather large following. In case you don't care to click the image and read the fine print, here's the platform synopsis.

Hallie promises to:
- Allow jousting in the quad
- Promote Velociraptor Awareness Day
- Enforce mandatory 5-second rule
- Help the Greeks defeat the Trojans
- Create P3P (even better than P2P)
- Put an Alpine Bagel in every building
- Annex Carrboro
- Fine the Board of Elections 12 dollars
- Create a flat-rate rickshaw service
- Fix the uneven bricks on campus
- Look remarkably like J.J. Raynor
- Not be obnoxious

All very commendable ideas. Apparently, Hallie is an actual person. A junior, in fact, who claims to have in no way contributed to the sign's creation. Hmm... I was struggling to commit to a candidate. Write-in, anyone?

'Twas a beautiful day

Katie and I chose not to let it get away.

We took a lovely walk to Gimghoul Castle and around the Battle Park trail. Naturally, the combination of Katie's company and the sun's presence inspired me to take pictures.

trees at the cemetery

Gimghoul Castle

pretty Katie!

Reminder: It snowed last week. Gotta love inconsistent North Carolina weather. (But really, can it stay in the 60s until summer?)

Another kind of rich

With all this discussion about the economic crisis and stimulus packages, I feel comforted by the thought that money can only buy so much.


"The greatest investment you can make is in the life of another person."
- Emmanuel Jal

Back from Retreating

Do I mention enough how much I love retreats?

There's nothing like putting a bunch of people who don't know each other together at a camp in the boondocks. You just never know what may happen.

The discussions, the laughter, the dance parties...

Perhaps what we all need a little more of in this life are retreats. I think I come back to the real world a little bit better than before I left it.

In any case, I just made 46 new friends, and that in and of itself is enough for now.

So Far

I may live to regret making this statement, BUT:

I love my classes. I really do. Thus, I will evaluate each one to bring back even more memories of my Xanga years. 'Cause I used to review each day that way. (When school defined my life. Does it still?)

Principles of Public Relations- I enjoy having the unfair advantage of already knowing how public relations operates. But I still think it'll be beneficial to learn some new techniques... or something. Plus, the professor makes me laugh.

Pop Culture & American History- The title sums up the class. And who wouldn't want an entire course devoted to pop culture?

News Writing- See public relations. Hopefully, at this point, I have some knowledge of how to write an article. I'm looking forward to seeing how my writing improves further AND learning lots and lots of new grammar and AP style tips. Yay!

Food in American Culture- Favorite professor plus favorite subject. And food in every class. Need I say more? I can't believe I get major credit for taking a food studies class!

Documenting Communities- I'm excited to learn how to make a documentary/film in general. Plus, I'll learn to appreciate even more of the unique groups surrounding this University. PLUS, I'll get to watch lots and lots of inspirational documentaries made by others.

And that's that. Combined with S.A.I.L. and Admissions Ambassadors and Public Service Scholars activities and work, I think I'll have quite the FUL(L)filling semester.

To the tune of "The Apology Song"

I'm really sorry mom, but your bicycle's been stolen.

I've never had anything stolen from me before. I've never stolen anything before. I can't imagine taking anything that wasn't mine, though thank goodness I've never had to be in a situation desperate enough to necessitate stealing.

I got this sinking feeling in my stomach today when I looked at the empty space on the bike rack where my bicycle had been several days earlier. The lock was simply cut off. And I keep asking myself who would steal bicycle while bawling over the loss. Then again, I would prefer to lose a bicycle rather than something more substantial. Like my car or my mind, for instance.

But still, it's strange, the attachments I form with non-living objects. I have a propensity for personification. Obviously I'm aware of the fact that my bike isn't cold and scared right now. We've just shared a lot of good memories.

In any case, I'll be spending the next few days mourning.

Year in Review: The Meghan Edition

In light of The Daily Tar Heel's last daily issue for this school year, which reviewed the occurrences of fall semester 2007 and spring semester 2008, I've decided to write a review of my own. What makes mine better though is that I won't be focusing on anything boring, like my own medical school expansion article that didn't even make it to print. "Online exclusive" sounds good in theory; it's actually incredibly misleading. "Exclusive" implies that the article must be for VIPs only. But no, it's for anyone. Anyone who has nothing better to do than read about yet another campus construction project.

But I digress. As always.

I'm not even sure what I'm going to do this summer without UNC, to be quite honest. I'll miss everything, excluding several factors that were out of my control. (Oh south campus and no air-conditioning, how you caused me such pain.) Even as I sit here procrastinating on studying for finals, I find myself just radiating happiness. I love this place in a way I'm not sure I can really articulate.

In high school, I considered myself a misanthrope. (That's essentially a people-hater, for those of you less familiar with your Latin and Greek roots.) I wanted my column name to be "Misanthrope Meghan" but the majority of the student body wasn't familiar with the term, according to my teacher. I wouldn't want them to misinterpret the meaning as a positive one, after all. I went with "Cynical at 17" instead. Regardless, I wasn't particularly optimistic about the human race in general. As far as I knew, the entire world was a combination of the poverty-stricken and self-absorbed.

I still know this to be true. But what's changed is my perception of the situation. I am not, in fact, the only person in the world who would like to better these issues. Even more shocking is that my personal contributions absolutely pale in comparison to some people's. I've met more civic-minded people during this year than in all my other years combined. And they're students! Much to my surprise, not all young adults are squandering their lives by drinking excessively and having premature sex. I'm just in awe of the dedication and compassion that exudes from every corner of this campus. And I'm relieved to realize that I don't have to save the world alone.

Being a misanthrope wasn't all it seems cracked up to be anyway. After all, hating your own species can prove exhausting. I mean, people are everywhere! They're practically unavoidable! Plus, having friends was hard. I mean, let's be honest. There was a good chance that I didn't like a person simply because evolution did his or her ancestors a really big favor of which we eventually took advantage. I'm not even sure how I managed to maintain relationships. Much like the south's opinion of blacks during slavery, I liked some individuals but not the whole. Several good personalities weren't going to make up for millions of bad ones.

What I understand now is that humans are born inherently good. Of that I am convinced. As I said in my Eve entry, our environment determines so much of what we are and what we will be. Lucky, that's what I am. I had the opportunity to grow up in a supportive home in a great country (during the Clinton years). Most of those that surround me had similar opportunities. We can do amazing things with the gifts we've been given, and we do. How can I doubt humanity when everyone around me is feeding the hungry and building homes and promoting peace and demanding truth? I can't.

For that I am eternally grateful.

I'd much rather live with hope than with doubt. Life is easier, and lord knows that between finals and deadlines, easy doesn't come... easy. I want to soak up every bit of hope and love that emanates from this school. It manifests itself in the smiles I can't hide as I walk through the quad, in the laughter I can't repress as I recall a particular moment. And why should I? Maybe Disney is the happiest place on earth for some people, but mine is right here, with Roy Williams as our Mickey Mouse.

And now, a more sarcastic analysis of various aspects of my year. You had to have known that I couldn't be entirely sentimental and sappy. New students, take note:

Hinton James
Hmm, I wonder why they don't advertise this monstrosity on the campus tour? Just a little too reflective of the projects, perhaps? Despite my fabulous roommate and lovely suitemates, I can't wait to say good riddance! Since the school couldn't afford an A/C unit for my room, couldn't they at least invest in some new, intact letters for the entrance sign? That would at least fool future residents momentarily. The two a.m. fire alarm wake-up calls and 20 minute walks to class will suffice in jading them anyway.

Carolina Dining Services
"Dine" rhymes with "fine," which is ironic in this case. The only fine things I found were hairs in my food. Yummy. I admit that I am a highly selective eater, but does anyone think that these meals should be valued at $8 a pop? Just because someone came up with creative, gourmet names for the most questionable food items doesn't mean I would choose them over the always-classy Spanky's guacamole burger.

Advising
I recently filled out a survey for this University service. One question asked me if I had prepared for my appointment. Well gee, if I didn't, who would? Certainly not the advisers that receive a salary! I've gone to three different ones this year. Now, let's remember that I've been here for one year. They've been here for who knows how long. My future is their job and I can't imagine leaving it in less capable hands. Heck, we ought to be advising them.

Being a White Girl
Try to avoid this condition if at all possible. I'm just not diverse enough to be accepted into much of anything, and my life experiences reflect that. My biggest personal tragedy has been attending a school with an unfavorable male-female ratio. My family is intact. My ethnicity is European, specifically Aryan, and I'm pretty sure none of us were ever persecuted. Basically, this majority group's domination of the school causes reverse discrimination until we get into the workplace, where we can once again experience the regular kind of discrimination in the form of inferior salaries and sexual harassment.

Economics 101
Don't do it!

For Eve

Now that I've had time to fully process the whirlwind of events that has occurred over the past several days, it's time to reflect. Or rather, do my best to express my newly-altered perspective of humanity.

Eve Carson is gone. Eve, who I interviewed for countless articles, who loved our school so passionately, who could hardly complete a sentence because her enthusiasm was nearly impossible to contain. I always had a hard time getting good quotes from Eve. But she didn't need to say it-- she did it. Truly, her actions were enough.

But what about the actions of others? What about the two men charged with first degree murder? I'm not sure anyone can forgive them for what they've done. A life in exchange for a few more bills stuffed in their wallets. Despite my aversion to full-fledged hatred, I truly despise those two men, no, boys, for what they've done. These days, any excuse for destruction ought to be aimed solely at eradicating evil. I can't imagine any situation in which they could've been involved that necessitated murder. I really can't.

I know that I'm naive and terribly idealistic, but there must be some solution to ending this violence. It's not gun control, it's not capital punishment. I'd hate to think that economic situation and environment are the main factors that contribute to the creation of either an Eve or a murderer, but I also doubt that a few anti-violence policies will suffice.

Then there's Westboro Baptist Church. What would compel a group of people to say that Eve deserved to die? I don't know what I'll do if they show up to her memorial on Tuesday. I can't understand how a religious sect can believe in such an angry and wrathful God. And what's more, I don't think He'd ever "sacrifice" someone like Eve.

Although I've been horrified by some of the behavior I've witnessed during the last few days, I'm also awestruck. Walking around The Pit Thursday was one of the most heart-wrenching moments of my life. And yet immediately, everyone came together. To cry, to comfort, to reach out. The Daily Tar Heel published one of the finest works of journalism I have ever seen. There was more love emanating out of the crowd during that candlelit vigil than there was anger in the actions of those two murderers, than there still is in the minds of those church members.

My iPod played two relevant songs consecutively today. I could go for the cliche Yellowcard song "View from Heaven," but I think that Eve would want us to stay here a little longer and see if we might be able to change the view for ourselves. Thus, Ben Folds' "Still Fighting It":

It was pain
Sunny days and rain
I knew you'd feel the same things

Everybody knows
It sucks to grow up
And everybody does
It's so weird to be back here.
Let me tell you what
The years go on and
We're still fighting it,
We're still fighting it.