Enough said.

There has been about a month since I last recorded a post (insert excuse of graduating, going on vacation and getting a full time job—here) but this is what slapped me in the face as a sat down to type another snippet of wisdom… the importance of inspiration! I’ve loved returning back home to my beloved Chicago but my level of inspiration has def. decreased since I have re-entered my comfort zone. I’ve been used to being surrounded by the unknown (Cuse, Beijing, Baltimore) but now, I guess I just have to try a little harder.

Whether you are inspired by a steamin’ cup of tea, a change in scenery, a cold shower, some modern art (I still don’t understand it), Duke Ellington’s riffs, a hike or a talk with a stranger, I encourage you to do it! 

Yes, this is a very charged statement (and a break in what I normally write about), but from what I have seen lately, the Media has reached a point of power, destruction and target-blindness that should be discussed.

So what the heck am I talking about? How dare a Newhouse student refer to the media as a bad thing? Or how can I bundle all of the possible media sources into one broad statement? Well, let me clarify. 

First of all, who makes up The Media? For this post, I am mainly speaking to the individuals who write/contribute the media news; the social-networkers, tweeters and bloggers.  I am proud to say that some of these people are my friends, classmates and professors. And honestly, I hope that one day I can be one of these media-gurus, but we need to get something clear, it is not about how many  ”likes”, “retweets” or “shares” one has, it is about the truth of the content, and that is where the problem is.

I have been floored by the media’s response to instances such as the Bernie Fine Scandal (sorry Cuse, I just had to bring it up), KONY 2012, and the Casey Anthony Trial. What I noticed in all of these situations was that there was a deeper story that observers didn’t take the time to research. Instead, people added wood to the fire and kept the misunderstandings rollin, or should I say “retweets” a flyin. 

“Yeah, Alyssa, but it is our right to speak out in these situations.” Absolutely it is, but do us all a favor and do your homework before hand. Make sure you know that the victims of the Fine case had changed their story multiple times, that some Ugandans do not want military support from the United States government and that the Anthony case could have been a mistrial because of the media involvement. 

It has been great to see individuals step up and become movers-and-shakers, but lets not become naive and care more about views and likes than the facts. 

If you are interested in taking this seriously, here is an article where you can start:

-http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/15/opinion/kristof-viral-video-vicious-warlord.html

I heard Calvin Harris Rmxs, slamming car doors and “SPRING BREAK woo-hoos” as I walked down Euclid Ave last Friday afternoon. While it seemed like every Syracuse University student was on their way to a Cabo-cruise, a NYC Concert Festival, or a week on their mom’s couch, I was on my way to pack my duffle for a week long service trip to Baltimore. Yeah, Baltimore.

I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into, going with 9 other women to the “forgotten city”, but it turned out to be much different than I could have ever imagined.

This past week we did everything from children’s ministry to church-floor scrubbing, campus encouragement to team encouragement, laser tag to mofia-games… the list just goes on.

Overall, I was pushed on a few different levels but came out of the week with a renewed faith in prayer, nine best buds, an appreciation for plungers (hello?), a sense of rhythm, a new church family, a stuffy nose (Im feeling much better if you are wondering) and the right amount of encouragement to get through the rest of the semester.

Thank you to my family, BCM and UC for supporting this trip and can’t wait to tell you more details this week!

And last but not least, thank you to Alison, Jen, Crystal, Erin, Cambria (AKA: Cam, Bri, Cami…), Andrea, Nicole, Tati and Hannah for such a wonderful time. Can’t wait to talk to you on Tuesday and remember to finish the semester STRONG!

Yes, this blog post is just this simple. DO NOT WEAR BLACK AND EAT A POWDERED DONUT. You will thank me later.

No, I am not posting this cause it was Valentines Day this past week, but because I am noticing that we (me included) do not know how to Keep It Simple, Stupid!

One of my favorite policy  professors would assign us difficult and complicated policy problems for projects (super fun, but a sure start to a head ache).  Our groups would spend HOURS debating and researching solutions, but the answer was always the simplest and most effective solution.

Whether you apply this flirty acronym to your work, school, relationships, scheduling or interior design, take my word for it, simpler is better.

If there is one thing that I have found to be very important, it is to take a mini-vacation every day. You might be thinking, “Umm, Alyssa, that is expensive and takes time, which both I don’t have, so what are you talking about?”

Well, let me tell you! Mini-vacation: 30 min. walk in a forest preserve, a quick adventure to a local hang-out (coffee shop is the best), sign up for community service opportunity with kids, make a point to hang out with friends (put the laptop/ipod/phone away), call your Grandma, or do some reading!

We were not created to be constant robots, so give yourself time to reboot!