An Open Letter to Non-Voters
Posted: November 5, 2014 Filed under: Letters | Tags: Election Day, Governor, Letter, Midterm Elections, Midterms, Misha Collins, Open Letter, polling place, Presidential election, Rock the Vote, Senate, Senator, Supernatural, Vote, Voting 3 CommentsYesterday was Election Day. I’m sure you know that, though. It was the chance to vote in the midterms, and in many states, like here in PA, the chance to vote for governor. What I didn’t know when I walked into my polling place with my mom, however, was that I would be the youngest voter there. I mean, we also walked in after a full bus unloaded with seniors from an assisted living home… but that’s besides the point.
I know I’m lame, but this was the first time I got to vote and I was really excited about it! In 2010 I was going off to college and registering to vote never really crossed my mind. Then came 2012–a Presidential election! Of course I wanted to vote for President! I registered to vote and everything. Except… I registered far too late to vote via absentee ballot because I was living in New York at the time. So yeah, I was pumped.
The thing is, though, not everyone is as excited to vote as I am. As I mentioned, I was the youngest voter at the polls (besides the children that were dragged there with their parents). Why is it that no one in my age demographic feels the need to vote? I get that it’s not as ~exciting~ as voting in a presidential election, but it’s still pretty damn incredible. We’re so lucky.
What really got me thinking about this was the fact that yesterday two people I follow tweeted something that blew my mind. “I don’t vote and I probably never will.” What?? I don’t understand.
While there are plenty of issues wrong with this country, I’ll admit that, we are still so incredibly lucky to live in the United States. Do people not realize that not everyone in the world is afforded the luxury of voting? There are countries whose people are so oppressed that they live in fear everyday. There are countries who are afforded the opportunity to vote but are still to terrified to do so. Take advantage of how good we have it, guys! Ugh. But, you know, it’s just SUCH pain to drive to your polling place and press a few buttons and make a small difference. Talk about first world problems.
Truth from one of my favorite actors from my favorite show. Also, please excuse the grammatical error.
If you’re not voting because you don’t know much a bout the candidates or haven’t done any research, then that’s okay! It’s definitely better to be informed. But otherwise? You should have gone to vote! And I know the government is messed up and corrupt and you think your vote won’t make a difference. You might just be one person, but it still counts. YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE TO VOTE.
I didn’t get as detailed as I wanted to, but hopefully I was able to make you stop and think for a second–if not about who you would have voted for, then at least about how lucky you are to live in the United States and have such incredible opportunities.
So, in the future. you all better get your butts to the polls and vote!
An Open Letter to and Ex-Roommate and Ex-Best Friend
Posted: October 26, 2014 Filed under: College, Confessions | Tags: Apologies, Apology, Best Friends, College, Cornell, Cornell University, Friends, Roommates Leave a commentI’m sure you guys remember my rant a few months ago about some issues I was having at school. I needed to get a lot off my chest or else it would have all built up and things would have gotten worse.
Anyway, a few weeks ago, I sent an email to the roommate in question apologizing for my actions senior year and also mentioning that I think we both kind of screwed up. I told her that if she didn’t respond that I would completely understand. She never wrote back. I don’t know if it was because she didn’t want to or if it was because she never got the email (I sent it to her Cornell email and I don’t know if she still uses it). Either way, maybe it will be seen if I put it on my blog. If she doesn’t see it, that’s fine. I want you guys to see it too.
“Why did you bother?” I’m sure you guys are asking. “Things seemed pretty bad and irreparable.”
Why? Because as damaged as our friendship might be, I had to try. I don’t want to look back years from now wishing that I had reached out and at least apologized. I don’t want this to be one of my big regrets in life–at least I know that I reached out and at least attempted to fix something, even if it was something that couldn’t be fixed.
So, here goes nothing.
* * * * * * * * * *
Fall semester started it all and that I know I was rude, didn’t communicate well, and–let’s be honest–I was a pretty crappy friend in general. I’m sorry. That was a really bad time for me. I was being thrown into the middle of drama that didn’t involve me and I was losing friends left and right. I realize now that had I just talked to you about some things, it might have (and probably would have) played out differently. I wasn’t your best friend. I wasn’t even a good friend, period.
Things spiraled out of control and we both let the most trivial of things affect our friendship as the semester went on and winter break passed. I know that I’m not completely innocent in this whole situation, something that I’ve reflected on for a while now actually. I think we were both at fault and we let the situation get out of hand. For me, at least–I don’t know about you–I let things stew under the surface instead of talking about it. I think that if we had just communicated better, we could have nipped it in the bud and much of this could have been avoided.
It might be too late for an apology and for me to send you this, but I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. I wanted to get this all off my chest and I thought that you should know how I feel, even if is three months after graduation and nearly a year after everything started.
I hope that nothing I said in this email offended you–that was absolutely not my intention. I’m just trying to get down exactly how I feel and I might not have worded certain things well.
Hell, you might not even still use Cmail, but I figured I would give it a shot since it’s probably the best method to get in touch. If you don’t respond, I’ll understand. You should know that I’ve been thinking about everything that’s happened over the past year and that I am truly, deeply sorry. I’ve thought of everything I could have done in the past year to change the outcome and I’m wishing I had made a change, done something about it. Like I said, we were the best of friends and it got away from us.
I hope that everything is going well for you.
Best,
Sam
Overheard on the Hill: Homecoming Edition
Posted: October 24, 2014 Filed under: Overheard | Tags: Alcohol, College, Cornell, Cornell University, Farts, Overheard, Partying, Poop 1 CommentI haven’t done one of these in a while, but I also haven’t written in a while either so I don’t even care that I’m not posting this on a Monday. Naturally, I came home from Cornell with quite the handful of quotes from my friends. I wouldn’t expect anything less.
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“The little Indian boy was my spirit animal.”
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“It’s like a giant ball of cancer.”
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If only the weather had been this nice last weekend…
“I was scared of croutons my entire life.”
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“I have to pee so badly I definitely cannot give birth now.”
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“Stop farting on me!”
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“I accidentally took my shoes off.”
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“I just stopped and puked and kept going.”
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“I always scare her with my stinky farts.”
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“I’m sweaty and I can feel the fart cloud around me.”
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“What if farts were a color?!”
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“It’s like poop, but sandy. Sandy poop!”
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“Why did you drink her weed??”
* * *
Clearly, my teammates/friends have some issues and obsession with bowel movements. But that’s why I love them and miss them so much! I can’t wait til next year!
Home Sweet Homecoming
Posted: October 24, 2014 Filed under: College | Tags: Alcohol, College, Cornell, Cornell University, Graduate, Hangover, Homecoming, Ithaca, Partying 3 CommentsSo I know that after my last post I said I would be back for good, but things got a little crazy. I apologize!
This time, though, I AM back. You might not believe me and if you don’t, then you don’t–but I’ll prove you wrong. This post is dedicated to last weekend. The best weekend I’ve had in a while.
Because I’ve ben so MIA with writing and posting this blog, you guys probably don’t know that I graduated! That’s right, on May 25, 2014, I officially graduated from Cornell University! The amount of tears that I shed is unreal because I really do consider Ithaca to be a second home, but all good things must come to an end, right?
One of the best parts about graduating, though, is that you get to go back for HOMECOMING. One weekend in the fall where you get incredibly drunk and relive your college years (not that I haven’t occasionally done that anyway) and it is 100% acceptable to do so. Let’s just say this weekend didn’t disappoint.
Besides the copious amounts of alcohol I consumed and the ridiculous hangovers I had (I can’t drink like I used to. But I’m also not drinking 5 out of 7 days a week anymore so there’s that), I got to spend time with my best friends. I haven’t seen some of these people in months and it was so much fun to reminisce and laugh and enjoy each others’ company. I missed my friends, I missed my teammates, I missed everything about Ithaca.
This brings me to the FOOD. Oh my god the food. I got to eat at my favorite locations and it was magnificent. Never have I been so happy to eat a burger in my entire life (and I get pretty damn happy when I get to eat a burger). This thing had pulled pork AND an onion ring on top while slathered in cheese and BBQ sauce. Holy. Crap. P.S. guys, if you’re every in or around Ithaca, go to the Ithaca Alehouse. It’s amazing. My favorite restaurant. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.
Some of the other things I did? Well, I watched our football team lose (no surprise there), I got emotionally invested in season 4 of Grey’s Anatomy and now I have to watch the series on Netflix thanks to my teammates, and I frolicked across Cornell’s campus. I also went to the famous Dairy Bar–Cornell’s very own dairy where you can buy the most delicious ice cream you’ve ever tasted. I’m serious. This shit can only be sold on Cornell’s campus because it isn’t FDA approved. Why? Because the fat content is so high. But that’s also why it’s so delicious! The weather was a bit damp and chilly, but Ithaca must have known we were coming back and wanted us to feel welcome because, ya know, there are only about 9 nice days there all year.
I didn’t want to leave my friends or my second home, but come Sunday night, I knew it was time. I was upset and yes, I cried in my car on the drive back to Philadelphia. But ya know what? My four years are up and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world, but everything must end.
Plus it helps that Cornell is only four hours away and I can visit any time I please. :)
I’m Back!
Posted: August 17, 2014 Filed under: Random | Tags: Blogging, Job, Return 2 CommentsAfter what seems like forever, I’ve decided to start my blog up again. I know, you’ve all been dying without me.
My decision to stop writing wasn’t because I got too lazy or bored with it–I loved this blog and I love to write–it was because I thought that I wasn’t allowed to have this blog due to a new job (I’ll write about that later, promise!). It might be hard to believe, but I had full intentions of writing again once my job concluded.
I’ve had all these great ideas where I’d think “that’d make an awesome post!” only to be saddened by the fact that I couldn’t write about it. What spurred my decision to pick this back up came when one of my coworkers, who’s still in school, started a blog about her experiences at our job (I assure you, it’s the best job IN THE WORLD). I figured that if she could start a blog specifically about our job, then I sure as hell could keep my old blog.
I know you’re probably wondering what job I could possibly have that this little blog might be an issue. It’s not a full-time position, but I’m in the public eye quite a bit, so I wouldn’t be able to post anything offensive or controversial to my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram accounts, etc. Though this does cover my blog, I’ll just be more careful about what I post. OR I won’t care and write whatever I want. We’ll see.
It’s good to be back and I can’t wait to start writing more. I’ve already got some ideas lined up–hope ya’ll like them!
Now here’s a cute puppy for your enjoyment.
161 Things #161: Climb all 161 steps to the top of McGraw Tower
Posted: January 15, 2014 Filed under: 161 Things | Tags: 161 Things, bucket list, College, College Life, Cornell, Cornell University, Disney, Hercules, I can go the distance, Ivy League 8 CommentsThis post is a long time coming… I checked climbing to the top of the clocktower off 161 Things at the end of September. (And conveniently went on a blogging hiatus in the beginning of October. Coincidence?)
A few of my teammates and I had just got done with class and had a little bit of free time before any of us had anything else to do. We were walking across the Arts Quad toward the clocktower, none of us had climbed it yet, so we figured what the hell. Backpacks and all, we marched to the top.
I will say that the one mistake we did make was climbing to the top in the middle of a chimes concert. Having I Can Go the Distance from Disney’s Hercules blaring in my ears wasn’t necessarily the most pleasant thing. But let me tell you, the view was magnificent.
Despite the unseasonably hot weather we were having in Ithaca at the time and the sweat that was dripping down my back by the time we reached the top, the view was worth it. Definitely all it was cracked up to be. …it also helped that it was an absolutely gorges (Ha! Punny!) day in Ithaca.
I stood there in awe, looking at Cornell from a fresh new perspective. It was breathtaking–the bright blue of the sky contrasted with the blue of Cayuga Lake, the green of campus, all of the students… amazing. I’ll let you be the judge.
Looking at Sage Hall
The Arts Quad
I love Instagram.
I will definitely be visiting again before graduation this May.
College Lesson #2: Leggings are most certainly pants
Posted: January 13, 2014 Filed under: Lessons | Tags: Beauty, Clothes, College, Comfort, Fashion, Humor, Leggings, Lesson, Lessons, Michael Kors, Starbucks, Stereotypes, Uggs, White girl, yoga pants 20 CommentsLeggings–are they pants? This is a controversy that has plagued the Internet since I started college. If you had asked me this question while I was in high school, my answer would have been a solid no. Nope. No way José. 
Leggings were most certainly not pants… half the time girls don’t buy a good pair and they’re see through. No, honey, I don’t want to see your hot pink thong stuck in your butt crack. No thank you.
Guys, I’m sure, would beg to differ with this opinion. Leggings seem to fall into the category with yoga pants that guys love so much. Basically make you look like you have a nice ass even if you don’t really have a nice ass–or an ass at all for that matter. It’s like magic!
Bam! Instant tush.
Let’s just say that my opinion has changed drastically. I love leggings. I own so many pairs. They’re my favorite! They’re cute, they tuck well into boots (a problem I have faced in the past) and, most importantly, THEY’RE COMFORTABLE. Comfort is key, my friends, especially when I’m spending hours upon hours in the library. I have gone over an entire month without wearing jeans. I’m not lying. I might have a problem. But the first step is admitting it, right?
Like the “stereotypical white girl” that memes, Buzzfeed lists, and ThoughtCatalog posts endlessly make fun of, I wear leggings, boots, sweaters, and scarves on a regular basis. This is probably (read: hopefully) the only criteria I fit with regard to this stereotype. You won’t find me spending obscene amounts of money on $6 drinks from Starbucks nor will you see me sporting a huge Michael Kors watch on my left wrist or ruining my pair of nonexistent UGGs by walking around in the Ithaca snow.
The Internet has this one wrong, that’s for sure–leggings most certainly ARE pants. Leggings FTW.
Overheard on the Hill: Sexy Chins and Lacy Offerings
Posted: January 13, 2014 Filed under: Overheard | Tags: Children, College, Eagles, Food, Humor, Overheard, Pizza, Sports 4 CommentsAnd so the overheard posts continue. This week is pretty good if you ask me. Lot’s of randomness and just odd thoughts. I don’t quite understand how people’s brains work sometimes. But that’s what makes these posts so great.
“My thongs is doing that thing where it hurts my butt.”
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“That’s bobo.”
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“You have the sexiest chin in college sports.” This was actually said to me one night. I’m not necessarily sure how to interpret this. Compliment or no?
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“It’s like a land gondola.”
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“I wish I had a lacy offering for you.”
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“This is the prettiest oven mitt I’ve ever seen. Isn’t it just beautiful?”
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“Wanna know how many gremlins (referring to girls) I hooked up with this year?” This is one of the most messed up things I’ve heard.
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“All of our balls are odd.”
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Pizza places should be awake 100% of the time.
“Is that the one you bought from the homeless man outside the Eagles game?”
“He wasn’t homeless, he was just a nice young crackhead.”
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“Is the pizza place awake right now?”
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“My children are going to bow down to the queen.”
College Lesson #1: You’re not meant to stay friends with everyone
Posted: January 9, 2014 Filed under: Lessons | Tags: Bitches, College, College Life, Cornell, Drama, Girls, Lesson, Lessons, Sex 11 CommentsIn keeping with my promise to update my blog more, I’ve decided to do a series on all of the things and lessons that I have learned since getting to college. I don’t know if it’s because I only have on semester left on the Hill and I’m getting a bit nostalgic or because I have reached (more like skidded to with a screeching halt) these conclusions very recently. Some of these will be funny, some will be serious… either way, I want to compile a list of all of the little tidbits of information I have collected over the course of my time at Cornell.
This is a lesson I have most certainly learned this past semester–you’re not meant to stay friends with everyone who crosses your path. It just won’t happen. No matter how bad you want to stay friends with said person, it is just not meant to be. This could be because of drama, because you grow apart, because of boys, or you each have different interests than you had originally. These things happen. And you know what? Sometimes I don’t care. Sometimes it’s good to remove these people from your life. Sometimes I have absolutely no desire to pursue the friendship any further. That sometimes for me is right now.
Unfortunately, I did lose some best friends this year, particularly at the hands of drama. Somehow I managed to avoid drama my ENTIRE COLLEGE CAREER until this semester when it all caught up to me and managed to makeup for lost time (my luck, right?). I think that says enough in terms of my avoiding drama–I always try to stay out of it, not taking sides, listening to everyone. I realize I may be going directly against what I just said by writing this post, but whatever. Another thing I’ve learned in connecting with this little lesson? Girls are bitches. And catty and malicious and mean.
Seriously though, girls are the worst. They’re passive aggressive–no confrontation at all (not to say that I’m not guilty of avoiding confrontation at times). Yes, leaving post-it notes is a much more appropriate route, really. Very cute. Another super cute thing that girls do? Lie. Spread rumors. RUIN FRIENDSHIPS. Yup, I said it. Lies told about me almost ruined one of my closest friendships. Thank god I was able to mend that one after explaining WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED and that no, I did not know that so-and-so who was “together” with so-and-so but slept with so-and-so, BECAUSE I WAS NOT PHYSICALLY THERE WHEN IT HAPPENED. Like not even in the state of New York. So there was no way that I would know. But apparently I’m too self-centered to pay attention to what’s going with my friends. Right. But I digress.
Judging by my little rant, I’m sure you have an idea of what I’ve been going through and just how DUMB the high level drama is. Like seriously. I thought I outgrew this shit. Ugh but post it notes really get my goat (did I actually just use that expression?). AHKDOAIJFKLDJFLKAJDF. Literally. I don’t know how else to express my anger towards this.
I’m going to stop here before I get any angrier. There will be more on this later. Probably after this semester when I can go into much more detail. Ohhhh the anticipation! I know it’s killing you.
If I had to close this article with a piece of advice, it would most certainly be this: don’t live with your “best friend.” It won’t work. I learned the hard way.
Overheard on the Hill: Salad Intimacy and The Bachelor
Posted: January 6, 2014 Filed under: Overheard | Tags: Alcohol, Boobs, College, Food, Humor, Juan Pablo, Overheard, The Bachelor 1 CommentI’m sitting at the kitchen table with my mom, fawning over Juan Pablo on The Bachelor, when she aptly reminded me that I haven’t posted an overheard post in quite some time! That and I had promised a little over a week ago that I would get better at posting. Oops. Good thing I had some quotes ready for today though. PS, for anyone who wants to know, I’d love Juan Pablo as my 22nd birthday present… please and thank you.
Yummmmmm
“I hope my green beans make you happy”
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“Just because you touch his dick, doesn’t mean you’re married for the rest of your life.”
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“Wanna take a shot out of my boobs?”
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“Like you’re birthing a child with your heel.”
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“Why are there bananas on the floor?”
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“That’s not my ID… that’s a Buffalo Wild Wings gift card.”
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“Wait those gloves are so great because yo have full access to all your digits.”
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“What is it with guys and arts and crafts for their dick?”
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“I’m about to have an inmate moment with my salad.”
Adventures of a Twentysomething 