Pages

Sunday, October 12, 2008

A Mid-October Night's Nightmare

I usually don’t talk about my normal nightmares. If something horrific happens in my nightmares, something that will most definitely not happen, then I share them simply because they’re so out there. But the normal ones, the ones that have potential to happen – those I usually keep to myself. This time, I have decided to share it because there’s a lesson behind it. And we all like lessons.

Last night, I spent half the evening balling my eyes out – all in my nightmare. I was home again, in Maryland or North Carolina – I couldn’t tell – and I had realized that my London life was over. I had accomplished nothing, I had seen nothing, I had not even come close to doing all the things I had on my list. I didn’t travel anywhere while I was there. I didn’t find my happy-ever-after ending. It was basically an awful nightmare. Reverse culture shock hit me harder than I could have ever imagined. I did not want to be where I was anymore. All I wanted to do was go back home, to London. But for some reason, that wasn’t possible. Something was standing in my way of coming back to London. Before I could figure that out, I had two visits from people I hadn’t seen in years. I can’t remember who the first was, but the second I do. I don’t know why she was one of my visitors, but she came to the door with her mom and someone else who I didn’t know. And the door wasn’t the door to my home even though I was with my whole family. (I know, you are probably even more confused than I am at this point, so I apologize and I applaud you for hanging in there with me.) But she was there asking me about my life since I had seen her last. And that’s all I can remember.

The visitors’ conversations are a blur, my neighborhood – which wasn’t my actual neighborhood – is a blur. I have no idea what else happened in this nightmare, but the details aren’t important anymore. What I learned from my nightmare is that it’s time to slow down. It’s time for me to start seeing the things I want to see and stop letting people and other things hinder me from doing exactly what I want. The real nightmare would come when I do have to go home in less than two months and have nothing accomplished beyond the skeleton of my list of things to do. It’s time to stop letting the minutes tick away and it’s time for my family to pick up and move to London.

The lesson here: Don’t fall asleep with your London guidebook and wake up with your iPod earphones choking you as The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” is playing.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Tube Thoughts

The other day, I headed off to Hackney after class to go to my internship...simply because that's where I love to be. I had work to do as well, but I just love going to my internship. But that day in particular, Thursday, I learned more about myself in a few hours than I have been able to figure out in a long time.

What an incredible feeling of independence it is to just walk around London and do as I feel without a care in the world. Well, of course I have many cares in the world, but what a brilliant feeling. I had my iPod in, listening to all the most marvelous tunes, and was just completely soaking in all the glory of London: the tube, the people, the sites, the freedom, the buildings, the smells, everything. I can hardly put it into words and I know that I'm not giving those moments justice. But during that time, I thought about so many things and tried to figure out so much. I didn't necessarily have any resolution to any of the things I thought about, but it felt so good to be able to think for once. I have been going and going non-stop for the past couple of weeks, unable to take a moment to process everything, but Thursday gave me that moment, plus a few more.

I thought about my internship and how it's something that I can see myself doing for a long time after college. I thought about The Pendulum and my future and how much it hurts to see such incredible things going on with the paper and I'm unable to be there to share in it - it's given me so much joy to see everything online at least and to see how stunning the paper has become, but I so want to be a part of it. I thought about my major and how much time is left in making a decision about my future - not only have I been unable to decide between television and print/online, but radio has been added to the confusion and fumble. I thought about my family and how my mom will be here so soon and I finally get to share my city with her.

And as I was taking in the glory of independence and realizing how much I have grown in only one month, I thought about how this is the only place in the world where I will be completely happy. It's the only place I can imagine spending the rest of my life. And whether I have to live here and there for some years before I make it to London, it's a time that I'm willing to spend.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Croeso i Gymru, Welcome to Wales

Wales this weekend reaffirmed my belief that Europe is truly the greatest place on Earth. Not only that, but the UK in general is the closest thing to Heaven I can get to right now. Wales is incredible. But when our train pulled into Paddington station this afternoon, I got off the train and took a deep breath – I was home again. In London.

Our weekend started very early Friday morning. We took the fast train straight to Cardiff, but when we hit the Bristol train station, I couldn’t help but hear Hagrid saying how “Harry fell asleep just over Bristol,” or something along those lines. I just need to face it. I can relate anything to Harry Potter something.

We stayed at a very cute hostel just outside the Millennium Stadium, the first home of Welsh rugby. Our first day we explored Cardiff Castle (which dates back to 75 AD when it was a Roman fort) and took a bus tour around the city that ended at the Inner Harbour. It was there at the docklands where we had an amazing Italian meal, met a woman from near Elon, and saw a beautiful carousel, ferris wheel, the Wales Millenium Centre (home to Welsh National Opera) and other sights set to the backdrop of a sunset we can’t always see in London. There was a marvelous waterfall coming straight down an enormous metal pole, with smaller poles surrounding it that lit up and changed colors once it was dark enough. It was a beautiful first night in Wales.

We woke Saturday to a glorious breakfast of nutella toast and cereal. Oh, how I’ve missed nutella. My favorite part of Wales, by far, was Swansea and the Gower Peninsula in the south. We started in Mumbles, drove out to Rhossili and then back around and home to Cardiff – all over the Gower Peninsula. We walked along the coastal path from Langland Bay to Caswell Bay and saw breathtaking views of sailboats and water smashing against the rocks below. It was a long walk, but completely worth it. The sun was so bright and hot, and we were all dressed for cooler weather, but when we finally reached the beach and got to play in the sand, it made everything cool down again – especially when I saw a giant 99 Flake and got to hug it.

That night, a couple of us sat in the common room of our hostel to watch “Friends” and “Sex and the City.” I’m not a huge fan of the latter, but when three guys came in to join us, just the fact that they were being such good sports made everything so much more entertaining. One guy, a bit older, is from Crete. Another guy came in and he’s from Germany. I told him that I would be visiting some friends and family in Aachen and Murrhardt, and he recognized Aachen, but I had to explain that Stuttgart is where my family lives closest to because Murrhardt is too small a town for him to know where it is. Our final new friend told us he went to William and Mary and was just about to start a Ph.D. program in Ireland. He will be there for three years! How brave is that!?

And today consisted of a trip to Raglan Castle and Tintern Abbey. After the abbey, we had a marvelous lunch that consisted of a bacon and cheese baguette, and a potato and leek soup. SO good. I also ordered Welsh Cakes for dessert – a new favorite. And before catching our train home, our tour guide gave us two more packs of Welsh Cakes for the ride home. God bless him.

While it was wonderful to visit the countryside for a weekend, it does feel good to be back in London. And I can’t wait for my internship again tomorrow.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

A...A…Alan R…R…R…Rickman!!!!!

This morning we were on our way to the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising for our Media & Culture class. There was a huge group of us from Elon and we were weaving our way through Paddington station to get to the Circle line. But this is just the background information you need. Here’s the important stuff:

As I’m walking up the stairs approaching the hall leading to the Circle line, I look up. I’m climbing on the left and a man came around the corner to climb down on the right. Holy gosh and golly gee. There was NO doubt and NO question in my mind. That furrowed brow. The distinguished face. The tight-lipped serious near-grin. The grayed and airy hair. Alan. Rickman.

I. Was. Breathing. In. the. Same. Vicinity. As. Alan. Rickman.

As chills ran all over my body, my heart was absolutely pounding in my throat. God help me when I finally find Rupert. Because if this is how it feels to just SEE Alan Rickman. Well. I will be more than a wreck with Rupe.

I just couldn’t believe it. Here I am in the bloody tube station on my way to a museum in Notting Hill and Alan Rickman is in the same bloody tube station going about his business as though he weren’t Alan Rickman. Is that allowed? Is he allowed to just walk around Paddington station? My gosh, I can’t believe it. One of my favorite actors of ALL TIME!!

Scenes from all his movies were flashing in my mind. There he was watching Kate Winslet sing at her piano in “Sense and Sensibility.” I could see him sitting down and asking Laura Linney how long she has been in love with Karl in “Love Actually.” And, my GOD!! He was lurking the halls of Hogwarts getting Daniel, Rupert and Emma in trouble for something. Oh. My. Gosh.

Well, now that I’ve written this all out, I can finally allow myself to scream. That was my deal with Morgan (one of my roommates). I had to bottle it all up and then I could scream later. So let me get on that, shall I?

Monday, September 8, 2008

Ladybird

We were eating lunch in the flat yesterday and Morgan spotted a ladybug (called ladybird here) on a chair. What a wonderful sign. I lifted the window, my favorite one, and was thinking of letting her out onto our balcony, but since there are no plants for her out there, I picked her up and took her down the stairs and outside to our neighbor’s garden. I placed her on a leaf there near some beautiful red berries. It took her a second until she started to crawl around the leaf, but I hope she’ll be content there. And possibly come to visit us again soon! Good things are in store for us now.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

the weather WILL turn

It was an early start for us yesterday as we left the flats around 8 a.m. Breakfast was grab and go with the pink lady apples, bagels, jam and cream cheese we have in the kitchen. Our coach driver, as we knew once we finally arrived back at the flats, was awful. I’m still wobbling from the ride. I didn’t realize that the majority of people still drive a clutch here. I know that I haven’t learned so I can’t quite judge, but I DO know that my 15-year-old brother who just got his learner’s can drive a stick better than our coach driver today.

I slept for nearly the entire two-hour ride to Salisbury, just southwest of London. When we arrived, it was a gorgeous and quant town with narrow roads. The people walking along the sidewalks would stare up at the coach as though it were a rare occasion to see something so large come through their town. When we got off the coach, it was lightly drizzly, but hardly noticeable. We went straight up to Salisbury Cathedral, a 750-year-old cathedral that houses one of four of the remaining copies of the Magna Carta of 1215. It has a gorgeous spire – the tallest in England at 404 feet high – and also holds the world’s oldest working clock. It was neat to see how the gears still ticked rotated so slowly as they triggered the other enormous gears around it. Historic figures and saints stand stuck on the outside walls of the cathedral. One part that we weren’t expecting at all was when we walked into the Chapter House and were surrounded by gorgeous stained glass windows of mint green, yellow and springy colors that let the light flood in more than the other stained glass windows around the cathedral. When we approached a display at the back, we were faced with an original copy of the Magna Carta. Our jaws dropped when we saw the elegant handwriting on muted forest green paper. No one told us we would be seeing the Magna Carta!

When we left Salisbury, we drove through countryside with checkerboards of different green and brown fields. The path had natural overhangs of trees forming a tunnel of green that looked like it was carved by a number of buses and vehicles that have squeezed down the street over the years. We then encountered peach-orange fields that Elise and Dr. Barnett dubbed “Hay Henge” as the hay standing at increments in the field was stacked in squares rather than the barrel shape we’re used to at home.

As we approached Stonehenge, I couldn’t believe I was finally seeing it. It was built around 3000 BC and is connected with the sun and the passing of the seasons. I couldn’t help but think of “Children of Eden” from senior year at Lackey and the song “A Ring of Stones.” We modeled the set after Stonehenge by hanging rings of sheer curtains from the top of the stage. It was so neat looking. But the real Stonehenge is way cooler, of course. Outside Stonehenge was someone called the modern-day King Arthur, a man who has pledged to stay at Stonehenge until it is returned to its natural state: without concrete and fences, a cafĂ© and other goofy touristy things that take away from the magic of the site. He stood behind a wooden gate with cloth banners that say: “English Heretics Take Up Thy Fence and Walk,” “Set Free the Stones,” “Honor Thy Spoken Word” and “Return Stonehenge to the Free, Open, Sacred Landscape.” Honestly, I can’t blame him. It’s just like the Great Wall. I can understand wanting to protect it, but why on earth does it have to be encircled by hideous fences and be made into a tourist trap!? Oh, well.

After the awe of Stonehenge, we headed to Avebury. This is when the weather turned on us. The sky was absolutely perfect at Stonehenge, a beautiful and clear blue with fabulously soft white clouds. As soon as we arrived in Avebury, the sky turned a bit gray and ominous looking. We popped into one small museum to learn about the henge (and David decided to color at the kid’s corner) and about the people who built it. Enter downpour. We dashed over to the next museum – thank goodness I had my umbrella – but everyone was drenched. We spent a long bit of time there before braving the rain to actually see the stone circle that was built around 2500 BC. The stones are smaller than the ones in Stonehenge, but the circle of stones itself is 14 times larger. We sloshed through the mud and flooded paths to see part of them before surrendering and wading back to the coach. We were some of the first back, but were followed by the rest of the crew shortly. It was a nice but damp sleep back to London.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Hopping the Pond

Good night, Maida Vale. As I sit at our pale wooden dining room table, I love staring out the window with the full-length sheer curtains parted and held on either side by silver bolts. I can see a circle of rain haloing the streetlight across the way, and can hear it hit our balcony and black iron railings. This is my favorite spot in the flat, even more so than the comfortable red couches just a few feet away. I love staring out the window that’s at least twice my height so I can get a full view of the double deckers driving by and our neighbors’ silhouettes through their own windows. This place has a magical feeling to it. The moment I step outside the flat, the air is crisp and whimsical. Besides the rain, the weather has been marvelous. I love the palette of pashminas around the city. No matter what, a pashmina is necessary to look truly British. I must get on that asap.

Despite how exhausted we all have been since we arrived, I feel like I don’t want to sit still. There’s so much to see and so little time to do it! These three months feel nearly over although they haven’t even begun. Sleeping can’t be that necessary when you’re in a city like this. Last night was a perfect example. My roommates and I stayed up past midnight London-time just chatting about London and other British things, eating Frosties (British Frosted Flakes) and enjoying the silence of the neighborhood save the occasional drawn out swoosh of the pavement that buses make driving on the rain-soaked road.

Yesterday we went on a walking tour of our neighborhood, Maida Vaile. The area is also called Little Venice because of the charming canals with their quaint and colorful narrow boats lining either side. Some are homes, some are restaurants, some are covered in flowers and some take trips to Camden Town on the weekends. That’s one of the many things on the to do list.

After the walking tour, we hopped on a coach and toured the city. I blew a kiss to the Thames for Bethany, as promised, and smiled at Big Ben. I can’t wait to see him again and to actually tour parliament with my class next week. The queen was not in Buckingham Palace, but I know that my flatmates and I will be soon before the tours close at the end of the month. The queen will be back in October, though, so perhaps the ever-gorgeous princes will accompany her. For now, we plan to go clubbing at their favorite spot in London. We’ll close our eyes at how much it probably costs to get in to William’s club of choice, but I suppose it will be worth it. I’ve promised a few friends to pass along their numbers to him. Though we all know I’m not interested in either of those princes. I just have to find mine around here somewhere.

Today was a very low-key day where we traveled to our classroom building at Bloomsbury Square and learned more about living in London and got details about our internships. Afterward, we had our first semi-official grocery shopping trip, which was especially an adventure for Stacey and me when an older British man approached us and asked if all that food was just for me. I laughed and said that I was sharing and that we were stocking up. He must have taken that as we were “bulking up” for the boys and suggested we buy wine and beer as well. We decided to pass on that and when we ran into him at the queue, he shook his head and commented again at the amount of food we were buying. Note to us: Apparently we should go grocery shopping nearly every day rather than “stock up.”

For now, we are happy with our lunch meats, fruit, rice, pasta and sauces on reserve for the next several days’ meals. We have to pack lunches for our excursion tomorrow to Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury, a trip I’m really looking forward to. So until then, I’m going to enjoy the pattering off of the rain and the hours of laughs that I’m sure are in store among the flatmates until we finally drift off in mid-conversation, surrender and go to bed.

Monday, August 18, 2008

The countdown begins

This is it. The 15-day mark. This summer has absolutely soared by. If my three months in London go nearly as fast as the three months of this summer, then I’ll be home in a blink. Just thinking about the next 15 days and the next three months overwhelms me. I still have so much to do.

It was a blessing to be home for this month, though, because I have been able to say some goodbyes to people I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. A couple days in D.C. allowed me to see two dear Pendulum friends and also to see the city before I see it the final time on my way to the airport. And I got to go to the zoo! When you live so close to D.C., I guess it’s easy to let a decade or so go by without visiting the animals. I couldn’t believe it myself when I realized it had been that long. I also got to say goodbye to my Roomie, who will be studying in Paris while I’m in London. So at least we’ll be on the same continent even though it’s more than the usual three-foot difference away.

But beyond saying some goodbyes, I’ve been much busier than I expected. I’m still writing a lot. For University Relations and for The Pendulum. And I have some video to edit. And let’s not even talk about the packing! I just finished a final homework assignment for my British Media and Culture class, so that’s a relief, but there’s definitely more to come! Just through the homework I’ve had to do, I feel so well prepared for London. I’ve learned so much about the government, people, culture and everything else that I feel like I could write my own book on it before even getting there. And I think that was the point of the homework. When I’m there, I have to keep a journal for the class and a journal for my internship. So, I will be writing a ton! No worries about forgetting any moment or memory on this trip.

For now, I have to make memories and moments out of these last 15 days.

Friday, August 8, 2008

The Summer of Toast

It's a college cliche that every student has a summer of ramen. Explained further: He or she eats pretty much nothing but ramen for an entire summer. Well, for me, this summer has been a summer of toast.

I have never been a huge fan of the bread you can't lift without making a crummy mess, smattered in butter and some variety of fruity goop. But for some reason, this summer was my summer for eating toast. I went for Smucker's, mainly because of Willard Scott on the Today Show, in the flavors of strawberry, blackberry and raspberry. I would alternate jam depending on what mood I was in and how I wanted the rest of my day to shape up. You see, I can associate a flavor to my outlook on life.

But I would do more than smatter the jam. I would inundate my toast with jam. If I had to carb count what I consumed in toast this summer...well. We won't go there.

Beyond the literal meaning of my summer of toast, I'll go into my figurative meaning as well. Because that's probably more exciting than the calories I consumed thanks to my lack of cooking knowledge.

(Warning: This is where it gets cheesy because I had to continue the analogy.) Every day this summer was a mixture of crummy with goop (good tasting goop, though). Yes, I think I'll start out that way. My days were crummy in the way that summers should not be crummy. I was alone for the most part, with no one to go home to. I would always cook the same things and my routine never changed. My days were goopy because I loved what I was doing with The Pendulum and at work. But having to come back to an empty apartment and watch the same three movies was not the most fun I've ever had.

On several occasions, friends who live near Elon came to the rescue - more good goop. Kaitlin, for one, taught me how to cook...by cooking for me and bringing variety to my life. We watched The Onion Movie, which was ever-entertaining, and another time I fell asleep during an attempt to watch Pride and Prejudice. Sorry again, Kaitlin. Oh, and we also popped by Kaitlin's favorite theater.

And Alexa brought me to an amazing art gallery in downtown Burlington called Lyndon Street Artworks. It was an assignment for The Pendulum, so I took photos and Alexa wrote the story. You have to incorporate The Pendulum into everything you do. That is key.

In both meanings of my toast, this summer was a learning experience. I learned that I can be really independent and I can actually cook some things and be successful. The first time I failed at making pasta was also my last.

I learned that I can do PR. I never saw myself outside the print, broadcast and interactive media realm, but my eyes have been opened to PR and I enjoy it. We are friends now. After all, I do like all things fluffy and optimistic.

I learned that walking is much better (and more fun) than driving....especially after Elon's gas prices finally caught up with home's and reached $4.

I learned that sunglasses ARE a necessity. They are particularly handy when running errands across campus and you need to dodge the squirrels' acorn attacks. The squirrels take over campus during the summer, by the way. I also learned that.

I really learned InDesign in several 24-hour crash courses. I have a whole new appreciation for the fabu software.

I learned that I thoroughly enjoy writing for sports! It's very exciting and I learned a bit about the actual games in the process. Someone must have known that sports are not my forte because I have written more sports stories this summer than I thought was possible in my lifetime.

I learned that I love The Pendulum more than anything. Well...maybe I didn't learn that - it was more of a reaffirmation of something I've always known.

And of course, I learned that I love toast. But after spending a summer eating it, I'm not sure I'll crave it again for a long time.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

What happened in Korea stays...on the Internet and is shared with the world

It's been just over a month since I returned from Seoul, Korea, and I still haven't decided whether the trip was ages ago or just yesterday. I'm not sure if it's the time warp we experienced or simply the fact that it was so surreal visiting a country I never imagined visiting at 20 years old. Though I was technically 21 over there because they count your birth as the first year.

I traveled to Korea with one professor and another student to gather interviews at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Meeting. The experience was part of Janna Anderson's Imagining the Internet project. We spoke with 32 people about their hopes and fears for the future of the Internet and some of the important topics in society today dealing with the Internet and its governance. Looking through headshots I took of the people we interviewed, it still seems incredible to me to think of these people's credentials and the amount of diversity we saw in the group. They came from Egypt, Senegal, Finland, London, France, South Korea, America and the list goes on.

The fact that this opportunity was given to me is still astounding to me. I have been so blessed through the years, but I've had the opportunity to visit five countries already in my first two years in college. I have plans for at least five more in the next two years.

My trip to Seoul, far more important than the travel experience, was the opportunity to interview the people we did and to learn SO much about my career in journalism. The Internet is taking over, print journalism is dying, everyone needs to know how to shoot video, do stand-ups, layout pages, design a Web site…we've heard it a million times before. The experiences I've had at Elon have given me all that and more. And this trip is just another one of those experiences that challenged me academically, professionally and culturally.

Learning how to push aside the fact that you're interviewing a U.S. Ambassador, the CEO of Pandora TV or the FCC chairman, was a challenge in itself. It was certainly good practice, though. I can't get nervous and start stuttering just because I'm talking to someone like that – they're human, too.

The days at the conference were long, but we made the most of every minute. And at night, we were rewarded with incredible banquets of delicious food, wonderful entertainment and excellent company (from New Zealand, Korea, etc.).

Staying optimistic and bubbly throughout the day was key…not only for our own morale when realizing it was bedtime at home on the East Coast and we were looking forward to lunch on the Eastern half of the world, but to show that despite the ware on our faces from the 12-hour time difference, we were truly enthusiastic about talking to everyone there.

I think that we really made an impression on people. We were cheerful and smiling, just generally ecstatic to be in Korea at the conference. And I'm confident that excitement showed. People were very surprised to hear how young we were. Craig is 21 and I’m 20…what were college students doing at a conference on the future of the Internet economy? Well, we are very interested in it, actually, something that we learned about ourselves after the five days in Korea. And everyone we spoke to seemed impressed that two college students and their professor were so eager to learn more.

Revisiting the video interviews we shot reminded me of how incredibly thoughtful everyone was and how brilliant the people who attend these conferences are. What an experience.

The videos will be here soon!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Lake Mary Nell is Home to Six Cygnets and Friends

Despite how deserted campus is of its students, there is still so much life and so many new members of the Elon family.

I went down to Lake Mary Nell today to see the baby cygnets and their mother at their new home, and I found far more than I imagined I would.


First I came across, not the cygnets and their mother, but a whole family of baby geese with their mother. Who knew that so many birthdays would happen at once!















One of the most precious moments was when a squirrel sat right next to one of the baby geese and munched on its own piece of food as the baby goose picked at the grass. It was so typically Elon - a squirrel just making new friends with baby geese.

Across the lake, near the fine arts center, I saw a whole gaggle of geese. And just to the left of them was my favorite family of swans.


When I approached the edge of the lake, I couldn't help but think the mother swan kept looking at me from the corner of her eye.


She and her six baby swans moved from their nest to Lake Mary Nell. Sadly, the seventh egg remains behind in the nest, unhatched.

Mother and babies spent their afternoon near a feeding box. Mommy would reach her neck into the box, grab some bits of food and drop them into the water for her babies to eat.




They scramble around her to grab them as she dunks her head underwater to rescue the food that's sunk.

As she moves toward the little ramp leading up to the box, her babies inch behind her and try to get up but are still too small to make it just yet.

Each cygnet never strayed too far from its siblings, and they all stayed very close to their loving mother.


Reporting on a Historic Evening

The final two primary elections were held in Montana and South Dakota today. The evening ended with Sen. John McCain taking shots at Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton announcing that she would not concede and Obama declaring that he had won the Democratic presidential nomination after securing more than the number of necessary delegate votes.

I kept The Pendulum Web site updated throughout the evening as more news came in and as speeches were being made. You can find all of The Pendulum's Election 2008 Coverage here.

For now, here are stories on speeches delivered by Obama, Clinton and McCain, minute-by-minute updates on the primary results and Clinton's announcement early Tuesday that she would not condede after tonight's election results.

Obama says 'This is the moment'
Illinois senator claims presidential nomination

With some 15,000 people outside and 20,000 gathered inside an auditorium in St. Paul, Minn., Sen. Barack Obama announced that he has won the Democratic presidential nomination.

He now has 2,154 delegate votes and won Montana with 56 percent of the popular vote.

“Tonight, Minnesota, after 54 hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end,” Obama said.

Obama said he was able to clinch the nomination because of what people have said, “because they decided that this is the year that must be different than all the rest” and because they chose not to listen to their doubts and fears.

“Tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another,” he said, “A journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Because of you, tonight I can stand here and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for the United States of America.”

His announcement received uproarious applause.

Obama thanked all the people in Montana and South Dakota who stood up for change in today’s primaries.

At this defining moment for our nation, Obama said America should be proud that the Democratic Party put forth such a talented field of people to run for the title he now holds. He said he not only competed with them as rivals, but worked with them as friends. They have all worked tirelessly to make this country better.

“Sen. Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign,” Obama said. “She has made history not just because she’s a woman who’s done what no woman has done before,” but because she inspires people with her strength and courage.

Obama congratulates her “for the race she has run throughout this contest.”

Despite the differences he and Clinton have had over the last 16 months, he recognizes Clinton’s passion for the American people.

“I can tell you what gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning,” he said. “An unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Americans.”

Obama said he and Clinton will win the fight for universal health care. And Clinton “will be central to that victory.”

“I’m a better candidate for having had to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton,” he said.

Because of this primary, there are millions of young people, African Americans, Hispanic Americans and women “who have voted in records that have inspired a nation,” Obama said.

“We [the Democratic Party] aren’t the reason you came out – you didn’t do that because of me or Sen. Clinton or anyone else. You did that because in your hearts, you know…we cannot afford to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Obama said.

It’s time to chart a course for a new America, he said, and we owe our children and our country a better future.

Obama then took time to comment on Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee who focused much of his speech earlier in the evening on Obama’s policies and qualifications.

“[McCain is a] man who has served our country heroically,” Obama said. “We honor the service of John McCain.”

“I respect his many accomplishments,” he said, “even if he chooses to deny mine.”

The differences Obama has with McCain are not personal, he said, but based on what McCain has proposed in his campaign for president.

Debunking McCain’s mockery of Obama’s campaign slogan, Obama said that change is not one of the words that can be used to describe his opponent’s politics.

“What’s not an option is leaving our troops in Iraq for the next hundred years,” Obama said. “We must be as careful getting out of Iraq as we were careless getting in.”

Obama said his definition of change is vastly different from McCain’s.

“We must once again have the courage and the conviction to lead the free world,” he said. “That’s what the American people demand. That’s what change is.”

Some changes Obama said he will make:
  • Give a middle-class tax break to those who need it
  • Invest in the crumbling infrastructure
  • Renew commitment to science and innovation
  • Make an energy policy that creates new jobs
  • Work to improve schools
  • Invest in early childhood education and invest in new teachers

“[McCain] doesn’t understand the kind of change that people are looking for,” he said.

The choice of arena where Obama delivered his speech is ironic because it’s the same arena where the Republican National Convention will be held later this year.

“The other side will come here in September and offer a very different set of policies and positions,” Obama said. “And that is a good thing. That is something that I look forward to.”

He said that Americans are a decent, generous and compassionate people untied by a common hope.

“America, this is our moment,” he said. “This is our time. Our time to turn the page of the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for this country that we love. This journey will be difficult and our road will be long.”

Obama will face this challenge with “limitless faith in the capacity of the American people because if we are willing to fight for it, then generations from now, we will be able to look back and say…. This was the moment. This was the time when we came together.”



Clinton does not give up, does not make decision

Sen. Hillary Clinton said that she will make no decisions tonight. After the long campaign, she will now consult with some people and determine “how to move forward with the best interests of the party and the country.”

She is most interested in hearing from the American people and urges them to share their thoughts with her on her Web site, http://www.hillaryclinton.com/splash/sdmt/.

Clinton was welcomed in New York on Tuesday night by a cheering crowd and the song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” Signs of defeat were nowhere to be found.

Clinton began by thanking South Dakota for its votes.

“You had the last word in this primary season and it was worth the wait,” she said of her 56 percent win in the state.

Clinton congratulated Sen. Barack Obama and his supporters on their achievement of the Democratic presidential nomination. She credited him for inspiring so many Americans to get involved in politics.

“Our party and our democracy are stronger and more vibrant as a result,” Clinton said.

She considers it an honor to call Obama her friend and to have contested these primaries with him. She asked the gathered crowd to congratulate him as well.

“We saw millions of Americans registering to vote for the first time,” Clinton said. Americans were knocking on doors, talking to neighbors and giving money for the first time.

A most stunning product of this election occurs when children sit on moms’ and dads’ shoulders, and parents whisper in their child’s ear, “See, you can be anything you want to be.”

Clinton said she also thinks of “all those wonderful women in their 90s who came out to see me because they were born before women could vote and they wanted to be a part of making history.”

“On election day after election day, you came out in record numbers,” she said. She addressed the “hard working men and women who don’t always make headlines, but have written America’s story.”

“In all of the states, you voted because you wanted a leader who stands up for the deepest values of our party,” Clinton said. A party that believes everyone should have a chance at the American dream, a party that counts every single vote and a party that cherishes every child and family in America.

Clinton said she often felt that each person’s vote was “a prayer for our nation” and a “declaration of dreams for your future.”

During the 16-month journey, Clinton said she was proud that she and her supporters “stayed the course together.”

Clinton is also proud of the record 35 million people who voted in this primary and the number of people she and her supporters have brought into the Democratic Party.

“I am committed to the Democratic Party,” she said. And to making it “stronger and more committed than ever to take back the White House.”

Clinton professed her faith in her supporters.

“None of you is invisible to me,” she said. “I see you and I know how hardworking you are. I have been fighting for you my whole adult life and I will keep standing for you and working for you.”

The big question of the evening and one that has been speculated throughout the day has been, “What does Hillary want?” Clinton asked, “What do I want? I want what I have always fought for in this whole campaign.”

She said she wants to:

  • End the war in Iraq
  • Turn the economy around
  • Provide health care for everyone
  • Allow children to live up to their potential
  • Respect all Americans, let them be heard and no longer invisible

“I have an old fashioned notion,” Clinton said, “that public service is about helping people solve problems and live their own dreams.”

She said she wants to restore faith in the leadership of the country. The issues she has discussed for so long and so passionately are the “lifeblood of my campaign.”

“And your spirit has inspired me every day in this race,” Clinton said. “You reached out to help me: To grab my hand or grip my arm. To look into my eyes to tell me, ‘Don’t quit. Keep fighting in this race.’”

When so many people thought her race was done five months ago after the Iowa primary, she thanks the supporters who brought her back.

“I will carry your stories and your dreams with me,” Clinton said.

She said she is honored and humbled by the support and trust of voters, and thanked all those who had the courage to share their stories with her on the campaign trail.

“Tonight, we stand just a few miles from the Statue of Liberty and from the site where the towers fell,” she said. “Lady Liberty’s presence and the towers’ absence show our resilience…and that we’re courageous.”


McCain talks about change Americans cannot believe in
Republican nominee starts campaigning for general election

“And that’s not change we can believe in.”

That was Sen. John McCain’s line of the evening as addressed supporters in Kenner, La., on Tuesday. He was referring to Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign slogan – “Change we can believe in” – each time he discussed some aspect of Obama’s policies that differed from his.

He announced that, “Tonight we can say with confidence that the primary season is over the general election campaign can begin.”

He applauded the two Democratic candidates for the individual qualities that made them worthy opponents. McCain complimented Sen. Hillary Clinton for her tenacity and courage. He said the media overlooked how passionate she spoke to her supporters throughout the campaign.

As a father of three daughters, McCain said he is inspired by Clinton and proud to call her his friend.

Putting Clinton in the past, McCain turned to discuss Obama, whom he calls a formidable opponent. At the time of McCain’s speech, though, it was still undeclared that Obama had secured the nomination.

“This is, indeed, a change election,” McCain said. No matter who wins this election, the country will change dramatically.

The next president must, “change what must be changed and make the future better than the past.”

Disaster relief, education, diplomacy, military and intelligent services are some of the things that must undergo widespread reform, McCain said. And this can be done with “the right kind of change.”

McCain said he has not seen eye to eye with President Bush even though they have worked closely together. McCain said he strongly disagrees with the Bush administration’s “mismanagement of the war in Iraq.”

“I know Americans are tired of this war,” he said, but he does not want to “recklessly” pull soldiers out. He said that he hates war because he personally knows its costs.

“No problem is more urgent today than Americans’ dependence on foreign oil,” McCain said. “We need to lead a great national campaign to lead us on a course to energy independence.”

McCain said that we also need to:
  • Rebuild the structure of our military in order to keep Americans safe
  • Strengthen our alliances
  • Preserve moral credibility
  • Prepare to respond better to a natural calamity
Remarking on Obama’s youth, McCain said, “The American people didn’t get to know me yesterday as they’re just getting to know Sen. Obama.”

“I have a few years on my opponent,” McCain said, presuming Obama’s nomination. “So I’m surprised that such a young man has bought into so many failed ideas…. He seems to think government is the answer to every problem.”



Full coverage of the final two primaries in Montana, South Dakota

9:24 p.m.

Sen. Hillary Clinton has been projected to win the South Dakota presidential primary. She has earned 57 percent of the votes so far.

9:00 p.m.

Sen. Barack Obama has earned the necessary 2,118 delegate votes to gain the Democratic nomination. The delegates in South Dakota have pushed him over the critical delegate mark to 2,119 votes.

8:08 p.m.

Sen. Barack Obama is only four delegates away from securing the nomination. Polls in South Dakota are now closed. The polls in Montana will close in about one hour.

Sen. Barack Obama chose to meet with supporters in St. Paul, Minn., because he wants to stake his claim on the state where the Republican National Convention will be held in early September. The center he will speak in seats 18,000 people. Some Clinton supporters have showed up as well to hear Obama’s message.

The Clinton campaign continues to assert that she will not concede after tonight's results are finalized.

7:56 p.m.

Sen. Barack Obama has won another delegate vote - he only needs six more to clinch the nomination.

7:29 p.m.

Sen. Barack Obama has just earned three more delegate votes, putting him at only seven more votes needed to earn the nomination.

7:06 p.m.

Sen. Hillary Clinton is 205 delegates short of the nomination.

Nearly 180 superdelegates have yet to endorse a candidate.

Sen. John McCain is in Kenner, La., this evening and is expected to launch his general election campaign. He is ready to announce the contrasts between him and Sen. Barack Obama.

6:52 p.m.

Sen. Barack Obama needs only 10 delegate votes to clinch the Democratic nomination. Obama has won 1,748 delegates and 360 superdelegates.

Sen. Hillary Clinton is more than 100 delegates behind at 1,624 delegates. She has 289 superdelegate votes.

In order to win, 2,118 delegate votes are needed.

6:41 p.m.

Sen. Barack Obama needs only 11 delegate votes to clinch the Democratic nomination.

6:20 p.m.

With less than two and a half hours until the South Dakota polls close, Sen. Barack Obama needs only 12 delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination.


Clinton announces she could accept being Obama's running mate

Sen. Hillary Clinton told New York lawmakers on Tuesday that she wouldn’t mind being Sen. Barack Obama’s vice president. Her main goal is to get a Democrat into the White House.

For several weeks, former President Bill Clinton has been suggesting that his wife accept the position should Obama win the Democratic nomination.

Clinton’s campaign chairman said she will not concede the race after tonight’s polls in Montana and South Dakota. She will continue to fight for the Democratic spot on the ballot.

The spot she may fill has yet to be announced. As Obama’s potential running mate, Clinton could attract those voters who might otherwise be pulled in by presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain. This would give the Democrats a stronger chance at a seat in the Oval Office.

As of Tuesday, Obama holds 2,083 delegates. He only needs 35 more delegates, while Clinton needs 201 to achieve the nomination. A number of superdelegates have already announced their support for Obama, but 193 superdelegates have still not endorsed either candidate.

The superdelegates consist of nearly 825 Democratic governors, members of Congress and party officials. Each superdelegate’s vote counts in the delegate nominating process.

Obama will spend Tuesday night in Saint Paul, Minn., while Clinton will attend a campaign event in New York City.

In Montana, Obama is ahead in most recent polls. He campaigned in the state last week before spending the weekend in South Dakota. Clinton spent Monday in South Dakota and recent polls favor her over Obama.

Tonight’s primaries are expected to determine more than just who won each state.

Friday, May 30, 2008

The "Ugly Duckling" myth has been busted


I don't know how many people knew about it, but I can say with near certainty that any student who takes classes in the fine arts building probably got to see the mother swan sitting on her nest of pine needles.


She made her home cozied up to the window near the ticket booth at the main entrance of the Center for the Arts. Swans can usually have three to eight eggs, and our Elon swan hatched six last night. The seventh is still sitting inside its gray home waiting to hatch.


The six baby swans, or cygnets, were admired this morning as Elon staff members attended an appreciation event in the center. As a recital was being held in the theater tonight, some local families and were able to enjoy the sight as well.


As a mother was holding her little daughter's hand to walk into the center, another mother (this one with crisp white feathers and an orange beak) would squawk in a soft but intense way to show that she means business.

The babies waddled around the nest, rested on the brick window ledge and tried to venture beyond their nest. The latter attempt was to no avail as mom would stretch her elegant neck to steer her baby back inside.

Check back for a seventh birth announcement soon!



The mother swan sitting on her nest on April 21