I get by with a little help from my friends

Ok, so this whole blogging thing hasn't exactly been as consistent for me as I would have liked for it to be. And by that, I mean my junior year is now at an end, and I haven't blogged once this year. I've been a little busy.

This has by far been the most amazing year of my life. In two semesters, I've managed to learn more about life and friendships than I think I ever knew before. Coming into this year I was terrified because I had taken on the role of editor of my school newspaper, a pretty tall order for a junior with not much experience. I can honestly say the one thing that got me through this year was my friends. 

When I came to Southern Miss, I joined a sorority because I heard about the lifelong friendships people make in Greek life. That's exactly what I've gotten out of it, and I couldn't be more blessed. My sisters know me better than anyone in this world, and I can't begin to count the times they've been there as a support system for me. 

Something I didn't expect, however, was to make a few other friendships along the way. When I started writing for the school paper, it was just that, a job. When I became editor, it was just that, a job. What it turned into over the course of a year, though, blows my mind when I think about it. My coworkers turned into my friends. Not just the friends that go to the Hog for a drink once the paper is finished, but the friends that call each other in tears at 3 a.m. because they feel like their life is falling apart over a troubled relationship, or a stressful test the next day. The friends that leave presents in my room when I've had a week from hell (more than once). 

In March, we took home the honor of best newspaper in the state. When they put that plaque in my hands, I felt like a proud mom. The successes we've had this year are directly related to my staff and how hard they've worked. Though not only have they worked hard, they've enjoyed themselves and grown in their relationships with each other. 

Journalism can be an incredibly stressful profession, and we've had our fair share of panic attacks in the basement of Southern Hall. Twice a week, though, no matter how stressed we were, these people came together to produce a quality newspaper, one that took home statewide recognition for excellence. Southern Miss has had a tough year, and these guys hung in there no matter what was going on around them, and accurately and fairly reported the situation. Readership increased, and campus got more excited to read the paper on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

I'm blessed beyond words. I complain every now and then, just like everyone else, but I know at the end of every day that I'm very fortunate to be where I am right now. I owe so much of that to all of those wonderful people who have stood behind me this year, pushing me when I wanted to give up, listening to me whine when I was frustrated, and most importantly, helping me when I couldn't do it alone. 

"Dreams can come true 

 With God's great angels like you"
 Garth Brooks "Your Song"

Summertime

I've decided to start updating this blog, because my friends have informed me that my life is interesting. Which, I suppose, it is. If you consider all the drama that can happen in a small town, and does happen with me or my friends, I could be the next Gossip Girl.

So. Summer 2011. It has been absolutely thrilling, let me tell you.

I've been working for the newspaper and I'm obsessed. It is the perfect job for me. I go to the jail every morning to look at the dockets, then I go to the police department and find out about what crime went on in the city. Who knew Vicksburg was such a scary place? Oh, wait. I did.
After  I leave the jail, I write heartwarming stories about the United Way and the Red Cross touching the lives of people everywhere.

I've been working a few weekends at the paper, which sounds miserable but really isn't at all. I get Friday mornings and all day Monday off, which allows me to be productive and watch The View and Still Standing.

I worked this weekend, and Saturday I was covering a flood story. (Yay, flood. Glad you're over because I'm sick of hearing that you were 57.1 feet over flood stage on May 19 and began on May 1 and displaced over 1,200 people). Anyway, doing that, I get a call from our editor on duty for the weekend. Never a good sign.
He informs me that two bodies have been found in Tallulah, and it is in my job description to travel there and find out what is going on. So, being the wonderful investigative journalist I am, I take off my pink rubber boots I had been wearing for the flood story, throw on my Chaco's (TSM), and head to Louisiana.
I get there and have no idea where to go. Other than Daiquiri World, my Tallulah geography knowledge is limited. So we made some phone calls and got a reporter from their newspaper to give us directions to where one of the bodies was found.
I then proceed to drive through the scariest neighborhood I've ever been in, and see crime tape and a giant spotlight. So, I pull my car over, grab my phone and press pass, and get out to investigate with Katie.
As we're walking through this "secluded wooded area" as I described it in my article, I think to myself "Wow, I could totally be a crime scene investigator." Then, Katie and I spot blood. She had to fan me so I wouldn't pass out. CSI is no longer in the cards for me.
We walked across the street and knocked on a random door to ask what was going on. Lady answers, tells us some stuff. Then some scary dude stops us and tells me to come to his car, which I (being so brilliant and investigative) do. He leads us to the other spot where they found the second body.
Creepy. It was at a kid's park.  Anyway, we talk to him for awhile and then head to Popeye's to do some more reporting. Again, scary.

Finally make it back to Vicksburg and write the story. As of today, some Tallulah citizens have taken it upon themselves to serve justice and decided to beat up some "suspects". I am no longer writing the stories on it because things are getting a little too real over there for my taste.

Back to United Way and nursing home stories for me.

Westboro Church

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for free speech, but these crazies at Westboro Baptist Church have taken their "rights" just a little too far. 

The Supreme Court just handed down a decision stating that the protesters of the church are completely within their Constitutional rights to protest homosexuality at the funerals of American soliders. In fact, they even voted 8-1 in favor of the Westboro people. (http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/03/supreme-court-rules-8-1-in-favor-of-westboro-baptist-church/?iref=allsearch) 

If you ask me, these people are not an organization that qualifies as a "church". They are a group of hateful people using the term religion as an umbrella to hide under while they abuse their rights to free speech. I personally feel like the whole organization is a scam, and it makes me sick that they are getting the attention that they're working so hard for from people like us. 

What's even worse about the whole thing is that these soldiers lost their lives fighting for the freedoms that protect everyone, including Westboro Baptist Church.

Former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, was extremely unhappy with the decision handed down by The Supreme Court. She tweeted "Common sense & decency absent as wacko 'church' allowed hate messages spewed at soldiers' funerals but we can't invoke God's name in a public square". (twitter.com/SarahPalinUSA).

Palin brings up a good point, freedom of speech and religion do not matter in a healthy public school classroom setting, but are the basis of allowing a group of hateful people to ruin what should be respectful funerals.

An online Irish newspaper quoted chief justice John Roberts as saying, "As a nation we have chosen a different course- to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate." (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0303/breaking43.html)

True. I completely understand this. However, funerals are not the venue for a public debate, and not allowing these people to protest would fall under the category of protecting the rights of the victims' families as opposed to censoring or taking away the rights of the protestors. 

Regardless, it's done now. Ridiculous and aggravating as it may be, the important thing now is to pray for the families whose funerals have been intruded upon by these so-called "religious" people.