Marketable Myself Through Social Media

Tomorrow I am attending the Brand Camp Personal Branding 2.0 Conference at Lawrence Technological University.

I first heard about the conference from Karen Evans, a professor at Lawrence Technological University. She asked me if I would be interested in attending. When Evans told me that the conference consisted on how to use social media in the job industry (business, job seeking, resume, etc) I was definitely interested in going.

There are four main reasons for why I am going to the conference (in no specific order):

1. To learn more ways to make myself more marketable
2. To hopefully find an internship
3. Networking
4. To learn which social websites are vital to the job industry today (so that I can start using them and gain knowledge)

By now, I am sure everyone has noticed that the economic times have had a big negative impact on the job industry. Thousands of people are losing their jobs and more people are competing for one position. The supply and demand of job positions are not balanced whatsoever.

The career I chose is Media Communication. Before the economic crisis, my career was a competitive field. So you can just imagine how difficult it has been to find an internship (I must add that a “paid” internship is rare). Therefore, I have been finding ways to make myself more marketable. To start with, I am bilingual (my native language is Spanish). Being bilingual has definitely helped me find jobs. However, now I need jobs or internships that will eventually lead to a full-time job in my field. Another way I made myself more marketable is by learning website design. I have officially made my first website (deltatausigma.ltu.edu).

But being bilingual and knowing website design is not enough. I have noticed that social media has increased in use tremendously throughout the years. I am almost tempted to put in my resume, under skills, “Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and Blogging.” I am especially interested in advertisement (the creative department); and I feel that if a person does not know how to use the social mediums I mentioned, he or she will not be able to bring the company forward.

I am asking myself:

“What types of social media should I know?”

“How should I use social media?”

“Should I put the Facebook, Blogging, etc in my resume?”

“What can make me more marketable?”

These are the questions I hope to have answered tomorrow.

The Brand Camp website has listed reason for why a student and job seeker, such as myself, should go to the conference:

“At Brand Camp, we’ll discuss how students can avoid common social media mistakes and use the technology to project a brand that is irresistible to companies… social media has changed the way companies seek out and research new talent. At Brand Camp, individuals about to enter or re-enter the workforce will learn how to properly leverage the tools of the Social Web and discover new ways to stand out from the crowd.” (p.1)

I also recommend other students, especially Medica Communication students, to come to the Brand Camp personal branding 2.0 conference. Though if they do not come, I will have an advantage over them haha : ) .

The Brand Camp personal branding 2.0 conference will allow me to meet very important people. Networking is very important. I hope that by networking I will increase my knowledge of the use of social media as well as my chances at finding an internship.

Overall, I am really excited for tomorrow and will update you all on the outcome.

___________________________________________________

Brand Camp Universtiy. Brand Camp 09 Personal Branding 2.0 Conference. Brand Camp University. Retrieved October 9, 2009, from: http://www.brandcampu.com/

Miss Michigan Pageant Experience

My week at Muskegon for the Miss Michigan Scholarship Pageant was a memorable week (June 2009). I was so inspired by all the contestants, their stories, and love for their platform. It was definitely a tough competition and I am sure glad I was not a judge!

We had an amazing hospitality team that made sure each contestant had what she needed. The hospitality team provided us with endless amounts of food, water, and best of all- they always had a gift waiting for us on our beds at the end of each night; that would always put a smile on my face.

Though most of the week was filled with fun activities, meeting new people, and gifts, there was also a lot of hard work involved. For the first time in my life I had to learn four dances in one day! My talent is singing, not dancing- not to mention that I have always had a bad memory. That was my challenge throughout the week, but it was nice to know that I wasn’t the only girl who had forgotten the dances the next day.

I was thankful that through my involvement at Lawrence Tech I have developed good time management skills that came in very handy the week of Miss Michigan. The girls were expected to follow the schedule filled with activities and be on time. We were also expected to wake up early each day. Thankfully, since I work at a High School waking up early wasn’t too bad of a challenge; it did get harder as the week went by since we slept around midnight and the nerves and excitement wouldn’t let me sleep sometimes.

Overall, I had an amazing week filled with great experiences and memorable events. Though I did not win, I am happy with the results; and if you attended the competition you know that my performance during the week very well represented Lawrence Tech. I had the dream to represent Michigan, but God had a different plan for me this year. Sometimes you wonder why things happen the way they do, but at the end it is for the best. For example, since I did not win Miss Michigan I was able to visit my family in Ecuador that I had not seen in over two years. To add to that, my eyes had been rejecting different pairs of contacts since the beginning of the year and I had no choice but to wear glasses or get the eye Lasik surgery. I was able to get the Lasik surgery done in Ecuador for less than a quarter of the cost here in the US thanks to my dad’s cousin. In retrospective, visiting my family and getting my eyes fixed were events that were important and had to happen.

I look back on the Miss Michigan week and still believe and will always believe that I could have won and represented this state; but the reality is that it was not my time.

A great thanks to Leslie Wilson, my parents, my sisters, and friends who helped me prepare for the Miss Michigan week and sent me encouraging letters.

I’m going to continue my year as Miss Lawrence Tech advocating my platform, High School Drop-out Prevention, and I know that the next titleholder will be lucky to have the Miss Michigan experience with her for the rest of her life.

Andrea Freile
Miss Lawrence Tech ‘09

You can view this article on the ltu news (and see pictures) at: http://technews.ltu.edu/?p=498

Blogging begins again!

It has been a while since I have updated my blog!

I apologize.

Let me just mention that I had a summer filled with new experiences (that I will blog about) and at the moment I am blogging on ning.com through my Writing for Social Media class (and this blog is set on private- class policy).

With that said, let the blogging begin once more!

Graduation Surprise

My sister, Diana, graduated from UofM Ann Arbor on Saturday (May 2nd).

It was a very emotional moment for my parents since their first born was graduated and now she is heading to California for Medical school.

We've had this day in mind for a long time. Trying to figure out what to give Diana as a present. Finally the idea came to mind- why not put my editing skills to use?

We decided to ask my whole family from Ecuador to video tape themselves saying congratulations to my sister. While I waited for their videos to come I worked on the first part of the project/surprise- I edited pictures from her birth till now with music from our childhood in the background.

It turned out so good!

I have attached the first part of the project (the picture portion), since the videos are all in Spanish. I'm in many of the pictures- don't make fun of me :P

[still working on getting the video here]

I didn't finish it till the day of her graduation since I wanted the video to end with a picture of her with her cap and gown.

Sooo...I ended up editing that night till late- the worst part is the Diana was at my house so my dad and I tried miracles to get her to not see what we were up to. 

My dad was printing a CD cover that came out really nice.

Anyway...we had a big celebration with my family on Sunday.

That's when we showed her the video.

We got everyone around the TV. Then I handed her the DVD- she looked at it and was already surprised by seeing the "CD" cover on it with a picture of her in her cap and gown (it said Congratulations Diana!). She slid the DVD in and sat down to watch it.

It didn't take long for tears to roll down her face. Once she realized that it was my dad singing she was really touched (it was extra personalized).

Then she REALLY started crying from happiness when the video part started.

She was shocked to see that the family had taken the time to send her congratulation videos.

Everyone who watched it was very touched by the surprise and I got many compliments for my editing skills (go me! :) )

After endless hours of working on this project, I got it done, and the best part of all- it was a success!

Diana said it was the best present that anyone could have given her and she felt really loved.

What else can I say? I feel really proud.

Finals are getting to me

Today has been quite a day!

I stayed up till around 2am, had to get up at 7:30am to work at 9am, was so tired that I was falling asleep at work, left work early, tried to take a nap but my phone get going off, got up on time to print my paper and go to school.

However, when I went to print my 4-page paper, the last page printed, the third one printed, the second one printed, and then the printer ran out of ink. I just needed the first page!

I got irritated of course, it was almost 1pm and my class is at 2pm (I live 40 minutes away). I thought the process of changing a cartridge was easy, but then my printer wasn't communicating, and I ended up spending 30 minutes trying to print one page!

It was 1:30pm, I was definitely late to class. I decided to send my paper to my professor so he wouldn't think I was late because of the paper (and later on found out I didn't attach the paper!)

I ended up leaving my house in tears all frustrated. 

Side note: It is probably best not to drive when you are this upset- I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, I got to class about 15 minutes late, and printed out the first page finally and turned it in.

I am just really stressed with finals at the moment. 

I hope that my awesome Adv. Writing for TV professor moves our final deadline to next week :D because I have my sisters graduation on Saturday and my aunt from Ecuador is coming that day and we are having a great celebration on Sunday. I have so much to do and hope to be able to relax with the family and enjoy their company.

At the moment, because my day keeps getting better, I realized that I forgot my charger for my laptop. I hope the help desk with lend me one, since I can't borrow anyone elses because they have PC's.

I just need finals to be over with!

I'm VP of DTS

On Monday my sorority had our last meeting of the year, and as we normally do on the last meeting, we had elections.

I came to the realization that now Megan Motta and I are the oldest members of Delta Tau Sigma!

How did that happen? It seems like it was yesterday when I pledged DTS (Fall 2006).

The girls were so nice, fun, and most of all loved the sorority. I wanted to be part of this great group of girls.

I am so glad I joined. It has been a memorable experience.

However, when I was a new member, I was just learning more and more about the sorority and its traditions. I always had an older member to look up to and ask questions.

Now our only two older members left are graduating, making me and Megan the oldest members. This seriously makes me want to cry! 

I love the new girls and always will, but it is so different being the "go-to-person."

I have never ran for an E-board position before...and I can't figure out why. 

I guess I always knew someone above me that was great for President, or Vice President.

This year I felt I was ready to have more of a leadership position and continue to help the sorority grow. I am so thankful to have been elected as Vice President.

Though it is going to be a different experience, I am going to make the best out of it next year being the "big dog". I have learned so much from the previous members and am happy to be able to share it with the current and future Delta Tau's.

Greek Day Results

I promised to blog about the results of Song and Skit & Greek Day...so here it is:

Delta Tau Sigma won Song & Skit!! I was really happy, specially since I put a lot of time into it.

As far as Greek Day goes...

So who won the cup? Let's put it this way- no one.

Everything was fine until the afternoon events.

After the morning events, DTS was tied with Chi Omega Rho- then we had lunch- and then started the afternoon events.

We got through two out of the five afternoon events until the storm hit. (DTS was down by two)

Everyone had to run in for shelter- the weather was really bad! 

I ran in to the architecture building with no phone or car keys (because the person who had then was no where to be found)- then I saw the ambulance in the Tech parking lot.

What happened? I don't know all the details, but a girl (who is a Deepher) go her wrist ran over by someone riding a motorcycle. One of my sorority alumnae called the ambulance.

The storm didn't even last an hour- and everyone was ready to continue the events, until we heard what had happened. Out of respect, DTS decided to not continue with Greek Day since many of the Deephers had left and were not competing anymore. We couldn't be proud of a trophy knowing that the Deephers were not competing and that one of them got hurt...

So like I said, no one got the trophy. We are still trying to figure out if there will be a make-up Greek Day so we can see who the winner is.

Finals

I have been trying to figure out what my third blog this week will be on and honestly my mind has been so preoccupied with my final projects that that is the only thing I can think of!

I can't wait until this semester is over! I have to write a 3-paper for World Masterpieces II that is due in a week and haven't started it yet (normally I don't start papers this late, but To the Lighthouse has been a really difficult book to read and understand).

I couldn't figure out what to write about and finally decided on my thesis today (yay!).

I also have an editing project due next week and I am not nearly done *tear*

I have more finals to worry about too and the fact that Greek Day is this weekend does not help!

So wish me luck! (I know I will do well in my classes like always, but at the moment I am overwhelmed with projects/finals)

Song & Skit and Greek Day

There are two huge greek events this weekend: Friday- Song & Skit, and Saturday- Greek Day!

On Friday, all greek organizations are going to perform either a song or skit they have prepared. Fraternities compete against each other and Sororities compete against each other.

There will be judges who decide who gets 1st, 2nd, 3rd, (etc) place. 

My sorority is Delta Tau Sigma and I am extremely excited about our song & skit.

I can't tell you what we are doing because it is top secret until tomorrow haha- sorry! 

What I will tell you is that we are NOT going to be in leotards this year!! (for the record I was not part of that song & skit last year and thankful for it!)

But I will definitely blog about what we did and how it went after Greek Day.

Saturday all the Greeks are going to be on campus competing in different activities such as toilet bowl race, mattress race, tricycle race, three legged race, etc. 

The Greeks are extremely competitive- last year it got so bad that Greek Day was almost cancelled this year. 

Anyway, I will blog about Greek Day after it happens, but it is something that has occupied my mind a lot lately and just wanted to throw it out there.

Honoring the Memory of Professor Kelch

Today the LTU Scholars had a reception honoring the memory of Professor Kelch.

We had a plaque made and hung it up on the door of the Scholar's room.

Kevin Kelch passed way last year. It was a very unexpected death and it broke the hearts of many students and faculty members. Including mine.

Kevin Kelch was the founder of the Scholars Program at Lawrence Tech. He was very passionate about many things and made great contributions to the university. One the the two greatest contributions that Kelch made that made a difference in my life are 1) Creating the Media Communication Program in LTU; If it wasn't for Kelch, I would not be attending LTU. Being a student at LTU has brought so many opportunities and experiences and I thank Kelch for making such a great difference in my career and life. 2) Creating the Scholars Program; The Scholars Program has been a great help at making college life easier. It has helped me in numerous ways: making long lasting friendships, getting involved in the community, being with a group of students who care about their classes, and the program has also helped me financially (supplying snacks, drinks, paper, pens, bluebooks, etc). Most of all- I have somewhere to be and do homework while I am at school (I am a commuter)- the scholar room is my home.

It has been very difficult to say goodbye to Kelch. He was very passionate about the Scholars program and it was a difficult process deciding on a new director for the program. Kelch is simply unreplaceable. However, I have to say that our new director, Holly Helterhoff, has been doing a great job!

I have many great memories with Kelch and know that he is in a happier place. 

Through my religion I have learned that death is a messenger of joy- and we should be happy that the person is in a better world. 

I ask myself sometimes why he had to leave this world so early- but I must have faith in God and know that it was for a reason.

I will always remember Kelch and I know he is always with the scholars :)

Writing Proficiency Exam [Help!]

I recently remembered that I signed up to take the Writing Proficiency Exam on Friday.

I feel so unprepared and am scared to take it.

I knew I had to take it this semester because I am taking my last writing class (World Masterpiece Two)- so the writing is fresh on my mind.

However, I don't know what to expect from the exam or how to prepare for it.

If you have taken it please give me some tips.

For those of you who don't know what the WPE:

"The Writing Proficiency Examination, is a graduation requirement for all LTU undergraduate students. It's a timed (two and a half hours) writing exam during which you write an essay of at least three double-spaced pages (at least 750 words) in response to one of several writing prompts provided at the exam. You write the essay on a laptop computers provided for that purpose."

If a student fails it the first time, they can take it a second time with a $25 registration fee. If they fail the second time, they are required to take another Com course- and if they fail that course, they can not graduate.

So you can see why I am nervous!

Piston's Game

20 of the Miss Michigan contestants and Miss Michigan herself went to the Piston's game last night at the Palace.

It was a very fun night. It was the first time that I watched a game from a suite- I must say that view is definitely not the best, but it was nice to share the space with the girls.

The girls and I were able to promote the Miss America Organization and the Miss Michigan pageant coming up in June.

It was exciting to see people's reactions as we walked by with the crowns on our heads- specially the little girls. This type of events remind me just how much people (specially younger girls) look up to each contestant- I am truly a role model for many young girls and proud of it!

We all had a good laugh as we broke all stereotypes by getting pizza and pop as our dinner. After getting our food we went to the suite to enjoy the game.

The Piston's had an amazing game last night! They were up by almost 20 points for the majority of the game- and of course, the Piston's Won!

As we watched the game, we had a visit from the Piston's mascot. We took a lot of pictures.

We all had to leave the suite before the game was over to set up for our autograph session.
We signed signature for I believe a little over an hour- it was fun, but my hand did hurt a little after (but it's something I got to get used to!).

I ended up going home about 11:30pm- it was a long, but fun day!

Local 4

My Advanced TV Writing Class went to the Local 4 studio on Thursday. It was a really exciting trip.

I was able to see how a newscast is run backstage. It is definitely a lot of work! 

When you turn on the TV you see the talent behind the anchor table, but the people who are really running the show are off camera. There is the audio person, camera person, producer, director, floor manager, etc.

We met Devin Scillian, Rhonda Walker, Ruth Spencer, and a couple

of other people. They were really nice and gave us great advice.

My favorite part of the night was able to sit on the anchor chair and pretend to be working for Local 4 :)

I am still not 100% sure of what I want to do, but I have narrowed it done to three: Anchor, reporter, or advertising (TV commercials). So being an anchor is one of my dream jobs.

I have to extend a thanks to Erian for being the only person who thought about bringing a camera- thanks to 
her I am able share my memories of sitting at the anchor desk.

I also have to thank my two amazing professors (do I get extra credit for that? jk lol)- for taking us to Local 4. It was a great learning experience.

The Reason Being Under 110 Pounds Sucks

I have tried donating blood three times now.

The first time I was told I didn't weigh enough (I had to be 115 pounds). I was probably about 103 pounds.

So...the next time I tried donating blood I decided to be clever. I told them I was 115 pounds.

This worked nicely until they found out my iron was low- that sucked.

Apparently now they changed it from 115 to 110 pounds (which doesn't really help me), but I guess its better since I may be able to reach that weight someday.

LTU had a blood drive today and I went in (unprepared to answer the "how much do you weigh?" question). I ended up saying I didn't know- but I clearly don't look like I weigh more than 110 pounds. This man ended up giving me reasons for why I should not donate (since I look under 110 pounds)- here are some of the reasons I remember:

People under 110 pounds are....

1) More likely to faint

2) More likely to have low iron

3) More likely to pee on themselves

4) More likely to be hospitalized

I think the one that convinced me was the peeing on myself- that just didn't sound pretty.

So...once again I was declined.

I may sound all tough by saying I want to donate bad, but the truth is that I am scared shitless about needles- I hate them. I was that girl who cried bloody murder in the doctors office when getting a vaccine and then scared all the kids in the waiting room.

So in a way I was relieved, but I have many reasons why I want to overcome my fear. Here are my top two:

1) To save a life of course!

2) My mom was saved due to blood donors- I want to return the thanks.

So maybe after the Miss MI competition, if I don't win, I will make myself 5 pounds fatter and then donate blood for the first time.

Piston's Game Friday!

I am really excited for the Piston's game this Friday!

Why?

Because I get to go to the game for free along with all the other Miss Michigan contestants and Miss MI herself :)

We are going to watch the game in a suite and we will be signing autographs and doing other things- I believe in half time and after the game.

It's going to be the greatest Piston's game ever!

So if you can come to the game (tickets are cheap) you totally should come.

Glove Miracle

This is me on Saturday morning helping out at Birney Elementary. The LTU Day of Service was a great success! LTU SOUL (Society of University Leaders) paired up with United Way to provide community service. About 50 students came out and helped clean up. 

I was a site leader for the day and was in charge of making sure everyone signed waivers and were on task. It was definitely a great experience.

There was a little misunderstanding though. Since details were provided last minute, the majority of the students (including me) thought we would be working inside. Therefore, many students did not bring layers of clothes (it was cold that day!) and gloves- and we had to pick up trash, rake, sweep, etc. The nice thing was that the students came with a lot of positive attitude and went to work without gloves.

At the beginning, since I was picking up garbage I was seriously praying for some miracle- I needed gloves badly! I was keeping a positive attitude, but at the same time due to some glass on the ground and other "yucky" messes there was no way I could do a good job quickly. I was picking up things slowly and making sure I didn't hurt myself or who knows- touch something dangerous.

Then- the lord heard my prayer! As I was walking (this was literally 5 minutes after we got to the site) I saw this beautiful glove laying on the grass. I swear it was there just for me! The glove was in perfect condition- I immediately picked it up, put it on, and was able to pick up some much garbage in little time.

In the picture above I am displaying my beautiful glove! I was very proud of it and told everyone about it. That glove was a blessing!

I did, unfortunately, have to throw it away at the end- since it got really filthy, but it served its purpose. I know that the little girl who lost if is probably crying or suffering about losing it, but she lost it just for me because I REALLY needed it! So thank you!

I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. 

Review of Nuestra Belleza Latina

Now I have to write a review on my favorite show.

This is the third year I am watching Nuestra Belleza Latina and I must say they definitely made the show a lot more interesting this year.

First the show starts with 75 girls then they get eliminated to 40, then 20, then 12, and then one by one. This year however there were 76 girls to start, then 41, etc.

Who was the extra girl? An intruder! Oooo, I know- her role was to play the part as another contestant and then tell the audience all the gossip that is not seen on camera.

She would speak to us all on camera, but as a silhouette. According to the host of the show, the judges did not know who the intruder was, but I have suspicions. 

This new addition added some tension within the girls (of course to add more drama) and it was funny to see them accuse each other of being the "intruder."

Though there are more things I like about the show and some things I dislike, I just wanted to point out that I like the way they added the intruder to the show this year- it was definitely entertaining.

I say "was" because on Sunday the intruder was revealed! So now the 12 girls are free from being spied.

Favorite Show

So I have to write a blog on my favorite show- and I already have blogged about it, however I did not mention it was my favorite.

It was a tough decision between Las Tontas No Van Al Cielo and Nuestra Belleza Latina. However I decided that it was Nuestra Belleza Latina. Mostly because it only airs once a week for two hours. Since I am constantly loaded with school work, meetings, etc I am a little behind on my soap- and I am in the "oh f-it mood" and am not going to take the time to watch the ones I have missed. 

This attitude made me realize that I like Nuestra Belleza Latina better since I would NEVER miss a show- or if I did, I would not watch the next one until I have caught up with the one I missed.

I am also trying to convince myself to audition for Nuestra Belleza Latina again if I am not holding a title within the Miss America Organization. Therefore, I need to prepare myself by watching the challenges the other girls have.

So after so much deliberation I have decided that Nuestra Belleza Latina is my favorite show!

Layout allows comments now

Recently found out that my last awesome layout did not allow people to comment on my blogs.

So I was forced to change it back to a classic layout.

Not sure why it messed the comment box up, but I will try to figure it out asap because I really liked my last layout *tear*

Anyway, feel free to comment on my previous blogs now if you want.

Rainn Wilson Talks to Oprah

Recently I saw an interview that Oprah had with Rainn Wilson in her SOUL series.

And guess what? Rainn Wilson is a Bahai!

Rainn Wilson talks about his website SOULpancake.com (which is a GREAT website) as well as gives a beautiful explanation of the Bahai Faith.

I tried to explain the Bahai Faith to some of you because of the fasting I just did, but listening to Rainn Wilson, I realized that I do not do a good job of explaining my faith lol. Its hard to summarize a world religion in a couple of sentences. 

I learned a lot from Rainn Wilson myself.

So if you are still looking for the "truth" or just interested in SOULpancake.com or want to know a little more about the Bahai Faith watch the interview. It is REALLY good- I promise.

Search " Rainn Wilson talks about the Bahai Faith with Oprah Winfrey" in youtube.com

Nuestra Belleza Latina

How could I forget? The show I have watch religiously every Sunday from 8-10pm: Nuestra Belleza Latina

Nuestra Belleza Latina is a beauty pageant "reality TV" show hosted by Univision for Hispanic woman in America. The winner gets $200,000 worth of prizes plus contracts with different companies.

The reason why I got so addicted to this show (way before I entered a pageant myself) was because I actually auditioned for it- yup! I sure did.

The first time the show got started was three years ago. I went to the Chicago auditions.

I actually did a very good job until the end.

There were four different stages, and I made it to the last stage.

The first stage was to get inside the building- which I did since I got there extra early! A lot of girls ended up staying outside because they go there late.

The second stage was to get a bracelet from some of the recruiters (I guess that what they are). However, the girls were not told this- we just sat there and some came to us to have a conversation and if they liked us, we got a bracelet.

I received a bracelet and then they announced that the people with the bracelets must go to another room. (Later I found out that the other girls ended up having to do out-of-the-box stuff to prove they deserved the chance to continue).

In third stage was a personal interview/conversation with the recruiters. We had to impress them. I had brought my flute with me, so I played a song and then told a joke when asked to do so- the recruiter decided I was ready for the next stage.

The last stage was to go in front of the judges (which would be on TV if they chose my audition). One of the judges Osmel Sousa, is like the Simon of American Idol- brutally honest!

I must admit, I was scared- and my nerves definitely got to me.

When I walked in, I had my flute with me. One of the judges (forget his name) asked me what I could do so I said "play the flute, dance, sing..." and the jerk asks "why don't you dance and play the flute at the same time?" 

Since I was so scared and didn't know what to say- my dumb*** actually tried it (I can actually laugh about it now, but I felt stupid then). Let's not go into what I looked like when I tried dancing and playing the flute- obviously I gave them the idea that I was a naive young girl who would actually try to do stupid stuff. SO needless to say, I was told that I was "too young" and to come back next year.

At least they asked me to come back!

THANK GOODNESS- my audition was NOT on TV *phew* that was a huge relief!

So that year I watched the show to see "what-I-would-of-done" if I would of gotten the PASS to go to Miami. I wanted to go the next year, but I missed the auditions. Then this year I decided not to do it.

After competing for the Miss Oakland County Scholarship Pageant, and learning about the Miss America Program, I decided that I much rather compete in something that will allow me to grow as a person, help in my education, and be able to contribute to society.

Right now the third Nuestra Belleza Latina has started and Univision definitely finds ways to make each year more entertaining to watch!

Las Tontas No Van Al Cielo

I am currently watching the spanish soap called Las Tontas No Van Al Cielo or Dumb Women Don't Go To Heaven.

It is really the only show I watch. I like watching some episodes here and there from the Disney channel such as The Wizards of Waverly Place and Drake and Josh, but I really don't have the need to watch the show all the time.

It is sad that as a Media Communication major I do not watch a lot of TV- if I had the time I would. I do however, watch quite a bit throughout the summer, since it is the only time I have more time in my hands. 

I am truly addicted to the soap Las Tontas No Van Al Cielo. It is a really funny soap.

Right now two guys are fighting for the love of a woman named Candy. The first guy, Santiago, had a fiance when he met Candy and fell in love with her; and just when Candy returned his feelings Santiago found out that his fiance got pregnant- so like all soaps things got complicated that way.

The second guy, Patricio, used to be Candy's fiance and on their wedding day Candy found him kissing her sister (apparently her sister forced a kiss, but the truth is still unknown). So Candy left the church all upset, and went to live with her uncle who helped her notify everyone that she had died. Patricio ended up marrying Candy's sister. Right now everyone knows that Candy is alive with a child (who is Patricio's son). So now Patricio wants Candy back- and like a good soap now the viewers actually want Candy to return with him.

There, of course, is more to the story- but that would take forever to write. I personally like Santiago- maybe because I love the actor that plays him (Jaime Camil). 

He is the best actor that I have witnessed in my life.

So if you know Spanish or feel like checking out a Spanish soap- watch Las Tontas No Van Al Cielo in Univision at 7pm Mon-Fri.

From High School to Elementary

So, incase you didn't know I work at a high school.

Recently they asked me if I could help at a elementary and get more hours- and of course, my answer was YEA!

Truthfully, at the beginning when I applied for the job, I wanted to work at a elementary or middle school- because I absolutely LOVE kids. But I ended up at a high school; which actually ended up helping me achieve my goal of helping students get a diploma- so everything definitely happens for a reason!

My first day at the elementary was yesterday- I was so excited!

I get to tutor this 1st grade Hispanic student, and she is adorable.

The school needed someone who spoke her language because she is a little behind in the learning. One of the few benefits of being bilingual :)

This little girl is so smart- she was so happy that I spoke Spanish.

It is definitely a huge change to work with high school students and then with an elementary student. 

I love the change though.

St. Paddy's Day Party

I can't wait until my sororities St. Paddy's Party tomorrow night!

It is a fundraiser party- so there will be raffles going on with winning prizes such as gift cards and gift baskets.

The money we make will go to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

It's going to be so much fun and or a great cause!!

Kind of late but Happy St. Patrick's Day!! :)

Spring Break

I wish my Spring break would of been more exciting.

Unfortunately there were only a few highlights.

I had my Miss Michigan orientation, which was very informative- yet fun. 

I got to meet all the local title holders- and they are all very sweet, smart, and beautiful girls!

I am really excited for June.

I played in the Casino for the first time ever.

I am completely against gambling- but it was in my to-do-list before I die.

My boyfriends mom likes to go to the Casino and earned enough points to get a free dinner at the restaurant- it ended up being a $160 dinner for just the three of us!!! Talk about a rip off!

But I must say, though the steak was tiny, it was delicious!

After eating, his mom wanted to play for a couple minutes- so I tagged a long.

I pulled out my 3 singles and played with that- that was my limit! (I'm broke).

At one point I turned those $3 to $14 which was pretty exciting to me haha- I would of left with the $14 except that my boyfriend and his mom weren't done playing. So eventually I got bored, decided to keep playing and lost it all :/

The good thing is that it strengthened my opinion that gambling is bad!

Besides that, all I did in my break was homework.

So overall, it was a boring break! :/

Great Deal!

I will probably blog quite a bit about the Miss Michigan pageant coming up since that has been on my mind ever since I won the Miss Lawrence Tech title- so sorry if this stuff bores you.

I have the Miss Michigan orientation this weekend and I didn't have shoes to go with the outfit I am planning on wearing. So I went to the mall yesterday and I am extremely excited about the great deal I got with the shoes I bought.

I went to Macy's and saw some cute Jessica Simpson shoes- originally $80. I saw that it was marked to $40. That was still expensive for me- but I liked the shoes a lot! Sooo I convinced myself I could afford them lol

I went to the cash register and guess what? They were only $20!! 

I didn't argue the prize of course. 

I still can't believe I got $20 shoes from Macy's.

SOUL

SOUL of (Society of University Leaders) is a soon-to-be organization at LTU that I recently joined. (I know- I just can't stop joining stuff! What can I say? I loved being involved).

I am extremely happy that students and staff at LTU have taken the time to come up with an organization like SOUL. From the two meetings I have attended this semester we have a Relay for Life team set up and we plan to participate in a 24 hour relay to fundraise for and fight cancer.

SOUL also has a LTU service day in which we want as many LTU students to participate. SOUL has partnered up with United Way to provide community service. 

The LTU service day is Saturday, April 4th. If you are interested in participating let me know!

There are other activities that are going on to fundraise for a good cause.

I recommend LTU students getting involved in SOUL.

Today at the meeting I won a prize too! An LTU shirt, coffee mug, and two pencils.

What a great initiative to get people to show up!

First Day of the Fast

Today, March 2nd, is the first day of the Fast in the Bahai Faith.

Bahai's between 15 and 70 years of age do not eat or drink for 19 days from sunrise to sunset and set aside time for prayer and meditation. People with illness, pregnancy, nursing mothers, extended travel, and arduous physical labor are exempt from fasting.

Therefore, I have to wake up very early to eat and not eat or drink until sunset.

The first days are always the hardest. I have been tired all day from the lack of sleep and am extremely hungry. It makes it so much harder when you are conscience that you are not allowed to eat. Normally I am so busy with school, meetings, and work that I barely eat somedays (unintentionally)- but now that I am conscience of the sacrifice I am making, I am even hungrier than usual- making the fast more challenging.

I will be fasting until March 20th- a total of 19 days. The Bahai calendar has 19 months, each with 19 days. 19X19 is 361 so the extra days are what we call "Ayyam-i-Ha"- which is similar to Christmas, except it is 4-5 days with the purpose of celebrating, being hospitable, helping charities, and gift giving. I just celebrated Ayyam-i-Ha.

After the fast (March 21st) we will be celebrating our new year "Naw-Rus." So February/March are significant months for the Bahais.

I did not make this blog to "preach" so if you want to know more go to:

http://www.bahai.org/

or

http://www.bahai.us/

The Bahai's believe in the independent investigation of truth- so we never preach. However it was hard for me to write about my fasting without giving some background. 

So don't be surprised if you see me in the Cafe Lawrence stuffing my face around 6:30pm every day.

Obama's Address On Tuesday

Obama made me proud to have him as a president on Tuesday.

If you know me, you know that education is a huge passion of mine.

I am an advocate for High School Drop-out Prevention. I have known about this crisis for a while and saddened that not many people know about this problem. It has been a silent epidemic for so long, and I have been waiting for a president to put a voice to the issue and Obama did just that on Tuesday.

He addressed the importance of education; and when he mentioned the High School Drop-out crisis I was so happy- I can't even describe it. He said "Dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not quitting on yourself, its quitting on your country."

I couldn't of said it better!

It is a blessing to have a president who has a great understanding of the Drop-out Crisis. It really affects everyone. 

Here are some facts for you in case you did not know:

- One third of students drop-out each year

- The country loses about $200 billion for each class of drop-outs

- Drop-outs are less likely to vote and participate in the community

- Drop-outs are economically disadvantaged

- Most incarcerated people did not graduate from high school

So I really have my hopes up that Obama will help decrease the number of drop-outs; but one thing is for sure: he can't do it alone.

We need to work together to help keep students in school. 

How?

One way to start is to inform them of the important of a high school degree. How many times were you told the importance of a diploma when you were in high school? And I'm not talking about the "you need to do well in high school so you can go to college."

Students don't know how they will suffer financially is they drop-out. Specially with this economic crisis, jobs are becoming more competitive.

We need to keep our students/children/friends in school- and it is so great to have a president that is behind us, pushing us, to make a positive change.

SiCKO

The documentary that I analyzed is SiCKO by Michael Moore. SiCKO is about the health care system in America. It portrays the negative aspects that health care has on people who have and pay for health care. Moore gives us true stories of people who were denied a treatment and therefore suffered. Moore explores the health care systems in other countries such as Great Britain and France. Moore puts some humor into the documentary by asking the people of other countries how much they pay for health care to get an answer similar to “Huh? We don’t pay anything. We are not America.” At the end, Moore finds out that there is a place in America that has free health care: Guantanamo. Moore takes some people (including some heroes from 9/11) that have been rejected by the health care system in America to get free treatment. However, they end up in Cuba were they get free treatment.

I learned a lot about health care that I did not know previously. I had no idea that America’s health care was ranked 37 within all the other countries. I also did not know that there were actually countries with free health care; I know they probably have high taxes, but at least the people are not denied care.
I had no idea that the health care workers actually searched for ways to deny care; acting like FBI agents to see if you had given false information.
I definitely learned a lot from the film. However, I do keep in mind that Moore did show one side of the argument; I will had to research more in order to get a true opinion.

Midterms

Midterms- there isn't a "right" time for them to arrive.

Because of midterms I missed the Oscars! Yes- I had to study all night Sunday because my Monday was busy for my midterm on Tuesday. While my mom and dad and everyone else sat down to watch the amazing Oscars, I had to study :(

Because of midterms I didn't go out Friday night. I had to decline an invitation to a party, a birthday party, and a get together with my sister.

Because of midterms I was half awake at work- It was the first time I had to drag myself to work, because I normally enjoy going.

Because of midterms I had to miss a couple of meetings at school.

Because of my midterm today, my hand hurts! I had to answer five short answer questions. 

For a whole hour I did nothing but write.

Since both my sister and boyfriend (an some close friends) do not go to LTU I feel like I am the only one missing out because they are on Spring Break right now. This happens every time. 

I can't wait until midterms are over!

Spanish Soap Operas

Not the first one to say it- Spanish soap operas are WAY better than English ones.

However, I am not the type of person to first- watch TV (I know- not very common, but I am too busy to watch TV) and second- like HAVING to watch something this day and time or else I go nuts

My father is the same way- me and him try to not even turn on the TV when a Spanish soap is going on. On the other hand, my mom is obsessed with them.

And this is what ends up happening EVERY time-

1) My mom starts watching a soap in secret

2) My dad or I suspect she is watching one so we ask- to get a "huh? me? no- I just glimpsed at it the other day, but I am not watching it"

3) Mom continues to watch the soap in secret

4) I see commercials of the soap and innocently ask "what is that soap about?" and my mom spills the beans by giving WAY too much detail and gets caught (but is still in denial)

5) Finally mom confesses that she has to record the soap when we decide to go out one night because she is addicted to it

6) Mom watches her soap- usually at night- so dad gets forced to watch it too

7) Dad gets addicted to the soap

8) Mom and dad watch it all the time (recording it if they are not home) and talk about it constantly

9) Many times they watch recorded ones downstairs- so while I am in the kitchen table doing hw I get to hear and glimpse at the soap

10) I get addicted to the soap

11) I hate myself for it

12) After soap is done me and dad make mom promise that she will not begin to watch another

13) Mom promises

14) Start over at #1

Right now the soap we are watching is Las Tontas No Van Al Cielo (not exact tranlation, but pretty much Dumb Women Don't Go To Heaven). It is a really funny soap- unlike those crazy soaps where everyone marries everyone and then everyone gets killed.

So though it is a very enjoyable soap to watch- I can't stand being addicted to it.

I just have way too many things to do to be HAVING to watch something for an hour Mon-Fri.

And though I want to say it won't happen again- it will- because my mom always finds a new soap.

Boot Camp

In order to get myself in shape faster, I decided I would attend Boot Camp-

For those of you who don't know what that is, it is an activity offered at LTU every Monday and Wednesday were students exercise to the extreme.

I'm not going to lie, I was scared to go- I pictured a person with a whistle yelling at me to run faster and if I messed up telling me to do 10 push-ups.

Thankfully, it wasn't like that.

A woman, Kelly, is in charge of Boot Camp and lets you go at your own pace.

However, if she knows you can do it- she will yell at you.

The type and amount of exercises she demands is not easy either!

At the beginning I was fine, but towards the end of the hour I could barely do half the stuff she asked. I didn't get yelled at for not keeping up either- that was a relief.

Today my whole body is sore, I have no clue how I am going to exercise tomorrow- my body muscles are seriously on strike.

We'll see how it goes tomorrow!

Dulce De Tres Leches

I am currently enjoying my last dessert until July (unless I win Miss Michigan- then it will be until forever).

I now have my own personal trainer- Scott from the Field House. 

I never had a personal trainer before, it's kinda exciting.

I am happy to have a motivation to get in shape- though I am not fat, I am not in shape at all.

I get tired by running less than a mile, I never drink water, and definitely do not eat healthy.

The worst part is that I met with Scott on Friday for a 15 assessment and my body has been hurting all day! All I did was as many push ups and sit up in a minute and other simple stuff.

Man am I out of shape!

This is going to change starting Monday.

So, I went home and asked my mom to make my favorite dessert- Dulce De Tres Leches so I could enjoy it before I started being healthy.

Dulce De Tres Leches translates into: Sweet of three milks- sounds weird in English haha

This dessert is SO delicious it is going to be hard to say good-bye.

BUT I want to look all toned-up and healthy for the pageant- so it has to go!

Tough Decisions

I have to make the hardest decision right now...

I have been looking forward to the China trip (this July) for a long time- I was going to go there to teach English. I had LTU paying for half the trip through the Quest Project and everything.

However, if I win Miss Michigan on June 21st I can not go to China.

Why?

Miss Michigan is already booked to attend many events in July.

So here is the dilemma:

If I say I am going to China, and then I win Miss Michigan, I will back out from the trip last minute; meaning that I would ruin LTU's reputation with CCE (who pay for our flight to China and help us with the program), I would leave my partner hanging (we teach in teams of two), and have to pay LTU back for the participation fee and pay a late fee ($400).

Really bad isn't it? So why don't I just say "I am not going?"

Because LTU needs at least four people to go in order to have the trip- if I back out I could jeopardize LTU's participation in the China trip- again making LTU look bad.

So my only option (unless you can think of another) is to find a replacement ASAP- only problem is that I only have a week to find that other person- less than that actually.

SO if you know anyone in LTU willing to go to China in July- and has about $1,500 saved up let me know!

I am really bummed because this is an amazing experience that I did not want to miss out on- but at the same time I have to have the positive attitude that I will win Miss Michigan- and I can go to China next year (I hope).

I Won Miss Lawrence Tech!

I can hardly explain all the emotions that I am feeling right now-

I am happy, excited, thankful, grateful, proud, nervous, and more....

I was extremely nervous all day yesterday and throughout the pageant.

I've been on-stage so many times throughout my life and never been SO nervous and I didn't know why at first, and then I realized it was because I REALLY wanted to win- it was so important to me and my nerves of not realizing my dream took over.

I could barely walk because my legs were shaking and my upper lip was shaking at one point! haha never had that happen before!

I am re-living the moment when they announced my name as the first Miss Lawrence Tech- I was SO happy I had tears of joy.

This means so much to me. Not only because of the scholarship, but because I have an opportunity to advocate my platform "High School Drop-out Prevention."

I have always wanted to make a positive change and difference in the world and now I have an opportunity to do that.

I am also honored to represent Lawrence Technological University. 

I am looking forward to my year of service as Miss Lawrence Tech and wish to find numerous opportunities to speak out about the importance of education (specifically a high school diploma).

I am thankful to God, my family, and my friends for all their support.

Miss Michigan hear I come!

Saturday Morning

This is going to be the longest day ever for me-

I had my interview with the judges this morning, I have prep/rehearsal at 3pm, the Miss LTU pageant is at 5pm, and then I have my sorority formal right after!

Right now I am waiting for the pageant to start- I can't wait!

I'm just glad the interview portion is over with- man did this judges ask some hard questions!

Some were easy for me since it related to my platform: High School Drop-out Prevention, but some questions were harder.

The hardest question I got was "so you want to be in advertisement...how would you advertise "Andrea"" 

How would I advertise myself? I have no clue! There are so many positive things I could say about myself, but that question is hard! Hmm...still don't know.

Lucky for me, right when they asked me that question the time was up and I wasn't able to answer it- yay! haha

So that part is over with *phew* I think I did very well.

More updates of the pageant will be in my next blog with the results of tonight!

Good luck to all contestants!

It never hurts to ask...

It never hurts to ask....

something I learned a long time ago.

Something so simple can open up so many opportunities.

I keep getting asked how I got my evening gown dress sponsored for the Miss Lawrence Tech pageant this Saturday (Feb 7th); and the answer is simple- I went to different stores and asked if they would be willing to sponsor me a dress.

Now, I was lucky because the first store I went to said yes (Group USA in Great Lakes Crossing); but I needed another dress for my talent and I asked about five different stores that gave me a "no"- but did I lose anything? nope!

Finally, I found a store (Guys N' Gals) to sponsor me a dress for my talent.

So, while other girls are buying a dress or looking for someone to lend them one, I got a brand-new dress to wear for the pageant. And why? because I asked.

Asking someone for help is probably the smartest thing I have done- rather than have the "I can do it myself" attitude. Sometimes, you need to ask.

How have I gotten my tuition waved twice? Gotten cafe cash so I don't starve throughout the year? Gotten numerous scholarships? I asked someone for help.

Never "too old" for Disney

I LOVE Disney movies...

and I really don't understand those who don't, or say that they are "too old" for Disney movies- what? No one is too old for Disney movies!

I should really say Disney and Pixar movies (animated ones).

My favorite movies are Finding Nemo, Monster's Inc., Shrek, and The Emperor's New Groove, and of course, the classics: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Beauty and the Beast.

The Disney/Pixar movies that are coming out lately have adult jokes in them too, which makes them great family movies.

When people meet my family, my family sometimes comes out weird because all we do is quote Disney/Pixar movies- and you do not want to watch us play Disney's Scene it!- it is war.

Disney movies are so funny, memorable, and best of all quotable.

For those Disney lovers out there here are some of my favorite things to quote, and for those of you are "too old" for Disney- you are missing out!

"I want my cookiiees!!"

"cucucuchu! and the pop out of the big ol' blue"

"You're the criminal mastermind! [what?]....you're right, that's giving you WAY too much credit"

"I can still hear her little voice *tear*" "Hey, I can hear her too...how many kids you got in there?"

"I'll find those stairs. I'll whip their butt too. Those stairs won't know which way they're going"

"It runs in my family...at least I think it does...hmm...where are they?"

"They popped out of the snow- LIKE DAISES!"

LaTasha Watkins Gets Second Degree Burns

21 year-old LaTasha Watkins is diagnosed with second degree burns after an accident in the kitchen.

Watkins, an electrical engineer student at Lawrence Tech University, says she was turning off the stove when her elbow hit the pot handle causing cooking oil to splash all over her right hand and wrist as well as her left index finger and thumb.

“The first thing I did was grab a first aid cloth to cover my arm and my boyfriend drove me to emergency” Watkins says.

The burns have prevented Watkins from doing simple tasks on her own such as doing her hair, showering, and driving.

“I have to wash my burns 2-3 times a day and put fresh gauze on…along with silver sulfadiazine cream”

This is not the first time Watkins has burned herself. At age five she got a 3 degree burn from a hair curler.

According to the doctor that helped Watkins in emergency, Watkins’ accident is not uncommon.

Watkins hopes her experience will alert others to never leave the pot or pan handle sticking out when cooking.

ESL students

It is beyond my believe how some teachers are unaware of ESL (English as a Second Language) Students.

Many students come to the United States not knowing the English language and face the challenge of learning a new language.
I personally lived through this. I came to the US at age nine, knowing very little English.
Not only did I face the difficulty and challenge of learning a new language, I was also challenged socially.
Who wanted to be friends with the girl with the strong accent?

Looking back at my elementary years I remember how hard it was to be myself. I was afraid to speak up because of my accent.
I wanted to play outside, but had no one to play with. I wanted to sit in the back of the bus, but I felt safer in the front. I hated lunch time because I never knew where to sit. It was the fact that I had an older sister that made me happy- she was always there for me.

Some ESL students don't have a supportive family the way I did.

My experience has changed the way I view everything- but specially ESL students.
I know not to speak loud and slow- because I hated that. We aren't deaf of dumb, just learning the English language.

Working at a High School I see how teachers are not taught to teach to ESL students. For example: speaking too fast, using abbreviations, etc.

I made a chart of suggestions and explanations to teachers about ESL students.
Hopefully this will help some teachers understand why ESL students are not doing as well as the other students in the class and what each teacher can do to help.

Chess Boxing??

I turned on the Discovery Channel today and apparently there is a new sport that was recently invented called chess boxing hahaha sorry but who thought of that combination??

Not sure if I totally understand the concept but the guys sit in a ring and play chess for an amount of time and then box for an amount of time and go back to playing chess.

How can you concentrate on the chess game after being thrown on the ground or punched in the face?
Man that's tough.

Not to mention the excitement of watching a chess game...almost as lame as watching fishing.
Don't get me wrong, Chess itself is fine; I've played it before and though its not too fun, its "mind stimulating"- but watching it? umm...no.

The people who invented this game are trying to introduce it to America and hope it becomes popular.
We'll see how that goes.

It made me think, what's next? Monopoly Boxing? Scrabble Boxing? LOL

Ok I'm done
...still can't believe there is chess boxing though

Pageants

I just watched Miss America yesterday and am so happy for Miss Indiana who won.
It made me think- what if I get there someday?

I was never a "pageant" girl or knew anything about pageants until last summer.
I was looking for scholarships and ran into the Miss Michigan Scholarship Pageant website, began reading more information and realized that in order to compete in Miss Michigan, a girl must first win a local pageant.

It just so happened that the Miss Oakland County Scholarship Pageant was open and I decided to compete.
Then I learned how each contestant had to have a platform and it wasn't just a "beauty pageant that gave scholarship" anymore; a scholarship pageant wants a girl who not only is smart and in shape, but also someone who has a passion for a certain issue and likes to do community service.

I didn't win the Miss Oakland County pageant, but I did win two scholarships/awards: The People's Choice Award and The Miss Scholar Award, a total of $320.

I was really proud of myself. Then I found out that Lawrence Tech opened a pageant.
Almost seems like it was meant to be haha- I hope so!

If I win Miss Lawrence Tech I would compete in Miss Michigan (who gets $11,000), and if I win Miss Michigan I would compete in Miss America (who gets $50,000).

I now understand that the Miss America Program is more than a beauty pageant. I truly admire all the efforts the organization does to help women.

My platform is High School Drop-out Prevention and I am so very passionate about my platform as well as education in general (that is a whole other story). I hope to be able to speak in high schools and motivate and inspire minority students who are more likely to drop out of high school.

Anyway...just had the pageant in mind after watching Miss America (Miss LTU will be Feb 7th at 5pm in LTU).

Congratulations Miss Indiana!

My Inauguration Experience

There were three main highlights of my trip: Governor Jennifer Granholm's and Governor John Cherry's open house for Michigan at the Library of Congress Madison, the Inauguration Ceremony, and the Michigan Dinner Dance Inaugural Ball.

Governor Jennifer Granholm's and Governor John Cherry's open house was an amazing experience. I took pictures with Jennifer Granholm, Debbie Stabenow, Carl Levin, Brenda Lawrence, Kraniak the Maniak, and more. 

It was definitely a great networking experience. My team got interviewed by two television stations and three student reporters- not sure if we were on tv or in an article, but hopefully we were. 

The Inauguration day didn't exactly go as planned. We had two options: watch the inauguration from John Conyer's office in the Rayburn Building (were they would serve food and drinks for free) or stand outside with the other million people in National Mall.

Our group was undecided on what option to choose. 

It seemed somewhat dumb to choose to watch it on TV since it is something we could of done in Michigan, but at the same time standing outside for six hours was not a pleasant thought.

I absolutely hate the cold.

On the other hand, sitting in Conyer's office was another opportunity to network and they provided foods and drinks.

At the end, Leslie and Sydney decided to go the Conyer's office while the rest of us decided to make it a full experience by being outside (I decided to just suck it up and deal with the cold).

Doors opened at 4am for the inauguration so we woke up at 2:30am left the hotel at 3am and walked an hour to the State Capital Building (so many roads were blocked it was impossible to find a taxi).

When we got there, we walked another half an hour to find the gate.

We kept asking the police officers for directions but they didn't know anything! It was very frustrating. We finally saw an entrance with people waiting so we stayed and waited there.

The cops announced that the doors were going to open at 7am not 4am- we were SO mad!

So we waited till 7am, 7am turned into 7:30am and then the news- we were standing in the parade line! So we waited there for no reason. Then we were told that the National Mall was full.

We had no option but to go with our plan B. Since most roads were closed it took us 2 hours to find John Conyer's office. When we got there we had to go through security (another 1/2 hour).

By the time we were inside and found an room with enough seats for us to seat next to each other, our legs hurt, we were frozen, and tired.

When Obama was actually giving his inaugural speech I was half awake. We left the office around noon and then headed to the hotel- and got there at 2pm (another 2 hour walk). 

I was only able to get 2 hours of sleep since we had to leave at 6:30pm for the ball.

So you might be asking why this is a highlight of my trip? Yea I froze to death, walked like I never walked in my life, had my legs hurting, and was half sleep for the actual inauguration, but overall I was there- and that is an amazing feeling. I was there to witness history happen and share the moment with many others. So there were some negatives to the trip, but it was SO worth it!

The Michigan Dinner Dance Ball was also amazing. It was held in the National Museum of American History so when I wasn't dancing or eating I was able to tour the museum and take pictures. I spent most of the night in the dance floor.

Highlights of the ball: Danced the Human Shuffle next to Jennifer Granholm and had a saxophone player come off stage, put his arm around me, and a photographer took a picture (which I will never see because I lost his business card :( )

Overall the trip was fun and a memorable experience.

I am truly honored to have gone and very thankful to Lawrence Tech for their efforts in making the trip happen. The trip meant a lot to me.

How I went to the Inauguration for free

I keep getting asked: How did you get to go to the inauguration for free??

So I will explain the how and then go into details about the amazing time I had in Washington DC.

I overhead Leslie Wilson, the students activities coordinator at LTU, about how Lawrence Tech was going to hold a student debate. I immediately asked her how I could participate and she put my name down as an interested student.

The student debate would need a total of 10 students (5 for Obama and 5 for McCain). The incentive to participate was that the team's candidate who won the actual election would be sent to Washington DC- and all paid trip by LTU.

Later I got an email saying that due to the large number in interested students, the faculty running the debate will have to hold auditions. Each student had to prepare a one-minute speech defending his or her candidate on any issue of his or her choice. 

At my audition, I spoke about education. After my speech, the faculty asked me further questions on my topic to further analyze my knowledge of the subject.

A couple of days later the team members were announced and I made the team! The Obama Team members were: Fritz Belfort, Tyson DeLandsheer, Adam Dumas, Jennifer Guthrie, and me. We also had an alternative (Sydney Pea) in case any of us got sick.

We had two weeks to prepare (and believe me that was NOT enough time!). Each group member had to prepare a four minute speech on three issues that were given by the faculty.

My issues were: Health Care, Education, and Poverty.

There were two wins that each team was aiming for: to win the student debate and to win the actual election.

Ballots were handed out before and after the debate to determine the winner of the student debate. The team that persuaded more people to change their votes to their team's candidate won.

The debate lasted around two hours. First with the prepared four minute speeches and then a Q&A session with the audience.

After so much preparation the ballots were counted and the Obama team won!!

Now we had to get our second win...

and as you all know by now, Obama won the election and that is why I was sent to the inauguration for free (Jan 17th-21st).