BIG NEWS!

Hello to all that have actually looked at my blog =D

I'm very sorry I haven't been posting, I've been dealing with relatives and finals, but yay! now I have time again.
So my wonderful big news is that I am going to be doing my dream job, music journalism, for my college's newspaper =D I'm super excited and I'm also working on redoing a couple articles that I did for my journalism class and going to submit those as well to the paper so YAY! I'm totally on my way!

College Ink: Responsibility Mandatory

Every kid goes through the question “Should I get a tattoo?”

For most kids the idea is about rebellion and looks and “how will mom and dad react?” but for many others it is about expression and dedication. In college, when kids are given more freedom, both financially and from parents, getting a tattoo is a tightrope walk of responsibility and fun, on which every student tries to not fall off.

In 2009, the average credit card debt for a college student ranged around $2000. Along with this students were getting a mean monthly income from work of $453 and $312 from parents.

So after all the shopping, food, booze, books, and entertainment, how much is really left for that first little star on your foot or “MOM” on your arm? Not enough at all

Most students by the end of the month can’t afford enough money to fuel coffee for all nighters and do their laundry, yet according to the Pew Research Center 40% of people ages 18-29 have at least 1 tattoo.

This means that many students are spending money they don’t have on tattoos, when many actually come to the conclusion that they don’t like what they got done.

So does this mean that age defines who is responsible enough to get a tattoo?

While many might believe this question is answered by the simple fact that you can’t get a tattoo until you are 18, that’s not entirely true.

Many kids today are growing up faster due to outside sources that generations before us have not had to deal with in such great amounts, such as the availability of illegal drugs or domestic abuse.

When looking at college students who take on the load of school, family, sports, work, friends, and acting as their own parents while away from home, responsibility is thrown onto them and expected.

So when the time comes to make the decision of whether to get that first tattoo or not when no one is standing in the way, responsibility lays in the scales: can you afford it, will you love it forever, and can you defend getting it?

On the MTV show “College Life”, a show focused on college freshman with cameras filming themselves during their first year, cast member Jordan is shown definitely ignoring his scale.

Jordan weighs his debt of school tuition he has to his parents (both of who work full time jobs) and instead spends $2000 on a full arm tattoo, an average amount for many tattoos.

Jordan stands out as a major warning flag to college students in the US: make sure that getting a tattoo won’t come back to hurt you, in money or regrets. Getting your first tattoo defines whether you really are responsible or not.

Neighborhood Parents = NOT Responsible

In Seattle, everyone knows that each neighborhood has its own hill(s), so when it snows here, an overall panic takes over everyone and really for good reason. It gets DANGEROUS!

So in my neighborhood we have McGraw St. the main street that goes through my neck of the woods. It goes through the little shop area and goes up the hills on either side, exactly like a staircase (3 stairs on each side). When it snows, both hills become like ice and thus the fire department shuts them down.

Well around 10 years ago, a girl (I'm not sure how old) was sledding down the West McGraw hill and when she went to stop before the 4 way intersection that is at the bottom of the hill by turning onto a side street, she ran into a parked car. The girl died. I take it very seriously that this girl died sledding down this hill and everyone in the area knows about it.

So today when my mom and I drove to the grocery store, I was amazed to see a large number of kids sledding down the hill, and their parents either sledding with them or standing and watching them sled. As we stopped and watched, I saw that the kids only had two ways of stopping when they got near the bottom: either bailing and having to land on frozen cement and snow or being stopped by someone at the bottom, which means almost tackling the child.

Its bad enough that the parents know that a girl died doing what their kids are doing, but the sprinkles on the cupcake was when after reaching the top of the hill, I saw a mother sit in an innertube made for water, place her 4 year old daughter in her lap, and head down the hill.

I don't understand why people are so easy to just ignore something dangerous because they don't want to be the uncool parent or spoil their kids fun. There are many other streets in the neighborhood that are safe as well as a closed in park with a large hill that is perfect for sledding. Safety is not being first when it should and I know that I don't want to hear about another dead kid. 

Be Careful What Doc You Choose

Everyone knows that checking up on background information is the best thing you can do when it comes to getting a new doctor. You go to the right websites and you read the ratings and then you make your smart choice, but sometimes even that doesn't work out. Apparently, that's whats happening to me.

When I turned 18, it meant it was time to leave the pediatrician and finally go to the "grown up" doctor, so pretty much goodbye chalkboard wall that was actually entertaining and hello Elderly Magazine. I went to my mom's doctor, who my mom had only good experiences with and who was a woman so I felt more comfortable. It was good, until now.

At the beginning of this year I had to go get a yearly physical. Now I had gained the freshman 15 being away from home and I was dealing with it, but at the same time trying to deal with it in a way that would not cause me to lapse back into a previous eating disorder, so it would be tame to say that I was a little sensitive about my weight. So when I got there I asked the nurses and doctor "hey, please don't tell me my weight, its for personal reasons I don't wanna tell everyone" and they said "ok". Somehow "ok" turned into telling me my weight as well as that I need to check out some diet books and lose about 20 lbs.

I put this encounter behind me and said "fuck it, I'm gonna lose the weight safely, not get obsessed again" and thats what I've been doing, but now the ultimate letdown.

When you sign up with a new doctor, they give you this little yellow (or white or whatever other color of the rainbow, mine was yellow) form that says "yes you can request my medical history records" and thus you expect them to do this. Well I joined my mom's doctor at 18 and I'm now 20. So a week ago when I requested that they fax these forms to my school so that I could register for classes on time, they said no problem.

They neglected to tell me that they hadn't bothered to ever request them from my previous doctor. Then they neglected to still not request them. A few days before my registration day I noticed the medical history hold was still on my account. Like anyone would, I freaked out and called my school's health services department (the place that holds all the records) and asked why it was there, low and behold the didn't send any of the records from before I joined my doctor. With panic I called my doctor and the nurse on the phone said "no problem, let me make sure they're all ready and I'll call you back." I gave the nurse by number so that she could get a hold of me, but I never heard from her again.

Registration days has come and gone and I am not registered. The hold on my account has not been removed, my doctor's office never called my number, but instead the answering machine that only my mother can get into, only to leave a message that they didn't have the records, and yet again were for some reason not requesting them.

So what does this mean? It means my mom is being forced to play Wonder Woman with 5 different people acting as the villains in the way. It means that the classes I need to take are almost all full and waitlisted with at least 10 people. It means that I now may end up being a quarter behind when I was already trying to catch up. It means check up on who the hell your doctor is.

I'm now switching to my brother's doctor, and will most likely have to go through the giant pile of elephant sized shit again.

LGBTQ Community Club Needed

Whenever a high school student thinks about college, they envision interesting classes, being out on their own, and most of all, meeting new people from every community and culture and enjoying this through different clubs. This is the vision I was given at Evergreen State University, but here at SPU, it’s definitely not been the same.

SPU has clubs of every kind, but one club that isn’t allowed to be included in the roster of official SPU clubs is that representing the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) community.

The interesting fact though is that there is a group seeking to be the missing LGBTQ club: SPU Haven.

Every community group needs a voice and expects one in college and at Seattle Pacific University, the restrictions and exclusions being forced upon SPU Haven need to change. Since 2007, Haven has constantly been trying to find acceptance as an official SPU club, but have not succeeded.

Having attended a high school that openly accepted LGBTQ youth, as well as being part of the Garfield High School GSA (gay/straight alliance), I was shocked and somewhat disgusted by the fact that there was no club at SPU, especially with openly gay students attending.

So why is there no official club for homosexual students and their straight peers and supporters to come together?     

The SPU Statement on Human Sexuality (a release that is gone over and copyrighted every year) states that while they promote tolerance that “Within the teaching of our religious tradition, we affirm that sexual experience is intended between a man and a woman.”

It is understood that as a private Christian college, SPU does have to be careful on the subject of homosexuality considering it is a controversial topic. Many students and faculty may not support the school if they openly accepted homosexuality, that they may see the school as promoting it if Haven were to become an official club, and thus to lose many donors and students.

But is the peace among the general student body and faculty really worth keeping away such an important club from many students?

All official clubs at the school are given spots on both the “SPU Clubs and Organizations” webpage and the SPU ASSP website. Along with this official clubs are able to gain club funding from ASSP, the group that runs events at the school, as well as get events shown on the ASSP webpage.

Because they are not being given official status, SPU Haven sees none of these benefits.

While the school does allow Haven a place to meet on campus, the group has been met more by obstacles from having their booth for Day of Silence, a day created to bring awareness to abuse towards the gay community, in 2009 being torn down, to being refused official status, even when complying to all the terms set to obtain official status.

One of the main responsibilities of a college is to give their students a place to congregate over topics in a safe environment. Missing a club the represents such a large number of students and community members can only hurt the student body.   

While I am not a current member of SPU Haven, I have attended one of the events they have put on and have seen firsthand the conversations and ideas that they have started and how much they benefit the school already.

Pro-Gay or No-Gay at SPU

Seattle Pacific University, that’s my current school. I used to attend the Evergreen State University, in my opinion on of the most liberal colleges in the US, so, going from super liberal to a semi-conservative Christian school, especially being an atheist, was a huge change.

Now, I’m not big on clubs (I’d honestly rather be hanging out with my friends doing amazingly random things) but one club I was part of was my high school GSA, gay/straight alliance for those of you who don’t know. Well, come to my surprise, my current school has no gay/straight or LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Questioning) clubs for gay students and their supporters.

Now, I understand that sometimes it’s hard for Christian colleges to take a stand on whether they welcome homosexual students, but in today’s age, shouldn’t they really have to?

Colleges are meant to teach students how to make a life for themselves professionally, but in today’s age, people in every different field of work have to deal from every different culture, including LGBTQ culture.

Now I’m not going to be extreme and say that SPU are terrible people if they do not accept LGBTQ youth and adults, I don’t agree with them if that is the case in any way, but at least they’ve taken a position.

By such a major institute not taking a position, they send a confusing message to those LGBTQ students who do wish to attend the school for different reasons. At least if they do take a position, then everyone will know and understand.

Director of AIM Asia Speaks in Front of College Co-Eds

As the screen next to him showed phrases over time such as “Our Outreach Among the Untouchables” and “It’s a Vision of the World Made New!,” Reverand Dr. Joab Lohara, bishop of the Immanuel Conference Church, spoke today at Seattle Pacific University for the school’s Common Day of Learning.

            The day was focused on the theme of “Transformation Through Creative Mission (Acts 26: 17-18)” with an opening speech given by Lohara and afternoon seminars on topics involving Christianity and India.

              Formally a journalist and missionary, Lohara spoke of his beliefs of what he referred to as “Global Transformation,” where everyone can find a happy and healthy life through Christianity and Jesus Christ.

            One of three Free Methodist bishops in his home country of India, Lohara stood at the podium and spoke of deadly situations during his journalistic years as well as miracles he has heard of and seen that have led him to where he is today, finding responses of “amen” and hallelujah” from the audience.

            “The evil idea system must be replaced by the idea system that Jesus Christ embodied” Lohara said when discussing what global transformation is.

            With his speech being focused on the area and people of India, Lohara raised questions of the caste system and how missionary work and global transformation has stretched beyond the limits of caste, to people of all backgrounds and economic standing.

            With Indian culture so firmly grasped in deciding economic standing through caste systems, Lohara found it very hard to find support from many people.  “As long as Hinduism remains, the caste system remains,” Lohara said when one the subject of going beyond the caste system.

            Through his missionary work in India and surrounding countries, Lohara told of projects that allowed rural areas gain things such as child care, medical clinics, toilets, housing projects, and other materials to allow for a prosperous community.

            After the building projects were put under way, Lohara said, literacy was put underway, with the first book many people were given to read being the bible.

            Lohara himself has created three different missions, including AIM Asia, to help with the global transformation and embrace as he quoted from Revelations 21: 3-5 “the grand vision of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

            Lohara finished his speech to the applause of students and faculty alike where thereafter, the ASSP president announced funding for a new church in India through Lohara’s mission AIM Asia.

Mayo Polish?

So, like I promised, I'm gonna write down some stories from my odd past jobs, one being a Seattle Childrens Carnival...

          For the last 5 years I haven't eaten mayo. Nothing with mayo or that had to do anything with mayo, even deviled eggs. The smell alone can make me gag, but now the taste makes me want to vomit in epic proportions. I made this know to my new coworkers one day while talking random shit to each other <--- a common event that happened everyday in between the screams of small children.  
          A few days after my last day of work, I went to pick up my paycheck, like any normal person would. So my friend Amethyst (her blog is linked to mine) and I went together in the cold to achieve the great summer goal: money! What we didn't expect to find was our old coworker polishing one of the rides... with mayo.
So we stood and watched as she smeared mayo against the metal, confused as all hell, and the only answer we could get was "well the boss told me to do it so i do it."

I haven't found any information to understand how this mayo and metal combination works, but maybe someone out there knows =) 

Birthday Cupcake Tree!

I made this for my birthday party in August.

The different kinds are: Vanillia with Chocolate frosting, an Apple Pie cupcake, and a Blueberry Jam cupcake

My Cupcake Artwork

Some of these I did for gifts, others I got paid for =)

Church Members Unite to Speak to Students on Homosexuality by Kelly Waks

One of the biggest debates of today is the controversy over homosexuality and its place in churches all over the US.

At SPU, this has been a trying conflict this year, but one group is trying to inform others about the pros of acceptance.

On November 6, SPU Haven, an unofficial school club dedicated to keeping conversations going on LGBTQ issues on campus, hosted a panel of 6 pastors and ministers, straight and gay alike, to speak on the pastoral ideas behind homosexuality in the church.

The panel was hosted by SPU Haven members Caleb Richmond, Joy Bethune, and Aaron Roberts with their faculty advisor Kevin Neuhouser from the SPU Sociology department.

The speakers, Rev. Dan Conklin, Pastor Sarah Klaassen, Pastor Doug Early, Rev. Jim Carter, Rev. Ray Neal, and Rev. Karen Ward spoke to students and faculty alike.

After a small movie-like disclaimer was given by SPU Haven member Caleb Richmond, explaining that the views given were not that of Seattle Pacific University, the panel introduced themselves and their churches. 

Rev. Dan Conklin of the Saint Mark Episcopal Church was one of the first members of the panel to express a strong standpoint to the debate topic.

“[homosexuality’s] not a matter of issue but of people.” Rev. Conklin said.

Many of the speakers shared more of their personal stories rather than facts about their churches and congregations.

Pastor Klaassen of the Seattle Mennonite Church discussed the “struggle and trauma of coming out” but also the comfort she found in her new congregation.

Along with Klaassen, Rev. Neal of the Emerald City Metropolitan Community Church spoke of his history from being a married in Tennessee to the reverend of one of the leading gay churches in the Northwest.

After introductions from the speakers, the panel opened up questions to the audience, which caused more debate than most would have thought.

Many audience members asked questions involving where the reverends and pastors draw the line, or how they treat their gay congregation members verses their straight members.

While Queen Anne Presbyterian Pastor Doug Early explained that through his pastoral style of following the scripture that homosexuality does not come up often, Rev. Ray Neal gave a different idea that sparked some debate.

“I don’t hold [my homosexual congregation members] to the same level as [straight congregation members] because society doesn’t” Rev. Neal said.

Rev. Neal’s comment led to a debate amongst audience members about what gay culture really is, with no real decision being made.

While the panel was open to its controversial moments, many of those who attended where surprised at the outcome and understanding that was found by audience and panel members alike.

With the openness of the panel to answer all questions as best they could, it was Rev. Karen Ward that left everyone with an idea to remember.

“We love Jesus and Jesus loves us and that what’s important.”

An Intro to Me and My Blog

Hi! I'm Kelly and welcome to my new mind away from my mind so to speak. My life is constantly odd and strange things seem to happen to me, especially in the workplace, so I thought I'd make a place to write them down.  
I'm in a very serious relationship and love my guy a lot and he definitely turns the weird situations into funny ones for me later on when I'm going "what the fuck just happened."
I love metal and I'm hoping to someday write for a metal magazine like Revolver Magazine. This blog is here to share my stories and opinions, but also my favorite things and people so that everyone can really understand me. I hope you have fun!