_Dec. 2011 • A POSITIVE PRESS PUBLICATION • VOL. 2, ISSUE 2
Don't Think Outside the Box: Live Outside of It.
Daryan Rahimzadah
Imagine this next sentence in the thickest, most quintessential Boston accent you can: “Last stop, Harvard Square. Harvard Square is the last stop.” Those were the words the conductor said as my subway car pulled into Harvard terminal on my recent trip to Boston, signifying the end of my train ride, but the beginning of an awesome night.
I had just gotten off a plane from Atlanta and was headed to a day-long interview with an insurance company the following day - I had purposefully schedule my flight to get in early so I could check out the city. It was 6 o’clock on a Sunday evening and the first day after day light savings time. In other words, it was dark. But that didn’t stop me as I walked around Harvard Square, checking out the New England boutiques, packed coffee shops, hole-in-the-wall burger joints and the overwhelming amount of Harvard paraphernalia. Harvard wasn’t the only town I checked out that night. I took the train over to Chestnut Hill to check out Boston College where hundreds of students packed the commons, studying, eating, and hanging out before another week of class. I even got a chance walk around downtown Boston and stumbled on a pastry shop equivalent of a Savannah candy store, with more types of cup cakes, cannolis, and caramel apple fritters than you could even imagine. Eight hours, a starched shirt, and a half Windsor knot later, I was out the hotel headed to a five hour interview with what I assumed to be my competition for a $50,000 salary. But let me let you in on a little secret. I was wrong, dead wrong. Not because they weren’t qualified, prepared, or educated - in fact, they were probably ahead of me in all of those aspects. No, I was wrong because they weren’t my competition, because after spending an hour in a cubicle-filled basement with no windows, I decided I was not going to compete to be stuck in a square for the next five, ten, fifteen years of my life, and I hope that you don’t do the same. In fact, I’ll be personally offended, borderline peeved, if I find out anyone would leave a city like Athens to go to a city like Boston and spend all of your time answering phone calls about payroll, filling out TPS reports and waiting for the clock to hit 5:00. This city and your life has too much to offer for you to be throwing your personality and your creativity down in the basement. I don’t know if you’ve checked the research, but human beings don’t belong in boxes. We put products into boxes and we ship them, and your future, your ideas, and your humanity is not a product that deserves to be closed up and shipped off. So why try? Why push all of your personality, your quirkiness, your sense of humor and your passion into a square hole? It won’t fit, I’m telling you. It won’t fit because there’s no You-shaped container to fit yourself into, they don’t exist. Which is a huge bummer. So, what do you do about it? Well, I guess you can keep trying to fit into that box, or you can start living outside of it. |
NeedtoBreathe Live is "Something Beautiful"
Katie Sorrels
Silence. Complete and utter silence besides someone distantly dropping their camera phone and a college student whispering “failllll.” A scenario, atypical for any concert, but definitely something I never thought I’d witness at a sold out show at the iconic Georgia Theatre. What event led to this crowd of over a thousand people being literally stunned into silence? The South Carolina bred rock band, NeedToBreathe, not only extending their encore but proceeding to climb to the balcony for a jaw--and apparently cell phone--dropping acoustic set.
Countless. Countless are the conversations I’ve had with friends who believe that true talent and passion no longer exist in the music industry. How I so desperately wish all of them could have been in the crowd as Bear Rinehart‘s vocals soared through the rejuvenated Theatre, sounding a thousand times better live than any of the auto-tuned, over-commercialized mess that is all-too-common nowadays. Humbled. Humbled is the best word to describe how NeedtoBreathe felt when they received medals from the Georgia Theatre for selling out the show. As their percussionist, Joe Stillwell, took to their blog to write the next day, “There are certain shows that I will always remember. Shows that, for whatever reason, seem special and just stick with me. Last night at the Georgia Theatre in Athens was one of those shows.” He continues on to explain that it had always been a dream of theirs to headline at the Georgia Theatre, a dream that they feared would never come true after the Theatre burned down over two years ago. “But thankfully it was reborn out of the ashes!” Joe exclaims while reassuring |
the concert goers that the band mates got just as much out of the show as they did and THANKING US for coming along for the impromptu jam sessions and live debut of their new song, “White Fences."
Grateful. Grateful is how I, and noticeably the rest of the audience, felt for getting to experience every moment of such an unforgettable show. This show for the band was “a shot in the arm” to finish their lengthy tour. For the audience, it was a shot in the arm to say, “forget the naysayers who argue bands no longer care about their fans.” There are still bands who forget the bare minimum and play for as long as we’ll listen. There are still bands who throw everything they have into their music and hope that their lyrics are not just catchy, but honest and relatable. There are still bands whose talent and heart emanate from every chord, every pitch, and every drumbeat. All of the fans in that audience knew we found one of those bands that night. My challenge for all of you is to discover more bands like NeedToBreathe. |
HOW TO: Prevent the Dreamer to Tasker Downfall
Trey Sinyard
It’s rare to meet someone who doesn’t dream. It’s equally as rare to meet someone living his or her dream. So where’s the disconnect? How can so many people have so many dreams when so few of them actually come to fruition? Clearly, something happens on the way to living out a dream that causes it to lose its grandeur, its importance, its attractiveness. Because when a dream stops being dreamy it stops being worth pursuing. When our dreams become tasks and lists of tasks and lists of lists of tasks and lists of multi-tasks, the burden of the dream’s chores outweighs the dream itself. So, we drop it. We modify it. We shrink it. We change dreams all together. We lose sight of the very thing that inspired us to begin working in the first place.
If you haven’t noticed, the University of Georgia is full of dreamers. It’s also full of “taskers.” Somehow the dream of impacting lives over Spring Break turns into twenty emails per day; getting into law school, an inordinate amount of homework; promoting literacy in Athens, an incessant search for funding. These tasks are often what derail us from the dream. Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid tasks on the path to a dream. Simply put, any dream worth running after will take a lot of hard work. But (and this a Sir-Mix-A-Lot-sized “but”) there is a way to not get bogged down in the tasks of a dream: get back to the activity that sparked the dream in the first place. As dreamers, we never start with the big picture. A dream is ignited by an act or experience that captures the heart. Remember the face of the first child you explained multiplication to? Remember the reaction of thefamily when they saw their home transformed by your hard work after an afternoon of cleaning? Remember the smile on the fragile old woman |
after she left the mobile dental clinic with her teeth cleaned for the
first time in 60 years? Almost all of us can pinpoint the activity that
our dreams center around. Unfortunately, as we seek to make our dreams
reality and expand our vision, the bureaucracy, administrative work,
and management of the tasks and people involved in our dream cloud our
original clarity and purpose.
To return clarity, return to your dream. Go put a book in a child’s hand. Go spend time with the people at the homeless shelter. Go hammer nails into a Habitat house (dreams don’t need to be service-based, these are just examples). Go be with the women in Africa who are using the micro-loans. When you get down to the micro-level of loving and caring for people, the level where the dream smashes into reality and makes a difference, everything seems simple again. Things seem obvious. The dream captures your imagination again and becomes desirable, worthwhile, even achievable. You remember the “why” again. So here’s to all the dreamers out there. Dream big. Dream scary big. Dream so big that you’re afraid to tell people about it. Seriously. And then run hard after your dreams. Work hard. Laugh hard. Email hard. Whatever it takes, pursue your dreams with absolutely everything you have. And when you feel swamped or overwhelmed or heavy laden by the overflowing inbox or the unending Gmail task list, close the computer, put the pen down, and get back to the activity where the dream first took root. Let the winds of love and change provide fresh air to the smoldering embers of your vision and rekindle that once small flicker back into a radiating blaze. |
“Happiness
is a recurring theme in The Chapel Bell, but trust me, what I say next is worth your attention." “Here's the awesome part...
the answer is YOU." |
Jazzy J and the Infinite Happiness
Nick Toomey
As the music scene in Athens over the past two and a half months has been saturated with awesomeness, the nights are rare now that I don’t find myself at one of the local venues to check out a show. Recently I was outside of Calendonia Lounge with a few friends waiting for Tumbleweed Supreme (they rule...check them out) to go on when I recognized a familiar face across the covered patio. I couldn’t tell you his real name (I’m not sure he could either), but my friends and I affectionately know him as Jazzy J.
Jazzy strutted confidently over to us and offered a friendly hand. “JAAAZZYY J ENNAHTAINMEN’ INNA HOUSE!!!” We shook hands like old friends though it was obvious he didn’t recognize me. We’ve crossed paths several times since I’ve lived in Athens. I’m sure I’ve given him money once or twice to help him find his next meal. To any local he’s your average sidewalk pan-handler with an addiction and a personality disorder or two. But admittedly, I like it when Jazzy’s around. He has an air of youthful joy and merriment about him. Jazzy is completely sure of himself. He is the best entertainer in the world, and every crowd that he walks into is there to see him. I politely asked him how he was doing and he proudly responded, “Mayn, I’m the happiest brothalive.” The happiest. Happiness will be a recurring theme in The Chapel Bell for sure, but trust me, what I say next is worth your attention. It’s been said that there are only three fundamental human desires: those of happiness, joy (the outward expression of happiness), and love. All other desires, material or otherwise, spawn from a more basic need of one (or more) of the three. And so every action we ever perform is in an effort to gain a greater level of happiness, joy, or love whether that action be liberating, nurturing, homeopathic, inspiring, or even inhibiting. Our actions determine the reality we experience. So naturally your next question should be, “What’s keeping me from it? What’s keeping me from living a life of complete happiness and perpetual fulfillment, one that I’m excited to wake up for in the morning?” Here’s the awesome part...The answer is YOU. Your happiness is determined by your interpretation of circumstance. That’s it. YOU choose what things mean to you. That may be an incredibly tough pill to swallow, especially if you’re often one playing the victim. But its also the most inspiring thing you could ever read, because you are in control. You can choose to be grateful. You can choose to be charitable. You can choose to be self-aware. You can make decisions. Let Jazzy’s happiness inspire you to act today. What should you act on, you ask? Only you can answer that. But if you take a second to really think about it, I’m sure there’s something that’s been lingering on your conscience for awhile now. Remember, even the smallest of actions has value beyond what you could ever imagine. Now go do something incredible! |
A Campus Where “Atheist” is a Curse Word
Bailey Anders
I hope this title disturbs you. The title came from a post I found on the wall of the UGAtheists Facebook group earlier this year. At first read, I was overcome with a towering wave of indignation. But, upon second consideration, that self-righteous wave crashed and mellowed upon a shore of blunt realization. This title is true.
Religion is a polarizing topic on UGA’s campus because of the culture that most University of Georgia students, me included, have been raised in; I will be more clear- the Bible Belt is not a stereotype. Imagine the isolation that an atheist or agnostic experiences from being in the minority of a student body who largely claims to belong to a religion. There is little opportunity for a non-religious student’s voice to be heard because many of us are so deeply rooted in our religion that we do not desire to take the time to ponder, much less hear out, people who do not share our beliefs.
For the reader, to “hear out” means to listen; not to argue, and not to pretend to listen to someone explain their beliefs while internally formulating our argument as to why our own beliefs are right… I’m guilty of it, too.
So, feeling convicted, I decided to take action, to fight against complacency in my views. I contacted the president of UGAtheists, Lisa Lansing, and decided to get my information from the leader of those from whom I feel most distant. Here are a few things that Lansing felt that UGA students should know about UGAtheists…
First and foremost, Lisa established that UGAtheist Club does not set out to “snatch your religion” or to fight you tooth and nail to prove that religion is a waste of time; according to Lansing, “We [UGAtheist] are here to give out a positive Atheist vibe, which most people here have not experienced before. And for those who feel alone because they are not religious, we are good people too, and you have a community here.” A primary goal of the UGAtheist Club is to encourage UGA students to have an open mind towards unfamiliar ideas or beliefs. “We encourage anyone to join the club, regardless of their religious beliefs” says Lansing, “we hope to inspire people on campus to simply take the time to hear us out, and to be accepting of people who are different from them.”
Walking away from my interview with Lisa, I felt as though I had just taken a deep breath of fresh air. You know that feeling when you walk away from something thinking, “I’m glad I did that”? Well I was basking in it.
I want everyone to experience the revitalization of having their perceptions unexpectedly changed. How can you find that experience? Whether it is with UGAtheists, or someone who is radically different from you, take the time. Hear them out.
By simply learning to seek out and listen, we will make our campus a place where everyone feels free to pursue their passions and beliefs; it is in our power to change UGA from a place where “Atheist is a curse word” to a vibrant, accepting and unique culture.
Religion is a polarizing topic on UGA’s campus because of the culture that most University of Georgia students, me included, have been raised in; I will be more clear- the Bible Belt is not a stereotype. Imagine the isolation that an atheist or agnostic experiences from being in the minority of a student body who largely claims to belong to a religion. There is little opportunity for a non-religious student’s voice to be heard because many of us are so deeply rooted in our religion that we do not desire to take the time to ponder, much less hear out, people who do not share our beliefs.
For the reader, to “hear out” means to listen; not to argue, and not to pretend to listen to someone explain their beliefs while internally formulating our argument as to why our own beliefs are right… I’m guilty of it, too.
So, feeling convicted, I decided to take action, to fight against complacency in my views. I contacted the president of UGAtheists, Lisa Lansing, and decided to get my information from the leader of those from whom I feel most distant. Here are a few things that Lansing felt that UGA students should know about UGAtheists…
First and foremost, Lisa established that UGAtheist Club does not set out to “snatch your religion” or to fight you tooth and nail to prove that religion is a waste of time; according to Lansing, “We [UGAtheist] are here to give out a positive Atheist vibe, which most people here have not experienced before. And for those who feel alone because they are not religious, we are good people too, and you have a community here.” A primary goal of the UGAtheist Club is to encourage UGA students to have an open mind towards unfamiliar ideas or beliefs. “We encourage anyone to join the club, regardless of their religious beliefs” says Lansing, “we hope to inspire people on campus to simply take the time to hear us out, and to be accepting of people who are different from them.”
Walking away from my interview with Lisa, I felt as though I had just taken a deep breath of fresh air. You know that feeling when you walk away from something thinking, “I’m glad I did that”? Well I was basking in it.
I want everyone to experience the revitalization of having their perceptions unexpectedly changed. How can you find that experience? Whether it is with UGAtheists, or someone who is radically different from you, take the time. Hear them out.
By simply learning to seek out and listen, we will make our campus a place where everyone feels free to pursue their passions and beliefs; it is in our power to change UGA from a place where “Atheist is a curse word” to a vibrant, accepting and unique culture.
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