March 25, 2013 • A POSITIVE PRESS PUBLICATION • VOL. 3, ISSUE 10
Passion Found in a Brush
written by first-year, Jessie Blaeser
Keeping a passion hidden is a disservice to those around you. Passion is a gift equal to that of any talent. It is a purpose; it is a drive that incites you to do the things that you do--to be the way you are.
Follow me on a journey. It is one that I travel often, but I never really know where I am going until I get there. My journey goes to an indiscriminate place that has no boundaries, specifications, or rules; it is mine and therefore it can be whatever I wish it to be. I can go back to the same place once I’ve been there before, but I stumble upon each destination at first by accident. Staring at the empty white space in front of me, I think about what situation inspired me to fill it. Something impacted me enough to get my thoughts wired to the point where they need some release. I pour out some pigments and dip a brush carefully into them. Suddenly, sloshes of color are thrown from end to end across the canvas, and I |
have to take a step back before I even realize they’re there. Shapes begin to form, and figures take a stand on whatever issue they are covering. Faces grow in intensity and opinion emanates from the feeling that comes from the shape of the reflection in an eye--a circle: tenderness, a square: beauty, a triangle: sharpness, an amorphous blob: sadness.
A rush runs through my veins as I feel the bristles glide across the tightly woven fabric, achieving their purpose. The smooth sound of the swoosh of paint rings in my ears like a symphonic orchestra. It is more than a sound; I can feel it too. The second hand on my watch clicks with each passing moment until it fades into the minute hand, the minute hand melts into the hour hand, and the hour hand starts spinning so rapidly that the watch deems it irrelevant and it is outcast from the trinket altogether. Brushes are placed in a red cup filled with water, vigorously washed, and dried on a |
saturated paper towel, only to be dipped in a different color and to then dive back into the bath of thick, gray, paint-soaked water once more.
I exhale, and slowly wade away from the fine frenzy that was consuming me. My thoughts, now content, have been excavated from their hiding places and displayed in a fashion so that anyone may see. I turn away knowing that my piece is finished; it is soaked in color, torn through by fingers, bristles, and eyes, and complete because it has achieved its purpose. Passion, although it may differ from person to person, lies within all. It is something that makes you happy, gets you excited, or frees you from burdens. It is something that is special, and you don’t have to be selfish with it; share it. Take others on your own journey, and maybe you’ll find some who can claim it as their own too. |
The Many Faces of Education
written by second-year, Maya Basu
Education. Many define it as acquired book knowledge, but my family has shown me that albeit a requisite for education, education is much more than mere literacy.
There are two aspects to every education: what one learns in books and what one learns in life. My grandmother revealed the latter aspect of education to me. My grandmother’s marriage at age fifteen marked the end of her scholastic career. Though she is by no means educated according to society’s standards, the knowledge that she has imparted me regarding life remains invaluable. One of her lessons is of discipline and determination, values my dad adopted at a young age. He used these values when he immigrated to the United States. With only twenty dollars in his pocket, he managed to survive in a foreign land while also supporting his family back home. I know it was my dad’s perseverance that made this feat achievable. I have seen my grandmother’s teachings bear fruit as they were manifested through my father’s success. Many more of my grandmother’s life lessons – perseverance, kindness, and respect for elders – have made an equally powerful impact on me – an education in itself.
I am grateful for every scholastic and extracurricular opportunity, and also for the moral compass that my family has passed into my hands. My education – a combination of books and experience – has helped me view my life as a large classroom, with each day holding an adventure and a possible lesson to learn.
There are two aspects to every education: what one learns in books and what one learns in life. My grandmother revealed the latter aspect of education to me. My grandmother’s marriage at age fifteen marked the end of her scholastic career. Though she is by no means educated according to society’s standards, the knowledge that she has imparted me regarding life remains invaluable. One of her lessons is of discipline and determination, values my dad adopted at a young age. He used these values when he immigrated to the United States. With only twenty dollars in his pocket, he managed to survive in a foreign land while also supporting his family back home. I know it was my dad’s perseverance that made this feat achievable. I have seen my grandmother’s teachings bear fruit as they were manifested through my father’s success. Many more of my grandmother’s life lessons – perseverance, kindness, and respect for elders – have made an equally powerful impact on me – an education in itself.
I am grateful for every scholastic and extracurricular opportunity, and also for the moral compass that my family has passed into my hands. My education – a combination of books and experience – has helped me view my life as a large classroom, with each day holding an adventure and a possible lesson to learn.
Importantly Nonexistent
written by by first-year, Erik Wien
All we know are our homes, our family, and the various places on this planet that we have visited. But looking at some of the facts about the Earth, and our existence on it compared to the Universe, can expand this perspective. The largest star, VY Canis Majoris, is located 4,900 light-years from Earth and has a roughly 1800-2100 times larger radius than that of our solar system’s star. The Sun’s diameter is about 109 times larger than that of the Earth.* The planet we inhabit is rather small compared to the Sun, but compared to the other stars and masses in the vast universe, Earth is but a grain of sand on a beach. Even that is an overestimation.
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To us, though, the Earth is massive; so massive that the average person hardly sees but a hundredth of our planet in their lifetime. Each person, and even humanity as a population, is so incredibly small compared to Earth, the Sun, and the Universe, that we might as well not even exist. Yet we do. We wake up every day with seven billion others and go about our lives with great importance, or so we perceive. In fact, nothing we do here on Earth will have any effect on the Sun or VY Canis Majoris, because only light could travel 4,900 light-years.
We may not be able to affect VY Canis Majoris, but we can change lives here on Earth. We can influence those seven billion people and interact with them. We can look up at the night sky and marvel at all the shining stars and galaxies in the Universe, knowing we are on other planets’ night-time murals. We can cure |
a newborn ridden with malicious bacteria that caused a previously fatal disease, and create our own universe of networks by sharing information. We can communicate using complex systems of vibrations escaping our throats and written symbols. We can stand up and walk, lift 500 pounds, and run 100 miles if we put ourselves up to it. We can do all these incredible feats despite our unimportance, and with our current knowledge, we are the only beings in the Universe who can do them.
Mathematicians and scientists have calculated that the probability of our existence here on Earth is significantly larger than 1 out of 10,100. Those odds are so incredibly small that they are considered to be impossible, yet here are seven billion of us! Perhaps no single action will have any impact at all on the universe, but it could change that small little world we live in. |
Our lack of importance to the universe given our tiny existence shouldn’t erase any motivation towards our lives, but instead strengthen it. We can reach even further towards what we desire most because through success or failure, nothing will change 4,900 light-years away when we could change our whole world here on Earth for the better. Even if our wildest dreams are unlikely, we beat the most improbable odds at birth. They can only get better from there.
* “The Top 10 Largest Stars.” About.com Space / Astronomy. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2013. |
(Not So Random) Acts of Kindness
written by first-year, Kari Saunders
A hallmate of mine was feeling overwhelmed with deadlines and testing in a week of heavy exams; she honestly just needed a quick break to relax and recharge, or her favorite treat: frozen yogurt. She woke up the next morning to a froyo card from her roomie with enough money for one cup of encouragement drizzled with marshmallow topping and sprinkled with coconut. This small token could fit in any starving college student’s budget, and the impact it made was well worth the meager effort that the sweet surprise took.
When we hear the old adage that “it’s the thought that counts,” eyes roll and some take it as an excuse to do less than exemplary favors. However, the cliché is true. Whether it’s an unexpected treat, something someone wants, or just a quick note, a thoughtful gesture can make a huge difference for someone’s perspective. It’s true that in our fast-paced, deadline-focused days we place blinders on our eyes and are set on a one-way, unintentionally selfish path. This is when intentional acts of kindness come into play. |
We’ve heard the “random acts of kindness” spiel countless times, but the truth is that our acts of kindness aren’t random at all. Occasionally when we perform a kind act it should be calculated and planned to target a specific person or population in an intended fashion. This type of kind act is so impactful because it means something to the receiver of the kindness. Taking the time to really get to know a person’s likes and dislikes well enough to surprise them with a not-so-random act of kindness speaks volumes of friendship to the receiver. The time and energy you invest is certainly noted and appreciated.
Maya Angelou said that “people will forget what you said, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Intentional kindness can make people feel loved and worthy of people in their lives that care enough about them to go the extra mile (or two, or maybe even just a half) to make them feel warm and fuzzy inside (that’s you!). I can guarantee that you, the giver of kindness, will feel just as loved as the receiver. |
The Best Advice You Ever Got
written by first-year, Megan Robertson
The best advice I ever got wasn’t from my parents or a sagacious teacher. It was from the Internet. Reading the "Holstee Manifesto", I came across a line that made me stop: “If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.” It addressed the anxiety I often have about finding love and finding friends as I grow older, and really, it makes sense--do what you love, do what brings you to life, and you’ll find people who are brought to life by the same things. Ever since I read that simple line, I have thought about it at least once a week. And that made me think: What is your favorite piece of advice? What brings you comfort? What gives you guidance? So I went around and asked some people:
“It’s from my parents. Money comes, money goes, but experiences last forever.” --Jesse Chan, student “It doesn’t matter what you do, but whatever you do, do it well.” --Christina Huneycutt, student “This one’s from my dad: It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” --Krystal Funes, student “When I was graduating college, I was told in relation to my ambition to travel the world (despite lacking money), ‘Do not be ashamed to pursue what interests you have now rather than waiting until the appropriate moment--life’s obligations appear silently, but soon they pile up, and the freedom to follow those interests may not always be there.’” --Frans Weiser, Comparative Literature Professor “You can judge the quality of a friendship by whether you can have a comfortable silence.” --Emilie Morris, student “I was getting ready for my oral exam for my doctoral dissertation, and my 12 year old daughter told me, ‘Mom, just treat it like they really want to know the answers to their questions.’” --Deborah Miller, English Professor |
“I was bullied in high school, and my mom told me ‘You are the one who controls how you let people affect you.’”
--Alex Daitch, student “I was in Boy Scouts in middle and early high school. Our scout master would give us advice in chats on a regular basis. I don’t remember any of them excepting this: Do things in this order. Get educated, get a job, get a house, get married, then procreate. Do it any other order and life’s gonna be rough.” --Christopher Shields, Teacher at Wheeler High School and UGA Alum “If I had to choose my best piece of advice, I’d probably say something regarding college or career planning from my mom. The advice went something like, ‘Major in what makes you marketable so you can pursue what you love as a hobby.’” --Chas Fails, student “Always take a compass when you hike. It’s awkward having to eat your friends.” --Allison Cindy Zoino, student “'We accept the love we think we deserve', from Perks of Being A Wallflower.” --Greg Cobb, student “The only thing you can’t get back is time.” --Grant Kisling, student “Nothing is over until you stop trying. A lot of young people don’t understand that simple adage, but it is extremely true. If you don’t try, you absolutely won’t succeed, but nothing is over until you STOP trying.” --Michael Gray, Account Coordinator and UGA Alum “Several people have told me this at several times, but it boils down to, ‘Never give up, keep working for whatever it is you want.’” --Hugh Ruppersburg, Senior Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences |