We have moved to a new website! You can now find all updates for The Chapel Bell: A Positive Press Publication at http://www.thechapelbell.org.
Join us there every other Monday during the fall and spring semester.
February 25, 2013 • A POSITIVE PRESS PUBLICATION
YouTube Motivation
written by first-year, Shontel Stewart
Glance at the people surrounding you. Whether you’re in the dining hall or in class, there’s a good chance that at least one of those people is on YouTube. Catching up on shows, looking for a laugh, studying the newest dance craze, and learning how to complete a math problem are just a few of the things that we use this video-sharing website for.
What if we used YouTube to motivate us? It can get us through those long study sessions, boost our confidence, and convince us to impact others. As we enter midterms, let’s use YouTube for more than entertainment, but to stimulate and inspire ourselves to do great! These encouraging videos will allow the inspiration to flow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg (someone we could all learn to mimic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1fw1CcxCUgg (a story of inspiration and kindness)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UF8uR6Z6KLc (Speech from Steve Jobs)
What if we used YouTube to motivate us? It can get us through those long study sessions, boost our confidence, and convince us to impact others. As we enter midterms, let’s use YouTube for more than entertainment, but to stimulate and inspire ourselves to do great! These encouraging videos will allow the inspiration to flow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg (someone we could all learn to mimic)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1fw1CcxCUgg (a story of inspiration and kindness)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UF8uR6Z6KLc (Speech from Steve Jobs)
Making Lasting Memories
written by first-year, Eric Wein
Do you remember last night?”
I can’t. Searching my mind for bits and pieces, but nothing is clear -- like a fog on a bleak day in December. Fragments surface from the depths of my consciousness. My best friend, Jack Daniels, in my right hand and a bunch of laughter. Kneeling over a toilet wondering how this became a disaster. The next morning, I sit and listen to my friends tell me about my actions as if they were me. Some nights end like this, many people will agree, and as fun as they may be, the story has no more than a month-long life expectancy. |
Don’t let memories
be a collection of stories, like fictional tales recited with pauses and a stutter. Memories are meant to be passed from one generation to the next; A grandpa telling his favorite tales of his youth with a child in his lap and another sitting on the deck in front, eyes wide at such a marvelous man. Sixty years of experience, stories change and fade but lasting the test of time are those, clear and crisp as the Spring morning air, of silly fun with a group of buddies that start with a water instead of three shots of Jack. Years down the road, whether Life has been kind or cruel, and my old friend comes back into town, we can reminisce over “The Good ‘Ole Days.” At some point he’ll say, “Do you remember that hilarious night when John and Macy met?” Clear in my mind as a mountain river, I’ll chuckle with a big grin and say, “How could I ever forget?” |
February 11, 2013 • A POSITIVE PRESS PUBLICATION
Life Lessons of “Lost”
written by fourth-year, Steven Coloumbe
Note: Don’t worry, I have no intention of divulging any spoilers about the show “Lost.” This nearly happened to me, so I want to be extra careful not to give anything away.
So, as you probably guessed I have a Netflix account and I found “Lost” over Christmas break. In a little under two months I have watched around three and a quarter seasons – about 80 episodes. Lost time you say? Nope. I think I’ve learned something from all those hours of television – some universal truths if you will (other than that “Lost” is a great show). Lesson number one: No one is what he or she appears. In the show, as in real life, introductions and first impressions are wrong! J.J. Abrams makes you fall in love with a character and then undermines them to the point that you yell at the screen until the camera retreats from their façade. The reverse is true as well. You can deeply loathe someone only to find yourself empathizing with him an episode later! The absolute worst, though, is the doubt he plants in your mind. Is he telling the truth? Is she being genuine? You don’t and won’t |
now. It’s maddening. Maddening! Just like in real life, the characters on “Lost” are not one dimensional and certainly nothing like what I first perceived them to be. So that kid next to you in class who plays the air drums may be practicing for a concert he has coming up at the Astrodome or he could be saving your life from an invisible hoard of gnats that would otherwise fly in your nose and be really irritating. The point is the few quick glimpses of the people you see walking around campus are just that – glimpses. But – if we don’t jump to conclusions – we really might meet some truly wonderful people, despite what might be portrayed in the hallways (or in the few moments after a devastating plane crash).
Lesson number two: We are all connected. Right now I can only guess the ways all of the castaways on Lost are connected (believe me though I have my theories). What is abundantly clear is that each person is on the island for a reason. Our lives cross, intersect, weave, conjoin and depart for one another everyday. It’s a little surreal to think that maybe the person who cut me off on 316 actually made me slow down and avoid a ticket from the cop just around the bend. I should go and shake that person’s hand! |
Lesson number three: You will never have all the answers. I swear I know practically nothing about what’s going on in the show. Don’t get me wrong I am thoroughly entertained and I know the genesis of some minor to moderate confrontations, but the big questions haven’t begun to be answered. The show constantly shatters my expectations. “Lost” can leave me staring at the screen – mouth agape – well into the end credits. Those moments are what make the show so good.
So next time your life throws you a curve ball think about the cast of “Lost.” They have it way worse. |
A Day in the Life of "Go Dawgs"
written by second-year, Erin Orr
“Go Dawgs”: the simple two worded phrase carries wonderful, personal meaning. Humor, familiarity and a feeling of belonging constantly accompany me as if it was my own shadow. For UGA students, I carry pride, joy and memories of my best days. Others experience that same feeling, but sometimes they need a spirited Go Dawgs reminder.
Some UGA boys were preparing for the Mississippi State game last fall. It was a warm Athens day—the perfect kind of weather for a swim in the notorious (and illegal to visit) rock quarry up the road a little ways. In their adventurous and dreamy minds, they were going to jump into the quarry, swim around for a bit, and then leave and get ready for the game. The afternoon started off great with a sweet drive down an Athens country road in an open Wrangler. They felt unstoppable: sunglasses up, tanks on, and hair blowing in the wind. They arrived and hopped out of the Jeep. Looking down into the quarry, some of the boys felt queasy while the others’ thirst for adventure was just getting |
started. The first boy jumped, hit the waterwith his flat Chaco-ed feet and rose to the surface with a laugh. One by one, each boy jumped, completed with his own war cry as their feet left the ground below them. After swimming and exploring the water for a few minutes, a curious noise met their ears.
The high-pitched Doppler effect met them as the sound of a siren grew in their minds and a police car appeared next to their Jeep. The policeman exited his car yelling in his thick Georgia accent, “What do you think you’re doing in there? Get out!” The boys got out of the water as fast as they could and gathered their clothes. As the policeman approached them, he carried a ticket pad and pen in hand. After getting their information, the policeman asked, “Where are y’all from?” The boys answered, “We go to school at UGA. Go Dawgs! Right?” The policeman looked at them, shook his head, and looked away. That day, 6 sophomores from UGA jumped into the quarry and 6 came home with tickets. They finished their day with the UGA victory against Mississippi State and telling their new quarry story about fifty times, keeping “Go Dawgs” on the tips of their tongues and forefront of their minds. |
For these boys, “Go Dawgs” became an exhale of relief, helping them see passed the discouraging ticket and remember the wonder of their adventurous day. I would say that I am often called upon in times when these two simple words bring about a nostalgic tone to many different experiences because I try to make everything better, brighter, and much more fun! As people long to hear another exclamation of “Go Dawgs,” I gain more memories, more meaning, and soon enough, I get to bring unity to friends and sentiment into what would be an ordinary story. Experiencing the real deal would be good enough for me, but I get to become something that people hold dear to their hearts through simple vernacular—Go Dawgs!
|