Category Archives: General Musings

Getting older after college and why it doesn’t stink (today)

I turned 23 years old today. It’s a fairly inconsequential brithday, and I didn’t do anything particularly exciting to celebrate it, but it was still a great day. Here’s why:

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison last May, and shortly thereafter read a piece on things we should learn and appreciate in college. Among the many insightful items listed was the following: “All your best friends will never be within such close proximity.”

So while turning 23 lacks the excitement of 16th, 18th or 21st birthdays, today was still a great day, because in the span of 24 hours, via one medium or another, I heard from just about everyone I love and care about.

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What to get for the girl who loves cats

I want to clarify right off the bat that said “girl” is not me. It’s not that I don’t like cats, but their tendency of giving me hives is something I’ve developed a foul taste for.

My hiveless sister, however, loves cats. Quite a bit. Enough so that I can’t think of anything not cat related to get her for her birthday/the holidays. As such, I’ve assembled a substantial enough collection of cat paraphernalia to share the items here. May you only pass mild judgment on the cat lover in your life when you gift upon him/her these same unique goods.

When Pinterest gets practical

I love Pinterest.

Let me rephrase that: I love gleefully wasting hours of my time looking at pretty things, and Pinterest allows me to do that.

When I first encountered the site during my senior year of college, it did wonders for (which is to say it entirely hindered) my attention span, particularly in the classroom. Poor elbow patch-clad Professor Kydd. If only his lectures on World War I peace negotiations had been as enticing as Pinterest boards devoted to low-calorie pumpkin baked goods. Alas…

Since those days, however, I have come to appreciate a more practical side of Pinterest. I work in social media marketing (“What’s that?” you say. “You have a job?!” I do! But more on that later) and am expected to advise clients as they integrate Pinterest into their social media strategies. This is one practical side of the platform I deal with on a daily basis, but recently I’ve found a more fun, albeit equally practical (ehh, that’s debatable), aspect of the site.

Holiday wishlists. It took a salary for me to realize just how royally broke I am, and thus I’ve started compiling a list (or board, rather) of household “necessities” (I use that term loosely) I’d love to be gifted come December 25. I try to keep items like toilet paper holders and tupperware off the list (though a lovely Anthropologie dish towel set was on the list for a day before I realized it would be the bleakest Christmas gift in the history of the holiday), but it does have a more practical theme than lists of the past.

More than fulfilling my own needs and desires, it’s proven useful in providing family members with ideas of what my impossible-to-shop-for-sister may want for the holidays. You’ll notice the board has a whole two items on it as of yet (like I said, impossible to shop for), but browsing for gifts, whether they be for her, me or everyone else, has proven a mildly more practical way to waste away the evening on Pinterest.

Note: Some of you may be wondering why I’m talking about Christmas lists in September. Ha, clearly we do not know each other. Let me take this moment to introduce myself. Hi, I’m Jacqueline, and since the age of 13 I have started my Christmas shopping in July. Thanks for visiting my website. 

Forced to say goodbye to NY

For those who haven’t heard, my adventure in New York City is coming to a rather abrupt end this week due to confusion regarding my lease: The women I sublet from thought our lease ended August 31 when, in fact, it ends July 31. People who know me well can imagine my reaction to this news. For those of you who cannot, let’s just say I was a wee bit peeved.

So what now? The change of plans has forced me to end my internship early, and this Saturday I’ll be leaving on a jet plane headed to Chicago. Realistically, having to resign, pack up and move are the smallest inconveniences resulting from my housing debacle. I’ve always been quick on my feet, so this was nothing a few brown boxes and an ad on Craigslist couldn’t solve.

What upsets me more is how quickly I have to say goodbye to New York. I’m quick on my feet, but slow in the noggin, at least when it comes to major life changes. I take time to digest news like this. The whole of my senior year was spent reflecting on my college journey and doing things unique to Madison, things I expected to never be so accessible again. Sure, my two months in New York are no where near as significant as my four years in Wisconsin, but there is still some reflecting and last-minute exploring to do.

That’s what this week is for. Outings I pushed off for a later date: They’re happening this week. Meals I assumed could take place in August: They’ll be consumed in the next 96 hours. Views I thought I had a month left to see: They shall be seen by Saturday. This hurried pace is not ideal, especially considering I still have work and packing to schedule in, but New York is a great city, and an early end date won’t stop me from experiencing it.

If you have any suggestions of things I need to do, places I need to see, meals I need to eat, etc., let me know in the comment section!

 

Right reaction, wrong call for action: Ending Penn State football will not end child abuse

I, like many members of the B1G 10 and country at large, have spent the past half year or so following the Sandusky scandal. When the story first broke, I commented on the incident as the spokesperson for PAVE, a student organization dedicated to ending sexual assault on the UW-Madison campus. In both a letter to the editor and guest column in The Daily Cardinal, I invited the Badger student body to use the PSU tragedy as an opportunity to think about violence on our own campus and to reflect on how we should behave when confronted with the topic.

It was a dark time marked by a story that horrified anyone with a good head on their shoulders. When Penn State students rioted, flaunting their love for Joe Paterno, most looked on in disgust – and for good reason. Valuing a sports idol’s legacy over children’s safety is absurd. Eight months later, the Freeh investigation report has made what was already a black-and-white situation even more straightforward, but with its release has come a new cloud of lunacy, one found in the comment sections of online news outlets.

There is well-documented proof that all evil in the world manifests in the comment section. Give a man anonymity and in the amount of time it takes to click “submit,” you’ll find your faith in humanity shaken. For this reason, I tend to avoid comment sections, especially when they regard things so dear to my heart (in this case sexual assault prevention).

But this time around, I couldn’t resist. My cynical self expected to find a boatload of comments on what a “hero” Paterno was, how his memory will not be blemished, blah blah blah. There was a bit of that, but I’m guessing people have come to realize sharing such opinions will lead to endless chastising. As such, comments tended to take on this tone:

Here’s the thing. While I prefer anger toward the cowards who did nothing over favor and blind loyalty, these comments say a lot about how people are reacting to this situation: They don’t want a solution; they want vindication. They’re not concerned with preventing child abuse; they’re concerned with putting people behind bars.

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