My Love for Oglethorpe University

I want to give a special thank you to Benjamin Williams for suggesting this topic.

Oglethorpe University, my Alma Mater, is something that I have managed to fall in love with over a period of four years.  Just look at this place:

Isn't it beautiful?  Just a forewarning: I'm going to describe my relationship with Oglethorpe a little bit like a relationship with a person.  It will be for effective purposes I suppose.  When I was applying for colleges back in 2005, I only applied to two schools: Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia and Oglethorpe, which is in Atlanta.  Here is what Roanoke looks like:

I went to Roanoke first for a campus visit and really liked what I saw.  I was not disappointed in any aspect.  I suppose the only aspect of the college that I was concerned about was that it was located in an area that didn't seem to have a lot of activity.  I informed my parents that I really liked it, but we still had to go to Oglethorpe.  To be honest, I don't remember my exact first impressions of Oglethorpe.  Perhaps I was entirely mesmerized by the gorgeous gothic-architectured stone buildings and felt some sort of magical vibe by walking around campus.  All I remember was that at the end of the day, I told my dad, "I REALLY like this one."  And so it happened.

Through four years of pain-staking Core classes, major changing, rigorous paper-writing and incredibly intellectual conversations, I fell in love with my university and everything that it had to offer.  Love is complex and uncertain, but I feel that my love for Oglethorpe is rather consistent and certain.  No one can take away my love for this gated and serene college.

Why am I in love with Oglethorpe University?  Call me cheesy, but yes, I am going to list these reasons:

1) THE PEOPLE - I can't even begin to tell you the amount of amazing people that I have met during my time at OU.  Everyone on campus had such interesting backgrounds and the diversity of those there was eye-opening and refreshing.  There was never a dull day.

2) THE FACULTY - I absolutely love the professors at OU.  I'm not quite sure how much the professors there make on average, but you can tell that money is no worry for them.  They have an undying passion for the subjects they specialize in and they care about their students.  They want their students to learn and they want everyone to succeed in their lives.  I really believe that the faculty at OU make the university unique and incomparable to other colleges.

3) CORE - Yes, I am considering Core a reason for loving Oglethorpe.  For all of you non-Oglethorpe people, allow me to explain.  Usually, colleges have certain classes that everyone is required to take.  These classes normally consist of English/Composition 101, Math 101, History 101, etc.  Well, at OU, these were our required classes: Art or Music and Culture, Great Ideas of Modern Mathematics, Narratives of the Self, Human Nature and the Social Order, Historical Perspectives of the Social Order and Human Nature: Biological or Physical Sciences.  Those don't really sound like your typical college-required classes, do they?  They aren't typical.  They are all centered around philosophical ideas based upon those particular subjects.  The names are certainly intimidating, but I now consider myself a paper-writing machine and someone that can easily "read between the lines."

4) LOCATION - One of the main reasons that I chose Oglethorpe was because of the fact that it was located in Atlanta.  Although the campus is quiet and castle-like, you can drive about 10 to 15 minutes down the road and be in the heart of the city.  It's the perfect setting.

Now, Oglethorpe and I have developed quite a strong relationship with each other through four years.  I have professed my love, but I have found that we have been spending a lot of time apart from each other lately.  I guess you could just say that we're giving each other a little space, or rather, a lot of space.

Fact:  I currently live about 10 minutes away from Oglethorpe.  No long distance relationship here, my friends.  After I graduated, it only seemed right to stay away from campus because, quite frankly, it just doesn't feel right.  I love Oglethorpe, but I don't want to be the person that keeps coming back over and over again because I miss it.  I am moving forward with my life and my career.  If I visit OU, it seems as if I don't want to let go.  It's like high school!  You know what I'm talking about, right?  When you were in high school and you saw those that graduated come back for a visit, you thought to yourself, "What are they doing here?"

Granted, when I do visit OU, it is nice to see the people that I haven't seen in a while.  However, I have a theory - if I stay away for a lengthy period of time, when I visit again and see people I haven't seen in a while, the reunion will seem more genuine and there will be more of a shock.  The overall effect will prove more exciting.  If I kept coming back again... and again... and again, well, it's just not as exciting.  And I am a firm believer in the fact that you really appreciate something more when you "lose" it.  If I stay away from OU, I'll appreciate it a little more when I visit.  This theory works in relationships sometimes too.

Now, I'm not going to name any names, but some people are clingy and won't give Oglethorpe any space.  Their relationship is good, but the real world is scary and seems to force people to stick around.  This isn't necessarily bad, but I feel that after a certain point, people should not hang around Oglethorpe. For those that work there, I understand.  Otherwise, just let go.

Anyways, I am proud to be an Oglethorpe alumna.  I love the university from the bottom of my heart, and I can't wait to see what kind of fabulous minds it produces in the years to come.  To commemorate my years there, I would like to share a few personal photos.  Enjoy!

Observations and Self-Discovery

I've been completely honest about my experiences with love and have enjoyed sharing them with you, but what I have failed to tell you all is that I really like to see others in love.  Whether I'm watching a romantic movie or seeing a friend become really giddy after her boyfriend popped the question, I'm in love with watching other people fall in love.

I'm a Pisces, so naturally, I'm an emotional soul and a hopeless romantic.  Yes, I do get a little teary-eyed during sappy movies and I somehow believe that an actual knight in shining armour will whisk me away in the middle of the night.  Sure, I know that that particular situation isn't necessarily feasible, but I'm allowed to be imaginative, right?  As much as my "outlandish" hopes and dreams won't really come true, I can live vicariously through others' extreme happiness with their significant others.  I hope this doesn't sound too creepy.

Trust me, I'm not the type of person that will sit back and watch others' lives progress happily while I do nothing.  I will make my efforts to meet new people and potentially fall in love.  To be honest, it's just that my heart gets a nice, warm feeling inside and my nerves tingle throughout my whole body when I see the complexity and magic of love play out before my very eyes.  Perhaps the feeling of love is contagious.  Well, as I pointed out in my The Seasons of Love blog, maybe it really is.  I suppose the point I'm trying to make with this blog is more of a self-discovery - the discovery that I'm a natural sympathiser with others' feelings.

And it's not just the feeling of love I sympathise with.  If someone is sad, mad, or happy, I will melt into that mood as well.  When I am present in any place, the way I act in that location completely depends on the vibe.  I can usually tell if something is wrong or just off.

Aside from the point of my strong intuition, I truly believe that love has such an interesting effect on people.  It makes you cry, laugh, become furious...  One scary thing about love is this: you (as in your physical self) cannot choose who you like.  Therefore, you cannot choose who you fall in love with.  It just...happens.  Love is uncontrollable and seemingly all-knowing.

Love is the one aspect of our lives that makes life seem so difficult.

Facebook Kills - How Social Networking Obliterates Relationships and Love

Facebook has emerged into an unavoidable phenomenon within a matter of only six years.  Imagine taking control of the world at six years old.  It's something remarkable, yet also scary.  Tell me this: how can something as young as Facebook completely obliterate love, one of the most timeless and complex aspects of not only our lives, but of the time that this earth has been in existence?  How much should we rely on technology before it plows over non-technological traditions that have made us who we as a human race are today?  Is the use of technology and social networking an inevitable part of our evolution into "higher" beings?  Is this the way things are meant to be?  I can't tell you how long I have waited to write this particular blog.  I have always been frustrated with this issue and would like to try to tackle it.

Social networking is convenient and fast.  You can keep in contact with your friends no matter your location.  You could be laying in bed, grocery shopping, traveling to a different country, or for those that are more "experienced" social networkers, driving.  (But please don't do that while driving.  I think your life is a little more important than keeping in touch with friends for a few minutes out of an entire day.)  If you want "news" about your friends, you can get that "news" within a matter of a few seconds.  I love to be involved in the social networking craze, but when such personal information is so easily accessible at such a rapid pace, problems tend to arise.

The number one problem that exists when Facebook is combined with interest or love is jealousy.  With so much information available about a single person on something as simple as a profile page, the concept of jealousy does not fail to destroy your mind.  If you like a particular person or are dating someone, you will have more of a tendency to "stalk" their profile page.  What does stalking involve?  I'm sure most of you know this, but just to be clear, "stalking" involves looking at someone's profile with the thoughts of, "I wonder what they are up to, if they're talking to anyone else, etc." in mind.  When you stalk an interests' page, you are setting yourself up for self-esteem degradation.  We all play the comparison game, and it goes a little something like this:

Step #1 - You have an interest in someone.
Step #2 - You become friends with them on Facebook.
Step #3 - You check out their profile to find out a little more about who they are.
Step #4 - And then you see that a pretty girl/attractive guy (depending on your case) posted something on their wall or commented on one of their photos.
Step #5 - You click on that person's name to check out what you can of their profile and pictures.
Step #6 - You click...and click...and click
Step #7 - You immediately begin comparing yourself to this person and wonder why you don't have some of the things that they do.
Step #8 - You get jealous because obviously the person that you are stalking is somewhat interesting to the person that you have an interest in.  You feel like you must compete with him or her.
Step #9 - You become a little depressed and want to change the person you are so that the person that you are interested in will possibly like you more.

As much as we don't want to admit it, we all Facebook stalk.  Do you remember life before Facebook?  The relationships that we built with people proved to be more genuine.  More time was spent face to face rather than computer to computer.  What used to be one on one has now become one on thousands, and problems such as playing comparison games and jealousy are literally inevitable.  I admire those that choose to delete their Facebook accounts.  I can only imagine how refreshing it must feel...

Because of Facebook, love has become more public than private.  Each circle of friends that we have on Facebook is like a Hollywood clique.  Everyone knows your news (if you choose to display it), and gossip will spread quicker than ever before.  You are your own paparazzi and your friends are the writers for Star and National Enquirer.  Putting a title on your relationship has never been as much of an obligation as it is now.  If you are dating someone, you are automatically expected to be "Facebook official."  If someone and their significant other are not fully "Facebook official," he or she may stress out a little about it.  Trust me, I've done it before.  I don't want to sound like I'm crazy, but there is some sort of mental takeover that being "Facebook official" performs.  Love is no longer at your own disposal, but rather at the disposal of others.  In a way, you are forced to take into consideration what others think about you.  It is almost impossible to be freed by the seemingly invisible constraints of your Facebook friends.  Granted, there are people that do not use Facebook as much and do not feel in any way constrained by its magical powers, but the majority of people log in about five times a day.

It also seems that many people, especially in younger generations, no longer make an effort to bask in the glory of face time (and I don't mean iPhone face time).  So, what does this mean for love?  Is Daft Punk's song title Digital Love emulating what love will ultimately become?  As weird as that may sound, it could happen.  The intimacy of love could vanish and some concept of digital love could take its place.  This is a very futuristic idea, but is this possible?  Humans are social animals, whether it is technologically or not.  However, I believe we all long for actual human presence at many points in our lives.  If we don't have that physical presence when we desire it, we get frustrated.  If we don't have that companionship for a really long time, then we go crazy.  If you look at these statements, you can see that social networking sites isolate us from the physical world and provide us the fuel for our own insanity.

Furthermore, getting over a relationship is more difficult than ever before.  After a couple has spent so much time invested in being in love, that love does not automatically go away after a break-up.  Questions still linger and the only way to find answers to those questions without having to go through the pain of talking to an ex is to pull up their Facebook profile and stalk away.  You begin looking at photos over and over again and click on every single person you find the least bit intimidating.  The pain of memories that resurface is infinite when Facebook is involved.  This is why I am going to make this suggestion - if you have recently gone through a break-up, or still wonder about an ex from long ago, block their Facebook profile.  You will feel a million times better, trust me.  I felt like I had to do it with my ex of three years because I could not stand the pain of seeing how his life was progressing.  I felt myself still wanting to be a part of it.  Once I blocked him, things became so much easier and less stressful for me.  I have now completely moved on.  I feel healthier.

Another reason that social networking sites are so poisonous is that they provide an outlet for secretiveness and hidden promiscuity, thus possibly ruining commitments that people have made with each other.  Unless someone has a controlling significant other that demands a username and password (which sounds crazy since it is obvious that trust would not exist in that relationship), anyone can use Facebook to be sneaky.  Social networking has caused an uprise in distrust.  It really is a shame, but I am certain that this is an issue that couples deal with daily.

Although recent, these social networking developments have caused self-esteem degradation, worry of what others think, vanishing intimacy, secretiveness and distrust.  Facebook may be a wonderful invention when it comes to keeping in touch with strictly friends and family, but throwing interests, significant others and exes into the mix proves deleterious.  Relationships, love and Facebook have proven to be the equivalent of oil and water.

The Seasons of Love

Love is in the air... we have all heard that phrase many, many times, right?  Doesn't it seem that once one person claims that they are "officially" in a relationship, several other people that you know also claim the same thing?  It's really interesting.  Love seems contagious, almost like a winter cold, except with better side effects.  Not only does love seem contagious, but this always seems to happen at the turn of seasons.  When winter slowly turns into a myriad of bright yellow pollen and blooming flowers, love seems to grow from the ground too.  Or perhaps when the hot, sweaty summer transitions into beautiful different-colored leaves and perfect, crisp weather, love makes its way into the slight autumn breeze.  What is it about the earth's position in relation to the sun and its connection with love?  Is there some kind of deep meaning behind the alignment of the planets and love?  Is love really some crazy, mystical concept defined by outer space happenings (and I don't mean aliens) and that is why we can't really rightly explain it?

Perhaps the changing of seasons provides some sort of awakening within us human beings.  When we awaken to this change - something quite refreshing and seemingly magical - we begin to become interested in other things, specifically other people.  Therefore, change creates curiosity and new ventures.  These new explorations could always lead to love, which is why it may seem that once one person becomes "officially" in a relationship, the rest follow along (though not intentionally).

Also, I feel that love's mood can change with seasons.  For example, I feel that winter is perhaps one of the most perfect seasons for love, because it creates more intimacy.  Why do I say that?  Just think about it - when it is cold outside, it only seems right to stay inside, cuddle up next to a fireplace, drink hot chocolate and talk for hours through prolonged evenings.  You are, in a sense, stuck within walls, and whoever is present with you within those surroundings will more than likely get to know you and create a meaningful relationship with you.  In the summer, love seems more spontaneous and carefree.  There are more chances for summer flings because everyone seems to be more out and about and in contact with many different people.  With such interactions, the idea of a steady relationship does not seem so feasible as you are looking for exciting adventures and new people.

And then there is spring and autumn.  These "in-between" seasons seem so perfect for love.  These seasons create just the right balance of coziness and adventurousness.  Their medium-esque temperatures provide just the right mood for romance and the want to be in a relationship.  I can't explain the science behind all of this, but it is all so enthralling to me.

So the next time you feel that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon by falling in love, perhaps you should keep the seasons in mind.  This idea may sound crazy, but they could quite possibly answer some questions about the mystical feeling of love in the air.

What Can Honesty Do For You?

Although love carries the weight of various claimed definitions and bustling emotions, one feature of love that remains consistently concrete and certain is honesty.  In the absence of honesty, you cannot obtain a true love, not with yourself nor with another person.

Unless the concept and action of honesty has been repeatedly pummeled into your brain since birth, I believe it takes some time to fully realize what honesty creates.  In regards to this issue, I can speak from experience.  I feel that I am just now grasping the concept and action of honesty.  I am accepting honesty into my life because I have seen the results that it can produce.

Honesty can create initial pain and confusion not only for yourself, but for the other party too.  Perhaps the reason it takes some people so long to get in the habit of being consistently honest is that they are afraid of the pain and confusion that may accompany it.  However, although those hurting and baffling feelings bounce around in your brain, it's the after-effect of honesty that makes you feel ocean-cleansed and brand new.  The pure fact that you have no secrets to hold in and worry about relieves a plethora of stress.  Your actions, words, thoughts, and what have you are now out in the open.  That may worry you a little bit, but once some time passes, you will realize that it does not matter what other people think.  We are all selfish creatures.  Yes, it's all about you.

Staying honest with yourself and with others shows that you are genuinely interested in developing and maturing into your highest capabilities.  You will earn respect and gain trust from many people.  Some may look down on you for who you actually are, but those are the people that you should not allow to affect your life.  Rise above their negativity and be the person that you have always wanted to be.

I choose to be honest because I was once a dishonest person.  I emotionally hurt myself and others that I loved and cared for.  Since I am help-natured and carry an innate trait of helping anyone in need, I finally came to the realization that holding secrets and proceeding with dishonesty is not the correct path I should take.  I should not hurt anyone by being untruthful.

Secrets and lingering thoughts are no longer trapped inside.  I stand my ground and blurt out honesty because I know that the saying that I heard many times as a child is actually true.  "The truth will set you free."  Once you are set free by telling the truth, I promise that you will love yourself even more.  If your significant other knows that you are an honest person and he or she agrees to be the same, your relationship with one another will be much stronger.

Honesty - give it a try.  What can honesty do for you?