What I want to do with my Journalism Minor

So, here at the Morningside Activities Council you may call me Princess Rice. Since i am the public relations officer.

At work, I’m called a model, but they know me by my number: 01832786

In the future, besides wanting to be a famous author, I want to be a manager at Hollister and hopefully make my way up that corporate ladder.

Besides that VERY solid plan, there’s actually something else that i want to do with my life.

I want to travel the world, listen to music, make friends with everyone everywhere. I don’t want to be stuck in one place. One dead end job, working during the day when all i want to do is write and live my life. I want to be in a place where i always feel welcomed, where i don’t have to follow anyone’s standards, but my own. SO….what is it that i want to do?

You may call me the Merch Bitch.

I understand that may not be the nicest name to call myself, but i feel like that is a proper term. I don’t know. I just feel like when dealing with a ton of crazy fans things will go insane and people will try to steal things while dealing with other people. So, being a bitch when necessary seems like a good idea. I could be a bitch an di could be the nicest person in the world, if i tried. Haha…no joke though being the merchandise girl for a band on tour. Seems like the perfect fit for me and I’m okay with that.

Write, travel, live, be with music, hang with bands. Can this be my life?

Nothing Lasts Forever, Not Even the Live Forever Tour

News Article – Media Comparison

The Vermillion based-band, Paradise Fears, wrapped up their first full-band headlining tour October 1st. Touring with opening acts Hollywood Ending, Against the Current, Nick Thomas and William Beckett, its sad having it all come to an end. Paradise Fears has been on 13 tours prior and switching roles from being an opening act to being the headlining performer was definitely an experience for the band. For the past two months, making 32 stops across the U.S.  they officially completed the tour in Minneapolis, MN.

The written part of the article strictly talks about the tour, traveling, a bit about how the band is doing, what we can look forward too, and to always keep your head up. When talking about the tour it mentions the audience and how they are on stage. Discussing travel and how the band is doing, Sam and Cole explain how they, as a band, get closer and just make due by always being around each other. Also adjusting to having a new drummer with them, but loving every second that they spend together, learning new things along the way. Then it mentions that they will be releasing a new album early 2015, for something fans can look forward to. Then to conclude the article it leaves you with positive comments and the last thought:

“Live it up. Tomorrow could be completely different.” -Cole Andre, Paradise Fears – Guitarist

Completely different from the article itself, is the interview that goes with it. While the article is a quick 5-10 minute read, the following interview was a whooping 27 minutes! The article follows the interview in chronological order, but a lot of it is cut out.

The 27 minute audio interview talks about about the band writing and covering music. How they find things by other artists really cool and what better way to get your name out there by covering songs that people already like. Just to make it a little different, they add in their own kind of life into it. They mention their Lorde cover, how they mashed-up the two songs, but added in their own verse. Breathing in their own kind of life into already popular songs.

Then they talk about their hometown, Vermillion, SD. Going into different memories, what they see now, and how it was home. Sam, the lead singer who now lives in LA, when he goes back says when he is there it is like he is walking through a place he knew. None of them feel like they are too big for Vermillion, because it will always be home. The place where it all began. It’s just a weird feeling being back there. Seeing people they knew, but now know nothing about.

Lastly, it went into college and if they could would they go back and actually go to college. This was mentioned in the article as well, but a solid point was proven by Andre. The band is a lot like college for them, as college is for us. While college gives us new opportunities and different doorways, the band gave them that exact opportunity.

How you can’t study something you hate. Applying this to Paradise Fears, how can they do something they hate?

We’ll hear more from Paradise Fears soon enough. After the second leg of their Live Forever Tour, stopping in 23 different places in the U.S. the boys deserve a break. They’ll be back at it soon enough, with an album coming out in early 2015. They don’t get a lot of time to themselves, but now it’s time for the boys to go get some rest. We just have to believe in them to get this album out on time.

“I intend to live forever. So far, so good.” – Steven Wright

Article and Audio Recording: http://volanteonline.com/2014/10/paradise-fears-wraps-first-full-band-headlining-tour-prepares-upcoming-album-release/

College Students and the Need for Sleep

Article #2 – Final

Sleep is important, but is it your top priority? As important as sleep is, getting the right amount of sleep is even more so. The average time the body needs to sleep is eight hours. Not saying everyone needs to sleep eight hours, it’s just the average. Carol Garvey, Morningside’s Nurse, says, “Seven to nine is rejuvenating.”

When asked if college students need a lot of sleep or not, Garvey replied: “Everybody needs the right amount of sleep. We know college students are way behind on sleep and it’s a cumulative year after year. You can never make up lost sleep.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“Really?”

“You can never make up lost sleep.”

An interesting argument made by the nurse. Of course, not everyone has to believe it, but it does make a lot of sense. The body only works off of one night’s rest and does not retain sleep from other nights. This all has to do with the REM cycle. The REM Cycle is considered a full cycle of sleep for the body. Everyone gets to the REM Cycle at different points of sleep. Some may get a full night’s sleep at six hours, others at eight, maybe even some at five.

Paige McKern, a junior at Morningside College, is involved in a lot of things such as: holding the Secretary position on Morningside’s Student Government, Entrepreneurship member, a residence assistant in the Plex, manager at the Morningside Post Office, an associate at American Eagle, full-time student, involved in Morningside Activities Council, homecoming committee, and that’s just a few of them.

With her busy life style, she has a planner to keep her organized, and without it she would be lost. Between all of these things, she tries to get eight hours of sleep, but some days she is only able to get six. Paige says that she is able to function with six hours of sleep, but her best abilities are when she’s had eight.

An interesting idea: “If people used that hour in the day time, where they didn’t nap. Instead did their screen work, their homework, wouldn’t that buy you an hour in the evening to not do homework, but to sleep?” A point brought up by Garvey, because if you did your homework during the day instead of napped then you would then sleep better later. You would then sleep better when it was time for bed, because you wouldn’t have to worry about finishing your homework for it will already be done.

A way to get a good night’s rest, not only reduce the number of naps taken during the day, but practice good sleep hygiene. Good sleep hygiene is finding a nightly routine for you and sticking to it. This will help the body prepare itself for a good night’s sleep.

Some things that should be in the routine would be to wake up at the same time every day and on the weekend, wake up within the hour. Instead of napping during the day, do the procrastinated homework. Right before bed limit the amount of screen time you get and instead of staring at a screen, switch it out with a book. Also, don’t drink much or any caffeine or alcohol, because that will throw off the sleep cycle.

Take all of this with a grain of salt because everything affects people differently. There are a lot of rules to getting a good night’s sleep, but a good night’s rest never came easy. Now we leave with this quote from Paige McKern that everyone may relate to is: “Sleep is wonderful.”

Crowd Member at Your Own Risk

News Article!

I’ve been to plenty of concerts, but none will compare to Mayday Parade’s show in Omaha, NE this past year. I don’t know if it was the fact that i would be seeing my favorite band LIVE or maybe it was because i met them all before the show. Either way, nothing will compare to this show. It was on a level, no one would understand unless they have been to a show like this.

The one thing that stood out from this show was how reckless the crowd and performers were. The crowd moshed and crowd-surfed. While the performers stage-dived and crowd surfed. Stage-diving is dangerous, but apart of this music world. Being at Mayday’s show, I saw it all. I was at the front, right on the edge of the stage. I was bruised, sore, and surprised i didn’t have broken ribs by the end of the show.

I remember it like it was yesterday. One of the lead singers of an opening act said he was going to do flips off the stage is the crowd got really wild. He was apart of an unknown band, but i think that was the best part of shows. Is that when they are new and are surrounded by a group of people who love the same music, people will be wild anyway. He did a solid two flips off the stage and i lost him in the mess and then his stage manager came out, grabbed the cord to his mic, and as if it was planned the crowd lifted him up into the air and he looked like the statue on the top of a building.

I have no clue how he got back on stage, but he did. Even before then people were crowd surfing and the place was crazy, but it wasn’t until Mayday Parade came on where things would get outta hand. I understand that the debate on stage-diving is a tough one, but when is it enough?

When Mayday Parade came on stage, I knew the consequences of where i was standing. I was right next to the stage, people wanted that spot. I was pushed up against the stage, while the wind got knocked out of the girl next to me, and i was not about to give up my spot. I swear. Then for a split second things went black. I popped back up from the crowd and pushed everyone back. Someone was crowd surfing and knocked me in the back of the head. Where my face went straight into a speaker and I felt my teeth hit the edge of the stage. I tasted blood and in that moment i thought i had chipped a tooth. The person that was crowd surfing, was taken back and around to the crowd. What a crazy moment.

Other artists have made claims that stage-diving and crowd surfing is dangerous. Which is the only upsetting thing, because they want all of their fans to have a good experience at their show. Alas though, crowd-surfing and stage-diving is just part of the atmosphere about being there. Even at Warped Tour this past year, each stage had a sign that said: “No moshing/crowd surfing. You mosh, you crowd surf, you get hurt, we get sued, no more warped tour.” But in videos you can tell that people still did just that.

I was in that situation where i got hurt and i still don’t mind crowd surfing. Crowd surfing, stage-diving, and moshing are all at your own risk. Going to these shows you have to know what you’re getting yourself into. Personally, i don’t think it should be banned. It’s what made the experience fun and unforgettable. Just because one person is hurt and miserable doesn’t mean you have to make everyone miserable with you. Simply put.

Article: http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/should_stage_diving_be_banned_musicians_respond // http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/should_you_jump_on_someones_head_more_musicians_weigh_in_on_stage_diving

The World Tour

News Article!

Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens just announced that they are going on tour with special guests Beartooth and This Wild Life.

Two bands in the same music scene sounding nothing alike have joined together to set up an awesome tour. Pierce the Veil, an emo-inflected post-hardcore outfit seem a bit rough around the edges while compared to Sleeping with Sirens. Who happen to fall on the more melodic side of the post-hardcore world. Both bands manage to create a whirlwind of emotion with their yearning and aggressive blend of metal and emo influences. As rough as they seem to be, they are all teddy bears.

They will be traveling most of North America starting November 5th all the way to December 6th. Then, they will be taking a break and will continue their American tour on January 23rd up until March 4th. Where they will then leave March 20th to continue their tour in Europe, which will conclude on April 11th.

Tickets are on sale right now for the first part of the North American tour and for the European section as well. The VIP tickets are currently available for the second leg of their American tour and the pre-sale for just admission tickets start Friday, October 3rd.

Article: https://www.facebook.com/events/535498776580641 & http://www.theworldtour.info/

College Students and the Need for Sleep

Article #2 – Draft

Is sleep your top priority? Everyone lives a life that is different as they are unique. Being so different, there is no way we are in the same room as the other person. It’s a mind thing, you may be in the same room as them, but your minds are in different places. With the different way our minds work, it’s the same when it comes to sleep. The average time your body needs to sleep is eight hours. Not saying you need eight hours, it’s just average. Carol Garvey, Morningside’s Nurse, says, “Seven to nine is rejuvenating.”

Sleep is important. When I asked her if college students need a lot of sleep or no…she replied: “Everybody needs sl-,” she laughs, “The right amount of sleep. But, um…College students, we know, proven that they don’t get- They are way behind on sleep and it’s a cumulative year after year, you can never make up lost sleep.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“Really?”

“You can never make up lost sleep.”

An interesting argument made by the nurse. Of course, not everyone has to believe it, but it does make a lot of sense. It all has to do with the REM cycle. The REM Cycle is considered a full cycle of sleep. Your body needs to get every night. Everyone gets to the REM Cycle at different points of sleep. Some may get a full night’s sleep at six hours, others at eight, maybe even some at five. Paige McKern a student, for instance, says she can function at six hours of sleep, but her best abilities are at eight hours of sleep.

Paige McKern, a junior at Morningside College, is involved in a lot of things such as: holding the Secretary position on Morningside’s Student Government, Entrepreneurship, a residence assistant in the Plex, manager at the Morningside Post Office, an associate at American Eagle, full-time student, involved in Morningside Activities Council, homecoming committee, and that’s just a few of them. With her busy life she has a planner and without it she would be lost. Between all of these things, she tries to get eight hours of sleep, but some days she just gets six.

“Is too much sleep a bad thing?”

“I guess it depends on the person. Because some people like have a hard time getting to sleep. So it could be varied on that, I know I fall asleep within five minutes because I am never completely fully really caught up on sleep.”

A tip Carol would like to share is: “If people had that hour in the day time where they didn’t nap instead did their screen work, their homework, use your 8-5 time do that hour, wouldn’t that buy you an hour in the evening to not do homework and then you would sleep better because you didn’t nap.”

Practice good sleep hygiene and wake up at the same time every day. On the weekends, wake up within the hour. Find a routine and stick to it. It’ll help your body prepare itself for a good night’s sleep. Take less naps during the day and instead if napping, do your homework. Right before bed, limit your screen time and instead of staring at a screen switch it out with a book. Don’t drink much or any caffeine, because that may then throw off your sleep cycle and same goes for alcohol. Everything affects people differently, but these are just some tips to help get a good night’s sleep. Last, I would like to leave you with this Paige McKern said, “Sleep is wonderful.” And I think we can all relate to that.