Juicy Campus: Is it really necessary?

Last night my roommate came into my room with a very sad look on her face.  She told me that she had just spent the last 45 minutes comforting one of my friends.  My roommate said that our friend had been a thread on the website Juicycampus.com.  After hearing those words, I knew it could not be a good thread.  Our friend was listed under the “fattest girls on SMU campus for 2008”.  After reading the horrible and degrading comments that people posted for this thread, I thought to myself: “What if I was in that situation?  What if I had read those mean comments about my?”  My friend who was blogged about on juicycampus.com is a very strong person for hearing those mean comments.  I could never be that strong; I would have been an emotional wreck for weeks.

Threads on juicycampus.com are sometimes things that people wouldn’t even dream of sharing with their best friend behind a closed door.  Do you think people would post information on the website if they knew it would be traced back to them?  Liability is a term that is inexistent in the realm of anonymous threads.  A moral compass is completely disregarded once a person knows there will be no repercussions for whatever they want to say about another.  Do college students really need an anonymous website to trash talk each other?  Apparently we do. 

While writing this blog, I was reminded of a quote from Mean Girls.  After Cady Heron spent months of sabotaging her friends, she had a revelation and said: “Calling someone fat won’t make you skinner.  Calling someone stupid doesn’t make you any smarter.  And ruining Regina George’s life definitely didn’t make me any happier.   All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.”  I completely agree with that statement.  Do people really need to bash another to feel better about themselves?

Help wanted.

I have somewhat of a problem and I would love your opinion on my situation.  We have been here for almost a month now and my roommate already believes she wants to transfer to another school.  She says she is not only homesick, but she also is not having fun at SMU.  I know I am a bit homesick, but I am making the best of my situation.  I somewhat feel responsible that she is not having fun, because I am her roommate.  But I believe that I have tried everything.

In my opinion, SMU has been a lot of fun for me because I love going out and meeting new people.  But, my roommate does not like going out.  She said she does not like “standing in the crowded fraternity hallways” or “the smell of the bars”.  My roommate does not drink alcohol, and I don’t think that someone has to drink to have fun.  But whenever we went out, I could tell that she felt uncomfortable when people would offer her drinks.  She seems like the girl that does not like to go out, so I knew I didn’t want to pressure her.  Instead of having fun going out, I knew that I had to try something else.

I thought that we could go out to dinner somewhere nice, instead of the routinely trip to Umphree Lee.  But she always seems to make excuses such as, “I have too much homework” or “I can’t find a restaurant that I want to go to”.  I feel responsible that she is not having fun, so I thought we could see a movie.  We watched TV for a while, but I knew that the movie would sometime be over and I would be stuck back in the same situation.

I talked to her about it and asked her if I could do anything to make her feel less homesick.  She gave me no feedback.  I thought that instead of getting involved in the social scene, she should get involved in the programs SMU offers.  She applied for a community service chair through the school and did not get it.  I encourage her to still try to get involved, but I think her confidence dropped after she did not get other position.

I don’t want her to transfer because I know it will slowly get better for her.  I try to include her in everything I do, but we prefer to things differently.  I know that once she joins a sorority she can get involved and make a lot of friends.  Until then, I don’t know how I can help her.  I believe I have tried all I can do.  Maybe I have not.  Any suggestions? 

I commented on Genesis' "To Go or Not To Go, That is the Question"

The Appeal of Gossip Girl

Tuesday night over 2,600,000 people watched the highly anticipated second season premiere of Gossip Girl.  For those who do not know of the scandalous show, Gossip Girl revolves around the socialites of New York City.  The show resembles the television show, The O.C., except the setting is the east coast.  So what makes Gossip Girl better than similar shows? Why is it so compelling to watch?

In my opinion, Gossip Girl allows us to partake in our superficial fantasies.  The show appeals to teenagers; it touches subjects such as sex, money, fashion, and drinking.  In the first season, some issues the producers crammed in include an attempted rape, a pregnancy scare, a drug addiction, an eating disorder, a suicide attempt, a lost virginity, and lots of blackmail.  Surprisingly enough, the characters involved in these situations were between the ages of 14 to 18. 

The producers casted attractive new stars that represent archetypal characters with classic story lines.  The teenagers are like celebrities; their lives are public to everyone.  They live in a world where their lives are broadcasted online, like celebrities are gossiped about in magazines.  The show pulls you into a world with fabulous parities, unlimited credit cards, personal chauffeurs, and gorgeous friends.  In my opinion, the most addictive aspect of Gossip Girl is the reoccurring delicious web of friendship, jealousy, scandal, and distrust that entangles the teenagers.