Discovering Politics

I grew up in a strongly Democrat household. My mother ,who grew up in Haiti where her mother was principal of the American school there, went to graduate school at American University in Washington D.C. for International Affairs is very into politics and my earliest memories of politics have always involved my mother and her strong opinions in matters such as health care and 3rd world development. My father is native to Italy and received his citizenship a few years after marrying my mother is also very political more in regard to Italian politics but is also very liberal when it comes to U.S. politics.

When I was younger politics to me was just that some people are Democrats and other Republican. It all seemed very divided to me. Now I focus more on Political articles and matters that deal with the county as a whole and try not to get caught up in the debates between liberals and conservatives. I used to feel very detached from politics but after voting for the first time in the recent election I felt a lot more connected and able to have some control. The first time I felt politics hitting closer to home was in high school. My best friend's father was a State Representative at the time and was involved in a minor scandal that started a media frenzy in our town. She would have to sleep over my house some night because reporters would swarm her front yard on a daily basis and everyone seemed to have an opinion on the matter. I would watch her and her family standing beside her father as he held press conferences on the news regarding the matter and I became much more interested in my local politics because of it.

Seeing Gender

I was laying out by the Casa Monica pool the other day reading the newest issue of Glamour magazine when I came across an ad that literally made my jaw drop. I have seen a lot of sexist ads before particularly in the fashion mags I read but this one was just so blatant. I wish I had come across it during our advertisement presentations earlier in the semester. It was an ad for the new Vitamin Water which is only 20 calories. The ad said in the center "Because the little black dress is little." Implying that the black dress is only for those who are "little" and if you are not "little" than obviously you should cut back your calories so that you can appropriately where it. The ad gave the assumed idea of a women projected on us that you have to be a certain size etc. to be considered beautiful or feminine. I did however find another ad in the magazine that gave perhaps a more empowering message. It was for a diamond ring company targeting single professional women making the diamond ring for the "right hand" as opposed to just for when you get a husband and he gives one for your left. The slogan was "raise your right hand" showing a well dressed woman raising her hand showing off her diamond she bought for herself.

I typically don't let advertisements and the media affect my own view of what it means to be a woman but its hard to ignore the many different and at times contradicting ideas that come at me every day. It seems the most prominent roles a women can play are the Madonna or the whore, without leaving much in between.

Forming a Style

I am a fashion junkie so getting dressed I must admit is more than just putting clothes on for practicality, but at the same time when you develop your own style pieces fit together and you spend less time putting stuff together. I am an avid reader of magazines like Vogue etc. so a lot of my style is inspired by current trends and my own accents to keep the look my own. My roommate and I share similar styles so when we get ready we just jump back in forth from each others closets putting outfits together by combining each others clothes and accessories, to be honest it is probably one of my favorite things to do.

When I am at school I choose comfort but still some thought goes with it. Rarely will I wear sneakers, but its always sandals or ballet flats (I am 5'11 so heels aren't necessary unless I am going out...) A night out means putting together something fun I have never worn before I am a big fan of simple flattering clothes, in black mostly, with unique statement accessories. I recently got a pair of black suede flat knee high indian boots that I have tried to work into all of my outfits lately. I like girly dresses, skirts, and headbands worn with an edge like a leather jacket or studded belt. I guess my style is all over the map but I know what its not. I rarely will ever be in a ponytail. I wear jeans only in fall or winter for the most part. It takes a really beautiful shoe to get me to wear them if their uncomfortable. I have pretty long legs so things that aren't that short look shorter on me so if its an unreasonably short dress or skirt its not in my closet much to my roommates dismay (she is 5'5 and all my dresses are too long on her.)

I beleive that everyone puts thought into what they wear whether they admit it or not. Style in my opinion is taking current trends and putting your own spin on them. For example, while me and my friends all have a similar style there are certain things that make each of them individual. I always have my italian horn jewelry on and usually black, Hannah wouldn't be Hannah without her high heels (no matter what, even at the beach despite my making fun of her), Laura always has her pearl earrings and usually a scarf, and Brooke always adds her Ray Ban sunglasses and nike dunks in outrageous colors (even with dresses). I think that you can still be "casual" while being stylish.

Interpreting Technologies

The most important media device in my life would have to be my cell phone. More than just a tool for calling people etc. it is an iPhone so I can have all of my music, videos, and photos in the palm of my hand. I am able to access the Internet on it and use it as a GPS for the many occasions that I find myself lost on the road. It is my day planner as well as my way of texting and calling those people I can't see regularly while I am here at school or away.

Little conveniences like being able to show a friend a photo on my phone or looking up a concert date or flight time without having to use my computer make it so much more than just a communication device. My phone says that no matter where I am I can feel " in touch." It feels like home being able to have my music and photos with me wherever I am without having to have a seperate device for holding each. It is in a way an extension of myself and my personality. It has more features than the standard cell phone which makes me feel like I can express my personality through it better.

Reading Places

If i took some time to "read" our school's library I would note that I usually just quickly travel through the lobby never using the computers down there if I need to do serious work because it has a more social atmosphere, people are going in and out, stopping to chat with friends at the cubicles. The third floor is more conducive to working, it is quieter and it means that I am going to really dedicate some time to my work. The rows of computers, printers, scanners, macs, and bright lights all say this is a place for studying and working, with the occasional kid watching TV online with a big pair of headphones. Kenan hall ways mean rushing to class and having to focus. The plain halls indicate that the building is meant only for going to one of the classrooms that line the halls, but the minute I step outside the big wooden doors it means finding my friends in the little crowd that forms before and after each class period and then either waiting around for another class or rushing off to our cars to savor the rest of the day when classes are done. Going to a place like Panama Hatties or some other Saint Augustine bar the message is always clear, buy and drink a lot of beer or alcohol and then socialize on the deck or inside on the stools. The dance floor is meant to attract people to stumble over and interact. Each of these places sends a different message and has people acting in different ways, without knowing it maybe, the places we go to condition us to act a certain way depending on the setting.

Connecting with Celebrities

When I was growing up there was no other option then becoming an actress, I dragged my mother to countless auditions and acting classes all over.  I idolized actresses like Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman,  Claire Danes, Jodie Foster and many more talented actresses who spend more time making films than causing tabloid drama and partying.  I thought I would faint when I met Natalie Portman at a coffee shop in NYC one summer when I was 14.  She was in front of me in line and after staring at her for what seemed like 5 minutes I worked up the courage to say hi.  

I never really thought I would be the type of person to be so star struck but I have to admit I was. I think it was the surreal experience of seeing her in the flesh and not just on the TV or on the cover of Vogue.  I think she is beautiful and she has the type of unique beauty you just don't see a lot  she doesn't fit a stereotypical Hollywood starlet mold.  When she is on the screen her performances always manage to captivate me and keeps her allure.  I am intrigued by her personal style and the roles she plays on screen.

I am perfectly content with knowing that I besides that chance meeting in NYC odds are I will never really know her or meet her again.  I am a fan and our relationship consists of me admiring her work and wanting to see more of it.  I know some people who become obsessive with being close to our meeting celebrities,  I think that can be very unhealthy and it becomes more about finding the person or being at the hip places they could possibly be than just enjoying what you liked about the celebrity in the first place.

Identifying With Music

I would have to start with my deep obsession with Sting & The Police. I think I recieved it from my mother who is even more obsessed, she saw them at a small club in Dallas when she was 18 and the band wasn't very famous yet. When I got to see them live with her years later it was amazing. I love that I can identify with music that my 45 year old mother enjoys. I would describe my musical taste as an eclectic mix, which is why I love the unique sound of Sting & The Police, they have so many influences from Reggae to Rock & Roll.

In highschool my style and the music I listened to went hand in hand. I remember alot of days blasting Sublime on the beach with friends. My boyfriend at the time, who I was in love with by highschool standards, got me into alot of beachy, dub, reggae rock bands such as Pepper, Slightly Stoopid, Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, and OPM, and classics like Bob Marley, Damian Marley, The Fugees, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors. The music makes me think about him and how I was at that age. I still listen to all these artists but I also developed my own taste for Indie rock, British Rock, and alot of old school hiphop artists. I strongly identify with the Strokes, Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Radiohead, the Kooks, Spoon, and Arctic Monkeys.

I feel like when I was younger the music I liked had a part in what I wore. Very beachy, hippie inspired looks but always with an edge. Now I think it plays less of a part, I have been told I wear alot of black and I guess I do, maybe it has to do with my love for Johnny Cash? Regardless my clothing style is not affected by my music taste as much as it used to be. I don't watch MTV shows like TRL, however in highschool I did watch alot of Fuse TV because the music on the countdowns were more my style. I go to concerts as much as possible, there is nothing like seeing your favorite bands live. Back home in Miami I would go to this great little club called The Culture Room. I liked it because it was a very small venue so you could connect with the artist you were seeing on a more intimate level than you could at an amphitheatre. When I started going out to night clubs I developed an appreciation for House music as well. The clubs in South Beach for the most part all play House and Techno but there are also alot of dive bars and clubs that cater to a more indie scene.

I feel like as I get older my music taste grows and evolves, I identify with different types of music because different things are happening in my life. I'm not really sure what my music taste really says about who I am. I know that music is a huge part of my life and that I am a really emotional person and certain songs really get to me. I am attracted to music that evokes strong feelings or emotions. I like anything with funky, eclectic sounds. I enjoy reading magazines such as Rolling Stone or Spin because I want to work for a music or fashion magazine when I am older. My friends listen to a lot of the same music, my friend Rachel goes to FSU but we keep in touch by emailing eachother playlists to download, it's fun seeing what new music she discovered that I can get into and which ones we both discovered even though we are far apart.