Life (off the record)

Moving along...

2009-07-06T11:23:00.002-04:00

Hi all - thanks for reading this blog (all six of you!)

I've started a fresh one at Wordpress to kick off my move to Santiago, Chile. Adventure's on the horizon! Hope you'll follow me on my journey.

http://www.mandiwoodruff.wordpress.com

...it's coming...

2009-05-17T20:47:00.004-04:00

No one needs to be informed about the eventless summer I have before me, hence the barren blog gap between some gaffey Biden quote in March and today. Business is slow folks! I graduated (!!!) a couple of weeks ago and have spent each day since shriveling up in Athens and biding my time until my apartment lease is up. (Word to the wise - rent a house, folks! No pesky 12-month contracts involved.)

I'm STILL looking for a part-time job. In the meantime, I've been tutoring/babysitting in the afternoons and teaching English classes (I use the world "class" loosely) to native Spanish-speakers for an organization called Casa de Amistad. This week I've got a meeting with Athens' United Way to start volunteering there as well...hey, I'm a pro at working for free. Not so much at the paying gigs yet...

So this summer, needless to say, is going to be entirely worthless for blogging.

But never fear - there are big, exciting plans in the works so stay tuned. I won't give all my plans away, but I can give you some hints.

1. It involves me cursing Delta repeatedly for their ridic baggage fees.
2. I've been dreaming of empanadas quite a lot these days.
3. It requires me to learn how to surf - couch surf, that is.
4. I'll be taking my reporter's notepad and my pocket Span/English dictionary
5. Lastly, I can tell you that it has something to do with chili - but not the one you eat.

:)

Nos vemos!

...OK, I'm not that lame. I'll tell you what I've got lined up. As of August 13, I'll be flying to Santiago, Chile for an internship with an English-language newspaper called The Santiago Times.

It's pretty much for expats but covers all sorts of news, mostly human rights and feature stories. I'm going for a minimum of 4 months (I bought a one-way ticket, so we'll see how it goes...) so I guess I'll see you around Christmas at the earliest! This is the most exciting thing I've done in a while - especially since I'm funding it myself, it was my own idea, I'm planning it all myself, and I miss South America sooo much it hurts to think there are still 3 long months between us. But I"m sure Aug. 13 will come all too soon and I'll be shaking in my flip-flops as I board the plane for what is my first solo-international trip ever. There are no safety nets for this trip. It's all on me. So, if you have any wonderful travel advice, let me know! And pass my blog along to any friends who might be interested - I'll update regularly with pictures and short blurbs about the goings-on.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Still time to work out the details! There is no greater rush than feeling as if I'm looking straight ahead into a tunnel with no idea what I will be like or where I will be when I come out the other end. Only time will tell.

VP Biden: Quote of the Day

2009-03-22T10:06:00.004-04:00

I suddenly feel a rush of affection for and the urge to punch our gaffe-happy Vice President at the same time. Here's a quote from his speech at Gridiron on the future of newspapers:

I understand these are dark days for the newspaper business, but I hate it when people say that newspapers are obsolete. That's totally untrue. I know from firsthand experience. I recently got a puppy, and you can't housebreak a puppy on the Internet.

Do you like my drag queen lashes?

2009-03-18T21:33:00.008-04:00

Adele is officially the best vocalist I've ever heard live. It gave me chills listening to her belt out her entire Grammy award-winning album, 19. Best New Artist indeed!

After a long drive to ATL with some very loud friends of mine and about a dozen sing-a-longs to NSYNC, we made it to Little 5 Points where she was playing at Variety Playhouse. Her opening act, Kameron (something), was like a short version of a sexy Steve Urkle (Stefan, anyone?). He had an amazing falsetto, but like a friend said: "I like Brian McKnight better." Quick shout out to McKnight - where you been?

When Adele finally made it on stage, the energy was so great. Who said a concert without CGI and fire blowing out of people's asses couldn't be just as breathtaking? It was all about the voice. Adele seemed genuinely nervous about the sold out crowd. We were standing about one row back from being right up under her nose and I've never been that close to an artist before. I had a great view of her "Dragqueen fake lashes" which she purchased that very day in Little 5. She wore all black as usual, with a black wrappy shawl thing and cute black jumper dress. No shoes, just black tights.

She blew the lid off each beautiful track off 19 but also did some amazing covers of Etta James's "Fool that I am" and Sam Cooke's "Keep moving on." It was great to sing a long and I was surprised how many of her songs are good for dancing.

After the show my friends and I debated whether we should stalk her outside her tour bus. I definitely wanted to! I heard before she sometimes comes out to sign autographs for fans and such so I wanted to stick it out. We were not disappointed! After about 30 minutes, she finally emerged from the bus, cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth and all awkward smiles. She was so sweet. My friends and I were about 2nd in line to meet her and we all got photos with her. Pretty sure my friend got her T-shirt signed as well. I'm not really one for autographs (a piece of paper with someone's scribbled initials - why bother?) but Adele had a sharpie and was just standing there so I asked her to sign my ticket stub. Can't get over how nice and normal she was and that accent was perfectly adorable.

All in all, what a great night! I was exhausted to drive alllll the way back to Athens and have to turn around and come back this morning for work at 8 a.m. If anything, the show made me all the more excited for Lady GaGa in April! It's sure to be a spectacle.

More pics:

Fresh Meat

2009-03-11T17:24:00.002-04:00

There is hope yet for the youngin's! The NY Times hired a 29-year-old conservative columnist to dazzle the Op-Ed page with his wit and right wing insight. Too bad its another conservative dude, but he sounds like a fresh mind with a bit of the flexibility and willingness to compromise that was missing from his predecessor, William Kristol.

The New York Times has hired Ross G. Douthat, a 29-year-old conservative writer and editor at The Atlantic, as an Op-Ed columnist, nearly two months after ending the year-long run of another conservative columnist, William Kristol, officials at the paper said Wednesday.
Asked when The Times last had such a young columnist, Andrew Rosenthal, the editorial page editor, said, “I don’t think ever.”
Mr. Douthat (pronounced DOW-thut) has written a popular blog for The Atlantic and articles in the magazine, as well as being a senior editor there, and he has had articles published in other publications. He is also the author of the books “Privilege: Harvard and the Education of the Ruling Class” (Hyperion, 2005) and, with Reihan Salam, “Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream” (Doubleday, 2008).
His writing steers away from partisanship — he frequently criticizes Republicans — or doctrine, showing a concern for income inequality that is usually the terrain of more liberal writers. On abortion, he said in an interview, “I’m sort of a squishy pro-lifer,” interested in finding areas of compromise. He initially favored the war in Iraq, but later opposed it.
Mr. Douthat will begin writing columns online in mid-April, but his job will soon include columns in the paper and a blog, he and Mr. Rosenthal said.

PROGRESS! All states please step forward into the 21st century...(Except you, of course, Georgia)

2009-03-10T16:00:00.007-04:00

Progressives, intellectuals and everybody pretty much can now rejoice! Gone are the days of mixing science with religion. Bring on the future. Stem cell research has the potential to save millions of lives and it's a pity it took this long to give it the green light.

However, like always, Georgia is going to eff up the chance to jump on the 21st century bandwagon. Will we ever get it right?

3/10/09
From the AJC:

A bill that would limit stem cell research in Georgia and define a living human embryo as a person, has a good chance of coming before the state Senate for a vote Thursday.
The “Ethical Treatment of Human Embryos Act” was approved in a Georgia legislative committee Monday, the same day that President Obama lifted Bush administration restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
Senate Bill 169 has an 85 percent chance of coming to the Senate floor for a vote Thursday, Senate Rules Committee Chairman Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville) said Tuesday.
Balfour’s committee decides which bills see the light of day in the Senate chamber. The embryo bill will go before the Senate Rules Committee Wednesday afternoon and senators will decide if it will make it onto the Senate calendar for Thursday, Balfour said.
Thursday is the deadline for a bill to pass a chamber and remain alive during this year’s session.
Senate Bill 169 defines a living human embryo as a person and prohibits the destruction of an embryo for any reason, such as scientific research. Supporters say the bill does not limit study of stem cell lines already in existence or new lines that come from out of state.
The bill would also prevent a couple who decided they no longer wanted to try to become pregnant from being able to dispose of their frozen embryos kept at a fertility clinic.
Opponents say the bill criminalizes stem cell research in Georgia and would have a chilling effect on the practice of in-vitro fertilization.
Supporters say it’s an attempt to respect life â€” even that of a 6-day-old human embryo that might have a chance to live if placed inside a woman.
Proponents of stem cell research say embryonic cells hold the potential to find cures to many serious diseases, such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and therapy for spinal cord injuries. The cells have the ability to morph into any kind of cell in the human body.

Self destruction in 5... 4... 3... 2...

2009-03-09T23:05:00.003-04:00

Today was low for me, and it wasn't just because I spent it running around the capitol following Alzheimer's lobbyists.

One of my stories got a huge smack down for being misleading. Apparently, I need to brush up on my industrialized home building code knowledge (ie: actually get some). My stomach dropped to the floor when I read the email from someone ripping my story to shreds.

I just knew I'd get fired. I had to be fired. Credibility is all journalists have to rest on, and I screwed up in a big, nasty, please-hand-over-your-reporter's-notepad-NOW kind of way. Or at least I thought.

I have to give it up to my boss, a very patient man who, to my utter disbelief, actually came to my defense. Together we talked over the story and the facts that seemed misconstrued and talked about how it happened. It reminded me of a scene from the David Glass movie, "Shattered Glass," where Hayden Christensen's character fabricates dozens of stories for the renown New Republic. When his lies begin to catch up to him, his editor doesn't start throwing staplers or clearing out his star reporter's desk. He looks up at him and says, tell me that you have facts to back up your stories so I can defend you. I want to be able to stand behind you.

It was sad because Glass was a complete pathological liar and his editor couldn't back him up. But my editor looked at me and gave me the same chance, and I was able to show him what led me astray. It was humbling and a hugely valuable lesson for me to learn.

When I first read the email, my first reaction was to email my editor and apologize. I think I said something along the lines of "this is unexcusable, I should not have blah blah blah..." What I really wanted to say is "Please, dear God, just fire me. I suck at this job. I'm a failure. I'll never find a job in this business."

I gave up on myself with a few sharp words from someone I've never met before. After I wrote the email, I ducked out of the office to finish up my Alzheimer's story, but I didn't make it halfway down the cooridor before bursing into tears.

Side note: Mandi Woodruff does not burst into tears.

I was totally freaked out by it. So, I stood next to a window looking out at the South side of the capitol and dialed my mom's number (the 911 of my life). She could do nothing obviously, but it took just a couple of minutes talking to her before I could gather up myself and walk out the door. I had to pull it together. As much as I wanted to dig a hole and bury myself Sadaam-style, I had a job to do and I didn't want to give up.

Lucky for me, a couple of people didn't want to give up on me either. It's nice having someone in your corner.

I won't take that for granted again.

***********************************************************

It also helps when your wonderful mother sends you a little edible love to greet you after a particularly crap-tastic day. Thanks, Mom.

Put some ketchup on it.

2009-03-09T00:18:00.004-04:00

Kevin told me I don't update my blog often enough, but really I just think there's not that much that goes on interesting enough to write about. Nevertheless, I'm suffering from a bit of insomnia tonight so here goes:

There's something liberating about dancing in your parents' backyard, margarita in one hand and surrounded on all sides by really good friends. That's where I found myself last night. It was an epic evening in Locust Grove. My step brother, Steve, and his fiancee Shellie were celebrating their upcoming wedding and my mom threw them an amazing Fiesta-themed shindig with catering by La Parilla and an endless, luxurious fountain of some damn fine margaritas. What could possibly go wrong in this scenario?

I was lucky the fiesta coincided perfectly with a visit from my friends Kevin and Tessa (of ASB/Storm Corps fame). Kevin drove over from Biloxi, Miss. Thursday and I drove him to Atlanta for the Britney Spears concert. Loved seeing how giddy he was before/after the show ("Omgomgomg I died like a million times!"). It was amazing seeing him in general since it's been nearly a year since my last spring break doing hurricane relief with United Way in SW Lousiana.

So, the party was fabulous and not all that awkward, given I barely know any of my step father's family and they outnumbered my mom's side pretty handily. No worries, we broke out my amazing iPod selection (slightly awkward when the Lion King and Little Mermaid soundtracks started playing...hehehe) and turned our patio into a dance floor. For the record, salsa dancing is harder than it looks. Also for the record, Kevin KayJay Jones and my roomate Denechia make one hell of a dancing duo.

Anyway, my mom was gracious enough to buy us a hotel room for the evening. Due to it being a race weekend and us being so close to the track, there weren't many hotels to choose from. But I don't really think any of us minded (did I mention the margs?).

Kevin is driving home to Mississippi as I write this and I hope he's got enough red bull to make the 8-hr drive a bit less tiring. See you in April for Lady GaGa, Kev! This time we are hitting up the club so bring that nice shirt again.

Sadly, no spring break for me this year. Not in the traditional sense anyway. It's strange to think I've spent each SB in college doing hurricane relief and this year I'll be working. Sad times. I'm going to miss everyone at ASB and thinking of them next week. So to Eric, Tessa Jo, Cody, Kevin, Ryan, Jessica, and all the other Storm Corps alumnus still going strong and giving back to the Gulf Coast, I love you guys and hope you all kick ass next week.

On that note, going to try to get some sleep now. Work Monday-Wednesday and then heading for Panama City Thursday for the wedding!

'Nite.

Whatever He Likes...

2009-02-23T15:26:00.004-05:00

Never a dull moment as an intern. Got to cover T.I. (aka King of the South) Friday on his latest venture to brainwash kids across the nation into thinking he's a role model.

Don't be like him kids. Don't do drugs or get caught with a bunch of guns. But yeah, he's fly and he's got a milli-a milli-a milli and he can have whatever he likes. You don't want to be rich like Clifford Harris and break the law. You get easier prison sentences and get to walk into the GA Supreme Court dressed like a hoodrat (what would his mother say, really?) and you even get trusted to mold young minds.

Really, it's a bad deal kiddos.

On a more serious note: I did actually enjoy his talk. I think he's talented and could serve the youth well if he got his life together. Here's to hoping 366 days in federal prison does the trick.

On a more hilarious note: Loved seeing journalists whip out their disposable cameras and picture phones to snap photos! One guy put down his notepad and barely wrote down a thing; he was just listening to the man speak. (In my own defense, I only took video in hopes a newspaper might want it for online. Alas, no takers.)

Makes me wonder what would happen if Obama visited one day. Would I be too awestruck to do my job? Hope I get the chance to find out.

Srsly?

2009-02-06T13:08:00.000-05:00

This chick should be deported.

Truth

2009-02-06T13:04:00.003-05:00

He speaks it:

"I don't care whether you're driving a hybrid or an SUV. If you're headed for a cliff, you have to change direction."

- President Barack Hussein Obama in a speech to Democrats in Williamsburg, Va.

Capitol Punishment

2009-02-02T11:52:00.001-05:00

Legislators can smell a news intern a mile away.
So can seasoned pros I rub elbows with in the Senate press box.
Might as well wear a sign on my forehead: Green reporter here! Feel free to give her the run around!

Bit of good news...was published in three newspapers last week, including photos I took during Capitol Tech. Not too shabby. Learning something new everyday. For instance: When you bypass security at the Capitol without your press pass on, they will, in fact, stop and search you and then look at you suspiciously from there on out. Smells like trouble.

Great lede of the day...

2009-01-28T15:06:00.004-05:00

"PHILADELPHIA – A destructive winter storm left more than a million customers in the dark before barreling into the Northeast on Wednesday, delaying flights and turning the morning rush into the morning slush as communities braced for the worst."

Who says journalism is nothing like poetry?

My life is a comedy of errors

2009-01-27T12:59:00.005-05:00

(I stole that headline from someone's Facebook profile.)

There, I've confessed. I am a terrible liar. Can't even lie about a silly quote.

Like today, when I knew very well that I did not have my assignment for Spanish lit class (one of THREE Spanish lit courses I'm taking this semester- matarme por favor) I couldn't look my professor in the eye during the entire hour. When, just before we were dismissed, he made his rounds and took up everyone's papers, I ducked my head and slipped out the door. I couldn't tell a story about my aunt passing away (which, sadly, is true) or even make one up about a broken laptop, busted printer and lost bulldog bucks card. I'm a whimp. A whimp with a screaming conscience. A whimp with a screaming conscience that will never shut up.

I digress...I'm in my second week of school and the new job covering state legislature. It's been interesting so far, but my boss is a bit scatterbrained since he fired all his reporters last December and has been pulling everyone's weight since. I feel bad for the guy and the guys that I, a lowly intern, have replaced. I am doing their job for $7.50/hr and probably not doing a very good job at that. But this makes me hopeful for my future in journalism. If they're firing all the expensive, seasoned reporters because they can't afford proper journalism, then by all means, please hire the young and inexperienced! I know I'm getting assigned a helluva lot more stories now than had there been four pros to compete with.

I don't think I'll ever get tired of walking past the capitol; it's actually pretty thrilling. You feel like you're going someplace exciting, some small part of the machine of government, one tiny screw in the engine of change....

And then you realize you're stuck outside your office with no key card to get in because your boss (who is busy writing 10 bajillion stories) didn't have time to issue you one.

Comedy.
Error.
Life.

Turn left at Capitol Hill...right into History.

2009-01-19T02:05:00.008-05:00

Finally pulled into DC around midnight and made it to Kim's home in Maryland shortly after. I managed to get turned around somehow thanks to a poor satellite signal that turned my GPS into a worthless talking box on my dashboard ("Recalcualting, recalculating..."). But my mix up led to a detour through downtown DC that was more than welcome. Women in gowns and men buried beneath thick woolen trench coats crossed the streets, going to or from some grand ball. I suddenly felt that tingle of anticipation, starting in my fingers as they drummed impatiently on the steering wheel and ending up stuck in my throat in a giddy bark of laughter. This is it, I thought. History. And I'm here.

The epilogue of Dreams From My Father was Obama's speech from the 2004 Democratic National Convention. I had never heard it before; I only knew it as the defining moment in his career. That rare twist of fate when magic, inspiration, ambition and guts come crashing together. And from the explosion emerged a movement. Led by a man who would go on in four years to represent the future of a nation.

So, it's past 2 a.m. and I am heading to bed. But I'll let him have the last word tonight. Because Obama understands -- as well as Lincoln, Frost, Shakespeare, Dr. King and other leaders did centuries before him -- the sheer power of the spoken word. That it can change the course of a people like a strike of lightening.

To me, this was the acceptance speech for an election he did not yet know he would run.

It is that fundamental belief -- it is that fundamental belief -- I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper -- that makes this country work.

It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family: "E pluribus unum," out of many, one.

Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.

Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America.

-- Barack Obama, 07/27/04

Top O' the Hill (Day One of D.C. Roadtrip)

2009-01-17T20:03:00.006-05:00

After dragging myself out of bed this morning, I kissed my mom goodbye (promising to be careful) and hit the road -- Inauguration bound. It was a pretty uneventful six hour drive to my friend Tessa's apartment in Chapel Hill, NC. I listened to Dreams from My Father, Barack's first memoir. It was nice reclining behind the wheel, his smooth baritone keeping the road rage and fatigue at bay. It's hard to say if I'm excited or still a little in shock since Obama gave his epic victory speech on that cold Chicago night Nov. 4. Everything changed. And nothing changed, too. We knew then that the worst and the best were both yet to come. And he had squared his shoulders to receive the burden of a nation, tall and calm, a mountain in the face of an avalanche.

But he's not in this alone. We'll dig ourselves out of this mess the same way we got into it -- together.

Family Differences Beneficial

2008-12-08T23:27:00.004-05:00

Dedicated to my beautiful blended family.

Family differences beneficial

By:

Posted: 12/4/08

Every holiday season I split myself in two.

As a child of divorce, I plan Thanksgiving and Christmas day with my families like the Secretary of State might orchestrate meetings with two warring countries.

My younger brother and I put our heads together to plot.

How much time should we spend at our dad's this year? Can we still sneak out in time for turkey with my mom's family?

Despite her denial, we know our mother would deem it nothing short of treason to be late and miss our uncle's sausage stuffing.

This year's Thanksgiving was particularly tricky - our dad's extended family was visiting. Tell me all you want about how families should understand our situation, but you haven't ridden shotgun on one of my aunt's guilt trips before.

"Why are y'all leaving so early? Don't you want to see us? Why don't you visit more? I know UGA ain't that far from Atlanta."

They were still laying it on thick as we bolted for the door with our heads ducked low, dodging cousins like land mines.

It's not that I enjoy one side of the family more than the other, but, during the holidays, I have to please both. To make matters worse, they are different as night and day.

It's to be expected from blended families. My mom's side is full of white southerners by way of the Midwest, most of whom are still nursing their wounds since McCain's tragic Election Day defeat.

It's a culture shock to leave the soulful smells of cornbread and baked ham at my dad's house for the dry red wine and Food Network-inspired gourmet of my mom's family feast.

Usually the differences are easy to ignore, but as much as I can divide my time, it's impossible to separate one side of myself from the other - black from white.

This year was no different.

At my mom's Thanksgiving dinner, my aunt's elderly mother was regaling the room with tales about her quirky neighbor - "That black" - who helps with her yard work.

Cue the awkward coughing. The chatter screeched to a halt, and I could almost hear my aunt's silent screams: "Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Did they hear that?"

My brother and I just glanced at one another, smirked, and turned back to our pumpkin pie.

We're used to it.

It happens with every racist joke my uncle tells or story about how my aunt's mom refers to blacks as "Nigras."

Sometimes I wonder if they think my mother divorced the black out of my brother and me along with our father.

In a column Wednesday, Marc McAfee asked readers, "Will you risk ridicule, even a fist fight, to take a stand, or will you let [racist comments] go?"

Standing up to a drunken idiot who crosses the line is one thing. It gets a bit sticky when the idiot is sitting across from you at the dinner table and used to help change your diapers.

After dinner, my aunt put her hand on my shoulder and said she wanted to make sure I wasn't offended by her mother's comment. I shrugged.

Like any good diplomat, I have to pick my battles. Was it worth it to rage at an aging grandmother who has spent 80-plus years stuck in her ways?

Probably not.

Whether or not you agree with me, it's a choice I made to keep the peace. My mother's family knows where I stand, and they are wonderful people who accept my brother and me wholeheartedly.

Any time different ideologies and cultures come together in one room, friction is inevitable. The holidays are a constant reminder of the differences between us, which is true for all blended families, I'm sure.

But I try to see it as an opportunity to build bridges rather than moats. If having a black niece or granddaughter helps my family members reexamine their own ideas about race, then that's a beautiful thing.

I don't have to throw food or give lectures. Just by making time to be with them, I'm showing them there is no "us" and "them."

There is only family.

- Mandi Woodruff is the associate news editor of The Red & Black.

"Never Coming Home Again?" -- A Column

2008-12-08T23:21:00.002-05:00

I should preface this column by saying this was the first time I'd ever written about something personal for a public audience. It was strange and emotional and I nearly chickened out. In the end, when I received so many messages/emails/calls/notes from people who identified with my story, I couldn't imagine a better reward. Special thanks to my brother for helping me get over myself and just write.

Never coming home again?

By: Mandi Woodruff for The Red & Black

Posted: 11/24/08

My big brother Matt always left the toilet seat up. The disgusting plastic bottles he used to spit tobacco were all over the house.

We ran to our mother with our arguments - both adults yet still pushing and shoving like toddlers. Matt brought out the fire and claws in me - all good big brothers do, I suppose.

As we grew up, he would torment me until I ran from the room crying. I would flaunt my straight A's as he hunched over his homework, crippled by the ADD that's plagued him since infancy.

When Matt enlisted in the Army five years ago, my family was relieved to see him do something productive with his life other than wear a dent in our living room sofa and drink all the milk.

Our grandfather, a World War II veteran, shook Matt's hand proudly before he boarded a plane to Baghdad. Our mother cried. Our grandmother clutched her like a life raft, her eyes wet and bloodshot. A camera flashed.

I stood to the side. A lifetime of sibling rivalry had forged a rift between Matt and me that I wasn't quite sure how to cross. But the clock was winding down, he was leaving soon, and with a burst of rare emotion, I wrapped my arms around him.

"Bye, little sis'," he said, towering over me in his uniform and boots. "Stay away from boys."

He was gone for a year, when he came home on leave. I was taking a summer course. One day, a classmate, whose boyfriend was fighting overseas, did not show up. The young man whom she spent most classes gushing over would not be coming home, our professor told us.

I stumbled from class, my tears falling to the pavement like silent bombs. I ended up somewhere on North Campus before I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Matt's number.

"I just want to say … " I was sure I would hyperventilate before I got the words out. On the other line, Matt waited impatiently. "I just want to say that I love you."

It took one girl's loss to make me realize how much I had to lose if Matt found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stupid sibling rivalry or not, I knew it would destroy my family if he was not a part of it.

These days, even from thousands of miles away, Matt still manages to annoy the hell out of me - only now it's via webcam, which unfortunately denies me the satisfaction of punching him when he steps out of line.

As I sat at my cubicle at The Red & Black recently, reading the Associated Press, I came across a headline and froze. "Bomber strikes U.S. convoy in Afghanistan … death toll: 9."

I read such stories every day - 30 civilians killed by a suicide bomber at a market in Baghdad. Dozens injured in a raid in Kabul. Gunfire. Massacre. Explosion. Attack. Murder. Killed. Killed. Killed. Never coming home again.

Others can turn the other cheek, head over to Perez Hilton for a few laughs and a break from reality.

But I quickly signed into Yahoo! Messenger, the only way to get in touch with Matt these days. Nine dead. My mind raced. What if it's my brother this time? What if it's our family, our grief, our lives shattered?

"shut up i'm trying to get ready ofr work," Matt wrote in his usual sloppy, disjointed type.

I breathed again. It was 3 a.m. on his side of the world, and I was the obnoxious little sister distracting him from his work.

Never again will I take this role for granted.

- Mandi Woodruff is the associate news editor of The Red & Black.

Shout out loud

2008-09-03T01:14:00.004-04:00

So I wrote this editorial column for this week, but then Gov. Palin had to go "out" her pregnant daughter and I had to scrap it. But I'd hate for it to go to waste, so here it is. Do enjoy please.

Hear that noise?

That’s the sound of a glass ceiling shattering at America’s feet.

Like watching Hurricane Gustav pummel the Gulf Coast, we all knew this was coming.

Hillary Clinton all but obliterated the centuries-old glass barrier in her bid for the Democratic nod for the presidency, setting the stage nicely for the next lady worthy of the challenge.

But when John McCain announced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate last week, I didn’t do a happy dance or cheer with my girlfriends.

I cringed.

My first instinctive reaction was suspicion—of course McCain would pick a woman merely to even up the odds of his being elected. Did he really believe Palin was the right person to stand just one heart beat away from the presidency?

Then a pang of giddiness mixed with disbelief hit me.

I support a Barack Obama, but the woman in me stubbornly wanted to cheer for Palin, and I was eager to learn more about this woman of whom I knew pretty much nothing.

Like millions of Americans, I pickede up quickly on mention that Palin was a former beauty queen turned mother of five and an avid fisherwoman, but I was annoyed to hear political analysts all but clap McCain on the back for making such a brilliant strategic move.

Perhaps, they speculated, the 18 million voters Clinton claimed at the end of her campaign would flock toward the next set of double X chromosomes to take the podium. That, they said, could be detrimental to Obama’s campaign, with women usually making up the majority of voters in presidential elections.

I considered throwing the remote control at Wolf Blitzer’s face.

I didn’t want anyone assuming what my decisions would be for me. So I did some research on my own about Palin.

It took only 15 minutes on Google to realize without a doubt that any true Hillary supporter wouldn’t stomach the idea of letting Palin within a 100 miles of the Oval office.

It’s like comparing apples to oranges, paper to plastic, soccer moms to CEO’s.

Let me break it down for you:

Last week, Plain told newsmax.com—speaking with near Bush levels of eloquence—

that global warming was not something she “would attribute…to being man-made.”

She is firmly pro-life, opposes same sex marriages and is all for capital punishment.

Clinton, on the other hand, has been long committed to upholding Roe V. Wade. She won the backing of much of the LGBT community by speaking out in support of their civil rights.

Palin has been governing a state of 700,000 citizens for under three years. Clinton has represented 19 million New Yorkers for eight years in the Senate.

You get the picture.

With their differences so blatantly obvious, I’d be disappointed if women rallied around Palin just for the sake of supporting a woman.

We don’t have to throw away our personal ideologies whenever one of our own gets a shot at the big time.

That was the whole point of women’s suffrage, after all—that we as women have the right to vote based on our own beliefs.

Palin and Clinton have spent their careers fighting against the limitations of their gender in what used to be a “Man’s world”.

So for me or any other woman to rally behind them because they are females goes against everything I believe their success stands for.

I respect Palin for what she’s achieved, but I won’t let an invisible bond of sisterhood tug me in a direction I don’t believe in.

this is who i am

2008-07-08T08:29:00.003-04:00

This is probably one of the most important books I've ever read.

From one Settler to the rest

2008-06-25T10:07:00.006-04:00

"There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born there, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something ….Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness, natives give it solidity and continuity, but the settlers give it passion."

-E.B. White

I heart NY

2008-05-31T23:06:00.009-04:00

There's something to be said about a place where you can spend $5 on a loaf of bread, $13 for a movie ticket (matinee, no less) and hear 75 different languages all in the span of about 15 minutes. If I ever felt small standing next to the ocean, I feel about as big as an ant in this city, and though I have three months to take it all in and explore, I don't think I'll ever be finished. I haven't even started my internship yet, but that will be a whole other adventure to take in, one for which I am splitting my emotions between terror and elation. Terror that I'll fall flat on my face and be exposed as the green amateur that I am and elation that I actually have the chance to do just that. Since I am here interning with a group through the American Society of Magazine Editors, I have the opportunity to live and meet other people going through the exact same experience which is rare and unique and very comforting. Finally, I feel like everything I've been working for in college for 3 years is going to pay off and if I succeed this summer, then my plans post-bull dawgs will be set in stone - I have to live here, simple as that. I have to be here every day, walking these busy streets and paying too much for cereal and getting caught in muggy city rain showers on the way to the subway. I want it all. I knew when I was 16 that I would be a journalist, so sure of myself that I made no backup plans if I didn't get into j-school and listened to no one who tried to tell me I would get paid nothing and be miserable; and I am thrilled to have found the place where I know I will spend the best years of my life growing up and learning in this industry, climbing up the ladder until I reach the top. In the meantime, the view from the bottom wrung is pretty nice.

The People's Prez

2008-05-19T09:47:00.003-04:00

The race is coming to a close and I've been quiet about it for a while, but I could not be happier with the way things have gone. Obama has faced some major obstacles (eg: Rev.Wright-gate and this week's ridiculous accusations from W) and emerged on the other side a stronger, better candidate than when this spectacular journey began. In the beginning, I supported Sen. Obama based on a gut feeling, a faith that I acted strongly upon and for which I faced constant criticism. I got those stares, you know, the ones that said,"Oh, you poor thing, you must not know better." But if anyone understands how it feels to have his beliefs tested and ridiculed on a regular basis, Barack Obama is that person.
Now, more so than ever, I believe that he is more than a talented, inspirational politician and Time cover boy, more than a devoted husband and father, more than an image of what the future of America should and will be. He will be the People's President. Pundits and the media will continue to speculate about his experience, but mark my words, in 2009 when he takes his oath and carries his beautiful family into history, this country will change. For once, we will have faith in our president. For once, we'll believe that America really is the land of dreams as it has oft been fabled to be.

Blowin in the wind...

2008-04-19T19:08:00.011-04:00

Little things in life.

The road home...

Coffee break @ workVintage.

Friendly faces.

Hmmm...questionable

2008-03-29T00:56:00.006-04:00

I don't quite know what it is about people in general...but we do a lot of stupid things. We say things we don't mean, keep inside what we feel and when we feel inadequate and weak...we lash out at others to try and fail to bring ourselves back up.

It's a vicious cycle that I have been guilty of at times; but recently I feel like I've been the brunt of many people's insecurities and I, unwittingly, have been letting them drag me down a slippery slope. They say misery loves company, but don't come knocking at my door anymore because no one will be there to answer.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent - that's what I've had to repeat to myself over and over these past few weeks. It's pointless to let another's negativity infiltrate your life to the point where you don't know why you feel upset anymore. You may have nothing to be ashamed of but just the presence of that person can knock you down and leave you breathless, unsure about yourself and even your own life.

All I can say is that if you're feeling down on yourself or lost- look in the mirror to find the problem. Don't blame it on others or try to make them feel as if they are the ones with the issue. Nine times out of 10 the culprit is you.

Girl on a horse

2008-03-21T21:58:00.003-04:00

Portrait taken in Athens, Ga. Thanks to Leslie (and Bella, of course) for being a good sport!

Painting or Photo?

2008-03-12T23:39:00.002-04:00

Photo.

Cameron Parish, LA
2.5 years after Hurricane Rita wiped out every last home on this beach.

It's (Alternative) Spring Break, Baby!

2008-03-07T17:42:00.005-05:00

Happy Spring Break people!

I can't quite put into words how grateful I am to have a week away from college, work and responsibility for once! I literally ran out of a midterm Thursday morning and rushed to the airport. I threw my bookbag on the floor and felt more liberated than I have in months (how sad is that?).

I'm spending my break, once again, working with United Way in Hurricane Rita/Katrina relief in Lake Charles, LA. I'm two days away from beginning work, but I can't wait to get started. Being around the best kind of people in the world doing work that is truly about a community and not for individual gain is something that I only get to do once a year during my spring break. I really hope to be able to continue doing this for as long as I'm able.

Today we heard stories from Hurricane survivors, and even though I'd like to call myself a 'three year hurricane relief veteran', I realize that these people are the true vet's. They came out on the other end of a tragic natural disaster that could have consumed their lives and their livelihoods and they are still going strong today.

Anyway, I'm stepping off the soap box now. This year I am the team leader for a crew of 10 volunteers - it's a little daunting, but I can only hope that they leave feeling as inspired to do more in their communities as I did when I began this journey three years ago.

Wherever you are this week, whether it's on the beach or rebuilding homes, I hope you are staying safe and having a great time! :)

Who'd a thunk?

2008-03-03T07:34:00.003-05:00

Sunsets over the beach? Neh. Sunrise over the mountaintops? Kid stuff.
Starburst pattern coming out of your refrigerator? Now that is beautiful light.

Calm, Cool, Collected....Hello Mr. President

2008-02-26T22:58:00.003-05:00

Tonight's final debate before the Ohio and Texas primaries March 4 between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton solidified Obama's stance as the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The ball was in Hillary's court tonight and she dropped it. In a feeble attempt to appear tough and aggressive, she came off desperate and slightly maniacal (note the borderline sociopathic laughter). Obama took her jibes in stride, his tone remaining even and cool throughout the debate. He answered every question with balance and clarity, sidestepping the swipes Clinton aimed at his foreign policy and inexperience. In fact, he came off stronger on foreign policy than she did in my opinion. Like always, he told it like it is.

Clinton has run a fierce fight, but her momentum, whatever's left of it, is rapidly dwindling. While she focused on being snarky and trying to appear larger than she really is, Obama let her look like a certified maniac and did not rise to her bluffs. It's this behavior of Clinton that worries me most about her.

Obama made a great point about her being ready to given into Bush's desires on Day One when she voted for the war in Iraq - and I can see how she might have thought that voting for a big, grizzly war would make her seem all tough in Congress. But I don't want a president who's only going to rise to occasion or act rashly because she is trying to prove herself to America or the outside world as a viable leader. That's the same kind of crap that got us in this war. Obama could lead with his eyes closed and still have it all in control - his cool demanor tonight bolstered that perception. He is solid and confident and that is more important in gaining the respect of foreign leaders than standing up with his chest puffed up and an army tank behind him. He needs none of that to lead - he will use his head and his heart and some good old fashioned common sense. The man has IT.

His performance was the final blow to her campaign, I think, and I am anxious to see how Texas and Ohio vote next week. No matter the outcome, Obama proved himself tonight to be the level-headed, firm and honest person that America needs to see in the White House.

Come on NY Times...are you a leader in news or a follower?

2008-02-25T21:48:00.004-05:00

Several weeks ago, the New York Times, the leading newspaper in the the U.S., announced its endorsement of Senator Clinton. OK. I let that one slide. They probably felt some sort of attachment to her since she's NY Senator.

But, please, guys...when you make a decision you need to stand by it. In the past week, the Times has printed an article blasting Clinton for her floundering campaign and just today, they have a piece at the top of their Web site championing a poll that found Obama as the candidate most likely to defeat McCain.

Waffle much? I am all about Obama (I think you've probably inferred as much by now), but I would expect the NY Times to at least stand by their decision to back up good ol' Hitlery. They are the mecca of all American news and as such they need to step it up and assume that role. I was even disappointed to see them put McCain under the microscope for "maybe, kinda sorta, probably" having relations with a female lobbyist. What happened to cold hard facts, my friends to the North?

I think this serves as an example of what can happen when news organizations endorse candidates too soon. Personally, I think that it's our responsibility not to endorse anyone. We're supposed to be the ultimate source of objective news, and endorsing is a clear attempt to sway readers.

But I could be wrong. Maybe by turning a burning lens on Clinton they are trying to prove how unbiased they can be even after they pump money into a presidential campaign. If so, then bravo. But then why endorse at all? Clinton only stands to lose and Obama gain. Aren't you defeating your own purpose???

Mentioned articles:

Somber Clinton soldiers on as the horizon darkens:

Polls show Obama is seen as more likely to beat McCain:

Out on a limb...

2008-02-20T23:24:00.003-05:00

I think I'm getting the hang of photojournalism...
I was driving around searching for beautiful light for my next assignment and then I looked up and saw this kid...dangling from a tree! It was perfect. I immediately did a U-turn and asked him if he minded if I photographed him for a class project. After about 120 frames, I was sure I'd gotten a beautiful shot and was ready to leave...when an evil farm man came storming in on his 4 wheeler! He accused me of trespassing and threatened to call the cops on me for photographing his land. It was classic, with his little hound dogs at his side and everything...I was hard pressed to keep from laughing. I wished him a good day and hightailed it out of there before he pulled out his rifle. What an evening...but it was worth it for this amazing photo!

When it rains it pours

2008-02-17T22:45:00.008-05:00

I can still remember the smell of Fridays when I was younger...like drafts of fresh cut grass blowing in through the school bus windows on the bumpy ride home, the scuffle of dirty shoes skipping rope on cold concrete, the feel of mud caked under my fingernails and the thud of my backpack as I flung it to the floor to be forgotten for the next 48 hours.

I miss the days when the weekend was the light at the end of a seven week long battle against the rest of the world. These days, it's nothing but an extension of an already overwhelming work week. Sometimes I thrive more when work is plentiful and the familiar pangs of anxiety propel me out of bed each morning. But there are days when I lie in bed, letting time tick by while I think about what would happen if I did not get up, if I let the world get on without me for just a few more minutes. I usually get up anyway, probably out of fear of getting an answer. But today I didn't. I called in sick to work. I never do that. I slept until 1:30 (p.m.). I never do that either. I could hear storm clouds rolling in outside my window, billowing overhead and carrying sleepy, halfhearted sun rays in through the blinds and I welcomed the excuse to snooze longer.

In the past months I have been hit by more bricks and stones and walls than I can count, all warning of danger ahead if I continued on the path I was on. Finally, about a week ago I decided to listen. The invisible voices I imagined were pushing me forward disappeared. I learned to listen to myself for once and do what I wanted. It seems simple but I actually had not realized that my life is my own to live. No one is telling me what to do or how to do it. I had control all along even though I envisioned myself a slave to some higher power.

I snapped and I'm not going back to where I was. It gets tempting, I admit, to let the current convince me with its gentle ebbs and flows to go along with it down a distant pathway. Sucking up my courage and turning the other direction is the hard part, but it gets easier with each day as my muscles clench and tighten, growing stronger and propelling me against the current.

I'm getting back to balance, to the journey I started two years ago. Maybe the direction I'm going is different than everyone else. Maybe I won't have the picture perfect transcript or the job everyone wishes they had. But I will be happy, and that's true success in my book.

"When it rains it pours but when you shine it dries."

Where do we go from here?

2008-02-16T11:18:00.004-05:00

Keep holding on NIU.

My brother the Youtube Whore

2008-02-15T00:02:00.000-05:00

Hello Lovers...Love today!

2008-02-14T05:08:00.006-05:00

I can not ignore today. So I've take an proactive stance and made cupcakes for the newspaper and brownies for my friends...just trying to spread the love!

So, for all you single lovers out there, don't let yourself get lost in the storm of confectioner's sweets and stuffed animals today. Take the time to show the people you love, family, friends, etc, that you care about them.

Besides, the world could use a little more love these days.

Why not start with yourself?

In the words of Mika, "Everybody's gonna love today..."

A picture can say 1,000 words

2008-02-08T20:36:00.001-05:00

Some of the most breathtaking images taken around the world in recent months.

Northern lights (aurorae borealis) in Canada.
(Image via nationalgeographic.com)

A Narwal whale captured in Nunavut, Canada.
(Image via bbc.com)

A deceased gorilla carried out of the jungle in the Congo.
(Image via bbc.com)

Breathtaking shot of a mother and her son bathing in the Red Sea.
(Image via bbc.com)

You simply can't get better than National Geographic photojournalism. By keeping the shutter open on their camera for hours rather than seconds, photographers are able to capture the orbit of stars around Earth at night. Makes me want to be an astronaut...
(Image via nationalgeographic.com)

Yes, we can

2008-02-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

One short video has never summed up the power of Obama as this. Whether you vote Democrat or Republican tomorrow, the important thing is that you vote. But when you do, remember who reminded us young Americans that we have the power to DO and ACT rather than ACCEPT and LISTEN.

YES WE CAN.

Well that's embarassing...

2008-02-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

So I'm studying for a communication law exam @ the Library...thinking that I should listen to something soothing like Beethoven. Once I've been listening for about 5 minutes I feel a tap on my shoulder.

"Um...excuse me ma'am...your headphones aren't plugged in."

Oops.

At least it wasn't something loud and obnoxious.

May he rest in peace, not in scrutiny

2008-01-31T00:10:00.000-05:00

When someones passes away, it's time to remember them for what they did best in their lives - the children, spouses and families they left behind and the positive qualities that made them a great person when they were alive. It's time to celebrate their lives.

It is NOT the time to go banging on the tired drum of scandal and selling disturbing footage of that person at a drug party, doped up and out of their mind - TWO YEARS before they died. As if that footage could possibly relate to his death...and if it does, it's absolutely none of our business.

The conduct of Entertainment Television and The Insider is completely unforgivable. How can they exploit this dead man - who provided the world with remarkable work as an actor and was by all accounts a loving human being - in such a demeaning and unethical manner? Why now?

Somewhere in the world, his family is stricken with grief and his baby girl will face a future without her Daddy. They are still trying to cope with the devastation that they lost a vital part of their own lives. The media make me sick to consider myself part of their world...this is not the business I have chosen to dedicate my life to.

Please, let this man rest in peace, not under the microscope of critical America. He and his family deserve that at the very least.

R.I.P. Heath Ledger

All "Hitlery" jokes aside...

2008-01-29T02:31:00.000-05:00

I can not hate Hillary Clinton. She is a strong woman with passion for bettering our nation. Will I vote for her on Feb. 5th in the Democratic primary? No. Do I think she would make a great president if given the chance? Sure. But my faith rests in Barack Obama. Hillary is far too entrenched in the political stratosphere...and I cringe to think of a presidency where she sits in the oval office with her smarmy, adulterous husband pulling the reigns from behind. I'm not saying her run as NY Senator was in part due to Bill, but this is a different playing field. He's going to get in that White House and get that taste for power once again and try to go back and right all his wrongs from the 90's, and we can't allow that to happen. This is about moving FORWARD, not looking behind. Obama will take us into a new future. Hillary, while an amazing politician, will try to improve the status quo in Washington. Obama will obliterate it.

So that's part of my reasoning for my decision in this election. If all hell freezes over and Obama doesn't get the Democratic bid for president, then I will surely cast my vote for Hillary. But up against Obama, my choice is clear. Sorry Bill.

Check out two of my favorite actresses, America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn, interviewing Hillary outside of the SC debates.

I like her better without her "attack dog" nipping at her heels.

Spoken like a Champ

2008-01-28T23:57:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama repsonds to Bush's final state of the union address. It's a sample of what's to come when he's elected President in 2008. In this 5 minute video, he displays more honesty and intelligence than Bush has in 8 years of "leadership." This is the man who will bring about change I can believe in.

Eat that Billary

2008-01-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

Kennedy Chooses Obama, Spurning Plea by Clintons (NY Times, 1/29/08)

Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s endorsement pits members of the nation’s most prominent Democratic families against each other.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/28/us/politics/28kennedy.html?ex=1359262800&en=f89fefaebba086bf&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

The Green Children

2008-01-28T12:50:00.000-05:00

http://www.thegreenchildren.org/tgcf/index.php

A pair of amazing individuals who are using the power of music to work alongside with Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the father of microcredit and founder of The Grameen Bank, in promoting microfinance worldwide.

Check them out and learn how you can become a Green Child.

Congolese

2008-01-28T12:44:00.001-05:00

Just how much more devastation can the Congolese suffer before world leaders decide to do something about it? After the end of civil war in 2004, millions more have died from bloody rebel warfare, disease and poverty. The image says it all...this isn't about shock value. It's about reality. This is the face of the Congo and many other nations in Africa. What are we going to do about it?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/world/africa/23congo.html?ex=1358830800&en=0f191ccc903d0bb7&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

My black or my vagina...

2008-01-28T02:48:00.000-05:00

A lot of news sources have been upsetting me lately by their blatant disregard for the intelligence of black women of America. They say we have only two choices in this election, either Barack Obama because he's black or Hitler-y Clinton because she's a woman.

This is a load of bull, and I wrote an editorial for my campus newspaper on my feelings about the subject of race, gender and politics. Will this election ever be about the issues?

Check it out here:
http://media.www.redandblack.com/media/storage/paper871/news/2008/01/25/Opinions/Race-Not.Important.In.Voting-3167666.shtml?reffeature=recentlycommentedstoriestab

Yes we can!

2008-01-28T02:35:00.000-05:00

Obama is on the road to the New White House...

After a landslide victory in South Carolina over Hitler-ry Clinton, Obama is now one giant step closer to the top, ladies and gents! I've followed this incredible man's journey for two years now, and I can not wait until Nov. 2008 when he finally realizes his dream and the dream of America - we want change and he will deliver it. Yes we can have the America that we want!
Regardless of who will become the Democratic candidate, America has already shown the Republicans that their time has finally expired. Democratic primaries are drawing hundreds of thousands more voters than any Republic primary. Excitement is building...

Listen to Obama's most inspring speech to date. I've seen him on three separate occasions bring inspiration and heart into the power of his speech, but never has he been this amazing. You can't help but be inspired and uplifted.

I can haz...

2008-01-28T02:30:00.001-05:00

Oh snap...I made a LOLcatz picture! This is Luna...my 10 year old cat who has bitch tendenices. Literally.

I know it's probably not healthy to find http://www.icanhascheezburger.com as funny as I do...but what can I say? Everyone needs a guilty pleasure.

A new soul

2008-01-28T02:10:00.002-05:00

If you haven't heard of Yael Naim, you should check her out. She's one of my favorite new artists. I don't pretend to be a music expert, but I like what I like and it's usually an eclectic mix.

www.myspace.com/yaelnaim

Hola Compadres

2008-01-28T01:51:00.000-05:00

Hmm...so this is my first crack at the blogging phenom. It's been an exciting new year...well, not so much exciting. Different. A lot of change is happening, in my life and the world around me and I feel the need to blab about it. Stay tuned...