Inspiration.

Upon receiving the sad news of the death of one of my favorite and most inspiring professors at UNC, George Rabinowitz, I took a while to reflect on what I'd learned from one of the greatest teachers, scholars and individuals I've ever had the honor of knowing. After much contemplation and getting the urge to write my myriad of thoughts down somewhere, I can truly say that, despite being just another number in a 250+ person lecture hall, my future most likely began in the back row of George's introductory course to American government during my first year at Carolina.

My freshman year began like most others', full of schedule tweaking, juggling studying and socializing, and becoming accustomed to the busy life of a college student. Like many other optimistic 18-year-olds, I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life: I was hell-bent on breaking into the medical field, pursuing a degree in pharmacy so I could sit back and relish in my six-figure salary after a day of dishing out pills and reading up  the oh-so-fun topic of chemical interactions.

Remembering that -- along with diving headfirst into my career studies -- I also had to fulfill the typical liberal arts requirements, I frantically searched high and low through the undergraduate bulletin to find a class that even remotely sparked my interest. Seeking the advice of the much wiser upperclassmen, I'd heard some positive reviews about POLI 100, a beginner's course on the general structure and interworkings of American politics. And I'd also heard that it was "easy." What college student isn't looking for a GPA booster? I knew that within my self-convicted, science-obsessed soul I would need a safety net in case things went south in biology and chemistry. So I signed up for the class, since I was slightly more interested in politics than your average college student anyway, and my older brother, having made his way through law school, knew the ins and outs of the political science curriculum at UNC. When I told him my professor would be George Rabinowitz, he told me I'd love the class. At the time, I didn't know just how much truth this opinion would hold.

One of the first things I learned when making the transition from high school to college was that a few professors, as opposed to high school teachers that merely "taught to the test," actually had a passion for what they were teaching. They sought out students who wanted to come to class and cared about the material as much as they did, and that enthusiasm shined through in their teaching styles. George was one of those few, and, despite that conviction that I "loved" science courses, I actually enjoyed dragging myself out of bed and trudging to my political science class every Monday and Wednesday. I looked forward to George's mix of subtle humor and his extensive knowledge of politics. Though he was probably one of the most intelligent scholars in his field, he never taught with a condescending, "you-should-know-this-already" style. He was friendly and open to all students; if you needed extra help, he would be there. His tests were challenging, and yes, we even had to read a novel on the worst topic ever: tax reform. We all groaned and complained (who could ever even turn tax reform into a novel anyway?) -- but secretly we all probably enjoyed it just a little, because we were being educated. I was most interested in George's lectures on elections and voting behavior, and I was fascinated by his development of the directional model of voting. He made the complicated things simple. And as I delved deeper into politics, my interest in science and the like began to tarnish.

All in all, the class did help my GPA, but it went much further than that. George's enthusiastic attitude towards a subject that so many would find mundane and his passion for educating pushed me to sign up for a few more political science classes the next semester. When my first year at Carolina came to a close, I had a solid GPA and had done well in my science classes, which, of course, is what really mattered... right? But after a few weeks of being home for the summer, I began to second guess myself (to my great chagrin). I liked politics, but there was no way social science mixed with physical science. I couldn't major in both subjects, because it would most likely be a waste of my time.

But, one night, after reflecting on my year and on the ways I'd been challenged to think critically in my political science classes -- and especially George's class in particular -- I took a leap of faith and dropped every single one of my science classes for the next semester. Am I crazy? I thought. There was probably no way I could get into the classes I'd need to be in if I just switched my major on a whim sans any advising. And considering the huge wait list for the science classes, there was definitely no way I could get back into the classes I'd just dropped.

But by some miracle, it worked. I found my way into many of the classes I needed, and, thanks to some inspiration from George, I'd already taken a few of the classes I was required to take for the political science major. I'm now a second-semester sophomore, one class away from completing the political science major, with hopes of attending law school upon graduation. I don't think I could be any more satisfied with my studies, nor could I be any more convinced that this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life.

Though I never got to know George one-on-one, I felt like I really got to know him personally. He taught his classes as if you were the only individual in the classroom, never rushing through lectures and always stopping to answer any questions. If I'd never signed up for that first political science class, I'd probably still be blindly and half-heartedly working my way through chemical equations, falling asleep somewhere between helium and carbon on the periodic table. Thanks to one of the greatest professionals and people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, I'm confident that I'm putting my best foot forward and my entire heart into something that I know will be rewarding as I pursue my career goals, and for that I'll be forever grateful.

We'll miss you, George.

Colorful.

An even more interesting follow-up article from the last blog post is here.

Anyway, I had such a perfect weekend! The weather Friday afternoon was absolutely gorgeous, and what better way to spend it than throwing colored powder and water all over people with my friends? :) A campus-wide celebration of the Hindu spring festival of Holi was held in Polk Place, and it was such a wonderful way to bring everyone together and to have tons of fun at the same time. The festival is also a symbol of the loosening of social stratifications and honors the energy and life of the spring season -- which I felt like was totally appropriate considering the amazing spring weather and all the energy I've had lately!

We clearly had fun afterwards at the Old Well, too. :)

Spent the rest of my weekend with a sweet boy watching the NCAA Tournament games and being entirely too lazy whatnot. I am always overwhelmed and amazed when I think about the luck I've had in snagging such a great person who never fails to make me laugh with our similar sarcastic humors or treat me like a princess, haha. I don't remember a weekend where we didn't have a great time, whether we're doing everything or nothing special at all. It's amazing how happy finding that one person can make you feel and can change your entire outlook on life. I can honestly say I have never in my life been happier with everything. :)

Only 5 more weeks of classes, which absolutely blows my mind! I've been feeling a little burned out lately, but  by some miracle of God I still have As in all of my classes, which would be great to keep up for just those last 5 weeks! This semester has proved a world of difference compared to the last in terms of productivity when it comes to my school work and my personal life. Amazing what the right combination of happiness, motivation and a change of scenery can do for you!

A world apart.

It's pretty amazing how two countries can have two completely different perspectives on the exact same issue.

Case in point:

About 6,700 miles separate Tokyo, Japan from New York City. Right now, those 6,700 miles are serving as a buffer between the different effects that Friday's 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Sendai and triggered tsunami waves from Asia all the way to the Pacific is having on people around the world.

This really came to my attention today during one of my journalism lectures. As a side note (and don't get me wrong), there is of course a huge overlap between the U.S. and Japan when it comes to lending a hand and extending sympathies and aid to those affected by the quake. Tons of Americans, as well as the Japanese, are doing their part and helping in any way they can, whether through prayer or through donations. But naturally, we ultimately aren't as negatively affected by the tragedy as those who live on the coast of Japan. We don't "know how they feel," because we've never experienced anything like it (and hopefully never will).  It's not that we don't care, it's just that we don't understand.

Where the Japanese see unequaled tragedy, we (in addition to tragedy) see politics and economics.

This morning my professor -- as opposed to pulling an article about the massive devastation that will take years to clean up, or one about how the death tolls are now expected to rise into the tens of thousands --  showed us an article about the positive effects the disaster had on the U.S. stock market. The Dow Jones Industrial rose nearly 60 points Friday, a relatively modest gain, but a gain nonetheless. And lumber companies and manufacturers who produce materials needed for construction are about to reap some serious monetary benefits from such a tragedy. Oil prices fell below $101 per barrel as demand lowered in Japan, surely exciting some Americans and serving as the silver lining in the disaster that we only make passing remarks about, as we're all 6,700 miles removed from any real danger.

In the words of my professor: "As sad as it may be, there is some real money to be made in natural disasters."

It's not right and it's not wrong, just fairly interesting.

You know what's super depressing?

Returning to your 8 a.m. class after sleeping in until at least 11 a.m. every day of spring break.

Bittersweet things

Ah, such a relaxing spring break! Got to catch up with my favorite people, spend time with the boy I'm head-over-heels in love with and watch lots of basketball. It was a tough Carolina loss to swallow today, that's for sure, but I'm really hoping we can turn around and translate the loss into some positive energy for the real tournament. I'm not ready to give up just yet.

Lots of work to do in the next couple of weeks; I am absolutely blown away by the fact that there are only 6 weeks of classes left. The two 10-page papers I have and a few more exams are seriously going to suck, but once I get those out of the way, this semester will practically be over. Crazy how time flies...

On a side note, I'm really noticing how much more, eh, "grown up" I'm feeling and becoming lately. There are times when so much happens at once that you can literally feel yourself changing, and I've definitely had a few of these moments recently... I like it.

Plan for this week: crackdown on studying, get back to the gym, stay focused. Ready, go.

Also, can I just say

that I am loving Blogspot so much more than Tumblr, Wordpress, etc. right now! The features and stats are so fun and up-to-date!

Here we go again...

Well, this will be about my third or fourth attempt at actually maintaining a legitimate blog. By legitimate I mean one that consists of content with some sort of substance as opposed to me merely slapping up useless pictures and tons of quotes that don't reflect much more than severe laziness and unoriginality. I am much too interested in journalism, politics, worldly events and the like to keep my thoughts bottled up inside my head. (More importantly, I talk entirely too much already, and I feel as if I'm doing my friends and family a great service by rambling to the internet rather than to them.)

We'll see where this goes...