Twitter!!!!!!

This experience with Twitter was something very new to me.  Before getting my own for this class, I had heard a lot about it and "tweeting" but I had never even thought about getting one.  I heard that it was a social media networking tool that was something where you would just update and write a status about what you were doing or thinking or anything you wanted to say.  I have a Facebook and I rarely even change my status on there.  I guess I just figured that it would be a waste of time changing it both on Facebook and Twitter.
During this experience with Twitter I wouldn't say that I disliked it a lot, I would just say it is something that I don't know if I will continue.  I do not have Internet on my phone so I have to log-in on the computer and that takes up time as is so I think I will stick to Facebook for my status updates.
I must say though that I did enjoy looking at what everyone else was tweeting about and the fact that someone can post a URL or a link to something interesting.  I liked keeping up with other Hixson students as well as Iowa State and I was able to write either what was on my mind,  a reply back to someone else or writing some of my favorite quotes.  I am also a huge music person so I always seemed to tweet about songs I was either listening to at the time that seem to distress my life, or artists that I absolutely love like Jason Aldean! :]  Today, I also starting following Justin Bieber. That may be weird to some people but it's really not :]  But, that is another reason why I like Twitter.  You can follow celebrities and see what they are doing on a day-to-day basis and stay in touch with them.

My profile: http://twitter.com/#!/kelleyjamison
Assigned reading website:  http://www.balkhis.com/twitter/25-reasons-why-someone-should-join-twitter/

Diversity Event! :]

On October 4th I attended a Diversity Event led by Aldo Magazzeni.  I didn't know what this even was going to be about but after attended it I'm glad I did.  Aldo explained to us and told us about his nonprofit organization that he started called "Traveling Mercies."  His work has included the installation of a well in Eldoret, Kenya; water systems, day care centers and safe shelters for women and children in the Herat Province of Afganistan; and the installation of water catchments for the school buildings at the Tashirat Orphanage in Tepoztlan, Mexico.  Aldo's love of community service really guided him and led him in the right direction to start his non profit organization and truly push for what he believes in.  Aldo told us during his presentation that he once sold his BMW to raise money to build a water system.  That really shows, once again, how dedicated and determined he is about what he does.  Aldo said quote, "...to do something is to do it clearly and whole-heartedly."  He is the type of person that wishes to help people and hopes that people will see how far he came along to do what he did to help people who need it around the world.  Aldo also said that when he goes to the places and villages he helps out, it reminds him of home and where he was born which was in Italy.  He says that he asks people what they need and he gets it for them.  That is what our world should be like and I was very amazed and excited to hear that Aldo was stepping outside of the box and he was actually doing what so many people could and should be doing.  My favorite quote from his even was, "I am who I am today, because of the people that changed my life with experiences."

Me at my very best! :]

When I was at my very best and probably the most confident about myself was when I was crowned the Great Jones County Fair Queen in 2008.  I was the youngest in my county to run for queen that year so I was honestly planning on using that year as a year to prepare for the coming year.  I didn't think I would be crowned because I was only 16.  But, after the announcement at the fair that year I knew only great things would come from it.
Since I am very fortunate to have a fantastic fair in my county, I was able to attend all of the 4-H and FFA livestock shows as well as the shows at the grandstands and at all of the free stages.  Our county fair is the 3rd largest in the state so we are very spoiled when it comes to shows, entertainment and food.  I was able to go backstage and meet Josh Turner, JoDee Messina, Dierks Bentley, Boston, Miranda Lambert, and all of the smaller acts that were the openers.  I was in a daze each and every night because everything was so surreal and I knew from the very beginning that I was being given a wonderful opportunity that I may never get for the rest of my life.  So, I knew that I needed to soak every bit of it in!  Since I was very involved with 4-H myself with all of my projects and showing cattle, I was literally on the go each and every day from sunrise to sunset.
After our county fair came to an end, I was on my way to Des Moines for the Iowa State Fair Queen Competition.  I did not know what to expect at all and one can only imagine how scared I was to arrive and see the other 102 contestants I would be competing with.  Right when I arrived though every single girl was so friendly and open to talk to anyone that my nerves almost completely went away.  The days that we were there before the actually coronation for the State Fair Queen were very packed and fun-filled days full of interviews, workshops and fun at the fair.  I met so many wonderful girls that I still talk to today and I learned more about myself in those few days that I could even imagine.  Then came the Saturday that everyone was anticipating; coronation day.  We were all introduced onto the stage and the top 4 girls were announced.  3rd Runner-up was announced first to Miss Clay County.  2nd Runner-up was read next.  The announcer, keeping all of us girls on our toes read very slowly and said, "Great Jones County, Kelley Jamison! "  I could not believe it.  I was 3rd place over all to the total of 103 girls.  I was not expecting to win anything or even place but I soon realized that for me being myself and from speaking from my heart, I was awarded and noticed for that.
I learned so much about myself that week that I will never forget it.  I have spoken about this experience with so many girls and have trained the Queens from my county for the last few years now and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.  I want to be able to help and guide them so that they are able to really get what I got out of the competition that I believe was the most important; learning about who you truly are as a person and not being afraid of showing people who you really are.  I was so very thankful for being given this opportunity and I miss being queen so much.
Going into college, I was happy to know that I knew who I was and that I had gone through experiences already that had helped me determine my true self.  I have so much more confidence in me that I honestly don't think I would have if I would have not been the Great Jones  County Fair Queen.

Mindset List for the Class of 2014

The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2014 is very interesting in many different ways.  The list consists of 75 things that resemble how fast things change and how generations come and go very quickly. The class of 2014 have gone through and grown up with many different traits and things we have accustomed to that we may not even realize.  Our world changes each and everyday and the way we grow up and live  changes drastically as we move from generation to generation.

In the Mindset List for the Class of 2014, number one reading. "Few in the class know how to write in cursive," made sense to me.  I have realized that since our generation and at my elementary school personally, we were able to decide whether we wanted to write in cursive or print in 5th grade.  The majority of us chose to print instead of bother with the cursive writing because writing in print was much "cooler."  But, after getting into high school and with random assignments or surveys where we needed to write in cursive most of us had completely forgotten how to even write that way.  

I also agree with number four, "Al Gore has always been animated."  To me this relates and shows that in our generation Al Gore has only run for many positions in office and has never been selected.  He shows up animated shows such as Family Guy and South Park being made fun of most of the time instead of being taken seriously as a political figure.  So, to the class of 2014, Al Gore is a "joke" instead of a serious political leader.  

I disagree with number 47 on the list stating, "Children have always been trying to divorce their parents."    I believe that in many cases the children are not trying to divorce their parents but I honestly feel that the children aren't as crushed and upset about their parents divorce as they may have been years before.  Some children are actually excited when their parents are getting divorced because they then think that they may get more attention from each parent.  I think that this is a sad case because the divorce rates in our generation have sky-rocketed drastically from previous generations.  

Number 12, "Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry," I agree with this one because ever since our generation, Eastwood has been the director for many films.  Many students may not have ever seen Dirty Harry so they may not be familiar with his acting at all.  I do disagree with number 46 reading, "Nirvana is on the classic oldies station."  This is stating that Nirvana is not listened to anymore and that it is only found on the oldies station.  Personally, I have a lot of friends that still love Nirvana and I have heard their music on many stations recently.  

In conclusion, this list is stating many things that our generation has grown up with and states things that our generation has forgotten about.  Many are really confusing and many are humorous and make sense.  Our generation has gone through many things that are completely different when being compared to earlier generations.  Also,  I honestly feel like our generation is unaware of our surroundings in the world and events that happen each and every day.  We are also not as aware of our past and significant things that have happened.  

Kelley Jamison