LOVE + LOVE + LOVE = LOVE

Once again, I have discovered something that completely enrages me and brings me to tears. I am at the point where I want to stomp on the ground, jump up and down, swing my arms and break things and scream at the top of my lungs, although I know that wouldn't change a thing.

I knew that by going to school in the south, I'd run into a lot more conflict to the point of my entire existence - trying to spread ACCEPTANCE and PEACE and most importantly - LOVE to everyone.

This week, beginning tomorrow, the UNCG College Republicans will be holding their "Morals Week" Let me preface this by mentioning that "Morals Week" began a few years ago in response to "PRIDE Week", put on by UNCG's GLBTQ's campus group.

This year, these are the events planned for Morals Week:

Monday, March 26th: "Pro-Life Day" - An outdoor display in front of Jackson Library from 10:00am - 4:00pm will show similarities between abortion and cases of genocide throughout history. At 7:00pm in the New Science Building auditorium, former United States Treasurer and pro-life activist Angela 'Bay' Buchanan will speak on abortion and the failures of feminism.
Tuesday, March 27th: "Terrorism Awareness Day" - The College Republicans will distribute literature in front of Jackson Library from 10:00am - 4:00pm which discusses the roots of modern radical Islamic terrorism in previous extremist movements, including Nazi Germany. The film Obsession on the same subject will be presented at 7:00pm in the Elliot University Center auditorium.
Wednesday, March 28th: "Straight Pride Day" - The College Republicans will distribute literature on traditional family values in front of Jackson Library from 10:00am - 4:00pm.
Thursday, March 29th: "Support Our Troops Day" - Military recruiters will be in front of Jackson Library between 11:00am and 2:00pm distributing literature, and Iraqi War veteran Lt. Col. Scott Rutter will speak on the importance of supporting our military at 7:00pm in the Weatherspoon Art Museum auditorium.
Friday, March 30th: "PETA Barbeque" - The College Republicans will wrap-up the week with their annual PETA (People for the Eating of Tasty Animals) Barbeque in front of Jackson Library from 11:00am - 2:00pm.

If you find ANY of those events having anything to do with "moral character" please let me know, I'd love to discuss.

I'm a little confused on the "Terrorism Awareness Day" (what a place to begin, I mean it's the event that upsets me the least). So are they saying that if you aren't aware that there is terrorism in the world, than it makes you immoral? I don't agree - I think it may make you slightly ignorant, if you truly don't know that Terrorism exists. As Em said earlier - if you know that terrorism exists, yet you refuse to believe it, perhaps that is immoral? But still, I don't see this having anything to do with morals.

Straight Pride Day and Pro-Life day, I don't even need to say anything about. Most of you know exactly what I would write anyway.

Now, the last two days... Support Our Troops Day - This is possibly the one valid thing that the College Republicans could use for their "Morals" week... however, I still find it slightly inappropriate that they are having recruiters come to campus - I don't think that's necessary. We are at college to get an education - not to be recruited to go fight in a POINTLESS war that is taking LIVES every single day.

And the last day. A "PETA Barbeque" ... only, not the real PETA. It's "People for the Eating of Tasty Animals" ...

First of all, let me say that I've seen the funny "PETA" group on facebook, and perhaps even thought I might join it, because hell, I do love some good steak and other various meat products. However... how in THE WORLD can you tell me that being vegetarian/vegan has ANYTHING to do with having good morals? That is a little crazy if you ask me...



The College Republicans website is : www.uncgcr.blogspot.com they have a few posts about their upcoming morals week. Go check it out - leave them a comment. Be brave and leave your name, they can't do anything about it.


Em and I want to make tshirts to wear this week (Basically half the campus is protesting this ridiculousness...seeing as I do happen to go to school at one of the most liberal universities in NC... UNCG is often nicknamed "UNC-GAY) Anyone have any good ideas for a tshirt?

I was thinking rainbow tie-dye with
front: MY MORALS ARE
back: LOVE
AND
ACCEPTANCE


Please leave me a comment if you have any sort of opinion about this, as I'm completely fired up and Em and I have just planned to stay up all night tie-dying tshirts and discussing how angry we are that WE are NOT accepted by some people because WE BOTH HAVE VAGINAS and lots of estrogen and WE ARE IN LOVE.

We Move Along.

Kels and I in front of our house, Summer 05


The last LSC event held at 1210 Faun - Rockin New Years '06



At my graduation party in the backyard, June '05

This past weekend Em and I drove up to Delaware and helped my mom move out of the big house on Faun Rd and into a smaller apartment. The apt is three bedrooms, my old house was four - and the apartment is really super nice, very clean and new, all new appliances, etc. It just felt so weird. We only lived in the house for 5 years, but that was my entire high school and beginning of college. Sooooooooooooo many memories in that house. I will miss it, and I will definitely miss living right next door to Laura James. Actually, our bedroom windows looked into each other - and so we actually devised a pulley system (with help from Mr. James) and we could send a basket across between our houses. Laura and I would stay up when we were younger and send across all kinds of stuff on that basket pulley.

Moving was hard - she moved into Top of the Hill, which, incase you aren't familiar, is the apartment complex right behind where the house with the Christmas lights is (if you're from Wilmington, you know what I'm talking about). She's on the 3rd floor, but I love the apartment, and Kels does too so that's good.

My biggest fear? It may sound selfish, but it's that no one will come visit me at the apartment when I'm home to visit in the summer or whenever. I feel like going to my house in SGC was so easy for everyone - those that live in Fairfax or down the street from me. I feel like the new apt is so out of the way that no one will just "stop by" and say hi to my mom...I'm terrified that she's just going to get lonely in that apartment all by herself when Kelsey leaves for college in 5 months. When she lived next to the James Family it was always good to know that she could hang out with Mrs. James whenever, and Laura would stop over and see my mom when she was home on break. I'm just so scared that she'll be all alone...

Time to get some sleep, big exam tomorrow.
Love everywhere,
Kristen

PS- my next post is the butterfly pictures...promise.

I Believe in the Sand Beneath My Toes...

Miami Beach, FL

Walking on the street in Bal Harbour, FL

I'm standing on a barrier reef! Bathtub

Beach on Hutchinson Island, FL

Em and I are back from our amazing, fantastic, exciting, and relaxing Florida vacation. I'm going to post pictures in different groups, because we did so many things and took pictures of it all, of course. These pictures were some of my favorites - I still can't get over how gorgeous the water is down there.

We really lucked out, all last week it was about 80-82 degrees, very sunny and beautiful. The water was about 75 degrees all week too, so it was soooo nice to lay on the beach and jump around in the water. I do love the beach!!!

We had only one slight glitch in our vacation plan -- we were supposed to leave last Friday morning, at like 6am. We hung out with Liz and Jacob on Thursday night and celebrated Liz's birthday...we dropped off Sydney at Suzi and Elliott's house. Then we came back to Em's apartment, packed and straightened up, and went to bed about 2am. At about 4am, I woke up and immediately knew exactly what was about to happen. I ran to the toilet and threw up my entire dinner...Em, of course, woke up (since she lives in a one room apartment) and helped me back into bed. I fell back asleep and then woke up 15 minutes later and did it all over again...then woke up 15 minutes later and did it all over again, and again, and again and AGAIN until it was finally about 8am and I didn't have anything left in my system at all (especially since it was exiting both ends, if you know what I mean..) and we decided that we weren't going to be able to leave that day. I spent the next 3 hours wretching up nothing, and then finally fell asleep for a few hours... I sipped on ginger ale and saltines until we went to bed around 9am. We woke up and left Saturday morning. Whoops!

I felt fine all of last week, and we had a great time. I'm so thankful we were able to go on this vacation together, as I think we both needed it. More soon, with more pictures (cooler ones!!!)

Love everywhere,

Kristen