...You Don't Know Where Barton College Is

Over this past weekend, Thursday through Saturday, we spent in the hicktown of Wilson, North Carolina for the Society of Collegiate Journalism Biannual Convention at Barton College.

Now let's just say that us city girls definitely left an impression down in the south. Those southern folk just didn't know how to handle us Jersey Girls!

Unlike your typical journalism convention, we not only talked about newspaper and future ideas, but we also experienced good ol' North Carolina culture with a pig pickin' and a real live tour of North Carolina's Tobacco Museum.

Now, a pig pickin' - for you yankees, is when a pig is roasted in a hole in the ground and then laid out and cut up to be picked at. Jill thought it was the greatest thing on Earth -- Meg contemplated becoming a vegetarian. Along with the pig, we had fried corn bread, fried chicken, slaw, sweet potatoes, and something else that looked vaguely like tomato and vegetable stew. Oh yes, don't forget the sweet tea!

After we chowed down, Meg still hungry since all she ate was white bread, we went and toured North Carolina's finest... Tobacco Museum. What exactly is a tobacco museum? Will your asthma kick in? Is it like a winery? Will you try cigarettes? No, not exactly. Instead, you watch a 15-minute poorly produced film on the tobacco process and how it is grown. Believe it or not, the first process of tobacco, is to grow the tobacco plant! Unbelievable! After the film, we were able to walk through the whole museum which had photos, clothing, tools and anything else tobacco related which were all donated to the museum from the locals. One T-Shirt even said "I'm proud to be a tobacco farmer's daughter!" - We knew we had to have one.

Leave it us to find the children's section -- where we soon found a treasure trove of dress up clothes from the early 1900's! Meg put on a little yellow dress, an apron and a bonnet and sure enough, look like she had just walked out of a kitchen in 1902! And as for Jill, well, she looked like a grandma with her shaw and straw hat.

Although we were having a blast, we were informed the museum was closing - because in North Carolina, everything closes at 7pm.

So, what to do now?! Welp, a trip to Wal-Mart didn't seem to bad. So we loaded up in the family SVU and drove on over to the nearest 24-hour Wal-Mart. And, if we may say so ourselves, Wal-Mart was quite a happening hangout. It was THE thing to do on a Friday night.

So, now, you're probably scratching your head wondering why we would ever go to hicksville - knowing how busy our lives are. Well, someone had to accept the awards for Cabrini's communication department! And may we add, we swept up at the awards ceremony, walking away with over 7 or 8 awards - both for The Loquitur and video news segements. But, what we really were proud of was winning "Chapter of the Year" Award. Woo Hoo! Go Cabrini!

So, this weekend was an adventure to say the least. We took a 7-hour train of hell. Watched Cathy learn how to drive an SUV. Learned more than we ever thought we would about tobacco. Ate some pork, well, Jill did. And left an impression down at Barton College.

... you think being sick is a great excuse for missing class!

Thats right, this week a plague has struck the don't date us if family. Jill has come down with the black plague and I, Meg am the only one standing, the true immunity fighter.

Now earlier this week, when this news came about, I knew that because Jill was sick with the black plague, I Meg being the over-achiever that I am, must clone myself taking on the rolls of both myself and Jill... AKA the hi bye situation around the comm wing. Every time one came in contact with myself, they knew it was only a short term thing before I would be off to the next project.

I am not complaining in any aspect it was just peachy... the problem.. was I the next to be infected with the black plague?

Let me break this down of how this week all went down... Monday: The usual Jill and Meg show AKA I was with Jill all day, Tuesday: Jill calls, I have the black plague but still coming to class, layout, and Africa ... Now WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND SAYS THAT!!!!!!!! This didn't happen! Not on my watch!, Wednesday: Jill calls, 500 times, just about dead insisting she will be coming to class... UHHH NOOO! BLACK PLAGUE STAY HOME!!!!, Thursday: Jill finally goes to nurse, and KICKED OFF CAMPUS!!!! BLACK PLAGUE!!!!! yet, all day Thursday I receive texts and phone calls from the black plague on possible news stories, African ideas, and interviews to come. (Now I feel this shows the skills of a true comm major!... plus she was over 100 ft away from me!)

So now here I stand the only one in the don't date us if family not infected with the black plague! Black Plague is off campus at this time and is recovering smoothly so no worries!


Now since the Black Plague has hit the don't date us if family, I for one am thinking I now must invent some sort of antibacterial air bubble to protect myself from further disease!

The message: don't date us if you think being sick is a fabulous excuse for missing class. Jill and myself hate missing assignments and classes like whoa! It can almost kill us! Just look at Jill... To tell one of us we cannot do something because of illness is ridiculous. Jill will recover from the black plague... JUST IN TIME FOR THE DAY OF HELL!!!!!!!

... You expect us to be around

Thats right, you heard correct... we are probably the busiest people you will EVER know. We are NEVER EVER EVER around.

Well, lets clarify that, we're around, but not where the common college student can be found. We are only found in the Comm wing. As Meg likes to say, "We informly open and close Founder's Hall" because we are usually the first two there in the morning and usually the last to leave at night.

Now, why are we always locked in the Comm Wing istead of being part of that dorm scene and other activities people would call a social life? Welp, we are what you would call, the over-acheiver. We take on way too many things in our schedule that couldn't possibly be complete within a 24-hour day. We need about 42-hours in a day so that we can eat, sleep and get all of our work done.

But, 42-hour days do not exist. So, instead, we cut out the "sit down" eating -- we just eat and run. We grab and go to class, to the edit bays, to the radio station, to the newsroom, wherever we have to be.

Sleeping? Well, the normal person is required 8-hours of sleep a night.... for Jill and Meg, it's about 4-hours (On a good night!). What are we doing that we don't have the time to get a good night's rest? Probably calling Africa, editing Jesus, dragging a tripod across campus, stalking down the perfect source for an article, or right now, prepping for "Soldja Boy" aka The Day of Hell.

So, right now, you are thinking this is a don't date us if blog that truly exemplifies that we are currently undateable....

Try us in the summer - if you don't mind working around our work and internship schedules!

But.. if you are extremely lucky and we like you... which is hard to come by! We can pencil you in our schedule. However don't be surprised if your date is erased and replaced with Soldja Boy, Africa, or PEPFAR... they're a portfolio builder, and what are you? The person who should feel worthy enough that you were ever a thought in our dayplanner.

...You think Presidential Rallies are just an excuse to get the Old Folks out of the home!

That's right! We were at the New Jersey Presidential Rally for Hillary Rodham Clinton at Camden County College. And yes, we saw Bill.

See, Bill...

So, you may be wondering why these two girls were with Bill at a Presidential Rally on a school day. Well, when an opportunity arises, we jump, we pounce, we prance, we fall dead.

Not only did the two of us go -- but so did all the equipment in the Comm Wing! Yes, we raided the Comm Wing. We did not leave one digital camera, video camera, tripod, marantz, AA battery, 9-volt battery, hand mic, lav mic, boom mic or XLR cable behind.

After a very, very, very long Monday, we lugged all the equipment across campus, loaded it into Jill's Honda Accord and took the 45-minute voyage to Jersey; a place we normally call home, but today, it was strictly business.

We woke up at the crack of dawn, put on our black business attire, reloaded the car (couldn't leave it all in the car overnight to freeze!) and were on our way to Camden County College.

We arrived promptly at 9 a.m. We parked the car (in a very far parking lot!), unloaded ALL the equipment and carried it across campus - in heels - to the gym. When we got up to the doors, the police officer had the nerve to say "Press can park up front by the doors." -- Well thanks Buddy! Princess was not happy.

However, the press pass came in handy 30 seconds later when we were able to bypass the crowd and walk right into the gym to set up. We started setting up right next to CN8 - MSNBC - ABC - and everyone else. There we were, little Ol' Cabrini College - rubbing elbows with superior stations!

Now although we were one of the smaller stations, we made sure that everyone knew that Cabrini College was present and accounted for. Meg almost fist fought Kathy, the woman in charge, for not allowing her to take the audio equipment up in front of the podium, right infront of where Bill would speak. So instead, she settled for stretching her arm across the press gate to get the best audio she could.

Now, Jill, only being 5 foot 2 inches, had to do some quick thinking when the whole bricklayers union came in with their big orange signs and decided to plant their behinds right in front of the video camera's shot. She quickly scrambled to see if the camera tripod could go up any higher, and with some luck, finally succeeded... However, the camera was now taller than her and could not see anything, so Jill stood on a box for the next hour and a half, framing up the perfect shot.

All in all, it was a great experience. A Good Time. We got some great video footage. Some awesome audio footage and tons of bangin' photos thanks to Ms. Heather Shanley!

After the rally, being the over acheivers that we are, crossed the press barriers and interviewed supporters. However, Meg, forgetting her journalism skills, did not ask for the person's name, nor location. So, if you hear Meg going around and asking everyone their name and location, she is merely practicing for the next rally we attend.

So, don't date us if you think that presidential rallies are only fun for old people! In fact, they are a great time. We danced, we sang, we goofed off.... and most importantly - missed SEM (just kidding JZ!).

Presidential Rallies = A Great Time! 2 Thumbs UP!

...You think it's impossible for a girl to break a metal crowbar!

That's right! The what you call impossible was done! Meg and I, broke a metal crowbar. Yes, I know, hard to believe, but the proof is in the picture!

Now, you're probably wondering why we were anywhere near a crowbar. Well, we took a little roadtrip to New Orleans, La. with Habitat for Humanity - hence the reason for the lack of updates.

The two of us, along with 4 other Cabrini students and many other volunteers, sacraficed a week of our precious winter break to endure the troubling aftermath of Katrina. Now, you may think "awe, how sweet" and that we are good hearted girls trying to help rebuild what the monster Katrina destroyed, but let us tell you - it was some hardwork!

This was the first time that Meg or I ever touched a hammer without handing it to our Daddy's and saying "please fix (insert girlie thing here)." So, when reality set in that WE would be nailing the framework of a house, we were first and foremost excited, however, soon learned that after much practice, many misses and hundreds of screwed up nails - hammering is all in the wrist.

Now, if you think hammering was the worst, let's talk about our "4-star suite." Camp Hope, as it is known to the locals, is a run-down, abandoned middle school that was revamped to hold hundreds of volunteers. Now, Meg and I were two of those hundreds of volunteers sharing 4 bathrooms with toilets that had a rule "If it's yellow, let it mellow" because they sometimes did not flush, as well as 6 freezing, ice-cold Antartic shower stalls. You would rather stay stinky and dirty than step into Mr. Freeze's lair.

Now, after our hard working day and our ice cold shower that left us with chattering lips and shivers for hours, we were able to cuddle up in our nice, small, comfy COTS. Yes, that's right, COTS. We know you're jealous. However, the best part was that in your "dorm" all cots were side by side by side and could hold up to 30 volunteers - sometimes more.

By day 3, we didn't want to freeze anymore and all had sort of vowed not to take showers until we left on Saturday, which was 4 days away and could shower at the hotel in Bristol, TN. But, when we came back from a hard day of setting joists and leveling ground, we were greeted by a gift from God, a light at the end of the tunnel, and Meg swears, to this day, she heard the sound of harps playing and choirs singing -- Mobile Showers! Count 'em: 1 through 8. HOT WATER MOBILE SHOWERS. Didn't matter if you had to wait outside in line for an hour or walk back to your "dorm" after your shower in your towel, it was HOT WATER!

All in all, we roughed it. It was tough, but it was also an experience of a lifetime that we will both remember.

So if you're not looking to date a girl who has the strength to break a crowbar, mad hammering skills and can withstand an icy blast... then don't date us!

... Gmail is not in your vocabulary.

To put it quite simply: Gmail is a Godsend. A gift from the Heavens to make busy lives, like ours, a little more organized, and as Meg would say "amazingly, scruptiously beautiful!"

I don't know how we lived this long without Gmail! What were we thinking? What were we doing? How did we survive?

For those of you pions who don't know anything about Gmail, we will put it in laymen's terms for you. Gmail is an e-mail service that provides not only e-mail, but your IM or gchat service, calendar, word documents, excel templates, blogs, websites, reader, photos, maps, finance... and oh how the list can go on! But, here's the best part, YOU NEVER HAVE TO DELETE AN EMAIL AGAIN!! No searching or rummaging through the trash for that e-mail that was sent 3 months ago! It's magically always there, thanks to Gmail!

Get a lot of e-mails from one person or group? You can label certain e-mail addresses to fall into their special home on your Gmail where they always will be, neat and organized, forever and ever.

Gmail, you get a gold star!

Basically, if you don't use Gmail, then don't date us, you are below us, and yes, we think less of you.

"Well," you're saying to yourself, "I use yahoo and I think it works just fine!" We are going to say this to you only once ... YOU ARE A MORON.

Now, if you are contimplating your life, and saying "Gee Wiz, I need Gmail, I don't want to be a moron anymore" then there's hope for you yet! Check out www.gmail.com and get your very own, FREE, Gmail account! But, please make Gmail your professional email, not your "fun" email like "itappakegga@gmail.com" or "ponylover4u@gmail.com" - that won't get you very far in life.

We check our Gmail 100 times a day. Yes, it IS that important. We are in love with Gmail.

Bottom line: Get a Gmail, or don't date us, or a Comm student, ever.

... You think PEPFAR is another convience store

PEPFAR = President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
NOT another convience store name!

Meg: "yeah, haven't you ever heard of a country called Africa?"
Jill: "continent, it's a continent, you ass."
Meg: "yeah, a continent, yeah"

PEPFAR is currently being implemented and has raised $15 billion over 5 years, focuses on 15 countries and expires in September of 2008.

PEPFAR 2 is what CRS (Catholic Relief Services) is asking members of Congress to:
- reauthorize for another 5 years and increase funding without negatively affecting other humanitaria and development accounts.
- retain provisions that allow faith-based groups to conduct evidence-based activities around abstinence, behavior change and partner reduction.
- structure the next phase of PEPFAR so that groups like CRS can more easily address nutritional needs and other concerns in communitites affected by HIV.
- sustainability - connect to development assistance and nutrition.
- expansion of current list of countries based on infection rates.

Being that Meg and I have a close-knit relationship with Nairobi, Kenya on the continent of Africa, we the potential datees only have respect for those who understand the PEPFAR concept (that it's not a convience store name!) and who could drop everything and talk to Africa if need be. Whether it is in a classroom discussion, a lecture, a telephone conference or a personal interview, when we need to talk to Africa - we need to talk to Africa!

Also, if you would like to get involved - check out www.crs.org or actioncenter.crs.org/site/pageserver?pagename=ac_signup