Media & Me: A Day in the Life

Thursday December 2nd, 2010

My alarm goes off at 10 a.m. I wake up the the soothing sound of Pearl Jam's Just Breath coming through the speakers of my iHome. I am a fan of their new music, their newest album Backspacer was released in September of 2009 and was an instant success. Their new acoustic style has given them much popularity within the new decade. Rock and roll is the only genre of music which "has ever had such a widespread impact on so many cultures" (Media and Culture, 81) specifically in the United States. Pearl Jam proves this with their sound. Though it is quite a change from their grundgey 90's esc, they have come back with a more modern take on rock and roll, attracting a younger audience while older fans have continued to be stay loyal.

Pearl Jam- Just Breath music video (video cred: youtube.com)

I take the next hour to get myself ready for the day, and head onto campus to grab some breakfast before my 11 a.m. class. Coffee and bagel in hand, I arrive a few minutes early to Creative Writing. I pull out the latest issue of CosmoGirl which my room mate let me borrow and dive right into the pages. There, I learned about all the holiday tricks of gift giving and the current celebrity drama. I am introduced to a nation-wide Secret Santa, where I got more information online at Secret Santa Circle. Magazines which target specific genders and age groups like CosmoGirl have gained popularity where "specialized editions such as CosmoGirl have been introduced to the teen market." (Media and Culture, 298) Their attractive covers with popular celebrities attract the average teen and relatable stories and

December 2007 Holiday issue (photo cred: gossipteen.com)

Later that afternoon, I'm feeling bored in my Concepts class. It's about time where I begin Stumbling Upon various web sites which strike my interest much more than the class. By this time I have tuned my concentration off of the discussion and soaked my vision into my laptop screen, stumbling away. On this popular search data-base, you are introduced to various web sites in specific topics of your choice. This site is proof of the convergence which our most modern phenomenon has flourished to use. Whether it's a joke or a new piece of art you have been introduced to admire, this website brings you to some interesting websites which you would be most likely incapable of ever finding unless Stumble Upon had been created. One of my new favorite recipes I've found is the mixture of my two favorite snack dips; guacamole and hummus... hence the creation of guacamummus or hummamole.

What's in the blender to final product (photo cred: gimmesomeoven.com)

Once my afternoon was coming near an end, I go back to my dorm to hang out a little bit before heading off to dinner. On my way there, I pick up the latest issue of The Current, Champlain's student newspaper. I have actually never yet read the paper before, but a friend of mine is an author, so I decide to skim through the pages and see what the paper has to say. There are a few great articles, and one that caught my attention about the cafeteria food and how to stay eating healthy with the repetitive meal choices. It's a great way to keep up with what is going on around campus and staying informed! You're even able to read the issues online at the Champlain website!

Champlain College website (photo cred: champlain.edu)

Ater dinner, my room mates and I headed next door to hang out with a few friends in the dorm next to ours, McDonald. We were all meeting up to watch a movie via Netflix, which has been converged, and give owners of Xbox Live the access of movies through the game system. This is an extremely convenient feature, which was recently added in the summer of 2008. Since then, it has given owners of this specific game system the privilege to play both video games and have the availability to watch TV shows and movies. We decide to watch V For Vendetta, a film which I've never seen before.

"Remember, Remember the 5th of November" (video cred: youtube.com)

Once I'm back in the dorm and ready to begin my homework, I tune onto itunes to hear the latest Champlain Radio, nicknamed The Wave, where my friend Kyle is on the air. The convergence which has taken place, putting live radio stream through itunes is a great quality which gives listeners the simpleness of hopping on their computer and listen away. Though available online, it is easy and accessible from the comfort of your own itunes library, waiting for you to click away, and listen on.

(photo cred: champlain.edu)

Feeling a bit distracted, I wander online to the newest Champlain student body internet craze, Likealittle. This website is a mixture of Formspring and Twitter, where anonymous posts are made to flirt and confess about individuals at their own school. For the past week, once introduced to Champlain, this social network has exploded in popularity. You can hop on and get a good laugh and wonder whom everybody's talking about. It's definitely a good way to keep you procrastinating from doing your homework.

(photo cred: oleville.com)

Once I've finished my homework, it's time to chill out and watch some TV with my room mates. I don't watch much television, but it's nice to relax every once and a while when something good is on the tube. It just happens that my favorite show, Planet Earth, on Discovery Channel, is on! I was first introduced to Planet Earth in my Biology classes back in high school. Since then, I have purchased the DVD's and enjoyed to watch them frequently.

sweet clips from various Planet Earth episodes (video cred: youtube.com)

Before settling into bed, I went to surf the Web and get some Christmas shopping out of the way. By using Amazon, I got my Mom the newest James Patterson novel, her favorite author. Amazon is an easy way to get shopping done without leaving your room. Just the simple lift of a finger, and your new purchases are only a click away. Amazon is an ultra convenience, and a lot of the timewill ship directly to your door for free within just a few business days!

Finally, before hitting the hay, I climb into bed and pick up my new read, Stephen King's The Shining. Though I did view the movie a long time ago, I decided to read the text. I was rummaging through my house before coming back to VT during Thanksgiving break and found the book in my brothers collection. My entire family are huge fans of Stephen King, and I have never read anything written by him, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

cover of orignial book, 1977 (photo cred: illliterart.com)