The End of An Era

Not too long ago, I was a high school senior, completely freaking out about what I was going to do after graduation. All my friends were quickly discovering where they were going to go to school, or intern, or work, or go into the military. Should I go to the typical Indiana high schooler's destination of Purdue or Indiana University? Or should I try for the private school a few of my close friends were planning on attending? Or should I completely leave behind everything I knew and start my own brand new adventure, stepping completely out of my box and comfort zone?

I honestly didn't think I'd end up where I am. And at the end of this fabulous era of my life, I take a look back on the past four years and find out why I am who I am, who got me here, who helped me along the way, and why I feel this path was especially paved for me.

It was on a whim that I decided to apply to Brigham Young University. I heard it was hard to get in academically, but I thought, "why not?!" But then, life got real. I became obsessed with this school. And the day I received my acceptance letter, I knew I was meant to go here. I wouldn't be as happy if I didn't go to BYU. So in June 2009, only about 15 days after my high school graduation, I took my two suitcases, a carry-on, my parents, and myself 1600 miles away from everything I knew.

The plan was to major in Art Education. My first three semesters at BYU were focused on making that dream come true. I took tons of general education courses and then the beginning art classes required before applying to the art majors. I learned some interesting things during these 3 semesters...

1. Art Education was NOT for me. So I gave Photography a try.

2. I cannot draw people's faces. I have no prayer of drawing a realistic face. But I can draw a fabulous still life.

3. Larry Nelson changed my life with his course on Human Development. And changed everything I thought about what I wanted to do in life.

4. Sometimes you just don't get what you want. Sometimes you realize what you thought you wanted, wasn't something you wanted at all. Sometimes life throws you curve balls. And it is completely okay to not know what you want or how to get it.

I officially changed my major to Family Studies with an emphasis in Child Life/Human Development in January of 2011. I finally felt completely comfortable with where I was headed. The classes all seemed to be at the perfect difficulty level--enough that I felt I was learning new things, but no so difficult as to make me feel stressed, studying 24/7. My Family Life professors--most notably, Larry Nelson, Jason Carroll, Sarah Coyne, and Chris Porter--taught me incredible lessons about life, about family, about social problems and solutions, and most importantly myself. Here's what I learned my junior year:

1. Stepping out of your comfort zone is actually quite easy.

2. You're never alone.

3. Roommates are not just random girls you live with, they were placed in your life for a reason.

4. One bad roommate is not the end of the world. There is something you can learn from everyone, you just have to look hard enough. I learned patience...and a lot of it.

Senior year flew by. Like seriously, I don't even know where it went! It feels like just yesterday that new roommates were moving in and I was getting to know my final group of undergrad roommates. Alyssa arrived first (Jessi & I were already there) and we bonded immediately over our admiration of Castle...and practically every other TV show on the planet. And then there was Kaitlyn, who deceived us by being extremely quiet in the beginning. When she finally broke out of her shell, I don't remember, but I'm so glad she did. She kills me...multiple times a day! Then Ashley and Madi moved in, our lone freshman roommates. Madi was soon replaced by Tiffany when she moved out to save money for her mission for the LDS church. We were quite the apartment. Those girls gave me some fabulous memories that I will cherish forever.

Graduation snuck up on me. All of a sudden my roommates were moving out and I was signing apartment contracts elsewhere. My bags were slowly being packed, my cap & gown was picked up, I received my first BYU Alumni t-shirt, and the day finally came when I walked across a stage in front of a thousand people. Here is what senior year taught me:

1. Go with the flow. It's okay if everything doesn't work out the way you planned in your head.

2. It's all worth it. Every little thing.

3. Friends save your life.

4. Document everything. You'll miss it.

5. Growing up is hard.

6. Becoming a Utah citizen & changing my license made a little piece of the Indiana Hoosier in me die just a bit :(

7. You may be separated by miles and oceans, but you're never apart.

8. I'm in desperate need of a hair cut.

I walked across the stage yesterday. And I had some of my greatest friends by my side as I did so. BYU has helped me forge incredible lifelong friendships. I'll never forget these people, all the things we did together, the long hours we endured, the play time, and the laughs. They were what made BYU such an amazing experience. Sure, the curriculum is amazing, the scenery is magnificent...but BYU would not be BYU without the incredible people. 

My parents & me

Me, Kelly, & Joseph

Chelsey and Me

Me & Jocelyn (we were in YW youth group together in high school and graduated together 5-6 years later in the same major)

 Amanda & Me

Me, Kelly, & Lynn (friends since freshman year)

I am a BYU alum.

There were a total of 6001 graduates this week--196 doctorates, 724 Masters, 5081 Bachelors--from 48 US states, 6 territories, & 69 foreign countries. The average age of graduates was 25.5 years (I am only 22) and the oldest graduate was 66 years old. 

Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles gave our commencement address. He spoke of physical & emotional health, personal worth, financial security, and spiritual strength. He taught us to "always make time for family, work, relaxation, and reflection." 

Sure, BYU is a world renowned private institution, sponsored & funded by the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It's academics are nationally ranked close to Harvard & Yale. It's the nation's most stone cold sober university. It is all of those things and more. But what it really is, is home.

It gave me more than an education. It gave me light. It gave me hope. It gave me strength in trials. It taught me to never give up. It taught me that I can do more than I think I can. It taught me how to love Christ more fully, to understand Him, and follow Him. 

It is home to me.

I owe the last 4 years of my life to my parents who never failed to encourage me, to my professors who made classes fun as well as challenging, to my friends who put up with my quirks and love me anyway, and to Christ, as well as His gospel on the earth today.

Yesterday, I walked across a stage into a whole new world, into the unknown really. And I'm starting my journey right here in Provo, in a new apartment, with a couple new roommates, and a hand full of resumes. We'll see what happens...

Out of Respect for Boston

Twitter has taught me a lot of things in the almost three years that I've had an account:

I like to fangirl about my favorite shows and books. And to fangirl with other people.

There are some extremely generous people in this world.

There are some people with political or religious agendas, who beat up on anyone who holds a view different than their own.

There are people wanting to make a difference, save the planet, offer assistance.

There are hilarious comedians in this world.

Some people don't know when to shut up.

A lot of celebrities are just real people like us.

I can know about an earthquake within minutes of it happening anywhere around the world.

And I heard about the Boston Marathon bombings within minutes as well.

It was then that Twitter truly impressed me. I saw hundreds of tweets, many from the Boston PD informing people to stay away from the Boston Marathon finish line, to take shelter. The hashtag #prayforboston was trending worldwide almost immediately. Cell phone calls were down and I saw multiple people tweeting that they were alive & safe, as well as where to find them in the aftermath. Many people sent out their regards and their prayers to those affected.

And today, the FBI released photos and video of the suspected bombers, with those photographs quickly making the rounds on Twitter. Social media has done amazing things in the last few days, and hopefully it will help to find those responsible.

I cannot pretend to understand the horror that the Boston people have had to witness this week. I don't have family in that area, but I do have friends there--at school and running the actual marathon. I'm grateful to know they are all safe, and as many others, my thoughts are with the people of Boston and all those affected.

And....in connection to my favorite show of all time, Castle, ABC Network announced last night that they are moving the episode previously scheduled to air this coming Monday a week later and swapping in the episode meant to air next week.

The episode they have moved is a pivotal one for the series. **SPOILER** It's the episode in which we may finally hear Kate say the three little words to Rick. The episode involves Kate accidently stepping on a pressure sensitive bomb with Rick distracting her by arguing with her about who fell for whom first. Because of its story line, I understand and appreciate why ABC decided to move it a week. However, because of its tight finale and premiere schedules, ABC could not push back the finale date and keep the episodes in order...which causes a predicament that sent some fans on Twitter into a tizzy. 

Castle star Stana Katic (Kate Beckett) tweeted the announcement last night, telling fans that the story line will be a bit off. Most fans were very, very considerate and understanding of the fact that ABC's choice was out of respect for the people of Boston. But what I didn't appreciate from some fans was the annoyed comments, especially of those living outside the US, with the fact that ABC "ruined" the timeline. It sometimes amazes me how little respect there is for others among common people. To some people on Twitter, the bombings meant nothing, they just worried about their TV show. It's really quite sad. At the very least, fans should respect the fact that ABC and their favorite TV show are respecting the feelings of all those affected by the bombings in Boston. At this point, sensitivity trumps story line and order. As long as you know in your mind that it is backwards and that the DVD set will be in the correct order, nothing else matters in the television entertainment world.

What matters is the thoughts and feelings of those affected in Boston and being sensitive to those feelings.

And may we continue to send our prayers and our help to the people of Boston (and now to the people of Waco, Texas as well). Keep retweeting and spreading the word and photos of suspects in hopes of finding someone who knows anything at all.

Hopefully tomorrow brings a better day.

Firefly: Calvin & Hobbes Style

It's no secret that I love Nathan Fillion. And his iconic role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds on the ill-fated FOX classic sci-fi show Firefly. 

And I do always enjoy a good comic from Calvin & Hobbes :)

Vintage Social Networking

Ah yes. Playing and winning Jeopardy in media class was finally proof positive to my mother that my time spent watching television and reading random books is NOT time spent in vain! She has no further argument. None.

I run across a lot of interesting things on Facebook...and this is one of them. 

And oh how true it is! I am quite pleased with myself though, because while I do have a lot of these social media accounts, I still have a lot of the "old school" stuff as well. I have address books, post-its, picture frames, a cork board...but unfortunately these things have gone on the wayside. 

The social networking sites we have today are absolutely incredible. You can find jobs on LinkedIn, find recipes and craft ideas on Pinterest, watch the hilarious events of strangers on YouTube, call and see our friends and family from far distances on Skype, share our yummy food and random sites from our day on Instagram, and find out everything about our friends (and strangers) on Facebook.

I tried to think of what my life would be like without these modern social networking tools. I'd actually have to learn to like to talk on the phone. I'd have files and files of people's phone numbers. I'd be the only one to enjoy pictures from my days and activities. I'd have to print out and cut pictures to put in pictures frames. I'd never have met some people. Or known about their marriages and babies. It'd be strange, that's for sure.

What would your life look like without social networking?

I About Died.

I do enjoy a funny video from time to time. And when my roommate Alyssa showed me this video tonight I literally about died. As in, almost choked on the water I was drinking. Watch and see (but I advise you don't try to eat or drink while viewing).

I love people and their hilariously random ideas. Keep 'em coming!

Modest Female Superheroes!

I came across an article on Twitter this morning and was pleasantly surprised with it's content. Someone took the liberty of clothing the female superheroes and drawing them in a modest style...and in a style that is much more safe than a leotard for fighting and saving the world.

This is what the artist had to say:

"Point of this: An exercise in character design, attempting to clothe the heroines nearly all the way and not making them painted-on, while still keeping the look of their original costumes in some way. Hopefully keeping them looking as iconic as the originally were. Just showing what can be done with a costume breaking outside the barrier of the norm.

NOT the point of this: some moral code I’m trying to push on you."

So here are just a few of the drawings--Wonder Woman, Super Girl, and Elektra.

I think they're pretty fantastic! I've always wondered why female superheroes have to fight in skimpy skin tight leotards that expose them to so much more danger. Doesn't it make more sense to wear clothing that would actually protect you in a fight?! I think they're brilliant.

But unfortunately, the viewers of this man's art did not all agree with me. There were many comments that said, "That takes their sass away!" or "Too masculine!" 

But then there were comments that I was extremely happy to read: 

"Why do superheroes have to dress like hookers, anyway? What if we worried more about the stories and characters than how little clothing they could wear?"

I really appreciate this artist stepping out of the norm and creating strong super heroines that are modest. If only the rest of the entertainment world would catch on...

There was even a great quote in LDS General Conference this morning by Sister Elaine S. Dalton: "Media should enable and ennoble, rather than objectify and degrade women." 

A Letter To Walt Disney's CEO

My media class assignment this week was somewhat of a challenge. We were assigned to write a letter to anyone--an actor, a CEO, President Obama, a congressman or woman, etc--and we would actually send it to them. We had to ask for some sort of change from these people, to voice our concerns about what the media is doing to society, and to be an instrument of change.

I chose to write to the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Robert Iger. This semester, we've talked a lot about the impact of the media on children, and I knew that I wanted my letter to be asking for change starting at a young age. We've talked about Disney princesses, what they stand for on the surface, on the inside, and what they are teaching our little girls. Disney announced in 2011 that they would no longer be making princess films, in order to draw in a wider audience. This was extremely upsetting to me because I LOVE Disney princesses and what they teach young girls...but then I saw the following video from Disney called "I Am A Princess" which I have posted before. And that launched my letter idea to the CEO of Walt Disney.

Dear Mr. Iger:

I have loved Disney films and Disney princesses my entire life. I find great messages scattered throughout the stories and great strength in the characters. But I was extremely sad to hear that Disney has sworn off any more princess movies for the foreseeable future. I understand the marketing reasons for this decision, but I will deeply miss these films.

I recently came across Disney’s campaign on YouTube entitled “I Am A Princess” that was launched in the past few years.  It is an amazing concept that I wish received more attention. By using real girls doing real things, this video teaches the importance of being strong, of being kind and generous, of loving your family, of being brave, and of overcoming obstacles. The message of this video is something that I think needs to be advertised and shown more often, and I believe Disney has the capability to do it. Expanding the real life “I Am A Princess” campaign, and possibly airing it on your networks (especially Disney Junior and Disney Channel), would allow for more exposure to the young girls who need this message the most.

Little girls are constantly bombarded by misrepresentations in the media of what it means to be a woman, how a woman should look, and what a woman can and cannot do. These girls need to be exposed to more truth and I believe the “I Am A Princess” campaign is the perfect platform. I would love to see this campaign expanded and brought further into the public eye. There need to be more real life examples of everyday princesses, using their minds, their skills, and their kindness to become incredible women and contribute to the world.

Because every girl is a princess; long may they reign.

Sincerely,

Jenna Berkey

Castle's 100th Episode!

You can't have me watch a milestone episode of my favorite show on the planet, without expecting me to blog about it.....so here goes, Castle's 100th episode: The Lives of Others. SPOILERS AHEAD!

The hype of this episode has been building for months. It had an awful lot to live up to. And it completely blew my mind. I may be a tad bias, but I am willing to say it is the best 100th episode of any television show I have ever watched. It was brilliant. This milestone episode was written by Creator and Executive Producer Andrew Marlowe and his wife/muse (the show's dynamic couple is based on them) Terri Edda Miller. And coincidently, the episode happened to land on April Fool's Day, which has long been known to be main character Richard Castle's birthday. With all of this knowledge, this episode HAD to be good! 

Castle's big episode was based on Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, in which Castle is stuck at home with a broken knee cap after showing off for Kate on their ski trip a few weeks beforehand. Kate is off at the precinct, solving a murder with Ryan and Esposito. Castle ends up incredibly bored and starts creeping on the neighbors across the street with the binoculars his daughter, Alexis, gave him as a joke. So, thus, the madness and hilarity of Castle ensues. 

As Castle is looking through the windows of his neighbors (Andrew & Terri made a cameo--at left--to which Castle said, "They must be writers."), he stumbles upon a seemingly happy couple starting to heat things up in the bedroom...but then the actual boyfriend comes home! Castle narrates the situation as the cheater shoves her lover into the closet before redressing for her man. Her lover runs out the door while her boyfriend is in the bathroom, but he leaves behind his hat....which is soon after found by the boyfriend. And then more madness--Castle sees the boyfriend following the cheater into the bedroom (where the blinds are now closed) with a knife and convinces himself he has just witnessed a murder, Rear Window style. He calls Kate and the boys, but no one believes him. 

Castle drags Alexis into the investigation, as she dons her own pair of binoculars to spy on the mysterious neighbors. He then launches the hilarious plan to break into the neighbors house--on his crutches with his massive leg cast--to find evidence so that someone else will believe him. Alexis watches her dad and communicates with him via walkie-talkie as he hobbles across the street and into the apartment. He finds what appears to be blood spatter on the closet wall, with paint and bleach near by. Assuming he has found the evidence he needs, his excitement causes him to fall over and lay stuck on the floor, just as the mysterious maybe-murder-man comes back home. 

He rolls under the bed to safety and hobbles out while the man takes a bathroom break. After finding a storage unit rental receipt in the man's garbage, Kate finally believes him enough to go to the storage unit to investigate--but without a warrant ("When you do it, it's an illegal search. When I do it, it's just illegal.").  And of course, they're caught by the rent-a-cop security team when they break into the unit and find a rolled up carpet, clothes, and a mannequin head/wig. 

After getting a stern yelling from the precinct captain, Castle resigns himself to apologizing to Kate, for pulling her away from her investigation and for his overactive imagination. But then she mentions something about a fridge...and Castle is at it again, remembering his neighbor bypassed his fridge and went to his cupboard for a soda instead. Yep, now Castle is POSITIVE the murdered body of the girl across the street is chopped up on ice in the fridge. He refuses to leave on his birthday date with Kate until that fridge is opened. Kate, determined to go out on this date she planned ("I made plans for you! I dressed up for you!"), takes matters into her own hands, goes across the street in her fancy black dress and entices the neighbor man/possible murderer into letting her in, presumably asking to borrow some ice. As Castle is watching from across the street, Kate riles the man up, he overtakes her on her way to open the fridge and pulls a knife on her just as the lights go out. 

*cue dramatic commercial break*

Castle hobbles as fast as he can across the street in his fancy suit & crutches, just as Ryan and Esposito arrive to save their partner. They bust down the door where the lights remain off. Castle screams for Kate...and then...

 Yep, it was all a set up. A fabulous birthday present for a mystery writer home-bound for a month. Kate felt bad for him secluded at home and bored when they had planned to be in Bora Bora for his birthday. It was quite brilliant if I do say so myself! His mother, Martha, used her connections at her acting school to hire actors, Kate rented the apartment across the way, Alexis purposely gave her father binoculars, Ryan & Esposito played along, Captain Gates turned out to be a fantastic actress, and Castle did all the rest himself! 

And then this happened...

It was literally everything I was hoping it would be and more. The perfect 100th episode. The nods to past episodes. The nods to fans. To the writers, producers, set design, costuming, crew... The massive birthday to the little show that could.

People were always worried about what would happen when Kate & Castle finally got together. Would it be jumping the shark? Would it be the show's death sentence? Would anyone watch anymore without the tension? Consider all Moonlighting"curses" debunked. Castle has more than succeeded in continuing the show after the main leads get together. It's clear as the viewership continues to go up week to week, more tie-in novels, card games, and computer games come to market. Castle's current 5th season is it's most watched. Bravo.

Here's to 100 more!