Honoring A Man Of Peace

     We celebrate Martin Luther King Jr today by taking a day off work, school and other activities in order to not only celebrate the life of one of the most significant figures in the last century but to also meditate on the dream he had and to raise awareness to how we have progressed and how much more we have to go as well. Dr. King lived a life of sacrifice, sacrifice to the cause, sacrifice to a dream, a goal, that one day we could do away with racism and prejudice, that one day we might be able to come together and treat one another with respect and honor, that one day we might put our differences aside and love one another equally. Dr. King's life was a life well lived, one we should honor and respect, one we should remember and exalt, here was a man that was not scared to follow a dream and because of his passion he inspired a nation to dream with him.

   Dr. King was not the only one leading the movement but he was one of the big figures that aided us and inspired us to see what we had not previously seen, here was a man who woke up America to a better reality, to a new ideal, and thus Dr. King is a man that should be respected and remembered at all times within history. At the same time, we hope that you might remember all the other great leaders of his time and times after him and before him, for he did not accomplish anything alone, it took people rising up and heeding the call, thus as we honor Dr. King, let us also honor some of the other great leaders that were about this day, pushing the dream forward.

    We have come a long way in 44 years, the world has changed to the better, prejudice and racism have both decreased significantly, though the barbarism of racism is still alive today and should be acknowledged, we are still living in a day where racism is being defeated even to the point of our generation being disgusted by the sight of racism. This is a huge breakthrough, the fact that our generation in seeing racism within a TV show, or on the streets, on a movie screen, becomes instantly angry, gagging in disgust by the act of treating another human being as an inferior, this is a huge deal. This is what it means to evolve, for the next generation to look upon racism and instantly understand how horrible and wretched it is, that gives us hope that the future might hold a world where racism is non-existent and all men are created equal.  

     A new movie has recently come out which clearly demonstrates this point, the point that all who have seen this movie despise the wives within this flick, the movie is so powerful it brought many of us to tears, myself included, a movie that showed us what was the case, in order for us to better understand and appreciate what is today, The Help. This movie impacted us, it opened our eyes to how far we have come, it showed us how ingrained the evils of racism have become to us and it gave us a hope that the future might hold a world without racism and prejudice. This is a must see movie, though we warn you that it is a powerful movie, you must be rather dense if you are not moved even a little by this movie, what it shows us is what was happening on the other side while Dr. King was preaching, we become invested emotionally with those that are being impacted by King's words and get a better understanding of what it must have felt like, thus the source of the power of this movie, hope.

     We here at So Danca want to remind everyone that though Dr. King's ministry was successful and now we are living at an age that racism has begun to die out, that racism still exists, and that prejudice is something that has still plagued our nation, thus we wish to raise awareness to this evil in hopes that we can all come together to fight injustice, and bring about a better tomorrow for our children and grand-children. Let us come together and continue dreaming, a dream of equality, a dream where prejudice and racism are things of the past, things looked at in disgust, let us come together and bring about a better world, one we are proud of, one where we can hope freely, and dream intensely, while loving continually everyone as we love ourselves.

    We hope you have a great Dr. King day, and that you may come and dream with us for a better tomorrow, one we can be proud of, one where Dr. King's message has come true to its fullest meaning, let us dream together.

Love from your humble blogger,

The Freedom To Be Yourself Found in College

      High School is not an easy place to survive in, within many high schools out there, you will be made fun of if you are different, that is a simple fact. If you are over weight you will be made fun of because of it, if you look different you will be told so, if you like theater you will be called gay and looked down upon, and if you are gay you will be faced with tough times ahead. Of course this is not the case in every high school, some high schools have evolved and become places where people are accepted for who they are and encouraged to be themselves, though sadly this is not what is the case among the majority of high schools, those four years for many are tough years indeed, there is a bright road ahead of you though, an escape, and that is college. There is no explanation to how this phenomenon occurs, but at college all the dynamics change, you are now allowed to be you, and not some created version of you that everyone likes, it's a beautiful thing, here is a brief overlook at the stereotype changes that occur: (of course this does not apply to all colleges and universities but this does fit the majority of them)

      Revenge Of The Nerds

     In high school you might have been picked on, you might have been ridiculed for studying hard and getting good grades, but in college you are respected and fellow classmates look up to you as the person they want to be friends with and study with, because grades in college matter, a lot. Another big factor is that you will be surrounded by a ton of other nerds, meaning if anyone messes with you they will also be messing with that 6'2 nerd that plays dungeons and dragons who happens to be a boxer, a nerd could be taken down, a group of nerds is a thing to be feared. The word Nerd as well takes on a different meaning, while in high school it is a negative term in college its a positive, a lot of people call themselves nerds, its become an accepted term, classifying a whole genre of people, people that like comic books, movies, video games, cartoons, and so on, all refer to themselves as nerds. When you arrive at college you will fit in within one of these groups, realize you are not alone and have a fantastic college career.  So keep up your studies and apply to good programs out there, remember that those programs are hard to get into which means that only people that study as hard as you will make it there, thus you will surely make friends and have a blast with people that have similar ideals as you. Have hope, stay strong, and finish right, be encouraged.

  The Evolution From Bully-Jock To Nice-Awesome-Jock

    Not all jocks are bullies in high school, that's true, but there are a lot that think being a bully is their job in life. The heightened sense of importance gives them a false sense of power and thus corrupts them and places the idea of superiority within their heads. This means having exclusive parties, picking on people, not associating with people and so on. Again this is not a depiction of all jocks, there are some nice jocks out there, but we're going for the stereotype here, and stereotypes exist for a reason. When you arrive in college you will realize that being nice to everyone is a great thing, because in the end of the day these are your fans, these are the people who will love you and cheer you on, and party with you and make posters with you on them and so forth. Thus the mechanics change, most athletic programs require their players to have a certain GPA, so all that studying that you did not do while at high school you will do now, and who will tutor you? the nerds of course, thus giving them power over you, but no worries this is college, a time where everyone comes together and acknowledges one another. This again is not the case in all colleges, and does not apply to all the people within a college, but as a rule jocks that are nice and treat other people with respect go places and are loved by everyone, example Robert Griffin III, yeah, it pays off to grow up and respect others. For the jocks out there that are already being great guys/girls while in high school, we raises our glasses to you, way to be the difference.  

     Those Who Love Theater

      Being into theater and going to high school may sometimes cause you to be shunned by many. When it comes to theater the problem has decreased a little because of shows like "Glee" that showed the world the problems that those students face, and at the same time made being within a Glee Club something 'cool', though again this is not the case still within many high schools. Specially if you happen to be a homosexual, high school is truly rough on you. College brings about a new mechanic though, where the homosexual within your high school was someone that was made fun of, in college he is one of the coolest guys to know and hang out with. This really happens, and theater kids become the people you really want to know and be friends with. Theater people as a rule through the best parties, themed parties, birthday parties, masked parties, whichever Theater people know how to have a good time. Going to your school plays in not frowned upon but encouraged, and the cast is praised by the student body not shunned, therefore college changes the mechanic around completely here. You should always do yourself a favor and become friends with some theater people, they are always a blast, from picking up instruments and singing, to being hilarious and reenacting scenes, as a whole they are a blast to hang out with. 

    YOU

   Maybe you don't fit into a major stereotype, maybe you are your own person, maybe you like everyone or you don't like everyone, maybe you love pop culture or you don't love pop culture, maybe you like to surf, maybe you like to paint, or maybe you just like to lay around and do nothing, the good news is that you are not alone, and you will find a group of friends at college that like doing similar things that you like to do. This is a simple rule as well, college brings people with similar interests together, it just happens, you'll look around on your second year and realize that all your friends are like you and that for the first time you can be you without feeling like you are alone, its a wonderful thing. This also applies to those that fit into many different stereotypes, a jock who likes video games and comics who happens to love theater will find people that are similar to him, where as in high school he might not have been able to be himself, now he has the opportunity to express how he really feels and show who he really is.

  Something To Look Forward To

   College changes the dynamic, so if you are having a tough time in high school remember that you are not alone, that there are tons of other students going though the same things you are, and remember that you will meet them soon in college and be surrounded by a community that cares about you being you, and that is the freedom found at most colleges. We won't generalize here and say that all colleges hold this freedom but we feel comfortable making the statement that many colleges fit into this category. This article did play on many stereotypes and of course those can be flawed and do not apply to all high schools or colleges, though research states that there is a change that occurs in college, a social class shift that changes the game and provides you with an environment more accepting of you being you, instead of you fitting the "cool" mold found in high school.

     We hope and pray that one day middle school and high school might be a little more like college in its acceptance of people that are different than the whole. While that takes its time to occur we encourage you to be yourself and do what you love, encourage others to do the same, and know that you will soon be able to have that freedom when you go to college. We hope you have a fantastic Friday, and a glorious weekend.

   Love from your humble blogger,

College: How To Stay On Track To Graduation

     Just as you are not told everything you should know while applying for colleges, you are also not told everything about how to graduate on time and do so well. We've compiled a list of musts that all incoming students should be aware of in order to not only make the most out of their college experience but to also be able to stay on track for graduation. These are the type of things that if you do not pay attention to you might stay another year or two in school, or in some cases seven years, hence the importance of graduating on time, its the difference between 4 years of loans versus 5-7 years of loans, no one wants more loans, no worries, we're here to help.

    Advisors

      When you first get to your respected institution you will be assigned an advisor, meet with him/her right away and see what advice he/she has for you in your own goals and dreams. It is always a good thing to be on good terms with your advisor as he/she might be able to aid you in ways you would not have the power to aid yourself. The problem here is that many times we are paired up with an incompetent advisor, one who doesn't really care about us, or one that you know more about school policy then. Within these cases a few options are available to you, you could request for another advisor and start the process over, or you can choose the 'do it yourself' route, which can be way easier if and only if you are organized, thus leading us to the next point.

     The Catalog

     As you apply to different programs you will be given that particular year's catalog, this catalog holds all the classes you will have to take in order for you to graduate, study it. Being that you are just coming in and your mind might change about your major or minor, it is advisory that you take the core classes first. Basically your classes are divided in two different sections, the "everyone needs to take these" and the "these are the classes for your chosen concentration". While you make up your mind about what concentration you should take you should get all those "everyone needs to take these" classes out of the way. This will ensure that you do not take classes that you will not need for graduation, nothing worse than arriving to your fourth year and realizing that half of the 120 credits you have do not count towards your graduation route, I've heard of this happening more times than I would like. So if you study the catalog and understand what classes you need to take then you will surely be on track for graduation in four years.

   Summer

     Summer school in high school is frowned upon and lame, summer school in college is look up to and treasured, this is a simple truth. By taking summer classes you could cut your college loans by at least a year and a half, this means saving you close to 150K, that's a ton of money, this is not the time to be thinking about anything but your future, owing 150K+ loans is no joke, and might enslave you for various years after your graduation, thus summer classes are a solid choice. Within summer classes you basically get the whole material you would during the year condensed and done with in 4 weeks, this might seem tough but its not that bad and it pays off big time in the end. Most schools have a May term, then a Summer A & B terms, which means you can get up to 12 credits out of the way in a summer if you play your cards right, that's a semester's worth almost. Its a good choice, trust.

     Professors

    Just as you should be aware of what professors are big deals within the world you should always check what professors are tough as nails for no reason, this will save you time and energy. There are some professors that aren't good, this is a truth at every college, there is always that one professor that likes to see his students cry from over working, and hence the importance of being informed. You should always talk to upperclassmen and find out what professors are good, which ones are tough, which ones are worth being close friends with, and so on. In your research try to talk to multiple upperclassmen as well, that way you get a better less biased perspective on a professor, this process could save you a lot of time and energy in the future, there is nothing worse than being in a class with a professor who prides himself on not giving anyone A's, its a pride thing for them and its a waste of money and energy for you, thus seek those upperclassmen out.

     And that concludes our list, we hope that this has been of aid to some of you and that some of this is new to you. We pray that you all have a fantastic week, and hold on, Friday is approaching.

   Love from your humble blogger,

Overlooked Musts When Choosing A College

     If you are a high school student and are on the ball right now then you have already applied to colleges and are expecting answers in the months to come. If you however have not started applying yet, do not fret, you still have time and there are plenty of schools that will still accept applications, specially because of the recession. There are a lot of illusions about applying for schools, some things told to students and some things withheld, we've attempted to create a list of the most overlooked factors one should look at when choosing a school. Though this list is directed towards high schools students applying for college, we feel that it would apply to anyone going to a new job, or a student applying for graduate schools as well, so stay tuned and read on:

  But First, An Alternative Route

        With the recession hitting us full force it feels icky to go too schools that will eventually cost you up to two hundred thousand dollars, either from your pocket or through loans, either way it feels like a bad idea, and for some it is. Again do not fret, there is an alternative route, one not often sought out but a legitimate option none-of-the-less, community college. Through a community college you can get all the core classes out of the way and get your AA, so the boring classes that everyone has to take you will already have taken care of before going to your university of choice. As an example of how much money this saves you we've selected a standard good school, if you want to go to Reed University after you get your AA then you would have saved yourself a total of $109,600, a significant amount, Reed University is prestigious but due to its nature it offers good tuition for its students, good tuition means about $42,000 per year, then they add fees and dorms which bring it up to $54,800, thus causing you to be broke. This is not us hating on Reed University, we're actually quite fond of that program, this is us pointing out how all schools do this and how getting an AA will save you a lot of money. Some might argue that with scholarships you won't spend that much, and that is a legitimate argument, the issue with that argument is that the majority of students do not get those scholarships, the honest truth is that maybe 25% of students actually get a significant scholarship from the school, though this number varies from school to school, we advise you that if you have not gotten any scholarships then getting an AA first might be the best route for you to take.  (And now we move on)

    The 4 Neglected Overlooked Musts When Choosing A College

     Location

    Location has a significant importance while being at school, you are choosing where you would like to study for the next four to five years, best that you like where you end up or you might have a miserable four to five years, and no one wants that. The first thing to consider is distance from your family and old friends, if you are very close to your parents and will not have as good of a time being far away from them, then choose a school up to 4 hours away from your home. 4 hours away is a long distance when considering all sides and choices, but this will definitely spare you heartache, and there are tons of benefits to being close to home, like home cooking, and vacation from school whenever you want, its a good move. If you don't care much and can be away from your family for a while then this does not apply to you, but still consider the possibilities of living close to home and all the benefits you could have, you might start caring.

   Entertainment

      When choosing a place to live for the next few years it is important to get to know the town you will be staying at, meaning, find out how many malls it has, movie theaters and so on. If you don't check this out first you might run the risk of ending up in a place where the only thing to do is go to Walmart on the weekends and see how they re-organized the store this time. You think we're joking here but sadly we are not, there are schools out there where this is a reality, thus reinforcing the point of looking for schools at good locations and examining that location. This also applies to property prices in the area, and so on, this will come in handy later on when you decide to move out of your dorm.

       Professors

        When choosing a school it is important to look at the teaching faculty and find a place that houses professors you can learn the most from, this is of deep importance in various fields, it might determine if you go far or not, the people you know really make a huge difference in the real world, we wish that that was not the case, that things were fair and talent was always recognized but this is not the case, most of the time it boils down to the people you know. Therefore, you should find a school with good professors, that can aid you in achieving your goals, not only that but you must try your hardest in the following four years to become that professors choice student, so that you might get a good recommendation later on.

   Graduates

     So you found a school with a good location, the city its in is awesome, and the professors are top notch, good stuff, now find out who has graduated from that program and what they are doing now. Every school keeps tabs on their success stories, so go and find out where the graduates of this program have ended up, and if they ended up successful this might be the right program for you. Any school that does not have a list of successful graduates should send a red flag up in your head and show you that just maybe this program is not as good as you once thought. This is an important step to take, by finding out where the success stories ended up you will be able to get a better idea of where you might end up, and thus be able to get a better understanding of the possibility of following your own dream.

     We hope this list has proven useful to some of you and that this waiting period for responses from schools doesn't drive you too crazy, we hope you have a great Monday, and a fantastic week.

Love from your humble blogger,

Back On The Grind

       With Holidays behind us a sad phenomenon approaches, real life. Yes that sad moment where you have to leave home and go back to school, or your 2 week vacation from work is coming to a close, whatever your case may be the time has come to face real life head on and get back on the grind. Before we start, let's define terms for those not in the know:

      Grind: is a term used in video gaming to describe the process of engaging in repetitive and/or boring tasks not pertaining to the story line of the game (thanks wikipedia). The term was made popular by games like World Of Warcraft that required so much grinding to take place in order to get things done within the game. WOW became a social phenomenon among all types of people and eventually earned a place within many rappers' daily vocabulary, hence "I'm on the grind" or "I gotta get back in the grind" became common among the populace. In conclusion, when someone says "let's get back to the grind" many things are meant, WOW made the line of usage blur a bit by making the term common place and an ok thing. There are many different speculations as to where the term originated, for example Cracked has another take and does not mention the WOW phenomenon, thus proving the elusive origins of the word. Made easy, "back to the grind" just means "back to work", now you know, and that's half the battle. Back to the article.

      Leaving family is never fun, though at the same time being with family is not always easy, there are many good memories to be made but there are also some discussions, tough times and so on. In the end when it comes to family it is all worth it though, the good the bad, the easy times and tough times, all of them in conjunction provide us in the end with people that love us, know us, encourage us, and will always be there for us. Family is not an easy thing to hold together as well, it takes work, tons of work, by all the members within the family, the end result though is worth everything. If you are leaving home to go back to work, or school don't forget to give your family a hug and tell them you love them and will miss them, a kind word goes a long way.

      As 2012 starts we encourage you to face this year with a new goal, a goal of success, while remembering that success comes in different shapes and sizes. Not everyone will be a millionaire, that does not determine success, in fact many millionaires have failed miserably at life, thus what we mean by success is this, live a life worth re-living. Live a life of love, meaning be kind to those around you, work hard on doing a good job at work, try to be nice to people even those that treat you like garbage. This does not mean take those people's crap, nah, just don't retaliate, and stay away from them instead of engaging in warfare against them. Try to live in peace with those around you, it's not an easy thing, and we fail at it just like everyone else, success is not measured by how many times you fall, but by the amount of times you get back up and try again, so go and make this year count, make this year be a success filled year.  

      We want to extend a warm wish of good luck to everyone applying to colleges, graduate programs or even those seeking after jobs, know that our prayers go out to you, that you may get into the programs you want and find the jobs you need. Remember to smile more, be it by watching funny movies online, or going to a theater, hanging out with close friends, whichever, just remember to add more fun to your day, take a load off and don't focus too much on anxiety, instead focus on all the blessings you see within your life, all the good things you can be thankful for, and try to smile more. Never underestimate the power of a smile.

      We hope you have a great Friday, and a glorious weekend,

Love from your humble blogger,

"Chronicle" The Least Talked About Movie You Need To Know About

      Chronicle is a cross between "Cloverfield", "The Blair Witch Project" and "Attack The Block", it follows three teens that find something buried within the woods and from it gain powers. From the preview we learn that their powers evolve as they use them, as if it were a muscle of sorts. We also learn that the movie has a very serious undertone, which we encounter in the end of the preview, this is the element that truly caught my eye, the element that separates this low budget film from all the other super hero movies that will be coming out this year.

   Chronicle is the first movie being directed by Josh Trank and there are no big names within the cast of this movie, this is a legit low budget movie that could go viral, its exciting and it is one you should know about. There hasn't been much advertising for this movie, be it because of the budget situation of the director or a marketing strategy gone bad, but there isn't a ton of buzz going around about this flick, which I find unfortunate. Big shout out to IGN for opening our eyes to this movie, they recently covered an article relaying all the good lower budget movies coming out this year that we need to look at, I recommend it, find the article HERE.

      The Internet is a wonderful thing, and if we come together to raise awareness we can give the little guys in this world a chance to succeed, thus push this story further, let people know about this movie, watch the preview and tell your friends, this movie is going to be great. By the preview we get a sense that this movie is going to blow everyone out of the water, but the crazy thing is that it comes out in a month, Feb 03rd, and a very small community is aware of it, thus the need for the Internet to do its thing and help a starting director out.

   Personally I have no idea who the guy is (Josh Trank, that is), never met him, the only reason I'm so pumped about this movie is because it looks like it'll be a really fun watching experience, and because it is the first original take on the super hero genre for a while. There have been other movies trying to be original with the superhero thing, I think "Paperman" is one of the best ones, but playing around the a super hero concept and actually seriously delivering a solid product are two separate things, "Chronicle" is promising just that, a new take on super hero movies delivered by a low budget team, something worth getting behind and pushing forward.

  With so many big budget productions coming out this year, there is an importance on paying attention to the little guy as well, you never know when the little guy will surprise you, thus its always good to keep a close watch on the low budget films coming out. What other low budget films made it big you ask? The list can be a long one but here are a few gems that came from people coming together and spreading the word about a film, "Clerks", "The Blair Witch Project", "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", "Rocky", "Napoleon Dynamite" , and so on, there are many reasons as to why we should always support upcoming directors, you never know when you'll have another Scorsese surface.   

    The bottom line, "Chronicle" comes out in a month, watch the preview, be wowed and pass the word forward, this movie deserves more buzz and we can give them that buzz, always a worthy goal to push neglected art forward, one we should always strive to do. Give the little guy a fighting chance, and support what looks to be a great project.

     Hope the first week of the year has been kind to you so far,

Love from your humble blogger,

New Year Resolutions 2012

     "This year will be the year I do......" This is one of the most common phrases during the New Years and one that has begun to be misused, as if the meaning of the phrase had been forgotten and it's hope long since erased. The true meaning behind resolutions is a beautiful one, brought about by the feeling of joy and love that both are present within the New Year's celebration.

     There is something magical that occurs during the passing of the year, its a time where we all come together and celebrate a year well lived, the hardships that passed, the phenomenal times that were had, and look forward to an even better year to come. During this time of hope for the future we look upon the past year and find something we need to work on, something that will make this coming year even better, and that becomes our resolution.

     Resolutions have been abused in that some have begun to look at them as some sort of joke, when in fact there is something very serious about looking back on your mistakes and trying to do better in the next year. One should always learn from his/her mistakes and seek to do better, during the new years we come together and acknowledge that we all have that 'thing' that needs to be worked on and make a vow to one another that we will do our best to accomplish that task.

    The tough thing is the misconception that the troubles you previously faced in the year before, you won't face in the next year, true not everything will be the same but you will face many of the same troubles and problems and this time you will know what to do, you will be ready for them and not get phased by them as you previously had, this is growing up. At the same time, the good times you had will also be upon you again, and many new amazing memories will surface, we pray that you have more good times than bad this coming year.

    The previous paragraph is important because it is the source of most people breaking their resolutions, so here we are to urge you to hold strong, to take aim and hit the mark, to put on your proverbial armor and face life head on, defeating all troubles this year, while holding your resolutions intact, and prevailing on all your goals. The meaning behind resolutions is to look upon your life acknowledging that you are not perfect and trying to live a better life this next year, if you haven't come up with a resolution yet then do so, it is never too late to choose to change.

      May you have a gorgeous second day of the year, and welcome to 2012,

Love from your humble blogger,