last class.

It hasn't sunk in yet that yesterday was my last undergraduate college class. And it really did end on a good note. I saw many things yesterday that I had never seen before -- what a great way to end my college career! The guerilla marketing had to be one of my favorites. For half of a second, I thought a real gorilla had walked in the room. I would have never had the guts to do that, and I applaud you, Evan, for thinking entirely outside the box.

I thought my typography presentation was fairly dull compared to others, but I personally learned something from my research which I guess was partially the goal. I have always been interested in typography but never really had the chance in New Media to explore it on a deep level. I learned a lot about how much of an impact it can have on a brand and how simple text can cause a lot of influence.

Graduating is a little bittersweet for me. It feels like I've been waiting for ever to finally be done with school, but now that it's here, I am having mixed emotions. I was disapointed to hear about some of the cool classes the New Media department may be offering in the future because I know I won't be able to take them -- at least not during this level of education. I think some exposure to the real world will be nice, as will getting married and all that other grown-up stuff. But who knows, I may be back here someday. I love learning and that is one thing I have surely accomplished as a new media student ... in more ways than I expected.

New Media Buzzzzzin'

Monday's class was by far my favorite all semester. Not only was it interesting to take our idea of promoting New Media on our bodies to the next level by presenting it to Dean Hook, but I really enjoyed the group discussion about the ideas that stemmed from our marketing proposal.

I think the idea of turning New Media promotion into a course is genius. First of all, our program doesn't currently offer any sort of advertising course. In the position I was offered after graduation, I will be using New Media to advertise (or promote) the brand I am representing. I think many of us will be using our degree to promote something, but at the very least, we definitely need to know how to advertise ourselves. Second, this class would be free advertisement for the program. If each semester, students were asked to come up with a new campaign for the New Media program, the school would have fresh ideas at least twice a year at no cost to them. The course would serve a double cause and really give students a chance to get their feet wet in a real campaign that could actually be used by the school. Since Seeing-Sideways has become an official elective, maybe the school has a N485 position to fill ... :-)

Bravery

I really took to heart what Beth said about bravery in class yesterday. If we have an idea or strong belief and do nothing with it, then it is wasted. We have to be willing to "change our status quo" for our convictions. I applied this to my faith and asked myself, "Are you really willing to alter your entire life for this?" Up until this point, I've given bits and pieces for what I believe but haven't really let if effect everything. This has really come into play with my job search. I have felt a strong calling for a long time to work in some sort of ministry. I want to give my 8-5 to something I believe in with my whole heart. I want to give my day to serving the Lord, loving others and sharing the truth with them. So why have I been actively pursuing careers in New Media? Why can't I use my *creative* gift in a ministry? And why have I even considered for settling for less than I am passionate about?

Pill Bottle Bomb

*This is not original - I did not make the bomb.

reflecting

It is hard to believe that the semester is finally winding down. The next few months will bring a lot of change to my life and the anticipation is a little scary at times. Full-time student to full-time employee. Single young woman to a wife. Financially depended to financially independent. Looking back, this semester of 24 credit hours and wedding planning wasn't quite as tough as I thought it would be. The Lord has given me a lot of peace these past few months, and I know that it was entirely Him empowering me to succeed.

I have taken a lot more from this Seeing-Sideways class than I expected, as well. I went into the class thinking that if I participated and came up with some *creative* projects, then I would get an A and be one step closer to graduation. In actuality, I haven't participated in the classroom setting nor been as *creative* (whatever that really means) as I had planned, but I have gotten to spend some time with myself that I might not have otherwise. With the fear of failure removed (hopefully), I have been able to get to know myself a little bit more. I have left class early on a few occasions to just be with me. And it's sad to say, that some weeks that was the only time I was ever really alone. And it felt so good. Everyone (my fiance, family, friends, co-workers) thought I was inaccessible due to being in class for 3 hours, so no one even thought to get in touch of me. I was able to convince myself not to do any other work since I normally wouldn't have that chunk of time anyway. It has been refreshing to say the least - and indescribable in so many ways.

no title

i'm so tired.

International Gallery

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend a very unique gallery. College Park Church hosted an international missions festival and highlighted aspects from 9 different countries around the world. Nicaragua, Ukraine, Kenya, Spain, Cambodia, Liberia, Brazil, China, and the Caspian Region each had their own room to display different things unique to their culture, including artwork, food, textiles, photographs, and music. I volunteered in the Cambodian room and helped serve a traditional Cambodian meal -- curried chicken with fish sauce. Let's just say that my taste buds were "enlightened" to say the least. I had never experienced fish sauce before!

Each room also educated us on the severe need for support in each of these countries. I had no idea of the tragic killing fields that occurred in Cambodia in 1979 ... a third of their population was brutally murdered by their own natives. Our room gave a unique, interactive perspective on this to the people who walked through. Each person was asked to take either a black or white stone when they entered. A third of the stones were black and two thirds were white. Halfway through their walk through the Cambodian gallery, the lights were turned off to get their attention. The leader informed the crowd that if they were carrying a black stone, they had been killed. If they were carrying a white stone, someone they knew had been killed. There was no alternative.

I felt really fortunate to converse with our church's missionaries in each of these regions during the exhibition. These individuals are fearless for the Lord. They are dedicating their entire lives (giving up the things and people that are important to them here) to love on and teach others about God. They have a fire and passion for something they believe with every ounce of their beings. Inspirational.

what the BLEEP do we know?

I will start by saying that I do think the film was creative and original. I liked the combination of animation, visual effects, and "expert" testimonials inserted throughout the story. However, that is where my enjoyment of the film ended. I respect the thought process behind the film and can even see why it may be intriguing. Quantum physics is trendy. Instead of answering to our creator, the One who gave us life, let's make our own rules. Let's make our own reality where there is no right or wrong. Except for religion and believing the truths of the Bible, of course ... that's wrong.

I have debated for hours over this blog post and can't bring myself to spend anymore time on. This film evoked a lot of emotion in me, including anger and offense. I am sure you can sense that from my sarcasm above. But in the end, this movie makes me thankful. I am blessed to know the truth. I know why I am here, and I know my purpose. I was created to serve the Holy God that created me and to love every other person on this earth the way that He loves me. He knew way before He made me (and everyone else) that my nature was not like His and that I would continuously fall short of the perfect, pure goodness that is in His presence. Unlike anything else that has ever happened in the history of time, God took on the human form, walked the earth, died a horrible death, and was resurrected. He made this sacrifice so that the people He created could be with Him one day, despite the fact that we offend Him over and over again. He has more power than we could ever comprehend, but He still loved us enough the die so that we could be with Him. He doesn't need you or me to be part of His plan, but we desperately need Him. I am in awe of everything about our Lord and not only am called to live for Him, I truly want to.

Bliss

This week, a friend could tell that I was struggling with something and simply offered that she would pray for me. I believe that she did, and I believe that her prayers contributed to the peace that God gave me over my worry.

I would like to offer my prayers to anyone in the class. You can leave them as a comment (anonymous if you want) or you can email them to me -- mariannewingo@yahoo.com. I promise I won't say a word to you or anyone else about the prayer requests, and I promise you that I actually will pray. It's been my experience that it's comforting to know someone else is talking to the Lord on your behalf. :-)

Sense of Honesty

If I could create a 7th sense for people to encompass, it would be a sense of honesty. I think it would be really awesome for a reaction to occur within or on the human body that would signal the presence of a mis-truth. Possibly the fingers or toes would turn red or get hot when you or someone else is lying to you. If we could all sense when something was false, our lives would function around what is true.

pumpkin pie

Can you "taste" this just by looking at the picture?

Virtual Thunderstorm -- Sound Illusion

autumn is a feeling

sight illusion

are they twirling left or right?

christianity taught by an athiest

the smell that destroyed my dessert

I made the best ice-cream sundae ever tonight ... ice cream AND yogurt, bananas, gluten-free granola, a granola cookie, sugar-free caramel syrup, and cool-whip on top! Food, especially sweet food, makes me very happy, and I had been looking forward to this sundae all day. I had put a lot of thought into the toppings. I would have taken a picture of my sundae (it was beautiful), but I got so excited after it was finished that I ate it before remembering our assignment. At least I ate most of it. I was specifically trying to satisfy my taste buds when my dog decided to interrupt by providing another sense with overwhelming disgust. Simba, my white fluffy Maltese (yes, I'm one of those) looks harmless. But he has the power to clear a room. And not only did he clear me from the room, he ruined any chance of enjoyment for the rest of that sundae. It is amazing that one extremely positive sense can be destroyed by the negative interference of another sense. Although I knew that my sundae tasted good, after Simba's issue my nose told me not to put anything in my body that was in the same room as the offense. As if odor was contaminating or something.

"What if God had an answering machine?"

This what if inspired me to head on over to the wonderful world of Google. Although this is extremely cheesy (I did NOT write it), I thought it was funny. The end is the best, for sure!

Thank you for calling My Father's House.

Please select one of the following four options:
Press 1 for requests.
Press 2 for thanksgiving.
Press 3 for complaints.
Press 4 for all other inquiries.

If you'd like to speak with Gabriel, press 1.
For Michael, press 2.
For any other angel, press 3."
"If you'd like King David to sing a psalm for you, press 6."
"To find out if your relative is here, enter his/her date of death and listen for the list that follows."
"For reservations at My Father's House, press the letters J-o-h-n followed by the number 3-1-6."
"Answers to nagging questions about the age of the earth and where Noah's ark is, wait until you get here!"
"Our computers show that you have called once today already. Please hang up immediately." "This office is closed for the weekend. Please call again Monday."
End of message.

You only need to ring once and God hears you. Because of Jesus, you never get a busy signal. God takes each call and knows each caller personally.

Emergency Phone Numbers:
When in sorrow, call John 14.
When men fail you, call Psalm 27.
If you want to be fruitful, call John 15.
When you have sinned, call Psalm 51.
When you worry, call Matthew 6:19-34.
When you are in danger, call Psalm 91.
When God seems far away, call Psalm 139.
When your faith needs stirring, call Hebrews 11.
When you are lonely and fearful, call Psalm 23.
When you grow bitter and critical, call 1 Cor. 13.
For Paul's secret to happiness, call Col. 3:12-17.
For idea of Christianity, call 1 Cor. 5:15-19.
When you feel down and out, call Romans 8:31-39.
When you want peace and rest, call Matt. 11:25-30.
When the world seems bigger than God, call Psalm 90.
When you want Christian assurance, call Romans 8:1-30.
When you leave home for labor or travel, call Psalm 121.
When your prayers grow narrow or selfish, call Psalm 67.
For a great invention/opportunity, call Isaiah 55.
When you want courage for a task, call Joshua 1.
How to get along with fellowmen, call Romans 12.
When you think of investments/returns, call Mark 10.
If you are depressed, call Psalm 27.
If your pocketbook is empty, call Psalm 37.
If you're loosing confidence in people, call 1 Cor. 13.
If people seem unkind, call John 15.
If discouraged about your work, call Psalm 126.
If you find the world growing small and yourself great, call Psalm 19.

Emergency numbers may be dialed direct. No operator assistance is necessary.

Chris Gardner

This morning, I had to opportunity to see Chris Gardner, the inspiration for the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. He was a guest speaker at ExactTarget's Connections Conference. Mr. Gardner gave a very inspirational talk and really demonstrated the power of never giving up. For those of you who have seen the movie, I'm sure you will agree that it is an awesome story. It really doesn't do Mr. Gardner justice, though. I was expecting him to talk to the audience about how he went from being homeless to a multi-millionaire. However, he spent the majority of his time talking about his love for his son and the challenges of being a single parent. Mr. Gardner was determined to break the chain of missing fathers in his family. He also gave the audience a glimpse into the real lives of homeless people. I had no idea that over 12% of people that live on the streets have full-time jobs. They go to work every day but still cannot afford a place to live. Stereotypically, these people are judged as lazy or down on their luck. Many of these people are not lazy at all! Life has thrown them a few curve balls, and they have simply ended up in an unfortunate circumstance. Mr. Gardner really made me think about how quickly anyone's life could change. This time next year, I could be homeless. Or the homeless man that lives under the bridge next to my apartment could find an amazing job and be making millions next year. We have no idea the way our lives will go. I can't honestly say that I envy our homeless community, but I often think that I could better serve God if I didn't have all this "stuff" in my apartment to distract. I admire Mr. Gardner for putting more emphasis on his son than his "stuff." I don't think all of our stuff will matter much or be remembered after our lives on earth are over. God could care less about our tangible items, but He cares a lot about our hearts.

Target

I took Beth's Target ad during class yesterday and went to Target. I spent 2 hours and 23 minutes there and bought nothing. I walked each aisle, and observed, and thought. I've never done anything like that before. And, I didn't come back to class. I've never done that before either.

What if I missed class?

Sorry for missing you all on Monday. I had a nagging little cold. If I had avoided getting you all sick, I probably would have grossed you out with my sniffling and coughing. I probably should have gone to the doctor on this one. However, I’m extremely stubborn and only go to the doctor if I’m bleeding at the head … which ironically happened about a month ago, but that is beside the point.


I’ve been looking forward to the “what if” assignment since the first day of class. I admit, I was one of those kids who constantly asked their parents these annoying questions. Maybe that is why my mom suggested the quiet game so often.



What if I was a boy?
What if I am dead and don't know it?
What if I dropped out of college in my last semester?
What if a rode a moose to campus tomorrow?
What if I shaved my head?
What if no one voted in the November election as a protest?
What if I was in a coma for 10 years?
What if my fiance went into a coma?
What if Oprah murdered Sarah Palin?
What if today was the last day that earth existed?

What if I found out someone I love was a spy from another planet?
What if all the art in the world completely disappeared?
What if our skin was translucent?
What if a world war started today?
What if you knew the day you were going to die?
What if people were incapable of lying?
What if cheese was made from pee instead of milk?
What if every flower in the world died?
What if I had a stalker?
What if I became a stalker?

What if Jesus walked the earth today?
What if music was illegal?
What if China blew up?
What if 9/11 was a conspiracy?
What if we could fly?
What if we are all part of a movie like The Truman Show?
What if facebook was deleted?
What if all of the continents were one big land mass?
What if reality is just an illusion?
What if eating animals were illegal?

What if Dr. Phil and Oprah were sleeping together?
What if people covered their butts when they farted just like they cover their mouths when they burp?
What if high school was the highest level of education?
What if we all made the same salary?
What if the U.S hadn't won the Revolutionary War?
What if you could erase one thing from your past?
What if you could ask God one question?
What if we loved each other the way God loves us?
What if I never find a job after graduation?
What if Walmart goes out of business?

What if we walked on our hands instead of our feet?
What if Osama Bin Laden found a cure for cancer?
What if dogs could talk to us?
What if dogs and cats cross-bred?
What if the sun never went down again?
What if IUPUI added more parking lots?
What if Microsoft went bankrupt?
What if I got arrested?
What if no one was homeless?
What if the Colts decided to leave Indianapolis?