Mereja

Author: Zahra- Northwestern University

  • Dear John, I Want To See You

    Tomorrow’s a big day. The big day. The day that I’ve been dreaming about for months.

    Yes ladies, tomorrow marks the release of Dear John and I. just. can’t. wait.

    Call me cheesy. Call me girly. Call me pathetic. Just don’t call me between the hours of 9pm and 11pm when I’m soaking up the chick-flick of the decade with my girls and an overpriced, oversized package of Twizzlers.

    And don’t tell me you’re not excited about this one, too. Dear John has all the elements of the perfect movie and here are 5 reasons why I’m already holding tickets to the opening night premiere.

    1. I love a good cry. Dear John is adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel by the same name.  Sparks also happens to be the tear-jerking genius who wrote The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, both of which left me heaving into my Diet Coke in the movie theater. As sadistic as it sounds, sometimes I just need me a good cry and after having watched the trailer, um, a lot, I’m positive this movie will give me one.

    2. Channing Tatum. As if I even need to mention this. I have admired his chiseled jaw, gorgeous lips, and Adonis-like abs since Step Up came out in 2006. Even after I finally gave up trying to teach myself all the dances in the movie, my love for Channing stuck with me. He was my profile picture on Facebook for awhile. I mentioned him in my final article for my school newspaper. I planned my life as Mrs. Zahra Tatum…

    Where was I?

    Oh yeah, anyways, all psychosis aside, yes, he was a stripper (NSFW), but he’s gaining real credibility as an actor. I know we’ll get to see a more serious side of him in Dear John, and I’m excited to see how his acting ability has grown. And his pectorals. Because he’s shirtless in this movie…a lot.

    3. The trailer is girly glue. You have all the elements of a perfect romance movie: the shirtless guy with sex appeal, the strangely beautiful girl, the gut-wrenching separation and the hot kiss (and I mean hot – if you don’t want to see the movie after that, you don’t have a heart…or a libido).

    4. Amanda Seyfried. I am a huge Amanda fan. She went from an unknown to a cult favorite in Mean Girls. Now, she’s a rapidly rising star. She has also found the quickest way to my heart by stunning me every time I see her on the red carpet. Although part of me wants to hate her for getting to roll around half naked with Channing, I can’t help but admire her quirky beauty and be eager to see her try her hand at a romance movie.

    5. Everyone Wants Some Lovin’. In this month dedicated to love and romance, it’s nice for those of us without either to get to witness both (without having to watch our friends get all gross, kissy and lovey dovey in front of our faces). And it doesn’t hurt that the guy in love happens to be really, ridiculously good looking.

    Did I mention that Channing will be shirtless?
    Sigh. I can’t wait!

  • Would You Rather… Engagement Edition

    It’s Wednesday so you know what that means: another person has been sent home from The Biggest Loser ranch. And, holy hell, that was some serious drama. What is up with the green team? Why are they so mean? Someone needs to sit them down and force them to watch a Titanic, Notebook and Green Mile marathon until they crack and show some damn emotion. I’m not sure if I hate them or the red team more. Or that nasty brown team from the last couples’ season.

    OMG, did I just go on a mega Biggest Loser tangent? Wow. I need help. What I meant to say was that it’s Wednesday which means it’s time for another exciting round of Would You Rather….

    So let’s forget about The Biggest Loser for now and think of something a little happier (even if it’s far off in the future for many of us). Give us your vote and share your reasoning in the comments. Happy Hump Day!

    Would you rather pee on your guy out of excitement when he proposes OR throw up on him out of excitement when he proposes?

    Things to consider: if you ate asparagus for lunch, potential engagement photos, the kiss.


  • Let’s Stop With CollegeACB.com, OK?

    I like gossip. You know, the pretty harmless kind: who hooked up with who at that party last week, who has a crush on who, who was spotted doing the walk of shame… Little tidbits that don’t really matter. And really, who doesn’t like that stuff?

    But as much as I enjoy hearing all the dirt about the girl down the hall from me, I draw the line somewhere. And that somewhere is online.

    For those of you who don’t know, after JuicyCampus.com was shut down, another website popped up in it’s place. It’s called CollegeACB.com and it has quickly become the nightmare of many. Including myself.

    According to Peter Frank, the founder of CollegeACB.com, the purpose of the site is for people to post anonymous threads and comments about “any facet of college life.”

    “The College ACB or College Anonymous Confession Board seeks to give students a place to vent, rant, and talk to college peers in an environment free from social constraints and about subjects that might otherwise be taboo.”

    His words are well-chosen and seemingly innocent, but as anyone who has visited this website understands, Frank is simply camouflaging what the site is really for: vicious gossip.

    When you go CollegeACB.com, you’re greeted with a list of schools which have pages on the website. When you click on one, you’re taken to that school’s gossip page, which is filled with anonymous posts and replies to posts. All saying incredibly hurtful things – which may or may not be true – about real people. There are pages upon pages about the biggest sluts, the ugliest girls and other terrible things that should never be hashed out over the internet.

    After being a victim of a vicious rumor spread about me via CollegeACB, I have to wonder why a site like this even exists. The site’s users and target demographic are college students. Adults. We are not in high school and we are most certainly not on the set of Gossip Girl, so why are schools, especially mine, so obsessed with such a childish and disgusting site?

    The biggest problem with CollegeACB (and the main reason JuicyCampus went kaput) is that people can write  absolutely whatever they want without repercussion. Because people know what they say on CollegeACB can never be traced back to them, they feel like they have the freedom to say anything – be it a made-up story, a secret that someone confided to them or simply complaining about someone’s fashion choices. This lack of real moderation means that the subject of all these “opinions” can’t fight back, clear their name, or even find out who said it. And thanks to the permanence of the internet, true or not, that statement will be forever linked to that person’s name.

    It is bad enough that Peter Frank has created a space that fosters negativity and blatant sexism, but it is even more disconcerting that so many students feel the desire to hide behind their computer screens and spread vicious gossip about one another. Gossip that can really harm other people’s reputations and college experiences. Sure, most girls have probably never been a victim of a site like this, but it’s only a matter of time. The longer this site stays around, the more people will be discussed. And if anyone can say anything, what’s to say you won’t be next? Just imagine how you’d feel. Then imagine how much worse it will be down the road when you’re applying for a job and your potential employer can what some random person posted about you on this despicable site.

    Gossip happens in college – I get that – but there’s a huge difference between what you may tell your best friend and what you share with anyone who has access to the Internet. The web is a good place for lots of things, like funny Youtube videos and advice on how to look cute when you have to cover yourself in layers so you don’t freeze (very useful at Northwestern), but it shouldn’t be a place to rant about people, to get back at people, or to share someone’s deepest held secrets.

    If you are one of the many students frequenting a site like CollegeACB, stop. Grow up. Think about your actions. Even if no one out there knows who you are, you do! Are you really the type of person who purposely hurts someone else?