Broadway meets Twitter

If you follow me on Twitter or know me personally, you know I have an obsession for anything musical. I also have a passion for social media. I was attending a student performance of "The Last Five Years" last week and, as usual, during the director's speech, he asked everyone to turn off their phones. I followed suit, of course, but I know many people probably didn't.

With the advent of Twitter, a trend of live "tweeting" events was born. While I readily partake, especially during American Idol, I can't help but think that there are some times when you should just let your fingers rest and enjoy the art that is in front of you.

As a performer, I know how annoying, distracting, and disrespectful it is when people are texting or taking pictures while you are onstage. People may try to tell you that when you are on stage you can only see the first five rows, but I can tell you from personal experience that you can see way past that. Why come to the theater and potentially pay money when you could just sit at home doing the same thing?

My feeling on this is that it just is not the time or place to be linked to social media while at a play or concert or dance performance. The Arts provide an escape from reality, one much appreciated in such a fast-paced, on-the-go society.

Busy, busy, busy

I don't think I've ever been this busy in my life. In high school I was the student body president and thought that job was intensive, but now I'm actually having to limit myself on my activities so I don't have a nervous breakdown.

I'm the kind of person that almost never says no to an opportunity to either help someone or to help me grow as a person. Although it's been hard, I've had to say no to opportunities in college, and that's been a difficult adjustment for me.

I think I had this idea coming into college that I needed to do as much as possible as not to miss anything. I'm beginning to see that maybe focusing one a few things that I really love is the best way to go. By limiting myself, I've been able to throw myself into everything I do and have been able to gain a lot of experience this year.

This summer I'll be interning at the Charleston Area Medical Center in the Marketing and Public Affairs department. I'm thrilled to work on one project instead of three or four and I hope my devotion to this internship will show through my work.

Meanwhile, I'm crossing my fingers for warm weather and a great end to sophomore year!

My first professional interview

Yesterday I had my first 'real' interview. Yes, I interviewed when I got my job at Cracker Barrel three years ago and when I was elected as PR Director for the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, but this was my first professional interview.

I have to admit, I was very nervous going in to the interview, especially for such a well-known company in the Charleston area. But, once I got going, it wasn't as bad as I thought.

I got a lot of great advice from my parents, friends, and fellow Scrippsies: be yourself, be honest, make it a conversation. These things made me feel better going into my interview, and now I can add a few of my own to the list.

Don't be afraid to admit you don't know something. It shows you are willing to learn.

It's ok to tell stories that will showcase your skills and abilities.

Ask questions, even if they don't directly relate to your interview. It shows you've taken the time to learn about the company and that you are truly interested.

Now all I can do is wait to see if I'll be chosen for the position, but either way it was a great experience for me and will better prepare me for future interviews.