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byologee · 4 years ago

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an actually practical guide to being premed and getting into med school by someone who did it successfully

Majors and Classes:

Personally I feel you should choose a major that will be complementary to your premed studies-- something STEM or social science based that overlaps with your premed classes and will allow you to take upper level science classes that relate to physiology, disease and illness, pharmacology, etc. HOWEVER do not let this deter you from majoring in a non-bio STEM area like biochem or from pursuing a different science or liberal arts major.

That being said, consider double majoring in Public Health because it is very relevant to premed and going into medicine.

Make sure you take the correct order of bio and chem classes. This is important so that you take classes at the appropriate time when you have the appropriate skill level and so that you do not have any gaps in your premed education or major classes.

Be aware of what upper level bio and chem classes require prereqs that are not a part of your major requirements or premed requirements; for example some upper level bio classes require microbio which is not a premed requirement at all schools NOR always a major requirement. Plan your underclassmen years accordingly to allow you to fit in certain prereqs for upper level classes.

If you plan on taking lower level lab intensive courses, take them as an underclassman-- they will prepare you with basic lab skills you can apply to upper level classes and to irl lab work, plus most of your classmates will be underclassmen. You do not want to take these lower level lab intensive courses as an upperclassman. You will be bored and probably annoyed.

Take an intro level public health class as an underclassmen to see if you are interested in public health; this will also be relevant to your med school apps.

Gen chem 1 and orgo 1 are weedout classes. Many people will switch from premed and/or bio to public health or prePA after taking gen chem 1 and orgo 1. This is normal; don’t be judgemental. If you’re the one switching to public health or prePA, don’t feel bad or ashamed.

Do not take orgo 1 or 2 with super hard progressors. It’s just not worth it. Many people say that harder orgo progressors prepare you better for the MCAT, but this is false as the MCAT does not have a lot of orgo on it. Many people will fail out of orgo even without super hard professors. Set yourself up for success by taking orgo profs with good reputations, not profs with reputations for failing everyone, being purposefully difficult, or just nasty.

If you take a (relatively) “easy” professor for orgo 1, under no circumstances should you take a hard prof for orgo 2. You will suffer.

The best way to study orgo 1 and 2 is to memorize all the reactions. Copy reactions until you have them memorized. Then you can simply apply what you’ve memorized to synthesis reactions. This works for NMR too, just memorize what NMR specs look like and apply.

Always go to TA office hours for gen chem 1, 2 lab and orgo 1, 2 lab. The lab reports are very difficult and the TAs can help you more than professors can. Professors will be mostly absent for labs. TAs will know what’s up.

You do not need to take biochem 2 for the MCAT, biochem 1 will suffice as it generally covers amino acids and proteins and not respiration and metabolism. Most of the biochem on the MCAT is about amino acids and proteins; all metabolism can be self-studied. (This is my opinion to save you time, if your advisors tell you otherwise LISTEN TO THEM and not me).

If you take AP psychology you do not need to take intro psych.

You need to take a sociology course for the MCAT and premed reqs. You should take The Sociology of Deviance if offered at your college as this is more relevant to the MCAT than intro socy.

If you have to take a professional writing class for Gen Eds, try to take a science writing or health professions writing course as these will be relevant to you.

Take stats even if you don’t have to as it is very relevant for understanding papers.

If you switch to another pre-health path like prePA or prepharm you will generally have to take different prereqs. Clear this with your advisors and come up with a plan.

Med schools like to see a diversity in courses and not just science courses, so you need to take at least 8 humanities credit hours. Diversify your college education and take interesting and relevant humanities courses; this will also help with CARS on the MCAT.

Research

Many medical schools want you to have research experience. You can do clinical research or bench research.

You should start research early, either 2nd semester freshman year or summer before sophomore year.

The best advice is to research professors and PIs in the BSCI and public health departments and email ones you are interested in about working in their lab. You can do this before 2nd semester freshman year or during that semester. Email example: Hi Dr. X, I am an undergraduate freshman at UMD and am looking for research opportunities in X field. I discovered your lab and read your paper, “X,” and am very interested in this subject! Elaborate on what interested you I was wondering if there are any open positions in your lab for an undergraduate researcher. I have taken X, X, X, courses. I would be interested in working in your lab for 2 years. Please let me know if you have any openings! Best, X

PIs generally look for undergrads to commit to 2 years of research, but you can quit earlier if you feel like it. This is also why you should do research earlier-- that way you are not cramming it in during your upperclassman years.

The goal is to get some abstracts, posters, presentations, and maybe a pub out of it, but these things aren’t absolutely necessary.

Clinical Experience

Med schools like to see 10 months of continuous clinical experience, which translates to about 200 hours. However, this number is too low and to be really competitive for med school apps you should aim for 1000 hours if not more.

The best way to gain clinical experience is to work part time as a scribe, CNA, MA, or tech. You can take CNA and MA courses the summer before sophomore or junior year and apply to positions online. CNA/MA gives you a lot of experience working with patients. Scribing gives you a lot of experience working with doctors and seeing what they do. It’s best to start clinical experience sophomore year or junior year so you can gain enough hours prior to applying.

You should also have clinical volunteering hours which you can get by volunteering at hospitals such as Children’s or Shady Grove or any other local hospital. Other clinics also accept volunteers, you just have to look around. Check your health professions advising office (hereon abbreviated as HPAO) for their recommendations and job listings if available.

You can also shadow doctors. Your HPAO may have a continuously updating list of physicians in your area who are available to shadow. You can also genuinely just email local providers. Note that you will need to shadow a DO if applying DO.

Check your HPAO listserv for job openings and clinical volunteering opportunities.

You can find jobs by googling “CNA job near me” or “scribe job near me” and browsing postings on Indeed and other job sites, or alternatively postings on hospital sites.

Community Service

Med schools like to see 10-12 months of continuous community service, or around 200 hours. This is too low, and you should aim for around 600 to be a competitive applicant.

Join school listservs and look for volunteer postings. Go to your school’s First Look Fair or college organization fair (usually held at the beginning of each semester) and sign up for emails from clubs that do volunteering or other various organizations. There are many organizations on campus that do volunteering and service.

Ideally you want to work with marginalized communities off campus. This sounds shitty but you want to work with communities who need it. You should also aim for a sustained service opportunity, not a once a month thing but a weekly, continuous experience. Volunteering through clubs and societies like the women’s premed organization are not valid experiences.

Google local homeless shelters, women’s shelters, STD testing clinics, and food banks-- these are all really good places to volunteer at. You can also volunteer at crisis hotlines.

You can also utilize clinical experience for community service, so volunteering at a hospital, clinic, urgent care, etc. But you also need non-clinical community service, so make sure to prioritize both.

Consistency is key. Doing an experience for a longer period of time (ex. 4 hours every week for 10 months- year) is very valuable. Even doing an hour of volunteering at the same place every week for two years is great. Building relationships, gaining experience, understanding consistency-- med schools value this. Long term experience is very important.

Extracurriculars

You should also be involved in extraneous, non-community service based organizations and extracurriculars. It’s ok if these organizations include some aspect of community service. This can also include paid-positions that are not clinical.

Examples include campus ministries, sports, dance, art clubs, music/choir, social, restorative, and environmental justice organizations, interest groups, tutoring, co-ed frats, etc.

Joining societies, like the American Women’s Medical Association or your college’s namesake Pre-Med Society is a great way to do extracurriculars, build your resume, and get leadership experience. You can also join major-specific societies.

Check with your HPAO for a list of pre-health societies you can join. Your college will also have a website or list of clubs and orgs you can investigate.

Med schools like to see that you are well-rounded, so having a variety of experiences is important.

Advising

It is extremely important that you build a relationship with your advisors. It is very important that you outline all the classes you want to take with them and when AND that you meet with them every semester. Discuss your plans with them, ask questions, ask for suggestions and tips. If you make any major or minor changes you need to speak with them too. They are a resource; use them.

You will also need to build a relationship with your pre-med advisors at your HPAO. You may need to do an intro workshop to be able to meet with an advisor at your HPAO.

Meet with an HPAO advisor every semester to outline your courseload, volunteering, clinical work, extracurriculars, and application plan. Your HPAO advisor will help you craft a narrative for med school apps and can help advise you with regards to coursework and what opportunities to pursue. They can help you decide when to take the MCAT, when to apply, devise a school list, etc. so it’s best to start meeting with them early. The better your relationship with your HPAO advisor, the stronger the recommendation letter you’ll get from them.

If your grades drop you NEED to speak with an HPAO advisor. You should be checking in with them every semester to go over your grades and course history and make sure you are on the right track to apply. This is really really crucial.

If your HPAO offers workshops for applying to med school, crafting a school list, financing med school, writing a personal statement, etc. then GO TO THEM. Utilize the resources that are available to you.

Make sure you are on your HPAO listserv.

If your HPAO offers peer to peer advising consider using this resource to speak with current college students who are going through the application process.

2 Areas Med Schools Look At: Leadership + Diversity and Inclusion

These are two hot topics med schools care about. Here is how to address them.

Leadership: there are numerous ways to gain leadership experience; getting elected to a leadership position in a club or organization, being a TA or UA, getting a management position at your job, or being any kind of team leader in a community service endeavor. The important thing is that you are able to express what you learned and how you grew or changed from that experience, plus how you will apply what you learned in the future.

Diversity and Inclusion: Hot topics in medicine right now, my advice is to read about diversity and inclusion in medicine and what it means-- read articles, op-eds, peer-reviewed papers, etc. There are a few ways to go about this issue; one is to find out what is unique about you that you can contribute to medicine, the second (and most important) is to work with underserved and marginalized communities. Being able to express in med school apps and interviews that you understand the difficulties faced by marginalized groups and are committed to better health and wellness outcomes is REALLY important. Being able to show awareness about diversity in medicine is so key. To do this, spend time working with the marginalized and underserved through community service and clinical work. Be able to show med schools that you understand and care about diversity and inclusion.

You should be thinking about leadership and diversity/inclusion throughout all four years of undergrad-- how will you incorporate these things into your app?

Letters of Rec

Getting letters of rec (you will need 5-6) is very important. To do this you will need to build relationships with the following…

Professors: You will need recommendations from 2 science professors and 1-2 non-science professors. To get recs you need to go to office hours, ask questions in class and outside of class, email profs questions, stay after class to ask questions, participate, show an interest in what they are teaching. Office hours are important unless the class is small. Build relationships with professors ALL THROUGHOUT undergrad. Go to office hours even if you don’t have questions, especially in junior and senior year. Go and ask them to review prior tests and papers. Ask if you can explain concepts to them to get clarification. Listen to other peoples’ questions, piggyback off them. A prof is not going to write a LOR unless they know you.

Physicians: You need to have clinical experience to get an MD LOR. And you NEED an MD or DO LOR. Get the clinical experience, then ask whatever physician you worked with the most for an LOR. Many will say you do not need a DO LOR to apply to DO schools; I cannot advocate for this as I was told by my premed advisor that I needed one. Be safe and get one if you plan to apply DO.

Other: If there is anyone else who knows you well and can write a strong LOR, ask them. Your boss, manager, volunteering organizer, team leader, club sponsor-- whomever.

Committee Letter (CL): Many med schools require these. Your college probably has a unique CL process. Go to workshops, research, and ask your advisors how this process works. Maintain a relationship with your premed advisors to obtain a good CL letter.

Building a Narrative

This is talked about a lot junior and senior year when you are applying, but it’s important to think about building your narrative all four years of undergrad.

What this means is that you want to center your application around a theme or common experiences. You want to build a cohesive resume of common volunteering, clinical, and extracurricular experiences that complement each other. You should be able to summarize all of your experiences and draw a narrative about you based on what you have done.

For example, my narrative centered around marginalized and underserved communities as well as social and restorative justice. I used my volunteering experience with marginalized, underserved kids and my experience working with traditionally underserved patients to explain why I want to be a physician, what my medical vision and mission is, and what I have learned about medicine. Because I am interested in family medicine I was able to tie my experience working with the underserved into my goal of improving community health and welfare among marginalized groups. I also discussed how my passion for social and restorative justice ties into my clinical experiences and how I plan to integrate this passion into my practice of medicine.

One of my friends centered her narrative around being a Spanish-speaking person of color AND the descendent of physicians and how this has shaped many of her experiences in medicine and healthcare.

You don’t have to plan out your experiences to conform to a pre-chosen narrative. You do have to be able to draw common themes and lessons from your experiences, however.

MCAT

Talk to your premed advisor about when to take the MCAT and what classes you need to take prior to taking the MCAT. Ideally you want to take biochem 1, physics 2, and sociology of deviance before taking the mcat along with all other prereqs.

You also want to take the MCAT before applying (ideally) so that you can craft an appropriate school list. Your MCAT will give you a boundary for which schools you can apply to. Think of the MCAT as a checkpoint you must pass to apply to certain med schools.

Many people start content review six months before their test. Some start 2-3 months prior. Do what you think is comfortable.

You can use books or purchase review courses (Kaplan, Princeton Review) or use free online review content (Khan Academy).

Practicing how to take the test is more important than content review. What that means is that doing practice tests will help you more than reviewing content. Take as many practice tests as you can (AAMC makes their own).

Do a practice test one day, review what you got wrong the next day. Repeat this enough times and you will do well on the MCAT (511+).

Don’t anticipate retaking the MCAT. But don’t exclude it as a possibility either, so plan when you take the MCAT accordingly.

General Advice:

ALWAYS listen to your premed advisors. Do not elevate advice given by random strangers (including me) on the internet above advice given by your advisors. They know you. They know your history, your transcript, your personality. Us internet people do not. Trust your advisors. They know what they are doing.

Take everything said on the internet by supposed med school app experts, med students, doctors, premeds, SDN mods and commenters, premed redditors, and other random internet people with a BIG grain of salt. We don’t always know what we are talking about.

Limit the amount of time spent on SDN and premed reddit as well as other premed online forums. It can get unhealthy real fast.

You don’t have to study all the time. It’s ok to take breaks and have fun.

Don’t be afraid to reach out and get help or ask questions. Everyone else is struggling too. Your professors want you to do well.

Do non-science related things. Give your mind a break and diversify your experience.

Failing a test is not the end of the world. Many people fail tests and classes. You won’t be alone. Always remember that the curve exists.

If you are having a problem, talk to your professors and TAs. They are there to help.

Study with people. Quiz each other. Make study guides and ask each other questions. Help each other out.

Utilize campus resources- tutoring, study groups, yoga classes, conferences and seminars, counseling, etc.

Buy the MSAR when you start building your school list. It will make comparing schools so much easier.

A B or even a C is not going to ruin your chance of getting into medical school. People get in to med schools with 3.1 GPAs. You will be ok if you fail one test, have a few Cs or Bs, withdraw from a class, etc.

Getting into med school is more about fit than anything else. It’s not about how smart you are or how good your GPA or MCAT is. Everyone has a 4.0 Everyone has a 528. What matters is fit-- who you are, what you believe, what your values are, what your aspirations are-- and how you can demonstrate these things through your application, interview, and overall experiences. Remember that top tier schools are research-oriented (Einstein, Baylor, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Stanford, NYU, Duke, Mayo, UChicago, Mt Sinai) whereas other lower tier will be more community focused.

ALL med schools (excluding caribbean med schools and a few DO schools, looking at you DMUCOM and LECOM) are valid. All med schools are good med schools. Med school is med school is med school. You will come out with an MD or DO and you will get into residency.

Always apply DO. Just do it. DO is great, DO is a viable option and good opportunity. Do it. Do not exclude it.

Links and other Resources:

AAMC: MD applicants, helpful resources in general https://students-residents.aamc.org/preparing-medical-school/preparing-medical-school

AACOM: DO applicants https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/how-to-apply-to-osteopathic-medical-college

MSAR: handbook to med schools (MD) https://students-residents.aamc.org/medical-school-admission-requirements/medical-school-admission-requirements-applicants

AAMC’s how to apply to med school https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/applying-medical-school

AAMC’s FAQ and tips to creating a good app: https://students-residents.aamc.org/ask-experts/ask-experts-create-winning-application

Why Diversity Matters in Healthcare https://explorehealthcareers.org/career-explorer/diversity-matters-health-care/

#premed #prehealth #studyblr #med school #mcat #my posts #mine

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askanaroace · 5 years ago

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How do you cope with being lonely when you're aplatonic? I need advice

I feel you, anon. It can get overwhelming sometimes, especially when things are going on in your life and you really need someone to talk to about it.

Here’s some things you can do to connect with others so you can feel less lonely:

- Connect with people you have other types of relationships with. Do you have any family? Qpps? Romantic or sexual partners? Talk with them, hang out with them, etc.

- If you work, next time your coworkers invite people out to dinner or something after work: go. Also, try setting up a dinner yourself and invite folk. If you go to school, see if there’s a study group you can join or put one together.

- Look into your local meetup.com groups. How about any facebook groups? Find a local group and go to some things they do. You can find anything from hiking groups to dinner/coffee shop hangouts to more.

- Join a local gym and take some group classes or look into starting a physical commitment, like a martial arts. (Honestly the most socialization I get is at muay thai. The people and especially the coaches are so friendly, they know my name, they’re comfortable teasing me and me teasing them - I just feel so welcome and at home at the gym, and nobody there really knows anything about my personal life. It’s a great way to be able to connect with people without big pressures of forming long-lasting relationships tbh.)

- What fun local things does your city offer? Paint nites (a lot of the ones in my city have an alcohol focus, but I’ve been to plenty of casual ones)? Cool, cheap nights at museums? What do local art studios offer in the way of classes? Ask around, do some googling - you’re bound to find plenty of options. Commit to trying two new things a month or whatever you have time for. These are often fun group things where you can either casually sit within the company of others or join in more and make conversation with your neighbors.

- What’s something that’s important to you? For example, being queer, being neurodivergent, being disabled, having [x] hobby/passion, etc.? Look up local orgs/clubs for these things and see if they offer seminars/meetings. Go to one and check it out!

- Build an online community. Blogs, social media, forums, discord, steam - there are all sorts of places where you can find and connect with people who have similar interests as you and talk with them. I often find it easier to socialize with people online because I can do it on my own time (and without the effort of going out and meeting up), take breaks as needed, and use whatever medium is least exhausting to me (I tend to prefer forums, for example, because there’s less dm’ing and more time between people’s responses).

Here’s some things you can do to cope with the loneliness:

- Do any of the things suggested in the above list. Sometimes the best way to combat something is to face it head on. You’re lonely? Go be social!

- Journal about your feelings/your day and/or start a blog about it. A lot of the times, we just have the need to say our piece. So say it!

- Look into CBT techniques, (guided) meditation, and grounding techniques. Play around and practice with each of these and find what works for you. These are all staples of mental health and managing emotions. They’re useful tools for anyone, regardless of if you’re tackling a mental illness type of issue or just have something going on in your life that you need some help tackling/getting through.

- Distract yourself? Feeling lonely - okay, do something that occupies your mind and helps you stop thinking about it. Homework, sudoku, learning a new language, practicing coding, writing a story, reading a book, baking. Just do something that isn’t mindless and so won’t let your mind wander. Do something you know will distract you.

- If all else fails, let yourself just wallow for a bit. It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to be lonely. It’s okay to feel bad. Sometimes we just need to recognize and accept these feelings. Curl up with some chocolate and a sad movie. Take a long bath and read a guilty pleasure book. Let yourself feel your feelings for the day and do some self-care.

Hope this helps, anon! Sorry this took me so long.

#long post #aplatonic #apl #coping #loneliness #relationships #socialization #socializing #connection #ask #op #Anonymous

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awlumii · 2 years ago

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Hello hello zuzu

I just found out about gene therapy and i feel like if someone talked to me about it ill be genuinely interested bc this topic is so fascinating to me

I'd aso be geeking out about it too much and i dont wanna look like someone whos smart bc im not and i rlly just understand the bare minimum of this topic

Oh also id like to say that the org i joined is a theatre org (i think i mentioned that already???) and i joined the writing committee and its so fun but oh my god i need to have script thats 50% done by next next week and i dont even know how to start it... Or end it???? I dont even know what to do for the middle parts

We had this story concept thing that we showed to the directors and other orgmates which was super insightful bc theyd help u see the flaws in ur play and even give u suggestions on how to improve it

Anyways this ask is getting long im sorry djdbdkdndk

Midterms start tomorrow btw 🥹

How are you zuzu? Anything fun you did the past few weeks or days? Something youre proud of?

-aggressive anon

hey hey! if i knew what gene therapy was i'd happily talk about it! but i don't;; if you wanna share what you know though, go right on ahead! and you are smart, don't you ever say otherwise! and the theatre org sounds really cool! i'm glad you're enjoying yourself! don't force yourself with the story thing, because you don't want to burn yourself out ☝🏽good luck on midterms too!

#[ 📭 — incoming! ]#aggressive anon

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raendown · 7 years ago

Link

I’ve never played Civ5 but I am very here for War Lords Sakura and Ino.

Pairing: SakuraIno Word count: 3777 Summary: Empress of her realm, Ino finds her match in the woman she cannot outmaneuver: Haruno Sakura, an Empress in her own right. But a mind like hers can find opportunities everywhere and in offering peace to end the stalemates between them Ino finds so much more than she could have ever hoped.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

We’ll Build A Flame To Burn The World

Fingers drummed against the wooden arm of her chair, her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed as she stared across the table at the map her generals had set up. Alone in the command tent but for the single lean shadow drifting along the edges, Ino ran the pad of one finger across her bottom lip in thought, unconsciously nibbling at her perfect nail until the shadows reached out to stall her movements.

“It would not do for an empress to have such unsightly fingernails.”

Her finger lowered and Ino smirked behind her watching the shadows coalesce in to the shape of a tall man with dark hair. “One would think that an empress could do whatever she wants.” Her mirth faded quickly in to frustration as haunting blue eyes returned to the map. “And I want to win. Tell me about this woman again, this…Sakura.”

“Haruno Sakura, the ruler of Konohagakure, the only empire whose size rivals your own. She is said to be a woman of short temper yet she is also lauded as an incredibly fair and benevolent ruler.” Shikamaru shrugged. “It’s been a drag but it seems like we’ve finally come up against someone with an actual head on her shoulders.”

“Either that or she has good advisors.” The smirk reappeared for a brief moment as Ino entertained the idea of a puppet queen, sat primly upon her throne while her underlings pulled the strings to make her dance. She waved the idea away quickly, however. From the rumors which had reached them she would guess that Haruno Sakura was as much of a hands-on ruler as she herself was and, while that certainly made for more intellectually engaging battles, it also meant that more of her people died each time she and the empress of Konohagakure met on the battlefield.

Ino was getting rather tired of stalemates. She was a smart enough woman to know when it was time to change tactics.

“Shikamaru, my dear, send for a messenger. And tell them to bring a white flag.” Her advisor blinked at her impassively.

“You have a plan,” he noted. Ino chortled inelegantly, free to do so with no one around to hear her but her one true friend.

“I always have a plan,” she said.

As her advisor stepped out of the tent to do her bidding Ino rose from her chair and sashayed across the carpeted ground to run her fingers over the map. Small figurines depicting her own companies and Empress Sakura’s were dotted across the parchment, some of them laid on their sides to show where either her men or her enemies had been defeated but those were few. Most of their encounters ended without a clear winner and Ino, the final product in a long line of tactically brilliant rulers, saw an opportunity in that.

Reaching across the very center of the map, Ino fingered the tiny crowned horse which represented the last known location of Empress Sakura’s main war camp. Her bottom lip pushed out in a thoughtful pout as she plucked the horse from the its spot and held it up in front of her eyes.

“Ride, my lady. Ride out to meet me.”

Absently patting the neck of her restless mount, Sakura murmured under her breath almost without thought. The horse trembled beneath her touch and quieted at her words. Sharp blue eyes watched her from half a hundred feet away and Ino found herself quite unable to stop her wandering thoughts from admiring how well her fellow Empress handled the beast. Her motions were rote, clearly done by habit alone, and it was obvious that Haruno Sakura has spent a great deal of her life on the back of a horse.

Something about that appealed to Ino, who had spent her fair share of time in the saddle as well since the wars began. Whatever bug had crawled in to the ears of all the world’s leaders at the same time had been driving them all with the same compunction to conquer and spread since almost before she could remember. Ino was not born a child of war but she had been raised as one and there was only respect in her heart for other leaders who put as much of themselves in to the dirty work as she did.

The rumors, it appeared, were true, although she had known that the moment she laid eyes on the woman awaiting her on this steely dawn. Sakura was a war lord, a battle-worn Queen who wore the blood of her enemies just underneath the skin.

And she was beautiful.

Squinting in irritation at her own distraction, Ino gently guided her own horse forward, boldly making the first move to place herself between the two armies. Behind her she could hear Shikamaru scrambling to follow with her banner and an exasperated grumbling about how much of a drag this all was but she paid no attention. More important was the way her opponent gracefully tossed her hair as she moved forward as well. That long elegant neck held her head up so proudly and Ino couldn’t help but wonder if she had ever bowed to anyone in her life. Probably not.

When they met in the middle there was a moment of brief humor where both of their vassals tried to announce them at the same time, each thinking their own empress the higher standing and worthy of being announced first. The blonde next to her opponent glared at Shikamaru, clearly insulted on his liege lady’s behalf, but the moment Ino saw the woman crack a smile she knew that this meeting had been one of her better ideas.

“Peace, boys,” Ino said. “We can see each other; we know who we are.”

“By reputation, if nothing else,” Sakura agreed.

Ino very carefully did not swoon. That voice was honey over velvet with a core of steel and would have wobbled her knees had she been standing on them at the moment.

“Gracious of you to respond so politely to my request for a conference. As host, I have had my people set up a pavilion where we might recline and speak in comfort.” Seeing one of Sakura’s eyebrows twitch, Ino smiled her most winning smile. “An open pavilion, of course. I would not hide you away and make your troops worry. They will see how well I treat their Lady.”

“Your hospitality is legendary,” Sakura said, a hint of wry humor layered under her words. Ino was thrilled enough to allow a laugh, doubly thrilled to see the way the other woman watched her raptly.

“Only the pleasant hospitality today,” she promised. And strangely enough, she meant it.

It took surprisingly little time to reconvene under the elaborate awning her troops had set up for them and Ino reflected that it was probably because neither she nor the other cared much for pomp and ceremony. Both of them dismounted with a few murmured words to their people and came forward with no more protection than their bearers, carrying the colors which marked their position for all to see. It had been so long since Ino had begun travelling everywhere with her banner man that she was certain she would feel more exposed without her family’s crest placidly wandering after her wherever she went.

After the both of them had been settled and a nervous serving girl had offered them both refreshments, Empress Sakura cut through the chaff to get straight to the point.

“I found your missive rather interesting,” she admitted. “And if you’ve called this council for the reasons that I suspect you have then I openly admit myself to be quite intrigued.” Her honesty was so refreshing that Ino found herself replying in kind.

“I am offering you an alliance. Our forces have met and clashed time and time again yet very rarely have either of us come out the victor. A stalemate cannot last forever, not without breeding ill feelings which lead to rash decisions. My good woman, I care for my people. Enough of them have died defending my lands from others who don’t know what is good for them and I am quite keen to prevent as many further deaths as I possibly can.”

Sakura watched her over the rim of a battered water skin, taken from her own hip after she politely refused the fruit juice offered by the serving girl. Under those thoughtfully narrowed eyes Ino had to resist the urge to squirm and rub her thighs together against an odd need for friction.

“Join with me,” she proposed confidently, ignoring her body’s strangeness. “I do not propose either of us to assimilate each other’s lands; merely an alliance between us. Sister empires. As they say: if you can’t beat them, join them.”

“You assume I need an alliance.”

“I said nothing to imply that either of us needed one, only that both of us would greatly benefit from one.”

“And what other benefits can you promise me from an alliance with you?” Sakura lifted one eyebrow.

Ino very nearly fumbled her fruit juice. A shame it would have been since fresh anything was hard to come by in the camps and it would have stained the pale blue robes she wore to conceal the armor underneath but Ino worried only about whether Sakura had noticed. Unfortunately it seemed that she had.

Fortunately, on the other hand, she apparently hadn’t realized her own words could be taken in such a manner. A pretty pink flush graced her cheeks and her green eyes darted away, allowing Ino a moment to discretely gulp in a lungful of air. There wasn’t really any politically correct way for her to blurt out how much she would enjoy showering a woman of Haruno Sakura’s caliber with those sorts of ‘benefits’ so she took the opportunity to compose herself properly. By the time those eyes were on her again her chin was raised and her lips pursed together primly.

“I can offer you many things,” she announced in that soft yet commanding tone which had brought many a man to his knees before. “Organizing trade between our lands would be the simplest of tasks and we have many products to share with each other. Protection of the borders between our lands will be a shared task, equally attended by both parties. Your people will be granted safe passage through my lands and, if you will pledge the same to me, then I will give my word upon honor to come to your aid should ever you need it.”

“Many things indeed. It seems we have more to offer each other than an end to the squabbles between our troops.”

“Squabbles,” Ino repeated in amusement. After giving it some thought she supposed that was really all the battles ever amounted to. No matter what scheme she cooked up or what tactics her opponent employed, neither of them were ever truly able to outmaneuver the other. “I suppose there is one more thing we might both gain from an alliance.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“Some god forsaken intelligent conversation.”

The way Sakura so freely tossed her head back and roared with laughter, completely unconcerned with propriety or the fact that she snorted thickly while doing so, was quite possibly the most beautiful thing that Ino had ever seen. Almost immediately she was overwhelmed with the desire to cause such a reaction again. She could listen to that hiccupping sound all day and never tired of it as long as it came from a face that beautiful, from a chest covered in delicate linens which she suspected concealed the same plates of armor she had disguised under her own outer layers.

“Now that alone is worth more than I could possibly say,” Sakura said after she finally calmed down. Behind her chair, the blonde man holding her banner gave his ruler an incredibly offended look. He did manage to hold his tongue but it seemed like a close call. The scars on his cheeks flushed red and he looked away with a grumpy frown.

“Do we have an accord, Your Majesty?”

“I believe we do, Your Majesty. Naruto, sweet thing, send for a scribe. Let’s get some things down in writing first and then I fully intend to take you up on some of that intelligent conversation.”

Restraining herself to only a mild grin, Ino reveled in the rush of glee racing through her bloodstream. It felt as though all of her life had been building to this moment and she was more than ready to meet whatever came of the decisions they came to this day.

Parchment and ink shifted lazily in the breeze, skittering across the table until a pale hand reached out to capture the would-be runaway. Ino traced the curves of the signature fondly before folding it and tucking the little treasure away inside her sleeve. Later she would hide it inside her trunk with the rest of her precious belongings but for now she wanted to keep Sakura’s words as close to her heart as she possibly could.

There was something charming in the scratched out words and the ink blots around the edges, proof that her favorite ally had penned the correspondence herself rather than having someone take down her words for her as most in her position would. It gave their communication a much more personal feel and Ino had taken to doing the same if for no other reason than to hope that Sakura would see fit to allow yet another of the barriers between them to be torn down.

Having any sort of friend was hard for an Empress. Becoming friends with the ruler of another nation came with entirely new pitfalls and distances that Ino very much wished she could simply do away with. What sweet joy it would have been to simply ride out and meet with Sakura in an empty field to while away the afternoon as some of her soldiers did on occasion. Of course, generally they did such things when they took up a beau from one of the nearby villages of from another encampment and Ino flushed at the thought of sitting as closely to Sakura as she had seen her troops sit with their lovers.

Just thinking the word ‘lovers’ in conjunction with Sakura was enough to make her wish for nightfall to come sooner. Time alone in her quarters was becoming more and more of a necessity with each letter between them.

With effort, Ino pulled herself together and wrenched her thoughts away from the inappropriate avenues they had followed yet again, focusing instead on a more realistic future. Sakura had written to confirm another meeting between them, the third since their alliance had become more official than the simple ceasefire just over two years ago.

Both of their empires had flourished in that time, able to refocus their time and resources on other problems both internal and external. With more soldiers on her western front Ino was able to better protect her port cities from Iwagakure’s battleships. Able to release a handful of her forces from service now that there were less battles to fight, her cities had never been more prosperous or so well kept. Soldiers laid down their swords to take up the masonry and carpentry they had left behind when duty called them to war. Ino could not possibly have been more proud of her realm nor the people she watched over and Sakura’s letters indicated that things were progressing much the same in her own realm.

“Your Majesty,” a voice hailed her from behind. She turned to see the commander of her armies, Choji the Winged General, with his fist pressed to his chest in reverence. He was a massive man whose renowned ferocity in battle was well-balanced by the gentleness he exhibited once sword returned to scabbard.

“Are the preparations complete?”

“We wait only for you, my Lady.”

“Yes and if I don’t hurry along like a good little empress you’re going to get that tick in your left temple. I’d best pick up my feet then, shall I?” Ino smiled and laid a hand under her general’s chin to raise it up. Choji was a man of strict duty and he would never dare to look her in the eye without permission.

She was delighted to see his nose wrinkle slightly. “I would never presume to hurry Your Majesty.”

“Of course not. Choji, my old friend”-she ignored the way he jerked at being referred to as her friend-“give me your advice. Is this trip wasteful? Am I allowing personal desires to blind me to things I should be giving my attention to instead?” Ino lowered her fingers and watched Choji’s passive face, giving away nothing of his thoughts.

“It is important to maintain good relations with one’s allies,” was all he offered.

Ino’s smile was slow and wild. It seemed her intentions were obvious to at least those who were quite used to watching her every move and it made her wonder her obvious they were to her whom she had intentions towards. If Sakura were aware of how captivating Ino found her then her invitation to ‘allow the nations to see that we continue to strengthen our union’ took on an entirely new meaning.

“Bring me my horse, Choji. We ride.”

“As your wish, Your Majesty.”

Lounging on soft cushions with a bowl of grapes near at hand in the capitol city of Konohagakure was not a situation Ino would have expected to find herself in only a handful of years ago and yet here she was, entirely content as page boy around her own age slipped back out of the room, the red tattoos on his cheeks peeking out from the shadows for a moment longer before he closed the door. With him gone that left only herself and Sakura here in this luxurious room all alone.

Her counterpart was freshly bathed; Ino could tell by the scent of roses which wafted from her skin when they embraced each other in greeting and the lack of dirt on her clothing. And such delicate clothing she wore here in the heart of her empire. Ino could understand the statement behind it, wearing no protection as though to flaunt her safety here, and she found herself a trifle jealous. After a lifetime of fairly living in her armor it would be nice to take this opportunity to feel silks against her naked skin and not have greaves digging in to her shins beneath her mantle – even if these were her nice greaves, engraved and polished to a shine despite going unseen.

She had already achieved her greatest desire, however, and not even the thought of increasing her comfort could move her from her current position. There would only be so many opportunities to find herself completely alone with the woman who plagued her every idle thought.

“I trust your journey was pleasant.” Sakura plucked a grape and slid it between her lips, savoring it in a way that made Ino wonder if she was being seductive on purpose or if she always made love to her meals like that.

“As pleasant as it could have been. I miss my old horse.”

“Yes, my condolences on his loss.”

Reaching across the small distance between them, she laid a hand on Ino’s wrist in consolation. Ino felt her heart crashing about inside her chest in a manner which would have alarmed her were this anyone but the woman at her side. Smart tactician as she was, Ino could see when it was time to admit defeat. Her defeat was in the way she had loved Sakura almost before they met, engaged by the brilliance of her battle strategies until she had was then seduced by a beauty both hidden yet freely offered.

Taking a chance, she lifted her other hand and laid it atop of Sakura’s. Yamanaka Ino was nothing if not brave; calculating and always with several plans up her sleeve.

“Believe me when I say that I find no better comfort than in your welcome presence.”

Sakura’s smile was tinged with that same pretty blush she had seen only once before and Ino swelled with triumph. Hope took root that her feelings were not unwanted. A wolf rose up inside her then, coming out in the edges of her smirk and the weight of her fingers where they did not lift from Sakura’s, lingering there in pointed declaration.

When her companion met her eyes determinedly and made no move to retrieve her appendage it was all Ino could do to keep herself from howling in victory. Her prey, it seemed, was more than willing to be caught.

No, she reprimanded herself. Sakura could not be said to be her prey. There existed no word which could describe Sakura better in Ino’s eyes than to call the woman her equal and she realized that this, more than anything, was what she had fallen in love with. It was more than her pretty face and her alluring eyes, her spectacular temper or her gentle forgiveness. Rather, Ino loved a woman who could stand tall by her side, who held her head high and kept her hands just as sure around the hilt of her blade.

“You must be tired from your travels,” Sakura murmured, her fingers seemingly to tighten their grip on the wrist they held. “Allow me to show you somewhere you might find more relaxing.”

Ino offered no protests about how relaxed she already was perched her on this cloud of pillows with no other stressors in the room. She offered nothing but a winsome smile and raised to her feet to allow Sakura to lead her elsewhere, deeper within the palace. Not once did she thinking about asking the other to unhand her; not when she had been dreaming of this very moment since the first time she saw this perfect creature sitting proudly atop her horse, ready both for battle and for peace, and recognized a kindred spirit in her.

Only a few short years later would see the two empires come together under a single banner, united by marriage and by then so closely entwined it was hard to tell one from the other anyway. Already massive powers in their own right, as one they became the largest singular nation in the known world, reputed to be entirely peaceful unless their two Empresses deemed violence necessary in the protection of their people.

And so the world bowed.

#rae writes #sakuino #inosaku #sakura #ino #shikamaru #naruto #choji #fanfiction #naruto shippuden

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probablyjosty17 · 3 years ago

Note

making friends in an upperclassmen dorm can be challenging but try to go to as many programs/events out on by your RAs! they put time and effort into planning them and would love to see you show up and make it all worth it for them! also depending on covid restrictions, if you’re allowed to, try using community spaces like lounges to study or hang out and invite others to join you. another thing, schools typically have a student org fair at the beginning of the semester and it’s a great opportunity to see different groups that have various interests that you could get involved in

hope that helps!

The involvement fair was the same day as transfer orientation so I missed that but I don’t even know what my interests are (I’m a little mentally ill if you couldn’t tell) my roommate is great and her friends are very nice but they all play lacrosse…and I do not. I’ve only had one day of classes which was yesterday so on Monday I’ll go study in one of the main buildings between classes. I have really bad rbf so hopefully someone will find me ✨mysterious & intriguing✨ I have a meeting tomorrow with the head of media relations for athletics so hopefully I’ll get a work study or an internship or something to keep me occupied ((and also not to be a slut but…cute boys play sports))

Apologies for rambling. I did not take my adhd medication today 😀

#hi anon #this was very helpful thank you #THIS IS SO LONG AND UNNECESSARY IM VERY SORRY

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bigbrothernetflix-st · 4 years ago

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EPISODE FOUR

“ ‘something will be unleashed’ are u gonna start KILLING PEOPLE??” - saira

HOH: Nick UPSIDE DOWN: Emma & Kiki NOMINEES: Monty & Saira POV: Jev FINAL NOMINEES: Monty & Saira EVICTED: Saira (1-0)

JOSH C

well, we just voted out GINA and i'm feeling some kind of way about it. i feel like the push to save emma was VERY quick and i think there are a lot of alliances going on that i'm not involved in which is FINE but it's just something i need to watch out for. i know i talk with almost everyone constantly so i think i'll be okay for this week, but i'm just worried about the people that i enjoy.

a lot of people have said they don't talk to saira or brianna so i wouldn't be shocked to see them both go up, which is FINE i guess but i enjoy both. i don't want saira to leave at all but i don't think she has as GOOD of a social standing as brianna does. which is worrisome because i know this is her first game so she doesn't have any pre-existing relationships to save her which is.. not ideal.

i'm finding things a BIT frustrating because i have to navigate not ONLY game thoughts but people's pre-game relationships. not that i'm knocking anyone for them but almost everyone i've talked to says they don't talk to monty but they wouldn't want to see him nominated. i just don't FULLY understand why we can't nominate him but they're friends with him so he's a bit UNTOUCHABLE. i might push it anyways because he's the only person i don't really talk to anymore. WHO KNOWS.

i've felt like a deflated balloon for most of today so maybe i'll just go with the flow on this but i need to make sure i'm not just voting out all the people who will be votes for me later on.

ARIA

Im small, bitter, and very angry...but spite is the best motivator and im going to use it to win this season. Anyways i miss saira im SICK of trusting nicks, i see a nick i FLOOR IT!!! I refuse to have a nick fuck me over in a game again i am so over it. But hehe anyways lets get into the info spilling section real fast and then i can analyze because my position has drastically changed from last time-

also sorry for repeated info but sometimes i forget things or people say it again so..

-nathan leaked "all" his alliances to me (Screensht is cut weird i think theres one he cut off)

-Jacob found out my gina connection

-perfect voting record is dead (told jacob i voted out gina tho idk why hehe)

-kiki-joey connection

-emma knows about bri's backups because jake leaked it to her before he left

-josh c IS EVERYWHERE

-nick says they havent talked to bri

-nick likes jev

-nick wants (more so wants others) to take a shot at kiki/nash

-nick said nathan is a wildcard

-joshua nommed monty and nash

-STOP UNDERESTIMATING JOSHUA

-told josha jacob is protecting him

-joey exposed saira's deal to me and bri

-joey wants a larger alliance

-bri said they like nick,,,but that conflicts earlier info so im thinking peer pressure or just bri is too sweet for this cast and i adore her-

-bri told nathan her noms

-nathan hates bri and for wHAT??

-jacob has a dpov and used it to cement a f2,, AND DID THE SAME THING WITH BRI FFS

-jacob scared of nick and jev

-kiki and nash tell everything to jacob

-jacob said emma and joey have a connection??

-jacob thinks nick is gonna join the emma jev joey side (his words)

-jacob thinks monty is a threat

-jacob ranked the players in tiers as follows:

A kiki jev bri

B joey joshua nathan

d: nash saira monty

-bri talks a lot with kiki and josh c

-told bri about the trio between jacob kiki and nash

-joey told me yesterday he wants to win,,,but then just said to take him out

-planting seeds against joey to bri

-jacob wants to bring dpov up with alliance at f10

-joshua and jacob were shook saira was evicted

-told jacob that joey asked to throw

-jev and jacob are getting closish

-jacob is so threaten by nick

-jacob told bri that nathan doesnt like her

and thats where im at currently. Lots of options and lots of interconnections I have to navigate but i think im gonna be fine for the time being which makes it super easy to just be complacent and float my way to jury BUT!!! I want to try setting myself up well where i dont get clocked at f9/10 and wabam im out. Im trying to set people against each other subtly but honestly i think im overestimating myself here but at least i know im safe. I mean for now im trying to set up this side of jev emma joshua to at least form together as a group but im STRUGGLING i might just have to settle for them keeping each other safe without a solid alliance ig. At the same time I think i really have two actives pieces of info im working with which is emma knowing about bri's backups and then me and bri knowing about jacob's dpov.

So i think what I want to happen is that Jacob wants to dpov nick out at f10 so i'll let that happen probably which puts a huge target on jacobs back, idk if its anon but if it is ill make sure bri leaks it kinda framing it in a "if you leak it and i pretend to not know i can analyze how other people respond so we'll know what everyone thinks" and once jacob leaves emma can leak the bri's angels (which should be weaker at this point since jacob is the glue that holds it together a bit) which #1 makes a bunch of good players house targets and then forces those people to solidly stick together as well. Not sure how im gonna play both sides but,,,,if i can play it off kinda like i did in pasio somehow maybe i'll be fine but who knows. Either way im here to have fun (and hopefully win for gina/saira)

WELL WELL!!! just did a vc with jacob, he decided to take matters into his own hands and be totally cracked and now thinks nick/monty/nathan are a side,,,,which,,,,idk yall nathan did show me all of his alliances and none of them were that but who am i to stop jacob from making himself a target by leading this charge against them uwu. I do need to be more proactive about leaking tho but im not sure how im gonna work that. Also im not sure if i want nick/monty/nathan all gone, i can live with monty gone bc they probably think i nommed them and might want revenge but also nick and nathan are kinda cute numbers for me,,,

I mean idk because at this point i have a game relationship with mostly everyone left in this game and im just not sure which path i need to take to get to the end yet and its kindaaa stressing me out a little bit. I can feel myself starting to drop in peoples trust rankings a little bit and god its kinda annoying how jacob has this game wrapped around his finger, however i dont need to be in a dominant position this entire game i believe in myself!! I got this easy peasy!!!

JEV

My reverse psychology paid off and I won the veto so I'm loving that for me, I'm not going to be using it because I'd preferably like to see Monty leave because I just... never see them and I think Saira is much more deserving of her place here than Monty is. It's frustrating that Monty is cruising through this game so easily because we haven't spoken to eachother since day one, and they haven't even bothered to come and speak to me to campaign for me to use the veto. Like, do you want to be here or not?

Thinking about it more, I'm super happy I won the power of veto. I managed to ensure myself and those I'm closest to in this game weren't going to be named as renom and kept Monty up there as a final nom, which I'm worried otherwise wouldn't happen during this game since people seem either threatened by Monty OR a little over-eager to keep him around in this game, which annoys me but whatever. I just hope whoever wins HOH has the balls to make the right decision, better to get him gone now rather than later.

JEV

So I think I've had a little bit of a brainwave/breakthrough. This is gonna be longwinded so hear me out.

Apparently from what I've heard, the nominations this week were revealed in order of who recieved the least to the most nominations from every

one. This is extremely interesting to me, as I've taken note that Nick, Aria, Jacob & Brianna were 10th-8th in the rankings of votes respectively.

First of all, I haven't made secret that I think something is going on with the Pasio alumni. This was highlighted when I was asking around for what people were doing for nominees, and from everyone I heard Saira/Monty, but from two people I heard Saira, Nash, Joey & Monty -- with Monty strategically placed last in the ranking, to give the illusion his name was the least uttered. Funnily enough, the two people I heard this format of the names were Nick and Aria who just happen to be Pasio alumni... interesting, right?

So looking at the ranking, I'm thinking "okay so they obviously didn't do eachother, and with Nash/Joey in 3rd and 4th respectively, they must've not expected so many votes on Monty and didn't plan accordingly, and so split the votes too much and didn't have enough to put up Nash or Joey over Monty. So I'm thinking, I know there's a connection between Jacob and Monty because I used to play orgs with them on Skype. Jacob used the veto on Brianna last week, this has brought me to the conclusion that Monty, Nick, Brianna, Jacob & Aria are working together with the possibility that Josh C is either playing both sides or is fully with them too, hence why he recieved the least votes.

That places Myself, Emma, Kiki, Nash, Joshua, Joey & Saira on the outside, and Nathan too as I'm guessing he's strayed from their alliance and/or wishing to work with them, hence why he recieved 5th most votes.

I'd love to make an alliance with this group of people, but it's still only pre-jury and I don't want to be seen as playing too hard too soon.

(cont.) So I initially wasn't going to go for this HOH, but I feel like I need to because I can't trust anybody else to make the move to take Monty out, and I'd rather see their numbers thinned sooner rather than later. It would paint me as their #1 target for next week probably, but if someone I trusted won HOH next week then I could go to the upside down and not have to worry about it.

JEV

Yes again I'm so sorry, another thing that was interesting to me was that I mentioned to Aria that I was close with Emma, and she asked for an alliance with the 3 of us almost immediately after, stating that she was also "very interested" in working with Emma too. This tells me she's the mole and wanted the alliance to try and get intel from us, I don't believe for a second she did Saira/Monty along with me and Emma at all, which is why myself and Emma are hesitant to say too much in that alliance chat. So I like Aria, but I don't trust her as far as I can throw her.

HOST WEEKLY CAST ASSESSMENT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL__dyRaq2E&list=PLFEwPPy8j010XXwntq80VSU0qLNTNpSIN&index=5&t=0s

#bbnetflix st

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survivormontenegro · 5 years ago

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Jury Rites of Passage

Before we wrap up this season, here’s what the final 4 had to say about our lovely jury.

Ali - Alex, you were someone who from the cast reveal of this season I was honestly terrified of lowkey. You just give off such a smart, strategic energy that makes you someone who is very daunting to play against, particularly since we didn’t meet till merge and I had just heard stories about your influence from OG Durmitors. While I stand by the necessity of voting you out, in that you held a lot of sway over the tribe, and were seemingly tight with Jones and Mo, I genuinely was so sorry to see how upset you got in the aftermath of your vote. I felt like the move needed to be swift and clean to remove such a threat from the game, but I apologise, a move so brutal and so blindisde-y would’ve been rough to be apart of, and for that I’m really sorry.

Benj - You were one of the first people to make me feel welcome when we swapped together thank u for always being so open to things and ur passion for the game was undeniable.

Caeleb - I can’t tell if Alex is gonna hate me or respect me. Regardless, I had to vote him off because he was too strong of a player. Everyone was just waiting for his command and then running with it, and I didn’t want to play that game. Plus, I didn’t think that Alex was alwaysss being truthful with me and just pulling me along until he was done, so I kinda felt like we had a little showdown. It was either him or me, and while he’s a sweetheart and a really amazing guy, I kinda consider him my TS rival. Love ya. I’m glad we were able to crush butt with our Grandma’s Boys in the premerge.

Tom - oh boy big boy Alex you are a killa of a game player I must say going against you really spooked me because you had a solid group of people but I’m sorry it had to be done :(

Ali - oh my god. When I saw that THE Jules was cast for this season, I can’t even describe how excited I was to play with you. Playing and working with you was everything I could’ve hoped for and more, you are smart, savvy and just a joy to talk to at all times, and we vibed on SO much this game. While I think your robbery was disgusting, I understand why others did it, your savvyness and strategic mind speak for themselves and you were of course a major threat. It’s been a pleasure to work with you and to be able to call you my friend.

Benj - LEGEND!!! When I saw you on the cast reveal I was actually shaking bc as u already know my friends who played almia with you said u were such a queen and so nice and they weren’t wrong!! It was a pleasure to get to play with you even though it was so short, and it was sad that we never really got to strategize and work together game wise but I enjoyed all of our talks sm!

Caeleb - Jules was always fun to talk to. She was super sweet and very good at figuring out where the majority was gonna be in the votes. I was really surprised that she cursed me because while I did tell her that I was gonna vote with her, I didn’t message her for a couple of hours before tribal so I didn’t think I was even being very believable. Overall tho Jules was sweet, fun, a bundle of astrology knowledge, and threw in a little bit of sass to make things lively and interesting.

Tom - wowee Jules you social butterfly icon. I’m sad you were eliminated and that I literally did not help at all by saving you I was in my inactive stage. I commend you on how bloody open you are about your sexuality and gender I guess you really are something special and this is not just because you’re on the jury I love how passionate you are about astrology and hopefully one day you can make something out of it

Ali - I love you and stan you unapologetically. We had a bumpy ride this season, and my one regret from this season, was not telling you about the Alex vote. I’m sure you would’ve been down, and it burned a bridge for me with someone I genuinely trusted and had a lot of time for. While I think your blow-up was ill advised, given that me/Tom/Jason were angling to save you, I can’t fault you for distrusting me after the Alex vote. I felt awful voting you out but once you set my game on fire, with the choice being you vs Tom, I had to side with who had my back and I felt would be a consistent ally moving forwards, so kept Tom and voted for you. You were also apart of some of my highlights from this season, like calling to work through JJ’s… JJness or drinking white wine on the tribe call. I know you’ve now hexed me three times, but I’ll take being hexed a fourth time, if it means we can be friends after this.

Benj - I have never met anyone quite like you before in an org and even though we didn’t talk much your presence in the game was so fun from calls to call outs. Icon! My FB org friends stan u

Caeleb - Easily, the person I talked to the least in the merge, Ian included. For some reason, Julia didn’t want to talk game with me ever, even though we would vote the same. Every conversation we had would kinda trail off with her failing to respond. I know she was active in calls, and since I wasn’t I think that made her write me off. I kinda wish things were different and we could’ve had a different demeanor throughout the season. Who knows maybe we could’ve made something actually happen.

Tom - lol

Ali - MY SON. The Nemo to my Marlin. While we like… never voted together from jury onwards, I am genuinely proud of you this season. We didn’t particularly vibe as players, and I don’t think I ever got the chance to see your strategic mind in action, but you played a great game this season, and I’m super proud of you. You kick-started some of the key debates of the season, like this stupid mountain llama mess, but you also kept the mood light and had a consistent positive impact on the season as a whole.

Benj - (El)MO! You were really nice in the game and we got along well on swapped tribe but didn’t have the best connection at merge so sadly ended up on the opposites sides a lot but I think u played a good game! I loved how happy u were to be here

Caeleb - A hero. I have such a tumultuous relationship now with Grandma’s Boys because I had to vote off Alex first, switch and vote Mo in the revote, and then fail to save Jones in F6. I think they might think I am a little bit scheming and never really was working with them, but honestly, I voted with Mo and Jones post Alex because they both were easily the most fun to talk to in the tribe. Mo was hilarious, a true king, and loyal to a fault. When Benj told me that he was voting Mo, I had a sinking feeling that Mo was gonna leave that day, but I held on hope that Ali would still vote Tom. I’m sorry that didn’t happen Mo.

Tom - this is a shame this one we got along quite well on durmitor then the tribe swap really uhm separated us literally. Two seperate bridges that just never came together unfortunately. Good luck and stay safe on that grindr game u play

Ali - Okay… of all people this season, we have had the most rollercoaster ride I think possible. Whether you know it or not, from me almost voting you out prejury, to voting you publicly at F10, to us somehow working together moving forwards. While I knew you needed to go around the time you were idoled out, I was genuinely so sad to see you go home, because I think you played one of, if not the strongest game this season. You took my vote for you in your stride, and being on calls with you and our weird fake rivalry was so much fun. We were on the first cast reveal together, and I hope we can be friends after this season is all done.

Benj - omg MITCHHHH I wish you had stuck with my plan otherwise you prob would have stayed LOL. King you were one of my favs from the first tribe and we stuck it out thru the swap and kept working together for basically every vote until you left! It was so fun to play w you. Ps… I was the 2nd vote for you when Jared left LMAO… I ofc never wanted u gone but me and Ali didn’t want Jared blowing up the fact we were allies so had one of us randomly vote with him.

Caeleb - The strongest player in this season imo. Like everyone talks about Ali being the favored to win rn because of his immunity run and his social butterfly nature. Mitch was stronger strategically by far. His moves were calculated and always put him in a better spot than he was in before, while also never putting a target on his back. I had my eye on voting him for awhile, and when Jones wanted to idol him out it was like some ESP type shit. He was so strong, and also funny, this season would not have been what it was without him.

Tom - mmmmm big ol mitchy boi is it toiLET or toilet that’s the true question, an amazing ally friend and strategist who was skeptical of everything but had good intentions thank you for saving my ass in this game multiple times because I wouldn’t be here without you

Ali - when people google robbery, if your picture is not the top result, i will SCREAM. It says a lot that we literally never voted together during merge, and yet I stanned for you with my whole heart, and would’ve voted for you in the end. You have this raw likability, that makes you the best ever, but also SUCH a threat in these games, and after your iconic idol play, it was incredibly clear that you were the biggest threat and so critically needed to be voted out. You are such a joy, and I hope we can be friends after the season.

Benj - JONES!!!!!!!!!! Omg I was gagged when I saw that you were playing this season I had heard a lot about you but never met you until now and I was sooooo excited when we got swapped together!! Joining your side back then was such a good decision and ty for making it so easy to accept me and I loved talking to u throughout the whole game even if we were basically on diff sides most of merge! You would have wiped the floor against anyone at the end and I know one day u will get ur win! ILY

Caeleb - My true Grandmother. Honestly, I hope that post-game we can rekindle and be harmonious because I TRULY thought that Jones was one of the friendliest, kind, and joyous people. I worked to get people to switch their votes from Jones in F6, but I kinda expected that it wouldn’t happen because even I recognized that no one could beat Jones in a FTC. I felt like Sierra voting off her mother in BvW. It was truly my saddest day in Montenegro BY FAR.

Tom - I’m sorry Tunnel vision really got you good, You played such an amazing game and honestly to get to final 6 the way you did you should be so proud, you were by far the biggest jury threat because everyone absolutely loved your personality including myself. I really hope we can keep talking on the outside and your artistry takes you amazing places

Ali - I spent 40 days on a tribe with you, and I want to say it was a pleasure throughout. From talking about Big Little Lies to bonding over our warped sleeping patterns, we genuinely really vibed as people. One thing I loved about our relationship, was our ability to be rational and logical, even when we voted against each other, after the Jules and Ian votes particularly. I genuinely had so much respect for you as a player and your attitude after the Ian vote, and it was something I attempted to mirror after the Jules vote. You had to go at F5, because you played a phenomenal game, surviving being one vote from going home at merge, and it was for that reason I had to vote you out, but it’s been a pleasure, all fourty days of it.

Benj - We had the most up and down relation probably of anyone LOL from me voting you 4 times to us working together for the rest, it really was a ride and even tho we weren’t the most connected im so glad u had such a great season to return to after so long !

Caeleb - Omg go get ur Donna Summer record. Jason was probably the person I talked to a bunch but barely talked game with. We were always on differing sides of the vote, and kinda to my own demise for many of those, but as a result we talked about different things like eggs and records and gay stereotypes. It was a bold and profitable move when we talked post-Ian vote and set us both up for success for the rest of merge. Let's talk soon :)

Tom - Ahhhhhhh my closest ally in this game, i am so proud of the way we survived this game. I was really skeptical about working with you on budva but i am so glad i stuck to my gut of working with you and ian. Round 1 of merge we got absolutely blindsided and destroyed and every since then we had to fight so damn hard every single round to survive together. We were arguably the tightest duo in the game, we voted together every single round , 23 votes combined 8 tribal councils we were targeted at yet we made final 5 together. Through the dark times we stayed loyal to each other and got ourselves in such an amazing position in this game by getting with mitch and ali whilst also working caeleb. We truly went from the bottom to the fucking top and as much as i dont think i can pull this one out for us, i will give it my best shot. It was an amazing experience with you through all of our paranoia and stress that people were going to split us apart. Lets hope lightning strikes twice and i can pull out this win for you and ian because you both deserve to be right next to me <3 <3 Luv you mountain llama <3 <3

#rites of passage

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jellyana · 8 years ago

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adventures in 日本!! vol: 5

i had my first visit to waseda daigaku today!! ~under the cut~

((here’s a statue of ōkuma shigenobu, waseda's founder & the 5th PM of japan!))

ok so this morning. woo boy this morning. my anxiety was through the roof because i didnt exactly know how to get to campus, and just because i have anxiety and anxiety is irrational lol. i felt nauseous all night and all morning. it was pouring when i left my house at about 7:30, just to add to the misery of it all. today i had my first run in with the metro’s morning rush hour which is terrifying and the thought that i have to deal with it every day from now on chills me, as a person who is uncomfortable with touching strangers and fears asphyxiation. everyone has to be somewhere by 8-ish so each car is COMPLETELY STUFFED with people, and police men have to shove people into trains just to send them off on their merry way. theres no regard for personal space in this hellscape, your entire body is groped up and down by dozens of people and you feel the sweat pouring off of you and everyone around. you cant move a single muscle in your body and the weight of all these people keeps you standing, you could fall asleep if you wanted to. thankfully a scream of “EXCUSE ME I NEED TO GET OFF” has half the car moving aside/getting off the train so you can leave, but wow. HORRIFIC. i then proceeded to get lost on the way to my orientation and honestly ok this morning can fuck off it was bad.

thankfully my day greatly improved once i finally arrived on campus. i met up with ji hyeong at our morning assembly for international students, where a ton of info about administrative affairs ala insurance, residence cards, opening a bank account, etc. was explained to us. there were also several presentations from students representing various student organizations that promote inter-cultural communication. everyone lost their shit at the presentation of niji no kai, a student org known for hosting various inter-cultural outings and fun parties/events. the guy presenting was being a wise-ass and constantly joking about the club only really getting together in order to get wasted... i wonder how much of that is a joke)). im looking forward to joining waseda’s language cafes, outings, and clubs (or “circles”, as they call them)! everyone is super friendly and enthusiastic.

next i had an orientation with all the other homestay kids, and i got to talk to my agency point person about, erm, my homestay “situation”. (not sure if i want to make a separate post about it). he was pretty upset to hear about it, and we agreed to just keep each other updated on a weekly basis if things get worse.

A N Y W A Y, the homestay kids are all really great people and we chummed up real fast. we have a groupchat on LINE and are planning on getting together tomorrow since its a free day. after the orientation we went out to grab burgers at the always lovely MOS Burger which has, imho, the prettiest and easiest to eat burgers of any chain i know. it was so interesting to see how many different places people were from and the different things we all study. im so?? happy??? to have so many new friends in japan, it makes the experience so much less daunting.

((here i am taking an awkward selfie in the rain in front of the ōkuma auditorium, one of the main buildings on campus))

after lunch half of us split off because folks from the Japanese Language Program (JLP) had a separate orientation to attend. the rest of us from the School of International Liberal Studies (SILS) decided to take a tour around campus and later head to a cafe. we basically agreed that tomorrow morning we’re all going to take care of administrative things and head to our respective city halls to officiate things, and then afterwards we’ll do something fun together. i live in setagaya-ku, so im going to take a niiiiice looooonnngg walk to the setagaya ward office since i dont have a car and my host mom’s unfortunately extremely busy. :”)

i think tonight ill finally take a dip in our ofuro, i feel like i deserve it after all the unnecessary stress.

#nippon blog #my kawaii life #japan #tokyo

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hillbillyoracle · 2 years ago

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💜💙🤍

Reposting this without the cut since I’m having trouble with my theme that makes it hard to read. Probably the last time I’ll post about it for a while.

So I have a feeling that this is one of those things that’s one of my very specific interests that isn’t super relatable but in case anyone else is interested -

Here is a link to server I’m working on for a non-collegiate online service fraternity and sorority.

More information below the cut

Why an online service fraternity + sorority?

I’m someone who faces chronic illness, live in a rural area, and can’t always drive. These all make it difficult to participate in traditional service organizations. The idea is to do what I can to replicate the social benefits and meaningful service opportunities in an accessible way for those who would otherwise not be able to access it.

Meeting people you otherwise wouldn’t have been able to an forming strong bonds with them is one of the few documented undeniable benefits of the internet so I just want to harness it toward that aim.

What does Sigma Phi Eta do?

Sigma Phi Eta members complete service hours, attend fellowship events in our discord server, and support each other in caring for their health and wellbeing.

How much does it cost?

It is free. There are no membership dues ever.

Who can join?

You must be at least 18 years old, have regular access to internet, and be willing to abide by the Discord server rules.

How do I rush Sigma Phi Eta?

Join the Discord server, complete + document 3 hours of service, fill out the membership interest form, and tag an admin to let them know you’ve completed those steps.

What are the pledge requirements?

All pledges must complete 10 total hours of service (the 3 from rushing count toward this), attend 2 fellowship events, and tag an admin letting them know you’ve completed this so they can verify your hours and send you the self initiation ritual.

Eventually this process will include being matched with a Big but the first few members won’t since we’ll be testing out the process ourselves.

What are the membership requirements?

All active members must complete at least 10 hours of service and attend 2 fellowship events per year which runs from Spring Equinox to Spring Equinox (so as not to stress people out more every December). If a member does not complete these requirements, they’ll be switched to inactive status.

Do I get to wear letters?

Once a someone has completed their pledging period, self-initiation ritual, and become a member, they have the full support of the organization to wear our letters whether they’re active or inactive.

What do you call other members?

We call them siblings in service, service siblings, or siblings.

What if I want to do more than 10 hours of service?

We have annual service awards for people who complete 100+ hours of service and leadership positions for those who wish to do more.

Above all thought this is an experiment. I just wanted to see if something like this could work. I wanted to show that people who are isolated can still contribute meaningfully to our communities. I remember how defeated I felt being bedbound and feeling like I had nothing to do and nothing to give. But I slowly found opportunities and ways to give back. I want to share that with other folks and build a community around service and self care if at all possible.

Also no hard feelings if you’re not into it. I know greek orgs aren’t for everyone. I really enjoyed my experiences with them (Alpha Phi Omega, Sigma Alpha) but I understand not everyone does. So it’s all good! No worries!

But yeah - if you made it this far, I thank you and hope you’ll considering helping me build something cool!

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plinys · 8 years ago

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@slamncram replied to your post

“i have determined what makes the difference between being redeemable...”

But what happens when the murder of said dog may or may not have been put into action due to outside factors (i.e. five years of gaslighting and conditioning)? Discuss. (I'M JOKING IT JUST SOUNDED VERY ACADEMIC)

okay but this is the thing, like this is what makes me so angry sitting here being like angry at how my fave baddies from legends of tomorrow basically have half of wards backstory each (and are way bigger fucking villains) but still end up being considered good guys on their fucking team like how does this happen? is it better writing? is it fandom being better? is it the fact that nobody killed a fucking dog

so for those of you that follow me for aos and dont know any lot (because its my new obsession) this will contain some lot spoilers

which is why its under a cut, also it got fucking long, if nobody reads this but chris i will still be content tho cause im upset

lets refresh what some brief bullet points we know about grant ward and how aos did him so dirty

has an abusive childhood (parents/older brother)

sets house on fire to try and kill his abusers fails and goes to juvie

gets busted out of juvie by hydra agent, gets dropped off in the woods, major gaslighting

may or may not have killed a dog

because hydra spy inside of shield

joins the team

caws fucks up aos plot reveals that he is hydra and kills hella people

drops fitz & simmons (cute nerdy scientists) into the ocean

gets captured by aos team, locked in glass box of doom

while depressed and in glass box told to kill himself by his romantic interest (for all of season one at least)

gets sold off to his abuser (older brother) - but then busts out and finally succeeds in kill his abuser (burns them alive)

hydra agents some more

dies

becomes possessed by alien demon thing

eventually gets blown the fuck up but was basically dead earlier and we just kept the actor around for some reason

(okay this is short but i tried to delete most of aos from my memory)

like - when we break this down as bullet points we can see this is shitty right?

now lets compare mick rory and leonard snart’s combined narratives from lot/the flash

(both) grow up in abusive house hold - abusive fathers in both cases i believe

(mick) has severely untreated pyromania, lights a fire in his house that gets out of control, and is so anxious about his family finding out that he doesnt tell them when he runs outside and they all burn alive

(mick is also briefly kidnapped by his future time traveling self right after this but we’ll assume he forgets this)

(len) is forced to commit crimes by his crooked cop father, eventually is forced to take the fall for one of them, and ends up in juvie

(both) meet in juvie, become bffs / partners for life / future husbands

commit a bunch of crimes together and basically just be hardcore criminals that break into places and steal things - oh and kill people, they def kill people

(also they basically raise len’s sister lisa during this time)

(len) steals/kills someone for a cold gun, so he can go from basic criminal to supervillian and fight the flash. literally kills hella people with the cold gun

mick gets the fire gun

mick also kills hella people

kidnaps cute scientist friend of hero caitlin snow and straps her to a bomb at one point just to be extra (tm) super villains

kidnaps cisco (the other nerdy science friend), forces him to make weapons, tortures cisco’s brother (like freezes his hands?!)

(len) eventually after his sister is threatened gets a chance to get back at his abuser and literally freezes his heart and kills him (in front of the fucking superhero)

and when superhero visits len in prison he is literally like “there’s good in you”

(both) get recruited to a time traveling team in which is basically a time captain, four superheroes, and these two villains

somehow this turns out to be the best found family combo in the fucking history of ever? like even tho they are baddies their bad skills are still put to use to help out with the mission and generally (at least len) is always considered to be part of the team in spite of the fact that they are super villains normally.

mick maybe sells them out to time pirates after their captain mentions that he was only brought along cause he and len are a packaged deal

len is forced to kill mick??? (or so we think for far too fucking long, even for someone just binge watching the series)

jk mick isnt dead he’s the bounty hunter working for their worst enemy (evil org) who has been hunting them since the pilot

as bounty hunter mick kidnaps len and is like “im gonna go back in time and kill your bby sister (aka the only person you love)” and like somehow in the span of this episode len is still like “dont kill him” to the rest of the team when he gets captured

gets put in glass box of doom on ship, and the team has like restorative convos with mick? wants to help him even tho he went evil and tried to destroy the team / threatened people that they cared about

mick is eventually given the chance to kinda heal and is brought back into the fold of the team and a full functioning member again even though he went extra bad for a bit there

one of them gets blown up and dies a fucking hero (also is probably not actually dead, but its been half a season and im not even fucking sure)

the other one is currently very depressed and not getting the treatment he needs for that, but ill fight those battles later.

so in summary for comparison

all three grew up in abusive households

mick and ward both burn their childhood homes down (but mick actually killed his family)

len & ward both have younger siblings they tried to protect from their abuser (but lisa actually likes len and theyre super close, where as you now aos....)

all three ended up in juvie (tho ward got broke out by garrett and that fucked him up good) (whereas mick & len meet to becomes criminal partners)

all three are bad guys (ward is a double agent) (while mick/len are major criminals and then super villains)

they all kill all kinds of people

they all hurt the fan favorite good guy scientist characters (mick & len with bombs and cold guns) (ward by dropping them into an ocean in a pod that shoulve floated) (i mean honestly like ward was the nicer one when you look at it like this)

all three kill their abusers (though micks was technically on accident)

all three get thrown in prison/glass boxes where their super counter parts come to see them (ward gets told to kill himself) (len gets told there’s still good in him) (mick gets help getting back to a stable mental state)

mick & ward both betray their found family team for their own person interests (and do get kinda shafted by this, like wards whole plot line vs mick’s time as a bounty hunter)

len & mick are both really bad guys that are given hero arcs (len is season one, mick in season one/two ish) and given a chance to redeem themselves while still being a-holes at times. (whereas ward gets murdered by his old team leader and gets possessed by an alien monster)

in LoT the character dies a hero. whereas in aos... you know how that goes

the thing that gets me is

the plot lines are so fucking similar

and like these characters have been around as minor characters/villains for two seasons of the flash, and then as main characters for a season and a half (so far) of legends of tomorrow

and the villain with an abusive childhood story line is just handled so much better over there. with the characters given chances to heal. rather than pushed off to the side and made worse and worse

and as someone who lived in an abusive household for far too long

getting to see the snarts story line (and mick’s too) is just such a relief after suffering through all that was aos okay

this is why im so angry.

#slamncram #replies #grant ward #mick rory #leonard snart #aos meta #lot meta #plinys meta

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gigslist · 5 years ago

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11 Cool & Weird Film Funding Grants & Job Boards

Weird and Interesting

Cool and Weird Funding & Job Orgs

11 Cool and weird arts and film funding grants, film job boards and a little weird bit of editorial.

I’m compiling a new gigs list of film and media job sites and job boards and film funding grants, film sponsors, scholarships, and residencies etc. Over 1000 resources. Billions of dollars every year in cash and in-kind resources. While surfing I found a few weird and interesting and cool resources GigsList.info readers might have fun reading or joining or applying for. These are not paid ads. I just happen to think they are cool and weird and interesting.

Anonymous Production Assistant

Anonymousproductionassistant.com

“The TAPA blog is a place to freely discuss the life of a production assistant. And a repository for the knowledge I’ve accumulated to future generations of PAs. Who the hell are you? I’m anonymous. It says so right there in the title. No, really, who are you? I’m not saying, bub. Deal with it. The New York Times recommended my blog. As did The Los Angeles Times. Also, LA Magazine. KCRW’s The Business interviewed me, as did as LA Women. That’s something, I guess.”

Burning Man

Burningman.org

Funding art that is accessible to the public, civic in scope and prompts the viewer to act. Burning Man has a long and rich history of granting seed money to new and emerging artists around the world. To date, we’ve granted 202 projects in 34 U.S. states and 34 countries. “Burning Man isn’t a ‘place you put art’, but a ‘context in which art is created.’ You don’t have to have been to Black Rock City to be a Burner.

Cannabis Media

Fromtheheartproductions.com

The grant seeks heartfelt documentaries, short films, features, and web series. Revealing how cannabis has benefited and changed people’s lives. With the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. Much of media focus has been on the business aspects of the cannabis industry. Cannabis Media Grant is for filmmakers to create films that show where the cannabis market is going. How cannabis has become an important part of people’s lives, and how it’s improved those lives for the better.

Celebrity Scholarship

Celebrityscholarship.com

Through costume, role-playing, props and self-expression. The person with the funniest, quirkiest and most authentic celebrity impersonation. Tell us about your celebrity and why you chose them. Send us your picture or video for scholarship funds. Feel free to use makeup, funky clothing and a smart caption.

CJ Pony Auto Videos

Cjponyparts.com/cj-pony-parts-scholarship-video-contest

CJ Pony Parts is proud to offer two scholarships each year to students who are enrolling in post-secondary education in their next semester. Create a short video, under 3 minutes long, on provided topics. You can be inspirational, funny, serious, educational, or even musical! Winners will be selected based on creativity and content rather than video editing skill or how many views the video gets. Submitted videos must be your own work.

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Cbldf.org

Non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the First Amendment rights of the comics medium. We provide Legal aid, education and advocacy. Protecting the rights of readers, creators, retailers, publishers, and librarians. All involved with comics, manga, and graphic novels. - GigsList Note: Ok so they don’t give money, but they are interesting.

Fine Awards Scholarship

Fineawards.com/scholarship

Competitive award for college students. To share their story about someone in their life deserving recognition. A person who helped, inspired and/or motivated you. A parent, sibling, friend or other role model. A stranger you saw paying it forward without expectation of recognition. Tell us your story.

RxLaughter

Rxlaughter.org

Improving quality of life through positive entertainment research, therapeutic care and education. Founded in 1998 by ABC and CBS veteran primetime programming executive Sherry Hilber. Founded as a laughter research charity for children with physical illnesses at the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center. How comedy can ease pain and anxiety for children during painful medical procedures. Using the power of comedy to improve quality of life for people with emotional and physical challenges. Our programs are volunteer-based.

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

Thesisters.org

Grants supporting small organizations and projects that provide services to underserved communities. Projects that are progressive grassroots projects. Promoting wellness and joy, tolerance and diversity supporting LGBTQ+ communities. San Francisco Bay Area projects preferred.

Stockade Works Film Producer Apprenticeships

Stockadeworks.org

Apprenticeship program for Hudson Valley residents. Feature film and documentary production, admin and marketing. By learning as you work on local productions. Part internship part paid gig. The ins and outs of budget, pitch materials, social media and audience development. As well as hands on training in production and post production.

Tattoo Trends in Australia

wsartsalliance.com/tattoo-trends-in-australia-a-big-yes-and-a-small-no

In depth article by the Washington State Arts Alliance. Tattoos are officially a serious fine art form. Excerpt: “Tattoos are rapidly finding their market in Australia compared to a few years ago when they were regarded as a tabloid. This massive growth was mostly led by the tattoos designs that included a word or a phrase category. However, a recently conducted surveys reveal that around 70% of Australian’s now prefer to have a symbol or picture...” (GigsList note: Includes professional tips and howtoos about tattoos.)

Thiel Fellowship $100,000 to Drop Out of College

Thielfellowship.org

Thiel Fellowship grants $100,000 to young people who want to build new things instead of sitting in a classroom. Some Thiel Fellows are programmers. Others have started nonprofits, created consumer products, launched media companies, and built hardware. We look to support young people who want to bring their ideas to the world. Not only film, anything.

GigsList Explains Apprenticeships

And why apprenticeships can save your ass and your country’s economy. The short version.

The other day I had to explain what an apprenticeship is to a person with a college degree. I was kind of very shocked. So... I've included a real apprenticeship and explanation of apprenticeships by a former apprentice. Me:)

Apprenticeships are the old school way of learning film business and production ropes. Where you learn and make industry contacts and get paid. Apprenticeships are how I and my friends learned the biz and production.

No college loans to pay back and more budget to create art and support our arts friends. Plus we’ve never had to surf job boards for gigs, it’s all who we know from learning on the job. You join a family not an industry.

If everybody in film in the USA learned on the job. How much money could go back to the USA economy and funding film arts and underserved? And save the whales. Talk to your local entertainment unions and gov film offices. They should be more than happy to help with local apprenticeship programs :)

#film jobs #film funding #film grants

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larryland · 6 years ago

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by Jenny Hansell

Sabrina Hamilton, founder and Artistic Director of the Ko Festival of Performance

Jenny Hansell, Berkshire on Stage Pioneer Valley correspondent.

Berkshire On Stage Pioneer Valley Correspondent Jenny Hansell spoke to Sabrina Hamilton, founder and artistic director of the Ko Festival running through August 5 on the Amherst College campus. This resulting interview throws the spotlight on an enduring, adventurous, and essential component of the summer theatre scene in Western Massachusetts.

BOS: Each year you program around a theme, and this year it is “Radical Acts.” How did you select it?

Sabrina Hamilton: I don’t program two years out the way a lot of presenters do. I’m still programming into February. I read local newspapers, which I firmly believe in, I read a lot of national news, I sit in coffee shops and listen to what people are concerned about. Artist let me know what they are working on and send me videotapes.

Ko is an “Ensemble theater” where the artists are in control of the whole process. Instead of artists employed by artistic and managing directors, it’s artist-centric. In most theaters, there’s a hierarchy at the top. Ensemble theaters have a flatter structure, where the artists are in control of what they do and how they do it. A lot of them do what’s called “devised work” and at Ko we do this exclusively.

At Ko it’s like a little think tank. I don’t pick scripts and hire people to work on them. Artists who come to Ko have created the works themselves, often as a group. There may or may not be a single playwright, but there is never a playwright in absentia. Pieces often take several years to create and are devised over a long period of time. Sometimes they are true first-person material, other times they emerge out of research or a question. The work is created in the rehearsal room, on the hoof. This approach sets us apart from most other summer theater.

I pick a theme after talking to folks and look for two anchor shows and things that bridge them. I’m looking for a different lens to look at the theme. Our post-show discussions are not the usual ‘what’s your next show’… they’re about the theme. The audience often talks to each other, the artists just listen.

I try to pick chewy topics. Recent ones were immigration, and illness and healing. This year’s “Radical Acts” is a bit of a leap from last year’s them [Tactics for Trying Times]. This year the topics are more individual and may or may not be political at all, maybe spiritual or another realm, but taking a personal leap.

We have a lot of smart people in the Five College area audience. Artists always say, ‘we love your audience, they are amazing.’ The post-show discussions can last longer than the show.

BOS: What shows did you choose this year?

Sabrina Hamilton: The first show was The Radicalization Process, from an ensemble theater in Detroit — 30-somethings looking back at the radicals of the 1960s. The piece asks: How far are you willing to go. Is it far enough? They are trying to get different generations of activists to talk to each other, to understand what went wrong, what went right, are you in it for the long haul.

The next show is The Oven by [Amherst professor] Ilan Stavens. He is a comp-lit kind of guy. His cultural identity and perspective is Mexican Jew, and he is a regional and national intellectual, author of many books, often heard on NEPR. He has created what he thinks of as an anti-lecture, about being on a State Department-sponsored lecture tour. A shaman came to the lecture in Colombia and invited him to join an ancient family ritual, which turns out to be an ayahuasca trip.

Next week we have a story slam, as a way of getting more local people involved in telling their stories of radical acts. Each story is 5 minutes, without notes, in the first person. Many of the stories have been developed in our personal narrative workshops. The slams are really fun, with 15 slots. We always save one wild-card slot which we give away on the night. If we have too many people who want to do it, the audience votes based on the first line of the story.

The following week is Like a Mother Bear, a one-woman show. The creator, Helen Stoltzfus, started working on it several decades ago and now has come back to it. It springs from a time when she was low-grade ill for quite a while. Traditional medicine was not working for her, and at the same time she was trying to get pregnant. In a workshop, an image of a mother bear comes to her. She goes to Alaska, has an encounter with an endangered grizzly bear. Ultimately she realized that her illness was endometriosis causes by environmental degradation, chemicals also killing bears. The play is a moving call to action, about women’s bodies. It’s not so much about herself, or herself and the bear, and more about the larger world and what do we need to do. She’s also teaching a workshop later this summer, Theater As If Your Life Depends On It.

Closing the festival is a piece I’m directing, Industrious Angels. It’s by Lori McCants, a founding member of the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble. A number of years ago she was teaching a workshop at Ko, then stayed to take one. They were asked to look at where they live for inspiration, and she chose to build a piece around the Emily Dickinson Museum. She was reading a Dickinson poem to her mother as she was dying. The piece takes place in an attic workroom and uses shadow puppets and handwork. It’s a memory play, about the relationship between Laurie and her mother, about Dickinson and women’s work.

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BOS: There is an ongoing theme of “resistance” here.

Sabrina Hamilton: I need a sense of community and support, to see people who are not paralyzed, who are energized, there is solace in being in a room together. The most positive, healing thing we can do is to learn to talk to each other. So often, you already know what’s going to come out of each others’ mouth. Here, what people have in common is, they’ve seen a show. Interesting surprising things get said in the talk-backs. In a show that was about grandparents, one man said, “I have a terrible fear that I have no idea how to be a grandfather, I’m going to mess up royally.” It had never occurred to me that someone might have that concern.

What we’re going for is what I call the “huh” factor. Most summer theater, you clap at the end, it’s over. When we do well, there’s this “huh” – that night, the next morning, even months later. People in talkbacks will refer to something they saw at Ko last week or several years ago, it’s still resonating. We’re dropping a pebble in the pond. Sticky is what I’m going for. Sticky theater!

BOS: Who comes to the workshops? Is it mostly students? Or theater professionals?

Sabrina Hamilton:: Mostly theater professionals and people doing it for personal growth. We don’t separate professionals to make sure that nobody’s on autopilot. It’s a really intensive experience.

The third ring of our circle is our rehearsal residencies. Performers come from all over to work in the lab. They don’t always show the works-in-progress to the public but this time we are opening up a new musical, called Quantum Janis. The premise is that Janis Joplin didn’t die, and she is now a 57 year old black woman.

BOS: How have you kept the Festival going for 27 years?

Sabrina Hamilton: It really runs on willpower and stubbornness more than anyone else. We have been in the black every year but one. We pay our bills. We started as an ensemble where we’d do our own work and invite our friends. I alone remain of the founders. People think we have a budget 3 times the size of what it really is or that we are funded by Amherst College -in fact, we pay them, though we do get access to their beautiful theatre and studios. We survive by being pioneers in ‘value-added presenting.’ We give the artists as much money as we can through grants, and box office revenue. What else do artists need? You need a video? A vacation for your family? A consultant for how to build your set to tour? We give people time in the theater to work things out. We help artists remember why they deeply love doing this. Artists want to come back to Ko. They are loyal.

BOS: where do you get your funding?

Sabrina Hamilton: We can get $3,800 from the state, $1,000 from the town of Amherst. The NEA would be interested if we’d program two years out. Part of our ethos is to be responsive to the times. We did a season on age and aging right as it was becoming an area of activism. The capacity to do an NEA grant–we don’t have that. We participate in Valley Gives, a local giving day. We’ve done well with that.

Ko fills a need in the community. A lot of people have gotten turned off by theater, theaters have lost audience. They come to Ko because it’s their issue, their people, their tribe, To come up with a name for the company, we threw the i ching. What came up is the hexagram, Ko. It means revolution or fire in the lake–the old stuff sloughing off, what’s vital and important emerges.

Our work is not weirdo abstract performance art. It’s usually formally accessible. Our tagline is “where the only certainty is surprise.” If you don’t like this week, come next week. The only thing we can promise you is, it will be different. It’s not just summer light comedy and a little ten-minute talk-back.

BOS: What do you hope for the future?

Sabrina Hamilton: That people will step up and do more of what they’ve started to do. Audience members will say, look I’ve brought a friend. They know it’s their responsibility. We need ambassadors to vouch for us. We know that people first hear about us from a friend. People realize they have to help, they have to give. Our prices are reasonable. We offer discounts to people who are on SNAP. Culture is a necessity. It’s up to the arts org to provide it — there is no funding for discounted tickets for lower income people. We just said it’s the right thing to do. Our discussions are richer for it. Some weeks the audience looks very much the same – like a Gathering. Other weeks it’s wildly diverse.

There are other companies in Western MA, like Double Edge [in Ashfield] doing serious plays. World class work is happening. It’s not amateurs – these artists are incredibly trained, working on it for several years. The work has authenticity. People like that realness – it doesn’t feel fake.

The Ko Festival runs through August 5 at Amherst College in Amherst, MA. For a complete preview of the 2018 season, click HERE. Tickets are available at Kofest.com.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Sabrina Hamilton and the 2018 Ko Festival by Jenny Hansell Berkshire On Stage Pioneer Valley Correspondent Jenny Hansell spoke to Sabrina Hamilton, founder and artistic director of the…

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