My Role Model

I am currently working on my application to attend school at the University of Southern California in the fall of 2016. One of the questions on the application inquires about my role model. This is an easy question for me as my role model as shaped my entire life path and has taught me the importance of having a strong work ethic. My grandfather, William Ronald Sandwith, or Ron as he liked to go by, is my role model.

My Grandpa decided that he had a passion for business and he started a window and manufacturing company out of his garage of a tiny little home in his late twenties. That company later grew to being a multimillion dollar corporation by the time he died in 2003. I was very little when he passed away of a rare disease called progressive super nuclear palsy, but I will never forget the way he taught me to take risks and to go after everything that I wanted. His favorite musician was Kenny Loggins and there was a song called This is It by Kenny that will always be close to my heart. It embodies my grandfathers passion for chasing your dreams and doing so with a will to work and by being the best person you can be.

I will always look up to  my grandfather, as I shape my morals, and work ethic off of his success and his work ethic. I didn't grow up with a father, but I am lucky to have had my grandfather as a young girl. He will continue to teach me as I reflect on his life as I embark on my own endeavors into the professional world. I want nothing more than to make him proud.

Making the Best out of a Situation

It is like a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. I have survived the first quarter of my final year in Lexington, Kentucky, and currently homeward bound for fall break. I have four lovely days at home eating nothing but authentic Mexican food and drinking kale and spinach juice. The daydream itself is glorious even though the reality of it all is still a nine-hour flight away.Nothing really new to report on my behalf as far as my experience in Lexington goes. It is the same place; same people, same culture, and I still feel trapped as an outsider looking in to this funky way of life I will never completely understand.

All I know is that I made it through the most difficult part, and the rest is downhill from here. I look forward to embarking on the journey of the rest of my life. Even just on this plane ride, I feel free and I don’t feel so trapped. Just the fact that I made it through fall break, means that I can make it through the rest of this year as this past month and a half is the longest straight period of time I will have to stay in Lexington.

In part, I feel bad for my brother. I know he wants me to be happy in Lexington, and it will be bittersweet leaving him, but I just was not able to adapt to the ways of life here in the manner that he did. I will miss him, and I will miss not being two minutes away from him at all times, as it has been my entire life, but I realize that it is time to venture off on my own, not only away from my mother’s protective grasp, but also from the security blanket provided by my brother that I have grown to cherish when I needed a familiar face.I never told him truly how I felt, he’s not that type of guy, but he knows me, and deep down I think he knows that I need to be on the west coast. I know I have to return to school in a few short days and I know that time is going to fly by, but I am so ecstatic to be able to have this moment of relaxation and bliss back in Laguna Beach, even for a little while.

 Nothing lasts forever, but it is the little moments that will carry me through to my ultimate destination wherever that may be.  It may be USC, it may be an unforeseen path I have yet to ponder, but no matter where I go next, I will be a better, more educated person for having been through this experience in Lexington.

Rambler Newspaper Editorial

For those of my readers who do not know, I am an editor of the Transylvania University Rambler Newspaper. I have written a lot lately about my perceptions of culture, as it has been a major factor in my life in the past few years as a college student. I have been socialized into new cultures and experienced emotional shock due to the new cultures. Well, instead of just venting and writing on this blog, as I enjoy doing because it is basically just a public journal, I decided that I find value in my opinions and if written well, others may find value in them as well. So, instead of just writing a slam piece (as I usually do on here), I put together a more diplomatic version of my opinions and pointed out the things that I would change in order to make my university culture a better place to be. Check out my Rambler Editorial at the link below.

Editor's opinion of Southern Culture

Imprisoned Heart

The feeling I have right now in my heart, as I sit awaiting my arrival in lexington Kentucky, I imagine is very similar to that of a newly incarcerated person en route to their new home in a prison. I have a year remaining at Transylvania University, wherein the previous year I underwent heartbreak and social anxiety due to the way I was unable to fit in to the simple, uneducated, fake culture that I was unable to accustom to. I met one genuine friend in my first year, who has since transferred to another school in lexington. Currently my heart yearns for the ocean and the crash of the waves on the shore as I ride the currents being totally at peace with my self and one with God. I yearn for the brutal honestly of California Culture that I never appreciated until it was gone. I yearn for fresh vegetables and decadent burritos that make my mouth water. I will miss walks on Huntington Pier hand in hand with someone who cares about me. I yearn for my home and the people that await there for my return. Sadly I have a year. In that year I will face more scrutiny and the feeling of being an outsider; separated from an unaccepting culture. I will face this year head on and with as much grace and poise as possible. I will rely on God to give me the strength to persevere through the awkward silences and forced conversations. I have my horses to endure it all with me. In the end I will come out on top, but for now I must put on a brave front and face what is to come head on, as my plane to Lexington has landed. While I may be afraid, and dread what awaits me outside these aircraft walls, I know that I am strong enough to endure anything.

Comment :)

Hey Guys, I would love feedback from you guys on my opinions or on the things I write...please comment on the post or feel free to email me with questions or ideas you would like me to write about :) I look forward to hearing from you all

msandwithcrader@gmail.com

Love Ya,
Madison

Romeo and Juliet: A Contemporary Rendition told through Indie Alternative Music

The following is a soundtrack that tells the story of Romeo and Juliet via Indie Alternative and Pop songs. This is my favorite genre of music and the lyrics that are used in these songs are very deep and emotional. I knew that artists such as Michael Logen, Taylor Swift, Young Rising Sons and Lana Del Ray would be able to tell the story of any of Shakespeare’s plays with their deep lyrics, and intense, dramatic acoustics. The majority of Indi Pop songs revolve around love. Whether that is falling in or out of love, these songs discuss the intense emotional roller coaster that goes along with love and relationships. When I was listening to my playlist, I was able to visualize the scenes of Romeo and Juliet because it is one of the most tragic love stories every told, and the emotions that coincide with the storyline go perfectly with this specific genre of music.  The focus of this playlist is on the emotions and thoughts of Romeo and Juliet as they go through their relationship. These songs will focus on how they feel rather than touching on the feud, or the thoughts of other characters in the play.

High- Young Rising Sons

Act 1 Scene 1

At the beginning of the play, Romeo is depressed and wandering around the city wishing that he was in this perfect relationship with Rosaline. At this point of the play, Benvolio comes up to Romeo to discuss his emotions and why he has been acting so depressed.  Romeo states that he is in love with Rosaline but that he feels so much pain because there is uncertainty about where her heart lies and what she feels.  Romeo wants to be in love, but he is unable to find the right person. This song by the Young Rising Sons touches on a similar idea. The lyrics show that they are in a low point in their lives, but they are searching for something better, they are searching for the “high” that will make their lives feel complete.  Romeo realizes that he is in a low point and he doesn’t want to be, but he is deeply searching for someone to love and in order to make his life whole. This song perfectly describes Romeo’s mental state and thought process as he mourns Rosaline and is eager to find the love of his life. 

            One lyric says, “ Inside my heart there is an empty nest, a heavy head and a hollow chest, soft spoken like a disease, but there is no way for you to complete me”.  This perfectly describes Romeo’s situation with Rosaline just before he meets Juliet.

Enchanted-Taylor Swift

Act 1 Scene 5

Enchanted is a song about a girl who sees a guy at party and immediately feels a connection with him. Throughout the entire song, she is wishing and hoping for the guy to like her, and to not be involved with someone else.  This song tells the story of the party scene where Romeo and Juliet meet.  Part of the song is about how the girl is lonely and bored with the same routine, while at the party, until her eyes lock with the boy she immediately falls for.  Juliet is in this same state of mind until she sees Romeo. Her parents want her to mingle with Paris and to eventually marry him, but Juliet is not content with Paris.  The songs lyrics perfectly describe the beginning sparks of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. When they first meet, both of their minds are elsewhere. However, when they see each other, they forget everything else and immediately fall for one another. The Lyrics say,

“There I was again tonight

Forcing laughter, faking smiles

Same old tired lonely place

Walls of insincerity,

Shifting eyes and vacancy

Vanished when I saw your face

All I can say is it was enchanting to meet you” (Enchanted Taylor Swift).

      In addition at the end of the song, after the couple has had a lovely night together, the girl goes home wondering if the boy felt the same way, and if she will ever see him again. When Romeo and Juliet leave each other, they both want to see each other again and they never want to leave each other’s sides. This hope is not only represented by the music and lyrics of Taylor Swift’s Enchanted, but it is also the perfect transition into the Balcony Scene.

3. Tenerife Sea- Ed Sheeran

Act 2 Scene 2

            The Balcony scene is the most commemorated scene from Romeo and Juliet. The scene revolves around Romeo and Juliet professing their love for one another.  This is also the scene where Juliet basically proposes to Romeo. The song Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran describes Romeo’s point of view. There is also some light and dark imagery in the lyrics, which is also seen in the play. In the song, the lyrics say,

“You look so beautiful in this light

Your silhouette over me

The way it brings out the blue in your eyes

Is the Tenerife Sea

And all of the voices surrounding us here

They just fade out when you take a breath

Just say the word and I will disappear

Into the wilderness” (Tenerife Sea, Ed Sheeran)

To start with, the light imagery in the song is representative of the light imagery used by Romeo when he is speaking to Juliet on the Balcony.  Second, it touches on the idea that they both know they are not supposed to be together, but they want to be anyways. However, they don’t care and choose to get married anyways. The lyric, “voices surrounding us fade out when you take a breath,” demonstrates this idea from the play.  On the balcony, Romeo and Juliet decide to be together and get married despite the issues with their families. They know that they are meant to be together and they are so in love they don’t care about anything else. The emotions expressed in this song, portray the emotions of Romeo as he decides he is going to be with Juliet no matter what the consequences. He is so in love that he doesn’t care if he dies the next day. It foreshadows the end of the play, while representing the entirety of Romeo’s emotions.

4. Ride- Somo

Act 2 Scene 4

This is a part of the play that is often misinterpreted by readers. In this scene, Juliet is anxiously waiting for her nurse to return with Romeo so that they can consummate their marriage. Even though Juliet is painted as the innocent girl falling in love, this is not really the case. Juliet uses some subtle sexual language throughout the play, but especially in this scene when she is waiting anxiously for Romeo to come up to her room.  So it is only logical for the song that represents Juliet’s emotions, to be a song by Somo. Somo is known for writing sexy songs that describe a night that one spends making love with someone. This particular song, Ride, is describing what Juliet is imagining and wanting when she is waiting for Romeo to come up to her room. It is a very sexy song and encompasses the sexual nature of this scene perfectly. Many people misread this scene and don’t realize the sexual elements that are incorporated into the language. In this contemporary adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, I wanted to ensure that this idea was not misinterpreted and that it was evident to my listener that one, Romeo and Juliet do consummate their marriage, and two, Juliet is not as innocent as she seems. This song does not allow for any questioning about what actually occurs in this scene. It explicitly states that Romeo and Juliet have sex and demonstrates the mental attitude of Juliet leading up to the consummation of their marriage.

5. St. Christopher – Michael Logen

Act 3 Scene 5

            Romeo has been banished for the killing of Tybalt, but he decides to spend the night with Juliet regardless of his banishment. In the morning, when Romeo must leave, he swears that they will see each other again.  Once Romeo leaves, Juliet frantically tries to figure out a way to escape her predicament and to be with Romeo. Juliet did not like the advice from the Nurse to go ahead and marry Paris. Desperate for an answer, Juliet decides to go to Friar Lawrence for help. St. Christopher is the perfect song to express Juliet’s desperation for help in order to be able to be with Romeo. The music in this song is dark, with a soft piano. This represents the pain that Juliet feels having to be faced with this decision to either lose the love of her life, and to kill herself if she does, or to try and figure out a way to reunite with Romeo.  The lyrics are also very telling in regard to Juliet’s thought process as she is in this initial state of desperation before she figures out how to handle the situation. The song says,

“Gonna need some help tonight

For the long, dark road ahead

On my way back to the light

'Cause the path is so unclear

And I'm not sure who to be

All I know is I can't stay here”

As Juliet goes to see Friar Lawrence, she knows that whatever is to come, is going to be difficult no matter what. She is either going to kill herself without Romeo, or she will have to go through some drastic measures in order to ensure that she can be with Romeo. The song is desperate, sad, and emotional, and perfectly encompasses Juliet’s mental state.

6. I Know Places by Taylor Swift

Act  4 Scene 3

            Juliet has consented to marry Paris, with the plan to take the sleeping potion the night before so that she will be presumed dead in the morning.  I know Places is an intense song about having a plan, and knowing the dangers surrounding the situation but decides to go through with it because she doesn’t want her love story to end. The song says,

Something happens when everybody finds out


See the vultures circling in dark cloud


Love's a fragile little flame, it could burn out
It could burn out

cause they got their cages, they got their boxes, and guns,

they are the hunters, we are the foxes and we run



Baby I know places we won't be found

and they'll be chasing their tails tryin' to track us down


Cause I, I know places we can hide, I know places (Taylor Swift I Know Places).

Instead giving up on Romeo, Juliet decides to do something crazy in order to attempt to be with him. She realizes the danger surrounding the situation, but she is still willing to go through with the plan because she doesn’t want to lose the love of her life. This song has an edgy tone to it, which expresses the intensity of the situation.

 

7. Dark Paradise-Lana del Ray

Act 5 Scene 3

            The song, Dark Paradise is the epitome of the suicides of Romeo and Juliet. In the song, a woman is depressed and suicidal because her lover is dead and she no longer wants to live because he is not with her anymore. These are the exact emotions that led Romeo and Juliet to kill themselves. When Romeo hears of Juliet’s death, he goes to the tomb and takes poison in order to be able to be with her in eternity. When Juliet awakes from the sleeping potion, she sees Romeo lying dead next to her. Her heart breaks and stabs herself so she does not have to live without him.  It is a dark and depressing love story. The lyrics describe the situation perfectly.

“And there's no remedy

For memory

Your face is like a melody,

It won't leave my head

Your soul is haunting me

And telling me

That everything is fine

But I wish I was dead

dead like you” (Lana Del Ray).

The music is dark and depressing in addition to the story that the lyrics tell.  The music and lyrics of Dark Paradise illustrate this scene in Romeo and Juliet perfectly because it describes the emotions of both Romeo and Juliet just before they kill themselves.

 

8.  Infinity-Albert Oberst

Act 5 Scene 3

            After Friar Lawrence retells the story of Romeo and Juliet’s secret marriage, and how the feud between the two families was the ultimate cause of their death, Capulet and Montague end their feud. This song is soft, and beautiful, in part summarizing a love story that ended because of death, but it also comments on how the love story lives on in the stars.  It also says the memory of the lovers’ lives on forever and will bring people together for infinity.  It is a slow tempo, acoustic song that creates the ideal end to this adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. This song coincides with the famous last line,“ There was never a tale of more woe, than of Juliet and her Romeo” (5.3.309.). Infinity is the music version of the last line that sums up the entire love story.

Romeo and Juliet told through Music

Romeo and Juliet told through Music from madicrader on 8tracks Radio.

Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack

I have decided to do a fun little project where I tell the story of Romeo and Juliet through Indie Pop songs. I have not finalized by line notes or playlist but here is what I have so far. Check back later for more updates on this!!

 I am choosing to soundtrack Romeo and Juliet. Going into my thought process for choosing a play to adapt, I knew I wanted to tell the story of whichever play I chose through Indi pop songs. This is my favorite genre of music and the lyrics that are used in these songs are very deep and emotional. I knew that artists such as Bon Ivar, Taylor Swift, Birdy, and Lana Del Rae would be able to tell the story of any of Shakespeare’s plays with their deep lyrics, and intense, dramatic acoustics.  With that being said, I wasn’t sure which play would work best with the genre of music I chose.

So, I went on to Spotify and listened to my playlist of Indi Pop Songs and intently listened to the lyrics to see if any particular storyline popped out at me.  At first, I considered writing about Hamlet, but as I looked deeper into the music genre I wanted to use, I realized that Romeo and Juliet worked best. The majority of Indi Pop songs revolve around love. Whether that is falling in or out of love, these songs discuss the intense emotional roller coaster that goes along with love and relationships. When I was listening to my playlist, I was able to visualize the scenes of Romeo and Juliet because it is one of the most tragic love stories every told, and the emotions that coincide with the storyline go perfectly with this specific genre of music. 

As of right now, I am looking to include Act 1 Scene 2 where Romeo is wandering around town, sad about Rosaline. For this Scene I wanted to choose a song that best portrayed Romeo’s emotions as he is thinking about Rosaline and wanting to be with her.  The songs High by Young Rising Sons, and Dark Blue by Jack’s Mannequin best portray this emotion.  Next, I wanted to use Love Story and Enchanted by Taylor Swift to show the love at first sight, swept away feeling, that Romeo and Juliet have when the first kiss at the party in Act 1 Scene 5. Both of these songs have some subtle sexual elements to them which corresponds with the subtle sexiness in Juliet’s language. Obviously, since I am choosing Romeo and Juliet, I must do the Balcony scene. For this scene I thought Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran, an Always by Albert Oberst would work best. Then, I wanted to use Act 3 Scene 4 when Romeo and Juliet have their wedding night before Romeo has to go away, but I have not decided on a song that would best portray those emotions yet. Then I will use St. Christopher by Michael Logen and I Know Places by Taylor Swift for Act 3 Scene 5 when Romeo and Juliet are trying to solve their predicament. For Act 5 Scene 3 when Romeo kills himself, I want to use Skinny Love by Bon Ivar. Then, when Juliet kills herself in this same scene, I will use Dark Paradise by Lana Del Rae.  For the final moment when Capulet and Montague are brought together by the deaths of their children, in Act 5 Scene 3, I will use Infinity by Albert Oberst.

I was on Good Morning Kentucky! St. Jude Dream Home

Mixing Cultures

Even though I have been on the road and traveling from city to city for the past 6 years, I have never been able to fully experience the variety of cultures that exist in those various locations. It is an interesting idea that in a country where we founded ourselves on unity, and one nation under God, that we can be so diverse and different. When going from one coast to another, it is comparable traveling to a different country. The culture that one experiences by traveling to these locations is far different than the culture they experience in their hometown. 

In my previous article, The Facades of Southern Society, I touched on the culture in the south and how the way I was treated by some people were representative of what their cultural upbringing was. While since writing that article I have realized that not all people in the south, put up acts to hide their true emotions and personality. While their are some who take this idea of southern gentleman ship to a whole new level and completely embody the person I described, not all southern people represent the facade. However, that is not to say that I still don't recognize the drastic cultural differences between my culture that I grew up in, and the one that I am currently attending college in. 

This past week, I traveled home to Orange County, CA with two girls who also attend Transylvania University. One of these girls is form New Mexico and the other is from Louisville, Kentucky. Both of them come from different backgrounds than I, but I did not fully realize the extent of our differences until I offered up my home to them and allowed them to stay in my guest house for the duration of the week. 

The sweet fun loving girls that I invited from Kentucky, were not the girls that showed up at my home. I do not think it was anything they did on purpose, it was simply a difference of culture that made them stick out like a sore thumb. A common courtesy and classiness that I expected of them was not received. Instead I encountered entitled, ungrateful attitudes that simply mooched off of everything in my home. In addition, the girls did not take care of my things and left a lot of damage that will now need to be fixed. It was as if they expected to be treated like I was a hotel and not a friend they were coming to visit. After multiple home cooked meals, gas money, and trips to expensive tourist locations that I would otherwise not be attending if it were not for them, I received ungrateful and entitled attitudes, and no offer to pay for gas, parking, or buy me a meal. Now I am not saying that I expected them to reimburse me for the things I offered to them. That was my treat, and as a courtesy to them, if they had offered to pay anything, I would not have accepted it. However, a respectful, gracious person would offer to treat their host to something, at least thats how I was taught to treat hosts in my culture. 

In the end, I realized that they don't come from the same place I do and I did not realize that certain aspects of my culture are not practiced in other parts of the country. I am not saying that this is like all people in the south, but I definitely see the differences in their upbringing after their visit to my hometown.  It is interesting. Culture is not a generalization because every parent brings up their child differently. However, the people around them and the common courtesies expected of people in specific cultures vary greatly. I am still learning how to adapt to this culture change. 

While on campus I feel I have learned how to fit in with my new culture, but I did not anticipate that my friends would come to my home and act so drastically different from the way they act on campus. I suppose when I arrived home I fell back in to the ways of my hometown and my visitors obviously  did not understand the culture or adapt well to it. They stuck out like a sore thumb and honestly, it bothered me. I do not think they realized how they were acting because it was a totally new ball game for them, but I was simply shocked and dissapointed at their behavior. I will put this one down in the books as a learning experience and learn to be more selective with the people I wish to treat to things. I think that generosity can sometimes get taken advantage of and it is something I need to be careful about in the future.