A New Jacket

Hey everyone,

In one of our video conferences a few weeks ago, Rayne asked me what the Blue Jacket means to me.  So let me tell you what I told him.

I was not the kind of person who was immediately inspired to join the FFA when I saw the blue corduroy blazers.  I know that to die-hard FFA members, blue corduroy is the coolest thing ever, but let's be honest...corduroy?  Who wears that anymore?  Especially in blue!?

When I first joined the FFA, I didn't have a jacket of my own, I wore a cast-off from an older sibling whose first name had been removed- so that it only said "Kenley."  This prompted the FFA Chapter President of the time to call me "Kelly" for over a year- and that was one of the reasons I generally avoided FFA.

After I went to my first state convention, things changed...at least a little.  I really wanted my own FFA jacket...but mostly because I wanted people to stop calling me "Kelly."  I was pretty excited to see my jacket when it arrived at National Convention that year though, with my own name and "Chapter President, 2007-2008" on it.  But even after I had a jacket, I really only wore it when I had to and I'd wear it with black slacks instead of a skirt if I could get away with it.

My year as a state officer completely changed that. I ordered my jacket the day after I was elected. I loved my jacket and if I went a week without wearing my official dress, it was too long.  I always had crevats and black nylons in abundance, and by the end of my year of service, my shoes looked like they'd been through a grain grinder.  

My jacket, unfortunately, also shows signs of a year well-served.  The elbows are worn down, and a small spot on my sleeve reminds me to always take off my jacket before eating- because apparently dry cleaning doesn't wash out enchiladas.  That jacket has been dry cleaned so many times that the fantastic bright blue has faded to a less impressive light blue.

I love that jacket dearly, but when I really made up my mind to run for National Office, I wanted a new one.  One that would say to the world, "2010 National Officer Candidate," right under my name.  I thought, "Even if I don't make it, it'll be nice to have this jacket to remember everything I did to prepare."

Then, I went on the website and remembered that jackets cost $60.  For a college student, that's a lot of money, especially for a jacket I'll wear only until October...so I decided just to wear my old jacket.  I was disappointed, but I knew it was just a....stupid...jacket, right?

Oddly enough, I was thinking about my old, worn out State Officer jacket yesterday morning, before I called to chat with my mom.  I'd been feeling homesick, and I was dying to hear about the State Convention.  Hearing about it was hard though, because it reminded me that I wasn't there, and I wish I had been.

Then, out of the blue, my mom said, "Do you remember who Jason Miller is?  He was the State President before Lori, and he always helps out at convention.  When he found out you were running for National Office, he gave us $70 and said to use it to buy you a new jacket."

Right then, at that moment, I felt like I was going to cry.  (And right now, in this moment, I am).  I know who Jason Miller is but I don't know him very well, and I didn't know he knew who I was at all.  What a simple gesture, but what a sweet donation.  I don't know if he knew how much a knew jacket would mean to me....but it means the world.  And now that I can actually get one, I realize how much I really wanted one all along.  

I'm so grateful for Jason, and my family, and Rayne, and everyone who is in any small way helping me with this process.  Sometimes I get so busy and frustrated that I feel like quitting, but I can feel your support behind me.   Even something so simple as a new jacket that I so desperately wanted and am so incredibly thankful for makes a tremendous difference.  I am just in awe of what everyone I know does to support me, by reading my blog, asking me interview questions, listening to me rehearse stories, helping me schedule classes, talking to people who might be able to help me out...or just buying me a new jacket.  I have such wonderful people surrounding me while I make this big effort.  I love you all.  I can't thank you enough.

And I'm stoked to order my new jacket the minute I get home! :)  But after I wear that one, you know what would be even better?  A brand new jacket that only had this on the back:

Man, if I could put on a jacket like that, it would be fantastic.

Rachel

Good Day, Sunshine

Hey guys,
It's not actually sunny outside.  It's raining and very windy.  But I feel good!  So apparently, weather actually has very little do with my mood.  So, to make up for the depressing-ness of a few posts, I'll give you some bullets about why life is awesome:

• For some strange reason, though my video would not function on my computer or on Youtube, once I got it onto Facebook, it decided to function!  They watched it today and I think it went over well.  
• My classes are finally all figured out for next semester!  After a few minor set backs, I finally reached the right teachers and got into the right classes.  I'm going to have 4 credits of ASTE 3900: Independent Study in solving Agricultural Problems- basically, just studying for National Office.  I also have 3 credits of a general class, Creative Arts, and 3 credits of Music 1010, for my music minor, 1 credit of piano lessons, and 2 credits of Intro. to Ag Education.  Hooray for finally having everything all figured out once again!
• My History and Hollywood journalism project that was giving me an ulcer is over and (I think) aced.  I never have to do another project form JCOM 2010 ever again.
• I finished "Encouraging the Heart" yesterday and have some great ideas for interesting things to study.
• I'm almost positive that I have never looked as pretty as I do today.  At least not my face.
• I might get to have a video conference with Rayne tonight- which is one of my favorite parts of the week.
• The House episode "Lockdown" was AWESOME!
• My room is semi-clean.

Just a few reasons why life is grand, and I am happy.

A few more fancy shots for you.  The one on the left is from last Wednesday, I dressed up for my piano recital.  No eyeliner, I ran out of it.  My lips weren't really that pink, but the yellow lighting makes the colors weird.

The other one is from today.  It's probably more make-up than I would do on an everyday basis, but I did it for my history project.  We all dressed up like we were from the fifties.  It looks awesome...it only took me almost an hour to do. :)  You can't see my eyeshadow, but I bought some pretty pink/brown sparkly powder.  I like it a lot.  I also curled my eyelashes.  Another thing I would not take the time to do normally- makes a really cool difference!

Happy Earth Day!

Rachel

Pooped

Hey guys,
I went jogging in the cemetery this afternoon. It was SO hot outside. But I jogged for half an hour. It was a nice day and a very pretty place- so it was as enjoyable as it could be- ignoring the fact that running makes me feel like I'm giving birth inside an iron lung during summer in Africa.  (I have no idea what that would feel like, by the way.  I've never given birth, been in an iron lung, or traveled to Africa.)


After I ran I had a video conference with Rayne.  Maybe the exercise took all the energy out of me...I was kinda off my game.  Next week should be better.

Right now I'm working on making a little video shout out to the Alaska State Convention.  I was working on it last week, and I was getting really frustrated, I just couldn't seem to figure out what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.  But I talked to Rayne about it and I have a good idea now.  I'll post it here (if I can figure out how) in a day or two.

I have a lot more I could say, I'm just too tired to say it.  Tomorrow I'm meeting with my adviser to talk about what classes I'm going to take next semester.

Have a great Thursday,
Rachel

Repose, More Make-Up, Influence

Hey everyone,
In honor of what a restful and relaxing day I've had, today's word is repose.  It can be used as a noun or a verb, meaning the state of rest, peace, and tranquility, or the act of resting or refreshing oneself, as in: After a long day of schoolwork, I long to go to find repose.  Because I have only a few classes on Fridays, I have time repose and ponder.

Yes, today has been a very reposeful day.  I even slept in this morning, but I still got up in time to follow through on my April goal and dress up.  I did my make up totally different.  I am out of eyeliner so I just skipped it, used light pink eyeshadow and lip gloss.  Pretty simple, but I'm not sure what I think.  Do light colors make me look washed out?  Or like a little girl?  Is lip gloss professional?  If not, does anyone have any tips for picking a good color of lipstick?

I hope I don't look like a crazy person in this picture, because I took a lot of pictures and I looked all kinds of insane in most of them.

I also took a picture of my whole outfit, just because I was so cute today, and I never wear dresses to school.

Speaking of goals, I forced myself to go to a class at the gym last night and work out.  It was hard and I didn't like it.  Does exercising ever get easier? 

Before I went to work out though, I had a great video conference with Rayne.  We've been focusing on...talking.   That sounds weird, but we're trying to make my answers to interview questions less robotic and more heart-felt and sincere...so we're just discussing things right now so I can talk freely without being nervous, and then we'll incorporate what we've gone over into the interview session.

Yesterday we talked a lot about influence.  Rayne asked me what I thought the word meant.  The first thing that popped into my head was the ever-repeated quote during my year in State Office:

"Leadership is Influence!"

So that's what I said.  But just to clarify, according to Dictonary.com, influence is the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others.  So then we talked about how I want to influence others in life and as a potential National Officer.  It quickly became apparent that I want to influence others because of the influence others have had on me.

Then Rayne asked me to come up with three people who have influenced my life the most.  Can you think of three off the top of your head?  Neither could I!  I've only lived a little over 19 years, and I still find it hard to pick just three people who have changed my life significantly.  I came up with two as we were talking and thought of the third later.

I'd like to share a little bit about these people and the effect they've had on my life.  But first, a *Disclaimer*:  If I were to answer this question completely honestly, probably all three people would be members of my family, since they've known me longer than anyone.  However, if I were asked this question by a member of the nominating committee, I would diversify my answer so that I mentioned people who have affected me in different areas of my life. So that's why this answer may not be exactly the top three people, but these people have changed my life significantly.

3.  Sara Kenley: I grew up with Sara.  We are 1 year and 4 days apart and have the same middle name.  We both love singing, acting, playing the piano, jazz music, and sleep overs.   Although Sara is my cousin, I think that more importantly, she's my best friend.

I always have loved to be around Sara because we are so similar in our interests and senses of humor (which can be pretty weird sometimes).  Sara has seen me at my best and at my worst, and she still likes to hang out with me.

I like to think that Sara is exactly like me- except when it comes to the aspects of my personality which could be improved upon: meaning simply that Sara isn't bossy and she doesn't have a short temper like I do.  This is great because that means she can call me out on those things, and she's constantly making me a better person.  I want to work to minimize those negative aspects of myself and becoming more compassionate and patient like she is.  Because we think and act alike in many situations, I feel like Sara really understands how I feel better than anyone else I know.  I'm so glad that Sara and I are such great friends and I'm grateful for the impact she's had on my life.

2.  John Geisler: Mr. Geisler was my history and language arts teacher in seventh grade.  For the majority of his class, I wanted a different teacher.  I only signed up for his class because all my friends were doing it, and after they left I wanted out too, because it was no longer the "cool thing" (and in middle school, coolness was very important to me).  I am grateful that my parents flatly refused to let me change classes that year.  I don't know that they knew what a difference it would make in my life, they are just stubborn and live by the principle that if you sign up for something, you should see it through.

Mr. Geisler ran a "school within a school" program at my middle school.  Basically, "school within a school" is alternate teaching method where learning is primarily student interest driven and grades are downplayed.  When I started the program, I was confused and overwhelmed.  I had been taught in school up until that point to do what needed to be done in order to get an A.  Mr. Geisler, however, expected his students to work on their own and assess themselves.  It wasn't long before I started to understand the program and soon found myself delving into subjects that really interested me, including marine reptiles, greek pottery, King Tutankhamen, music composition, film, and the history of the Jewish people.  I constantly researched my topic and never actually finished a paper- since I realized that I could never finish learning about a subject.

This probably sounds like just a fun class- but to me it has been more than that.  Because of Mr. Geisler, my attitude on gaining knowledge completely changed.  My attitude towards schoolwork in high school and now college has completely altered because of that mind-opening year.  I now learn because I am hungry for knowledge, not because I'm concerned about grades.

Mr. Geisler has also been a great friend and mentor to me as I've worked through academic issues in my life.  In high school, I could always go to him for calculus help, consolation after a failed test, and a good book recommendation.  Although I rarely see him anymore, because of the year I spent as his student, Mr. Geisler greatly impacted my life.

1.  Carol Kenley: How could I talk about people who have influenced my life without talking about my mom?  My mom has made me the person that I am today and I am so thankful to her for that.

I used to think that I was just as dedicated, motivated, and hard working as my mom was and that I must have gotten those traits from her through genetics.  I realized after moving to college, however, how false that was.  I am not naturally as hard working and driven as my mother, but I have had those values drilled into me from birth.

My mom never pushed me to be involved in things, but she completely supported whatever I wanted to do.  She has always been there for me after I had a rough day at school with a big plate of cookies and a glass of milk.  She sewed three prom dresses for me and edited countless essays, articles, and scholarship applications.  She always pushed me to be the best person that I could be and practiced tough love in calling me out when she knew I was acting in a way contrary to the way I was brought up.  Now that I'm away and in college, she is never too busy to talk to me on the phone for hours advising me about classes, hearing about what I've been doing or comforting me when I'm homesick.

She is my cheerleader and my number one fan.  No matter what I am doing, win or lose, I know she will always be there for me.  I love her so much and I know I would never be the person I am today or accomplished the things that I have without her.

I hope you have some repose this weekend,
Rachel

PS- I never cry, but for some reason, lately, I tear up every time I talk about my family.  I think it has something to do with moving to Utah.  It's getting obnoxious.  I've never been such a cry baby before!

Keeping Commitments: i.e. Real Study

Hey everybody,
Last week was Spring Break, which explains my lack of posting and Word of the Days.  I spent it in Boston with my sister Melissa and her family, and one of my good friends Madison. It was great fun, but I didn't do anything very agricultural while I was there to report on. :)

Before I left though,. I had an experience that I really wanted to blog about, but didn't get a chance to (my parents were in town and my brother was getting married...it was busy). So, I'll tell you about it now.

Thursday night, (March 11) I finished a long and very good video conference with my coach Rayne.  I was excited to get to work on some new projects and do some studying that evening.  The problem was, I already had plans for that night.

Let me give you some background information:  I love working with students with disabilities.  It's an interest of mine, I thought I might even major in Special Education.  Anyway, I work with students in my Society and Disability class at the university, and also in a "reverse mainstream" religion class.

One student, named Brian, has become a good friend of mine.  I work with him every Tuesday studying the Book of Mormon, and we have a lot of fun together.  I try not to miss that class very often because it makes Brian very sad.  Last Tuesday, (March 9) he asked me to come to a special needs talent show he (and many of the other students with disabilities) would be performing in.  I told him that I would borrow my brother's car or find a ride and that I would be there, for sure.  I even made a pinky promise on it.

Well, Thursday night came and I had arranged for my brother Calvin to pick me up and take me to the talent show.  The problem was, I just didn't feel like going. I had a ton of laundry to do, my room was a mess, I needed to pack for Boston, and I had a lot of FFA studying to do to make up for the time I'd miss on Spring Break.  I thought to myself, "I'm just too busy, I can't make it."  That, and I just didn't want to go, because sitting alone at a talent show didn't sound like much fun.  I've never much liked talent shows.

I grabbed my cell phone to call Calvin and tell him not to pick me up, and started to close the browsers on my laptop.  As I scrolled over my blog, I noticed my entry from just a few days ago, and read the following:

"And today's word is livid, an adjective which means enraged or furiously angry, as in: When people break promises or fail to follow through with their commitments, it makes me livid!"

I had just written about how angry it makes me when people don't follow through with commitments, and  yet I was about to break my promise to Brian.  How hypocritical I had become!

Studying, I realized, is not just learning and memorizing facts, answering interview questions, and looking professional.  It's also having character, being the best person you can be and doing what you say you will do.  I knew that, I try to work on that with my monthly goals, but I guess I had forgotten.

So, I called Calvin and told him to pick me up- I would go to the talent show.  I knew I was doing the right thing, but I still felt like I was wasting some of my precious time.  So I brought a leadership book and thought maybe I could read a bit when the show got especially dull.

I'm so glad I went.  The moment the show started, I caught on to the spirit of the audience, which seemed to have one goal: make every performer feel like a super star.  The emcee was great as well, making everyone laugh and he connected so well with all the kids.

The show was over 2 hours long, but I didn't get out my book ever.  The talent show was really fun, and I felt great about keeping my promise.  Seeing Brian's face afterward, when he saw that I had come, was well worth it.

In conclusion: studying to me means becoming who I want to be.  So when I tell the Nominating Committee that I'm a person who keeps their promises, I want it to be a true statement.

Speaking of promises, I promised Lori that I would finish the State Convention article tomorrow...so I have to do it now!  Life is hectic, but I love it. :)

Have a nice night, I'll blog more later,
Rachel

Sheep and Goat Education Day, BioClip, Horse Meat, and Beauty Queens

Hey everybody,
I wish I could tell you all about the fantastic adventure I had on Saturday at "Sheep and Goat Education Day" in Tooele, but I can't because I wouldn't consider an adventure, exactly.  The only adventurous thing about it was getting up at 4:30 am to catch my ride there.  The rest of the day consisted of sitting on hard bleachers in a cold barn and trying to understand complicated lectures (and trying not to fall asleep!) and only ONE sheep and two lambs.  Bummer.  I did get to try sheep stew and sausage which were good.  I also ate some goat sausage- but I don't think I'd order that at a restaurant or anything.  It tasted a little bit like what I imagine a goat would taste like if you took a bite out of it while it was still alive...

There were a few sessions that I really enjoyed- one by a veterinarian (who works for USU Extension) named Dr. Rood.  He spoke on "Public Perception of Livestock" including "10 Ways to Lose to the Argument About Animal Ethics."  I loved that presentation.  It reminded me again of why I'm an Agricultural Communications major.  Maybe in a few posts I'll put some fun clips on here about how agriculture is framed in the media.

I also really enjoyed a presentation on BioClip technology, it was really interesting.  Basically, they have this new technology being developed in Australia for wool sheep (specifically Merino or Merino-related breeds), what they do is inject a megadose of the natural hormone that makes your hair fall out, so that the sheep sheds all their wool and you don't have to spend time and money on shearing them.  It seemed really cool, I'm excited to see what will happen when the technology comes here.


Do you know anything about the horse slaughter debates?  I've been hearing a lot about them recently.  The gist is, from what I understand, that horses shouldn't be slaughtered because they are tools for humans and should be revered, or considered pets, like cats and dogs, and not eaten.  So anyway, apparently they're trying to ban horse slaughter in Italy, where the consumption of horse meat is actually very popular.  You can read the article here.  What do you think?  Are horses too valuable to eat?

Last of all, I've started working with my coach Rayne on interviewing questions.  I'm excited for the interview round, I think that's something I'm naturally pretty good at, and I'm hoping with some training that I'll be really good at it.  Also, my friend Brittney gave me the phone number of a woman who may be able to help me- she trains beauty pageant queens.  I feel like I'm reconnecting with my parents this week...beauty pageants (Mom was a beauty queen) and Tooele (my Dad was born there).  Weird.
Have an awesome week!
Rachel