In the MeanTime: MTV Awards—What The *!

I seriously watched the 2009 MTV Awards with a ‘WTF’ look plastered on my face. Like WTF Kristen Stewart, why are you dropping your award? WTF is up with Ben Stiller’s Generation Award presentation? And WHY-TF is Sasha Cohen landing on my man!

I must admit… the laughs came, but in retrospect (like a 5 seconds after I laughed, delayed reaction type retrospect) I felt really bad. Are the MTV Awards really turning into that much of a joke? Or did I always just take them waaaayyy too seriously? I mean, I’d like to think I didn’t take them that seriously. But there’s a limit to the jokey-ness, you know? Like… how can you laugh when your celebrity husband is being forced to simulate a ‘69’? Okay, so maybe you didn’t look at it that way, but I certainly did.

Serious moment: Eminem has been trying to prove his whole career that he deserves to be taken seriously so that was real trifling you guys. And poor Ben Stiller, I think he was really taking the award seriously. Clearly Kiefer Sutherland had his own agenda and Zac Efron probably just got paid off. Was that even Conan’s voice? And WTF was wrong with Kristen Stewart?

Clearly it's going to take me a moment to comprehend this one.

But in the meantime- I guess I need to go watch Twilight since it swept everything. Miley Cyrus sounded like a country drunk. And I wonder if Sasha Cohen even bathed- although his bottom did look spectacularly clean.

Poetry Break: Driving Me to Drink

By Alexzenia Davis



One of my favorites!

IN OUR LIFETIME

By Alexzenia Davis

November 2008

It is one for the books! The history books! Students in JCSU’s Union erupted in celebration as the 44th and FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT was announced: Barack Obama!

The slogan of choice, “My president is black!” was intertwined with screams and tears as CNN called the election just after 11 PM.

It had been a long road for many Smithites, most of whom were first time voters. With the weight of possibility riding on their shoulders, this election called for a massive level of participation. The voter registration drives, phone banks, canvases, and workshops were an active part of both campus and community life for just over a year. The results were exactly what the Democratic Party and most Smithites were hoping for.

November 4th at JCSU did not fall short of political excitement. Just around 3 PM, the JCSU Drumline marched to the block to deliver a powerhouse performance; a pre-celebratory boost if you will. As students, faculty, staff, and guests gathered around to observe, an odd emotion could be sensed. There was a special vibe on campus—one that was light-hearted, positive, nervous, and proud.

The 2008 Watch the Vote Party kicked off the day. The event, set up by Rushmore Drive and NS News TV in conjunction with the Communication Arts Department, featured a live DJ, food, giveaways, and up-to-the-minute election coverage. Students took part in dance battles, election panels, and surveyed the various booths that were set up around the room. Smithites were everywhere: filming, being recruited as impromptu hosts, and discussing the most pertinent issues of the times. Later on, the jazz band performed in Biddle as event organizers were treated to an intimate reception.

But it was the evening that everyone was waiting for. It was the race to 270. It was the moment when we would all find out whether our votes, time, effort, and prayers were enough.

Herbert “Mr. G” Gidney and alumni Struthers Johnson sat side by side in the rotunda as approximately 30 students stared anxiously at the big screen. I asked Gidney if he was excited as the Electoral College marked Obama at 207 and McCain at 138.

“I won’t be excited until that number reaches 270,” he said honestly, “I’ve been voting since before you guys were born… I’ve been watching elections like this before you guys were even born. When I was in college I never thought I would see this moment. I’m not even talking about him winning. I mean all of this.”

He was talking about the fact that he never thought he would see the day when a black person would even have a chance to win office. I asked if I he would allow me to take a picture of his reaction when the results were finalized.

“I will be outside taking a moment to myself,” Gidney said.

“[This is] very real. I saw [John F.] Kennedy get shot. I saw Bobby get shot. This feels very real to me. I’ve seen a lot of Charlotte. I’ve gotten slapped for drinking out of the white folk’s water fountain when I was three years old,” said Johnson, a 1972 graduate.

“This is just the start of a change in this country. Never before have [we had] a diverse [group] of people come together for a common goal—to get rid of the republicans,” Johnson said. “Black, white, Hispanic, and Chinese... Everyone’s been saying what the republicans have been doing to us. There needs to be change. It’s like diving-- either you’re going to drown or get up and keep swimming.”

McCain’s rankings shot up to 141 and students anxiously awaited the results from California. As CNN’s poll tracker counted down, students chimed in—New Years in November.

3, 2, 1… “Obama elected president”.

There was a slight hesitation as we all realized what had just happened. A few moments prior we were waiting for California’s votes to be accounted for. We were now hit with the realization that we had actually witnessed what will probably be the most historic moment in our lifetime.

Everyone ran to the television screen, ecstatic and emotional. I looked at Johnson he gave me two thumbs up, smiling from ear to ear. It had been a collective effort and it was an inherent victory. For those who really understood the significance, it was a deeply rooted reward for African Americans in this country. It was the moment of truth and it was the beginning of a new day of work, labor, and progress.

It was the coming of a black president as witnessed on an HBCU campus… and it was amazing!

Sidebar: --Mini-Man--

So, I don’t know how to be politically correct in a situation like this. But since I didn’t ask to be in this predicament I say F it. I have a midget stalker. Right now it’s confined to MySpace, thank God in Heaven. But it’s really concerning. Cyber-obsession is a serious matter and trust me the freak-factor is severely doubled when a midget wants to be your lover. I won’t give away his whole MySpace name because that is beyond mean, but I’ll give you a part of it: “(his hometown)’s Finest Midget”. And I’m not saying that little people can’t be easy on the eyes but believe me when I tell you that middle adjective is an overstatement. So far I’ve received six messages from him all detailing certain things we have in common such as the fact that we are both single and ‘pices’ and he asked the very direct question: “kood i chage that single part…” …Now you’d think if you’re going to be a midget that you’d make up for it in the spelling department. And as if this all wasn’t enough to deal with in and of itself, the boy/man has the nerve to take full body half naked pictures so he’s all squeezed up in the frame looking like a 4 year old with one abnormally sized muscle. And what little people have to understand is that although they may not take up that much space in real life, their bandwidth usage and HTML consume just as much time and space as the rest of ours. So imagine my nauseating surprise. Now, I don’t want anybody to get the wrong impression or think that I don’t like midgets, little people, or dwarves. They’re still people. I mean, I’m damn near a midget myself if you must get technical. But damn, can I at least get a stalker 5 feet and over?