Sap-Attack

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

A lot of the things in my room were given to me by someone. That someone is my boyfriend. This post is going to be much more personal than any of my previous. Personal things in my life + personal writing = über-extra-dextra-personal post. That's what people like, right? So here it goes: I have been dating my boyfriend for two and a half years now (awww). And I must admit, I have Facebook to thank for it. There! I admitted it! Facebook gave me my relationship! Does that make me an online dater...? 

8th grade Hannah

Let's not answer that question. I have known Alex since I was about twelve-years-old. We grew up in different towns in Washington, and he was one of my brothers tennis rivals from our summer tournaments. We are, undoubtedly, the Romeo and Juliet of our generation. I must be honest, our interaction during those younger years was...limited. You see, Alex is about three and a half years older than me. So when I was twelve, he was fifteen going on sixteen. That age gap, at that time, was significant. While I pined after him, he saw me as a little girl. But do not fret. There is clearly a happy ending to this, since I somehow managed to woo him. 


Alex was a senior in college by the time I was a freshman. The summer before I went to Western Washington University, we started casually chatting on Facebook. I'd followed his life throughout the years, see him have girlfriends and see it not work out. This is somewhat embarrassing to admit, but I knew we had a lot in common based on what I noticed on his profile. The summer before I started college, our communication started to rapidly develop. Messages became the length of novels, and then we switched over completely to phone conversations. We would talk all throughout the day about every aspect of our lives, our beliefs, our goals, past present and future. Everything. 

October 11th, 2008

This new found connection + my previous crush quickly became fully developed "feelings". In October of 2008, he invited me to a concert in Portland. It was clear that the age gap no longer mattered. So really, this is me, giving hope to all young girls in the world crushing on their sibling's friends.


I guess I want to relate this experience to the whole idea of dating in college. I've had a few people express the opinion that it's bad to become tied down too young. But in my life, I don't find these arguments applicable. I am dating my best friend. Is that not something to hold on to? Even more, when I look at the drama and uncertainty my single friends face, the hooking up, the awkward dates, I'm even happier that I'm in a stable and healthy relationship. 

Photograph by Hannah Schultz (clearly)

Now, I'm not saying that everything in my life and relationship is perfect. It shouldn't be. Alex and I have had our fair share of trouble that we have needed to work through. I am also aware that there are positive aspects of being single in college, like gaining a greater sense of independence. I just believe that when you find someone you love, you don't let go of it because of how old or young you may be. You love who you love when you love them, and that's that. 


I hope this post hasn't been too unbearably mushy-gushy. But I really want to know something, since everyone's lives and experiences are different. Have you ever loved anyone? And what has your college dating OR single experience been like? 

The Angles of The Strokes

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

As much as I enjoy new bands, the one that I consistently fall back on is The Strokes. They are, and I imagine always will be, my favorite. No matter what mood I'm in, their songs put me in a good place. Their sound reminds me of home and my best friends. Maybe I've idealized them too much, but I've also convinced myself that the band members and I would be really good pals if we knew each other. I was only eleven when their first album came out in 2001, and now, after a five-year hiatus, they are finally about to release a new album called "Angles". As an avid, die-hard, fully committed fan, I'm counting the days to March 22nd (24!). During the last five years, most members of The Strokes have completed their own side projects. Julian Casablancas and Albert Hammond Jr. recorded solo albums, while Fabrizio Morretti joined the band Little Joy. For a long time, people didn't know if they'd ever record together again. And as much as their reunion sounds positive and wonderful, there has...unfortunately...been quite the controversy that I can't help but discuss.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

A recent article by Spin magazine fully dissected the issues surrounding the new album. First, the band changed who wrote the songs. Before, lead singer Julian would write most, if not all, of their songs. This time, they each had a voice in the writing process. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture said, "We listened to everyone's ideas with open ears and came to collective decisions. Everyone had an opinion." With songs written by five minds instead of one, the sound is bound to be different. Only until the album is released will fans know if this was a good change in the process.


More rumors have been circulating that there is unresolved tension between Julian and the rest of the band. This news hurts my heart the most. In the Spin article, Fraiture went on to explain, "We wrote and rehearsed together as the four of us. Then we'd send the track over to Julian. There was a lot of back and forth. I don't know if Julian had trouble being with us -- I don't know what was going through his mind. There were tensions. But it worked." So from that statement, it would seem that they didn't even record the album together. I think this is disconcerting for any fan who loves them as a group. They're a unit. You hear and see the friendship whenever they're together. If that's gone, what's the point?


Lastly, another problem surfaced with their producer. Initially, they were working with Joe Chiccarelli, a well known producer for Avatar Studios. Due to a lack of chemistry and conflicting interests, they ended up scrapping all the work they had done with him and starting completely over without him. After parting ways, they wound up in Albert Hammond's personal studio, where it seems they happily re-did the entire album.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

For now, it seems their problems have been resolved. But for a fan who loves them so much, it's upsetting to hear that there even were such significant issues. On a positive note, Fraiture mentioned at the end of the Spin article that things are getting better, "Everything is great between us now that the album is done," Fraiture says. "That's the hardest part -- seeing beyond the daily quibbles to focus on the main goal."


I guess I can view their problems the same way I view my personal growth over the last five years. You can't expect a band to remain perfectly in sync. People change. Friends go through negative cycles. I only hope that after their five-year hiatus and recent drama, The Strokes will continue to make the music that I love.