The final thing

Photograph of Hannah Schultz

Alright everyone, this is it. The beginning of the end. My final blog post. Are you ready? I'm not even sure that I am. In fact, choosing something to write about has been difficult enough, partially because there aren't many things left in my room, and partially because I feel like as the last one, this post should be the most meaningful. But I think I've realized what I need to write about. And now that I have, it seems so obvious and clear. So have I been illusive enough? Are you just dying to know the final thing my room? Well...it's me! I'm the final thing! (Hence the awkward self-portrait above.)

In writing about myself, I'd like to focus on the idea I've tried to make this entire blog center around. And that idea is that everything is connected. I've been mainly writing about how small items can represent bigger societal issues. So how do I fit into this scenario? Or a better question, what impact can a single person (like me) have on the rest of the world? This question is very vague, I know that. But it's a question that a lot of people spend their lives trying to answer. And it's something that weighs on my mind whenever I think about my future.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

In the last few years, I think I've figured out a few basic, important things. To begin, I think the first step in figuring out your connection to the rest of the world is figuring out what you care about. To do that, you need to know what's happening (politically, socially, etc.) Once you've established some basic awareness, you'll be able to decide what you feel about these issues. And as simple as that sounds, it's so easy to stay confined to our own personal bubbles and live like our worlds are the only ones that matter. But if you pay any attention to the news, you'll learn that there are wars, natural disasters, and endless amounts of human suffering. And really, what would our world be if none of us cared about each other?

Little Hannah

What I want for my future is to fully dedicate myself to a specific cause. The past few years I've bounced around from wanting to save dolphins to spreading awareness for organ donations. At this point, I really don't know what my ultimate purpose is, but I believe I'll find it. And whether I work as a journalist or a spokesperson, I know that my education is preparing me for my future. I've been lucky enough to have friends and professors who care deeply about the world, and have subsequently taught me things I never knew. Through these relationships, I've been able to re-evaluate and discover what I care about and what I have the power to do with my life.

I've come a long way from the little girl in the picture above. I look at that picture and I see how I've changed, and admittedly, I'm still in the process of figuring out what I believe religiously and politically. But I really think it's important to care about something bigger than yourself. While "Things in my Room" was about the connection between my things and the world, it's important to remember that as humans, we are all connected as well. And that, more than anything else I've written, is what I want you to remember.

Everything comes from somewhere

View Everything comes from somewhere in a larger map

All of the things in my room have their own specific place of origin and story, because really, nothing in my room is organic or natural (besides a little bit of dirt on my floor.) It was all in some way created, made by a person or a machine. In a world where working conditions can often be sub-par, I wanted to see if my things stood up to the test of quality. Of the ten I researched, three of my items were made in Asia, while five were made in the United States (zoom in close to New York to see all three items.) The remaining two were both made in Europe.

It's interesting to look around and realize that these things in my room come from around the world. Other people worked hard to create them, and their lives are dependent on these jobs of production. To me, it's just another testament to the interconnection of the world. So what about you, do you know where your things were made?

Live a life, give a life

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

My room is currently filled to the brim with Donate Life Week materials. And since it has consumed my life the past five days, it seems only natural to write about it. So, what exactly is Donate Life Week? I know you want me to tell you, don't pretend you don't.

In order to understand Donate Life Week, you need to understand Donate Life Northwest. In order to understand Donate Life Northwest, you need to understand what being an organ donor is. Being an organ donor consists of donating your organs to people who need them when you pass on, which we all inevitably will. People usually register at the DMV when they get their license, but now you can fill out a paper form or register online.

Donate Life Northwest is a non-profit organization that works to spread awareness for eye, organ and tissue donation in SW Washington and Oregon. This semester I started a Marketing/PR internship with them in downtown Portland. In all honesty, I knew very little about issues surrounding organ donations before this internship. I researched as best as I could, but there's nothing quite like being thrown into a cause headfirst. I've now interviewed four transplant recipients (people whose lives have been saved through organ donation), and will be writing their stories within the next month. Those experiences alone profoundly impacted my perspective. And it's a perspective I'd like to briefly share.

In the United States, a person dies every minute and a half waiting for a transplant. This is partly because there is a huge divide between people who say they support donation, and people who actually take the time to register. So why aren't people registering? It could be due to one of the top ten myths, some of which include, "The hospital won't try as hard to save me if they know I'm a donor," or "I don't want my organs to be sold on the black market," or "It goes against my religion."

To address the first myth, the hospital staff that tries to save your life is not the same as those who take care of your organs. It's two completely separate sets of doctors. The second myth is constantly perpetuated in the media, but there is no black market for organs in the United States. And honestly, would anyone in the black market really care whether or not you're registered? I think not. Last, all major religions accept and support being an organ donor. One of the few that don't are Gypsies.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

Besides these myths, I've come to learn that a lot of people are just really uncomfortable with the whole idea of donation and dying. They don't want to think about the fact that someday they'll be gone. And it's strange to imagine your body parts in someone else. But I think making the decision to be a donor is bigger than yourself and your feelings of discomfort. One human body can save up to eight lives, and enhance up to fifty. By making the decision to be a donor, you're giving other people a chance to live. Isn't that more important than anything else? Furthermore, if you or someone you loved needed a transplant, wouldn't you hope that someone else had registered as a donor?

This last week I put together Donate Life Week at UP. The primary goal was to give students the opportunity register and to spread awareness. We got eighty-six new students to register, and I dealt with both positivity and negativity throughout my time at the booths. It was a pretty humbling experience, but overall, I consider it a success. Junior Katy Portell spoke about her own transplant during our Monday night kick-off event. During one of our interviews she said, "Being an organ donor isn't about death, it's about life. All of the big moments and little moments, every laugh, cry, triumph and failure...my donor gave me life." More than anything, I think when you make the decision to become or not become an organ donor, at least learn the facts. Make an informed decision. That's what Donate Life Week was all about.

With all of that said, what do you think about being an organ donor? Is it something you've ever thought about before? And why do you think people often choose not to register?

Mirror on the wall

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

A mirror can represent many things. Besides a diary, it's the ultimate object of self-reflection! Most of us use mirrors to help modify our appearance with makeup and products. And we all have some kind of dependence on knowing what we look like. (Can you imagine not knowing?) In an attempt to detach herself from this dependence, my friend Lisa told me she wants to shave off all of her hair. At first I was like, "Uh...what?!" But then she explained, "I've been thinking a lot about how to simplify my life. We put so much emphasis on our appearance, and I am not immune to that. But the most beautiful people I know are the ones who have let go of caring what people see on the outside. When you're able to let go of that, I think that you become truly beautiful, inside and out."

Not only do I completely agree with her, but I see her choice as a powerful revolt against the norm. This norm being that girls need long hair in order to be feminine and pretty. And we all feed into these ideals, these standards of what supposedly looks "good."

Photograph of/by Hannah Schultz

Whether or not I like to admit it, I have a dependence on my appearance. But sometimes, I feel extremely detached from what I look like. Because really, what choice did I have in the structure of my face, the color of my hair, any of it? We were all born into this world with predetermined looks, and we are all judged based on these looks. And as much makeup as I put on, as much as I change my hairstyle, I'm still going to look like me.

It also should be mentioned that because of this societal obsession with appearance, some severe body image issues can (and often do) develop. This last week was "Body Image Awareness Week" at UP. One topic they focused on was the prevalence of eating disorders in our society. According to statistics that can be found on the Peer Health Educator's Facebook page, nearly 7 million girls and 1 million boys are suffering from eating disorders. Furthermore, fifty to seventy percent of normal-weighted women believe they are overweight, and forty-one percent of men are dissatisfied with their bodies. These statistics shouldn't be too surprising, because body image issues are talked about more than ever before, but hopefully they still hold some kind of significance. Just because we know the statistics, we shouldn't become immune or complacent with how things are.

The thing is, when we look in the mirror, some part of us is probably criticizing what we see. As our own worst critics, it's so easy to find something to fix, something to change, something we don't feel is good enough.

With all of that said, I dare you to not look in the mirror for a day (or as long as you can). See how you feel, and see how deep your dependence on appearance really is. And when you do look in the mirror, remember that there is more to you than your predetermined face, your hair, and how trendy your outfit may be. Chances are, you look better than a mirror could ever really show.

Other Things in Other Rooms

Rooms are products of the people who live in them. And based off the entire concept of this blog, I clearly believe you can learn a lot about a person from their room. The things people choose to surround themselves with mean something, at least to the people who own them. Pictures can represent important memories while posters may symbolize ideals and beliefs.

I think I wanted this video to show that each person has bits of themselves spread throughout their room, placed in items, books, stuffed animals, whatever it may be. Three of my good friends let me document where they live, two of which rent quirky-old houses, and one who shares her space in a dorm. Each have uniquely different items that, while ordinary to most, say a lot about their lives and who they are.

After watching this video, take a look around and ask yourself, what does your room say about you?

Beware of flashlight

Photograph by Ari Weiner

This last winter, we had a miniature break-in at our house. I was in Bellingham for the weekend, but a man went into my roommate's bedroom while she was sleeping and gave her the scare of her life. As soon as she started screaming, he bolted. Since our doors were locked and there were no signs of forced entry, we still aren't sure how he got into the house to begin with. The next day the police came and all of the proper reports were written. Some policemen patrolled our area for a few weeks (which actually really helped us feel safe), but today the case remains "unsolved."

Moving away from campus, I knew I'd be leaving the safety bubble I'd gotten so used to, both with my parents and at school. I also heard rumors that the University Park neighborhood was notorious for burglaries, so I definitely had some initial fears. And as much as I thought I was ready and prepared, I really had no idea how to handle myself if something bad actually happened.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

Right after our December fiasco, my dad drove down from Seattle and gave my roommates and I these alarm-buzzer-things. When you pull the cord, it makes an obnoxiously high-screeching noise that would hopefully surprise an intruder and make them flea. I also keep a heavy flashlight near my bed for physical protection (not to say that I'd be at all successful with it). As far as the safety of the house goes, our landlord was great and changed our locks with newer, sturdier deadbolts, and we put some wooden bars on our windows.

With all we've done, I have to wonder, do any of these precautions actually do anything? I mean, if a burglar wants to get in, I'm sure they could find a way, right? But I don't like the idea of being helpless. So I googled "Burglar Safety" and found some decent home safety tips. Most are about what to do when you're away on vacation, like having a neighbor pick up your mail and keep an eye on the house. But with all of this information, I think I've figured out some more basic, every day tips.

1.  If you have one, keep your porch light on throughout the night. Most burglars don't like it when people are home. Lights are a sign that say, "I'm here! Stay away!"
2. For a college kid with roommates, stay in communication about where everyone is. Get to know each others schedules. That way you'll know who should be home, and when a noise is a possible intruder. 

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

Of coarse, if a person can afford it, they should probably get some kind of fancy home security system. But for those of us who only scrape by on a college student's salary, it's the little things like sound alarms and flashlights that can make you feel secure.

So for the rest of you that live off campus, have you ever had a break-in? And what do you do to keep yourself and your home safe?

Internet my TV

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

When I was in high school, I was refused again and again when I'd ask to have a TV in my room. I'd plead my case, arguing as best I could against what I considered, "the injustice of it all." Fifteen-year-old me was tired of Dr. Phil, Oprah, and Greys Anatomy, not to mention the stress of competing for the clicker with my older brother. My parent's main rebuttal was that I wouldn't get my homework done. (Little did they realize, I wasn't getting my homework done regardless.) Today, I understand their point. They were being responsible parents, and I love them for that. But now that I live on my own, I have the freedom to make these decisions for myself. And as I write this blog post, in my room, there is in fact a TV across from me playing the first season of "Lost."

But this post isn't about rebelling against my parents. What's more interesting, I think, is the transition television has made to the Internet. Yes, you can still watch your shows on good old-fashioned cable, but with a few key websites like TVDuck and SurftheChannel, I promise you could find just about any TV episode of any show you could possibly think of. Some of these websites may not be completely legal, but that doesn't stop a significant portion of viewers from using them every day.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

Personally, I watch almost all of my shows on Netflix or Hulu. The TV in my room is hooked up to a Wii, which streams Netflix straight to your television through a wireless Internet connection. Netflix is, in my opinion, one of the best things that has ever happened to TV. Through the Instant Queue, you can watch a never-ending variety and amount of shows. Some are classics, and some you've probably never heard of. From every season of "The Office" to "Heroes" to "Family Guy", I'm pretty sure there's enough content to keep you entertained for years. Hulu is perfect for staying up to date on the new episodes of current shows. So while I watch old seasons of The Office on Netflix, I go to Hulu to see what aired last week.

Photograph by Hannah Schultz

The big picture of this is that through the power of the Internet, computers can almost completely replace televisions. And this development will continue to have a substantial impact on the film and TV industries. In fact, it has recently been reported that Showtime is going to remove all of its' shows that are currently available on Netflix, like "Dexter" and "Californication". Another article further explained that, "The studios don't want to see any service running away with Internet distribution and accumulating the kind of power that could enable it to one day dictate terms." Netflix has simply become too popular too fast, and it's making network executives nervous.

Regardless, the way people watch TV is changing. Companies like Blockbuster are going out of business while Redbox kiosks are popping up like dandelions in the spring. People want their shows quicker, faster, and cheaper, and that's what these Internet services provide.