Elie Wiesel

"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Whenever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must- at that moment- become the center of the universe."
-Elie Wiesel

Due to his, "commitment to human dignity and his efforts against the forces of repression worldwide," the 1986 Noble Peace Prize was awarded to Eliezer Wiese. Wiesel is not only known for living through the holocaust, he has reached out to people around the world with his many writings and speeches translated in many languages. He has always remained optimistic, making sure that we remain at peace even though the hatred may try to take over. Wiesel continues to be an asset to our world, never letting go of his past but allowing those memories to come in to better inform his audience, men, women, and children alike that peace triumphs over hatred. Everyone needs to take a step back, and look at the bigger picture. If we go on hating people, nothing will get resolved. If we keep fighting, we will only end up hurting ourselves even more. We need to be the stronger link, and push for peace. In the long run our lives, along with our children, and their children will benefit with a new friendship that will hopefully last a lifetime. I'm not saying that it's an easy thing. Many people were hurt not only physically but emotionally, that is something you can't just erase. Wiesel lifted his head from the deep water and conquered what many people may not have been able to do. Today he continues to strive for what he believes in, peace and humanity.

Born September 30th, 1928 in Sighet, Transylvania (now Romania), Wiesel grew up in a traditional Jewish family. It was during World War 2 that his once happy family was torn apart. In 1944 Wiesel along with his mother, father, and three sisters were deported to Hitler’s Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, where he was branded with his new name, A 7713. It was there that he said his last goodbyes to his mother and sisters, who were sent straight to the gas chambers. It wasn't until after the war that he found out that his two older sisters had survived. In 1945 Wiesel and his father were taken to the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. There his father perished just shortly before the camp was liberated on April 11, 1945. Wiesel will never forget the horrid memories he witnessed those long two years. The inhuman killing of individuals like his mother and sister in the gas chambers. The senseless killing of the babies thrown alive into ditches. To keep his sanity, he tried to convince himself that they were already gone. He also witnessed people digging trenches that would soon enough be their own graves. To this day these memories still haunt his dreams.

Wiesel traveled to France, hoping to start a new life. While in France, Wiesel learnt French and was accepted to Sorbonne where he studied journalism. Wiesel's profession as a journalist eventually leads him to French poet and Nobel prizewinner, Francois Mauriac, who inspires Wiesel to start writing about his experiences. Fairly quickly Wiesel begins writing his books and continues on as a journalist. Later, Wiesel came to the United States as a journalist; from there he became a correspondent with the New York Jewish paper. In 1963 Wiesel received his American citizenship. He never let his memories, though horrific, fade. Wiesel set out to make a difference, to tell his story along with the stories of the millions of other Jewish people that did not make it to the end.

On coming to the United States, I really don’t think that Wiesel knew how much of an impact he would end up giving. He never gave up, always speaking on behalf of both sides. When he came here to start a new life as a journalist, he got much much more. He continued to study and eventually became a professor at City College in New York, along with a professorship in humanities at Boston University. Wiesel has also become the United States leader of American Holocaust Commission, were he continues to fight for what he believes is right. Through the years, thanks to support from Mauriac, Wiesel has written many internationally acclaimed books, such as Night, Against Silence, and Twilight, and given many speeches. All of his works continue to speak out about his life and the hardships he has been through to get to where he is now, a devoted spokesman for peace and humanity.

"I must confess that I do not know, or no longer know, what I wanted to achieve with my words. I only know that without this testimony, my life as a writer-or my life, period- would not have become what it is: that of a witness who believes he has a moral obligation to try to prevent the enemy from enjoying one last victory by allowing his crimes to be erased from human memory," said Wiesel, "Convinced that this period in history would be judged one day, I knew that I must bear witness for the dead and for the living."

Due to Wiesel’s hard work and dedication, "he has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America Congressional Gold Medal, the French Legion of Honor, and the 1968 Nobel Peace Prize," as stated above. But none of these awards would be possible if this man would not have made it like so many others didn't. These awards were not given to Wiesel for surviving that torment and anguish that he suffered through, it was for his work as a peace activist. He continues to stay strong even through the roughest of times, making sure that no one will forget the past. The millions of Jewish people that had their futures taken from them will not be forgotten.

PrOm!

On Saturday May 9th my little sister went to her first prom. It was like getting ready for a wedding and I was there every step of the way. I was there to take pictures as my mom curled her hair into a bun on top of her head, I was there while she put on her makeup, and best of all I was there to help her put on her dress.

I remember my prom, my mom helping me too. It was a blast. I got to hang out with friends and just be my self. To see my sister doing the same was kinda surreal. While we waited for her date we went outside to take more pictures by the budding trees. When he arrived it all kicked off. We took some more pictures, there's never enough of them, and watched her carefully get into the SUV.

I hate to say that my sisters growing up. I remember playing outside, riding our bikes and fishing. It feels just like yesterday we were swimming in our small family pool or jumping on our trampoline. I can't wait to see what time brings to the both of us.

"tHiS i BeLiEvE"

She'll change her name today.
She'll make a promise and I'll give her away.
Standing in the bride-room just staring at her.
She asked me what I'm thinking and I said "I'm not
sure-I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."
She leaned over...gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there,
Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair
"Walk my down the aisle, Daddy-it's just about time."
"Does my wedding gown look pretty, Daddy? Daddy, don't cry!"

Bob Carlisle- Butterfly kisses

One day, I will be the one walking down the aisle. I will get to dress all up in a frilly white dress, get my hair and nails done, I will be the princess of the night. We will say “I do” and dance the night away with hundreds of people watching. It’s every girls dream. But for myself as well as many others, one thing will be missing, the father for the father daughter dance.

When I was just nine years old my father took his own life. Yes it was hard, feeling my mom’s warm, salty tears on my shoulder as she tried to explain, and I in return trying to stay strong for her. Was this really happening? Will I never again get to see my daddy, to go fishing with him at the pond just down the street? It slowly sunk in and though there was a part of my life missing, I began welcoming in the new life that I was going to begin. At a young age, I was put through a lot, now I’m almost 20 and though I’m not in any kind of relationship at the moment, what happens when that day comes? Who will be the one to walk me down the waiting aisle? Who will dance with me that last dance where the father is supposed to let his little girl go off and start her own life? I am so confused, but I’m only one of many young women that have to deal with this scenario.

I believe that every woman should get that one dance, the father-daughter dance. When you get married it’s suppose to be a happy time, family and friends come to celebrate the life that was and will follow. But what about that short period of time when you are waiting at the opposite end of the aisle from the love of your life? Who will be the one to walk me down that aisle, and after that the now dreaded father-daughter dance? The decisions are almost overwhelming. But then I think of all the people that have raised me. Who has been there the most? Who has comforted me when I was down? This will be the person I hope to fill that empty spot.

For all women that have lost their fathers one way or the other, this can be quite a challenge. But I think I have a pretty good idea of who that person will be for me. Hopefully each young woman who has found her true love will have a chance to follow that dream she once had as a little girl: to have that one special person walk her down the aisle and dance that last dance. This I believe.

NeW MoOn!!!

Twilight's back!! New Moon is now filming and I can't wait for it to all come together. November's the date and honestly I can't wait. What am I going to do for the last so many months. Anyways, stars are back along with the amazing plot.

Edward ends up leaving Bella fairly early in the book so that takes him out of most of the movie, so I thought. Jacob steps in when Bella is ready to pretty much call it quits. The CBS tonight show spilled telling millions of viewers that Edward won't be missed, he will be included throughout the movie within Bella's endless thoughts and dreams. Lady's don't have to worry anymore.

The stars are not the only thing thats going to make this movie just as good if not better then the first, Twilight. The plot is intense. Yes Edward, along with his family leaves and Jacob and Bella kind of hook up, but thats not all. Bella ends up hearing voices, Edward, but only when she does something that is dangering her life. Alice sees Bella jump of a cliff which she thinks is her taking her life. Bella was cliffdiving. Edward finds out and goes of to Italy to hopefully take his life in return, he can't live without her and that was already stated in the first book/movie. Alice comes back to find that Bella is just fine. They both try to get a hold of Edward with no success. They end up catching the next plane to Italy where they hope to find him still alive.

New Moon is going to be a great movie, the book reveals so. Now all the fans have to sit and wait, something I really don't look forward to.

WhAt Do I WaNt To Be WhEn I GrOw Up???

Up until the last couple days I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted to do with my life, "what I want to be when I grow up." This is my first year in college and with the help of TC staff, I thought Occupational Therapy would perfectly fit me. I want to help kids, kids that are mentally challenged. I love being around kids, so I really thought it would be the perfect career choice for me.

Recently I started double thinking my choice. Is this really what I want to do? I am so confused, I just want to scream. What am I doing? Am I doing the right thing? Sure I want to get a college degree, but what do I really want to do with the rest of my life? AHHHHHH.

Do YoU BeLiEvE??

Do you believe in the existence of paranormal phenomenon? Well I'm pretty sure I do.

Watching all the cool paranormal shows on t.v. it has really got me thinking. Are they true to what they say? You really have to look at real personal experiences to get the right answer to that. I have a couple to share with you, hoping to get you to believe as much as I do.

One story is about my childhood home and death place of my dad. Shortly after my family moved, I really didn't think much of why. Could there be a real reason why we would decided to pick up and move? Less than a year ago my mom decided that It was time to tell us kids what really went on in that house. She believed that we were being haunted.

You watch the shows on television and really don't think its going to happen, but then it does. My mom told use stories about how just after my father died, she began seeing things as well as hearing things. She described how she would see and smell my dad as if he was right there. One particular story she told us was that as she was getting ready in the morning, getting out of the shower, she saw him laying there next to the toilet; he was sick right before his death. I can honestly say, though its been a while, I also remember seeing him, whether it was out in the yard next to the garage, or in cars that passed by out house. I can relate. Another story that she told us about was that the pipes in our house would begin to shack for no reason to the point that she thought they would break.

What do you say to that? You where there, but to young to make sense of it all. Death can be a horrible thing. When paranormal events come into the picture, what do you do? I have many stories like the ones above, making me a believer.

I'M IN!!!

Every once in a while the ladies in the family go out, they get a hotel room and just have fun. In the past, I was never apart of this. I was "to young" and "not an adult". Well, there planning a new trip and I get to be a part of it! Wow, though I'm not of age, I still am out of high school and in college, so I get to be a part of the trip.

We are going to Chicago in June. I can't wait. All the shopping, the 'lady talk', I can't wait. They are planning on taking a train to Chicago from La Crosse. From there we will more then likely take a taxi to the hotel. Though this is all going to be fun, I am going to be considered an adult, meaning I have to pay my way. I really really want to go. But, it's going to cost about $300 just for the hotel and train ticket, not to mention the food and other stuff we're planning on doing.

I don't no if I am quite ready to be an adult. Sure it has its perks, like the trips and stuff, but am I ready? June is coming up fast, I can't wait to see what it brings with it.

McInTyRe FaMiLy

Previously I have told you about the tragic death of my dad. Now, I would like to tell you about my experiences with that side of my family.

To tell you the truth, I haven't really talked to the McIntyre side of my family in a really long time. After my dad died, it was all really quiet. I know of my family on that side, but now much about them individually.

With in the last few months, thanks to facebook, I came across some of my McIntyre relatives. I was kind of scared to talk to them. I really don't no them. I was nine when he died but even before that I really don't know much.

The first person that started talking to me is my dads sisters daughter Cindy. I was really surprised. The only people I've really every heard of is my aunt Dorey, who Cindy hooked me up with later, and my Grandma and Grandpa McIntyre. Since then, we have kept in touch, now and then commenting on each others website.

I always heard stories of my grandpa; he died when I was just a couple years old, but what I could tell is that he was goo goo over me. Every night he would kiss the picture he had of me set on top of his t.v. Though I really don't remember, those stories will always be something special. Grandma McIntyre shared a close birthday with me, just a day apart. Dorey wrote to me recently wrote to me that she has a surprise for me, special from Grandma McIntyre. Its a ring, with our birthstone. I can't believe it. This is something that will definitely bring our families closer.

Before chatting with Dorey and Cindy, I really didn't think I was going to get a chance to have contact with them. I guess they didn't really get along with my mom and that's why we really haven't connected. But now, I think it will slowly change. Before this I didn't no about my heritage. Now, I'm not only German, but I'm Irish, French Canadian, and English. No one knew that and I surely would not have ever found it out if it wasn't for Cindy finding me on facebook.

I am very grateful that I have the chance to be with my WHOLE family. The family tree is growing more and more. I can't wait to see what comes next!

fLy AwAy!

If you could go anywhere in the world with 2 other individuals, where would you go and who would you take?

Okay, where do I start! I am in Wisconsin, right now, anywhere would be good. One place in particular that I would like to go though would probably have to be either the United Kingdom area or India. More then likely I would take with me both my mom and my grandma.

United Kingdom- Twilight of course is linked to this place. Robert Pattinson is from here. I have also heard that the scenery is amazing and there are a lot of neat places to check out. More specifically I would like to go to London. I want to see the people and also get a little site seeing in.

India- One of the main places that I have always wanted to go. I want to go to take pictures of the people as well as the scene. Photography is not the only thing that I would want to do here though, I would love to spend time with the people, especially the children. I can't imagine how amazing this experience would really be.

My guests- I know I would like to take my friends with me, but my family is really close. I feel that I owe both my mom and grandma something. They have raised me and helped me through the hard times. I owe them that much!

If I really had the chance to go to either of these places I would be amazed. I can't imagine having the opportunity to live a dream I have always had. Maybe my future while lead to a trip to one of them, but until then it will continue to be a dream.

CAN YOU HEAR ME???

For this blog entry I was kind of having trouble with what to write about. So I asked a friend to help me out and this is what I got; answer this question, if you had to lose one of your senses what one would you lose? Wow, what a strange question. What would you say to that??? This is hard, could you imagine having to live without your site, your smell, what about your taste? I can't imagine having to go through that. Well here it goes....

One thing that I have always wanted to experience was not being about to hear. What would it be like to hear nothing but quiet. Sure it would be nice, I could write this blog without the distractions in the background, I could go to sleep and not have to listen to the people upstairs tramping around. But now I am really starting to think about what it would really be like, to have to use sign language to communicate, something I already kind of have an interest in, what would it be like?

There is so much I would miss with losing this sense. I don't no what I would do if I could not listen to my music. Music is a part on my everyday life, without it I would not be able to sooth myself when I'm stressed, or just sit down and relax to my favorite songs. Another thing I would miss is listening to the people around me, the stories that hold emotions just with the way they are said. I would not be able to listen to my first child cry or hear them laugh. This would really be harder then what I thought.

Overall, I give props to those who are unable to hear. I really don't think I could do it. I can't imagine having something some people take for granted taken away. I thank god for giving me what I have.

tWiLiGhT

"Isn't it supposed to be like this? The glory of first love, and all that. It's incredible, isn't it, the difference between reading about something, seeing it in the pictures, and experiencing it?"
-Edward Cullen

Twilight (directed by Catherine Hardwick) is an action-packed, love struck, passionate story that pulls you in and never fully let's you go. Based on the bestselling novel by Stephanie Meyer, Twilight involves two very different people who find themselves falling in love. Love is a very powerful thing. In Twilight it is completely different. You have Bella (Kristen Stewart), a human, and Edward (Robert Pattinson), a vampire. What's right about that? But then you keep watching, always on your toes waiting for something to happen, but nothing does. They are in love, and though Edward has to be careful not to break her, they are happy. Many elements make Twilight an amazing movie; three of those elements are the storyline, casting, and the intertwining of the book and the movie.

The storyline for the book/movie is one of the best things not only because neither would exist, but because the story relates to everyone, making Twilight just that much more perfect. So, the storyline begins with Bella Swan moving from Arizona to Forks, Oregon to stay with her chief police dad, while her mother and her new boyfriend travel around looking for new baseball gigs. It's in school when Bella finds the guy that will soon steal her heart, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). As soon as she see's Edward that first day of school, Bella falls in love. Edward Cullen on the other hand finds himself drawn to Bella in a way that he did not understand. One thing that really threw him off was the fact that he could not read her mind, something he has always been able to do with every other human. Another thing was her smell, something he described as being "a drug to me... my own personal brand of heroin." Though finding out about what Edward really is, she still stays strong, "not afraid." Soon Edward tells her that he too is in love with her and that he doesn't have the strength to stay away from her. From there, the rest is history. Edward and Bella let their relationship out in the open and ultimately put the entire Cullen clan in danger. Little do they know, Bella might be the only one in real danger. The movie goes on and the Cullen's grow close with Bella. It is at an amazing family baseball game with the Cullen's when everything is turned upside down; leading to a death chase between Bella and three outside vampires. Bella finds herself face to face with a 'hungry' vampire who more than anything wants her blood. The Cullen’s split up and Alice and Jasper (Cullen siblings/spouses) take Bella south while the others through off the tracker. What happens next changes everything. The whole storyline is full of action as well as romance. You just can't get enough of the "Belward" trilogy. But, the script isn't the only thing that makes the movie; the actors bring the story to life.

Many readers of the Twilight series have a picture already in their mind of who the characters should be so with that in mind Catherine and Stephanie set out to find the actors that would play the well known characters. They started with the main characters of Bella and Edward and surprisingly came across Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson who from the start had the perfect chemistry for the roles. With time, the rest of the characters soon fell in place. Once everything was set, Stephanie and Catherine went in and fit the new cast into the scenes making sure they all fit perfectly with the story line and the script. Stephanie was completely in aw seeing the characters all fit in exactly how she pictured them, now they had to move to the next process, bringing the book to life.

Everyone has seen the process of turning a book into a movie, and sometimes it really doesn't work. The movie ends up manipulating the book making it into something totally different. Stephanie Meyer played a huge role it what could and could not be done with the storyline and characters in her book. Hardwick agreed and the movie process began. First they had to write the script, making sure it completely resembled the book. Then they got all the characters together and slowly started piecing together the different scenes, always checking in with Stephanie for confirmation that all was precise. Once the movie was finally done it was time to see if the audience approved. Everyone has their own opinion, but seeing as it has brought in more than $418 million worldwide, what enough should tell you Twilight is the movie of the year.

As you can see, Twilight's storyline, actors, and the amazing transformation from book to movie have made Twilight all the more better. Every person that picks up the book and/or watches the movie will find themselves too, falling in love. So now I leave you with a quote about just how different the two worlds are seen to the human eye.


"And so the lion fell in love with the lamb." -Edward
"What a stupid lamb." -Bella
"What a sick, masochistic lion." -Edward

Trip of a lifetime??

What would you do if at last minute someone came to you and said you may have a chance to go on a trip of a lifetime? Scam right? Well what if there really was a chance? Would you fight for it?

Today at work I met an unbelievable women. Though she was just there to get her son a passport photo, she may change my life. She told me about how her family lives in India, here only have her son. Then she told me she was a part of a missionary and that every year she takes groups of people to India, where her and her husband own an orphanage.

I was truly amazed. Was this fate??? I have always wanted to go over seas to help out, but most of all, to take pictures. I would love to see the reactions of the children when the flash goes off. I would love to be able to comfort them, knowing that there parents were not coming home. This is a true dream.

So again, if you had a chance to go on a trip that might change your life, would you?

One Down Fall....

Everyone has one thing that has somehow changed there life. For me it was loosing my dad to suicide about 9 years ago.

At the time I really thought everything was going to fall apart. The house we had was already on its last leg not to mention bills. It was rough, I really didn't no what was going to happen. After about 2 year we decided to sell the house in Bangor, where we lived then, and moved in with a guy my mom met. Don't take this the wrong way, everyone does, but he seemed to make my mom happy.

From then on we all moved to West Salem, where I attended 5th grade and up. I met some new friends and things kind of got back to normal. But it was still there, the hurt.

In 6th grade, it kind of hit me. Depression. I remember throwing these big temper tantrums, yelling, kicking, and screaming. Looking back I really regret all the things that I did. I have no clue how I am ever going to be able to apologize to my mom for the hurt I put her through. But I got help. Since then I've been on antidepressants. Depression has been a big part of my life. I suffer from it everyday, but that's for a later blog.

Things changed, my moms boyfriend changed, breaking my moms heart yet again. I was almost happy for her. I could see she was unhappy. That's when a friend of hers and I decided to introduce her to Mike, the friends brother. Wow, it worked, she actually smiled, like the stress was lifted. Everything changed, but for how long?

My family has really been through a lot. It takes a lot of time to get over something that big. Sure we were young, but it impacted us all in different ways. I had my own ways of dealing with the loss and it affects me to this day with the depression. Family plays a big part in my life, without them here by my side, I really don't no where I would be today.


*See next blog entry for a further look

Personality

I'm a big fan of personal expression..
your body is a plane..
what you put on it makes you who you are..

I am quoting one of my friends above, it's all very true. Everyone should have the right to express themselves however they want. Some people enjoy painting there body's with tattoo's, others like piercings. For me I am into the tattoos.

I got my first tattoo when I was sixteen. My aunt and her husband traveled to Winona Minnesota, the only place that would do my tattoo so young, there we meet the artists and I explained to them what exactly I wanted. I had two designs I found of two different fairies. One of them was a Gothic styled fairy that was sitting Indian style, kind of shy looking with pink and green hair and clothing. The next one had a European/Hindu fairy with a long Hindu dress on and long black/brown hair. Both of these pictures were brilliantly colored.

Finally I decided to combine the two pictures. In this process I got to bring out my own personality. I am a quiet person that really just likes to be by my self, that is where fairy one came in. Next I looked at the features on each and decide to keep the colors from the first fairy and add the skin color of the second. So I waited, the artist all got to work to put together my fairy.

When they were finally done I was pretty satisfied. It was exactly what I wanted. Next was the hard part, where did I want to put it? I decided to put in on my right leg, on the side, right down from my knee. It was set, the traced it onto my skin getting it all perfect and then it was time to situate where I was going to sit and endure the pain of the actual tattoo.

All was set, they began to slowly outline the tattoo with black ink. I've got to say, it really didn't start out that bad, but once they got to the back part of my leg, the tender part. It was definitely a different feeling, it was pain, but a different kind of pain. When I was finally done, three hours later, I got to see the finished product. It was perfect! Exactly what I wanted.

So this was my story of a way I personalize my body. Everyone should find a way to express themselves!

Photography

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything."
-Aaron Siskind


While in high school photography hit me out of no where. One minute I'm walking into a quiet classroom and the next I'm out taking writing stories for a newspaper. But, it wasn't until farther in the year that I really started to pick up with taking photos. It was a little awkward at first, I was kind of a shy student and the last thing I wanted to do was get up in front of a whole auditorium to take picture of whoever was that days performer. I hated the thought, every ones eyes on me in a dark room where the flash of my camera was the only light. All eyes were on me and I didn't no if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

When I first joined the high school journalism team, I really didn't no what to expect. I didn't no that in the long run it would greatly affect my life. I would soon be known as the schools photographer, taking pictures at local plays and sports games. What about after high school? How can I keep my love of photography going?

Just a few short months after graduation I decided I didn't want to work the rest of my life in a fast food restaurant. I wanted to rise up and get a job that I could call my own. So I started applying. Then I got a call. Picture ME! wanted to set up an interview with me. I got the job! I was so excited, but a part of me was terrified. Sure I have taken pictures at school, but those people I saw everyday. I really didn't no what to expect. The shyness in me began to shine.

Now that I have been working with Picture ME I am so glad that I gave it a shot. Sure I get a little nervous, with people watching your every move, relying on you to take that one picture that will be in there lives for the rest of eternity, but I can honestly say that I love my job. Seeing the smiles on parents faces as I capture their child's true beauty. Its a one in a million feeling, but its all mine!