This is it?

Nasty Gal romper, Esprit Blazer, black wedges, and knock-off Wayfarers

It's time for the last issue of The Independent, and with this my mission ends, or rather it's expanded.  I've felt like this journal has been transforming, from an editor documenting the day-to-day to a girl whose trying to be a writer. A writer of everything: news, music, blog entries, and even screenplays and short stories. So here it is. I will finally try to "make it." I'm still struggling with what that means.

Along the way, there have been other struggles. In three weeks, I will officially be unemployed (by all jobs that actually provide money), and I'll no longer have anything to do with SUNY Purchase, except for the people I've met and love. My band is currently two skips away from being drummerless, as my drummer has been thrown into real life really fast. I don't know who we'll find to fill-in, but I'm excited to meet anyone in general whose as excited about music as I am.  As a result, I am getting reacquainted with my acoustic. I will be continuing with Her Campus through the summer, but from home. Yes, I'll be blogging from the comforts of living room.  Is 21 too old to be moving back home? I'm not sure yet, but I do know my Mom and sister (and my brother on a good day) are way better to live with than some of the people this school has stuck me with! Cheers to the years of random roommates being over.

The end of the semester is kicking me down hard.

I have been so busy these last couple weeks.  It has made posting near impossible, mostly because I've looked like such a bum! I have been working 24/7 on my senior project, and it is driving me crazy.  I've also been planning this super fun end of the year event for The Independent, which has been going smoothly, so there's not much to say about that. 

Over these past few weeks at the Indy and just in my life, I have really learned to assert myself.  Sometimes, I realize that I don't have to do all of these favors people, if I dont want to. I don't always have to be nice, or do what people say. I am the boss, this is our publication, and I don't need to stand for being pushed around.  Sometimes I feel like I might slip and end up like "Kell on Earth" with "bitchy" reputation, but then I realize, hey, that is sometimes what you have to do to get the job done. Besides, when you are too nice, you get walked all over, which is something I will no longer stand for.

In other news, Candy Hearts did an interview with this blog, so check it out. We were also written up here.

Also, I've been looking wildly '80s or early '90s in dress. I don't know if this is something that should be stopped. How do you guys feel about the resurgance of clothing from those eras?

Taking it all off.

I finally received the pictures I was talking about!  A couple of Fridays ago was the first photo shoot for the Indy's annual Naked Issue.  For those of you don't know, the Naked Issue is the only full color issue of the magazine and features students posing partially (or completely) nude in order to promote body positivity.  It's a long long running tradition that was revamped a few years ago (it's been going on since the 70s in some form of another at Purchase!). It was wild and crazy, and I had so much to coordinate with little help, but it was very successful.  There were tons and tons of people there, and everyone's pictures came out totally cute. Sadly, I can only divulge you in pictures of me fully clothed; I am a never nude. It's just the way I am, but more power to those who took it all off.  Here's a picture of me being awkward before I took my glasses off.

Issue 205

Forever 21 dress, Target sweater, Betsey Johnson belt, Urban Outfitters shoes

I started this entry in the Independent's office with hopes of printing the rest of the issues and working on my senior project. Only one of those things happened, and let me tell you, it was not my project!  This week's issue is the best yet! I've heard such great things, the cover looks gorgeous; everything actually went swimmingly, which is unusual, but I'll take it! Here's a note to all you aspiring college paper editors, interns are SO HARD to coordinate.  I never understood why certain interns I've worked have gotten scolded, bad-mouthed, or fired, but now I've seen the light.  I am confident that if I make the program more structured, we will all become even more successful!

Yesterday, the time that wasn't spent finishing up the issue, or in class, was spent at a photoshoot with Ellisa, where she took pictures of the new Candy Hearts! I'm writing songs again, and I am completely thrilled with how they are coming out. Better than ever too!

This outfit I wore to a dinner party where all my girlfriends decided to dress up. It was super fun!  What is your favorite thing to bring to a dinner party?

this week.

Free People tank top, American Apparel skirt, Simple Vera Wang tights, Guess platform heels

Hi everyone! This week I have been super busy getting back into the swing of things.  I set up a meeting on Monday to plan the infamous "Naked Issue" of the Indy, am in the process of hiring interns, and figuring out finances for the website relaunch, finally. I also have been working on a ton of songs, and I put "Flashers Flashing" up for download.  It's probably my favorite song from the record.  Download it here, or play it on my myspace.

I wore this outfit on a date to Panera. I was overdressed but oh, well. You can't see it in the picture but I matched my lipstick to my tights!

 

The artwork is done, albums are in the mail!

I know I  have not updated in a long time, and I really hate being such a bad blogger, but I blame finals and finishing this album with Candy Hearts. I have not had much to blog about! If any of my readers want the album, message me. You can have it, even if it didn't officially come out yet.  This is the artwork I made for it, and I don't think my mom likes our whole sound very much, which is making me very nervous, because it means so much to me.  I also get nervous about everything.

Last week was the last issue of the Indy for the semester, and it was really short.  We mainly just had to print the interview I did with Patrick Cavanaugh (of Mad Men and Transylmania), who was so charming.  He totally charmed the pants of me.  I didn't put it online yet, but I will.  It's off to the rest of my last Shakespeare paper ever.  At least I hope it is!

Second to last issue.

Hand-me-down sweater, H&M dress, vintage bow, Liz Claiborne suede boots

Can I just say that when my sister bought this rainbow Lamé dress two years ago, I plotted to steal it, and alas, it is mine. She grew out of it.  I wore this to go out Friday night and do basically nothing but stand outside of a party and think about going inside. I thought it would be good for the stage or New Years Eve with some platform pumps. Agree or disagree?

This week was the second to last issue of the Indy for this semester, and we had a great cover involving a drag queen.  Despite our re-broken and re-fixed printer, someone came up to me out of the blue and said, "Hey, you are Mariel, right? I can't believe what you've done with the Indy.  You turned it from crap into something totally respectable and interesting."  She even complimented my copy editing skills.  WHAT. Ok, so I can gush, now. I almost always receive negative comments, and I assume it's because people like to complain, so this was nice, nice, nice.  We even have a few interns lined up for next semester, a plan to relaunch the website, and plans for a really fun launch party! Next week will be the last issue, and we are working without pay because, well, I guess that's who we are.

Even better than the paper finally falling into place, is the fact that (Shrunk and White are crawling in their graves) I went to dinner at Panera.  I know, I know, it's just Panera, but the small things in life are what make life awesome.

One Print Manager. 10 songs. Music Issue!

 Esprit blazer, Hanes tee, Forever 21 jeans and ring, and Steve Madden flats

Finally, the PSGA hired a printer for the Independent, but it was not without the development of a few new gray hairs (I’m not joking! I am only 21 why is this happening?).  Everything has been going smoothly ever since then. That's our office in the picture by the way.

 This week was our music issue, and I made a list of what I thought were 10 of the most important songs from the 1990s, excluding Nirvana because that is too easy.  First thing that came to mind was Third Eye Blind, which I am strongly considering covering tomorrow when I play solo at Women Out Loud (A benefit for the campus’s women’s clinic).  While we still don’t have a reliable staff, our photography interns managed to wrangle their friends together and submitted some great articles. Finally, a real newspaper with a real circulation.

I also had a semi-aggravating band practice. We have a show on Sunday at The Charleston in Williamsburg, and I put my heart and soul into a song and was completely shut down.  In the end, it turned out how I wanted it to be, which is why I don’t understand why the argument even needed to happen.  Perhaps those sorts of things help lead you in the circles you need to wander around in order to find something wonderful.  Ironically, that is what the song is about.

I'll leave you with the runner up for this week's cover shot. It only lost because it was irrelevent, but it's still cool.