The Bandwagon

I don't care what anyone says. The Twilight series is remarkable. The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks, is another “one” that I absolutely adore. Judge me if you must, (though I'll probably strongly dislike you for doing so) but I cannot help but jump on the bandwagon with some of the overly popularized “ones.”

By “ones,” I mean the Harry Potter geek saga, Danielle Steele’s juicy romance novels, every Nicholas Sparks’ book to ever hit bookshelves (and theaters), and of course, Stephenie Meyer’s vampire craze, Twilight. Overall, every book that has ever been dramatically marketed, gossiped, or made into action figures. Or an animated TV series.

Yet “one” that I have never been able to force myself to read and enjoy is the Harry Potter series. Naturally, I began with the Chamber of Secrets. After getting through the first few chapters, I felt the strong urge to burn my book. I attempted the movie and fell asleep halfway through—in the midst of a cram packed theater.

I take this in a positive way though. Maybe I’m not prone to falling into the traps of all the “ones.”After all, just a glimpse at a Danielle Steele book and my skin crawls.

Roll Call

Along with basking in the sun and attending as many concerts as I possibly can this summer, I also plan to get through an extensive list of books along the way:

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman-I've always had an unusual interest in witchcraft and the supernatural.

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy-One of my favorite books is The Road, so I figured I should read another of his. (Genius, I know.) Yet I attempted to read the book before and actually couldn't get into it. I'll take another stab at it this summer.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella-It is probably a semi-autobiographical version of my life. So I figured I'd be laughing the majority of the way through it...or crying.

On The Road by Jack Kerouac-I feel like a disgrace to mankind for not having read this book yet.

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky-It's in the "Favorite Books" section for almost everyone on Facebook. But then again, so is Harry Potter. Could be an audacious move on my part.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan-I've read excerpts of it for a class and became very interested. I love reading about different cultures and historical events.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte-The novel has been referenced in a few of my favorite books. Plus it's a classic. So I figured I find a copy to indulge in.

Misery by Stephen King-Two words: Kathy Bates. And naturally, it's a Stephen King book. The idea of a sadistic fanatic holding her favorite author hostage is enough to grab my interest.

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max-Read the first few pages of it online and laughed repeatedly the whole way through it.

Witches of Eastwick by John Updike-Again, the supernatural is definitely a page turner for me.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer-Once again, I feel like a disgrace to humanity for not reading this yet.

Austen and Zombies!

Really? Have they really taken Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice and transformed it into a zombie tale? Not that I'm not into contemporary literature, but must they destroy the classics by adding a dash of Night of The Living Dead to a beautiful romance novel?

The perpetrator is Seth Grahame-Smith. An aspiring screenwriter in L.A., he has supposedly taken one class in English Literature...in his entire life. Probably all the more reason why he took this novel and transformed it into a blood fest.

In my opinion, Mr. Wickham, and Charles Bingley's scary sister, Miss Bingley, add enough horror to the book without there being a need to add walking, groaning corpses. But who am I to judge? Maybe slaughtering, grotesque monsters, and Lizzy Bennet fighting them off in a 19th century dress will add just the spice that Austen never included. Others seem to think it was brilliant addition.

According to Amazon's Editorial Reviews, it's "complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read."

In an article by Entertainment Weekly, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' contributing author, Grahame-Smith mentions, "it's almost as if, subconsciously, Jane Austen is laying out the perfect groundwork for an ultraviolent bone-crushing zombie massacre to take place." Really Mr. Grahame-Smith?

On a brighter note, his blog and political opinions are pretty fabulous.

The Beginning is the End?

No, not the Smashing Pumpkins. But literally the beginning is the better half of many of the novels I've encountered. Normally, I would expect books to get better the farther you get. Like wine, finer with age? The intensity and appeal of the book should only heighten the further along the reader gets.

So now I'm on yet another book where I'm pushing myself to finish it. Books of the like tend to grab me in the beginning, take me through with eager interest, and then break my heart during the conclusion. Frankly, the ending should be the accumulation and climatic point of it all. This is not always so with some of my favorite books. It's a rather bittersweet feeling.

Example? Where the Heart Is follows the story of a young mother, deserted by her boyfriend, and trying to make a life for herself in the middle of nowhere--literally the middle of nowhere. (The story takes place in some remote town in Oklahoma.) From the beginning, it's a captivating tale. Witty, touching, and even suspenseful at moments. Yet the last few chapters took me just as long to read as the first 300 pages of the book. I became so bored with it, that I ended up renting the movie and watching the conclusion of the story, rather than reading it.

Unfortunately this isn't the first book I've encountered like this. The novel I'm moping through now, Those Who Save Us, was completely captivating three quarters of the way through. I couldn't put it down. It focuses on a woman of German and Jewish descent trying to discover her family's past during World War II. Now, in the conclusion, I once again find myself bored with this originally gripping novel.

Maybe it's my small case of A.D.D. or perhaps authors need to keep up the pace when writing. But whether it's me or the writers, it's beginning to be quite a disappointment when I read.

Leaving Behind a Sense of Youth...

"Wait, you're graduating next spring?" asks Peter Barry amongst the scuffle of the classroom. "I thought you'd be a lifer like me," he says with a smirk.

As fabulous as that may sound to some college lovin' students, it's just not the case. There comes that year when your advisor informs you that you have only three classes left until you graduate.

It's rather a bittersweet feeling for most. On the one hand, this signifies the end to dreadful exams, painful papers, and nagging professors. On the opposing side, it means taking another serious stride further into adulthood, and possibly leaving behind a huge chunk of your youth.

A student's college graduation day is an immense accomplishment. With degree in hand, one is now ready to fully jump into the career world and make a living for oneself. In the same breath, many graduates may hesitantly be glancing over their shoulders, wondering how much of their youth they are leaving behind.

Does this mean leaving behind nights of carefree drinking with the buddies? An end to late mornings, playing hooky on those warm, spring days? Saying good-bye to an ensemble of flip-flops, sweats, and a tie-dye T-shirt? After all, unless you're going to be working for a Grateful Dead cover band, I doubt this attire will be suitable for any career.

But some feel as though leaving behind college will not be such a stressful event. They are willingly and gratefully ready to jump into the so-called adult world.

"I'm ready to start a career already," says UML senior, Kasey Bingham. "I really want to start teaching and making a living for myself."

But finding a career during an economic recession may not be easy as some may think. Even with a Bachelor's or Master's Degree, experience is a key ingredient that companies look for when hiring new graduates. UML advisors suggest taking a trip to the Career Center to help set students on the right path. Participating in internships, career fairs, and extracurricular activities are all ways to accent a résumé.

Student, Peter Barry, discusses his reasons for staying in college.

“Students should really be thinking about internships while in school. Not only does it look good on résumés, but it gives you a chance to really get a feel for what you want to do—to see if you definitely like it or not,” says Priscilla March, a counselor at the UML career center.

Others who have tried to go out and work full-time before getting their degree feel as though they left school too early. Nicola Regan, a junior a UML is eagerly anticipating coming back to campus after taking a semester off.

"I can't wait to come back," says Regan. "I'm even taking summer courses to get myself back on the right track. Working full time can wait a little longer," she says with a smile.

At the crowded bars on a late Tuesday night...

But clearly not all students have lost their youthful tendencies after graduation day. Friends, who have graduated, moved on to careers such as elementary school teachers, newspaper reporters, or restaurant managers still know how to enjoy themselves.

Every weekend, teachers from Lowell High School roll through the restaurants and bars in downtown Lowell like clockwork. As they yell, laugh, and chug more beers, I can’t help but think to myself, “Those were my high school teachers? They have fun? Drink booze?” But even some of them, in their thirties or older, clearly know how to have a good time still.

“Old Court tonight?” reads the text from Angie Bergeron. A teacher at an elementary school in Lowell, she still finds her way out to the downtown bar scene every weekend to have a good time with her friends.

An upcoming UML graduate, Nick Brecken, does not feel as though he’ll be losing too much of his youthful lifestyle. With a career already ahead of him, he plans to not let that get in the way of playing with his band, taking hiking trips with friends, and enjoying a few parties here and there.

So perhaps there is nothing to fear about leaving college. After all, it's not really a death sentence to enter the "real world," as many 30 plus adults like to proclaim to twenty something year old college students.

"Live it up now," says a regular customer at Cobblestones as I clear the empty drinks off his table. "After college, it's the real world. All work. So don't go overexerting yourself while you're still so young."

In actuality, that doesn't quite seem to be the case. Ultimately, it's about knowing how to provide that balance of work and play. Graduating college is not a death sentence. It's up to you to make a life for yourself.

Choosing not to become a workaholic or get sucked into a job you loathe will ultimately lead you down a happy path. Knowing how to hold onto that sense of childhood and youth is ultimately the best way to live. You don't need to cling onto your college career and youth to enjoy life.

Enjoying the live music on campus at UML

Moral of the story? Don't forget to live a little. We may be leaving behind inspiring professors, favorite hang outs, and loud, free campus concerts but we'll always have that sense of youth in us. Continue to take chances and experience life as you did as a 21 year old. Only difference is, the older you get, the less likely you'll make the idiotic decisions that could land you in prison.

In the words of Oscar Wilde, "The one advantage of playing with fire is that no one ever gets singed. It is the people who don't know how to play with it that get burned up."

Nick Brecken discusses the pros and cons of leaving college.