{"id":63,"date":"2012-09-11T23:03:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-12T04:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/?guid=861b560ba1aef3279c79366521eb3d3c"},"modified":"2012-09-17T23:33:48","modified_gmt":"2012-09-18T04:33:48","slug":"the-investigation-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/2012\/09\/the-investigation-begins\/","title":{"rendered":"The Investigation Begins"},"content":{"rendered":"<style><!--  \/* Font Definitions *\/ @font-face  {font-family:Cambria;  panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;  mso-font-charset:0;  mso-generic-font-family:auto;  mso-font-pitch:variable;  mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}  \/* Style Definitions *\/ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal  {mso-style-parent:\"\";  margin:0in;  margin-bottom:.0001pt;  mso-pagination:widow-orphan;  font-size:12.0pt;  font-family:\"Times New Roman\";  mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;  mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;  mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;  mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;  mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;  mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;  mso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";  mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1  {size:8.5in 11.0in;  margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;  mso-header-margin:.5in;  mso-footer-margin:.5in;  mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1  {page:Section1;} <\/style>\n\n            <\/style>\n\n\n\n<style><!--  \/* Font Definitions *\/ @font-face  {font-family:Cambria;  panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;  mso-font-charset:0;  mso-generic-font-family:auto;  mso-font-pitch:variable;  mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}  \/* Style Definitions *\/ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal  {mso-style-parent:\"\";  margin:0in;  margin-bottom:.0001pt;  mso-pagination:widow-orphan;  font-size:12.0pt;  font-family:\"Times New Roman\";  mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;  mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;  mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;  mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;  mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;  mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;  mso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";  mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1  {size:8.5in 11.0in;  margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;  mso-header-margin:.5in;  mso-footer-margin:.5in;  mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1  {page:Section1;} --><\/style>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\">I distinctly remember watching the fireworks explode at 12:00 am January 1, 2000. They burst into huge flashes of light and sound, and then just as quickly as they lit up the sky, they were gone.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; <\/span>And looking back, I didn\u2019t even care. I was ready for the next pattern, the next boom \u2013 at age 10, I couldn\u2019t even focus for 5 seconds on one beautiful array of color and light before I wanted to see the next one. Such is the blessing and the curse of the ADD millennial generation \u2013 and I knew it from the moment the millennium started.<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\">We exist in a temporal world where our information comes at us as loud and bright as a firework, and disappears just as quickly. Blogs, sound bytes, video clips, status updates, tweets, 15 minutes of fame, web series. We have a lot to process, so we process fast. We\u2019re texting on our iPhones, YouTubing the latest video, Facebook messaging a friend, all while Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Even those with staying power resort to shock and awe to remain relevant. Today\u2019s biggest music icons (Lady Gaga. Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj) are in a constant state of reinvention, all to keep us tuning in for the next performance or video. Say what you will about the quality of our media consumption, the quantity is unparalleled. <\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\">However, despite our brand consciousness (craziness?), fragmented media habits, and what is generally considered a \u201cme first\u201d attitude, I want to peel back the layers on the millennials.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; <\/span>Just from my experience with my own peers, I can tell you we\u2019re a series of paradoxes. We want to serve others, but we care primarily about ourselves. We want to be adults in the real world, but we love our extended childhood. We are driven, but would often prefer for things to be handed to us. And the contrary is true as well: many any of us come privilege but would prefer to earn accolades for ourselves.<\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\">We\u2019re aware that we\u2019re paradoxical \u2013 and we\u2019re aware that our distinct form of learning and processing isn\u2019t the only tribulation we face. We\u2019re also aware that we\u2019re inheriting huge, complex challenges. A rocky economy, a volatile political climate, and environmental threats \u2013 these issues will soon be ours alone to deal with.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; <\/span>Are we going to face to the uncertainty, taking on the necessary responsibilities, or let it cripple us as we shrug our shoulders and look around for someone else to fix it?<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\">As a part of this generation, and as someone who is about to break the protective barrier and enter the real world, I want to examine whether or not we can rise to the challenges we face. Not only that, I want to know what we think, what we value, what we believe. How do we feel about ourselves? What does the rest of the world think of us? <\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\">I\u2019m lucky enough to be living in a living laboratory, Vanderbilt University, where I can examine the both the little quirks (texting without looking at our phones in class) and the big driving forces (differentiating ourselves as both individuals while still being relevant to the community) of the millennial generation. All of this will indicate something about what is to come in our country \u2013 the good, the bad and the ugly.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; <\/span>Whether or not you are part of this generation, the millennial coming of age story, which I plan to tell as honestly as possible, is consequential. The foundation we are laying now is the foundation of the future of our country in a critical time. <\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\">Of course I can\u2019t make sweeping generalizations about my generation based on my peers here at Vanderbilt, but I do think we represent of critical slice of what is to come. By understanding driven and passionate Vanderbilt students, I want dig deeper into what is at the heart of my generation. Yes, as individuals, we\u2019re paradoxical, have ADD and face unprecedented challenges, but, together, we\u2019ve been primed to make an impact. One firework may not last very long, but when they\u2019re set off at the same time, they can illuminate the darkest night. <\/div>\n<div class=\"MsoNormal\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"blogger-post-footer\"><img width='1' height='1' src='https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/tracker\/3218445874415745839-9009706008490846712?l=heartofblogging.blogspot.com' alt='' \/><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>      I distinctly remember watching the fireworks explode at 12:00 am January 1, 2000. They burst into huge flashes of light and sound, and then just as quickly as they lit up the sky, they were gone.&nbsp; And looking back, I didn\u2019t even care. I wa&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/2012\/09\/the-investigation-begins\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1011,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1011"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101,"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63\/revisions\/101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.vanderbilt.edu\/artofblogging\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}