My New Blog

I made a new blog for my Communications 101 class. The topic that our group chose was the future of newspapers. We get extra credit if people visit and comment. Feel free to look at it any time. If it's not interesting to you don't bother. I would love to hear about how we can make the blog better thanks.

http://whataboutnewspapers.blogspot.com

Back To School!

Last night I almost fell asleep without preforming a ritual I have enjoyed since the night before my first day of Kindergarten, setting out my clothes for a new school year. Do not worry. I remembered. I had such a hard time sleeping last night because I was so excited to get to school. Have you ever had that feeling that you were in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. This is how I felt today. My professors are perfect for me and my schedule is exact. I have had this blessing the whole time I have been here at BYU. It ceases to amaze me. I selected a seat in the front row of my communications class and glanced over at the desk next to me to see a girl writing in an Eastern Arizona College planner. Her name is Kerri Lunt and she has been on a date with Bryan and knows Mary Anne. It's a small world.

On the Daily Show with Jon Stewart

00:47 I'm the second page from the back on the Republican side. (The right side).

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My Five Minutes a the MTC

Last Wednesday, my friends Liz, Kylie, and I went to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT to see my old roommate Elder Jarrod call of on his mission to the Colorado Denver South Mission.

The night before I was able to see my friend and old neighbor, Elder Brandon Langford (Fort Lauderdale Florida Spanish Speaking).

It was a miracle that we were able to see him at all. Because of the recent flu outbreak in the MTC, nobody who is not a missionary, or a member of MTC personnel is allowed inside the gate. Parents are asked to drop their Missionaries off at the curb. We didn't know how we were going to be able to see Elder Call because his Airport Shuttle was going to go in through the gate and drop him off on the curb. We walked up to the MTC and asked where the airport shuttles went. The guy said we could not go in unless we had a Missionary with us. I asked him what the airport shuttles looked like. He pointed to a blue shuttle, and as he did, we saw Elder Call waving to us from his place in the back seat.

We got permission to walk alongside the shuttle to meet Elder Call. On our way we saw a Missionary that lived in my BYU Housing complex last year named Elder Deep (Atlanta Georgia). We talked to Elder Call for about a minute, took pictures, and said goodbye. We began a fast paced walk back to the outside world because people looked at us weird like we were disobeying rules. On our way out I heard a voice yell "VANCE BRYCE!" I jerked my head around to see my old Elders Quorum President, Elder Jon Uland (Las Vegas Nevada South, Spanish speaking). I moved my head again and saw my old roommate Elder McKay Ward (Manila Philippines Mission Tagalog speaking).

Just across the exit I saw Elder Dustin Paris, who has been in the MTC for awhile, running with his district. I yelled out to him, but I don't think he saw me. He will be in the same mission as Elder Ward.

I had an awesome experience at the MTC and I can't wait to go on my mission.

Review: The Impresario

The second opera, The Impresario, by Mozart, was less impressive. I tried to view the opera, which was a comedy, fairly because I had just watched the serious play below. The issue I had with it was the plot. It was pretty blah, but good for a comedy. I am afraid I cannot be objective because of Suor Angelica. I really enjoyed the music.

Review: Suor Angelica

I went to an double feature tonight. The first of which was Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini. The story is about a nun who was sent to the convent as punishment for having a child out of wedlock. All is well at the convent but there seems to always be a dark theme of death for the mood. They are having a celebration. That night, a elegant carriage drives up to the convent. Sister Angelica's aunt, who is a princess, asks her to sign a paper signing over her dowry and all inheritances to her sister who is getting married. Because she hasn't seen any family for seven years she asks about her son. Her Aunt informs her that her has been dead for two years.



I thought that this was a defining moment of the opera. The lady playing the part, Rachel Willis-Sorensen, gave an amazing emotional performance. Five Stars. The second defining moment happens when she is praying the the Mother Mary because after trying to kill herself with poison and realizing that suicide damns you. She has a vision where the Mother Mary blesses her and her little boy, dressed in white, joins her.

*I also enjoyed the BYUesqueness of the opera. The lady who acted The Monitor, or leader of the nuns, was pregnant. The "bible" she was holding was actually a book of LDS Hymns, and the little boy was wearing baptism clothing. Awesome

The performance does not receive five stars only because the scenery and ambiance was lacking. However Sorensen does get best Actress.

A Tribute to Kellie and Logan

Logan left on his mission to the Bucharest Romania Mission this last Wednesday. Since the time that I said goodbye for two years, I have thought back on all of the good times we have had.



When we graduated high school everybody told us that high school friendships do not last. They said that you forget those people and move on to other friends. They said we would not be friends for long. They were wrong.

Where did this friendship start? How do people involve themselves enough in people’s lives to become family?



I met Kellie Taylor in 5th Grade. We met in Orchestra, where we both decided that it was not worth our time. We were acquaintances until 7th Grade when we shared the back table in Mrs. Powell’s Live Management Class. We began people watching. This pastime has never stopped and is one of our favorite activities. There are so many weird, cool people in the world; all you have to do is look. Kellie taught me to be tolerant of different people. This tolerance would grow into respect for differences in culture and ideas. From this point on Kellie and I were friends. I do not know how you assign a border between friends, good friends, and best friends, but this all happened in high school. We were weird kids…



We talked about philosophy, politics, religion, history, and food. We worked hard in student council, classes, seminary, spirit line, and the crazy social scene. Between the two of us we were members of every club on campus. We started college classes early. There was only one problem during those early years. The friends we had chosen were not friends at all. Kellie’s group was too cliquey. My group was too shallow. I can mark one moment in high school when I could begin calling Kellie my very best friend. It was Thursday night of homecoming week 2006. We were sitting in her white suburban in the Thatcher High School parking lot. Teenagers usually sit in parking lots, but this was very different. She told me about her parents. They were going to get a divorce. She was angry, emotional, and scared. We both cried over this situation. I can safely say that 2006 was one of the hardest years of my life. My sister Mary Anne and all of her friends graduated, leaving me alone in high school, with no really good friends. Good thing there was Kellie. Our friend Stephanie Udall passed away that Christmas. The woman who Kellie babysat for committed suicide with her toddler. It was a hard time. Then a ray of sunshine…



Logan entered my life the summer before our senior year. It was not a graceful entrance. I was jealous of him because Kellie and him spent so much time together. Kellie was interested in somebody that had lived in Italy for two years, spoke Italian, and had seen the world. Kellie soon asked me to take Logan camping with my guy friends and me. I admit I was hesitant. He seemed like he was kind of a city boy. He brought his Italian friend. I was surprised to see that Logan jumped at every opportunity to have fun while we were camping. When asked if he wanted to go hike Red Knolls, he went, when asked to stay behind with me and look at the stars, he stayed, when asked to help make homemade root beer, he helped, and cleaned the stuff.



This is a pattern that Logan followed and still follows throughout our friendship. When asked to go to a movie, he goes, when asked to build a cardboard death star at 2 in the morning in the high school, or be the voice for the evil emperor, or play Chewbacca at the last second, or confront some friends about their behavior, or build four sheds during spring break for an Eagle project, or go camping in the snow, or change his plans to move to Utah and be my roommate…he does it.



Our Senior year was difficult. I was the Student Body President, Kellie was the FBLA President, and Logan did everything we asked of him. Our social life with other people was lacking. We had too many inside jokes that we displayed in front of too many people. We were tired of the establishment and of high school in general. I can remember one day clearly. Kellie had been accused of writing terrible hate mail to our student body president (me…somehow this is illogical :) ) I was receiving letters that really hurt. I stopped reading them. My principal was on the war path to find out who did it and people got hurt in the process. Including Kellie. Logan and Kellie had ordered Pizza to one of their classes, when the pizza did not come, they decided to go pick it up. Sometime during this drive Kellie’s white suburban got in accident with another vehicle, her brother’s parked truck. Kellie and Logan told me they were so upset and angry that they were laughing…that is what this friendship does…we laugh…at everything…awkward, stupid, dangerous, scandalous, serious…yes…everything. When they returned to the high school, the pizza they had previously ordered was waiting in the front office…so they had twice as much pizza and paid for both. Later that day, it was a Thursday…(interesting that our friendship defining moments both happened on Thursday, Kellie and I’s favorite day of the week)…Logan and I decided to make some cookies for Kellie in our Gourmet Cooking class (I told you we were weird). We made her sugar cookies with black frosting and big frowny faces. (I don’t expect you to get our humor). Somehow we made it through high school to the second most happy day of our lives…graduation.



Look. We are so happy. We all knew that we would have to go our separate ways. Logan went to EAC, Kellie to ASU, and I to BYU. It was difficult but doable. I made new friends and kept in contact with Logan and Kellie.



I convinced Logan to apply to BYU and come to Provo to be my roommate. We had an awesome semester. There was a problem, though; we had left Kellie all alone in Tempe.



We kept in contact, but it was not the same. Kellie made new friends and tried new things. During this period, the happiest day of our lives occurred. Kellie was baptized (by Logan) and confirmed (by me) a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kellie was able to investigate the Gospel at her own speed, without Logan or I looking over her shoulder. It was such an awesome day.





When Logan and I got back from BYU and Kellie from ASU, we had a long talk at my house…so long that we got to see the sunrise and eat at Denny’s for breakfast. We are good friends and will always remain good friends. Logan is now in the swine flu infested Missionary Training Center, Kellie is working hard in Calculus II at ASU (oooo that rhymes), and I am at BYU awaiting my mission call.

There will be tough times ahead. But I know that through my testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ, my family, and my two best friends, Logan and Kellie, Life will go on, Life will be challenging, Life will be good.