What a workout!

I'm just posting a few of my favorite stories that I've done. This one was during the Winter 2008 semester. One week, the sports section wrote all about the the workouts available at BYU-Idaho. I got to do a column so I chose this class, it looked hard but I wanted to look tough so I did it. I went to the class and was regretting it within 15 minutes of being in it. But I stuck to it and kept up with the instructor. I was so sore afterwards but felt it was worth it for a good story. Then I found out that there was supposed to be a photographer there who had planned on going to the class on Thursday instead of Tuesday. So I got to do it again. It was hard but I did my best to keep up so the photographer could have some good photographs of me... I'll tell you one thing, I now know what paparazzi feels like. The photographer took so many pictures and sometimes got so close. Everyone just kept staring, probably thinking "Why is she so important?" It was so weird. But I had a lot of fun and enjoyed writing the article. It was featured in the Scroll, the school newspaper, on the whole page with 3 pictures of me. I only found one online though.


Reporter feels the burn with cardio strength training

Chanae Wilson, a junior studying English, exercises her legs and arms while particpating in the Cardio-Strength Training class offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Hart 234.

The greatest things in life are the ones that take the most effort in order to obtain. But, I believe it all depends on one’s priorities. Some people are dedicated to developing their musical talents, others are committed to “bringing home the bacon” and some are devoted to developing the perfect body build. I can honestly say without any remorse that I do not belong to the latter.

I recently spoke to Bradley Highsmith, a freshman studying business management, who has been working on obtaining an eight pack in the last few weeks. I always thought would be cool to have washboard abs, but the thought of that painful torture I would have to put myself through eliminated all desire.

I am not saying that I am a couch potato, watching movies all day and eating banana splits. That is reserved for only a few times per week. I love working out. I love playing soccer, going for a swim and feeling the rush after a good workout, but I just don’t rigorously exercise in the gym like many others.

So when I went to the Cardio-Strength Training class last Tuesday, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I decided to go to this class because it sounded like a challenge. Something that would get my heart racing and help me get out of this exercise hibernation I have enjoyed a little too much this winter.

The class started out easy enough. We did a few stretches and I was feeling good about this. Then we started the exercise routine and I was ready to call it quits. The instructor had us doing vigorous stepping exercises, lifting weights and sprinting all within the first fifteen minutes. We also did killer abs exercises that left me sprawled out on the floor gasping for air when we were done.

The instructor would make us count how much we’d done out loud. If we didn’t count loud enough, she’d make us do it again. Every time the instructor would make us repeat an exercise, I’d think of how similar she was to the scene in Miracle when Kurt Russell would blow his whistle and yell, “Again!” much to the dismay of his hockey team. I always hated that part in the movie and I hated it more after experiencing a torture similar to theirs.

But I didn’t give up. I knew that if I gave up, I’d regret my failure in the long run. I decided that I had made a commitment to go to this class and I was going to follow through on that commitment — no matter the consequences.

Well, I am proud to say that I lasted up to the very end. I accomplished my goal. And though I wince at the pain I receive at every movement I’ve made since, I am glad that I did not give up on my goal.

A different perspective on a man’s pregnancy

This is the controversial article I wrote. A very unhappy student wrote a two page letter to my editor, the newspaper advisor, ant President Clark, stating that by printing this article, we were promoting lesbians, that I should have called this man a woman because that is what he is in Heavenly Father's eyes, and that my editor and I should be fired. It was kinda scary to think that I had made someone so angry by writing about this strange phenomon. Needless to say, this article was politically correct. It was nonbiased and this man is legally a man, if I had said he was a girl, I could actually be sued by him. :-s Scary, huh? So here it is: one of those weird phenomons that you'd never dream of hearing about.

Thomas Beatie, born a female, went through a sex change in which he had chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy. He and his wife, Nancy, decided to have a child together.

Due to severe endometriosis – extreme pelvic pain – Nancy had to undergo a hysterectomy, which is a surgical removal of the uterus through the abdominal wall or vagina, eliminating any chance of bearing children.

Beatie, who still has his female reproductive organs, received a sperm implant and is now about five months pregnant. He and his wife are expecting their baby girl in July, according to http://www.advocate.com/.

This occurrence has brought a lot of positive and negative remarks among neighbors and the community. Some do not believe that he really is pregnant, and Beatie said that his in-laws did not even know he underwent a sex change, according to http://www.advocate.com/.

Many people seem to question the moral issues of a transgender man having a baby.

“All people are born male or female genetically. This person may have had a sex change and appears to be male but in the eternal sense, [they are] still a female,” said Professor Steve Dennis of the Home and Family Department.

Beatie wrote about his thoughts and experiences on www.advocate.com of being a pregnant father.

“I am stable and confident being the man that I am. To Nancy, I am her husband carrying our child – I am so lucky to have such a loving, supportive wife. I will be my daughter’s father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family,” according to http://www.advocate.com/.

Beatie appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the pregnancy. On the show, the couple called their child a “miracle baby.” Dr. Kimberly James, Beatie’s doctor, said, “This baby’s totally healthy. I consider it an average pregnancy,” according to http://www.oprah.com/.

Whether or not there will be more occurrences like this in the future is uncertain. Some people don’t care whether or not it happens; they just don’t want to know.

“It’s their life, they can do what they want about it, but they don’t need to publicize it so the rest of us have to know about it,” said Kyle Hunt, a sophomore studying general education.

There are many scientific studies that are in progress, however, that may enhance medical technology, producing science experiences that have never been thought possible, such as a pregnant man.

Mystery game challenges students to get a clue

I remember dressing up in my dad’s trench coat, his detective hat, some sunglasses and looking for my sister’s missing teddy bear — which I had strategically placed underneath my bed.
I’d spend hours pretending I was Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew. I could solve any mystery if I just had a good magnifying glass.

Considering my previous experience, I decided the campus game, Riddled, should be no problem. The BYU-Idaho Activities Committee put on Riddled, which is similar to the board game and movie Clue.

I walked into the room thinking there would be very little competition, but I found about 40-50 women and men waiting to try their hand at a little mystery.
We had to go around campus, looking for the suspects who may have killed Peter Little. I found all of the suspects, except for Steve Urnsaton who seemed to be conveniently missing when I tried looking for him.

There was, however, a note on the mirrors of Tomassito’s stating that Urnsaton took an unexpected lunch break the afternoon that Little was found dead.

I also found out that Urnsaton was currently dating Little’s ex-girlfriend, Molly Spenzet. She did not seem to care much for him, just that he spent a great deal of money on her.

When I showed up at the prearranged final destination, I was quite sure I knew who had killed Little. I wasn’t sure what he killed him with, so I guessed that Urnsaton had killed Little because he was jealous that Spenzet still had feelings for Little. I also knew Urnsaton hated waking up to Little’s alarm tone of “Sexy Back.” So Urnsaton killed Little with the alarm clock.

Much to my disappointment, I did not win. In fact, surprisingly enough, I was way off. It was the janitor, Mr. Kleenup, in the Taylor Quad, with a brick. Who would have thought of the janitor?
But in Kleenup’s own words, he was a little short on cash, so he “just decided to have a nice conversation with Little and a brick.”

In the end, I was quite disappointed with my detective skills. The Riddled game definitely threw me for a loop. I thoroughly enjoyed testing out my investigation skills and trying to solve a real murder mystery — or as real as you could get at BYU-I.

To see more articles, you can look up www.byui.edu/scroll or http://icomm.byui.net/staff/chanae-wilson/.

Broken Hearts

Yesterday, I had one of the most random experiences. I was walking to work when a guy I had never met before stopped me and handed me 7 long stemmed pink roses. He seemed to have a speech impediment so I didn't understand what he wanted me to do with them at first. I asked if he wanted me to take them someplace. He said yes, just take them away from him and give them away to someone who deserves them or keep them yourself. I was shocked. These were beautiful roses... people don't just give them away off the street... or do they??? He said that was really what he wanted me to do and I thanked him for the beautiful gift.

It took me a while to come to the conclusion that these roses were probably meant for someone else, which, if rejected, could be the reason why he wanted to get rid of them so fast. My heart went out to this poor gentleman who seemed to have enough on his plate already, with his physical ailments. It reminded me of my own past experiences with broken hearts.

Words can't even describe the way it feels to have your heart ripped in two. Many people have tried to write songs, poems, even books about the pain and anguish. But to truly understand a heartache, one must experience it first handedly.

It's not uncommon, either. A heart is crushed into pieces each day. I had seen hearts crushed on movies and read books about it, but I prayed that this was one experience I would never have to become acquainted with. Well life throws you for a loop sometimes and though you don't think you need to go through something, someone else does.

Well, no details are needed about my experience except that it surely did hurt. The songs and movies I watched about heartache suddenly made more sense. I could relate to the feelings of loss and aching pain they express. I cried each day for a week and had utterly no desire to date, let alone talk to any guy for months. It was so hard. I knew why I had no desire to feel that pain. I thought I'd never wake up from the endless nightmare I was going through.

But there is hope through the night that the sun will soon rise; with every tunnel, an exit will soon come in sight. One day I woke up, after months and months of pleading, and it didn't hurt. I didn't want to throw water balloons at all the couples I walked past on campus. (I'd never literally do it, of course, but the thought would sometimes bring a smile to my face as I pictured their surprised faces.) ;-)

I'm dating again and have met some wonderful people because of it. It's been a lot of fun and maybe someday, an amazing guy will buy some roses with thoughts of me. Until then, I'll have to wait for the next random guy to give me roses. ;-) They sure do brighten my apartment!

1. What time you got up this morning? 8:22

2. Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds

3. The last film you saw at a cinema? Step Up 2

4. What did you eat for breakfast? Water and a Sweet and Salty Nut Attain Bar... it's a Melaleuca product - I get $80 worth of free products each month so I'll try their stuff and can endorse it when people call. It's also a craveblocker, great for going on diets. :-)

5. What time did you go to bed last night? 1:30 a.m.

6. Your favorite TV show? Gilmore Girls

7. What foods do you dislike? steak, cherries, liver, duck

8. Favorite CD at the moment? I really like Michael Buble

9. What kind of car do you drive? 2001 Honda

10. Favorite sandwich? Peanut butter and honey, sometimes I like to put it in the sandwich maker... so good!

11. What characteristics do you despise in people? rudeness, pride, boastful, judgeful

12. Favorite item of clothing? lately, because of the heat, I've been wearing a lot of shorts or skirts - I've worn a skirt everyday this week, usually with shorts underneath. :-) I also love wearing sweaters in the fall/winter.

13. Where would you rather be right now? on the beach in California

14. Favorite brand of clothing? Macys, Kohls, Maurices, Aeropostle... those are my usual brands

15. Where are you going to retire to? maybe Idaho, Utah... someplace in the western states... depends on where I go after I graduate from college.

16. What is your most recent memorable birthday? My last b-day was during finals. I didn't have to take any that day but everyone else was so I just worked on Clean Checks the whole day. My brother and his friends came over and sang happy b-day and my friend, Jed, made me a cake. It was fun.

17. Favorite sport to watch? Definitely soccer, I can't stand watching any other sport... I get bored way too soon.

18. Furthest Place you are sending this? Probably my sister in Indiana

19. Person you expect to send this back first? No clue

20. When is your birthday? April 9

21. Morning or night person? Night

22. Shoe size? 7

23. Pets? nope

24. Any news you want to share with us? lol I ordered these new flip flops that are supposed to arrive today! They're supposed to be great for excersizing. I don't quite understand how but I heard about them and just couldn't resist the temptation to buy them! :-) If you want to check them out, the website is http://www.thefitflop.com/ or there are tennis shoes at http://www.swissmasaius.com/ or the hula chair at http://www.hawaiichair.com/. It's just kinda fun to see them. I really am just curious to see if they work.

25. What did you want to be when you were little? a balerina

26. How are you today? Fantastic! I woke up with a headache though... I think it's cuz I got hit in the head with the soccer ball pretty hard yesterday.

27. Favorite flower? Anything exotic looking and vibrant

28. The day you look most forward to on the calendar? Definitely Pay Day!

29. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? I really want to go to Ireland

30. What are you listening to right now? People walking and talking as they pass my office... not very many people come in that often.

31. Last thing you ate? Sweet and Salty Nut Attain Bar

32. Wish on stars? Yes, if I'm outside when the first star appears I make a wish and close my eyes to imagine it coming true.

33. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Maroon

34. Weather right now? It's a beautiful sunny day!

35. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My brother, David

36. Favorite soft drink? I really don't like soft drinks, I usually get pink lemonade with a tiny dash of Sprite.

37. Favorite restaurant? lol I'm gonna say Coldstone, though it's not technically a restaurant...

38. Real hair color? Brown

39. Favorite toy as a child? My baby blanket

40. Summer or winter? Summer

41. Hugs or Kisses? Definitely chocolate hugs.... literally I'd say kisses ;-)

42. Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

43. Coffee or Tea? Neither

44. Want your friends to email this back? sure!

45. The last time you cried? when I watched the movie, P.S. I Love You, I was laughing and crying throughout the whole movie! It's so cute!

46. What is under your bed? Books, boxes, and my purses

47. What did you do last night? Ate dinner at Sonic, played soccer, watched my roommate's softball game, and hung out with a friend.

48. What are you afraid of? snakes, spiders, worms

49. Salty or sweet? sweet

50. The number of keys on your key chain? 5 (car, apartment, mail, 2 for my job)

51. Years at current job? Language and Letters Student Advisor and Wellness Representative at Melaleuca.... soon to change to A&E Editor! :-)

52. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

53. How many towns have you lived in? 2

54. Do you make friends easily? I'd say so. I meet new people everyday through my jobs, classes, and social activities. It's a lot of fun and I've met some amazing people. Lol I've even had a lot of guys asking me on dates after meeting me once... kinda wierd.

55. How many people will you send this to? whoever wants to read it

56. How many will respond back? No clue

57. How did you get your name? A lady was doing German church history extractions and came upon this name. She really liked it so she told my mom, who was pregnant at that time, about it. My mom liked it so it became my name.

58. If you are married, how long? n/a

59. Favorite childhood TV show? Too many... Sesame Street, The Magic School Bus, Disney Cartoons, ect.

60. Favorite Alcoholic Beverage? Never tried it... never will

61. Plans for the Weekend? I'm going home tonight after work and then I'm partying with the fam for the 4th of July!

62. Travel plans for 2008? I'm going to Texas in August to go to my brother's reception, maybe a few trips to Utah

63. If you had only one wish and you could wish for anything ... what would it be? Joy

64. What's your idea of a perfect day off? Spending it with someone/people you love

65. Name a celebrity your partner is attracted to? n/a

66. Do you still keep in touch with childhood friends? Yeah, many are in college with me, it'll probably be harder once we all graduate and go our seperate ways...

67. What is one of your regrets in life? Not being able to say no when I know I should

68. What is your favorite hobby? writing articles, singing, playing the piano, reading, soccer, hanging out with friends/family

69. What has been your greatest joy? My family

70. Who is someone you admire? My sister, Kami, on her mission. She is always upbeat and willing to serve. She has so much energy and such a big heart. I also admire her for choosing to go on a mission and serve the Lord.

71. How does one endure to the end being positive? Testimony of Christ and his atonement

72. If you had no responsibilities...none whatsoever what would you do with all your free time? Travel the world! Learn new languages, new cultures, new ideas, ect. I would read, play soccer, and learn how to do so many new things.

Now it's your turn. Copy the questions and then replace my answers with yours.

I'm an Editor!!

So I was recently offered the position of the Arts and Entertainment Editor position this upcoming Fall semester. Words cannot express my feelings when I learned of this wonderful opportunity. I've had my eye on this position ever since I started writing for the BYU-Idaho campus newspaper, Scroll, the website for it is http://www.byui.edu/scroll. I'd hoped to get it, but wasn't sure if I was qualified. But they offered it, so I'm ready for the challenge.



The editor position is a bit different than the staff position. While on the staff, I wrote weekly stories. (Last week I had 4 articles in the paper... that was a lot of work.) I love going out and meeting new people, asking them why they do what they do and finding a great story out of what could seem like a boring event/idea. The editor decides what he/she wants in their section, assigns the stories to their staffmembers, and designs the page layouts. I did some of that as an assistant editor last semester but I was just doing what my editor told me to do. Now I'm gonna be one of the bosses. Scary!



But I am so excited for this job! I hope that I do well and make it a fun, well-rounded section. If you have any ideas of what you'd like to see in this section of a newspaper, I am definitely up for advice. I'm planning on doing some movie reviews. A few students mentioned that they liked that. But I'm still working on the rest of the section. This next semester is going to be a great educational opportunity and I plan on learning as much as I can from it.

What is a challenge?

What is a challenge? http://www.dictionary.com/ defines it as: something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc. To me, this definition means it's a call to arms. It's something you need to test your skills and knowledge. Sometimes a challenge threatens to knock you off your feet. But, then again, how else could we grow unless we faced up to our challenges and conquered our fears.

I have been blessed to have so many comforts in my life. I have a loving family who taught me correct discipline and helped me to know who I am and who I can become. I am so grateful for this strong background that helps me make important decisions in my life today.

I know that when I go through trials, I can rely upon the support of my family, friends, and my testimony of the Lord. Life is hard. But it would be so much harder without these strongholds that help keep me on the straight and narrow path.

I, recently, have had some experiences that have confused me so much. They're not grand mountains, just little boulders that keep getting in my way. What is the purpose in these challenges? What am I supposed to learn? For one thing, I've learned that I have a lot to learn. I've come to grasp that everytime you get in a comfortable position, something happens to throw you off your groove. It's so frustrating sometimes. There have been times when I've just wanted to give up - just wanted to say "It's not worth it anyway" and go back to my comfortable life. But you can't go back in life. You can't erase the past, just learn from it and keep moving forward.

In the recent General Conference, President Monson stated, "Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties. At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel’s end—no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea 'Is there no balm in Gilead?'6 We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in faith. He will lift you and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face."

So I have decided to take the challenges that I face by the horns and not be trodden by challenges that may come my way. lol I've even started making challenges of my own for me to overcome. This Friday I am reporting about two different events that are going on at the same time. It's not a big challenge but it'll be interesting to see how I'm going to be two places at once... I have no idea as to how but it looked like an intriguing challenge that I couldn't pass up - just to see how I deal with the pressure. :-)

I'm up for new challenges that force me to get out of my safe haven and explore the unknown. This life is so short and the list of opportunities is so long. It's time to open my eyes to new experiences and as the Latin phrase goes, "Carpe diem" (means to cease the day).