Amelia’s Superbowl halftime performance

It’s week whatever now in school and I am completely ready for it to be done. I’m exhausted all the time; I’m always writing either for class or work; and I’m always stressed about the future. Lovely times. 

I’m probably exaggerating, given that it’s late while I am writing this. I was able to attend a University gospel choir practice today, and that was fun. I had interviewed the director earlier in the day for a feature I am writing about him for the Daily. I asked whether I could attend a practice, see what it’s like, maybe ask some of the participants about their experiences working with the director. 

It was fun, though. I realized I really miss organized singing. I haven’t sung as part of a group since high school choir with Mrs. Yess. Singing in choir is truly fun. Since I am an alto, I just love making harmonies and listening to the blend echo through the room. It’s just beautiful. 

It was really fascinating being able to sit in on the gospel choir . The atmosphere is somehow entirely different from other vocal groups. First, there was no sheet music. Students learn to sing notes through examples given by the director, then cement their skills through repetition. Lyrics are put on the screen so students can at least see what words they are to be singing. But besides that, it was just incredible that everyone is very passionate in what they are singing about; it led to less of a “teacher-student” environment and more of a shared community where everyone is there to sing good music. I smiled the whole time. 

I received an email at 4:30 a.m. today from a gentleman I was scheduled to interview for a story later on. When we met face to face, I told him I had never received an email so early, and it was impressive. He laughed and said it’s when he gets his best writing done, a practice he learned during his PhD studies when he was writing his doctorate during the pandemic. An impressive strategy, but it just makes me wonder how he even gets through his day staying awake. He then asked me whether I am a night owl, to which I responded that if I had to categorize myself, I guess that’s where I would probably be placed. But really, that’s not how I see myself. While I admit the occasional daytime nap sounds very nice, I would say I am a day person, not morning person, not night owl, but a day person. Oh, but then again I guess being able to bartend proves that wrong. 

Well, Valentine’s Day has come and gone. The best part of it is when I get lovely little packages from my grandparents, godparents, and parents. They are all so sweet to think of me on February 14, since someone’s son isn’t going to be. But that’s okay, I don’t feel the need to be out and dating right now anyway: It’s so much work. Plus, I have all the love I need from my family and friends. 

Speaking of friends, my lovely friends forced me to do stand-up comedy on Sunday during the halftime show of the Super Bowl. You see, I lost in my fantasy football league, and the punishment was to do five minutes of stand-up–originally in a comedy club in Minneapolis, but then we weren’t able to book a slot. So I was “encouraged” to host a Super Bowl party and then I was to be the halftime show entertainment before Usher. I will say, for the minimal prep I did, I wasn’t too bad. There were at least a few chuckles. 

My Determination: “But I can be Harry Potter. Or John Conner. Or what’s her name, from The Hunger Games. The point is, I can be that person that nobody thinks is awesome, but it turns out, they’re kind of awesome.” - Hughie Campbell, The Boys