Your Life Disrupted

The University of Pittsburgh is having some issues.

After the shooting at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, many bomb threats have occurred all over campus. (I lost count after the 16th one.) People thought that someone just didn't want to take exams. But lately, it's become somewhat ridiculous -- I think we're over at a count of over 40, and multiple places are being evacuated all at once. And even worse is that dorms and even the library (read: sacred study space where no one should EVER be bombing!) have been targeted. I feel bad for the students there, especially since they've been forced to leave their beds before sunrise and after sunset. It's awful...

Stop the Pitt bomb threats has been doing a really good job of compiling information,
but I've gotten so nervous and paranoid that I am (sadly) suspicious of him/her/them.

 

At first, some people were laughing a little and treating it as a joke. "Oh. Another one? Why can't it happen during my class?" But now, people are getting really scared -- they think that it may be something like what happened at Columbine and Virginia Tech, where shootings were apparently heralded by bomb threats. At this point, everyone's starting to get on edge, and everyone's consensus is that the perpetrator needs to be caught -- if the threats just stopped, the unleashed hysteria would be terrifying.

This whole thing has gotten me really down -- classes are becoming empty, paranoia is catching like wildfire, and classes are cancelled.
But it's Easter, and I'm determined to raise up everyone's spirits.

In recent news, Pitt held its 11th annual drag show on Friday, and I got pictures for a photo essay. It's a great cause, and the Rainbow Alliance always gives its donations to the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, which is such a sweet thing to do.
Here are some of the photos from backstage:

Putting on the face.

After the face is on, it's time for makeup.

THE AFTERMATH
Queens never fall -- they descend with varying amounts of grace
and may or may not twist an ankle.

I have many more photos, but I need to edit them before I can put them up -- rotating, fixing the (awful) lighting, and such.
And I feel like such a tease since I'm actually prepping these for the next issue of The Original Magazine, which means you won't see the final pieces until the fall. But at least that gives you something to which to look forward, no?

Anyways, you can stay caught up on the news about Pitt's bomb threats through the University. Alternatively, you can keep up with the news on Stop the Pitt bomb threats and Pitt's reddit site, where people have been doing extensive compiling (and speculating). I'm not saying that the latter options are the most reliable, but you may find some useful gems here and there.

Photo source (for the bomb threat): Stop the Pitt bomb threats

Talk Nerdy to Me

I have a confession to make.

Maybe you haven't realized this about me. Maybe I'm good at hiding this.
But I'm going to admit it. I am going to get this thing off my chest.

I'm not a human -- I'm actually a figurine. That is my secret. (I'm kidding, obviously.) 

I am a nerd. Or a geek. Or whatever you would like to call it. (Christina H from cracked.com, for instance, would call me "someone with bad taste," which would have offended me were it not for the fact that a CRACKED writer said it.)

Click to read more.

South Side Art, Flamenco

I went to my first flamenco performance yesterday. And it was pretty awesome, I have to admit. I had actually expected something super sensual, but it was all energy and fire -- a nice surprise.

Read more for some street art.

Pittsburgh Fashion Week: Day 5 // Gallery Crawl

Yesterday (Friday) was full of downtown frenzy with the Gallery Crawl, a quarterly event held by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Basically, they exhibit art in different locations for free, and you just visit.

It's literally as easy as it sounds.

So I got coffee with my friend and went with her. The idea of the Gallery Crawl was apparently somewhat novel to her, so I think she enjoyed it.

It was raining, which made me somewhat sad since I hate being wet. But I was happy to spend time with her since I've become so much more antisocial with people so far (though in my defense, it's because I'm so busy), so I can't complain too much.

Anyways, I went for a casual look for Friday.

It was raining, so my hair was a mess. Boo, rain.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (All in a day's work, you know?)

I'm so tired that I feel like I've been hit by a train.
Seriously, I just walked around all day like a zombie and just stared at people out of pure exhaustion.

Oh, and I hugged Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

No big deal or anything.

(And I look so creepy and yucky in this photo.
Boo hiss, that guy took terrible pictures.)

Wicked Good Sunday

wicked:
(adv.) Massachusettsian slang meaning "very"
(proper n.) musical of most EPIC proportions.

Example sentence: I saw Wicked today, and it was wicked awesome.
Today, in a summation, can be said to have been a most excellent day.

May I fanboy for a moment, please? Pleeeeease? 

Last Saturday’s Charity Polo Event (Overdue Post)

Last Saturday, I went to a charity polo match with my friend Dannielle. It was really exciting, actually — probably because I had never before attended a match. I felt like it was a very Tale of Two Cities event — you know, the whole “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” ambivalence.