Hamilton’s Arrival on Disney Plus
By Emily Stewart

Hamilton has entranced viewers since 2015, when it first appeared on Broadway, smashing records and surprising people with its creative rendition of Alexander Hamilton’s story. The ten-dollar founding father lived quite a tale, and the show explores the dynamics at play in the early 18th century, complete with the shifting pieces of the other founding fathers and their actions that made the United States what it is today.

Alexander Hamilton was born in a small town in the Caribbean called Nevis. Orphaned and alone by age ten in a horrifyingly dismal and cruel island, Alexander’s wit and intelligent writing created an opportunity for him to get to the United States. Extraordinary for an uneducated boy, he quickly rose to fame in the U.S. through his education at King’s College, where he met his later nemesis, Aaron Burr. The story follows his close relationship with George Washington, and how Alex was called on to write, yet yearned to fight in the war. Meeting Eliza, the daughter of Philip Schuyler, turned Hamilton’s world around and he quickly fell in love. We see the birth of their firstborn Philip, and Alexander’s next political conquest, where he gained the position of the secretary of the treasury. Flash forward many years and Philip dies in a duel due to someone dishonoring the Hamilton name, Hamilton has a treacherous affair with a Mrs. Reynolds, and a cruel Reynolds Pamphlet is passed that forces Hamilton into an embroiled political scandal. Hamilton’s political views pitted him against Thomas Jefferson, who later ran for President against Aaron Burr, where Jefferson surprisingly gained Hamilton’s vote. This pitfall leads to the infamous duel between Burr and Hamilton, leading to Hamilton’s untimely demise.

The Disney movie captures the magic of the stage version, following different camera angles and views that transport the watcher to a first-row seat at the show. Hamilton’s famous acclaim made it extremely difficult to get tickets, so this movie brings people a wonderful chance to view the show for themselves. Cast with a diverse set of people, the takeaway is all about unity in diversity, and how anybody can play whatever role they want. This culturally enriching and new form of casting helps open the door for new musicals to follow suit.

The most exciting piece of the musical is the music: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s brilliant soundtrack creatively encompasses pop, rap, and hip hop to tell the story. If you listen closely to the words, you can catch the clever history references and lyrical rhetoric that make this show so amazing. Alex Lacamoire’s orchestrations are genius, creatively joining together instruments to match Miranda’s lyrics. The choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler perfectly matches the music, making difficult moves look simple and effortless. All in all, this musical combines history and hip hop with beautiful orchestrations and choreography, forming a show that will stand the test of time. When you see the movie, you’ll understand the hype that’s surrounded this show since its release. Go watch Hamilton on Disney Plus and see for yourself; it’s a kind of magic you won’t forget anytime soon.
​
Edited by Morgan Mitchell

​Five Things I Learned at College That Weren’t on the Syllabus
By Morgan Mitchell
 
Although four years ago it seemed like the day would never come, I just recently graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with two bachelor’s degrees: one in English and one in Library and Information Sciences. During my time at college, I learned a lot about my two chosen fields. In English classes, I gained the confidence to share my interpretation of texts, and I became a better writer and critical thinker by producing essay after essay. Meanwhile, the LIS courses introduced me to cataloging, reference interviews, readers’ advisory, collection development, and more. While these skills have been directly applicable to my everyday life as I intern at publishing companies and work at libraries, I also learned other valuable lessons that could not be found on the syllabus. I hope new and current college students alike can benefit from reading and applying these insights in their own lives.
 
1.Be active on campus: Make the most of your time at college! It might be tempting to hide out in the dorm all day—especially if you are an introvert like me—but you will have a way better experience if you are active in your campus community. Get involved with student organizations, take on a leadership role, go to sporting events, attend plays or music concerts, join a religious organization, volunteer your time. If you can find a group that does something you love, you’ll have a ready-made group of friends that have similar interests to your own. At the end of the day, college is not just about earning a degree. It’s a time where you can build friendships that last a lifetime, a time where you can experiment with different hobbies to find what speaks to you, a time where you can give back to the community that will become your home for four years.
 
2.Learn how to adult: Adulting refers to all the skills and knowledge you will need to survive on your own in the real world, from budgeting to changing a tire to cooking a meal. It could even mean having the ability to kill a bug. As a freshman in college, I was distressed to discover that a wasp had somehow made its way up three flights of stairs and through four locked doors to settle in my dorm room. Far from an adult at this point, I rushed downstairs to ask the desk assistant on duty if they could help me. They agreed to call a resident assistant since they couldn’t leave the desk unattended, so I gladly waited fifteen or twenty minutes on someone to do a job that I myself could have completed, had I been emotionally capable, in less than one minute. Fast forward four years, and I was a senior at college with a similar bug problem on my hands. I had just woken up and was walking to turn on the light when my foot brushed against something. I looked down in horror to see an overturned cockroach. By this time, I had told my parents the story of the wasp and they had lovingly gifted me a bottle of Raid, so I raced to the closet, retrieved the can, and sprayed the bug. I then proceeded to pace around the dorm room for thirty minutes as I gave myself a pep talk to psyche myself up for the moment when I would be forced to pick up the bug and dispose of him. It might have taken some time, but I think we can count it as a win.
 
3.You don’t need a lot of stuff: I packed a little bit at a time for weeks before I moved into a dorm for the first time because I didn’t want to forget anything that I might need while I was away from home. Once the semester started, however, it quickly became clear that I wasn’t in the dorm room often enough to appreciate all the extra stuff that I had brought with me. The material items just aren’t as important as the memories that you will make along the way. As such, in addition to the essentials like clothing and bathroom supplies, I would recommend limiting yourself to bringing one thing that makes you happy and leaving the rest of the clutter at home. For example, I brought my favorite books with me, and they were enough on their own to make the dorm feel like home.
 
4.Network with professionals: While networking might not seem like a fun or even necessary activity, you will be thankful to have the connections after you have graduated and are looking for a job. As the saying goes, it is not what you know, it’s who you know. If you have the same experience and education as someone else but the other person has previously worked at the company or knows someone who currently works there, they will have a better chance of being hired. It’s unfortunate that one’s skills and knowledge aren’t enough on their own anymore to secure a great job, but the fact is that the market has become saturated with highly qualified individuals and there has to be some way to differentiate them. Talk to your professors during their office hours. It is their job to help you, and they are happy to do it. Apply for internships. They can give you experience in the field and could even lead to jobs if you’re dependable and work hard. Use the resources that you have while you’re at college to make connections.
 

1. Build up your resume: During your time at college, it is important to always look toward the future. Taking advantage of the countless opportunities for growth that are available to you is an easy way to build up your resume, which will in turn make you more marketable to employers. Consider applying for leadership roles in your favorite student organizations, or join honor societies that are relevant to your career. When you have these leadership roles, it gives you experience with solving problems and taking initiative, so you will be prepared to answer interview questions and to tackle these issues when they arise in the real world.

 
 
Edited by: Emily Stewart

Canceling Cancel Culture

Imagine this: After finding success in a job of your choice, someone finds out about one of your past mistakes and reveals it to your bosses, coworkers, and consumers. This mistake makes you a pariah at your job, where you are condemned, harassed, and ultimately fired without the chance to defend or explain your actions. Unfortunately, this practice of shunning a person for small mistakes has become commonplace in this era, especially in regards to famous people like celebrities and politicians.

There has been a rise in “Cancel Culture,” or a refusal to support a person based on their actions or beliefs. Originally, someone would be “cancelled” due to severe failings sexual and domestic abuse, misogyny, racism, homophobia, etc. Over time, however, people began canceling others for more mundane issues, like off-color jokes, different political leanings, or simple mistakes made years before. Many famous people even loss their jobs or positions due to these reactions. Condemning people immediately for smaller past actions doesn’t account for changes in a person’s character over time or mistakes made out of ignorance rather than malice.
Rather than immediately declaring someone a persona non grata over simple errors, people should give them the time to do several things in response:

1. Acknowledge: Although acknowledgement of a mistake seems simple, doing so is the only way to begin a dialogue about what was expressed.
2. Apologize or Explain
   1. Apologize: A lot of people are remorseful for their actions, whether it’s a past action that doesn’t reflect their present-day beliefs or a present action that’s the result of sincere cluelessness. They just need the opportunity to do so.
   2. Explain: Someone may genuinely support the thoughts that they express, but those thoughts are poorly explained. Give them the opportunity to explain those beliefs before deciding whether or not you can support them.
3. Amend: If a person apologizes, give them time to make amends and prove that they really have changed, or at least still deserve your good will.

If a person refuses to acknowledge their actions or apologize, explain, or make amends for those actions, then pulling support for that person would be an appropriate response. The one time a swift rebuke would be necessary is when a person has severely harmed a person or a group of people, especially if they use their wealth, power, and influence to perpetuate that harm.
Ultimately, we’re all human. From the person on the street to the World’s Richest Man, we will all eventually make mistakes that unintentionally hurt others. You wouldn’t want people to condemn you for errors that you’ve grown and learned from…you should give others the opportunity to do the same.
​
Edited by Andy Smiley
 
 

​How to Motivate Yourself to Exercise
By Elizabeth Dubos
 
Disclaimer: I am not a healthcare professional or fitness instructor. I exercise frequently and would like to share my experiences and advice on fitness motivation.
 
Exercise is important because it can improve your physical and mental health. Exercise is hard work because it can make your body and mind ache. Motivating yourself to exercise can be difficult too because there are numerous excuses that people use to avoid it. The common excuses are they’re tired, can’t afford it, don’t have time, don’t like exercising alone, boredom, embarrassment, social anxiety, or can’t stick with a program. After people use these excuses, they feel defeated or give up. It’s important to exercise to live a longer, healthier, and happier life. Any exercise is better than nothing. Here are my tips on how you can motivate yourself to exercise more.
 
1. Determine why you’re making excuses. It’s time to figure out why you’re avoiding exercising. Are you nervous about exercising in public? Does it feel like there’s not in enough time in the day? Does it feel like it’s to expensive? It’s important to figure this out, so you can make adjustments to keep moving forward. For example, if you’re worried about joining a gym due to social anxiety and cost, then check out YouTube’s fitness videos. They’re free and easy to follow along.
 
2. Make a fitness journal. A fitness journal can hold you accountable for your fitness goals. You can track your water intake, weight, body measurements, and how much you’ve exercised. Seeing your goals can hold you accountable. Also, if you’re not seeing any progress in your fitness goals you can take this journal to show to a health professional. Then, they can make a medical recommendation based on your progress. If you’re unsure about how to organize your fitness goals, try the free Blogilates printable workout calendar.
https://www.blogilates.com/free-fitness-planner-printables-2/
 
3. An online streaming service. Are you bored when you’re exercising? Do you wish you could be catching up on the latest episode of your favorite show? Most gyms have free Wi-Fi, so you can watch or listen to your favorite movies or TV shows when you’re exercising. Plus, you can exercise longer because you will be focused on watching the show instead of thinking, “when will this be over, I want to go home?” You could try the streaming services Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, or HBO.
 
4. Exercise classes. Exercise classes are great for those who are time constricted, looking for sociability, or new to fitness. Scheduled exercise classes are great motivational tools because they’ll hold you accountable for regularly exercising. If you’re new to exercising, then watch a fitness instructor lead the class where you can learn how exercise safely. There are physical and virtual exercise classes, so you can exercise in a gym or in the comfort of your home. Click the link below to find out which virtual class would be best for you. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/a31792038/coronavirus-live-stream-workout-classes/
 
5. Retail therapy. You can exercise in whatever makes you feel comfortable, whether it’s activewear, your PJ’s, or a bathing suit. It’s important to feel confident when you’re exercising, so you don’t look at it like a chore, but a fun activity. Consider treating yourself to an outfit(s) dedicated to working out. Also, keep in mind to purchase clothes that have moisture wicking, breathable, or light weight fabric so you’re not drowning in sweat. You can purchase active wear from Target, Fabletics, Old Navy, Amazon, TJ Maxx/Marshalls, or your local thrift shop.
 
6. It’s okay not to enjoy exercising. Doesn’t it feel awkward when you see others smiling, laughing, or having fun when exercising and you feel sad inside? Does it make you feel like there’s something wrong with you? The simple answer is NO, there’s nothing wrong with you. You don’t have to love exercise to do it. Once you acknowledge that you will never love exercise, it will help you feel more secure with yourself because you won’t be worrying about others. When someone asks you why you exercise you can focus on your reasoning, instead of your insecurities. Everyone has their own reasons and feelings about exercise.
 
Edited by Ashley Ricks

by the time you're seeing this, this has beeen months ago, fyi. If you want to see the posts when I first put them on my youtube channel, you'll have to subscribe to it and turn on the notification bell! I make a lot more videos than what I post here to the blog.

Weekday Retreat
By Rinn Packard
 
“Imagine that being your reality. You’d never live it down. Which I guess would only be a problem if you lived, period. Hey, you okay?”
          
 Maraeis pulled her attention back to the present moment. Whose voice was that? Oh, Zoe. She liked Zoe. Zoe was the only one in the group who didn’t have a tendency to try and one-up everyone around her. This group treated sharing like the Olympics, dealing in trauma like it paid their bills. Sometimes she wondered if they got off on pity. Maraleis had never quite understood the appeal of being thought of as the best at fucking up. She was content with being mediocre over here in the corner with Zoe, at least until the meeting started.
           
“Sorry, distracted. What are we talking about?”
           
“That singular guy that got the bubonic plague in New Mexico. I mean, how does that even happen?”

“Is the bubonic plague something we have to worry about now? I don’t think I have the mental real estate to take that on right now.”

“What could you be thinking about that wouldn’t come second to the resurgence of the bubonic plague?”

Maraleis’s mother was dying, but that wasn’t the sort of thing a person shared in casual conversation. And even if it was, she barely knew Zoe. She’d trust Zoe to cat sit, maybe. Then again, trusting addicts was always risky. Maraleis’s mother had made sure to remind her of that fact every week for the past four years. That was something she certainly wouldn’t miss.

Quite frankly, there was very little to miss about her mother. If Maraleis were to wrack her brain, she’d come up with only a handful of pleasant memories and a couple cute quirks. Like the way her mother ate kiwis how most people eat apples, for one. Claimed the skin added the right amount of acidity and a complex texture. Whenever Maraleis saw her mother eating kiwis, she’d comment on the similarities between kiwis with their skins on and what she imagined monkey testicles would look like. None of their pleasant memories began with the eating of kiwis. Many of their arguments did.

 Once, when Maraleis was seventeen, they went on a trip to Yosemite together. While hiking up El Capitan, Maraleis’s mother tripped and sprained her ankle, slicing her hand open against a rock on her way down. They sat in the shade of a tree as Maraleis used her brand-new tank top to wrap her mother’s hand. The blood never came out. That pissed her off, but she kept it to herself. Maraleis carried her mother back down the mountain, piggyback style, like an elementary school recess game. To keep her distracted, her mother told her stories about her dad, who at that point had been dead for fifteen years. It was dark by the time they reached their car, and Maraleis almost felt like she knew the man she only remembered from photos. She’d take that sweaty, painful, exhausting hike a thousand times over if it meant she could always feel that close to him. This was the story she told people when they asked about her mother. She never mentioned the fact that she was drunk on the way up and hungover on the way down, and they never asked. Why would they? She tried to forget all the times they were forced to stop so that Maraleis could vomit on the side of the path, and how her mother kept right on with her stories, averting her eyes while Maraleis retched. She tried to forget making her mother drive them home because she could barely see through her headache, and how her mother bled through the tank top and onto the steering wheel, staining that too.

 “Oh, you know. Work is just crazy right now.”

 Maraleis scanned the room, mentally moving down the list of regulars, checking off names as she went. Fatima looked tired. Georgie looked stressed. Quinn looked annoyed, though that might just be how her face looks. Zoe had told her in the parking lot that Quinn had recently fallen off the wagon after two years sober. Maraleis felt for Quinn. Apparently, nothing had happened, nothing serious anyway. Just life, boring and exhausting. Sometimes that’s the hardest part. Looking at the days and weeks and decades in front of you, and knowing you’ll be spending the rest of your life perpetually working to deny yourself of the one thing you actually want. Drinking may have taken a lot from Maraleis, but it never left her feeling bored.

“Can I tell you something exciting?” Zoe whispered to Maraleis, leaning in. Her breath smelled like stale coffee and nicotine gum.

“Of course.”

“I’m pregnant again!”

Zoe did a little celebratory dance, and Maraleis couldn’t help but smile. She thought Zoe was a good mother. A little psychotic, a little paranoid, but loving just the same. Her husband had brought their son with him once to pick her up after a meeting. He waddled his little toddler walk up to Zoe and wouldn’t let go of her leg until she picked him up, laughing all the while. Maraleis only ever wanted a baby when she could hear one laughing.

“Should you be drinking coffee?”

“Let’s get a handle on the alcohol thing first, then we’ll talk caffeine.”

Maraleis raised her own coffee as if to toast, and let it be. She could do a lot worse than caffeine. This was no time to nitpick.

“Congratulations, Zoe.”

Did her mother ever do a little dance whenshe found out she was pregnant? Did she ever imagine Maraleis’s laugh or picture carrying her in her arms? Did she ever let out a little sigh of relief, thinking about how she’d have someone to take care of her as she aged, as she got sick, as she died? Did she ever consider the possibility that her daughter might become her greatest shame, the kind of person that left her at home with a nurse most weeknights to attend AA, the kind of person who couldn’t seem to feel content just being alive?

“Come on, I think it’s starting,” Zoe said, “let’s sit.”

Maraleis followed Zoe’s lead, settling into an old folding chair. She took a breath, felt some tension leave her shoulders. Now, for a little while at least, she could listen to other people’s problems. She could watch someone else’s life fall apart, not her mother’s, not her own. She was happiest here, and as everyone took their seats around her, she found she wasn’t bored. Far from it. In fact, Maraleis felt like celebrating. Perhaps on her way home, she’d stop by the bar. 

NEW RELEASE FROM DREAMING BIG PUBLICATIONS and AUTHOR Jennifer deBie!

AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK FORMAT

​ABOUT THE BOOK: Karissa Dogg grew up eyes open and fists raised on the rough edge of Commonland, a city protected by the superhero and sidekick duo Adamant and Aspect. Born in a neighborhood where heroes never turned up, the supers don’t cross the college student’s mind much until chance leads her to piece together Aspect’s secret identity. Kary would rather spar at the gym and drink with her friends than hang on the fringes of the supers’ lives. However, as the season turns, she finds herself drawn deeper into their shadow world. When new threats rise and girls begin to go missing, Kary finds that her new friends might just need her to step up and become the beating heart of her city’s muscle-bound protectors.

AMAZON LINK:
https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Dogg-Girl-Sidekick/dp/1947381245/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+adventures+of+dogg+girl+and&qid=1600033068&s=books&sr=1-1

REVIEWERS/BLOGGERS/VLOGGERS: Email Kristi at dreamingbigpublications@outlook.com to request your free electronic review copy today!

AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK!

ABOUT THE BOOK: Pelham Hardimann, a cross between David Niven and Simon Templar (or so he thinks), is released from prison in the spring of 1939 as war in Europe looms. The condition of Parole: to deliver scientific secrets to the USA. On his tail: two American gangsters, an old woman armed with knitting needles, a corrupt Scotland Yard detective, and the obligatory femme fatale. On his side: rotund ex-copper Studely, and Mr. W.S. Churchill’s gentleman’s gentleman who has a penchant for Nazi uniforms – and could be a Nazi assassin. Pelham on Parole is an adventurous satire sprinkled with whimsical and philosophical meanderings, filled to the brim with class war, strained friendships, personal demons, and family feuds amidst the burgeoning battle of good against evil – on trains, in boats, and in aeroplanes. Enjoy as Pelham, now an old man, sits at the fireside with you, beer in hand, telling tall tales of his daring-do: some of which may be true, some of which may be filched from movies of the 1940s and 1950s. Allow him his indiscretions, his inaccuracies, and his embellishments. Allow him his moment.

Amazon Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Pelham-Parole-Carl-Plummer/dp/1947381350/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=pelham+on+parole&qid=1600032348&s=books&sr=1-1

BLOGGERS/VLOGGERS/REVIEWERS:  Please email Kristi at dreamingbigpublications@outlook.com to request your free electronic review copy today! There is also an author interview available upon request.