Fish Out of Water

Being someone who enjoys staying at home with a good book and a hot cup of tea, I thought heading to the San Jose Bar & Grill for their “$2 TWOSdays” would be a good “fish out of water” challenge for me.

I had never been to a bar and grill before, but I knew what the atmosphere was like because of movies and television shows.

I arrived around 11 p.m., music blasting and bar filled with mostly white and Mexican college students.

It was dark, smelly and loud — how could people even see each other and have a conversation?

Although it wasn’t too crowded, there was very little walking space because the actual bar was in the middle of the entire room.

There were rainbow disco lights flashing around the dance floor, but everyone was sitting at or standing around the tables on the opposite side of the room.

Nobody headed toward the dance floor until about an hour later.

I was extremely disappointed when I was told there was no “grill” in the bar.

If a place is called “San Jose Bar & GRILL,” shouldn’t they offer food?

When I left the bar, I saw someone preparing tacos on my immediate left.

It was then I realized that the grill was outside while the bar was inside.

Anyone that wanted food had to exit the bar and order his or her food outside.

This meant that if someone wanted to return to the bar, he or she would have to wait in line to be carded again.

What an annoying process.

The one thing I learned during that night was that walking out of a bar with an open cup of water is not a good idea because police could easily believe it is filled with alcohol.

I chose this bar because my roommate entertained the idea and thought it would be fun to see what happens since I’ve never been out with her before.

Overall, it was an interesting experience but I would prefer to be at a restaurant where I can order drinks, eat food and be able to talk to my friends at the same time.

Word of the Week #10

1. garish
2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
3. "The factions are gone, but this part of the city has more Dauntless than any other, recognizable still by their pierced faces and tattooed skin, though no longer by the colors they wear, which are sometimes garish."
4. obtrusively bright and showy; adjective
5. Her garish necklace caused her to stand out among the sea of candidates.

Classmate Profile

Heather Miller, a 20-year-old San Jose State University student, has always held dancing close to her heart.

At the young age of three, she noticed her next-door neighbor leaving and coming back from dance practice and wished she could do the same.

It wasn’t long until she joined the Orange County Dance Center in hopes to satisfy her longing to become a dancer.

As she grew older, her passion grew stronger.

After spending so much time with the OCDC, she knew that she made a good choice in her decision to dance.

She continued to work harder as if every day was her last day dancing.

However, she knew she had to leave eventually to start higher education.

“It was hard leaving them because they were like my other family,” Miller said.

Miller had been dancing with them for 15 years.

When it was time for her to choose a major at San Jose State University, she decided to be reasonable and choose broadcast journalism because dance would be too competitive.

She may enjoy her undergraduate career, but it would be incredibly hard to make it in the world of dance.

Although dance is not her main focus at SJSU, it doesn’t stop her from finding other ways to do it.

Alpha Xi Delta, her sorority, has a philanthropy that allows her to show-off her talent for a good cause.

“Heather is a such a determined person,” Callie Miller, Heather’s mom, said. “Joining Alpha Xi Delta has really helped her grow into a great and strong woman.”

However, Miller had not always been comfortable with putting herself in the spotlight.

Without dance, she would not have the confidence she has today.

“When I’m dancing on stage, I can’t see the audience because the lights are shining on us,” Miller said.

“But when I danced on my high school’s dance team, we could actually see the people and their reactions.”

As well as studying broadcast journalism, she is still pushing on toward minoring in dance.

“Dancing is something that you can’t really lose,” Miller said. “Your passion will be with you your whole life.”

Her roommate and friend, Mary Knezovich, said that Miller is always smiling or dancing whenever she sees her.

Miller’s goal in life is to work with the NBC Today Show in New York and become a Radio City Rockette on the side.

“You might as well dream big,” Miller said.

Word of the Week #9

1. exonerate
2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
3. "'All you have to do is come up with a lie that will exonerate both Christina and Cara, and then tell it under truth serum.'"
4. declare someone free from blame for a fault or wrongdoing, especially after due consideration of the case; verb
5. If Joe is innocent, the court will exonerate him.

Word of the Week #8

1. surreptitiously
2. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
3. "Afterward, when we all take our seats, I surreptitiously wipe my hands against my pants."
4. in a secretive manner; adverb
5. Jill surreptitiously snuck into her sister's room to take her leather jacket back.

Word of the Week #7

1. disparities
2. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
3. "As much as possible they try to avoid any huge disparities in intelligence, temperament, social background and age."
4. the conditions or facts of being unequal, as in age, rank, or degree; differences; noun
5. Although we have many disparities, our team bonded very well together.

Mystery Character

I am 5 feet 5 inches tall and weigh 108 pounds.

I have blue eyes and I wear makeup.

I used to have long brown hair, but I traded it for a pixie cut.

Sometimes I wear my hair as a mohawk or in tiny pigtails.

I don’t like to wear clothing but when I do, it is revealing and quite controversial.

One of my more popular outfits is my grey teddy bear leotard.

I sound a bit nasally when I speak.

Compared to other females, I have a low voice.

I like to stick out my tongue in pictures.

I have nineteen tattoos, but the majority of them are small in size.

I don’t wear my engagement ring anymore.