Am I The Only One?

As almost every millenial does, BuzzFeed videos have become how I waste my time when I'm bored. I love the content they create; it ranges from tasting different types of food/alcohol to talking about serious issues like body image. I've seen so many different types of videos, and the body image ones always capture my attention.

One of my favorites they created was when people lived without a mirror/reflective surfaces for a week. As I watched this, it showed me more about the ridiculous amount of reflective surfaces we have in this world. It's quite terrifying. At the end of the video, the women participants discussed how they feel when they look in the mirror. Almost all of them had extremely negative things to say about themselves.

Am I the only one who can look in a mirror and love everything I see?

And why is it that when I say that, the first thought that runs through your head is this: "God, she is so full of herself. She's so narcissitic."

Let me explain why I think this. I was blessed to grow up with a loving family and with a great group of guy friends. When I was a little girl, I was bullied all the time. I was skinny-shamed back in the early 2000s (that's right; it happened then, too) and made fun of my bad teeth. I did have crooked teeth, and I was very skinny; I still am.

That affected me to a point, but the guys I grew up with never once commented on my appearance unless it was in a positive way or there was something in my teeth. Then I realized something. The only people who ever commented on my appearance negatively were women. That's it. Those people were the only people who criticized how I looked in a negative light.

Women, why do we do this? Why are we bringing each other down? Everyone is different. Everyone has a different silhoutte, hair, weight, skin color, skin complexion, smile, everything. Differences are what make everyone beautiful. If everyone looked the same, then life would be so dull and boring.

I am so blessed I grew up with guys who loved me because of my personality and who I am as a person. That's why I love how I look in a mirror. I love every part of my body, from my long legs to my non-existent butt (it's straight flatsville back there). All of these differences are a part of who I am. There's a way that we can have every woman love what they see in the mirror.

Women: STOP SHAMING WOMEN. Let's be honest; a compliment from a man (as a heterosexual woman) does nothing for me. It can be construed as so many things that I honestly can't tell if it's genuine. However, ladies, do you not agree that the only time you compliment another woman is when it's a genuine compliment? Women rarely give fake compliments to other women, because we know that most women tear down physical appearance instead of build it up.

If we change this, then the mirror can stop being something women fear. The mirror can be a place where we can boost our self-esteem and love our bodies for what they are. Let's stop tearing down people because we're jealous. Instead, let's love what we see in the mirror and love being you.

Kut It With the Kardashians

I swear I can't go an hour without getting some garbage about the Kardashian family. Media outlets are turning talentless (mostly) people into CELEBRITIES (I say mostly, because Kendall has talent). Let's go through this family step by step.

Kris: No one knew who she was outside of the wife of Bruce Jenner, an Olympian athlete, and Rob Kardashian, an attorney involved with the O.J. Simpson trial. That's all she was. She became Bruce's manager and did small producing work on small television shows. She then pitched to have her family's lives broadcasted on television in 2007. Coincidentally the same year Kim's sex tape was released....

Kim: She was just known as Paris Hilton's assistant until the sex tape was released. She made millions off that sex tape. Mind you, recent news came out that her mother used the sex tape to help get the Kardashian family famous (***vomits***) and make millions.  That parachuted her into the tabloid world. Everyone then knew her as Reggie Bush's girlfriend. After that, it was the 72 day marriage to Kris Humphries. Then it was Kanye. Then her butt broke the Internet.

Khloe: She was married to Lamar Odom, an NBA player. She's back on the spotlight after Odom was found passed out in a brothel and in a coma for weeks.

Kourtney: She was married to Scott Disick.

Rob: He stay hidden for years. He recently made headlines with an engagement to Blac Chyna (what kind of name is that).

Kendall: She actually does something. She is a runway model who has participated in multiple fashion weeks and the Victoria Secret Fashion Show.

Kylie: She made news because of lips and dating someone well above the age of 18 before she was 18. Also, she doesn't look anything like what she did earlier in the show from the THOUSANDS of pictures that pop up on my timeline (thanks BuzzFeed and Elite Daily).

Bruce (now Caitlyn): He also did something. He was a Olympic champion in the decathlon in 1974. He did multiple endorsements for athletic and fitness gear and equipment. He became a she in 2015 when Bruce came out as transgender and changed his name to Caitlyn. That's what brought millions of people's attention to the Kardashian family.

That's the family that MILLIONS of people are holding on a pedestal. People that capitalize on sex tapes and coming out as transgender. There are pornstars and people who come out as transgender every day, but they're not the center of attention because of their name.

WHAT IS THE APPEAL OF THIS FAMILY?!?! I just don't get it. This family is making millions for not having talent, excluding Kendall. Now that Bruce is Caitlyn, everyone has forgotten about his triumphs and accolades as an Olympic athlete. Now the kids of these people are making headlines and trending all over Twitter. People freaked out when Kim and Kanye named their kids North and Saint. ARE YOU KIDDING ME???

This family of talentless people is making headlines, but the campaign for Sexual Awareness and Prevention Month is barely trending or making any headline. If that doesn't say anything about the priorities of society, then I don't know what does.

Think long and hard before you quote something a Kardashian has said or want to know what they're doing. Spend that time doing something that matters in the world instead of feeding into the drivel that this family spews every second of the day.

To The Friend Who Left My Life

To the friend who left my life:

Remember back to the porch step days, where all we cared about was sharpening sticks? Remember when we used to ride bikes around the block for fun when we actually had a unspoken race? Remember on the rainy days when we would just go for a run to come back, completely out of breath?

I do.

I remember the days when I would sprint up your front steps, through your kitchen, up to your room, just to play Backyard Baseball. I remember when you taught me how to roller blade. I remember when you taught me how to perfect my jump shot. I remember every memory we had, including the bad.

I remember the day you left.

The day you pushed me out of your life. The day where I felt like I lost a part of me. The day you told me the truth. I was heartbroken. I felt like the only person who's been there with me since day one decided that our friendship that blossomed over 15 years didn't mean anything. Instead of fighting, I let you go.

But I still cared.

I would check in with your family to see how you were doing. I was so proud when you graduated from high school and eventually college. I was so happy for you when you got in a good relationship. I was always there for you, even when you didn't want me there.

Until you came to me.

Until that night you finally texted me after four years of the silent treatment. I still question why you came to me. In the back of your mind, you knew that I would always be there for you, through the good and bad, the thick and thin, the beautiful and the ugly, every moment. After that night, we never spoke again. I haven't seen you since. You completely shut me out of your life; you shut all of us out.

I still love you.

Just waiting for you

I know that our futures will collide again. I know that one day, you'll come to realize that what started the fight was so small, so miniscule, so meaningless. After everything you did to me, everything you put me through, every mind game you played, every emotion you brought out of me, I still forgave you. That's how much you mean to me.

I will never forget the memories we've had; you won't either. The innocent days, the carefree years, the days that I will cherish, because that's when you were really you. As you grew up, you changed into something you're not. I hope that's changed.

To the friend who left my life, just know I still think about you. I hope you found the love of your life. I hope you're successful in your career. I hope you figured everything out.

I hope you see this one day.
All I want is the best for you...

To the friend who left my life... I'm only one call away.

This is the Final Definition of the Phrase "Tall Girl"

I am a tall girl, standing at 6'0", and I'm damn proud of it. However, there are some girls who call themselves "tall" when they're 5'9". I need to finally clarify this for all: unless you're 6'0" or taller, you are not a tall girl. How did I come to this conclusion? 

Ladies, you know that a solid chunk of the female population wants a tall man as a boyfriend, spouse, husband, partner, whatever. What are the heights that are used to describe a tall guy? 6'0" and taller. It is RARE (unless you are under 5'6") that women consider a man under 6'0" tall. It just doesn't happen. Why can't that standard be applied to women?

How in the world is 5'9" tall? It's not; you can still wear heels and not tower over 95% of the people in a room. You don't have to shop at specific stores for jeans or pants, because no company in the world makes jeans long enough for women taller than 5'9" (looking at you Forever 21 & H&M). Shouts to Express & New York & Company for stepping up and making jeans that actually hit the floor when I wear them.

I understand why women want to be considered a tall girl. Being tall has fantastic advantages. I can reach the top shelf, I'm the first person people see in a crowd, models want to be this tall, and I don't need to wear heels (unless I wanted to stand at 6'5" and feel extremely powerful and dominant, which happens more than I would like to admit). 

Here's the thing; unless you were blessed with this tall frame of 6'0" and taller, don't consider or call yourself a tall girl. It's quite laughable honestly. Although 5'9" is taller than the national average of 5'5", it doesn't make you tall. So, for all my fellow glamazons out there, let's finally put this discussion to rest and finalize this definition. 6'0" and taller? You're in.

I Did It

Best choice I made was coming here. pic.twitter.com/7R5xiWDIAa

— Karli Bell (@KarliBell33) November 25, 2015

Four years ago, I received a letter in the mail back home in Chicago from Ohio University, saying that I was accepted into the university and into the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Who knew that me making my decision to make the culture change from the metropolis of Chicago to the small town of Athens, Ohio would change my life for the better?

Today, I am an official graduate of Ohio University. I finished my degree in three and a half years and made lifetime friends while I was here. The memories I've made here are innumerable. From spending countless Friday nights in the newsroom for Gridiron to every roommate experience I've had, there is so much I've learned here.

The hours I've spent in the WOUB newsroom is immense. I've met my mentors, some of my best friends for life, and future journalists and teachers that are going to change the world for the better in that newsroom. Every show, every cast, every package, every live shot, every interview, and every game I've been a part of has shaped me in some way.

Now, I'm done with school and will enter the working world. I didn't expect my time here to end so quickly. I'm done with school. That's all I've known for 21 years. I'm going to be honest: I'm a bit scared to enter this new working world without having to worry about a 20 page paper to turn in for a political science course or a presentation for a Spanish class.

I'm not trying to sound cliche, but these were the best years of my life. I've had my trials and tribulations like everyone does, but I wouldn't change anything about my time here in Athens. Anytime I meet a freshman, I always say, "I'm so jealous." They have another four years in the best place in this country. It's become my home away from home. I never thought that I would love a small town as much as I love my big city.

I cannot thank my parents enough for letting me pursue my dream and my future. They gave me all the tools they could afford, supported me when others didn't, and took a huge financial risk on their daughter who wanted to get a journalism degree. That is something that I don't think I can ever fully repay. Even when I do eventually pay off these loans, I will still owe them my life for doing something like that for me.


Thanks so much Ohio University & WOUB for giving me the opportunities and
the work environment where I can grow as a journalist. Thank you to Jimmer, Seth, Baucco, and Lucas for being my mentors. Thank you Allison, Atish, Gabe, and Susan for being great co-workers in the newsroom as professional staff. Thank you to the sports department for becoming a part of my family and creating our own fraternity. I know all of you are going to be great successes one day, ranging from my fellow nine seniors all the way down to the freshmen. Thank you Carter for working with me through every issue and obstacle thrown our way this past semester. I couldn't have done anything without you. Thank you John & Jordan for being the best two friends I could have ever asked for.

Thank you to my roommates Katie, Tia, Madison, and Kristin for being able to deal with me for these past two years. Thank you to all my Fenwick girls (Tori, Izzy, Ashley, Claire, Speez, and Theresa) and the two fellow founders of the broadcast club (Jake & Will). Without you guys helping and pushing me throughout high school, I don't know where I would be now.

I still don't know where I will be next, and it's terrifying knowing that. I've been persistent, sent in bunches of job applications, created my resume, created demo reels and created my own website. Now, it's a waiting game to see what station will accept me to join their newsroom, just how four years ago I was waiting to see who would accept me to join their academic community.

All I can say now? I did it.

Why I Don't Vote

It's November 3rd, which means it's election day. I scroll through my Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, all of it and see hundreds of "I Voted" stickers from my friends. Everyone is "proud to be an American" and loves to "support this great country of mine." Direct quotes from some of my friends' posts. These are also the friends of mine who, just two days before election day, said they were fed up with American policies and want to move out of the country...

While people are standing in line waiting to do their so-called patriotic duty in voting, I'm sitting at work or at my apartment, catching up on work, catching up with friends, and talking to my family. I don't vote. I am one of the millions of people and one of the thousands of millenials who doesn't believe in voting for political figure heads. Here's why:

1) I go to school in Ohio but I'm from Chicago, as many of you know. I will only spend 4 years of my life here in Athens. My vote here doesn't represent the community of Athens or the surrounding towns in Athens county. The students are here for only a short time. Why should we put in our voices in this legislature when, by the time a policy will be recognized, we will be long gone? It's pointless.

2) People ask why I don't do absentee voting. Yes, I've spent my entire childhood and teenage years in Chicago, and I will always love my city. However, I'm not there now. My voice means nothing there, seeing that I spend a combined 3.5 months in the city throughout the year. Why vote when I'm not getting the benefits of the vote? Let the people who are spending years in the city get their voice heard. (But let's be real, even those people don't get their voices heard because of Chicago corruption. Good ol' Chicago).

3) Let's say you're voting a representative/senator/congressional leader/alderman whoever into office. If you think about it, politicians don't ever adhere to what you want; they only appeal to what their donors want, since they're the ones giving them money. They're great public speakers because they know how to use words in a way where they never answer a question outright. It's very easy to manipulate the general public with beautiful, flowery language.

4) I honestly don't care enough. All politics do anymore is create gridlock. Policies are rarely passed, laws are either ridiculously broad that they don't do anything or crazy specific to target a miniscule demographic, and they create great television ratings. Why waste my time to study an issue that will not get through the House in at least 5 years? I can spend my time doing more important things, like job hunting, writing articles, working on campus, or spending time with my family.

With all the political issues and division that has been created over the past four years, you really think voting is going to clear it up quickly? You're naive if you think that. There has been more division in this nation over the past year than I can recall. So you all can have fun being "patriotic" and then go bashing the nation not even an hour after you vote. Spend hours waiting in line to cast a ballot. I'll spend my time watching the Bulls and preparing for some MACtion.

Why I Chose My Career Path

As I sit here in my apartment, I'm thinking back on this past May and the hardship my family went through losing my Grandma Bell. Grandma Bell was the biggest Chicago Cubs fan you could have ever met. She would rather watch baseball over football. I don't think she ever missed a Cubs game in her long 78 years of life. Even in her final days, she would want the game on.

It's now October, and her Cubbies are making moves in the playoffs. They're making moves to the World Series. I keep thinking about how she said the only tattoo she would ever get is when the Cubs would win the World Series. I know right now that she is sitting up in Heaven with Grandpa Bell, watching every Cubs game with her Cubs blanket and giant mug in hand.

This type of fandom and story is why I got into sports. Sports do so much more than one can fathom. It's not only entertainment, it's something that allows people to step away from the hardships of life for a brief period of time and watch a game/match. It unites people together in a way that words really cannot describe. It causes friendly rivalries and brings strangers together without violence or harm. Getting stories out there like this and like so many others where athletics helped create a path for someone is what the world needs.

This is why I do what I do. People constantly question why I decided to put myself in thousands of dollars in debt to go to an out of state university for a journalism degree. My answer is always this:

"Sports journalism is way more than a stat line. It's more than a record or a championship. It's about the people in sports that makes sports journalism so great. For some people, athletics was the only way they could have received a college education. For others, athletics helped them find discipline and escape a bad neighborhood or a bad homelife. Sports could have helped give a disabled or sick person joy during their time of grief. Sports is the only thing that can unify the entire world for a short amount of time and forget about all the conflict and hardship. It's the only thing that can bring people from all races, genders, incomes, religions, ethnicities, ages, and neighborhoods to cheer someone on. What else can do that?"

People seem to forget that sports is so much more than entertainment. For myself, it's been a tremendous part of my life. I grew up playing sports constantly. I have plenty of guy friends who were athletes as well when I was younger who taught me the game. Gender was never a factor when they taught me the game of basketball, how to catch a football, how to pitch, or how to steal bases. It was something that we all enjoyed, and we all wanted to improve together, differences aside.

Sports gave me an outlet to create new friends from different backgrounds and cultures. Sports taught me a tremendous amount of discipline and how to respect authority, outside of what my parents taught me. It was also a way for me to stay active, and it was fun. I would play against my friends in rec leagues, and we would challenge each other on the court. If anything, sports helped strengthen the friendships I now currently have over the last 10 years.

What sports have done for my family is amazing, specifically my brother. Sports gave him a way to meet some of his current best friends. It gave him an outlet to relieve stress in a very healthy manner. Football taught him discipline, teamwork, and mutual respect for your fellow teammate on the gridiron. You can't learn that from a book.

Yes, sports are a form of entertainment. But it's also a sub-culture of our own world. It's its own entity that your fellow fans can understand. It's something that can formulate and change someone's outlook on life, on their career, their education, and their personality.

Although I am a White Sox fan, cheers Grandma Bell. Congrats to your Cubbies. Keep on wearing your bright Cubbie blue as I will continue to spread your story and everyone else's story on my journey as a sports journalist.