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Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift: Total BFF Alert!by Hilton Hater at . Comments
To borrow a line from a certain supermarket tabloid: Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift, they're just like us!
Earlier this week, the singing superstars took a break from touring and recording to simply hang out like a couple of regular pals. They played guitar, they baked cupcakes and they shared their day with fans on Instagram:
"Because you need a best friend [that] sings beautifully, another best friend to dance with you and another to listen," Gomez wrote along with the photos. "Oh and cupcakes. . .Cupcakes!"
Last year, Selena shared a story with Ryan Seacrest about how Swift showed up at her house with junk food and made her feel better about a big break-up.
"I feel very lucky to have her in my life," Selena said of Taylor.
While she and her famous BFF were chilling, meanwhile, boyfriend Justin Bieber was overseas talking about his penis.


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~ Reference for Morrisseau's collectors and investigators
Significant Collection of First Nations Art
@ Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario
"Onaman Legend", © 1978 Norval Morrisseau
/The HELEN E. BAND Collection - Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario/
The significance of the Helen E. Band Collection lies in the early dates and excellent quality of the works. Focusing primarily upon the 1970's and early 1980's, this collection features works by all of the major First Nations artists active during this seminal time period. A comprehensive survey of the Woodland School of painting can be found in the early works of Norval Morrisseau, Manitoulin artists such as Daphne Odjig, Blake Debassige, James A. Simon MISHIBINIJIMA, Carl Beam and Angus Trudeau, and Northwestern Ontario artists Carl Ray, Saul Williams, Goyce Kakegamic, Joshim Kakegamic, and Roy Thomas.
In 1994, the estate of the late Helen E. Band donated 138 artworks by 42 First Nations artists to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. This collection complimented the already well-established collection of Native art at the gallery. The daughter of Toronto art collector, Charles S. Band, renowned for his collection of paintings by members of the Group of Seven, Helen Band understood both the need for specialization and the importance of acquiring the best work available. She began her collection in the early 1960's choosing Indian art as her focus. Although this was then regarded as an unconventional collecting direction, she was able to share her interest and enthusiasm with a growing number of other collectors in Toronto. Maclean's Magazine, in an article in the 1960's referred to the times as "the renaissance of Indian art."
Helen Band collected wisely and well. In 1992, she passed away suddenly at the age of sixty-nine. Her passing away was a great loss to the Canadian art scene. The impact she had on the perception and acceptance of Native art, on the artists themselves and on collections is most significant. The Helen E. Band Collection remains as tangible evidence of her dedication to contemporary First Nations art.
Note: To see some of the works from the Thunder Bay Art Gallery's Helen E. Band Collection click HERE (Thunder Bay Art Gallery) & HERE (University of Toronto's Justina M Barnicke Gallery/Hart House).-
* The image in this posting: "Onaman Legend", 53"x52", © 1978 Norval Morrisseau /"Helen E. Band Collection" of the Thunder Bay art Gallery, Thunder Bay, Ontario, CANADA/
Saturday, July 2, 2011
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Tie Rack With Race Horse "Big Red", which refers to "Man O' War", it is made of syroco and is in very good condition with a minute edge chip.15 3/4" long and 5" tall. Great piece of racing memorabilia.
16 other shoppers have this item in their Cart or Wish List
Collectibles from vintage to Victorian and everything in-between.
Antique dolls, accessories and collectibles from Victorian to vintage.


text: Home > Business Uniqlo to raise prices - source Kyodo Posted at Jun 10 2014 09:33 AM | Updated as of Jun 10 2014 09:15 PM Share Save Facebook Twitter GPlus LinkedIn TOKYO (UPDATE) - Uniqlo will raise prices for upcoming autumn and winter garments by about 5 percent, a company source said Tuesday, as the apparel chain owned by Fast Retailing Co. tries to offset adverse effects from rising raw material costs and a weaker yen. The move by the maker of affordable clothing, which has realized low prices with a business model incorporating all production processes from design to final sale, may prompt its competitors to follow suit and suggests Japan is moving toward exiting chronic deflation. The price hike for new products to be marketed from this summer reflects growing costs of raw materials such as cotton and wool, the source said. The weakening of the yen, which has dropped against the U.S. dollar and other major currencies since last year on the back of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic stimulus including monetary easing by the Bank of Japan, has also affected Fast Retailing through expensive imports of its own products made in other countries such as China. The company aims to ease any impact on consumer sentiment from the price rise by upgrading the quality of its products. It plans to expand the lineups of jeans and other trousers using a stretch fabric as well as outerwear made to retain heat, the source said. Uniqlo earlier forwent a price hike by rigorously cutting production costs. But it believes higher raw material costs will continue for the time being. Existing products not subject to the price hike will go on sale at reduced cost. Fast Retailing logged a 4.1 percent increase in same-store sales of Uniqlo brand in May from the same month a year earlier, the seventh straight monthly growth, on solid demand despite the consumption tax hike from April in Japan, which raised the levy to 8 percent from 5 percent. The company earlier said it sees little impact from the tax hike on its businesses, an assessment that may have pushed the company to decide on the price rise. Uniqlo has seen the brisk sales of its UT T-shirt brand. Recently, it launched a new service, UTme!, to let customers design their own T-shirts by using smartphone and tablet computers. "Suteteko" summer underwear, which revived the traditional long, thin design favored particularly by older Japanese, and AIRism innerwear using advanced fibers to ensure comfort have also seen strong demand, according to the company. Fast Retailing had 849 Uniqlo stores in Japan and 534 abroad at the end of February. Its group sales stood at 1.14 trillion yen ($11 billion) for the year through August 2013, topping 1 trillion yen for the first time on record. ==Kyodo Share Save Facebook Share on Twitter GPlus LinkedIn Read More: japan Tokyo Uniqlo Fast Retailing Co /news/03/22/18/mungkahi-ng-mga-taga-boracay-kaniya-kaniyang-linis-ng-bakuran/news/03/22/18/philippines-plans-marine-base-on-northernmost-island/business/03/22/18/smc-japanese-glass-makers-joint-venture-gets-nod-to-expand/blogs/opinions/03/22/18/boundaries/sports/03/22/18/football-azkals-survive-fiji-scare-in-international-friendly


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Concordia Captain Told Costa Ship Was in Trouble, Corriere Says
Francesco Schettino, captain of the Costa Concordia vessel that ran aground a week ago, told magistrates that he spoke to Costa Crociere SpA 10 times to tell the Carnival Corp. (CCL) unit what had happened, Corriere della Sera reported.
Schettino said he spoke to the person responsible for the crisis unit and asked for helicopters and tugboats because he thought the damage could be repaired, according to the Italian newspaper. He said he started to prepare for an evacuation and didn't want to cause panic, according to Corriere. Schettino also told magistrates he thought the vessel would be pushed closer to the shore where it would have been easier to disembark, the daily newspaper reported.
Schettino's lawyer and Grosseto's prosecutor didn't answer calls seeking comment. Costa Crociere declined to comment beyond Chairman Pier Luigi Foschi's remarks made on Italian state television yesterday.
To contact the reporter on this story: Armorel Kenna in Milan at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Sara Marley at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Dan Stone, host of Orlando's Sound Opinions on WTKS, dropped by the back stage area at the Van Warped Tour recently and asked the Jimmy Eat World fellas a few questions. Find out how the boys are dealing with the success of their amazing new record Bleed American, and how they currently feel about their old label home.
Source: Dan Stone (Orlando) email@example.com


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in Park City, Utah
When Melanie decided to open a massage and bodywork practice in Park City, she wanted to create a business name that embodied something that was important to this town that we had grown to love. When she researched the history of this town, the answer became clear to her.
In its early days, Park City was a mining community. The discovery of silver brought people from all over the country to Park City and the town flourished with crowds of miners and wealth from the mines. One of the mines that was most important to this boom of people and wealth was located within Jupiter Mountain. It was due to the success of this mine, where more than $400 million worth of silver was discovered, that Park City survived and avoided becoming ghost town like so many other mining towns. The Jupiter Mountain silver mine became one of the most famous mines in the world during its time and spawned the fortunes of those who made sure that this town would become what it has become; an amazing destination where people from everywhere visit.
We are proud to share our name with a peak that was integral in the development of this city that we love.
Melanie is the owner of JMM and a graduate of the Utah College of Massage Therapy and has practiced massage since graduating from UCMT in 2007. Melanie is a passionate therapist who enjoys working with all types of athletes to help them achieve both professional and recreational goals. Her specialties include sports & injury bodywork as well as relaxing Swedish massage. Melanie excels at customizing and tailoring each massage to bring about the best results for her clients.
5532 Lilliehammer Lane
Suite #200
Park City, UT 84098
Call for an appointment at 435-962-3662, or book online:


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Tom Smart/The New York Times
Even as we detail Black Friday madness (fave quote: shopper Moragot Bodhavamik crows "I mean, a $20 printer. It's not going to get any cheaper than that." You can say that again, Moragot. Have fun buying ink for that baby!), total buzzkill David Lazarus tells us that "Image is everything — no, wait, profit is".
Apple Computer, for example, is seen by many as being synonymous with creativity and iconoclasm. To affiliate oneself with Apple, in turn, is to tell the world that you, too, are a creative force and an iconoclast…Apple's ads have depicted it as a company that knows how to "think different." In fact, it does business pretty much like everyone else.
Wait, Mr. Lazarus — what are you saying about the self image of my fellow Culture Blogger, Mark Morford? In a recent column, Morford said "Apple has actually managed something quite radical for a tech company: They have not merely changed the world, they have actually improved it."
Do I sense a Chronicle face-off brewing? This is a tough matchup: Morford does a lot of yoga, but Lazarus lifts. I'm stumped. Exciting!
OK, OK, I dig both their arguments. It sure is fun to get new stuff, especially when it's as sexy as, say, my new 80 gig iPod (you can look but you can't touch). But, yeah, I have to echo Lazarus'"Are we really this dumb?" and not just within the context of brand and personal identity. Are we really this dumb, that we have to line up in front of stores like cattle every Friday after Thanksgiving? I know, I know, there are great deals, but how many of us are in the market for a 20 buck printer?
What about you? Are you out shopping today, or are you hiding out? Are you in it for the deals, or for the sexxy brand names? Who would win in a fight, Morford or Lazarus? Spill your guts in the comments.


text: Sven won the Florentine fight, then Edward won the great weapon fight, and then the combatants tested each other's mettle in a long sword and shield fight where Edward proved victorious. Edward won this Crown after reaching the finals in two other Crowns in the last two years. He wins for Mora, who is known very well for her work in the Combat Archery field and as the only Combat Archer in Caid to hold the grant level armored combat award for her skill in Combat Archery.


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The latest U.S. pedestrian death and injury statistics, as released 2012.
Pedestrian Deaths in 1995: 5,585
Pedestrian Deaths in 2010: 4,280
Reduction in pedestrian deaths between 1995 and 2010: 23 percent
Pedestrian Injuries in 1995: 84,000
Pedestrian Injuries in 2010: 70,000 (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts)
Reduction in pedestrian injuries between 1998 and 2009: 17 percent
The total cost of pedestrian death and injury among children ages 14 and younger is $5.2 billion per year (Safe Kids Worldwide).
69 percent of pedestrian killed in 2009 were males.
Almost three out of every four pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas (72 percent).
The top four states for pedestrian fatalities are California, Florida, Texas and New York. These four states make up 41 percent of pedestrian fatalities nationwide while only accounting for 5 percent of the total traffic fatalities across the country.
Nearly one-half (48 percent) of all pedestrian fatalities occurred on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (16 percent, 17 percent and 15 percent, respectively), and 70 percent at night (4 p.m.-4 a.m.).
36 percent of the 354 young (under age 16) pedestrian fatalities occurred in crashes between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Safe Kids Worldwide via The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, www.walkinginfo.org


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How to use WPScan WordPress Scan Kali Linux Vulnerability Scan + Snort Rule Example
Running a wordpress site means that you have to always be on the ball when it comes to updating your plugins, themes and wordpress itself. It is a good idea to scan yourself on a regular basis using simple Kali built in tools such as wpscan and sqlmap. You don't have to be too intrusive… Read More »


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Book for more than 20 people, please contact us directly
Pickup info
No applicable. Make your way to the top of Table Mountain by a cablecar or hike up the mountain.
Booking notes
* Operates daily basis between 09:30 am and 03:00 pm weather dependant
* Overall experience will take about 45 min to an hour.
* Once clients are back at the top, they take the cable car back down (Return Cableway Ticket needed - not included on the fee). Cable car fee is ZAR225 - ZAR250 return per person at Cableway ticket office.
Step off the top at over 1000 meters above sea level and abseil into pure oblivion and indulge in the world's original highest commercial abseil, surrounded with the privilege of awesome views of the city of Cape Town, Chapmans Peak and the deep blue Atlantic of the Camps Bay and Clifton coastline at your feet.
Abseil with us today - we guaratee you an experience you will never forget.
Operate on a daily basis weather permitting between 10am and 3pm. Overall experience will take about 45 min to an hour.
Included in that time frame is demonstration of the Abseil, putting on the equipment, doing the abseil and a short hike to get back on top of the mountain.
From relaxed (low) to ones where you need to be fit to join in.Low
No surprises here. These tours/activities are those most anyone can do if they are fine with fairly flat walks and getting in and out of transport.Medium
Like to be active, even very active, but not pushed too far. This is the one for you.High
These tours/activities require you to be very fit. Probably not suitable for children.
No applicable. Make your way to the top of Table Mountain by a cablecar or hike up the mountain.
Table Mountain
Make your to the Table Mountain cablecar station. Guide will meet with you at the Table Mountain cablecar upper station.
Step off the top, at 1000 metres above sea level, and rappel into pure vertical space. The abseil is down for 112m thereafter there is a short hike to get back to the top of the mountain.
Clients will have to make their own way to Table Mountain cablecar upper station or can contact us to book a transfer.
* A RETURN cable car ticket is required per person
* Abseil Equipment
* Expert Guide
You will Need To Bring
* Sunscreen
* Comfortable Shoes
* A healthy dose of insanity
* Transport to the Table Mountain can be arranged on clients request.
* Price excludes the cable car fee


text: my boyfriend was exposed to trichloroethylene/phosgene at work, we can not get the doctors around here to do anything-proactive or supportive. Several doctors have stated flat out that trichloroethylene can not cause symptoms that are exibited because it was an anesthetic. This trichloroetheyle is used as a degreaser in a heated vapour metal degreasing application. It is the constant heating that has degraded the trichloro into phosgene which is what caused the exposure damamge.it has been more than two months since exposure, and boyfriend is still hoarse and experiencing brochial pain. Has anyone else dealt with this how do I find a doctor who can listen to what i am saying and read the information on this chemical?:confused:Reply Follow This Thread Stop Following This Thread Flag this Discussion


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DePauw University's Valarie Ziegler Receives Exemplary Teaching Award
January 15, 1998
January 15, 1998, Greencastle, Ind. - Valarie H. Ziegler, DePauw University associate professor of religious studies, is one of 65 professors nationally selected to receive an Exemplary Teaching Award from the General Board of Higher Education Ministry of the United Methodist Church. Members of DePauw's Student Congress nominated Ziegler for the award which includes a $1,000 stipend. The award is intended to recognize outstanding teaching at Methodist related institutions of higher education.
"Professor Ziegler, with her sense of humor and broad base of knowledge, makes her classes interesting and fun," Katharine S. Heldt, student body president, said. "We nominated Professor Ziegler because she is very student oriented. Students feel very much at ease with her, and she is very approachable."
A member of the DePauw faculty since 1995, Ziegler teaches courses in the areas of History of Christianity, American Religions, and Women and Religion. She received a bachelor's degree from Centre College in 1976, Master of Divinity from Yale University in 1979, and doctorate from Emory University in 1987.Back


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(i) Magnetic field due to an imaginary magnetic pole (Pole strength m): Is given by B=F/M0 also
(ii) Magnetic field due to a bar magnet : At a distance r from the centre of magnet
(a) On axial position,
If l<
(b) On equatorial position:
(c) General position: In general position for a short bar magnet
When a bar magnet is left free in an uniform magnetic field, if align itself in the directional field.
(iii) Potential energy:
Angle made by the dipole with the field)
Solved example 1: A magnet of magnetic moment M and pole strength m is divided into two equal parts, then magnetic moment of each part will be
Solution: (B) If cut along the axis of magnet of length l, then new pole strength m'= m / 2 and new length l' = l
New magnetic moment M'=(m/2)l=ml/2=M/2
If cut perpendicular to the axis of magnet, then new pole strength m' = m and new length l'= l/2 .
New magnetic moment M'=m(l/2)=ml/2=M/2
Transtutors is the best place to get answers to all your doubts regarding magnetic field and bar magnet in magnetic field with solved examples. You can submit your school, college or university level homework or assignment to us and we will make sure that you get the answers you need which are timely and also cost effective. Our tutors are available round the clock to help you out in any way with magnetism.
Transtutors has a vast panel of experienced physics tutors who specialize in magnetic field and can explain the different concepts to you effectively. You can also interact directly with our physics tutors for a one to one session and get answers to all your problems in your school, college or university level magnetism homework. Our tutors will make sure that you achieve the highest grades for your physics assignments.
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May Morris(1862-1938), Designer and craftswoman; daughter of William Morris
Mary ('May') Morris
Sitter in 60 portraits
Artist associated with 1 portrait
Born on the 25 March, William and Jane's younger daughter Mary was always known as May. As an artist-craftswoman she specialised in embroidery, also designing wallpapers for Morris & Co. and taking a leading role in the Arts & Crafts Movement. Examples of her jewellery can be seen in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Active in the Socialist movement with Bernard Shaw, Eleanor Marx and Ramsay Macdonald, she was also a keen theatre-goer. May later edited her father's Collected Works, and maintained Kelmscott Manor in his memory.
by May Morris, after J.S.C. Schaak
etching, (circa 1763-1764)
Family Tree
Related People
- Emma Morris (née Shelton) (grandmother)
- Jane Morris (née Burden) (mother)
- Jane Alice ('Jenny') Morris (sister)
- William Morris (father)
- Henry Halliday Sparling (husband)
Tell us more back to top
Can you tell us more about this person? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter's life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.
If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service.
Please note that we cannot provide valuations.
We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
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Conservation appeal
Help us conserve a portrait of a female adventurer, poet and medical pioneer


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- Silk twill
- Made in Italy
- Dry clean
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The Met's charming hippopotamus statuette (ca. 1961�1878 B.C.), molded in a ceramic material made of ground quartz, demonstrates the Egyptian artist's appreciation for the natural world. Beneath the blue-green glaze, the body was painted with the outlines of river plants, symbolizing the marshes in which the animal lived. Since its arrival at The Met in 1917, "William" has been a visitor favorite. Our whimsical tie celebrates this beloved figurine.
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The law firm of Wohl & Fruchter LLP is investigating the proposed
acquisition of National Interstate Corporation (NATL) (Nasdaq:NATL) by
Great American Insurance Company (GAIC) pursuant to an unsolicited
tender offer.
GAIC presently owns approximately 51.7% of the outstanding shares of
On February 5, 2014, GAIC announced a tender offer to acquire all of the
outstanding shares of NATL stock it does not already own for $28.00 per
share in cash.
On February 18, 2014, GAIC raised its offer to $30.00 per share in cash.
On February 19, 2014, NATL filed a Schedule 14D9 with the SEC (News - Alert) advising
that the NATL Board had determined to express no opinion, and to remain
neutral concerning GAIC's offer.
That same day, Mr. Alan Spachman (Spachman), the founder of NATL and its
former CEO, filed a separate Schedule 14D9 recommending that NATL
shareholders not tender their shares to GAIC on the ground that GAIC's
offer "is a brazen attempt by a majority shareholder to force minority
shareholders of the Company to sell their Shares at a price that is
unfairly low, pursuant t a flawed process orchestrated by the majority
shareholder, on terms which are designed to be extremely coercive and
with inadequate disclosure to the public holders of Shares." Spachman
has alleged, among other concerns, that a majority of the NATL Board is
conflicted due to prior or existing relationships with GAIC and its
An article published on Seeking Alpha on February 19, 2014, argues that
GAIC is using an "unfair informational- and timing- advantage to push
through an opportunistic transaction on unfair terms."
Wohl & Fruchter's investigation concerns the fairness of the
consideration being offered to NATL shareholders, the adequacy of the
procedures adopted by the NATL Board to respond to GAIC's offer, and
whether GAIC, as a controlling shareholder, has breached its fiduciary
duties to minority public shareholders.
Persons with relevant information, and NATL shareholders with questions
about this investigation, are invited to contact our Firm by calling
866.833.6245, or contacting the attorney below.
Additional information, including the Schedules 14D9 filed by NATL and
Spachman, is available at http://www.wohlfruchter.com/cases/natl.
About Wohl & Fruchter
Wohl & Fruchter LLP represents plaintiffs in litigation arising from
fraud and other fiduciary breaches by corporate managers, as well as
other complex litigation matters. Please visit our website, www.wohlfruchter.com,
to learn more about our Firm, or contact one of our partners.
This release may be deemed to constitute attorney advertising.
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ITEXPO: January 28 - 31, 2019 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
IoT Evolution Expo : January 28 - 31, 2019 | Orlando, Florida


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Phoenix Suns Haven't SetMarch 26, 2009
As devout a Mavericks fan as I am, I'll also admit that, because of natural ties to Arizona (I served an LDS mission in Tucson, as many of you know), I kind of hope for the Suns to do well at the same time.
But since there appears to be just one Playoff spot between Dallas and Phoenix, I have to hope that the boys in purple and orange finish short.
In all likelihood, they probably will, but no one can belittle what the Suns have done, especially this week.
In victories over the Nuggets and Jazz in front of raucous crowds at the U.S. Airways Center, Phoenix has made some great theater for NBA fans lucky enough to tune in.
From Jason Richardson's emergence as a go-to threat to Grant Hill's renaissance, this club has truly been an inspiring story for broadcasters and viewers alike.
Thanks to my All-Access membership at nba.com, I can tune into various broadcasts across the league, and I often choose to center my Internet radio on Al McCoy on KTAR out of Phoenix.
The man has been a staple of Maricopa County broadcasting since the Kennedy administration but still has a childlike exuberance when he calls games. He's particularly excited that new stars, such as Jared Dudley and Alando Tucker, care developing.
Now, if my Mavericks can hold serve, they'll be in the postseason while Phoenix does no more than look on. With that said, fans in the Valley have to be ecstatic with the new direction of the team under Steve Kerr.
I expect Kerr to continue moving players, as Amare Stoudemire will likely be allowed to leave in the offseason. For whatever reason, as Gambo of KTAR's "Gambo & Ash" astutely stated, the Suns appear to be better without Stoudemire in the lineup.
Of course, Phoenix, whether they make the Playoffs this season or not, must find ways to improve itself as the Western Conference promises to be just as strong next season.
In any case, in an NBA season which has already been tons of fun, I'd like to congratulate the Phoenix Suns for making things even more intriguing.


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I met Anne Johnston '19 during cross-country pre-season and was immediately interested in her stories, especially about her adventures volunteer firefighting. Weeks later, I reunited with this fascinating freshman to learn even more about her unusual life and hobbies.
What was your high school like?
High school was definitely a good experience. We had 1200 kids at our school. I was a runner for 11 seasons and a field hockey player for one. We weren't very diverse, which is why coming to Williams is definitely really neat and a shocking experience at times. I think I spent most of my time in the fire department during high school.
What were you doing in the fire department?
I joined the fire department when I turned 16, so sophomore year of high school. I spent around 20 to 30 hours a week down at the fire house. I started as a junior probationary member. When you turn 18, you become a regular probationary member and get voted in for your full membership. I got my Fire One certification this summer. Our town is 100 percent volunteer, so you go to carbon monoxide alarms, you go to fire alarm activations, motor vehicle accidents, basement fires, chimney fires, whatever.
Have you gotten involved with the fire department here?
I have applied and if everything goes well I will be in [this week] and I will be working there 24/7, just like at home.
So if you are in class or something?
If it goes off, I go to the call. It is a lot of balancing. If a call comes in at 2 a.m. and you have an exam the next day, it is kind of hard to get yourself out of bed. I have timed myself and it takes 3 minutes and 7 seconds to bike from Mission to the firehouse so it is going to stink in the middle of the winter when it is snowy and icy and cold. So I am going to get on the truck with the driver and then we meet the rest of the firefighters on scene.
Wow. That's great. Do you want to continue to be a firefighter for the rest of your life? Is there a difference between volunteer firefighters and career firefighters?
Yes, as a career, I do. Yeah so volunteer firefighters are usually on a 24/7 basis where they have to respond to a certain percentage of calls. They have a side job, they have families, it's kind of just whatever. Career [firefighters] are most likely found in the cities and that is their full time job. They run shifts of 24 hours where they live at the station and they can't do anything but firefight for those 24 hours. And they are going to see much bigger, crazier stuff. In a small town like here or Darien we never really needed the whole career fire department, but in the cities you definitely do because they are running about 3000 calls a year. Unfortunately, most departments don't hire girls, so it will be a matter of where I can get hired.
Is it because of sexism?
Well … the fact that you have to pass a physical test before being able to apply and most girls can't pass that. They have like a 30 percent passing rate, while males have a 90 percent passing rate. And the other [fact] is that they are just not used to having girls on the job.
What is the test like?
The physical test was probably the most physically demanding thing I have ever done. You get 10 minutes and 20 seconds to do a series of eight stations, which are hose dragging, dragging a 165 pound mannequin, you have to go through a maze, you have to use a sledgehammer, you have to carry saws, you have to raise a ladder, lower a ladder and while you are doing all that we had 75 pounds of weight on us. And then you have to do a stairmaster for three minutes. When I passed, everyone was shocked. I was like, I want this really badly.
Why do you love firefighting?
So most people's first answer would be volunteering. My first answer would be the adrenaline. I actually wrote my college essay on it. About the adrenaline junkie and [that] is what most firefighters are. It is the idea of never knowing what you are going to get. You prepare for firefighting, you prepare for the basics. You go over about anything you can see, but a fire is going to change everything. So I love the unknown. I also love getting up at four in the morning and driving to the fire house. It is like you are on a mission. You get down there and everyone is wide awake and everyone is screaming. And then the brotherhood. It is actually called the familyhood now because I am there. But everyone just cares so much about each other and we are so supportive. You have each other's backs in the fire but also outside of the fire. We are checking in every day. You spend a lot of time and you go through a lot of strange experiences together like tight spaces, panic, fear. But then there is the idea of just giving back to the community that I think is great. I love giving back to people that come to see the firehouse. It is amazing to see how little they know about the firehouse. And knowing that every little thing I am doing is making a difference.
How did you end up at the College if you knew you wanted to firefight?
I definitely wanted the full college experience and I realized that going to a fire school wasn't really that. I looked at a lot of schools. I fell in love with the running program here and then I just love the mountains and the outdoors and everyone is just so laid back and willing to help. It's not just like you are competitive with your peers. How I see being here, because there are no fire classes or anything related, is to sort of just widen my perspective and sort of expand my general knowledge. I am taking the most random classes ever. Africana studies; women's, gender and sexuality studies; Spanish and math.
What has been your favorite part of Williams so far?
Embracing my Argentinian citizenship. I have dual citizenship. In my hometown, no one really spoke Spanish and, at my house, my mom always tried to encourage us to speak in Spanish, but we were always so embarrassed by it. My mom's whole family is down there in Neuquen, Patagonia. But here everyone is so proud of where they are from and we have a boy in our entry who speaks Spanish so we speak Spanish to each other all the time. You see a professor and I just start speaking to him in Spanish … It is definitely really cool to say I am an Argentine, I am a firefighter and I can say I am a Williams student.
Have you hiked in Patagonia a lot?
All the time. We go twice a year. That is definitely the highlight of my year.
Is hiking a big part of your life?
Hiking is definitely a big part of my life. Hiking and skiing, so that is why I love the mountains and Williams. I have skied just about every ski resort in the U.S. I have like five to check off on my list. And then we go down to Bariloche and Neuquen in Argentina every summer and my greatest accomplishment would be hiking Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, which was definitely super fun. I did that sophomore year of high school with my aunt. My aunt was the first Argentine woman to climb Everest. She thought it was a breeze.
Are you planning to climb any of the other Seven Summits?
I am hoping actually for one of my Winter Studies to go down to Aconcagua, which is the South American Seven Summit and the actual hiking season for it is January to February. And then Mount Elbrus in Russia. Those will be the next two I want to do.
Do you eventually want to climb Everest?
I have debated it. I want to, but it has become such a touristy, commercial thing recently that it is like who can pay the most money and who can get up. The weather is always so unpredictable. My aunt climbed it and said she would never climb it again. It is sort of like a one and done, so we will see.