DM I Media Stories, Fall/18

     

    What I hold in my hand is an item that I carry with me every day and I always will. This card case holds a special place in my heart because it was a gift from my best friend. Khalid whom I have been friends with since middle school gave me this card case about a year ago and I have been carrying it around ever since. I love this card case because it is easier to carry around and I never liked the Bifold bulky wallets. Most importantly it has my initials engraved on it.

     - Hamed Mazrouai

     

     

     

    I carry this every day with me - it's my brother's credit card. I come from Pakistan, a land in the Far East, where people similar to me reside. I came to the US a year ago with my brother helping me settle in this new environment. I landed in DC pretty confident, with my brother, and traveled the east coast with my touristy curiosity. Soon, he dropped me to LaGuardia Airport in New York to travel to Cedar Falls, alone. He gave me his card and told me to remember that I was never alone. 

    - Farhan Amjad

     


     

    I chose to wear one of my favorite flannels in my portrait. This flannel is one of my favorites because my Mom gave it to me as a gift a few Christmas’ ago.  This flannel quickly became one of my many favorites. I love wearing it in the fall/winter. Every time I wear it, I’m reminded of when my Mom gifted it to me on Christmas. 

     

    Gabby Bookin

     

     

    The item I brought is a photo of my dog Duncan who is a thirteen year old golden doodle. When I did senior pictures I had some taken with Duncan because he is my best friend and simply a beautiful creature. Duncan had a brother named Dasher who passed away a couple years ago and I have a photo of him on my fridge as well. I miss my dog often so having several pictures of him on my fridge makes it easy to see him when I want. 

    Jake Darling


    My name is Maia Giles. I am a freshman at UNI and my something special was my ADPI shirt because I recently joined Alpha Delta Pi. I was beyond excited to join a sorority even before I stepped foot on campus. 100 years running, my family has been a part of greek life and I knew it would be the perfect place for me to make lasting memories and lifelong friends. I chose Alpha Delta Pi because when I stepped into the house for the first time, it felt like my home away from home. I am a out of state student and my mentality was joining greek life would create a bond here on campus between my parents and I since they were so involved when they were in college. So far, Alpha Delta Pi has gone out of their way to make me feel welcomed and love. I couldn’t imagine a better student organization to join right off the bat. I am so excited for where the future takes me with ADPI.

    - Maia Giles

    I decided to use my watch for the portraits because it is currently, and probably will be for awhile, the most sentimental item I own. Last year I chose to do and experience something new, I moved out to Seattle for school. Right before I left my mother gave me a gift, a light brown leathered watch. Immediately I loved the unique, classic look of the watch but I had no clue how impactful that gift would truly be for me. Many times in Seattle I was just a lost kid trying to make his way, but whenever I missed home I could always look down to my left as a little slice of it existed on my wrist. It’s traveled quite a ways with me and always serves as a reminder of where I’m from and where I’ve been.

     

    Spencer Feinberg

     


    The item I took in was a corn necklace I got from the least day of my summer job.  I won it in a student staff competition that involved finding a hat on farm equipment. I brought it in because it is a nice memory of what I did and who I affected at my job. It’s a memory of what I personally accomplished.

    Marco Perla

     

    The item i brought was my pick, it is something I really value. I always have it with me and it is something I can always count on having. It is something that never fails me. It makes me look good and feel good. It was always something that made me stick out because i sometimes walk around with it in my hair.

     - Kavieon Hughes


    I chose to wear the shirt I did because it represents my faith and the object of it. As

    a Christian, I have received new identity since, several thousand years ago, Jesus

    came to earth, lived and died here to bring redemption from sin and to secure a

    place for me (and for others who believe) in heaven after death. The fact that

    someone died that I might live gives me a reason to live in a way that shows

    gratitude for their actions. I have faith that this is truth, and because of that my life

    is forever changed.

    - Allison Mazzarella

     


     

    The objects I chose to represent me were the bracelets I’ve worn since my freshman year of college. The first one (which is usually hidden under the second one) is bright yellow and says “BELIEVE,” a bracelet my mom got for me on move-in day my freshman year. It reminds me to believe in myself, believe in the future I can potentially manifest, and believe in those who believed in me. The second bracelet say’s “WEST OAHU SUP,” which is a surfboard rental company in West O’ahu, Hawai’i. While the company itself has no significance to me, this bracelet reminds me of literal paradise, which is really helpful in these dreadful Iowa winters.

    Jason Wells

    My name is Aashita Singh Vadhera. As an international student (India) to come here to the United States, I had to say goodbye to the most important people in my life. I miss them dearly everyday, and so my personal item in a pendant of Lord Shiva (Shivji), my mother's favorite. My pendant serves a s a constant reminder of who I am and where I come from. It reminds me of my parents, my brother, my cousins and all my family, scattered across the world. It might seem silly but its an item that gives me strength and courage as it gives me the feeling that Shivji is always by my side.

     

    Aashita Vadhera

     


    The shirt I wore for this photo is important to me because it has a strong message that I wholeheartedly agree with. The shirt says " Love Thy Foreign, Homeless, Prostitute, Imprisoned, Disabled, Gay, Straight, Transgender, Enemy, Blue Collar, White Collar, Old, Young, Black, White, Lonely, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Atheist, Male, Female, Racist, Addicted, Rich, Poor, Liberal, Conservative, Different from you, _______ Neighbor." I think this portrays who I am as a person, and I think that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness, regardless of who they are. If more people took on this viewpoint, this world would become a better place.

     

    -Ellie Taylor