I was leaving work during the last week of my summer internship and I felt an overwhelming thump in my chest. After listening to the voicemail a few times, I realized that I wasn’t dreaming. I landed the job.
So here I am, fresh meat. My name is Nicquel – Niki for short – I’m a journalism sophomore and I like working here at The State News.
While most of my friends hate to write, I have a passion for it. I’ve lived for it since childhood and I could have probably written most of my clips in my sleep.
But that’s not all I do. There is more to my life story than writing five-page diary entries a night and writing the longest papers out of all the students in my English classes.
I’m a movie star at heart.
I spent most of my adolescence watching movies and longing to have a life like the roles the actresses played in my favorite movies.
During my junior year of high school I remember trying to emulate Paris Morgan (Christina Milian) from “Love Don’t Cost A Thing.”
Paris had the beauty and popularity that most teenage girls dream to have in high school. I wanted to be a shining star and I wanted the nerds to drool over me like they did for Paris in the movie. I wanted it all.
By the time I finished high school, I had lived up to my Paris Morgan dream and now it was time to turn a new fantasy into a reality.
The good-girl days were over – I was going to college and I discovered a new persona.
Coco (Meagan Good) was charming and she had the attitude and demeanor of a bad girl in “Waist Deep.”
She was a hustler and worked with O2 (Tyrese) on a “Bonnie and Clyde” type of mission to collect the ransom for his son – kidnapped by the Outlaw Syndicate.
I watched Coco rob banks and break into houses and wondered what it would be like live my life on the run from the police, making criminal moves. It all seemed so adventurous and I was amazed.
But this particular fantasy was unrealistic for a woman of my character and it would only complicate my college career. It’s always good to imagine, though.
Besides daydreaming about living the life of a fictional role in a movie, I admire actresses who stand out from others.
Julia Roberts and Gabrielle Union are phenomenal.
Roberts stars in my all-time favorite romance movie, “Pretty Woman,” along with numerous other films I could spend an entire day watching.
Union is the perfect actress for the spiteful-but-successful-woman role in movies.
She draws men toward her in films with a viscous attitude that couples with her striking beauty.
Most college students spend their Friday nights partying until they pass out. And while I join them on most occasions, just relaxing in my room and watching my favorite movies would be a fun night for me.
But you only go to college once. I have my entire life to watch movies.