Meredith had always dreamed of visiting Los Angeles, but what happened while she was there was unimaginable.

Now, before I tell the story, you’re going to need a little bit of background information.

You see, Meredith had just graduated from The University of Alabama with a degree in Nursing, and before she got busy giving shots and saving lives, she wanted to have one last hoorah. With that being said, she and her family packed their bags and headed to Los Angeles. While there, they were fortunate enough to get their hands on a few Ellen tickets, just enough for the four of them. (Now, what I am about to tell you, you aren’t going to believe, so I have kindly enough attached the video for further proof.)

Anyone who knows Meredith would agree that she is quite possibly the luckiest human being to walk planet earth, so what happened during the show was of no surprise to her family and friends.

I could go on, but I’ll let Meredith tell the rest.

From well-known sites, such as: Ellen TV and Popsugar, to the local newspaper, The Montgomery Advertiser, Meredith’s publicity skyrocketed, and her social media presence hit an all time high; and with over 500,000 views on YouTube, it’s safe to say that this Ellen experience was an extravaganza.

Oh, Homecoming Week. Possibly the busiest week in all of Troy University’s school year. One event in particular was called “Around the World in One Meal.” Not really understanding the concept, I decided to take my phone and head down to Troy’s Dining Hall and see what the buzz was all about.

Tis the season for candy corn and ghost stories, the latter being my favorite. Rumor has it that a few buildings on Troy’s campus are haunted. For example: Shackleford, Pace Hall, and Claudia Crosby, just to name a few. Maybe it’s because of my slight obsession with the popular television show “MythBusters,” that I took it upon myself to bust the supposed myth of ghosts on Tory’s campus.

Sadly, after my ghost hunt, I must say that this myth is not busted, rather proven.

Location: Shackleford Hall

Synopsis: The top floor is haunted by the ghost of Sally Shack, a young college girl in distress, who committed suicide in the attic.

Location: Pace Hall

Synopsis: What is now known as the “international dorm,” used to be the “sorority dorm,” where many sorority girls resided. One night, a few girls decided to play with an Ouija board to channel spirits. When a bad spirit entered the room, an exorcism had to be performed.

Location: Sorority Hill

Synopsis: All of the sorority houses on sorority hill used to be orphanages. Rumor has it, a young child was murdered in the downstairs bathroom of the Phi Mu house.

If you are still a skeptic, take a look at the websites below for more evidence of paranormal activity on Troy’s campus.

For evidence regarding Shackleford and Pace.

For evidence regarding Sorority Hill.

If you secretly want to be on ghost hunters, or if the paranormal interests you, visit the circled spots on the map above for a good spook. But, you have been warned, so enter at your own risk.

For another point of view, and more proof regarding paranormal activity on Troy’s campus, head on over to http://7livesleft1.blogspot.com/?m=1.

Like a Ferris Wheel, the fair too, comes around slowly.

Growing up, the fair was always something I looked forward too each fall, and as I have gotten older, that feeling hasn’t changed. Whether you like the fair for its deep fried… well, deep fried anything, or the poorly constructed rides that make you nauseous the moment you step foot onto solid ground, the smell of livestock mixed with buttered popcorn never seems to leave your senses, no matter how old you get.

I recently took a trip to the Pike County Fair in Troy, Alabama, and am not ashamed to say that I was kicked off of the carousel for being “too tall.” Now, as a 5’3, 20 year old female, I don’t know whether or not to take that as a compliment or an insult, but if I’m being optimistic, I’ll say it was a compliment.

Enough of my rambling, I’m going to give you some information regarding the Pike County Fair itself. It opened this past Tuesday, October 4, 2016, at the Pike County Fairgrounds, and will continue nightly through Saturday, October 9. I spoke with James Henderson, a member of the Troy Shrine Club, who sponsors the fair each year, who said that gates open at 6 p.m. and remain open until the last person leaves.

Aside from the rides, the Pike County Fair offers exhibits of handmade and homemade items, and a newly renovated cattle barn featuring pigs, cows, horses, and chickens.

For more information regarding the Pike County Fair, you can visit their Facebook page.

Make sure to leave a comment below telling me what you thought about the Pike County Fair this year, and how you think they can improve.

Troy Shrine Club/Pike County Fairgrounds

Today, I took a trip down to the career fair on the hunt for a job. Like many other students, I had my resume in hand, and smile on my face, eager for the future. Below you can watch my Facebook Live video where I explore my career options.

The city of Troy has been on watch after a recent clown scare. I went live on Facebook to keep viewers updated. Click the link below for more details.

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsamantha.kocan.1%2Fvideos%2F10207195538147277%2F&show_text=0&width=400“>Facebook Live Video

I’m sure that everyone has had trouble finding a parking spot. Well, for Troy University students, it’s a daily dilemma. I wanted to show my viewers, who don’t go to Troy, what we deal with on a daily basis, and hopefully get the word out that something needs to be done to alleviate this problem.

Growing up, I always wondered what it took to put a television show together. Now, that I’m in the field, I want to show others what takes place behind the scenes.

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I signed up for Mobile Journalism. For my first assignment, I was told to make a video showing the beauty in nature. As you can see in the attached video, I had a variety of shots ordered: wide, medium, tight, tight. While there is not much sound, it was my first time shooting and editing a video solely on my iPhone, and to say the least, I was pretty impressed.

Four years ago, Katie Moore, a junior at Troy University, lost her cousin, Cade Hall, to an All-Terrain Vehicle accident. In remembrance of him, she got a tattoo as a permanent reminder of the impact he had on her life. The words “Stay Happy” are written in black ink on her  wrist, and if you look closely, you’ll notice that the word “happy” is in a different handwriting. That’s because it’s Cade’s.