Hello everyone,

For those of you who do not know me, I am a rising junior at American University in Washington, DC, majoring in Business, Language, and Culture studies. My interest in popular culture began with my interest in music back in middle school. I soon became an avid follower of Billboard magazine to track how songs performed on various charts. While I was a musician throughout high school (I played the trumpet), my relationship with music was based less on performance and more on how it reflected my life at that particular point in time.
My initial attachment with music laid the foundation for my interest in observing our interaction and understanding of other forms of media. While I do not share the same emotional attachment with music as with video games, movies or music, I do feel there is something worth reflecting on how our society grows and changes with them. A few times a week, I will post on various topics relating to popular culture. Most of the time these posts will be related to a recent book or article I have just read. The topics will be varied - from standardized tests to music to Pokemon - which I hope will make SmartPop more enjoyable for everyone. And although I look forward to posting my observations and opinions, I also look forward to reading what everyone else has to say. Feel free to disagree with me on everything! I already feel that a blog devoted to analyzing Popular Culture will spur some debate. Nevertheless, I look forward to hearing everyone's comments!