Hi Everyone!
Update: I revised my intro because after looking back at it in the later weeks, I felt like I went too deep in my persona analysis. Also, I don’t think I did a very good job of telling you all about myself.
My name is April Lopez. I’m half Filipino and half Puerto Rican. I was born in Lawton, OK but was raised in Junction City, KS. I’m currently in my third year of college, majoring in Biochemistry.
My hobbies include staying fit and watching anime. Right now, my personal best for squatting is 155 pounds which I never thought I could do considering where I started. For my 21st birthday, my dad bought me my very first belt so now I’m always pumped to do squats! The picture below shows my first time using the belt and it felt amazing.
Me Squatting at Sarkey’s
Source: April Lopez
To dive a little deeper into my history, I always felt weak so one day, I decided to change that. Initially, I went on a fitness journey to look good. I wanted to have a butt as soon as I could. I always felt bad when I couldn’t go to the gym. After going through this journey for some time, I’ve learned to accept the state that I’m in currently and to be consistent. Since I was young, my dad has been one of my biggest inspirations when it came to health and fitness. My dad used to be a body builder back in the day so I ask him for help when I need it. When I was starting out in the weight lifting room, my dad showed me helpful exercises and proper form so I owe it all to him. There’s something about being able to lift weights that’s empowering.
Interestingly, I started playing the cello in the sixth grade by joining the school orchestra. My initial interest for the cello and orchestra deepened into a lifetime passion so I continued playing up until college. During my sophomore year, I joined OU’s Civic Orchestra where I met such talented musicians. I do have to say that joining the civic was extremely intimidating at first. The music was beautiful yet difficult. When we sight read, I had zero clue how to play any of it yet, many of the other players were doing a fantastic job at sight reading (sight reading is my weakness). I love playing so much that I decided to continue with my Piano II class this semester.
My First Civic Concert
Source: April Lopez
The last aspect that I should address is my love of anime. I’ve been watching anime since I was in elementary school. Seeing anime blow up on social media makes me happy yet a little defensive just because it wasn’t it “cool” back then. I remember when my classmates thought it was weird when I brought manga to school too. Twitter wants to say that people who liked anime before were bullied because they did the famous “Naruto run” but to be honest, I never did. Do I want a cookie? Yes, I would love a cookie, thanks. Besides, I think people thought I was weird because of my vampire obsession. You can bet that I was obsessed with Vampire Knight! *cringe*
Anyway, some of my favorite older animes are Cowboy Bebop, Inuyasha, Death Note, and the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Some newer anime that I’ve watched and actually enjoyed are Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia which are super mainstream; both of them are extremely good so I understand why they’re mainstream. To be completely honest, My Hero Academia was the first anime to make me ugly cry; it was the fight scene between All Might and All For One. Seeing All Might be pushed into his weaker state yet still fight completely broke my heart. While I watched the episode, I was sitting in the Union as waterfalls was streamed from my eyes.
Alright guys, that’s it! I hope this updated intro gave you a better understanding of who I am as a person.
If any of you guys would like to have a conversation about anime, please hit my line.
If any of you guys would like some advice regarding the gym and fitness, please knock on my door.
If any of you guys would like to know more about my pageant, please leave a comment! (I will post links to in my recent blogs)
You win for most intriguing Intro title that I have seen so far, April: yay for slim thick; I had never even heard that term before. I am short and fat but very bouncy nonetheless. My inner bounciness is strong, ha ha. Maybe for this class, you will be interested in learning about yoga: it is a great body tradition, and also a spirit tradition... plus there are many connections between yoga and the epics. Some of the positions are named for characters you will meet in the stories, like Hanuman Asana, named for the wonderful monkey-god Hanuman in the Ramayana. And that anime story is SO COOL. Maybe you will see some chances to do anime mash-ups where you take plots and/or characters from the anime world to blend with plots and characters you find in the Indian stories. Mash-ups are great because you have the characters and plot elements right there... but you never know what will happen until you mix it up and see what takes shape. And, of course, you could use beautiful anime art for illustrations too. Yay for fan-fiction and fan-art too! :-)
ReplyDeleteHey April, love the blog name. I am a huge fan of cryptids, cults, conspiracy theories, and anything weird. It is fun to learn about these things, so I am a big fan of the reference to aliens. I have never done bodybuilding, but I had to work out a lot for football and add muscle mass. I also am an anime fan, I have not seen much of Inuyasha. I have only watched a couple episodes of it. Love Cowboy Bebop, and my favorite is Tenchi Muyo: War on Geminar. It is my favorite mainly for nostalgic reasons. Huge fan of the fantasy and sci-fi genre and I have written some, but have never gotten into fan-fic. Nice to meet you.
ReplyDeleteHI April!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Lauren that your title might just be the best i've seen so far haha. I know for girls social media is a dangerous place because of all the unrealistic expectations that are put out there. I also fell into the desire of wanting to look good for other people, and ending up losing an unhealthy amount of weight. On a lighter note though, Dragon Ball Z is one of my all time favorite things to watch. I've never been much of an "Anime Fanatic," but I do love me some Dragon Ball Z. Continue to be okay with yourself, and being consistent, and everything works out in the end! I might just go start watching some anime now!
Hi April, your introduction is amazing! I laughed so hard. I’m just now starting to work on weight lifting and am really nervous about it because I have no idea what I’m doing. It’s supposed to help me though so I’m going at it hard. I like anime too but all the really cheesy ones. My personal favorite is Fruits Basket (The old version). I got into anime by watching Sailor Moon originally back when I was in middle school. I think it’s great that you are working so hard and have so many goals! Eating right is something that I struggle with as well. It's nice to meet you! - Jillienne Kirkpatrick
ReplyDeleteApril,
ReplyDeleteI'm speechless. You have some insightful thoughts that made me stop and think- people are like plants and that personal growth only occurs over time. I too have fitness goals. I feel that as a college student fitness goals are just really difficult to reach. If I reach my fitness goal but do poorly in class, I'd be pretty upset with myself. Yet, I am more than willing to accept doing well in school but not being able to reach my bench press goal. That said, little improvements, like you said, are really comforting to see.
I know nothing about anime. I think the closest I've come to anime would have to be Pokemon? According to my roommates, Avatar the Last Airbender doesn't count as anime, but I enjoyed that show too. Thoughts?
It's nice to meet you!
Hi April! I am so happy to meet you. First of all, I think you've done a wonderful job of not only introducing yourself but also filling your intro with some important life lessons. Working toward a healthy body type is important, but not when you do it solely to impress others or for social media. Thank you for being so vulnerable with your story. I don't know too much about Anime, but I loved learning more about why you like it!
ReplyDeleteHi April,
ReplyDeleteReading your intro made me so happy. As a kid, I was always underweight and struggling, but then after years of dance and gymnastics, which I did to keep my ADHD at bay, I got a figure I wasn't expecting. It's always nice to come across another slim think girl! I'm so glad you were able to stay true to yourself the whole way. Also, my boyfriend is currently obsessing over Cowboy Bebop with his brothers, and after your glowing recommendation, I think I'll have to give it a watch!
Hi April!
ReplyDeleteI have taken many women and gender study classes and have written papers about how much social media influences our lives and our appearances. Sometimes for the good and sometimes the not so good. I love how open you are with the class about yourself and I love getting to know you as a person and as a writer! I hope to see some Anime inspiration in your future stories.
April,
ReplyDeleteAs you said, I did reread the title a couple of times to make sure I had done so correctly, but I appreciated your description of it. I agree with you on the negative effects of social media, although I suppose on occasion it can be a positive motivator for people in their lives. I enjoyed your thoughts on the importance of being consistent. I think a lot of people prefer to be spontaneous and different, but I don't think that's something that comes naturally to people. I've never been an anime reader myself, but given how passionate you are for it I might have to give it a look. Good luck this semester!
Hey April! I think in a lot of ways we share a similar struggle. Reading your story has made me realize that we all share a bit of a struggle, no matter how glamorous we think things are. I think what separates each individual is what we do about it. As a male, I struggled with weight for a long time. At one point I was 6'0, 135 pounds; and that was definitely the brunt of many jokes. We just have to make the best of the situation we're given so keep your head up!
ReplyDeleteI grew up with DBZ! I used to get so amped hearing those Toonami commercials that would air right before the episodes with that epic announcer-such fond memories. It's funny though, as I was reading I was thinking about mentioning my favorite anime: Cowboy Bebop. It's such a great show.
It's a bit corny, but as a young boy I think some of these shows taught me some of the most important important lessons. When I was describing DBZ to someone who never seen it I said, "Trial through pain and growth through struggle." Thanks for sharing a small bit of your story April! I found it refreshing!
WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS. -Spike Spiegel
Hey April!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved your introduction! It captivated me from the very get go and drew me in. I have always wanted to get into better shape than what I am at now and I think you might have given me the inspiration to do that! Going into the anime fanatic I must say that I also like some anime! Dragon Ball Z was my first love, then it went to Digimon, Yu-Gi-Oh and so on. Your descriptions are so well done I can visualize everything you say about anime! I hope you have a great semester!
Hi April!
ReplyDeleteYour first sentence made me laugh so hard because you were so right! I did read the title twice to make sure I read it correctly. I really liked what you said about learning to be ok with yourself. I also appreciate you sharing your passion for anime. I don't much about it myself but your summary of Inuyasha was really interesting. Good luck with the rest of your semester!
Hi April- thanks for the honest introduction. It's awesome that you were so willing to share parts of your journey with us. I just read one of your stories and you seem like a great writer. I'm excited to read more. Also, I was a bit of an anime nerd-but I liked stuff like Sailor Moon and Fruits Basket- I've watched a bit of Inuyasha and I enjoyed what I've seen! Have a great semester and good luck on your fitness goals
ReplyDeleteHaha Hello April,
ReplyDeleteI guess first things first, good job on writing such a nice hook. The instant I read the title, I knew I had to read more of your introduction. I like how much personality it had! I watched a lot of anime growing up too with my personal favorites probably being Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto. Anyways you seem like a really cool person; good luck with the rest of the semester!
Hi April,
ReplyDeleteI found your introduction so interesting and revealing. I think it is awesome you have a passion for staying fit, especially since your inspiration is your dad. Congrats on getting your first belt, that is such a sweet present. I have never gotten into Anime but I think it is awesome it is something you really enjoy! Good luck with the rest of the semester!
Hey April! Your title gave me a good laugh. I think that it is awesome that you are so inspired to live a healthy lifestyle. I started working out again consistently for the first time since high school this semester and it has really made me happy. Eating healthy really is the biggest struggle though. Fullmetal Alchemist is one of my favorite anime shows so I was really happy when I saw that in your post. Best of luck the rest of this semester!
ReplyDeleteI have seen some really good anime and I would out Fullmetal Alchemist in that list. Blue Exorcist and Hellsing are really good too and I'd suggest them if you haven't seen them. There's also a series on Netflix called Castlevania which is really good too. Just some suggestions for more things to watch if you haven't seen them. And hey keep up the hard work and you will surely reach your goal.
ReplyDeleteApril! I also would like to say that your introduction as well as the title was something that was striking, especially in the eyes of the reader. You've chosen a very difficult yet interesting major in biochemistry, and that is something that I'm very impressed about. I don't know a single soul on campus that is one, and it's refreshing to see that you are one of them! I can't imagine how hard the classes might be, but from your story, I can tell that you are an especially strong person that has come a long way from who you were before. We don't know each other personally, but I can say that I am very proud of you. I look forward to seeing you more this semester.
ReplyDeleteHello April. Your title definitely made me do a double-take! It was funny though and made me laugh. I work out almost every day, so I can relate to your struggles of trying to reach your fitness goals. I don't watch anime, but one of my best fiends does. She says that all the animes you listed are great ones and that you have good taste. I look forward to reading your writing this semester!
ReplyDeleteHowdy April,
ReplyDeleteThis is a wild intro, just wild. First off, I love Cowboy Bebop – that show is so influential even outside the world of anime. I’ve really only seen that, One-Punch Man, and read a decent bit of Junji Ito (who’s wild). I understand the plight of focusing on lower body – I race bikes and that’s almost entirely lower body, so the upper body atrophies. If you’re needing a fun way to build upper body and functional core strength, I’d recommend rock climbing; there’s a gym on Flood that’s pretty affordable. It’s a blast and really destroys the upper body – let me know if you’d be interested or have any questions about getting into climbing.
Hello April! Ugh, our goals of having a fit lifestyle match up almost identically. I'm also a third year and have been trying to get into a well-developed workout routine since freshman year. Knowing so little about what to work on, how to work on it, and what else I have to do to get the results I want, I've definitely come a long way, but still years away from my ultimate goal. We want the same body type, and I can certainly relate to you on the social media influencers. Honestly, we should be workout buddies. Haha! Good luck on your journey - in college and in the gym. 2020 is our year!!!
ReplyDeleteHi April,
ReplyDeleteYou are so impressive! Biochemistry is something I don't even think I could attempt! As for the gym, that is so awesome and I think you are an example that with determination and hardwork, anything can be achieved. I also try to get to the gym everyday, but sometimes it's a struggle to motivate myself to go. Do you still play the cello? I think knowing how to play an instrument is so cool.
Hiya April!
ReplyDeleteI am always happy to meet another biochemistry major. SO impressive! Also, I love your intro. I have always felt similar feelings regarding being weak, but never had the courage to actually start working out. Maybe one of these days, I will! That's so cool that your dad used to be a bodybuilder. My dad was an electrical engineer, so I only got math haha. I hope Miss Asian thing works out despite the coronavirus!
Hi April,
ReplyDeleteCool name! I think it is super cool that you play cello and have played in an orchestra! I love orchestra music and I think it is so cool that so many people can play in sync to create amazing pieces! I have always been fascinated by the musical scores of movies and video games that I play.
Hi April
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool that you started to get in the gym but I think it's even cooler that your dad used to be a bodybuilder. Ive always wondered what the life of a bodybuilder is like and how much time they spend in the gym. I'm personally not a big anime but I have seen Attack on Titan so at least I can say I've seen one anime show. It was nice to read your page enjoy the rest of the semester!
Hi April,
ReplyDeleteMy wife loves using the term, "slim thick" so I had to share with her the title of your introduction and she loves it! I am also a chemistry major, just a little different. I like to hear about how your dad was your biggest inspiration, mine has always been my mother. Its great how our parents have always pushed us to be the better version of ourselves since day one! Your intro was very well written and described you great. Good job!
Hi April,
ReplyDeleteI like the creativity of your blog's name where it is "April's perspective" throughout. Really cool to hear about your journey and development in the gym. I was planning on getting into a workout routine after during spring break at Sarkey's, but with all the gyms closed for now with covid it looks like it will have to wait a little bit to get started.