wazz-up (Wa sup) : stemmed from “what’s up” as an initial greeting regarding the general well-being of the person.

Wazzup?! I’m Tara! Whether pronounced “tah-ruh” as I do or “tare-uh” as most people without quote-un-quote “New York accents,” I’m the same girl. Preciously perched atop the Pocono Mountains is my home in what is considered Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania. During our first session with speaker Brian Lamb of C-Span, he asked me if I knew who Jim Thorpe was. Though it may seem uncommon for people to know who he is, I don’t deserve the “4.2 on the scale 4” he gave me. Living in a town that is named after someone obligates teachers to constantly summarize his life. For those who were bored and inattentive during that portion, Jim Thorpe was an athlete that was deemed the “Greatest athlete in the world” by King Arthur V for his excellence in various sports and in the Olympics. He never stepped foot in our town alive. His body is buried and memorialized at the base of the town for visitors to visit. Me, I’m disinterested. I am the portion of the town who is not “native.” My family is from Brooklyn, New York where my heart truly resides and apparently my voice reflects. Many of my new friends when first meeting me have asked, “where are you from….I would have guessed New York.” Though my response is always Pennsylvania, I cannot hide the roots of my family. But whether you say “Wazzup?” or “What’s going on?” we’re all here for the common purpose.