Coe Review Poetry Release 2011

Ann with her cake

So a few posts ago I mentioned Coe Review had its publication release for our poetry issue.  It was also the student sendoff for Ann, our poetry professor.  It was a lovely affair, lots of people attended, and Ann loved it.  The event was held in the PUB.  We had coffee, crackers, cheese, fruit, and a small sheet cake for Ann (which she LOVED).  The main event was the reading; Coe students published in the issue read as well as Ann.  I think my favorite moment was when Ann wanted a picture with her cake because she hadn't had a personalized cake since she was ten.  It was so adorable I couldn't stand it.  Miss Haley was there taking photos, some of which I'm including.  As usual, they are fantastic and some of them will end up on our newly revised website which we hope to have up and running in the beginning of the spring semester.  I'll include a link once we are up.  The issue turned out beautifully; I'm incredibly proud of it.  

On tap for next semester: I'll be the managing editor of the magazine again.  It's our fiction issue so we'll be reading some fantastic stories and I can't wait to see how it turns out! 

The Coe Review Staff

Finals. Conquered.

So bright and early on Saturday morning I took my History of English Literature final.  It went really well and then I headed back to Murray to finish some last minute packing.  Alison P. and I loaded up the car and had a celebratory brunch at The Breakfast House Cafe.  The stuffed french toast was AMAZING.

After a lovely brunch, it was time to hit the road and return to Wisconsin.  Goodbye Coe and Cedar Rapids, I will return in three weeks!

Although I'm on break, that doesn't mean my blog will be on break.  I'm planning on doing an overview of the First Year Seminar (FYS) program as well as putting some new features on my blog.  Stay tuned!

Happy holidays!  Glad you're reading my blog.

Hailley

Study Break & Blogging Party!

After a long day of finals, I needed a break before I continued to study for my History of English Literature final.  I had a conference at the Writing Center with my friend, Rina.  We've been having lots of conferences this semester and she's probably one of my favorite people to conference with.  She is always super enthusiastic about her papers and wants to do everything in her power to make them better.  Then fellow blogger Ryan Rey and I had a blogging party and I helped him figure his way on Blogger.  He's working on being a better blogger.  I ended my night with another round of Ultimate.

Today I've got studying to do along with laundry and packing.  I can't believe I'm almost done with my first semester of my sophomore year!    

Annual Writing Center Gingerbread Competition

So if you remember from last year, the Writing Center had its holiday party and we had a gingerbread competition.  This year, we grabbed our graham crackers again for Round Two.  Our gingerbread house had a theme this year: BEOWULF.  Yes, Beowulf.  If you haven't figured it out, I love Beowulf.  A lot.  And with Alison P. on my team, Beowulf had to be done.  So we created Heorot, the mead hall Beowulf arrives at to defeat Grendel.  We even made mead benches!  Hehehe :)  Our hard work paid off and we won Best Gingerbread House Construction.  Check out the picture!

 

One Final Done!

My finals schedule moved around a bit and I ended up taking my Introduction to Psychology exam this morning at 8.  It went really well; I will most definitely miss the class next semester. 

I work in Admissions for the final time this semester later today and then I've got my Cultural Studies final exam at 2 PM.  I can breath on Friday and prepare for History of English Literature (which I'm taking on Saturday).  I also need to start packing, do last minute laundry and say goodbye to my friends who are leaving anytime from this afternoon to Sunday.  I'm ready for break.

More updates later this week! 

10,000 Pageviews

Another big accomplishment for my blog.  Get ready for it!  10,000 pageviews.  Basically that means that my blog has been viewed 10,000 times.  WOAH. 

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  This is such a wonderful way to start my finals week.

Reading Day: Fall 2011

Yesterday was a super busy and productive day.  It started out with my trekking over to the Writing Center to work on my portfolio for Cultural Studies.  Two hours later, I turned in my copy to Dr. Bob.  Then it was off to Admissions for work.  Once my shift was over, I went to Brewed for my final meeting with my Writing Fellows.  It was a bittersweet meeting.  Sad in the fact that I won't meet with them again (because I did enjoy working with them) but nice at the same time because I'll be back to working regular hours in the Writing Center next semester.  From Brewed it was to the PUB for the Coe Review Publication Release Event.  It went super super super well.  I'll blog more about that later, I promise.  Our floor had a pizza party for dinner and it was nice catching up with the girls and eating pizza of course.  Psychology was studied later that night in Stuart with my tutee and his friend.  We got a lot of good studying done.  My night finished with two hours of Ultimate -- a perfect way to unwind.

Finals Week Has Finally Arrived!

Well, today is the last day of classes for this fall semester.  Tomorrow is Reading Day (aka a day full of studying) and finals officially start on Wednesday.  Here's what my week looks like.

MONDAY:
- Clarinet jury

TUESDAY:
- Work in Admissions
- Meet for the last time with my Writing Fellows
- Coe Review Publication Release

WEDNESDAY:
- Work in Admissions
- Studying

THURSDAY:
- Work in Admissions
- Cultural Studies final exam
- Cultural Studies Portfolio due

FRIDAY:
- Psychology final exam

SATURDAY:
- History of English Literature final exam
- Go back to Wisconsin for Winter Break!

I'm going to be busy.  But once it's over, it's time for Winter Break! :)

My Friday Night

So it was our last official Friday on campus!  I had class, worked in Admissions for an hour, had my last clarinet seminar and attended a going away party for our poetry professor, Ann Struthers.  My night continued with a trip to Coffeesmiths with my friend Whitney.  She's a wonderful girl and super involved on campus.  I met her for the first time when I visited Coe during Scholarship Weekend.  Now, we've bonded over working together on the Budget and Finance Committee (she's the Treasurer) and we get along great.  At Coffeesmiths we did some homework, did some talking, and just unwound from a busy (and at times, stressful) week.

Whitney and I arrived back on campus just in time for this semester's final Blindspot.  It was a long (but fun) Blindspot with a few students graduating at semester doing their farewell performances.  We also had a guy ask out a girl so that was sort of (okay, I'm not going to lie, it was really, really, really) adorable.  :)  We ended Blindspot with a Finals Dance (aka everyone got out of their seats and started dancing).  Lovely.

Now, it's time to study and get ready for Finals Week!  

My Last Busy Wednesday!

Well hey there readers!

Today was my last busy Wednesday!  I had class, worked in Admissions, had more class, had a chunk of time where I caught up with my mom, tutored my tutee in Psychology, went to the final Senate meeting of the semester, and then went to the final band of the fall.  Now I'm in the Writing Center working on some of my response papers due later this week.  It's hard to believe that in a week from today, finals will start.

Sorry for the short post, homework is calling my name!

Live Update from Budget and Finance!

Well hey there readers!

This post is coming from the Stuart Hall computer lab.  We are on a quick five minute break.  Starting bright and early at 8 AM, we began reviewing budgets.  After lunch, we moved to trips.  It's been a long day and I'm happy it's almost over.  As usual, not everyone got the money they wanted but that's how things work.  Lots of good discussion has occurred and all in all, it's been a successful day.

Planning on catching up on homework tonight.  Wish me luck!

Woah! It's Friday

Hard to believe it.
This week has literally FLOWN by.  I don't know where my days have gone.
I've been super busy with classes, homework, meetings, and other random activities.
Tomorrow is Budget and Finance day.  It will be intense and long.  But it will be all right, all the clubs will get money and I'm excited to see what the clubs have planned for this upcoming semester.
On Sunday I will do lots of homework and prepare for the last full week of classes.
And then I will post more often, about more things, and hopefully include pictures and whatnot.

200th Post

What?  

200 posts? 

It seems like just yesterday, I was reaching 100.  Now I'm at 200.

HECK YES.

Thanks for reading this blog and I hope you continue to read about my adventures. 

Here's to 300!

As I did in my 100th post, I've included a picture to indicate level of excitement.  This is a throw back photo from last year.  I'm holding peppermint ice cream, only my favorite flavor of ice cream in the world.  I was pumped to have it then and I'm pumped to have 200 posts now! :)  (Oh, don't you like my long hair?  It's crazy to think last year it was that long!!)

Back on Campus! Busy Week Ahead!

Well, as lovely as Thanksgiving Break was, it had to end.  I got back on campus this afternoon, unpacked, and am currently at the library, studying and preparing for the week.  We are in the final stretch of first semester -- two weeks of class left and then finals.  Gosh!  Where did the semester go?  This week is going to be busy for me; I'll be working on papers, projects, and other general homework.  And on Saturday is Budget and Finance Day.  It's going to be a long day since we are reviewing budgets for every club on campus.  So not only am I doing homework for this upcoming week, I will also be attempting to stay ahead of the eight ball since my entire Saturday will be spent in Stuart with club presidents and treasurers and their budgets.

Got to love the end of the semester!  

Thanksgiving Break!

This post is from Wisconsin!  It's Thanksgiving Break and I'm home!  It's nice to come back and take a few days off.  Don't worry, I still have homework to keep me busy!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with family and friends!

- Hailley

Scholars Program (aka the Honors Progam)

As promised, a recap on Coe's Scholar's Program.

Around campus, this program is referred to as the Honors Program but it's official title is the Scholar's Program.  Throughout your years at Coe, you take five honor classes and then you'll have an asterisk next to your name denoting honors at graduation.  These five classes cross all areas of study on campus and help satisfy your general education requirements.  To be accepted into the program, you would submit an application about halfway through your first semester on campus and 20-30 students (from your grade) are chosen.  A rough estimation is that a 28 ACT and being a part of the top 10% of your high school class will greatly increase your chances of making it into the program.  But that's just a guideline and not a strict requirement the committee follows.  Once a part of the program, you would sign up for Honors Composition in the spring of your freshman year.

I took Honors Composition last spring with Gordon Mennenga.  It was probably one of my two favorite classes at Coe (my other top favorite being my First Year Seminar class).  We met twice a week, there were 16 freshman in my class, and we read essays, short stories, articles, and we wrote, a lot.  This class was definitely a deciding factor in how I wanted to lay out my major and minors.  I not only wrote a lot of fantastic things, but I also gained a mentor in Gordon.  It was an outstanding class.

Once Honors Composition is taken, then you have six semesters to take four other honors classes.  These classes have broad subject headings but each semester, the topic of the class and the professor who teaches it changes.  For instance, this semester I'm taking the Style in the Arts Honors class and it's all about Barcelona.  The professor is actually a native from the area and it's fun to hear her talk about her home country.  She's actually headed back to Spain this weekend for a conference.  Next semester I've enrolled to take a class about Tibet taught by our new anthropology professor.

A neat thing about this program is that once you've taken Honors Composition, your class will consist of students sophomore through senior.  It's a nice way to meet other students.  You know these students have that extra level of dedication to school and it's a fun environment to learn in.

Making Your Door Your Own

Throughout the school year, your dorm room evolves from just some space with your stuff in it, to your own room.  Because it's your home, you start adding posters, pictures, notes, cards -- basically anything that gives your home personality.  In the residence halls, doors are also popular to decorate.  On Thursday night Heidi and I took a study break and added some more decorations to our door.  We already had the collages I made for us last year, a whiteboard for messages, and some origami stars (because I did a lot of origami this summer).  It was an adorable door but more could be done.  We ended up coloring Disney Princess pictures, adding a few quotes, making new name signs with where we lived and adding a larger 602 (our room number).  And boy, did they turn out great!  It was good roommate bonding time and a lovely study break!  

Shakespearean Humor, Attempting to Ice Skate Backwards, and a Roaring Game of Monopoly

Needless to say from the title of this post, I had a great Friday night.

Ian and Satchel as Viola and Olivia, respectively.  Photo from Coe's website.

Yesterday was opening night of Twelfth Night.  As you can see from the picture of the left, guys played girls and girls played guys.  It was hilarious.  The cast did a fantastic job and I was laughing for most of the production.  Two of my good friends, Alison P. and Anna, were both in it, and both played guys.  Alison was Sir Toby, a jolly old drunk who loves meddling with other people while Anna played Sebastian, Viola's sister who ends up with Olivia.  If you're near Cedar Rapids the weekend after Thanksgiving, you should definitely come over to Dows Theatre and check out this production; you don't want to miss it!

The next part of my night consisted of going to the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena for free late night ice skating (sponsored by SAC).  If you don't already know this about me, I LOVE TO ICE SKATE.  I even brought my skates from home!  I was pumped and had been waiting for this event all week.  There were a fair amount of Coe students there and we had an awesome time.  I didn't even fall down!  We also got a small show from my friend Nicki, who has been ice skating since she was a little kid.  Nicki teaches ice skating so she spent some of her time trying to help us skate backwards and spin.  I made progress!

Unfortunately, ice skating had to end sometime, so my friends and I ended up grabbing my game of Monopoly (thank you Mom and Dad for the birthday gift, it's being put to good use!) and tried our luck at nabbing the four railroads and Boardwalk.  I didn't do too well, ended up in jail on my first trip around the board, but it was still fun.  Once we deemed the game over, it was almost 2 AM so we all decided sleep was probably a good idea.

Probably one of my favorite Friday nights here at Coe.  :)        

Putting Together the Coe Review

Last night I spent a few hours in Hickok helping put the Coe Review together.  We read all our poetry submissions, picked out the very best, and assembled the order last night.  The cover has been completed and just this morning, all the poems were scanned into Adobe Design.  That means our issue is that much closer to publication!  Now begins the process of sending it to the printer, receiving a proof back, editing it for any mistakes, returning it to the printer and having around 300 copies published.  There will be a release party in December to celebrate the issue and any Coe students featured in the publication will have the opportunity to read their poems!  This is always a neat part of putting together the Coe Review -- suddenly all these poems come together in a blink of an eye, we have a publication.  It's exciting and rewarding. 

Fall Band Concert

After a successful campus visit day, I also had a band concert to play in.  It was our annual Fall Concert which we split with the Jazz Band.

This semester Dr. Carson, who usually directs the Concert Band, is on sabbatical.  His substitute is Earl Dickinson, a former, but now retired, Coe professor.  Mr. Dickinson picked out some really interesting and complicated pieces of music that we played on Saturday night.  We played five songs, and our lips were definitely sore by the last song.  I even had a small eight measure solo in one of the pieces.  The solo went well and then I got to stand up as a soloist at the conclusion of the piece.  I was quite proud of my overall performance and the performance by the entire Concert Band.

There was a short intermission after we played so the Jazz Band could be set up.  The Jazz Band also played five songs and I was thoroughly impressed by the solos from multiple members of the ensemble.  I love listening to jazz music, so it was lovely way to end the concert.

Since we did such a nice job on Saturday, I don't have band rehearsal today; the extra hour and a half will be greatly appreciated.  Starting on Wednesday, the students in the conducting class will be coming in to work on their conducting skills.  This is a pretty low key rehearsal and we try to help out our peers as much as we can.      

Campus Visit Day

This past Saturday, we had over 200 people visit Coe's campus for our November Visit Day.  I started my morning off early (I had to be ready to go at the library by 8 AM).  After a quick pep talk, I headed up to the Perrine Gallery to man the College Scholar's Program Table (this is Coe's Honors Program).  David Nordmann, the director of the Scholar's Program, was also there and we spent an hour talking to prospective students about the program.  I will do a post all about the Scholar's Program in the upcoming week.

After chatting, we had another pep talk while the families were in Cherry Auditorium listening to a student panel.  Then it was time for tours.  I showed four students and their families Coe's campus and told them all about the neat things they can do here.  The tour went well and I hope the families had an enjoyable time.

Once the tour was over, I helped out Natalie and Josh (two Admission counselors) with an informational session.  I got to talk about my Coe experience and some of my favorite parts of Coe.  That was fun and I was glad I was able to share my love of Coe with even more prospective students. 

To any prospective students who attended Campus Visit Day -- I hope you had a wonderful time.  And I hope to see you back on campus soon!  If you have any questions, feel free to post comments here and I'll answer them for you.

An Eventful Friday Night with Music and Fun!

Boy, was my Friday night busy!  It started off with Tonic Sol Fa, an acapella music group.  It was part of the Marquis Series and they sang to a pretty full Sinclair Auditorium.  It was a nice mixture of cover songs and original songs; you should definitely check them out if you haven't already!

After their performance, it was back to Murray for a game night.  Heidi and I invited some friends over and we ended up playing Catch Phrase for a while.  It got pretty intense at times and in the end, under pressure, we said some silly things.  But that's okay, it was a lot of fun!  It was nice to hang out with my friends since I've been so busy I haven't seen them as frequently as I would like to.

To end the night, we all piled into cars and went bowling!  SAC was sponsoring free midnight bowling and who wouldn't take them up on their offer?  Somehow, the bowling gods were smiling upon me and in my first game, I bowled a 145!  WOAH.  I think that's a new personal best.  The second game didn't go nearly as well, but I did manage to crack 100 (that counts for something, right?).     

Recital Hour

On Thursday, I attended my first ever Recital Hour.  This hour is for music majors and throughout the semester, they have to perform at least once.  The piece they play is something different than the piece they play for their jury.  It's sort of a big deal. 

My friend and fellow clarinet player, Elise, was performing on Thursday so I made sure to be in Marquis to hear her play.  She did a FANTASTIC job and she's really my peer role model; I hope to play the clarinet as well as her someday.  Also, unknown to me, some of my other friends were performing as well so it was nice to be able to hear them.  

Reaffirming My English Major

Yesterday I had a usual busy Thursday: class, Admissions, and various club meetings in the afternoon.  After having lunch with a lovely family and giving a tour to fantastic prospective student and his mom, I ended up in Hickok to meet with Melissa, my History of English Literature professor.  

I was meeting with her because our class had received our first papers back.  If we weren't totally satisfied with our grade, we had the option of revising it.  I was interested in revising my paper but I had run into a little problem. 

It’s actually a good problem.  I had met with Melissa last week to discuss my revision.  Oh, but first, some background: my paper was on a sonnet in the Astrophil and Stella sonnet sequence by Sir Philip Sidney.  To make a stronger paper, Melissa suggested that I do another close reading of my sonnet and see if I could find anything new in a second reading. 

So that’s what I did last weekend.  I sat down with a fresh copy of the sonnet, pen in hand, and marked the paper up.  Big time.  I looked up any words I didn’t know, especially ones that have different definitions during the Renaissance than they do now.  And suddenly, the sonnet took on a whole new meaning.  I basically completely changed my mind on what the poem was saying.  The close reading was incredibly rewarding even though it was a slow process.  But then the sonnet made so much more sense.  

That’s great that I got this whole new and better meaning right?  Yes, but that also meant my original thesis was wrong.  So, in order to revise my paper, I would have to completely redo my thesis and eliminate large sections of my paper.  To some, that might be discouraging, but for a writer like me, the challenge excited me.

Anyways, back to yesterday.  I wanted to talk to Melissa about my revelation and get her opinions on it.  We met and she was extremely impressed that I had taken the time to do such a close reading.  She said it’s a well used skill especially in the next class in the sequence for an English major: Literary Analysis.  I’m taking that class in the spring with Melissa (I’m PUMPED).  I was pleased to hear her comments because I’m trying to create a strong base so I’m prepared for whatever is thrown at me during Literary Analysis.  

Melissa and I talked about the various ways I can go about this revision.  I spent a majority of my homework time tonight revising and I plan on looking at the paper with a fresh eye tomorrow.  The revision is due Tuesday, so I have ample time to make a solid and stronger revision.  

Leaving my meeting with Melissa, I was energized.  I love close readings.  I love picking apart literature and pulling a meaning out of it.  And knowing that I will be able to do more of this close examination and discoveries thrills me.  This paper confirmed my desire to earn an English major.  I’m suppose to be doing this.  

Just Plugging Along

Readers, I feel so boring right now.  Usually I have lots of exciting things to talk about.  But right now, I'm in a groove.  The semester has finally evened out and I'm staying on top of homework, readings, papers, and other things.  I'm actively involved in multiple groups on campus and they are going swimmingly.  Things gear up in the second half of the week.  Here are some big events I have to look forward to:

• My friend Elise, a clarinet player, is performing in Recital Hour on Thursday.  Recital Hour is required for music majors and everyone has to have at least one performance a semester.  This is a big deal because each studio (the professor teaching lessons) wants to show off their students and all their talent.  It's also a way to show your fellow peers your skills.  I couldn't go to any Recital Hours last year because I always had schedule conflicts.  This year, I'm free so I'll be there to support Elise!
• Tonic Sol Fa is coming on Friday night.  It should be a good performance.
• There's another Campus Visit Day on Saturday.  I'll mingle with families and lead a tour.  
• The final football game is also on Saturday versus Cornell College.  
• I'll be playing in the fall band concert on Saturday night.  The Concert Band plays along with the Jazz Band.  I'm really excited for the music Concert Band is playing; I've spent several hours working on my part and I'm proud of my progress.  

So, there's stuff going on, just not right now.  Since the semester is finally settling down, I'm going to try to interview some of my friends to see other aspects of Coe.

My First Blindspot Performance!

So I did it!  I performed at Blindspot.  I was a little nervous, not going to lie.  But I was performing with Alison (it was also her first Blindspot performance) so I knew we would be awesome.

We were the eighth act of the night.  Our act was simple: a five minute retelling of Beowulf.  A little back story on this selection.  Alison and I are both taking History of English Literature this semester.  I'm taking it as part of my English major and Alison is just taking it because the class sounded interesting.  Melissa Sodeman is our professor and she is FANTASTIC.  We have great discussions and I look at Renaissance poetry and sonnet sequences in a whole new way.  And I'm totally fine with that.  But back to the story.  The first thing we read out of our giant (and I mean GIANT) textbook was Beowulf.  I had read Beowulf this summer and reading it a second time was even better.  Alison and I kind of attached ourselves to this epic poem.  We loved it so much that we thought, "What a fun act in Blindspot!"  And boy, did we have a good time with it.  My friend Anna taped it so enjoy the clip!  Alison and I definitely plan to make another appearance on Blindspot, hopefully with some sonnets in hand.

I was so so so glad I performed tonight.  I love telling stories.  I love sweeping hand gestures, dramatic pauses, funny faces, and oh so much sarcasm.  And I love telling those "classic" stories but with a modern twist.  What a great Friday night.

Busy Weekend Ahead!

Well, somehow it's Friday again.  My week has FLOWN by.  This weekend is going to be busy for several reasons.  The first and foremost reason is that it's Family Weekend here at Coe.  So there will be lots of parents on campus catching up with their kids and doing family things together.  I myself won't be on campus this weekend but instead be traveling back to Wisconsin to see my family.  My brother, Aaron, and my sister, Hannah, are both in Mt. Horeb High School's production of Seussical this weekend.  Instead of being on campus familyless, I'll be with my family off campus.  But I will be here tonight and it's going to be a fun one.

- We've got a Mind Reader coming to the PUB.
- There's a Blindspot (and I'm performing with Alison P!)
- There's a Midnight movie.
- Play in a Day begins (sponsored by Offstage Players.  A writer writes a play, someone directs it, and there are actors acting.  Performances happen tomorrow night).

Busy right?  Hopefully I'll have someone capture my first Blindspot experience on tape and I'll post it here! :)

Another Busy Week

Hey there readers!

Well, this week is a pretty normal week.  Class, homework, and various meetings at night for clubs and classes.  My planner is filling up!  The exciting thing I've done this week is talk to my advisor, Gina Hausknecht, about my schedule for next semester.  I'm not entirely set on the classes I'll be taking but Gina and I plotted out potentials and then looked ahead to the other semesters I'll be on campus.  It was a great advising meeting and it was nice catching up with Gina since I don't have a class with her this semester.

But yeah, sorry I don't have something super exciting to share with you.  It's Family Weekend starting Friday so I'll have some updates about that later in the week.

Happy Wednesday! :)

Alpha Nu Fireside Reading

Every year Alpha Nu hosts a Fireside Reading.  We pick a theme and then tell campus to come to the Clark Alumni House to read stories and drink apple cider.  Anyone can bring anything that fits the theme: either something they've personally written or something they haven't written.  This year the theme was Horror on the Homestead.  We had a lovely turnout, lots of English faculty, Dr. Bob (he's from the Rhetoric department), and students!  Ann Struthers (Professor of poetry) read some of her poems, Kobe read The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, Whitney read a poem she had written, and Colin read A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner.  It was a fun, literary night.  Check out some photos taken by Emily, a fellow Writing Center consultant.      

Kobe

Whitney

Ann being festive!

Colin

Playground of Science

Alison and her cochroach

So the ninth annual Playground of Science happened Thursday night.  Peterson opens its door for the Cedar Rapids community and kids and their parents come for a night of science.  Each floor (Physics, Biology, and Chemistry) does demonstrations and there are treats and Halloween decorations and general FUN.  I wasn't able to go last year but I made sure to go this year with my friend Alison W.  We saw a lot of neat things, mainly on the Physics floor because Alison is a Physics major.  We also ventured up to the Biology floor because Alison wanted to hold a cockroach.  All the kids were having a fantastic time; it was fun to watch them literally sprint to Peterson because they were so excited.  Their eyes grew wide as they watched "crazy" things happen and then zone out as the students and professors tried to explain the science behind the crazy.  

Craig juggling fireballs.

Nicki and her Van de Graaff Generator (static electricity)

     

Plans for May 2012: MADE

So I got the confirmation email last night that I'm a proud member of the Lake District 2012 May Term Trip.  YESSSS!! 

I am so pumped.  I can't even explain it.  The excitement probably matches my 100th Post Celebration.  This is going to be so much fun.  Including myself, there are nine students and Dr. Bob traveling to England to see London and the Lake District for 26 beautiful May days.  There will be a ton of writing and so many fun adventures.

I even have my passport all ready to go.  Now I just have to wait until May.  

I'm Been Promoted to Tutor

So let's say that you're struggling in a class.  You try a ton of different study strategies but nothing seems to be working.  You think all hope (and your GPA) is lost.

Think again.

At Coe, we provide an AWESOME (and free) service to all our students who want a little extra help in their classes.  The Academic Achievement Program (AAP) partners with our faculty to hand pick students to be tutors.  So if you're struggling in a class, you simply have to go to the AAP office (located in Lower Voorhees) and ask for a tutor.  AAP will match you up with a tutor and you can meet with them up to three times a week.

Sweet, right?

Well, this past week I was asked to be tutor for my Introduction to Psychology class.  I LOVE my Psychology class because I think it's a fascinating area of study.  It's not something I'll major in but I love being able to know why we think and do certain things.  Also, I enjoy learning about how Psychology and various schools of thought have evolved over time.  As my friends can attest, I do find many many many ways of slipping psychology terms into everyday discussion.  Sure, it's a bit nerdy, but hey, I remember those terms really well.  So it's a win.

On Tuesday I met my tutee.  We're going to meet two times a week and I'm excited.  This is such a great way for me to help someone while reviewing the terms myself.  I love finding ways of making terms relateable to others.  I met with him to study psychology tomorrow.  Wish me luck!      

UW-Madison Overview

I'm back safe and sound in Cedar Rapids after a fantastic trip to my home state.  Since the last time I posted, I attended multiple sessions all about Writing Centers in the Midwest, ate dinner on State Street, spent Saturday morning taking in UW-Madison, and finally returned back to Coe on Saturday night.

The Pyle Center from UW-Madison Campus Photo Library

The conference was held at the Pyle Center, right near the Main Memorial Union.

I also just finished typing up a ten page report for Dr. Bob with my observations on the conference.  Here are some of the highlights.

I attended seven sessions and during one of those sessions I was a presenter.  I presented with Haley and Dr. Bob and we talked about the culture and community of the Writing Center.  I'm sure I've said this before, but the Writing Center is such a fantastic culture.  Over the past year I've started coming to the Writing Center more when I'm not actually working.  It's a great place to get in a few minutes of studying (if you can ignore all the conversations going on around you) or to say hello to your fellow consultants.  The people I've met through the Writing Center are great people spread across all the majors at Coe.  I've probably learn most of what I know about Coe through them and all their experiences!  It's been a great source of pride to show prospective students the Writing Center when I'm working for Admissions.  I love taking them down to the Stuart-Peterson Tunnel and showing them what our Writing Center is all about.

But back to the conference.  Last year in Baltimore, I felt I discussed English as a Second Language (ESL) conferences a fair amount; it was the theme in my mind for my first Writing Center conference.  This year, I felt the theme was all about finding the writer's voice and creating strong and solid relationships with the writer.  This was a particularly interesting topic because as a writer, my voice is pretty crucial.  We mainly talked about academic voice -- how to find it and how to keep it alive when the paper isn't the writer's favorite cup of tea.  At this conference, I also met a lot of graduate students who were presenting on their papers.  Hearing about their experiences only made me excited to attend graduate school.  Yes, I know that's still a ways off, but hey, I'm allowed to think about it!

Memorial Union Lakefront Cafeteria

When I wasn't learning about Writing Centers, I was exploring parts of campus.  I did some homework on the Education Building Pavilion, ate Babcock ice cream at the Memorial Union while looking out at Lake Mendota, ate dinner on Friday night at Parthenon Gyros, walked State Street on Saturday morning, and saw the newly remodeled Chazen Museum of Art. I also saw a few friends from high school who go to UW-Madison.  It was nice to see them and tell them about my Writing Center and Coe adventures and hear about theirs!

But sadly, the trip did have to end.  We made the trek back to Coe on Saturday afternoon.  I'm lucky to have been able to go; I learned a lot (hopefully will use some of these ideas in our own Writing Center) and had a nice time.

Back in Wisconsin!

Well I'm not at Coe right now, hello Wisconsin!  We arrived in Middleton last night, checked into our hotel and then went out for pizza at an adorable restaurant called the Roman Candle.  The pizza was fantastic.

We are leaving early this morning (6:45 AM) to head downtown and check in at the conference.  I'll be attending sessions all day and also presenting in one of them with Dr. Bob and Haley.  Should be a good time.

More to come once things start happening!

Back To Campus (But Only For a Few Days)

Alison and I headed back to campus this afternoon, concluding our 2011 Fall Break.  The five days I was back in Mt. Horeb seemed to FLY by and it's hard to believe I'm back on campus.  For the second half of my first semester.  Crazy, right?  Right now I'm in the library, occupying my favorite second floor long table with some friends, working on homework.  I made a To-Do list before I came back and so far I've accomplished a fair amount on the list.  That feels so good.  It will be a busy two days of classes and meetings before I head back to Wisconsin on Thursday afternoon.  I'll make another blog post once I'm in Madison, an off campus post!  Exciting right?

Happy Fall! :)

Coming Soon: A Trip to the Isthmus

This weekend, I'm home in Wisconsin for Fall Break.  I go back to Coe on Tuesday but then on Thursday, end up right back in Wisconsin.  Why you might ask (especially since I would have just gone home for Fall Break)?  Because it's time for a Writing Center Conference!

If you remember from last year, the Writing Center took a trip to Baltimore for a conference.  It was a lot of fun and it was a great opportunity to learn about how other Writing Centers across the nation operate.

This year, the Midwest Writing Centers Association will be on the Isthmus!  Around 20 consultants along with Dr. Bob will get to hang out with Bucky Badger for a few days.  We head to Wisconsin on Thursday and the conference begins on Friday.  Haley, Dr. Bob and myself will be a part of a panel on Friday talking about a liberal arts education in conjunction with our Writing Center.  I'm excited to meet new people and learn about other Writing Centers and it will be nice to spend some more time in Wisconsin!  

Midterms Are Over

I just took my midterm Psychology test which went well!  So now I will be able to relax a bit for the second half of the week.  I mean, I'll still be busy but now I can see Fall Break on the horizon.  And it's exciting!  It's a raining day here in Cedar Rapids but I won't let that sour my good mood.

Swing Dancin' Saturday

Well my Saturday night would not have been complete without some swing dancing.  Rugcutters is a dance club on campus.  They meet Wednesday nights and teach people how to dance!  On Saturday night they decided to try something different and hold a PUB dance.  They paired up with Slick Shoes, Cornell College's swing dance club, for a night of swing.  Haley, Nicki, and I decided to check it out and we were glad we did!

When we got there we were just amazed at some of the dancers out there; they seemed so fluent and confident it was incredible.  And memorizing.  After standing around for a couple of minutes, some Rugcutters came over and taught us the basic swing dance move.  Which is really simple.  Step to the right, step to the left, back step.  Repeat.  It's that simple!  Of course once you start adding turns and whatnot in, well that's gets a little more complicated.

Both Rugcutters and Slick Shoes were super friendly and helpful to us newbies.  They asked us to dance and taught us a few things.  I mean, I definitely did more watching than dancing but that was totally fine with me.

Rugcutters also participates in an event in Iowa City called Hawkeye Swing Fest.  I've included their dance from last year.  You should know the tune.  

It's really neat to see clubs like this.  The students involved are extremely passionate.  I'm glad they had an informational session and I hope to do more swing dancing in the future!

CoeFest Sucess!

My Saturday was pretty busy: from Campus Visit Day then to CoeFest!  Senate's music festival was a success.  The bands were great and the pig roast was something different and had the campus smelling good all day long.

I helped out for four hours, mainly manning the table.  I got waters for band members, sold our CoeFest t-shirts (I've included our sweet design by Treasurer Whitney Hu below), and chatted with friends while listening to awesome music.  Favorite band?  Probably OSG, the nine piece funk band.  You had some drums, piano, saxophone, trombone, and voices.  It was fantastic.

Another neat thing?  I think other Coe students enjoyed it too.  I saw a ton of CoeFest t-shirts being worn on Sunday so I take that as a good sign.  Hopefully this will become a longstanding tradition!

Welcome Prospective Kohawks! Campus Visit Day 2011

On Saturday Coe had a few more people on campus than usual.  Not only was there the second home football game of the season (we won!) but it was also a Campus Visit Day.  That meant I was up early to help Admissions welcome students and to give a tour.

I had a great tour group, filled with some great kids.  It was fun showing them around campus and telling them stories about my own experiences.

Also, mine and Heidi's room was a show room in case people wanted to see a Murray room.  I even made a pretty sign to put on our door but sadly, no one visited our room!  Oh well, I'll keep the sign for future Campus Visit Days!

Our next Campus Visit Day is Saturday, November 12th.  You can still register here.  It's a great way to see campus and also listen to panels or chat with your Admissions counselor to learn more about Coe.  Or, even better, you could come on Friday, sit in on some classes, have lunch in the caf, and talk to professors in the area you're interested in studying.  Round the weekend off with Campus Visit Day and you're sure to have a great weekend!  

Old Times

This past weekend the last showings of Coe's first theatre performance occurred.  I went to see Harold Pinter's Old Times on opening night.  I also helped usher twice this past week, on Thursday and Friday.  I finally learned how the seats in the round (Dows Theatre) worked.  I think every performance (there were six) had a good crowd.  Lots of students came out to support the three actors and all the tech people who have spent the last three months getting this show ready.

The plot of the play is really weird and if you know Pinter, you'll know what I'm talking about.  The cast didn't try to hard to interpret what the show meant either so it was left up to each audience member's opinion.

This show was definitely an unique way to start the 2011-2012 theatre season off!  Next up, Twelfth Night (near Thanksgiving) and then Drood (a musical in the spring term).  I'll be posting the flyers for these shows sometime this week.  Stay tuned!  Want to know more about the theatre department?  Let me know and I'll be able to direct you to one of my friends who knows all there is to know about theatre at Coe.  

CoeFest!

Student Senate is sponsoring an event this weekend which we hope will become a tradition in the coming years.  We've called it CoeFest and it's very similar to Summerfest (in Milwaukee, WI) except it's Coe style.  On Saturday, there will be five bands on the PUB patio playing for Coe students.  In between their sets, a Coe student will be doing a mini-show.  The bands are:

• The Poison Control Center
• OSG Music
• Saturday Night Ride
• The Burrows 4
• Derek James

Senate made t-shirts and we're doing a raffle.  I hope a lot of people come because I think there's going to be nice weather and an all around good time. 

Tuesday Night Volleyball

Tuesday was an extremely busy day which is surprising, because usually it's pretty calm.  Since it was so nice outside on Tuesday, I was able to play about thirty minutes of beach volleyball.  It was a perfect study break and a nice chance to see some of my friends.

But I was in for another treat Tuesday night: I FINALLY went to a volleyball game.  It makes me so mad that I hadn't been to one until yesterday.  There was a hefty student section there and most of us were wearing pink: it was their breast cancer fundraiser.  The team played Luther and boy, did they look good.  I can't tell you how much I wanted to be out on the court with them, passing and digging those balls.  I cannot wait for intramural volleyball to start, it's time I got back out onto the court.

I don't know how well you tune into Coe sports but the volleyball team is doing EXCELLENT this year.  So far, they are 5-0 in league play and 19-2 overall.  They looked wonderful last night -- there is a good group of girls from all grades collaborating to make the team what it is this year.  Last night there were so many good rallies (my Grandma Joan would have LOVED it) and some great effort as what looked like impossible balls to reach became possible.

If you want to learn more about the volleyball or just Coe Athletics in general, click here.  Did you know that 35% of our student population are student-athletes?  Remember, Coe is a Division III school playing in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC).  Schools in the IIAC include: Buena Vista, Central College, Cornell, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther, Simpson, and Wartburg.      

An Abnormally Beautiful Fall Day

Today was GORGEOUS.  It was also a homework day.  So how did I enjoy the weather yet still do the things that needed to be done?  Well, since the majority of my homework was reading, I sat outside and read today.

It worked surprisingly well.  Not only did I get a lot done, I also was able to enjoy the beautiful weather.  The sun was out and shining brightly with a perfect, light breeze.

I also worked my first reference desk today in the library.  It went well, I helped a few people and hopefully I directed them to the information they were looking for.

For supper, Dr. Bob had made vegetable soup for anyone who wanted to stop by the Writing Center.  It was delicious and hearty.  It was also nice catching up with the other consultants who showed up for yummy food.

Now I'm in the PUB (does that surprise you?) working on more homework.  Two papers due this week and lots of reading to accomplish.  But don't worry, I've got this and all will be completed soon enough.

May Term 2012 Options

This May Term there are so many fantastic trips going on.  It makes it hard to decide on just one!  To recap, May Term happens in May (obviously) and is a chance to study one topic in depth for a month.  Most May Terms venture off campus, many times overseas.  This is helpful to students in majors where off campus study isn't quite possible because they need every class on campus they can get.  I'm including below the list of the May Term options I received in a list from the Dean of Faculty on Friday.  Personally, I'm interested in the Writers Colony May Term to England's Lake District.  The Jane Austen one sounds fantastic as well, but I would love the opportunity to just write for 26 days in England!  For many of these May Terms, an application is required because the faculty who sponsor the trip can't take everyone who is interested.  So right now I'm working on my application for Writers Colony and hoping I will receive one of the eight spots (spot vary from class to class)!

• A trip to Vietnam.  This one is sponsored by Professor Buckaloo and Professor Nordman.  The focus of the trip will be on the Vietnam war.  I know Professor Buckaloo's specialty is the Vietnam War (he taught an FYS class last year on this very topic).  
• Marine Biology.  A very popular lab science May Term.  Students enjoy taking this one to satisfy their lab science requirement because it's some place warm!   
• A trip to Southern Africa.  A May Term geared more towards Biology and Nursing majors.  The group will travel to southern Africa and help with water purification as well as helping nurses with the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  
• "Made in Italy": Competing in a Global Marketplace.  A business and economics orientated May Term focusing on the success of businesses and enterprises in Italy.  The classes in Italy will be taught in English but all travelers for this May Term will take some Italian prior to leaving.  
• Economics of Renewable Energies.  A class focused entirely on renewable energies, their pros, cons, and potential impacts on our society.
• Jane Austen.  At Coe, students will read four of Austen's novels (Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion) and then they will travel to England to see some of the places Austen described in her novels.
• A trip to Spain.  This class will happen at the University of Alicante, Spain.  It's basically an abbreviated study abroad.  Students will take Spanish classes and also culture based classes.  The university is within a day's travel of major cities such as Barcelona and Madrid.  
• Human Rights and International Law: Berlin and the Hague.  Students will travel to Berlin and investigate the Holocaust and the Hague.  
• Seminar in Leadership.  This course is an on campus one, focusing on theory and practice of leadership.
• Writers Colony: Walking in England's Lake District.  Students read works written by authors who wrote in the Lake District as well as write about their own adventures.  This is a intensive writing workshop (which would be perfect for me!).     
• Lakota Culture and Communication.  This May Term occurred last year as well and the students who go on this one travel to the Lakota Indian Reservation where they are immersed in the culture.  
• A trip to London.  Sponsored by the theater department, this May Term is an arts focused class.  Students travel around London experiencing all the art that can be experienced.  My friend Anna went on this May Term the last time it was offered, when she had just finished her first year of college.  She really enjoyed it!  
• A trip to Turkey.  This class would parallel the FYS that has been taught for the past two years about Turkish culture.  The group will go to Turkey, specifically Istanbul, and explore all there is to offer.

Aren't these awesome trips?  I think so.

The Writing Center is Hopping!

So I came into the Writing Center tonight at 10 PM to work my usual shift and I was quite surprised to find the Writing Center hopping.  There were more people in here than usual on a Wednesday night.  It seems like school is most definitely in full swing.  So many conversations going on as I entered the WC and like usual, I end up in a couple of them.  Of course, when I arrived I had a conference and now I'm taking care of business (which consists of sending emails, reviewing my planner, and blogging).  Once I've taken care of business, I'll work on the papers I have due next week before going to bed.  As usual, my day has been jammed pack.  What to know what I did?  Read below! :)

Started my day with Part I of Admission's Photo Shoot.  Our photographer is a man named Billy and he's fantastic -- friendly and makes being in front of the camera comfortable.  I spent around an hour and half being in photos before going to my Psychology class.

From Psychology it was off to Admissions.  Two hours later, I went to Barcelona and then Cultural Studies.  Went back to my room to do some homework.  Before Senate fun, I headed to Dows to learn how to be a house manager.  Basically, starting with the next show (Twelfth Night) I could be the go-between with the Stage Manager and the audience as they are heading into the house before the show.  I think being a house manager would be fun and I'm excited to have the opportunity to.

At our first Budget and Finance Meeting, we were able to pick out our normal meeting time: Tuesdays at 3:30 PM.  Then I had a Senate PR meeting to get ready for CoeFest.  Which, for those of you who don't know, CoeFest is a Summerfest-like festival Senate is hosting on October 8th.  Senate is bringing in multiple bands for an afternoon of music complete with a pig-roast and volleyball.  Should be fun.  Once those two meetings were over, it was time for the actual Senate meeting.

From Senate to band for the usual two hour rehearsal.  It flew by and then I ended up at the Writing Center, typing this blog post.  I'm actually drinking coffee (with lots of creamer and smidge of hot chocolate mix) so we'll see how that goes.  Maybe I'll go the dark side and enjoy drinking coffee!  Watch out!

And that's my day.  Pretty awesome, right?  I think so.

What to Look Forward to This Week

Hey readers!

I feel terrible my posting has been random and spontaneous; I've just been so busy recently with schoolwork, jobs, clubs, and finding some time to just relax!  But never fear, I'm back and ready to BLOG.  Here's what I'm up to this week which translate into what blog posts you might be reading!

First off, I finally put up Blindspot footage.  Check it out!  Now here's a list:

• Wednesday and or Thursday: Photo shoot for new publications.  A bunch of students will be roaming around campus and getting our pictures taken for brochures and publications we send out to prospective students.  I've volunteered to be a model so we'll see how that goes.
• The Budget and Finance Committee of Student Senate is up and running.  Whitney, our treasurer, has put together some informational meetings to help club treasurers and to refresh the B&F committee members.
• Speaking of Senate, Senate is hosting a band festival called CoeFest on October 8th.  More info on that coming soon.
• The first theatre production of the year starts on Friday.  It's Old Times and it should be a good way to start the year!  I'm an usher for a few of the performances (ushers courtesy of Off Stage Players) so not only will that be a new experience, it will be fun as well!
• I'm working the Reference Desk at the library for the first time on Sunday.  I'm excited but a little nervous; I hope I can help anyone who comes to the desk! 
• May Term options have started coming out.  I hope to make a list of options available this upcoming May as a preview to what a prospective student might see in their first May Term.  
• I also am in the process of writing two papers: one for History of English Literature and one for Barcelona.  I'm planning on doing some major revising and editing this weekend and hopefully with the help of a few of my Writing Center friends!
• And finally, in terms on new things on my blog.  I want to get a list going of classes I've taken at Coe with general overview, professor, thoughts on the class, etc.  And I want to get another page going with all my tips.  Hope to spend some time perfecting those pages and updating my other pages this weekend.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but oh well.  Back to homework but expect more posts soon!

 

Blindspot Footage

Here it is!  Enjoy! :)

A Fabulous Thursday!

Again I've been super busy.  Had class this morning and we discussed Astrophil and Stella.  Basically it's a sonnet sequence written in 16th century England about a man (Astrophil) pining over a "perfect" woman (Stella).  The discussion got lively and that made the class go by so fast and made it so interesting.  During that hour and a half, the benefit of small class sizes was a huge advantage and our class has built a better rapport with our professor.

Then it was Admissions.  Today was a Nassif Food Day which basically means the full time staff members bring an assortment of food and everyone in the building gets to try new food all day!  I had lunch there and then worked my usual two hour shift.  Right now we are in an intense data entry mood; the counselors are coming back from college fairs and high school visits and the student workers are entering names into our database so we can send potential Kohawks information and keep in contact with them.

Once my shift was over, I went to study at the library but of course, got sidetracked and ended up talking to some people for longer than I expected.  I guess I would have to thank my dad for that trait!  But again, this long conversation reinforces the idea of the Coe community.  A community which I adore!

I also had a Writing Center conference today with a friend.  She was working on a paper and needed some help revising.  It ended up being an hour long conference and it was fantastic!  Basically this is the sort of conference every consultant dreams of having.  The writer is engaging and really wants to make their paper better.  Dr. Bob would have been proud of the conversation we had and I truly do think I helped make a better writer as well as a better paper.  Goal of Writing Center consultant ACHIEVED.

Now, I'm studying for my first Psychology test tomorrow.  It's on three chapters of material covering the areas of psychology, the brain, neurotransmitters, sensation and perception.  Wish me luck!

  

Homecoming Group Photo

Here are six beautiful ladies that went to Homecoming this weekend.  :)

L to R: Haley, Gina, Nicki, myself, Anna, and Alison P.

Jazz hands.

Homecoming 2011

As you probably saw in my last post, my Saturday was going to be quite busy.  After my post, I went to the football game where Coe had a nice victory.  It was a close game though, most fans were on the edge of their seats the entire four quarters until the last 50 seconds when we had the ball and victory was in our hands.  There were a lot of students there and also some graduates from last year.  It was weird seeing them back on campus but I'm sure they were glad to be back!

Nicki and I

Once the game was over, I did some homework and then got ready for dinner and the dance.  Haley, Alison P., Anna H., Gina, Nicki, and I went over to Nicki's house and took pictures (they will be coming soon).  Then we went to Granite City for supper.  There were other Homecomings going on so we had to wait a bit but while we were waiting Haley took some more pictures!  The food was delicious (I had smoked salmon!) so it was all worth it.

Me all dressed up!

Post dinner we ended up back at Coe and took a shuttle to the Clarion, where the dance was held.  Again, it there was a little waiting but we finally arrived at the dance.  There were a lot of Coe students there and I spent a lot of time mingling and seeing how others' Homecomings were going.  I would say I was at the dance for about two hours.  Then I came back to Coe and went to sleep.  My busy day was finally done.   

Homecoming Saturday!

Hello!

It's Homecoming Saturday and the campus is excited!  The football game starts at 1 PM versus Simpson so let's hope for a Kohawk victory!  I just gave a tour to a prospective football player which was super fun and went well.  The plans for the day are as follows:

- Football Game
- Dinner with Haley, Alison P., Anna H., Nicki
- Homecoming dance

Should be lots of fun!  Expect a post soon on all my adventures!

Happy Saturday!

Firoozeh Dumas Comes to Campus

Okay, so if you remember back to my summer posts, I had a post about Firoozeh Dumas -- she is and was the first speaker in the Marquis Series this year.  I got the opportunity to talk to her several times while she was on campus and her being here was definitely a great way to start off the week!  (Picture from Firoozeh's website.) 


Monday:

She came to campus and spoke to the freshman in the morning.  Her presentation to them was on the history of Iran which she tied into Persepolis (the first-year common book).  I met her for the first time shortly after she spoke to the first-years.  Professor Eichhorn, my FYS professor from last year, called me and informed me Kayla, my Writing Fellow from last year, and some first-years were talking Firoozeh to the PUB for lunch and I should join them.  I did and we had a grand old time.  This only pumped me up for her presentation (the formal Marquis Series' presentation) I was going to later that night.  

Her presentation was fantastic that night.  Firoozeh is very funny and this speech was more about how she ended up publishing two books: Funny in Farsi and Laughing Without an Accent.  (Side note: She's currently working on a third tween fiction book!)  Both books are memoirs about her life adventures.  Funny in Farsi deals with her and her family moving to America from Iran and the various things they run into, such as the language barrier.  This book is also filled with anecdotes about her family members.  The message I really got out of her speech was to never give up.  She started writing her stories down when she was in her 30s and it took many years and a few rejections before she found a literary agent who wanted to help her publish her books.  As someone who hopes to be published someday, that was inspiring and encouraging to hear.  

I of course bought her book after her presentation and had her sign it for me.  We briefly discussed my name and the abundance of "l"s.  

Tuesday:

I woke up early, as usual, and went to Topics in Composition (the Writing Center development/staff training class) which I'm not actually enrolled in this semester but Firoozeh was going to be there so I wasn't going to miss it.  This was an open question and answer session where we hit on a lot of different topics.  Firoozeh was extremely personable and friendly; we learned a lot about her and I'm sure she learned a lot about us.  I think my favorite moment during this session was when Firoozeh was talking about her love of libraries (I'm sure some of my readers are saying, "Of course Hailley loves this section."  You know me too well).  She was telling us about this one book she read about a girl who dives with horses (part of a circus like show) and then the girl became blind but she still continued this stunt.  This true story takes place during the Great Depression.  As Firoozeh was telling us this, I remembered I had seen the movie version of this story which is called Wild Hearts Can't be Broken.  I raised my hand and said, "You know that's a movie, right?"  Firoozeh didn't know a movie (made in 1991) existed and was quite excited to see it.

 I went to class, worked in Admissions, and then went to the Writing Center to have tea with Firoozeh.  There were about 10 girls, Dr. Bob, and Firoozeh.  This time we went around, introduced ourselves and talked about our life dreams and goals.  It was a casual yet exciting conversation.  We laughed a lot and shared a lot of stories.  It was decided that I'm the unofficial mayor of Coe because apparently I know a lot of things on campus.  Which is good because then I can let you know on this blog and keep my friends on campus in the loop.  An hour went by and unfortunately, tea was over and Nicki (freshman Writing Center consultant and also my 6th floor neighbor) had to take Firoozeh back to her hotel.  We said our goodbyes (I even got a hug!). 

In my opinion, Firoozeh is so inspirational.  As a writer and as a person, I felt rejuvenated Tuesday afternoon as I walked back to Murray; I was ready for anything (which to me last night meant a lot of reading for my classes).  I think my favorite part of the whole experience was just getting to know her in a short span of 24 hours.  She called me by name Tuesday morning and gave me a hug when she was leaving.  She was just so great and personable, I’ve come to admire her a lot. 

      

   

Senator Reelected!

Good news!  Yesterday was the campus wide voting for Senate seats for the 2011-2012 school year.  Each year you have to be reelected if you'd like to continue to participate in Senate.  This year I ran for a spot in Murray (if you remember, last year when I joined I came in as an At Large Senator).  An email hit everyone's inboxes last night and I'm one of the four Murray Senators!  Our first meeting is tomorrow and I can't wait to see what Justin and Kelly (the President and VP) have in store for this upcoming school year.

Side note: There has been a lot of exciting things happening on campus so look for some more posts soon.

A Good Friday

I can't believe another week has flown by!  Today was an especially good day.  Here's what happened.

Had class.  Psychology in the morning, then Barcelona and Cultural Studies in the afternoon.  The crazy thing about all my classes this semester is that they either overlap with other classes I'm taking or ones I have taken at Coe.  For instance today in Cultural Studies we read the poem, Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelly.  I've included the poem below, thanks to Poem Hunter:

I met a traveller from an antique landWho said: `Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.And on the pedestal these words appear --"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretch far away.'  After we read the poem, Dr. Bob promised a dollar to anyone who could name the form of the poem.  We were all silent for a moment until Dr. Bob prompted us by saying, "How many lines does it have?"  Fourteen.  Which means it's a sonnet.  Which I had learned about in my British Renaissance Poetry class last spring.  I shouted out the answer and therefore, I'm one dollar richer today.   So it's things like that, where my classes are overlapping that makes learning so much fun.  When I can tie everything today, well, that's a pretty incredible feeling.  And I think it makes remembering everything for that next test or paper that much easier.  Because it's relatable and relevant to my real life.   In between Psychology and Barcelona, I went to le Table Francaise, the French speaking group that meets Fridays.  There was a great turnout and it was nice to tune up my French.   And, in between Table Francaise and Barcelona, I met a girl on the third floor of Hickok named Delaney who had read my blog.  We were just sitting in the hall waiting for our classrooms to be open when she said, "Don't you write a blog?  Because I think I've read yours."  And I was like, "OH MY GOSH I DO WRITE A BLOG AND YOU'VE READ IT!"  I had a minor freakout in the hallway I was so excited.  That's probably the biggest reason I love writing my blog -- I love love love meeting people who have read it.  It makes me feel really good that people are reading it and it's having some impact.  Woot! After classes were over, I still had my clarinet seminar in the late afternoon.  I'm really enjoying the new clarinet teacher I have this semester, Stephanie Nuss.  Dr. Carson is on a sabbatical so Stephanie is filling in for him.  She's super enthusiastic and knowledgeable about clarinet and I'm learning tons from her.   Dinner in the caf and then it was back to Murray to do some miscellaneous homework before heading over to Dows for the first Blindspot of the year.  I got some footage of some of the best acts and I'll post a montage soon. Blindspot had a huge crowd, Dows was packed!  What a way to start the Blindspot season!