New Work Study : Stewart Memorial Library

Stewart Memorial Library

If you haven't heard, I was transferred from the cafeteria work study to the library.  I was thrilled about the move and now after a few hours of orientation, I'm working there about seven hours a week.  This work study is perfect for me; I'm able to learn even more about the library and help make it a better place for the students!  I always feel like I'm in my element when I work at the library.  The biggest thing I've started to learn about is the call system we use.  When I worked at my public library back home, our books were shelved via the Dewey Decimal System.  You could ask me where a subject matter is and I could probably tell you the general number if not the specific number where you could find it.  But Coe's library doesn't use the Dewy system, instead they use the Library of Congress System.  This one is a bit more complicated in my book.  Here's a link to some basic information about the system if you're interested: http://geography.about.com/library/congress/blhowto.htm.  Pretty much there are more letters and numbers you have to look at to shelve books and all the books, fiction and nonfiction are shelved under the same system (unlike in the Dewy Decimal system where the fiction books are shelved separately by author's last name).  It's taking some getting use to but I'm picking up quick.

So I'm loving the library and now confidently know all the nooks and crannies of this place.  I promise I'll put a video up about the library soon because I want everyone to see one of my favorite places on campus! :)

Blood Drive Friday

Well today I did something new...donated blood!  The Coe Dance Team sponsored the drive and it was the second one of the school year.  I have a special connection to blood drives; since I was Student Council president back in my high school I was in charge of organizing our annual blood drive.  A lot of hard work but also a lot of fun.  But since I organized and then help run the drive, I couldn't donate because I probably wouldn't have the best reaction to it after running around all day.  Then, I tried giving in October but failed the iron test.  Armed with multivitamins, spinach, red meat, beans, and no caffeine, I attempted to donate today.

With a fantastic iron count I was ready to go.  Barb set me up and with help from Tracy (a good old Wisconsin gal) they found my tiny vein in my left arm.  At first, it was a little slow but with careful rearrangement of the needle, we got the blood really flowing.  Once I was done, I helped myself to some water and Nutter Butters (which I hadn't had in FOREVER).  And volia, I just donated blood.

I can't tell you what a fantastic feeling I had seeing my blood in that bag.  It was a feeling of satisfaction, pride, and joy.  I've always wanted to give blood because I know the impact it can have on someone's life.  Just knowing that I am helping someone makes me feel really good.

Well I best be off and get my heavy weight lifting in for the day or maybe some strenuous activities.....oh wait, I can't do that, I JUST DONATED BLOOD.  Hahaha, I felt I needed to say that since they always tell you that after donating. :)

The Votes Are In!

So just wanted to give everyone an update on the elections.  The voting occurred yesterday and the winner was.....(insert drum roll here)  Justin and Kelly!  Congrats and I can't wait to see what the Senate will do in the upcoming months!

Oh and good news on me possibly being a member (since I was so inspired by the debates) : I talked to my buddy Whitney and she said that at large elections are coming up and I could run for one of the spots.  I was psyched and will be keeping my eyes peeled for the seats to be open!

Other Blogs to Check Out

As much as I'm glad you're reading my blog (and let me tell you, I'm really glad), I just wanted to make sure you're aware of the other Coe bloggers out on the web.  Each blogger is from a different niche of Coe and so all of their perspectives together create a larger picture of what Coe is.  Also this semester, there are a fair amount of study abroad students keeping blogs; allowing you to see the study abroad opportunities available to Coe students.  Check them out (left hand side of my blog under "Other Kohawk Talkers") for a new look at Coe! [but keep looking at my blog too! :)]

- Hailley

Revelation on Friday and Lots of Fun

Had a bit of a revelation today, it was quite fun.  I was sitting in my Introduction to French Literature class and realized how much I really enjoy history.  More than I can explain.  I love seeing how the events played out and the key figures who created the history we're studying.  And I think I would be silly if I didn't follow through on history; I'd be letting history down.  So I think I want to minor in History.  The best part, is that I CAN.  Because Coe is fantastic like that, I don't have to declare anything until the end of my sophomore year and even though I'm not taking a history class right now, I won't be "behind."  I can catch up.  

I also checked out another Common Hour this afternoon.  Coe will be in the process very shortly of hiring a new Library Director.  They haven't had a new director for around 20 years (and think about all that has changed in just 20 years).  Coe wants to have a vision for our library in the 21st century so faculty and students like myself talked yesterday about what that vision should be.  Again, it was a great discussion because everyone participated and added in their own input.  And the faculty really want to know what the students are thinking and so when we show up, they want to ask us a million questions.  To me, that shows that they genuinely care about us and want to make sure we are getting the most out of our education.  I was more than happy to go and share my input about one of my favorite places on campus.

The first Blindspot of the second semester happened tonight as well.  The stage was all set up for the play "Copenhagen" which will be performed next week (http://www.coe.edu/news/179/716/Tony-Award-winning-play-Copenhagen-to-be-performed-at-Coe).  There was a great platform to perform on and many lighted lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling (that was my favorite part).  I think everyone had a good time and got a few laughs out of some of the acts.

My night ended with heading to the PUB for Karaoke Night (sponsored by SAC).  Although I myself didn't sing, it was still fun to watch my friends and other Coe students belt it out.  SAC had soda and pizza as snackage and it was a fun time.  :)

Presidential Debates: Narcelles & Heisel vs. Nylin & Strohm

At Coe, our Student Senate (http://www.coe.edu/campuslife/studentsenate) is pretty active.  They oversee the school's clubs, budget, and also help to fire up kohawk spirit.  Senate members are elected based on where they live; each dorm has a certain amount of representatives.  They have weekly meetings and make a lot of decisions for the Coe student body.  Apparently each January, a new Student Body President and Vice President are elected.  Coe is very democratic with this system, the candidates form their own party pretty much, complete with a platform.  This isn't like high school student government where the person who receives the second highest number of votes becomes the vice president - there are two pairs of president and vice president running for the positions.  Tonight at the PUB a debate was held, monitored by the Cosmos (the student run newspaper); it was a packed house.  The candidates got a chance to tell us about their platforms and their goals they would like to accomplish if they won the position.  There were questions for both sets of candidates, specific platform questions, and then an open discussion for students to ask their own questions.  Here are some interesting highlights from each of the candidates and I've also attached their platform handout.


Krishen Narcelles and Tyler Heisel "Coe College: It Just Keeps Getting Better!"

• More options in the PUB and vending machines along with healthier choices
• Renovating the International Student Lounge 
• Find a way to have the variety of clubs on campus more known.  It is kind of overwhelming as freshman to see all these clubs and some clubs do go unnoticed.    
• Reduce club emails : as Coe students we got a lot of emails, some that we don't even need to see.  A daily email with club highlights so it's only one instead of thirty or so. 

Justin Nylin and Kelly Strohm "Justin and Kelly, Striving for Excellence Within the Community"

• Reduce club emails (see last point in Narcelles and Heisel)
• Increase school spirit by making places such as Upper Gage and the PUB a more prominent hang out spot
• Laundry View (http://www.laundryview.com/lvs.php) This is a way to see if the laundry machines are open or not and has the ability to shoot you a text when you're laundry is done if you've forgotten about it
• Redo Senate homepage with more options for students to express their concerns 
• Creating weekly office hours where students can drop by to chat  

Overall, I was really impressed by the debates.  Both groups of candidates really did their research and were solid on their platforms; they had done outside research and had talked to many different administrators to see if what they were dreaming of was really a reality.  All four were well spoken and had good presence (by the way, I LOVE public speaking and love watching others speak so I can pick up tips and also find out what speaking habits to avoid).  They all seemed really dedicated to helping the student body and Coe in general.  This debate showed me how much I miss the Student Council I was involved with back in Mt. Horeb and how I will be looking for an opportunity to join Senate.  Voting will take place this upcoming Monday and I feel like I have a better idea of who the candidates are and who I'll be voting for.

So for the second day in a row, in the PUB, I've gotten excited about learning, my writing, and making a difference.  I'm very glad I went to the debates and can't wait to see how the election turns out.  

Here are their platforms: they are small because I've uploaded them as images so if you just click on them you should be able to view them larger.  The top two photos are the Narcelles and Heisel Platform and the bottom photo is the platform of Nylin and Strohm.  

 

          

Shanelle Gabriel: Poet in the PUB

Shanelle Gabriel

When my Fantasy teacher told us there was going to be a poet in the PUB Monday night I wasn't sure if I was going to go; I had homework to do and sleep to catch up on.  But I thought it would be nice to check it out and it was worth it. Shanelle Gabriel (http://www.shanellegabriel.com/) came to Coe and for an hour I got to hear her poetry, singing, and learn a little about her life.  She had a great stage presence, she was so comfortable up on stage.  Her poetry was real and she said up front that all poems were actually true or fabricated a little.  I would say Shanelle was in her late 20s and this made her easily relatable; I could compare and contrast my own experiences with her poems.  And Shanelle performed to a pretty full PUB, I had forgotten how much I enjoy the atmosphere of the PUB and now kind of want to study there sometimes.  Shanelle was also sort of an inspiration kickstart for my own writing.  For some reason I always seem to forget that when I'm having writer's block, another writer can usually inspire me.  Just seeing Shanelle up there, doing something she clearly loves and sharing her poetry with all us made my dream of being a writer so much more real and a reality.  When I got back from the PUB, I did some free writing of my own and saw how much easier words and ideas came to me.  So thanks Shanelle!  This event was sponsored by SAC and I hope to attend some more events like this one in the future.  

 

First Weekend Back

After two days of classes, it was already the weekend.  Now was the chance to fully catch up with everyone, discover all the cool stuff we did over break, and just reunite my Coe family.  On Friday night, Heidi and I hosted a little movie party.  It was a way to show off our new room and see everyone so it was win-win.  After much debate and a show of hands, we decided on watching Despicable Me first followed by A Knight's Tale.  Both excellent movies.  Throughout the movies, we joked around and probably did more talking than watching but oh well, it was fun.

On Saturday, it was time for a bit of homework and then Heidi, Haley, Krista, and myself had a roomie night.  We started with watching Valentine's Day and the Packer Game and followed those up with Ten Things I Hate About You.  Again, another nice night to catch up and be together.

Sunday is always a day for homework so after checking out the first half of the Bears game (Heidi is from Illinois after all) we hit the library.  Surprisingly, there aren't a lot of people here, so homework must not have been too much (which is always good).

So a calm weekend, nothing super exciting but still a great weekend.  Catching up was completed and there was a lot of laughter coming from Murray 607 this weekend.  As I've said before, one of the best parts of Coe is the family I've made.  And after three weeks apart, we all just fall back into routine.  We've all adjusted to the college life and now we aren't as fresh off the high school circuit as we were about six months ago.  It's such a good feeling.

Well, homework must be done! :)  More later.

The New Murray 607 Movie

So as promised, a video of my newly remodeled so to speak room.  This is what a corner room in Murray looks like.  Enjoy! :)

I'M BACK and It Feels GREAT! :)

Well well well....I'm back at Coe!  My dad, cousin Ben, and myself made the trek down to Coe today.  It was a great ride and I'm so glad to be back! :)  Heidi rearranged the room and it looks FANTASTIC!  I hope to make a video later this week to show off our new remodeled space.  It feels so good to be back, I'm falling right into the flow of things.  I've got some homework to do tomorrow and library orientation tomorrow night so that should be a full day.  Right now I'm catching up with friends and enjoying being back and unpacked.  But just wanted you to know I got back safe and sound, more to come! :)

A Tribute to My Great Grandma

Well it's Monday and I should be heading back to campus.  But I'm not because unfortunately yesterday my 98 year old Great Grandma passed away.  She was an AMAZING women who I'll miss very much.  Throughout high school, she avidly followed my high school success and anxiously awaited my college decision.  She was so proud that I was accepted at Coe and now am doing so well there.  During my breaks this past semester, I'd make a trip out to the nursing home to see her and update her about what I had been doing.  She loved hearing about it and was so proud of me.  So I'll be back at Coe Wednesday night and start classes Thursday.  I probably won't have another post until Thursday or Friday once I get settled in so I'll write then!

Hope all my Coe friends have a great start to their second semester! :)

Hailley

My Great Grandma and I before my Senior Homecoming Dance

Regional Reception in Milwaukee

So on Saturday (January 8th) my dad and I headed to Milwaukee for a Regional Reception.  What is that you may ask?  Well, it's where an alumnus hosts a little party for high school students who have applied and or have been accepted to Coe.  This casual gathering allows prospective students and their parents to have questions answered about Coe and learn more about what Coe has to offer.  I was invited to come along by my admissions counselor, Chris Paasch.  Chris wanted my dad and I as resources for prospective students since it wasn't all that long ago that I was in their same boat.  And it was a lot of fun.  I met six great high school seniors from the Milwaukee area who all have an interest in Coe.  None of them have officially decided on Coe which is totally fine because they have until May 1st (and if you remember, I waited until almost May 1st to make my decision so waiting is totally acceptable in my book).  I can see all of them as Kohawks and I hope if the fit is right, they end up at Coe.  The reception was a great way for me to meet other people from Wisconsin, a Coe alumnus, and also to continue to share my love and passion for Coe.  If any of the six students who I met on Saturday are reading this, I wish you the best of luck on making your college decision.  It's a big one, I know that.  But I know you guys are going to do fine.  If you have ANY questions about Coe, let me know because I'd be more than happy to answer them.

Last Friday At Home

Well today marks the last Friday I have in Mt. Horeb and I only have two more days until I head back to Coe.  It seems like three weeks have just FLOWN by.  Winter Break has been lovely for me so far.  No homework is probably my favorite part of break.  I'd read some books (just for fun) which I was really lacking at Coe.  When I got home, I realized how busy I was at Coe.  Everyday I was doing something and see someone or someones.  Winter Break was a little hard at first because I didn't know how to do nothing.  But I learned.  Now let's hope that I forget how to do nothing once second semester starts!

The odd thing about coming home is that suddenly, the freedom I found at Coe was slightly restricted.  Talking to old high school friends, I realize we all have the same problem.  In college, when we want to go somewhere, we go.  We don't have to tell anyone or report back to them at a certain time.  Curfews don't really exist.  At home, it's a whole other story.  My parents wanted to know where I was going and what time I would return.  I had to plan around what my brother and sister were doing (I was a lovely chauffeur the past three weeks).  Suddenly, instead of worrying about my own schedule, I had to take into account four other peoples' schedules.

I also started to miss everyone at Coe.  One of the things I love about a small campus is the ability to see everyone I want to see everyday (multiple times too).  I run into them on the way to class, in the elevator in Murray, in the caf, at the PUB, in the library.  My friends and I go crazy when we don't see each other everyday.  And by Winter Break, we are so use to seeing everyone all the time.  On the other hand, some of my high school friends went to bigger universities such as UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee or University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.  Since the student population is much much bigger than Coe's, they don't see every one of their friends everyday.  Granted, they still are going through a friend withdrawal like I am, but I feel that mine is a bit more severe.  Luckily with technology as it is, Skype and texting have been my friends the last couple of weeks as an easy way to keep in touch.  Our conversations aren't very long because we all know we have catching up to do at home but the underlying message is the same: I miss you and can't wait to see you.  I've pretty much made a family at Coe, a tight, close knit group of people who are watching out for me and I'm watching out for them.  I spend most of my "free" time with them and we always have a blast.  And that's one of best parts of Coe and what makes me enjoy my college experience all the more.

Well, I'd best be off.  I've got laundry, baking, packing, reading and final catching up to do before I hit the road Monday.  See you later!

Excitement at Coe: KEN BURNS

So I was surfing Coe's homepage and I came across big news (http://www.coe.edu/news/177/716/Award-winning-documentary-filmmaker-Ken-Burns-2011-Coe-Contemporary-Issues-Forum-speaker.)  The legendary Ken Burns is coming to Coe on February 22nd.  The reason I'm so excited he's coming to Coe is because when I was in ninth grade, I made a documentary about women's suffrage in the 1900s.  I used iMovie (application used by Apple computers) and had to learn how to work it by myself.  It wasn't always easy but I pulled through and this documentary started my movie making career so to speak.  When I was importing photos into iMovie, they all wanted to have the "Ken Burns" effect.  The effect is simply zooming in or out of the photo for a more "dramatic" effect.  I would have nothing to do with the "Ken Burns" effect because I liked my pictures to be stationary.  But still, even though I refused to use his effects, he is a big name is the film world and I can't believe he's coming to Coe.  I've already got January 24th on my calendar and an extra five bucks for the ticket I'll be buying.  Film making is sort of of a hobby of mine and I can't wait to hear what Ken Burns has to say.

The Caf: A Written Tour

I know that Krista told you a little bit about the caf and their fabulous cookies they make at lunch, but I realized I haven't told you about the rest of the caf where surprisingly I spend a large amount of my free time.  But I guess that makes sense since I need to eat.  And I did work there for the first semester.

Anyways, a written tour of the caf now begins.  When you walk through the double door with the words "The U" above you, Pam is usually the first person you interact with.  Pam scans your student ID and she is FANTASTIC.  A lovely women who gets to know everyone's names and I love having a quick chat with her before heading into the caf. The first station you encounter is the dessert section (which can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it).  That's where the cookie oven is located, the desserts, the soft-serve ice cream along with (and this could be considered slightly ironic depending on how you look at it) the fruits (apples, oranges and if you're lucky....bananas!).  It's at this point where you have two options: either take a left or continue straight into the heart of the caf (just like a choose your own adventure novel).  Let's take a left.

Going left, you reach the grill serving hot-off-the-grill burgers (some with cheese), french fries, and sometimes speciality sandwiches.  If you keep walking you'll see the Icee machine and if you take a right at the Icee machine you'll be at the pasta line.  The caf serves both wheat and white pasta along with a marianna and alfredo sauce.  The next stop on this written tour is if you keep walking straight after the pasta line you'll hit the hot food line.  This food changes for every meal.  At breakfast you'll find french toast (that's my favorite), eggs, hash browns, oatmeal, pancakes (regular, apple, banana, and chocolate chip to name a few); lunch and dinner always have a variety of options like mac and cheese (one of my favorites), lasagna (a Coe favorite), rice, veggies, chicken and other meat.  The hot food line also always includes a vegetarian option.  Once you reach the end of the hot food line and take a right, you'll be right in line for pizza.  There are always the classic pizza options like pepperoni, sausage, and cheese, but look out for some other unique options like barbecue chicken, a flatbread, and some other ones I can't think of right now.  At the end of the pizza line is the line for hot sandwiches (only served at lunch).  They are FABULOUS and I usually swear by them for lunch.

After grabbing some pizza, we've kind of reached the end of the left option.  So let's go back to the dessert and try going straight.

By going straight, on your left there is the Cook to Order.  One of the chefs is preparing a food of some sort during either the lunch or dinner period.  They are always good and the favorites are ones with pasta.  You can order it the way you like and it's a nice way to spice up your meal.  On your right is the salad bar and other miscellaneous toppings such as lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, mustard, and ketchup for your burger.  My favorite part of the salad bar is the fresh fruit (made up of strawberries, grapes, and melons) they serve (they don't serve it everyday so it's always nice when they do).  If you take a left at the salad bar, you'll see the hot food line staring you straight in the face but you're not worrying about that right now, you'll looking on your left at the soup of the day (my favorite is the tortilla soup) and the sandwich bar line.  You can find bread, lunch meat, and taco toppings to spice up your sandwich.  The microwave, mini grill (to make grilled cheese), and tortilla soft shells are located here.  I usually haunt this area of the caf; I love making my own sandwich or having a bowl of soup.

If you were to continue straight at the salad bar you'll see the cereal bar and other breakfast like items (also known as the "granary") off to your left and the beverages off to your right.  We've got a waffle maker first up, followed by the peanut butter, cream cheese, and jelly.  And then the cereal.  Although it's not as big as Pixar's Cereal Bar (which I learned about on the extras of Toy Story 3, check it out, it's pretty sweet) it's still a nice spot for cereal.  My favorite is either Captain Crunch Crunch Berries or Reese's Puffs.  Both excellent choices. But there are more "healthier" options such as Cheerios, and cereals by Kashi.  The cereals change all the time so it's always worth a look.  Finally in the granary is the bagel and bread section and toaster.  If you venture straight any further, you'll run into the spot where you drop your dishes once you're done eating.  But back to beverages.  Lots of options like Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Raspberry Ice Tea, Gatorade, coffee, tea, and milk.  And I know I've missed some but there's just a preview.

And that's the caf in a nutshell.  I hope I described it enough so you can get a picture in your head.  But before I call this post good, I'll talk about meal options.  PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS THIS IS FOR YOU! :)  As an incoming freshman you have three meal options: 11, 16, or 20 meals a week.

Coe doesn't offer a full 21 meals, on Sunday they offer a brunch beginning at 10:45 AM so we only have 20 meals a week.  The best deal for your money is 20 meals.  This past semester, I chose 16 meals a week and I liked that.  There were definitely weeks where I didn't use all my meals but for the most part I tried to have 16 meals at the caf a week.  That means I'm short four meals and I usually have breakfast in my room during the week so it all works out.  The meal option also comes with Coe cash which can be used in the PUB to buy other food and snacks.  For 11 meals you get $100, 16 meals gets $75, and 20 meals gets $25.  The catch with Coe cash is that once the semester is done, your Coe cash is as well (so make sure to spend as much as you can before your last final exam).

Again, prospective students, if you have any questions, comment on the post and I'll get it answered for you! :)

I think I need to go eat now, talking about the caf has made me hungry! More later!  

Random Photos from Coe

All right so with a new year comes the perfect time to clean up and get ready for a brand spanking new year.  I was doing some cleaning myself and found I had uploaded some photos but didn't display them anywhere.  Sad.  So here they are, random photos from some of my adventures at Coe.  The ones of the left side are from downtown Cedar Rapids' Fire and Ice Festival and the ones on the right are from a visit to Happy Joes, a pizza place in Cedar Rapids. Enjoy! :)

 

 

Happy New Year!

Ah, it's 2011.  I can't believe it, 2010 has flown by so fast.  It seems like just yesterday my parents and I were attending scholarship weekends and just last weekend when I graduated from high school.  But 2010 is over and it was a fantastic year.  And I have this feeling that 2011 is going to be even better.  I've completed one semester of college and can't wait to begin my second.

With the new year dawning, I think it's time to make some resolutions.  To get a little off topic (but this needs to be said) I am so happy that I can write this blog because as you may know, I am majoring in English and Creative Writing and aspire to be a writer someday.  Writing this blog allows me to write about my adventures and experiences at Coe and also allows me to share what's great about Coe with prospective students, family, and friends.  So it's pretty much a perfect fit for me.  But back to resolutions, here are a few of mine.
  
- Have another great semester at Coe
- Continue to make more movies for my blog (keep your eyes peeled for one about the library coming once I get back to Coe!)
- Explore the city of Cedar Rapids (hope to do a blog post on what I discover!)
- Continue to experiment with my blog such as more interviews, videos and whatever else pops into my head
- Continue to stay involved at Coe and find more ways to get involved (while staying on top of my schoolwork of course)

I'm sure there will be more to come as the year goes on and I keep thinking about resolutions.  Hope everyone is having a great first day of 2011!