What's Next?

I may not have explicitly mentioned this, but I'm officially done with my junior year. April 13th was my last day in New York City and my last day of second semester. Now, I don't say this too loudly around my Coe peers; they still have a few more weeks of classes before finals and then summer.

So what am I going to do? Excellent question. I'm currently at home in Mt. Horeb, spending some quality time with my family. It's nice to not have responses to write or tests to study for. Nevertheless, I'm still busy, preparing for a new exciting upcoming events.

In May, I'll move back to campus and begin my second May Term experience. This May I'll be traveling to Germany and Poland for 10 days to study World War II and Holocaust memorials. My instructor is Professor Bethany Keenan, who I had as a professor my freshman year in Western Civilization I. 

Once May Term is over, I'll transition back into summer 2012 mode. As in, I'll be working the same two jobs as I did a year ago. During the day, I'll be an Admission Assistant, giving tours, talking to prospective students, gearing up for Iowa's Private College Week, and helping out around the office. My "partner-in-crime" is a fellow soon-to-be senior, TJ. I have a feeling we are going to make a pretty awesome dream team.

So that's the plan! This blog will be quiet for the next couple of weeks. I've got soccer games to attend, family to see, and packing lists to create. Feel free to browse through my new pages or my old posts until I begin to regularly blog in May. 

So Many Hugs: Returning to My Kohawk Family

On Monday I made my first trip to Coe in 2013. It was a short visit, I left Tuesday afternoon, but nevertheless, it was an amazing visit.

During the entire two and a half hour car ride to Cedar Rapids, I literally could not contain my excitement. Even as I crossed the state line from Wisconsin to Iowa, I got giddy. New York Term was amazing and better than I could have ever expected, yet I still missed Coe.

I pulled into on campus and felt like nothing had changed. Sure, in reality, it's been four months and lots has changed, but the feeling I had when I stepped on campus was exactly the same. It's a mixture of excitement and calm. I feel at home.

The best part of this visit was the look on people's faces. I hadn't told very many people I was making a visit. It was mainly a business visit; I had an interview and needed to turn in some paperwork and run around campus to nab signatures. So it was great to see several friends of mine do a double take when I appeared in front of them. My most memorable moment on Monday was walking into the Nassif Admission House and seeing my Admission family. They were so thrilled to actually see me and we couldn't stop talking about how fantastic this summer is going to be.

This visit was just another reminder of how much Coe means to me and how much I mean to Coe. If you've been a long time reader of this blog, this fact isn't new. My love for Coe comes through in each post and I know I've made a positive impact on campus. During my visit, I just couldn't keep a big grin off my face.

The best way to end this post is with a motto every incoming Kohawk learns and then realizes over their four years at Coe: Once a Kohawk, Always a Kohawk.

Becoming a City Slicker: Reflections on New York Term 2013

I'm honestly not entirely sure how I wanted to start this reflection. I thought one was in order to sum up my experience. To funnel my passion for this program and the experiences I've had the past four months into one post. But, as I page through the 85 blog posts I wrote (almost one per day!) I feel like my excitement for what I was doing leaps off the screen!

Nevertheless, you know I love to write and one of my most valuable Writing Center training lessons was that reflection is key (thanks Dr. Bob!). So here I go.

I've wanted to do New York Term before I even knew I would become a Kohawk. I'm pretty sure someone plugged the program to me when I was on campus during Iowa's Private College Week. I thought it was sort of a crazy program; go to New York? But nevertheless, I saw the immense advantages for doing this as a "domestic study abroad" option. An internship would give me experience and connections and the cultural events were an added bonus and thrill. Of course, exploring a big city like NYC was very attractive to me. I had been there only a couple of times and felt there was still so much to see.

My five semesters at Coe (aka two and a half years) were building up to New York Term. It was something Gina and I had blocked off in my schedule and worked around. Needless to say, I was a little nervous when I moved into the Hotel Belleclaire back in January. I had put such high expectations on this program and only wanted it to go well. Through a somewhat crazy turn of events, I had secured two internships, one at the New York Public Library (my dream come true!) and the other at The Paley Center for Media.

New York Term exceeded my expectations. Some of my favorite moments of the term were ordinary moments. The moments where I left the hotel at 8:11 AM to walk down to the B train on 72 Street and Central Park West. I would look up at the skyscrapers rising around me and smile. It was my goofy grin, when I'm happy and pleased with where I am.

I became a "city slicker," or a semi-knowledgeable New Yorker. People asked me for directions and I got to the point where I knew where to get on to the subway to get off at the right street at my final destination. I avoided the crowded and touristy #1 train and preferred adventures to Brooklyn and the cash-only Thai restaurant than flashy and loud Times Square with the chain restaurants I knew too well.

My internships were everything I could have wanted. Both places gave me the ability to explore and grow as an employee. My drive to do well and go above and beyond expectations most definitely paid off. Both internships did not confine me to the office cubicle; they pushed me out into the city. Not only did I gain valuable experience, but I also gained several mentors who want to succeed and who I will keep in touch with over the years.

The cultural side of the term was once again, above expectations. I can't say enough good things about the five professors I've worked with. Each one is passionate about their area and are well-connected in those social circles in NYC. Walking into a performance space always prompted an introduction of the ten of us as our professor chatted with a casual acquaintance. While writing responses wasn't always the most fun, they helped me think critically and analyze what I had just seen. And we saw such varying events, there was no way we could ever be bored.

Finally, NYC gave me so many things I wasn't expecting. I got to spend a good chunk of time with my family in New Jersey, which I am so thankful for. What's great about NYC is that it's a city that keeps on giving. I don't think you could spend a day here and not find something new and exciting. Every day became an adventure and when I found something cool and interesting, I gave myself a little pat on the back. My curiosity always rewarded me.

New York Term changed me for the better. By the end of the program, I moved confidently through the city. It was as if I had been riding an express subway train from January until April; everything was moving and I was part of the action. Finally, as the train stopped and I climbed up the steps, I entered a whole new world above ground. As I look out on the horizon, my senior year and beyond holds so much. I know NYC played an integral part of this horizon and that makes me so happy. Senior-in-high-school Hailley is smiling at this new girl and knows she is going to go far. 

"I'm leaving on a jet plane"

Yep, that's right. In a few hours, I'll be in the sky, Midwest bound. Kind of crazy to believe.

Woke up extra early this morning to finish up packing and say goodbyes. Everything fit in my suitcases and I'm under the weight requirements so yippee!! My ticket is printed and I'm pretty much ready to go.

Am I ready to leave New York? Maybe. I love this city and it's a city where I feel at home. I'm constantly moving and using my feet (and the help of subways and buses) to take me from Point A to Point B. At the same time, I miss the Midwest, the large backyards and the small-town feel. So today is definitely bittersweet.

But it's okay. I know I will back. And that excites me.

Well, I better pull everything together and hail a cab to the airport. I'm still planning on writing a final reflection post and creating a master list of the all the things I did for the past 92 days. The master plan is to have those posts up next week.

For those who have been reading my blog since January, thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading and could tell how happy I was in the city and what an adventure I had. For prospective students, I hope my posts gave you an idea of not only what New York Term is like, but also the opportunities Coe has for you. For those in Mt. Horeb or the Madison area, I will see you soon. Can't wait to share more stories and catch up with your lives. And finally, for those in Cedar Rapids, I will be back soon; you can't keep me away from Coe much longer.

Happy Saturday everyone.

"I will tweet no more": The last day at the Paley Center

Okay, that title isn't entirely accurate.
I will still tweet. Can't keep me away from Twitter (for better or for worse).

But it was my last day at the Paley Center. I took my usual and reliable B train to work. It was moderately raining and very very windy. Luckily, my umbrella withstood the wind and I made it safe and sound to the Paley Center.

I spent the day watching PaleyFest clips and pulling quotes and facts for promotion materials. It seemed appropriate to work on PaleyFest today since that's been a huge part of my internship this semester. I also have fallen in love with PaleyFest and therefore, more than willing to watch clips.

About an hour before I was done, Marni and I headed over to the Starbucks across the street for some coffee and afternoon snack. We then chatted, about my internship and my experience in the city. It was so nice to have some time to just talk to Marni.

While I only worked one day a week at the Paley Center, it was still a memorable and outstanding internship. Social media was something I had begun to pick up and enjoy using it. I try to not let it consume my life and instead, use it to my advantage to spread my thoughts and passions and learn about others. My social media internship at the Paley Center opened my eyes to how social media works at an institution. It's much more structured than my daily tweets and there truly is strategy involved. Not only did I write tweets and Facebook posts, I was able to dig into the software that the Paley Center uses to schedule tweets and analyze our social media footprint.

Another great thing about my internship was that it allowed me expand my passion for TV. What helped me become a good intern was how I dug into the shows that were going to be panels at PaleyFest. I ended up becoming a loyal fan of The Mindy Project, New Girl, and Nashville while continuing my commitment to The Big Bang Theory. Knowing the ins and outs of these shows allowed me to write successful tweets and wade through all the social media out there once PaleyFest was under way.

Just like NYPL, the Paley Center internship was an excellent fit. I worked with great people and couldn't have asked for a better boss in Marni. They were incredibly flexible with my schedule. It was a wonderful way to spend my Fridays this semester. I will definitely be keeping in touch with them all and livestreaming any of their events when I can (you should do, especially if you're a Mad Men fan, they have an event coming up soon!).

Another last

It was my last Thursday in the city.
Another bittersweet moment.

Since our art adventures were over, we had the day to ourselves. I woke up early and walked a few blocks to our local FedEx office. As expected, I had acquired more in the city and couldn't fly it all home. So a box was shipped to Wisconsin with my good old ice skates, my books I picked up, playbills, and other miscellaneous items.

With that taken care of, I did some more packing. For Friday and Saturday, I will actually be living out of my suitcase since I needed to weigh my suitcases to make sure I fit the weight requirements. I did, thank goodness!

Post-packing, I was feeling a little stir crazy so went for a long (2.5 hours!) walk in Central Park. It was a pretty nice day; cloudy but no rain. I don't know how well I will adjust to the less than stellar Wisconsin weather!!

Whitney, Ashley, Rina, Katie, Amy, and I decided to check out a movie tonight. We went to a theater in Brooklyn called Nitehawk Cinema. It's a neat venue because you sit in theater seats with tables in front of you. Before and throughout the show you can order drinks and food; they even have specials depending on which movie you're seeing. Whitney and Rina had been there before and couldn't wait for us to go and experience it.

The theater was GREAT. Definitely want to go back the next time I end up in the city. We saw the movie Stoker. It's a psycho/thriller. Not quite up my alley but thanks to our film experiences this past semester I was able to enjoy the movie. It was also a solid film and excellent acting. I also zeroed in on the cinematography and enjoyed analyzing it afterwards.

So an easy Thursday. There's just Friday left and then it's back to Wisconsin. Does time FLY!

"What?!? It can't be your LAST day!" Saying goodbye to NYPL (for now!)

When I walked into the Mid-Manhattan branch on Wednesday morning a little before 9 AM, a wave of nostalgia hit me. As my shoes clinked on the title as I walked towards the staff elevator  I had a hard time believing this was the last time.

It couldn't be.
But it was.

I couldn't help but remember back to my very first day. I had no idea where I was suppose to go or who exactly I was looking for. I wandered up to the mezzanie and tentatively said I was there to see Nick Higgins. The lady behind the desk steered me towards the staff elevators but didn't say much. And when I got up to the sixth floor, I had no clue where I was going. I stumbled into Louise and she showed me to Nick's cube.

Nick was upbeat and friendly, logging me into the computer that would become mine for the next several months and handing me a hot off the press copy of Connections 2013 as a way to aclimate myself to correctional services. That very first day I wrote countless letters to prisoners and learned all about marriage proxy laws.

My first day ended with meeting and listening to Denny Meyer, one of the veterans who's story I would get to know. Denny was interesting and full of life; he is truly an advocate. The interview ended up being two hours long and suddenly, it was 5 PM.

I had no idea that this somewhat atypical first day would turn into the cornerstone event of this term.

Over the next three months, I would build myself into the community outreach department. I sort of took over the Veteran History Project, created a book discussion group, started a Music & Memory drive, wrote several blog posts for NYPL's website, and get to know some fantastic people. Brigid and I went on several adventures to the Bronx and attended workshops I would have never attended on my own. I spent time with Sarah, a passionate Correctional Services librarian who loves a good drawing and was always so much fun to talk to about libraries, librarians, or our lives in general. And then of course, there was Nick, my boss. A great boss who wants to do everything he can, even if time doesn't allow him to do so. Nick was always there for a "good job" or "keep up the good work." He gaves me ideas of where he sort of wanted a project to go and then let me take it on and discover my own way for the project.

And now I'm back to Wednesday. As I went through my usual tasks, I knew it would be the last time I was doing it. I was definitely bummed.

Around 3 PM, Nick brought me into his office and the whole crew was there with goodies. They threw me a party! It was so sweet and so thoughtful. We sat around for about 45 minutes talking about my term and telling random stories. They had sort of become my library family and I appreciated every one of them.

Then it was back to work; well, more like I met with Nick and passed off all the information I had complied together for the Veterans History Project for the person who fills my shoes.

And I was done. Hugs were shared and I promised I would keep in touch.
Which I will. Obviously.

This internship was nothing what I expected but everything I needed, if that makes any sense. I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by passionate librarians who supported me and continued to affirm my decision to become a librarian. They wanted to see my succeed and helped me however they could. I couldn't have asked for better people.

The Final Meeting

Expect the posts this week to use the words "last" and "final" a lot.
On Tuesday, the group trekked out to Brooklyn to eat dinner at Susan's house and have the final hurrah of the term with the professors.
Susan lived in an area of Brooklyn that seemed more town than city. The streets were lined with old Victorian houses and small yards. There was actually SPACE between the houses. It was nice to see that not all of NYC is surrounded by concrete.

Susan had made delicious turkey chili and cornbread. Murray, Kathy, and Alan were all there and it was a fun time. The group just hung out, chatted, reminisced on the bests of the term, and discussed the future. Everyone was in a good mood.

We also presented our final projects after dinner. Susan had us complete two projects, both focused on the eight plays we saw from January to now. The first was a monologue based off one of the many characters we saw and the second was a creative project of our choice. It was interesting to see everyone perform their monologue and present their project; it was clear to us what plays effected our peers the most.

Amy emceed the event and we ended our "show" with a rendition of a few songs from Carmen on her trombone. Even though it was late, Susan couldn't let us leave without dessert. So gelato it was!

As the group left Susan's house, we suddenly were brought back to the first Saturday of the term. We had spent a long night at Kathy's studio, getting to know the professors and wondering what the term would hold for us. Needless to say, I think the term has transformed all of us and we are better people because we were in New York City, on this term, with each other.

The Last Weekend

WHAT?!?!

It didn't really hit me until I was writing this post that Sunday was my last Sunday in NYC. I feel like I'm a broken record when I say this, but I just can't believe. The months have FLOWN by and next Saturday I'll be on a flight back to the Midwest.

Anywho, I had a wonderful last weekend in the city. Saturday the group headed to Queens (Astoria to be exact) to have one final film event with Alan. We ended up watching several short film selections from the 2012-2013 Rural Route Film Festival.

This is actually a festival that Alan founded. Alan is a Coe grad (from a small town in Iowa) and so this festival is sort of a shout out to the Midwest. All the films in this festival have a common setting: rural.

The films were excellent and each girl got to take home a DVD with 11 films. I can't wait to show others and I definitely want to follow some of these directors and see if they make any other films.

After Alan's, I headed to the Schwarzman's Library to do more Mary Robinson research. On Saturday, I looked at two letters written by Robinson and one written by her daughter, Maria. Robinson had beautiful but somewhat messy handwriting. It was amazing to hold this letter in my hands. One of the letters still had her seal intact. Of course, I was silently geeking out and so happy I got the opportunity to view these letters. I have no idea if I can use these letters in my thesis but I guess it's more of "Look at what I saw" as opposed to "This is how I will use these letters."

Sunday morning rolled around and I finally started packing. I will have to send some things home since I'll be taking an airplane back to the Midwest and not driving.

My break from packing was taking a bus with Whitney and Alison to Ensemble Studio Theater for their monthly Youngblood Brunch. This is my third time at EST and my second brunch. The theme this time around was WOMEN with the title of "I Am Woman, Hear Me Brunch."

The food was fantastic and so were the one-act plays. The plays were written by women and the actors were only women. The audience ate the theme up and it was a perfect way to spend my afternoon.

I returned to the hotel for more packing and finishing up my final responses. My entire document of responses ended up being 67 pages long and covered 38 events.

Woah.

Now begins my final week in the city. I'm working at the library Monday through Wednesday and at the Paley Center on Friday. I have Thursday off to finish packing and tie up any loose ends. I know this week will fly by and I'm excited yet sad that my time in NYC is almost over for now.

Hailley's Six Word Memoir: Aspiring Librarian Discovers Poetry Is Cool

I already knew poets were cool but I had an amazing opportunity on Friday to rediscover that fact.

About a month ago, Susan had sent me an email about an upcoming workshop at Poets House, a poetry library located near Battery Park. The workshop was for librarians about how to integrate and grow a poetry collection at your library. She knew how much I love libraries and thought it would be a good fit. I talked to Nick and he also thought it would be a good workshop. Nick contacted Poets House and signed me up.

Side note: Poets House was the group that sponsored the Joy Harjo reading Whitney and I attended at the National Museum of the American Indian a few weeks ago.

I left the hotel bright and early for a downtown train. I haven't really spent much time in the Battery Park area. It was a beautiful day outside, which further enhanced the area!

The space the Poets House is in is BEAUTIFUL. Lots of large windows to let in sunlight and large spaces to hold more poetry than I thought possible. There is even a separate children's room, complete with functioning typewriters to jot down some poems. The second floor of the building is the library itself, along with tables and couches for writing and relaxing. I sort of wish I had discovered this place earlier because it would have been a good place to write my responses.

Anyways, a bunch of librarians were in one of their meeting spaces and we spent the day talking poetry. Two poets, Nancy Willard and Dave Johnson were our leaders of sorts, guiding us through the ins and outs of poetry. We even got to write our own poems! We also created our six word memoirs (hence the title of this post). It was the perfect atmosphere to share ideas and past events and brainstorm new ways to get poetry out to library users.

Overall, it was a fantastic workshop. While I don't have a poetry collection I can go back to and improve and sponsor a bunch of events, it did get my gears turning about when I finally have my own collection when I become a librarian. Poetry is important and quite beautiful. Personally, I didn't get into poetry until I was in college. I do wish I had learned to appreciate it earlier and so I think part of my mission as a librarian will be to expose the people I work with to excellent poetry. Just like I believe every person has a book/genre/author that is the best fit for them, I think every person has a poem/genre/poet that is the best for them; it will be my job to figure out what that might be.

As I left the workshop with a folder full of information and a source book with even more useful tips and tricks, I was reminded once again how lucky I am to be on this term. I had just participated in a workshop in a beautiful space in the city. Not only was this workshop interesting, it is helping to build my library science foundation and this information will be invaluable as I continue on to graduate school. I am so thankful and happy with my internship at the New York Public Library and everything it has given me the past three months. I am also so lucky to have Susan as a professor because she looks out for her students; she learns what we are passionate about and does her best to steer us to things that will interest us. Just more reasons why New York Term ROCKS.

Reading sonnets from a 1796 book. No big deal, right?

There are so many great things about the New York Public Library. While the Mid-Manhattan has books that can circulate, the Schwarzman Building (right across the street and the one with the lions) has several amazing collections.

These collections require scheduling an appointment and being very careful because many of these manuscripts are rare copies or extremely dated.

While many of the collections sound fascinating, there was one collection that really stood out: The Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and His Circle.

The Shelley is Percy Shelley aka the husband of Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. 

The Shelley's were prominent during the British Romanticism, aka the 18th and 19th century. Which is basically a specialty (so to speak) of mine.

Also, guess what period Mary Robinson wrote her sonnets and other works?

The 18th and 19th century.

So the collection was perfect. And is perfect. I had the opportunity to visit it on Thursday and actually spend some time reading from the collection.

I read Sappho and Phaon (the sonnet sequence that will be the focus of my thesis). Guess when it was published and made?

1796.

Yeah. It was a beautiful small book. And I was so thrilled to be in the collection. While visitors walked past the room and attempted to get in, I was actually in the room, surrounded by rare manuscripts from the 18th and 19th century.

Incredible.

I'm planning on going back on Saturday and read the rest of Sappho and Phaon as well as some letters Robinson wrote and her memoir.

I'm so excited. (If you couldn't tell!)

A Beautiful Day at the Cloisters

Today marked our last art adventure. Kathy met us at the hotel and after our usual pep talk, we ventured uptown.

Our destination: 190th Street and the Cloisters.

The Cloisters is actually an extension of the Met and holds a collection of art and architecture from medieval Europe. Around the area is a really nice park. The group explored some walking trails and had a picnic lunch. Everyone was getting along really well and it was such a beautiful day outside, everyone couldn't help but be happy.

Then it was into the museum. There were some beautiful tapestries and Christian relics. It reminded me a lot of museums, castles, and cathedrals I have been to in France. With the high vaulted ceilings and stone walls and pillars, I just wanted to be back in France, visiting castles and learning about the kings that once lived there.

Kathy let us off the hook today for responses; as long as we chatted with her about a piece, we didn't need to write a response. Gives me time to get in those final moments in the city and finish up our final projects (more on that later).

I'll add more photos when I nab them from other group members.

Research, Research, Research!

I'm a little embarassed to admit, but although I've been working at the Mid-Manhattan Library for three months, I've spent little time in the Schwarzman Building (aka the ones with the lions).

But...with my thesis research slowly starting, I finally had a reason!

I found several good books located in the Rose Reading Room. It's the reading room that is (pretty) recognizable.

Look familiar? 

It's a beautiful room and very quite. It's a great place to study.

When I walk in, I head toward the center of the room to request my books. Librarians actually grab the books I would like to use. I submit a paper slip with the book title, author, and call number and then twenty minutes later, VOLIA, the book appears.

I had forgotten how much I enjoy studying in a library (it's been a while!). And Mary Robinson is a fascinating woman. While not many people know about her, she made a large impact (in my opinion) on the literary world. I won't go into my speech about how awesome she is (I'll save that for another blog post during the summer) but starting this project in the Rose Room seems so appropriate. And perfect. 

Here's some photos of my studying because I felt the need to document it:

I'm hoping to spend a few more days in the library reading as much as I can before I leave. It seems like every day I add more and more things to my list of things to accomplish before I leave the city!

The Music of Motown

Every term, the group gets to attend one musical. It's sort of funny that I started my time in NYC with a musical (The Newsies) and now am sort of ending the term with Motown: The Musical. We saw it on Tuesday night.

Also, at the beginning of the term, I might have been a little disappointed about not seeing more musicals. I remember musicals being an important part of my high school experience. Our HUGE fall event in high school was a musical. I was a proud chorus member of Oklahoma (that's why I'm so good at spelling it [insert sarcasm here]) and then played clarinet in the pit for Bye, Bye Birdie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Beauty and the Beast. I also have a soft spot for The Music Man and Guys and Dolls.

Anywho, I'm getting WAY off topic. Where was I? Oh yes, musicals. Before becoming a semi-permanent New Yorker, I thought musicals were a big deal.

Not true.

Susan has taken us to some AMAZING theater and I've realized musicals are mainly just for tourists. Nothing wrong with musicals, I still love them, but I'm now craving theater much, much more.

But back to Motown. This musical was still in previews and was pretty high energy. It follows the story of the founder of Motown (the record company for those who don't know) Berry Gordy. The show is pushed forward by the music and these songs are ones everyone knows. There ended up being very little dialogue and more song and dance.

I also can't write this blog post without including some songs from the Motown era. Here are my two favorites....

First off, the Jackson's Five I Want You Back



And then Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed, Delivered



Guess who will be listening to Motown the next couple of weeks? This girl.

So a successful musical for the trip. Now just have to wrap that energy into a response!

Fourth (and probably final) blog post for NYPL

Tada! Another blog post:

This one is all about the Veteran Oral History project. It seems appropriate that this post is being published right now. Today, I finished up the final resource page for the ten veteran oral histories that are currently online. It was a big project and one that I learned so much from.

It was a bittersweet moment when I finished the last page today. I have been working on this project since my first day at NYPL. Just like the project has grown, I've also grown over the past several months.

Okay, I'll stop being so sappy.

But since I only have a week left in the city and three days left at NYPL, I think this was my last blog post from NYPL's account. So so so glad I could be a guest blogger :)

Signed Up!

This morning I came to work early so I could register for fall classes.

Easiest registration of my life because everything was open. So many perks of being a soon-to-be-senior :)

Also, I only had to register for three classes because, assuming my thesis proposal is approved, that will be my fourth class. It will be an independent study, but I know it will be a large workload.

Good thing I'm excited about it.

Along with my thesis I'm taking an English seminar, a rhetoric class for my writing minor, and astronomy. In order to graduate I need a lab science so I figured it would be good to take it now, don't you think? I'm also hoping to find a way to squeeze French in since I only need one more class for my minor!

So it's happening, my senior year that is. I'm excited but also a little nervous. So so so hard to believe three years have gone by!