Commencement and Moving Out

Sunday was my last day at Coe. The morning started off early, 7:45 AM to be exact, as I headed over to the band tent on the library quad. Commencement happens in front of the library and it is a beautiful thing to see. I've included a picture from Coe's website so you can see what I'm talking about.

Courtesy of the Coe College website

At the band tent (on the right hand side of the photo), we ran through our prelude music before having breakfast provided by Sodexo. Then, we began our prelude concert. We mainly played songs we had preformed earlier this year and they were conducted by the graduating music education majors. It was lovely and I think the audience enjoyed it.

When it was time for the seniors to march in, the band played College Rite, Coe's own version of Pomp and Circumstance. The ceremony began and the Commencement Address came from former Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus.  The band concluded the ceremony with Coe spirit music.  It was all said and done at noon.

I came back to my nearly empty room and finished last minute packing before my family arrived to help me move out.  Again, I was an expert packer and it didn't take long for my dad, sister, and brother to move everything out.  An RA looked over my room, deemed it a-okay, and I turned in my key.  It was definitely a little weird to leave campus, knowing I won't be back until August and I'll be living in a different room (granted, it's right down the hall from my old room but still).  And of course, now I'm a sophomore and I've completed 1/4 of my undergraduate education.

Now just because it's summer, doesn't mean I'm going to stop my blog.  I've still got things to talk about and I hope to write some recaps, favorite memories, and other things to keep the blog going over the summer.  I'll be back to more regular posting once school starts again and I have more Coe related things to talk about.    

Cleared Out Campus

If I thought campus was empty at the beginning of this week, well I definitely wasn't ready for emptiness at the end of this week.  Yesterday was a big move out day since it was the last day of finals.  Heidi's family came down and now I've got the room all to myself.  It's weird though since half the stuff is gone, my voice kind of echos in the room.  Now that she has moved out I'm starting to pack myself, thinking if I start now it will be easier than starting Saturday night.  Today and tomorrow should be quiet days on campus, I'm planning on reading some books, hanging out with the friends left on campus, and packing.  On Sunday I'll play in the band for commencement and then move out.  One year down, three to go.  

Finals Have Officially Begun!

Campus is pretty quiet today as finals continue.  They started on Saturday but we had Sunday off so it didn't quite feel like finals time yet.  Now, the library is packed, the sunny quad, empty, and the dorm rooms filled with boxes as people prepare to take off for the summer.  All I've got left are revisions for a final project and my clarinet jury tomorrow morning.  Can't believe summer is almost here!

More to come! :)

Reading Day Spring 2011

It was a beautiful day on campus but unfortunately most of the students were inside the library.  Since yesterday was the last day of classes, today was Reading Day, a study day before finals begin tomorrow, take a break on Sunday, and then finish up Monday-Wednesday.  I hope everyone had a productive day with nice study breaks in between: some students found themselves out on the quad enjoying the sun, and a large group of kids played ultimate frisbee for the last time of the year.

I myself practiced my clarinet for my jury on Tuesday, turned in a final portfolio, read a book for fun (the first time this semester!), and started a few revisions I'll turn in on Monday.  Once all my school work is done, I'll have to think about packing and moving out.  Crazy.

Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society Induction

A few weeks ago I received an email saying my good grades first semester got me an invitation to Alpha Lambda Delta, a national honor society on campus.  It's a national honor society for first year students and once you're inducted, you're a member for life.  The initiation happened on Wednesday night in the Perrine Gallery (second floor of the library).  We signed our names into the official Alpha Lambda Delta book for Coe's chapter, received our pin and a certificate and then ate cake in celebration.  Neat honor and neat experience.  

A little history lesson: the society was started in 1924 as a way to the recognize academic excellence of freshman women at the University of Illinois.  The society took off from there and eventually allowed men into the society.  Their motto is: "We shall pass our torches on, one to another."