Monday, March 30, 2009

Here's the scoop...

So...

I heard back from the golf course about this summer. It looks like they have everyone coming back from last summer to work, so they're not hiring anyone for this coming summer. On the plus side, I just heard back from the school district I'll be working for. I'm going to be getting paid $15/hr. for 6 weeks, 24 hrs/week. I thought I was going to be making more with the school district and I really wanted to get the job at the golf course, but all in all I'm happy. Funding for the summer school program literally just got cut today. I guess I'm lucky I still have a job at all!

ADPi Formal was this past weekend. It was SOOO much fun! I felt radiant in my dress and had a really good time with my friends. It was definitely an experience! I have some pictures that I'll post when I get home tonight (which, because of my Monday night class won't be until 9:30...merh!).

I also had one of my first meetings for Panhellenic Council (Panhel for shirt) this Sunday. Panhel is the governing body for all three sororities on campus, and I got elected as treasurer a couple weeks ago. It was good to have a meeting to figure out what my duties are and what everyone else's job is as well. I'm really looking forward to being a part of the council.

Additional news? I took the first part of my second exam for American Public Address today and I'm pretty positive I rocked it!

Also, my best friend JoAnn who is also a sophomore at Ripon is apparently reading my blog and is sad that I haven't included her at all...so let me just share a little anecdote with you. This weekend JoAnn and her boyfriend Alex went to the store to buy milk. When JoAnn and Alex arrived at the store, they found that the milk in the cardboard carton was $.50 cheaper than the milk in a plastic jug. Herein lies the predicament: JoAnn always buys milk in a jug because she thinks its more sanitary (it closes better, she claims), but Alex made her buy the milk in a cardboard carton to save $.50. Today JoAnn has a stomach ache. She blames Alex for making her drink cardboard carton, unsanitary milk. Do you get the feeling that she's ridiculous? Good, you're spot-on. That's why I love her!

Friday, March 27, 2009

AHH!

This weekend is ADPi formal! I'm so excited! I got a really cute dress and new shoes over break, and I'm definitely ready to wear them (and I finally found a tie for Mark that will match what I'm wearing). I can't wait to take pictures with the girls, dance, and just have a good time with all my friends and Mark.

Other than that, things have been kind of stressful. It's been really hard to get back into the groove of things. The final stretch can be so painful. I have to read a couple books by Monday, write two-three papers that are all due next week, plus I have an exam in one of my communication classes. I wish I could've worked on my papers during break, but unfortunately I didn't have the assignments then. The nice thing is that I always know I'll pull through...it's just being in the moment when I get frazzled.

In conclusion, formal is coming at a perfect time. For one evening I'll be able to get away from it all and just relax before really digging into homework on Sunday. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Guess who's back?

Today is the first day back from spring break. I had an awesome week off - I pretty much did whatever I wanted for an entire week. I still had a few things that I had to do...appointments, homework, etc., but all in all it was a good time. On Tuesday, I landed a co-coordinator position with a middle school in the school district in my hometown. I'll be working and helping map out the middle school summer program. It's a lot of responsibility and work as I'll be the third top person in charge of an entire middle school, but after I'm done I know I'll feel really accomplished. I worked for the program last summer in a different position and I felt so fulfilled after the program was finished. Plus, the pay is outstanding! So that was excellent news. Because the program is only 6 weeks long and I want money for when I live in Chicago next year, I'm hoping to get a second job at a golf course by my house. I hear about that this week!

Everyone is busy this week registering for classes next semester and meeting with their advisors to get schedules approved. I have meetings today and tomorrow. The classes I've chosen are...

Foundations in English Literature
Creative Writing: Poetry
Applied Communication
Elementary Statistics
Speakers Bureau

...for a total of 17 credits. I decided to take a peotry writing class after Patricia Smith (award-winning poet) visited our campus. I wrote my first ever poem today about her. It's called "Patricia Smith." It's a persona piece about her as a performer...she was amazing to watch, and I wanted to think about what must be going on in her head before she reads a poem. Here it is:

I am a performer.
I love to hear the spoken word.
How my words hit the air, pierce it and leave it wounded
Begging me for more.

I crave the stage -
I've gotta have lights and an audience.
Feel the warmth of the spotlight,
Feel the energy of the people.

This rush
is what poetry is.
And this feeling
is what I have come to long for.

This is my muse:
To know that the house is packed
To walk out onto the stage, my stage
...and perform.

Well, there you have it...my first ever poem. It's rough, I know, but it was fun to write. I should go get started on some work :) Unfortunately it's dark and drizzly outside and I'd give anything to go back to my room and crawl into my bed. Hope it's nicer weather wherever you are!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Spring Break is so close I can feel it!

Only one more class and spring break will officially begin for me!! ...well, kind of. I'm staying here tonight because I'm taking a practice GRE exam at UW-Oshkosh tomorrow from 9-11:30. It's the general entrance exam for graduate school, and since the practice exam is free tomorrow, I'm going. I haven't done any prep for it, but hopefully it'll let me know where I stand and how much I need to do before I take the real exam. Reminds me of my ACT days...

After that, I'm going home! Break is much-needed at this point. My mom has a steak dinner planned for tomorrow night (steak is my favorite thing next to chicken). While I'd like to think it's all for my return home, I know it's partly because my mom is having a surgical procedure on Monday and can't eat anything on Sunday. But still, it's a nice thought :)

My roomate, Sara, is leaving for California in a couple of days. I hate her for it. That's where she's from, so she's going home and is really excited about it. But I'm mad. It's warm enough here not to wear a winter jacket, but it's definitely no California. Maybe I'll just pull a Parent Trap manuver, pretend to be her, and steal her flight home! No, in all the movies the parents always get upset about that...I guess I'll just deal with WI until it gets warmer.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Some thoughts...

Tomorrow night Patricia Smith is coming to Ripon to read some of her poetry and do a signing afterward. Back in the day, she worked for the Boston Globe and was a Pulitzer Prize nominee for her journlaism. Now, she's the four-time National Slam Poetry champion. From what I know of her, I'm guessing she'll be nothing short of absolutely amazing. She's going to be reading from her new book Blood Dazzler, which is all about Hurricaine Katrina. It's very interesting, and I highly recommend it for those of you interested in poetry (and for those of you who aren't...I never thought I could like poetry as much as I did before this semester!). She'll also be visting both my Poetry Aloud and Contemporary Literature classes. It should be a really good chance to pick her brain and ask her some questions. I love author visits...I feel really lucky to have these kinds of opportunities!

Other than that, not a whole lot going on on the homefront. We had our dance competition on Sunday and it went pretty well. We got some constructive criticism as always. As I mentioned in my last blog, now we have a break for about a month, which is going to be fabulous! I'm really starting to get excited and geared up for spring break. Actually, I'm getting antsy! I thought I was going to have all this free time, but it turns out I have lots of little loose ends and appointments I need to take care of over break. MERH! I'll still be able to hang out with friends and I guess in the end, you have to do what you have to do. I mean...I should probably do things like go to the dentist so I don't end up with dentures, right? Yeah, sounds like the best plan.

Monday, March 2, 2009

My life is great right now...

...and here are the reaons why:

#1. I was initiated into Alpha Delta Pi this weekend! It was a whole lot of fun, and a truly wonderful experience. I'm glad to finally be through with the opening stages of my participation in ADPi so that I can continue to learn and have experiences with the sisters.

#2. I just got back my big American Public Address exam, and I got a 100%...AMAZING! I honestly didn't think I did that well at all. Also, my first big Contemporary Literature paper was returned today, and I received an A on it. It's very good to know that hard work paid off.

#3. I got through my tough and busy week of mid-terms and papers, so the next month should be smooth sailing...just keeping up on readings, taking notes, small papers, etc., but no really big projects. Everything is finally settling down, and I'm looking forward to returning back to a fairly normal agenda this week.

#4. I'm also looking forward to spring break, which comes in two weeks. I don't have any huge plans, but I'm lookig froward to being able to relax at home with family and friends. If only it could be warm in Wisconsin my life would be perfect....hmmm...I guess you really can't have it all.

#5. The dance team has a competition this weekend, and after that we get about a month-long break. Dance is different than other sports in that we don't get an "off-season." We practice and perform throughout the entire year, so I think I'm pretty justified in saying that this coming break is much-needed by all of the girls.

#6. Mark is coming up this weekend, and I haven't seen him in a few weeks! YAY!

#8. My life seems to be coming together in a way that it hasn't in a very very long time. Everything is finally in sync...friends, family, school, work...I couldn't ask for more right now!