My Days At Ripon

"It'll be good. It'll be like going home!" - The 88

2009-05-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

I'm going home today! YAYAYAY! I'm very excited for summer to begin. Not only will I get home-cooked meals and my bathroom back, but I have a great job, Brewers games, Summerfest, camping, a trip to NY, my brother's wedding to look forward to; it's going to be an amazing summer! It's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy the next few months.

This morning Sara and I packed up everything in our room and loaded my car. The room looks strange now. It's funny how a whole year can be packed up in a matter of a few short days. The girl who will be living in our room next year came to check it out yesterday...so it's official: it's not ours anymore.

Sometimes while I'm in the moment, I get stressed out and forget all the great things that are going on in my life. But looking back on this year, I feel really proud and happy about everything that happened. I interned in the Admission office, I spoke to several new groups for Speakers Bureau, I got nominated for a national graduate study scholarship, I kept my grades at a 4.0, I joined ADPi, and I landed a great job for the summer. (Haha, looks like a lot happened.) But all of that wouldn't matter if I didn't love the people around me. This year, I made a bunch of new friends, and my pre-existing relationships have grown stronger. Right now, I feel like I have it all!

I can't wait to be revitalized to come back for another go-round next year. Talk to you soon!

The end is near!

2009-05-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Springfest. It was SO much fun! A Dave Matthews cover band and "Reel Big Fish" played, and they were both a blast. Also, a couple of my friends threw pies in my face for charity. It was a fun, good, and warm day! I'm so happy that I can finally say this: summer is on it's way!

It's not just the weather that's making me think of summer, it's also because the semester is finally coming to an end. Today was my last day of three of my five classes, and tomorrow is the actual last day of class for everyone! It's exciting, but also a little bit scary to think about all the stuff I have to do before I leave.

I packed most of my room yesterday and sent it home with Mark. It's weird now...the walls are white and my futon is gone...BOO! But, I also finally feel like I'm going to be leaving soon. And, it's a relief to know that most of my packing is complete.

I have four finals. Poetry on Thursday, Philosophy on Saturday, American Public Address on Monday, and Contemporary Literature on Tuesday. It may sound like a lot, but even though I technically have four finals, three of those are "take home" exams. Basically, that means I have three papers to write and only one actual exam (that's the life of an English major). Tomorrow, I have to dig in on papers and studying.

It won't be all work and no play for me, though. I'm going to be saying goodbye to some of my best friends, so I'm planning on having a fantastically fun-filled week!

It's been a while!

2009-04-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

We're in our last full week of classes! I cannot believe it , this semester has zoomed by! I mean, don't get me wrong...it was the hardest semester I've had yet academically. But it was so chalk-full of events and homework that time just flew! I'm really proud of myself this semester. I've dedicated so much time to my studies, and I know it's going to really show when I get my grade report. It feels good to know that I worked hard. Now all that's left is the last little push through finals, and then I get to go home, spend LOTS of time with friends and family, travel, and make money!

The past couple of days I've also been thinking about how to pack all my things to move out! Am I going to have enough boxes? How many trips do I need to make to get all of my things home? Will I need to store anything here over the summer? It's such a weird experience, moving out. I've made my room my home for an entire year, and I'll never be back inside of it again. Unless, of course, I wind up being friends with the people who live there next semester. Taking down pictures and memories makes the room feel empty, and I guess it is without all of the cozy things my roomate and I decorated with! Next year, I'll put up different pictures and posters and I'll make a new room my home. College is so WEIRD!

Here are a couple of formal photos I promised weeks ago!

2009-04-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

Me, my Big sister Megan, and my Grandma

JoAnn, Kailey and me

Easter weekend and such.

2009-04-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Easter is this Sunday, and a lot of students are heading home to spend the weekend with family...and I'm one of them! I'm bringing my roomate, Sara, with me. She lives in California, so she couldn't go home for the weekend. Plus, I thought it would be nice to show her Racine. After all, we've lived together for nearly two years now. It's about time she came home with me! I love giving tours...she's in for a treat! Hopefully she really doesn't want to do anything too exciting. All I can think about right now is sleep...ohh my gosh, how I miss it!

Last night Sara Wimmer got initiated into ADPi, and I didn't end up getting back to my room until around 12:30. I know that doesn't seem late, and I guess its really not. But when you have to wake up at 7:00 every day, and when you're definitely not a morning person (like me), then it really takes a lot out of you. I'm not looking forward to the car drive home today, I always get even more tired when I'm driving. I wish I could just snap my fingers and be home!...at least Sara will be there to keep me company!

I've gotten a good leg up on that to-do list I have on my last post. I started my American Public Address topic, I finished research for my Speakers Bureau in-class, and I'm starting research for my poetry and contemporary lit. presentations today. I think as long as I continue to stay on top of things, the last three weeks of class should go fairly smoothly.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend!

It's a beautiful day...and I'm getting old!

2009-04-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and it's slightly....WARM! Yes, I said it!

I'm so happy because I finished a poetry paper I've been trying to get through for weeks. I've never had such bad writer's block. Every time I sat down to write that paper, I couldn't think of ideas....at least not good ones. I talked to my professor several times, and each time I realized what I shotty idea I was bringing to him. But, alas! It is finished...and I think it's good. We'll see when I get my grade back. Speaking of grades, I also received my second American Public Address exam back today...another 100%! I felt awesome after that.

Tonight I don't think I'll be doing much, or at least I hope not. I want to just relax and hang out with friends. It's been a stressful couple of days, especially since I made a list today of all the big projects I have before the semester ends in four weeks...this is scary, take a look:

1. Write a 6 page Contemporary Literature paper.

2. Write a 7 page American Public Address paper in which I define and justify criteria for the greatest piece of American rhetoric, and select a speech that fits my critieria. Any contraditions within the paper result in an "F"...P.S. this is worth 15% of my overall semester grade.

3. Write a 5 page philosophy paper.

4. 25-minute group presentation for Contemporary Literature.

5. 25-minute group presentation for Poetry Aloud.

6. Speaker's Bureau in-class speech.

7. Speakers Bureau presentation about cyber-bullying to the local Kiwanis group.

8. 4 page reflection of the semester for Speakers Bureau.

That list doesn't include thing I have to do for finals...three of which are final papers and one of which is an exam. YIKES! I just want to play outside forever! It's truly scary how fast the end of this semester crept up on me. I have no idea where the time went. In fact, I still feel like I'm 16 and only have my learner's permit. When did I trun 20?

Well, enough reflection for the day. I need to go soak up some of the nice weather!

Admission Possible and Weather

2009-04-06T06:26:00.000-07:00

Today I'm speaking to a group called Admission Possible at 4:15. I'm really excited about it! Last year, I talked to the same group (of about 25 students?) and they were amazing...so smart, diverse, such good questions, and just fun all around. I'm giving a talk about the student experience at Ripon for about 45 minutes with Q and A. I'm looking forward to the kinds of questions the students ask this year. It should be a good time!

Other than that, I had a really good weekend and did absolutely everything I planned on. Also, the weathermen keep saying it going to snow (yes, snow...in April...it's Wisconsin), and it hasn't yet. So I'm crossing my fingers that it stays this way! I just want spring to hurry up and bring me summer!

Weekend Weekend Weekend!

2009-04-03T06:11:00.000-07:00

I got a call from my mom on Wednesday night saying that she got pick-pocketed in New Orleans. She's down there for the week for a convention for special school programs. Anyway, the guy who robbed her stole $300, which really sucks. But at leats she didn't get mugged and her credit/debit cards didn't get stolen. That would've been way worse! So always remember that downtown New Orleans can be a dangerous place...and don't carry a purse on you.

Thank God it's almost the weekend. Not only have I had a pretty stressful week (I've written three papers this week, one for philosophy and two for English, had two exam days, spoke at an event once, and have two more papers to write before the end of next week...the joys of the end of the semester), but I think this weekend is going to be a lot of fun. Mark's sister, Bridget, is coming home from UW-Madison today. She's a year younger than Mark and a year older than me, and we get along famously. Tonight, we're all going to go to a hockey game and then out to eat afterwards. Then Saturday, I'm hoping we're not doing anything...except relaxing allllllll day!

Sunday I'm coming back to Ripon early in the morning because I have ADPi meetings/events pretty much all day. They should all be a lot of fun!

Other than that, I have an exam today which I need to study for right after I leave the admission office...and at some point in the day I'm hoping to spend some time with my first love: naps. That sounds wonderful right now! Haha, I literally just woke up an hour ago and want to go back to bed. I think my love of napping is just too intense!

Here's the scoop...

2009-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

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!

AHH!

2009-03-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

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!

Guess who's back?

2009-03-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

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!

Spring Break is so close I can feel it!

2009-03-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

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.

Some thoughts...

2009-03-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

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.

My life is great right now...

2009-03-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

...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!

Weekend update with Sarah Hopkins...

2009-02-23T06:38:00.000-08:00

On Friday morning I got a call that my mom totaled her car when she ran into a metal pole and that she was in the hospital. She's okay now, but because her airbag didn't implode she hit her forehead on the steering wheel and then she bit all the way through her lip. She had to get stitches. She came up this weekend and took my car home until she buys a new one, and I told her to do whatever she needs to...she is the bread-winner after all (she laughed at that). Anyway, I was so glad I got to see her! Thank god she's okay...it was good to spend some time with her this weekend. Reality checks like that really make you appreciate the things you have!

Other than that, my two dance performances this weekend went well. My mom got to see one of them, so that was nice. I watched a couple movies with Mark and we hung out with a bunch of friends on Saturday night. It was a fabulous weekend.

This is d-day...this is the day when tons of things start being due and they don't stop until Friday, Feb. 27. I just have to make it through this one week, which I can do because I'm very prepared. I've been preparing myself for this week since January. I know that probably sounds dumb, but it's necessary for survival!

Last night I had an ADPi sleepover and was up until 3 AM because the sisters and I kept gabbing(that is SUPER late for me....especially seeing as how I got up at 7:30...but that's what you get when you have a bunch of girls in a room who all like to talk). Anyway, because I have everything that's due today and tomorrow done and I have class until 9:30 tonight, I think that means a power nap for me after I leave the Admissions office in about 20 mins! I loooove naps. Though I rarely have time to take them anymore my love for them is still strong :) My bed is so wonderful...mmmm....sleeeeeeep.

More updates to come...

Thursday Means I'm Only One Day Away From the Weekend!

2009-02-19T06:13:00.001-08:00

Last night a comedian came and he was really funny! Usually, I can't go to the campus events during the week because they always start at 7 on Tuesdays or Thursdays when I have dance practice. Needless to say, I love when SMAC brings events to campus that are on Wednesdays. The comedian was great; he was one "Last Comic Standing." I've gone to see a lot of the campus events this years, and I've been really impressed with the entertainers SMAC has been able to bring to campus.

Today I hope I accomplish a lot! I have work from 8-10, class from 10-12, meeting from 12-1, class from 1-2, HOMEWORK!! from 2-6, yoga/dance from 6-9, and probably a meeting after dance. I really need from 2-6 to work on two papers, read a novella, and start studying for a big communication exam. Hopefully I'm able to get most if not all of it started or done.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the weekend! My mom will be coming up to do something at the college totally unrelated to me, but I'll still be able to see her which will be great. Mark is also coming up this weeked, and I have two dance performances on Saturday. Other than that, I'm looking forward to just hanging out and relaxing with my friends!

Valentine's and such...

2009-02-16T06:23:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day...a day of romance? Not so much for me. I went home to see my boyfriend this weekend and ended up getting the flu. How attractive.

Today is my long day, but that's ok. I ended up getting a bunch of sleep this weekend, so hopefully I'm geared up for the week.

I think I've changed my mind about what I want to do with my life...again. I want to go to graduate school for English and teach at the college level. Also, rather than going on the Chicago Urban Studies Program in the Spring of 2010, I'm looking into the Chicago Arts program as well as a semester at the Newberry Library in Chicago. I'm going to be speaking with an ACM representative when they're on campus this Wednesday to help me pin down what it is I want to do.

Anyway...time to go find some work!

2009-02-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

The next few weeks are extremely busy for me. Tonight I have class until 9:30, tomorrow night I'm driving with the dance team to Oshkosh to perform, Wednesday night I have another dance performance plus an Alpha Delta Pi sleepover, Thursday night I have dance from 7-9. Next week all of my nights are booked up again. In addition, from the end of next week until February 28, I have three papers due and 2 exams. YIKES! All of that on top of initiation for Alpha Delta Pi and deciding whether or not to compete for a National Scholarship by the 20th is freaking me out. There seriously are not enough hours in the day.

The good thing? I love all of my classes. I really do! Especially my Contemporary Literature class. Right now we're reading a book entitled Love in an Expanding Universe, and its written by a local author who is a professor at UW Oshkosh. First of all, I really really like the book. It's not very often that I get to read a book in class that's as entertaining as something I'd pick up off the shelf in my free time. The real kicker is that next week the author of the book is visiting our class to answer questions...how awesome is that?!

And more exhaustion...

2009-01-30T06:19:00.001-08:00

My goal of 11 last night didn't work. I was still up until 12. I have got to break this terrible cycle! It's been really hard to keep my eyes open...not a good sign.

I cannot wait until 2:15 when my classes are finished today. The weekend needs to come so badly. I've been swamped this week, and I've been doing more homework this semester than ever before in my life! I'm always reading, writing a paper, or preparing to speak. My busiest days are Mondays. They look like this:

8-10 work
10-12:30 homework
1:05-2:15 American Public Address
2:30-4:10 Contemporary Literature
4:10-5:45 homework
6:30-9:30 Philosophy through Film

This past Monday I got back to my room at 9:45 and sat down to do more homework, but as you can see, even on days when I have 6 hours of class, I do about 4 hours of homework.

My easiest days are Tuesdays. They look like this:

8-10 Poetry Aloud
10-12 work
12:00-12:45 lunch
1:00-6:00 homework
6:00-6:45 dinner
7:00-9:00 dance

On these days I end up doing about 5 hours of homework.

It is really hard work, and sometimes its really is all worth it though. I'm proud to boast that last semester my GPA was a 4.0. I also work really hard throughout the week so that I don't have to do homework on weekends. It's really nice when Mark comes up to visit or when I go home to see him to not have to do homework. So even though I work hard throughout the week, I really do have a 2 day weekend where I'm not stuck writing a paper instead of grabbing coffee with a friend. That's one of the nice things about college. You can budget your time however you want.

Right now I need to go find some work to do. Have a good weekend!

Bid Day, Mark, Exhaustion

2009-01-29T06:12:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I pledged Alpha Delta Pi! It was Bid Day on Saturday, and I had so much fun! All the sisters are wonderful and this month is going to be packed full with fun events for me to bond with everyone!

I'm also excited because Mark is coming up to see me tomorrow! I haven't seen him in two weeks, so it will be nice to have him here. Although, he's making me go showshoeing with him this weekend. I'm still not sure how I feel about that.

Other than that stuff and classes being in full swing (and I mean FULL) nothing is really new.

I need to start getting more sleep. I'm so tired; my body feels

heavy

like

lead.

Tonight my goal is to go to bed at 11:00. We'll see how well that works out...

It's good to be back!

2009-01-20T09:05:00.000-08:00

Winter break was much-needed, and it felt good to go home. Now that I'm gone most of the year in Ripon, I appreciate everything at home so much more! The stores we have, my friends, my mom. It's all so different from Ripon! Plus, I got to do a lot over break. I spent time over the holidays with my family as well as Mark's family, I went to my friend apartment in Milwaukee for New Year's Eve, I visited family that I haven't seen in 6 yrs. down in Missouri at my cousin's wedding, Mark took me to see Dirty Dancing on broadway, and I had my Ripon friends JoAnn and Kailey come visit me in Racine. I didn't get to work much, but I was still a very busy girl!

Even though I got to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted, you can only do nothing for so long (you know the feeling?). It's good to be back in Ripon...back to doing something productive! Yesterday I registered for classes, bought books, worked for Admissions for a little bit, and hung out with friends. This morning I had my first class: Poetry Aloud. It's my only class on Tuesdays, and I think it's going to be really interesting. In fact, tomorrow night I have to go to my first ever poetry reading right here on campus. I'm pretty excited about it! I'm also registered for Contemporary Literature, Philosophy Through Film, American Public Address, and Speakers Bureau for a grand total of 17 credits. Every class except for poetry is a 300 level class, so this semester will probably be a tough one...but I'm so interested in all of them that I know it'll be worth the hard work!

The dance team had our first practice on Sunday night when we got back on campus, and we have practice again tonight. The team is going to another competition in Sun Prairie this semester, so right now we're learning a routine for competition that I helped coreograph. We're hoping that with the revisions of our other routine (Viva la Vida by Coldplay) and by bringing our hip hop routine to competition we'll place better than we did last semester. Either way, I know we'll have fun.

I should probably get back to work. There will definitely be more updates later in the week after I attend the rest of my classes.

Christmas is coming!

2008-12-11T06:25:00.001-08:00

Today is my last day of work before break. I have class tomorrow, but no finals until Thursday and Friday, so I'm going home to do some Christmas shopping and make some presents!

Last night was Joyce to the World, and it was so much fun! We all meet in Great Hall where there's an ugly sweater competition, cookie decorating, ornament making, card-making, and where President Joyce reads us a Christmas story. We all sit on the floor like little kids! It's a womderful escape from the last week of classes and finals coming up.

Today is also the last day of a few of my classes for the semester...Organizational and Business Communication, Speaker's Bureau, and my Mark Twain class. It's also a fairly long day. I had to dig my car out of the snow so that the parking lot can be plowed, I'm at work from 8-10, Org. Comm from 10-12, lunch break from 12-1, Speakers Bureau from 1-2, Mark Twain from 2-4, Communication workstudy meeting at 4, Admissions Christmas party at 5, packing to go home tomorrow, and finally a comedian at 9 (which I'm SO excited about!). So as you can see, it's a long day, but it's also going to be really fun!

I can't wait to go home just to be around our Christmas decorations. The college decorates for Christmas, but I'm so used to our decorations at home! When I leave I'm going to miss sitting by the Starbuck on my comfy couch...next to the fire place and Christmas tree where I can always be found drinking hot cocoa, and reading. That's definitely my favorite place on campus! I think I'll spend some time there tomorrow before I head home for the holidays!

One more week until finals...

2008-12-08T06:11:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was really fun! The dance team finished up our season with two performances at the men's basketball games on Friday and Saturday. Saturday night Mark and I went to Oshkosh to "New Moon Cafe" to listen to an accordian player. She was actually really good...and she's from Racine (apparently we went to the same middle school). The communication department also had their annual Holiday Party. Jody always prepares such good food!

It's the last week of classes, and I'm starting to get antsy. It'll be so nice to go home and spend some time with friends, my mom, and Mark. After classes end this Friday I don't have any finals for a week, so I'm currently in the process of looking for things to occupy myself and my time. I can't wait for break...

Ripon College...land of opportunities!

2008-12-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

My Speakers Bureau (speech practicum) professor, Jody, just sent me an email asking if I would be willing to fly to Texas (all expenses paid for) in March to speak on behalf of Speakers Bureau and Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE)! I'm so stoked about it! SAVE is one of the national non-profit organizations that the communication department here at Ripon College partners with. Not only does it benefit the organization, but it gives students like me a chance to practice real-world speaking skills for the good of others. Since it's my first semester in Speakers Bureau, I expected that I would have to wait for some of the bigger opportunities like this one. Instead, I've been offered some of the prime speaking egagments our group has had this semester. WOW! That's all I can say!

Thanksgiving.

2008-12-01T06:24:00.001-08:00

I spent a lot of time with my family, friends, and boyfriend. Wednesday I got home and my brother, his fiance, my mom, and Mark were all waiting for me. We had a really good dinner and watched "Fred Claus." It may sound corny, but as far as Chrstmas movies go, it was pretty decent.

Thursday it was just me and my mom for Thanksgiving. We still had all of our traditions. like watching the parade, and we still cooked everything: turkey, green bean cassarole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, apple peacan cheescake, etc...we barely made a dent into it. We also saw the movie "The Changeling." It was really good, but very sad and not a very good movie to see on a holiday when you're supposed to be happy. My best friend Ashlee slept over that night.

Friday I woke up at 5 AM to go shopping...I know, I'm one of those. I didn't want to, but at Target they had a really good camera that was like 50% off in the morning only, so I just had to go! The deals really are great at 5 in the morning. Then Mark and I hung out for the night. We went to Milwaukee to a restaurant called the Maharaja. It's really good Indian food.

Saturday I helped my mom put up all the Christmas decorations. It took forever because we went out and bought some new stuff for the house, but it looks so beautiful now! I love decorating. That night, my friend Bri who goes to Boston College had a bunch of people over. She's a Film Studies major and needed some extras for something she's working on. It was a lot of fun. Then around 1 AM Ashlee and I made a stop out at Walmart because I needed some stud earrings so my piercings don't close up. And finally, I went to bed.

I awoke on Sunday morning to my boyfriend with coffee from Starbucks. I used to work there, so Starbucks is one of my favorite things in the entire world. We hung out until I left around 4 to pick my roomate up from the airport. The drive up here was not very fun and took 3 hours instead of just 2. But, we made it back safely in time to watch the Britney Spears Documentary...which I was not very impressed with.

Today there's quite a bit of snow on the ground. It makes me want to jump back into bed! BUT! No-can-do! I have lots of work that needs to be done this week, starting with two presenations tonight for my Speech Practicum class. I'm back to my Ripon friends and back to work for a few weeks as we all finish out the semester!

I've got to catch you up!

2008-11-26T06:23:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I went to Minnesota with the dance team to compete! We had so much fun! We went out to eat at TGI Friday's, we sat in the hot tub, and did some bonding activities in our coach's room. Though we didn't place, we raised our score by more than 1/5 from last year and we all felt really satisfied with the performance.

School lately has been kind of crazy, and I'm more than ready for a break. Next week all of my major research papers and presentations for the semester are due, so I tried really hard to get a good grip on everything this week so I don't have to bring it home for Thanksgiving break. Even though I'm sure the week after break will be extremely stressful, it's worth it to me to enjoy some time with family and friends.

I have a french exam today and then I'm heading home to Racine, WI. When I get there my brother David, mom, and boyfriend will all be waiting for me. Tonight we're going out for dinner and then who knows! On Thanksgiving my family and I just chill out. We don't do anything big (we still have turkey, dont' worry) and that's what I love most about it. It's one of the most relaxing days of the year. I've agreed to go shopping on Black Friday with my mom. This will be the first year since I was 16 that I don't have to work it...so from someone who's been on the other side, I'm scared! Other than that, I've kept my schedule free so I can do whatever the heck I want for a couple of days!

A few new things:

2008-11-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

The dance team is going to St. Thomas, MN this coming weekend for a competition! I'm really excited not just to compete, but to hang out with the girls for the weekend. Travelling with them is always so much fun. As preparation, we performed our "Viva la Vida" routine at a women's basketball game this weekend. Now we're working out some of the kinks this week in practice, and we should be set to go by Friday when we leave!

I'm also in the process of writing a big research paper for my Mark Twain class. Our assignment was to choose one piece of Twain's work and analyze it in comparison with his life, cirticism of the work, and other pieces he wrote. It may sound boring, but I've been learning about this guy all semester, so I'm looking forward to drawing some conclusions of my own.

I had to take my car in to Cliff's to be worked on. It's going to put me more than $600 in the hole to fix everything (ball joints, tie rods, etc.). It stinks, but I know that I'm not getting ripped off because Riponites, staff, and faculty have all given me good reviews.

It's starting to get colder, and that scares me. Now that I live in the Quads, it's a little bit further to walk to and from class (not that I really have any reason to complain). I think I better buy a warmer hat.

It's 70 degrees and November...I love Wisconsin!

2008-11-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

The weather has been very strange here. The past couple of days it's been beautiful, and this weekend it's supposed to snow. WEIRD!

This weekend was a lot of fun! My boyfriend came up on Friday and we watched "The Omen" with a bunch of friends. I hate scary movies, but my roomate told me I had to watch since it was Halloween. Saturday I had a dance performance that went really well. Later that night, my boyfriend and I went to a really nice restaurant in Fond du Lac called Theo's. We had so much fun! It was one of those nights where you can't stop laughing and smiling. Sunday was really relaxing. Mark and I built a fort...haha, I haven't built a fort in probably 10 years! It was awesome!

Today is election day, and I can't wait until it's over. I really and truly care about who the next President of the United States is, but I just want to know already! More than that, I want my roomate to know...so that I don't have to hear about it anymore. She's been doing a lot of work for this election. I can only hope that her choice of candidate wins, not only because I believe in him, but because Sara will be very difficult to deal with for the next couple of months if he doesn't! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Registration, registration.

2008-10-30T06:11:00.000-07:00

This week all students came back from fall break to find registration forms in their mail boxes! I know I'm such a dork for saying this...but figuring out which classes I'm going to take next semester is extremely exciting to me. For the past three semesters, I've gotten into my first choice of classes. So here's what I've got so far...

English: Poetry Aloud 4 credits
English: Contemporary Literature 4 credits
Communication: American Public Address 4 credits
Communication: Speech Practicum AKA Speakers Bureau 1 credit
Sociology: Intro to Sociology 4 credits
Education: Business, Education, and Economics in Jamaica 2 credits

The last class that I have listed is actually a "Maymester." Right after commencement, a few different departments offer students (regardless of their major) the opportunity to travel for 2-3 weeks to another country. In order to go, students usually have to take a course during the spring semester to gain knowledge about the place they're going. The cost is really minimal (they reand from $300 to $2800...mine is going to cost $1500), and for those students who aren't going to get the chance to go abroad, it's an excellent opportunity to have an experience in another country. I'm really excited about going! Even though I'm an English major, I'm really interested in educational policy. This will be an awesome chance to see what the educational system is like in Jamaica. Also, I'm going to Chicago in the Spring of 2010 for the Urban Studies Program. There I'll be able to supplement what I've learned in Jamaica by interning for someone who analyzes educational policy for a living. These two experiences will hopefully help me deicde what I want to do after I graduate from Ripon...graduate school for educationl policy? I hope so!

Off to do some work!

FALL BREAK!!!!

2008-10-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

One of the many perks of going to Ripon? FALL BREAK! I left on Friday, October 17 and just got back last night. It felt really good to be here again. My best friend Ashlee came home for a weekend, and it was really good to have some "girl time." It's been a while since we were able to do that. This past weekend my brother and his fiance came to my hometown as well as my boyfriend's mom. Lots of visitors, but lots of fun!

What was really good about my break happened during the week on Monday and Friday. When I was a freshmen I took Public Speaking and then Advanced Public Speaking. I was then invited to become a part of an elite group called Speakers Bureau. Speakers Bureau is a hands-on class and requires that I set up my own syllabus. That means that I set up my own speaking engagements in the real world, I decide how much of my grade they will be worth, I decide what the criteria for grading is, and I write my own self-assessments. That may sound like "la-la" land, but it's not at all! I'm really passionate about speaking, so I want to make improvements. I think it goes to show that ultimately you have to improve upon yourself...no one else can do that for you. Anyway, one of the events I set up was to talk to two groups of 8th graders while they were one a field trip to a college. After all, who better to talk about college than a college student? Plus, higher education is something that I really believe in and it's one of my interest areas as I look forward at careers. I went to talk to students and they were so much fun! They had some awesome questions and got really involved in the conversation. It's really great to see young kids really examining the possibility of college and how to get there. That was by far the best part of my break.

This week looks preatty busy, but that's to be expected after a long break. Have a good one!

Forgot to show some homecoming pictures!

2008-10-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Homecoming performance! The theme of this year's homecoming was "Wild, Wild Ripon" so the dance team did a routine to Boot Scootin' Baby. It was a lot of fun!

Some of the dance team standing around at our float decorating contest!

My dance coach, Steph!

It's been a while...

2008-10-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

The beginning of last week I was really sick, so I didn't do much except for eat, sleep, and go to class. I went to see the nurse here on campus, but I am allergic to all the meds that could have helped me. In a few days a bunch of sleep and vitiman c did the trick.

Then this weekend hit and I was feeling better. On Friday I went to my friend JoAnn's house to see where she's from. We went on a jeep ride through the corn fields and by the river, and we got stuck in the mud. It's so different than where I'm from, but it was so nice to finally see her house and meet her family.

Today is my brithday...I'M 20! It's so crazy to think about. I still feel like I'm 15, don't know how to drive, and that the world is such a big and scary place. I'm not a teenager anymore :( My roomate has been calling me an old fart all morning...got to love her. The two of us were hoping to go out for a birthday dinner, but today is too busy so that's being pushed back until tomorrow.

Everything else is still the same and even though this week is going to be extremely busy, Friday most of us get to leave for fall break!

I had my mind read!

2008-09-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

On Friday night my friend JoAnn and I went to see a hypnotist/mind-reader that S.M.A.C. brought to campus. I was really skeptical at first because I don't believe in that kind of stuff, but he was crazy good! He aked my friend to stand up and look at him from her chair, and then he guessed her phone number (all she gave him was the area code) and called it! WHAT?! He also gave me a deck of cards and had me pick one and think about it. Then he looked at my face and guessed my card in the first try! He did a bunch of other stuff too, like refill a soda can that we watched him drink, but they're just too hard to write down and explain on paper.

Saturday the college had an open house and I gave a tour, and I had a dance performance at the football game. We did really well, and we won! Then my boyfriend Mark and I went to Fat Bruce's...I'm pretty sure that's my new favorite restaurant. If you ever get a chance to come here, make sure you check it out!

We started learning a new routine at dance practice for Homecoming. Our theme this year is Wild, Wild, Ripon, so our dance kind of goes along with that...it's really fast! For Homecoming this year the dance team is hosting a parade where organizations from the college and throughout the community get to enter a float and then the team gets to choose a winner. I'm very excited to get the school spirit flowing!

Other than that, not too much is new, except that I really need to do laundry tonight!

Busy? YES!

2008-09-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

In my Organizational and Business Communication class we've been putting together cover letters and resumes since school started. We had to find a job that we're actually qualified to apply for and craft our resums and cover letter around the specific job. Yesterday was sort of the culmination of everything we've done in class so far...our professor brought in people from the community and Ripon alumni who interview for a living and had each of us do a mock interview with them! Even though I was nervous, I can say that I honestly to appreciate the opportunity. The last time I interviewed was to get a job at Starbucks, and that was five years ago. It felt really good to have a practice interview, and to see what I'm doing in class applied to something in the real-world.

I also worked in Admissions, had a meeting to come up with ideas for the Comm. Department Newsletter, and went to my English class. Then I went to an Alumni Seminar. What is that? About three times every semester the Communication Department brings back alumni to talk to the dept. majors and minors about their experiences after college and how their degree at Ripon served them well in the workforce and personally. Seminars are always really relaxed and it's good to hear from someone on the other side of college who's made it through! The majors always have lots of questions! Then I went to dance from 7-9. The last thing I did before bed? Sat on the floor and ate pizza with my friends after a long day. Then to my wonderful bed :)

I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing weekend...

2008-09-22T05:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday, my roomate Sara and I went to Culvers for dinner. We ended up staying and talking for two and a half hours! Serious stuff, funny stuff....the whole shebang. Sometimes, time just gets away from us :)

This weekend my boyfriend came up! It was the first time I'd seen him in a couple of weeks, so that was really good. We rented a bunch of movies, went to downtown Ripon to see Septemberfest, went for a walk in the prairie, ate at the Red Apple, and of course got coffee!

I'm so tired this morning...my body feels like it weighs about three times as much as it actually does. Hopefully I'll pick up speed. Today I have work and class, bunches of homework, and a meeting about the Urban Studies semester off campus that I'm planning on doing next year.

More updates later...

What a good weekend!

2008-09-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

My best friend Ashlee came to visit me from Eau Claire, WI this weekend. We've been friends since middle school and we always have a good time together. She came up on Friday (after getting lost because of a detour) and we ordered pizza and talked to some of the girls on my floor until really late at night!

Saturday my grandparents and mom came up to watch me dance at the football game. It was the first time that my grandparents got to see Ripon and I was really excited to show it to them. I took them to the cookie factory (YUM!) and to Fat Bruce's to eat. Even though it rained pretty much all day, they were troopers and decided they wanted to go on a full tour of the college. I love them! When they left we watched the movie P.S. I love you...and of course we all bawled our eyes out. Another highlight was the Packer game! We all sat in my friend Peter's room and had some queso and chips (well, after we realized that the chips were stale, we ate pretzels instead). What a good second half!

I had a really great weekend, but I have a lot of work to do this week and I miss my boyfriend. We've been together for almost a year and a half (but really for almost two years...you know how that goes). Last year, he was away at school in New York and we had to go months without seeing each other. This year he lives two hours away, and even though I've had to go a couple weeks without him, I just have to remember how hard it was last year when he didn't even have cell phone service because he was so far upstate. And also that he's coming up this weekend! YES!

Off to study for a French exam.

Sarah

Changing my major...

2008-09-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

I've officially decided to change my major. Since the day that I came to Ripon for freshmen orientation and met my randomly assigned advisor Jody, I thought I was going to be a communication major. Jody is the chair of the department...all of the professors within the department are wonderful, and the student majors are great too! Still, since last semester I was feeling like I didn't want to major in comm. anymore...because even though I love the people in the department and like the subject matter, my heart really belongs to English.

I cried all Monday morning trying to decide if I really wanted to drop the comm. major. I called my mom, my best friend, my brother, and my boyfriend and they all told me the same thing: "The choice is ultimately yours." The choice was so difficult because Jody has done literally nothing but open up doors for me! I'm currently her workstudy and she's given me speaking opportunities that I thought I'd never have.

I knew I had to finally start to be honest with not only Jody, but myself and what I want out of my education. I knew that I wasn't happy and I needed something to change. On Monday I emailed Jody and said I wanted to talk. She called me later because she thought something might be up. I told her that I really wanted to talk to her in person so she invited me to her house. I sat on her couch and cried and told her how torn I was...that I like her and am so incredibly grateful for all she's done for me, but I'm majoring in comm. because I feel like I should, and I don't think that's a good reason to choose a field to major in. She totally agreed and said something like this: "You're not majoring in Jody, you're majoring in a field. I don't take this personally at all. You shouldn't feel bad, people change their minds all the time! This doesn't change our relationship at all." The fact that I knew that my decision wouldn't change our relationship assured me that I finally had the freedom to choose what I wanted! Even after I told her I wanted to change my major, she still told me what kind of internships I should look at to help me as an English major, how to change my advisor, etc. We talked about minoring in comm. and civic advocacy, which is a great medium for me because I still want to be involved with the department and I still want to speak. The only bad thing that came out of the whole ordeal is that I can no longer be her workstudy because I won't be a major anymore. I'm only staying on until she finds a replacement and I "train" them. I say that it's bad because I've learned a lot from that job. It was my first job that wasn't retail/food related and I loved it! So, while it's hard to give up, I know it's the right decision for me.

Yesterday I met with my new advisor, Professor Schang (he's SO funny!). After talking to him I really started to think about some things...especially studying off campus. With English as my major I have a lot more freedom as to which courses I take and when (in fact, after this semester I'll have 8 English credits. I only have two more required courses for the major, and the other 17 English credits are all elective courses). Anyway, yesterday after I left my meeting with him I started to really map out what the 5 semesters I have left at Ripon College will look like. I saw that I have a lot more academic freedom that I initially thought. While I still don't think I want to go abroad, I think I do want to participate in a program in Chicago focused on Urban Studies. I still have to really look into it and want to talk to one of the students who was in the program last spring, but I am really excited about it!

So, Monday started of not so great. I felt like I was losing myself and not getting what I wanted and expected out of my time at Ripon College. But all in all...I made a tough decision (or as Jody called it, my first "adult" decision), and I know it was right for me. I learned that I should never be afraid to be up front with people about what I want, especially with something as important as what I want out of my education...I say it this way because I finally learned that people should be selfish about the education they're receiving. It should be tailored to you, not the other way around. It should be EXACTLY what you always wanted, and if it's not you should do something about it! I did, and I'm all the better for it.

Some updates...

2008-09-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight I have dance team practice! We had try-outs a little over a week ago and the team is looking great. Our first performance is this Saturday at the Redhawk football game. My grandparents, mom, and best friend are coming to watch and hang out!

Other than that, it's starting to get cold here, and that scares me a little bit!

I'm Back!

2008-09-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Sarah Hopkins and it feels great to finally back in Ripon for my second year of school! After just one week things are starting to really pick up speed. It's strange how quickly this all began to feel like my normal routine again...seeing all the girls who lived on my floor last year and on the dance team is so much fun! When I arrived at Ripon last year as a freshmen it was a huge adjustment for me. To move from Racine, WI which has a population of about 90,000 to Ripon, WI with only 7,600 is a huge change! Still, somehow now that I'm here again it all feels like second-nature...as cliche as it sounds, Ripon has become my "home-away-from-home" and it feels great!

Classes are much harder than I expected, and I'm much busier than I anticipated. I'm a Communication Major, and I'm also an intern for the Comm. Dept. Needless to say, both in and out of the classroom I've been working very closely with my professors! On top of that and the Ripon College Dance Team, this is my first day working in Admissions! So far, this semester is a lot of writing, speaking, and organizing...all of which I LOVE to do! Other than being busy, busy, busy, it's really HOT! Thank God we have four fans in our room :)