Friday night and the whole of saturday was quite nice.  On friday the dorm headed down to the Commons and celebrated Lauren's birthday at Benchwarmers, my new favorite restaurant.  Hilarity and dancing ensued.  We returned to IC and danced in the hallways, because it is something that is very fun to do.  Then all the girls grabbed blankets and we laid outside just chatting, and sometimes shrieking at random noises.  College is a little like summer camp.  

Yesterday morning I dragged myself out of bed for an early taping of The Inquirer, and I learned a bunch of tech-y things and got to be part of a studio audience, in a way.  Then I had a brunch with the Boothroyd girls, and they headed off to the football game and I grabbed my notebook and trekked down to Yavitz field for my first home-game coverage of Ithaca field hockey.  It was an exciting game, and we won 6-5.  I dread the day when I have to interview the coach and players after a loss.  That will be massively un-fun. The Bombers have an extremely productive offense, but their defense is very young, which leads to such high scoring matches.  My next game coverage is wednesday.  Then I met up with some football buddies for awhile, and was pressured into learning how to play Guitar Hero.  I am not very good at it, to say the least.  Back at Boothroyd I watched some Gossip Girl (a t.v. show) with some friends.  It's pretty soapy and extremely addictive, which lead to me getting to bed at a late hour.  

There's a collective agreement that today's a quiet day where everyone's mainly just going to study.  I'm going to find some football to watch.  Now, with the NFL back, I expect sundays to be characterized by a little homesickness, because right now I just want to lounge on a couch and watch way too much football all day and eat nachos.  

But I do love it here!

Working for the weekend!

Well, some of us thought it would never get here, but it is friday, and classes are finished!  Floormate L had her birthday and we're heading down to the Commons to celebrate.  I have a little bit of time to write, though, and I thought I'd update.  

Yesterday was a great day for me, actually.  I headed down to another dorm to watch an early-starting NFL kick-off, where I met some zealous Giants fans and a few Patriots fans who had decided to be Redskins fans for the day.  It's funny, up here, if you're a Redskins fan no one questions your affection for football.  Because you're obviously NOT bandwagoning.  That's for sure.  I was glad I was introduced by Jets fan K to the boys who had the t.v, because since they are very serious about football watching, they had actually purchased digital, high-def t.v.  Really.  They also have very overprotective mothers and therefore lots and lots of food.  Often, it works that way in college.  

Anyway, I had to leave early to head down to a sports section meeting, where my day was officially made.  We went through the issue that had come out that day, article by article.  My editor said the best things I could hear.  Really.  He said it was a great article and really clean, and it made things really easy for them because I got it in at such a great time and there wasn't much editing to be done. I'm learning.  Yay!  Then, to top things off, our faculty advisor came in to tell us all that based on this issue, the sports section is the strongest of the paper.  I practically died.  I'll have a lot of publishing online, which is where game reporting goes.  Now, the print sports section only publishes features, and I am scheduled to write one around mid-season after I pick up a good story and get to know the team better.  So I will be relishing this victory for a while.  The girls in my dorm cut out one of the copies and posted it on my door and wrote congrats all over the whiteboard.  So sweet!  

Classes are great.  My sports management teacher is hilarious and amazing.  She gets so into her lectures and debates, and she keeps everyone on his or her toes.  No one will EVER fall asleep in that class, I guarantee you.  

Weekend, but rain is supposed to come in tomorrow.  I hope there's not torrential rain while I'm sitting taking notes at the field hockey game.  That would be just fabulous.  

Why is it so hot here?  Isn't this why I came up North?  Hopefully the rain will bring a front in.   COLD one.  

I'm Published!

http://theithacan.org/am/publish/fhockey/200809_Turning_around.shtml

Yay!

A Positive Outlook

Yesterday wasn't the best of days, that's for sure.  But luckily I ended it with optimism and the knowledge that I have some really great people around me (whether physically or through the phone.)  

We lost our cat Bruschi this weekend, and his loss hit me pretty hard.  There was some crying, some awkward I-don't-know-if-our-relationship-is-exactly-at-this-level-yet hugs, and some comforting phone calls that made it much better.  It also helps to know that that cat got pretty much the ultimate kitty paradise of living in otis for two summers, watching fish and half-killing things.  He'll be missed.  

My classes are turning out really well, my Sports Management professor is hilarious.  And, of course, I got published for the first time today!  I snagged a paper copy and it looks sooooo good off the internet.  

Crazy.

I had the meeting for the Inquirer last night where we had to introduce ourselves with our name, class, and favorite pirate joke.  Pirates aren't exactly my specialty, and luckily they pretty much gave up on the joke idea before getting to me.  There are other people with the glamorous position of wire carrying.  We rejoice in it.  The importance of our work practically consumes us.  We even high-five each other.  They producers and such are a crazy bunch, which was expected.  It'll be interesting and fun to watch and learn.  

Today was floormate L's birthday, which lead to much celebration and food eating.  We concluded it only a short while ago with a serenade of "Happy Birthday" in a very crowded dining hall.  There was quite an enthusiastic applause.  

Today I worked the dining hall, and while it was a little toasty, I essentially cleaned tables for three hours, and my biggest problem was being ridiculously bored.  Then I headed to political communication, chatted about the RNC, and later went to mass media.  For lunch I grabbed easy mac from the little campus store and then had to tell Claire that it was in fact...not disgusting.  

Yesterday I got to have a long chat with friend L out in Providence, and it was such a help.  Everyone has been amazing.  Also, I really wanted to talk about the election, and the only one in the world I could think about who would be as excited as I was (if not more) was friend L.  It felt like old times (which is crazy, because it was like what, 2 weeks ago?).  I miss my little sisterhood like crazy.  I also miss my shower.  These are kind of icky up in Ithaca.  

Today, I am SO excited to watch the season kick off for the NFL.  That makes me so happy.  Football is a piece of home for me, though I will miss Dad's nachos and mom having to leave the room during Redskins epic failures.  

Today is an awesome day because  I got published for the first time EVER! The first time of many, I hope.  

College students can play disney trivia too

Okay.  I'm updating my blog this morning because I have discovered it is much easier to work in the mornings because everyone else is either asleep or at an early class.  So I get up much earlier than I have to, usually around seven, even though I don't have class until 10 today.  I'm starting to get into a rhythm, which usually involves me half-falling out of my bed, because it is a really abnormal height, grabbing at my keys in the dark, pulling on clothes and stumble blindly over to La Vincinta (complaining to myself that I can't believe how cold it is and, "Man, I should have worn a sweatshirt!") the little coffee shop, where I grab a nice black coffee and a totally unhealthy bagel with cream cheese.  Then it's back to the room, and I distract myself a little, do some reading, go over notes, and now, unproductively update my blog.  

Yesterday I had intro to journalism, where Professor Loop likes to scare the crap out of us and talk about our moral duties toward democracy and the dire importance of proper punctuation.  Then I trotted up to Political Communication, which even though it gives me the most reading and such, I love this class.  We discussed Sarah Palin at length, playing devil's advocate and discussing the implications of McCain's pick on the election.  We then discussed how and to what extent the media should cover her personal affairs and such.  I talk about all this stuff in my free time, but no one wants to listen to me then.  Roommate: "Who is Sarah Palin?"  

I had a small break and I tried to make popcorn with some people, but because I fail at making any sort of food for myself, it didn't even inflate or anything and kind of bust a hole in the side.  Oh yes.  I can't even handle popcorn.  So we ran and got smoothies instead, which is really addicting and I think I really need to limit my smoothie intake.  It will be difficult.  Floormate K and I discussed the merits of becoming obese so we could roll to class (seeing as Ithaca is on one giant hill) especially when we become lazier with cooler temperatures.  We decided the millions of stairs might be somewhat harmful.

Then Mass Media, which always scares me to death, and I'm not sure why.  My teacher is very nice, but very strict, and so for some reason I am always on edge.  Who knows.  

I got dinner with friend A and then I went to "The Ithacan Boot Camp!" Which is a mandatory thing for new writers for the Ithacan, which you are supposed to attend before publishing anything.  I guess they didn't tell the sports editors.  Anyway, we went over libel laws, and how a private college doesn't really have to tell you anything, and a little about AP style format.  We have another session with camera tech on the 13th.  

Oh, but in between everything I did get to video chat with friend S at Towson, which made me oh-so-happy!!  I totally miss my girls back home even though they aren't exactly...back home.  That's what Thanksgiving break is for, I guess.  

I played disney trivia with some of my floormates last night (yes, we just reek maturity).  They are absolutely fabulous and hilarious and I'm very glad I'm living in Boothroyd. 

I Did It!

Man, after the nervousness that was my last post, it's so great to write this entry.  The past couple days have been more stressful than my entire senior year.  That was mainly because I cared so much about doing the fall preview well, and making a good impression.  A little of it is that I'm a big believer in working to earn your position, I think, and I got thrown into this awesome position without really doing much to get it!  I wanted to prove to them that the risk was a good one to take.  I think it worked out pretty well.  I'm much more comfortable starting off with wire-carrying duties at the Inquirer and teleprompting duties (where I will have a mentor) at The Gridiron Report, because they totally recognize my lack of experience, and they're all about giving it to me. Half the kids in journalism I meet were the editor of their school paper or whatever. 

But I'm the one published on the website already!  I don't know if the link will work, but it's on theithacan.org, in sports updates.  They edited the living daylights out of it, and it's just a short blurb, but hey, it was my first try!  

I'm learning so fast it's insane.  Everyone says you end up learning more from joining the paper and the t.v shows than you do in a classroom, because it's a real world setting.  It's true Hopefully, I'm already developing a thicker skin and a thicker stomach lining.  Really.  

As chaotic as everything is right now, I have this weird feeling like I'm doing things basically right.  I wasn't so sure of that earlier this weekend, and the fear and stress was so bad at one point I wondered if I had made the right choice to jump into the paper so quickly and deeply as I had, taking on early responsibility and such a time commitment as being the beat reporter.  I know it sounds cheesy, but I'm really proud of myself that I pulled this off.  Before I left my parents told me to just go after it.  I think I did.  And I'm really glad this preview is done.  

It should be published Thursday, I hope.  If it does get published in the paper, which I hope/think it will, I am stealing a hundred copies and keeping them forever.  

Bottom line: I'm really happy and also relieved that I get to spend the week in classrooms!

I chose the right school.

A Little Frustration

The good:  I wrote up my first game recap yesterday and sent it in on time.  I was really pleased with the results and relieved to have one of my duties completed for The Ithacan.  

The bad:  I am getting nowhere on this preview!  I have called and e-mailed the coach, left messages asking for an appointment or phone interview, looked up the captains in the directory, e-mailed them, and I haven't gotten a single response.  I have until Monday at 5 p.m, but I'm still stressed, because it is a holiday weekend.  

Yesterday was quite interesting.  I had my first dining hall duty, and it wasn't that bad!  The staff was great and the pace was hurried, and because I was so busy the time went by quickly.  I'm not saying I will ever like the hats, but it could have very easily been worse.  I was also able to change my shift to Thursdays from 10 to 1, which fits my schedule better because Thursday is a light day and now my game attendance won't be under any stress from my job duties.  I have a lot of reading this weekend, but I'm steadily getting it done.  

Last night a couple of people from my dorm and I went over to the Cornell welcome fair and we benefitted from free giveaways of food and games for the incoming Cornell freshman.  We explored the gigantic campus a little, and concluded we were all so glad that we didn't go there.  It's a bit like a small city, with streets and traffic lights and even it's students aren't exactly sure how to get anywhere.  And, on the weekend, it's really really loud.  Getting back to campus was terrible, because despite Ithaca's obsession with the merits of public transportation, the T-CAT sucks.  We got to the stop ten minutes early and it came an hour late.  And it was cold.  It definitely did not feel like August last night.  More like mid-November.  

We decided we are just going to stay on campus from now on.  You can walk anywhere at IC in fifteen minutes or less.  There's just a lot of steps.