Let's Do This Updating Thing!

It's Tuesday. I'm writing, which means I did actually end up surviving yesterday. Impressive. 

This weekend was pretty awesome. Saturday I rolled out of bed and booked it down to the inlet with my editor to grab some reactions at the crew meet. It was unbelievably windy. So much so that I had a hell of a time transcribing my interviews because of the insane howl of the wind dominating the tape. Not so fun. 

It was the last home crew meet of the year, however, which meant that the seniors all had to jump in the so-freezing-cold-it-snowed-this-week water. The women's coach pulled out a motor boat and hovered near them to make sure no one...well, died. It was a sight to see. 

Later, my future roomie A picked me up, because her family awesomely offered to take me in this weekend for Easter festivities. It was just nice to be in an actual house. We laid on the couch, watched movies, played Rock Band, and ate amazing food for the weekend. Sunday I EVEN WENT TO CHURCH with them. For those that know me, this is a rare occurrence. It was cute. The church even had a pre-service breakfast that included their tradition of ice cream rolled in corn flakes with cut strawberries on top. It may sound strange, but it was AMAZING. 

Yesterday...I just did. It was long. One of my assigned short stories that I had to read for homework was 22 pages long. I wasted a lot of energy whining about it. Then I discovered that my Global Studies reading was 108 pages long. Really. I realized this at 10:30 last night.

Good thing I plan ahead and have superior time management skills. 

This morning I had class that was wayyyy too early, and an interview at 11 that went very well. 

Now, I'm in the midst of a post-lunch haze. But at least I feel productive!

I Love Holidays and Other Things That Cancel My Classes

My 8 a.m. class was cancelled today because of Passover. My professor said, "I know you're all terribly disappointed, but my religion tells me I'm not supposed to work on Thursday. So, sleep more." 

Fine with me. 

So I did sleep. But the cancellation also allowed me to stay up for all hours last doing non-productive things, like talking to my sister on the phone about absolutely nothing for an extended period of time. Whenever we talk it feels like nothing has changed whatsoever, and it's like we're chatting and whining across the dining room table like we always did. Sometimes I don't know how not seeing her everyday became normal. 

Yesterday I pretty much ruled at life. Having crashed and burned on my first journalism research exam, I was eagerly (read: nervously) awaiting the results of my second exam. I aced it. I got out of class early to come back and find I'd received an internship offer at the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press. I accepted it.

Read: I'll ACTUALLY BE DOING SOMETHING THIS SUMMER. 

I was beginning to get worried. I really had no plans. This internship seems perfect. The office hours are minimal. I'll be doing a bunch of work from home. However, that frees me up to do things like babysit, give swim lessons, and sit on my butt in 80+ degree weather. 

Success. 

Today in Global Studies we were given scenarios in groups that cast us as exiled political leaders charged with starting our home nation over after it's independence was announced and its colonial occupier was quickly withdrawing. 

Let me tell you, there is nothing more fun to do at 9 a.m than argue with classmates about the dangers of transition-dictatorships and about how to utilize natural resources in balancing imports and exports and creating sustainable industry. Sometimes it bugs me that there are no right answers. It was also frustrating to find that most of our suggestions had been tried...and had failed.

In short, I am SO GLAD that I'm declaring my second major, even though I had to spend an hour of my life reading about NAFTA and APEC last night. These things can be forgiven. 

There is actually sun today. 

Win.

Snow. Really.

Honestly, I knew Ithaca would be cold. I survived the winter months. I bought a stupid hat. I actually wore gloves when I wasn't even going skiing. I wore scarves as something other than an accessory. I stopped wearing flip flops in October. I even considered the possibility of wearing a sweater.

But now it is April. And it snowed ALLLLLLL DAYYYYY.

Not fair. Uncool. 

At the risk of sounding uncouth and immature, let me just say:

Screw this. I JUST WANT SUMMER.

I know that most of the high schools are just starting spring break, and that they have many, many weeks left of absolutely monotonous and sleep-depriving teenage torture, and that I shouldn't complain. But hey, I DID that. 

Right now I'm stuck underneath a pile of papers that won't write themselves and that have due dates fast approaching.  I have so much to do but no will to do it. I can't concentrate. I just can't.  

But I know I'll manage. I always get things done in the end. It's just that my high procrastination tendencies are making my productivity and sleep levels suffer. I have to change that. 

I eagerly wait my future post in which I will whine about wanting to return to school. I'm extremely impressed with all my (all,what, 5 of them?) readers. You guys put up with absurd amounts of whine plus the occasional self-indulgent and melodramatic reflection. 

I'm trying to think of anything relatively interesting to relate. You know, about college. Since that's supposed to be what this blog is about. 

I can't. So I decided to take a picture with my fake chicken. Because I'm not even that talented at procrastination. And we matched. 

Further proof that I'm adorable AND ladylike.

I think we look alike.

Oh, and that in the background? That's totally not my light. It's a spaceship. A chicken spaceship.

Ithaca Today...Yesterday

It felt like I was living in some alternate universe yesterday. 

It was so cool and so tiring, and almost transformative for me. 

Yesterday morning, as the Deans Hosts grouped before the tidal wave of work and activities of the Park accepted students day and overnight, our supervisor had a treat for us. The eight or so of us got to hang out and chat with Sal Paolantonio for an hour and a half. It was SO COOL. I was also thanking Papa, because it was thanks to him that I'd read Paolantonio's book over winter break. Two of his daughter's went (or go) to Ithaca, and were both Park students. One is a senior now.

He gave us fascinating advice all wrapped up in these amazing stories. His biggest emphasis was on the power of hand-written thank you notes. It's because of these that Michael Strahan wouldn't speak to any reporters after winning the Super Bowl until he talked to Sal, and said, "I want to speak to Sal because that's the first thank you note I've ever received." Those notes are also how people like Andy Reid will call him first if something's happening. Like that time when he was at an IC parent's weekend and he gets a call from Reid saying he's suspending Terrell Owens for the season, and Park students helped him shoot live shots from campus to break the story on ESPN. 

IT WAS SO COOL. 

He gave a marketing communications major the names of people to contact, with his reference, to get connected in the PR department at places like Jacksonville and with the Giants. 

And the best part? 

After the talk, I went up, nervously, and asked him if I could possibly get his card. And he said:

"You know what, you win! I was hoping someone was actually listening and would ask me."

I only freaked out on the inside. 

So now, here I am, with Sal Paolantonio's card sitting on my desk. I'm going to write him an thank you note. 

From there on, I helped direct students and answer questions in Park for an hour, then hosted a journalism student question and answer session. Then, I picked up my prospective students for the night. A ton of the girls on the floor were also hosting students. We took them down to dinner and down to VIC's Battle of the Bands.  We also made a pit stop at this small intimate coffee shop called...Starbucks. It was delicious. 

I think we convinced a lot of students yesterday.  That's where I made my decision, exactly a year ago. The same event. It was such a surreal day. It required a lot of work and quite a bit of self-reflection. It was cool to look at how far I've come from sitting nervously in a discussion section a year ago, confused and terrified, to a college girl finishing up her second semester and finally figuring out the right path to take. 

Sports journalism will have to stay as an option. I mean, now that I have an ESPN national correspondent's cell phone number, and he knows my name. 

I guess this is college. It's way crazier than I expected, that's for sure.

Who knew?

Catching Up

Obviously I have been totally slacking on this "blogging" thing I do. 

A lot of that is because of how much work I have and how many activities I do.  But it's also because since I'm trying to get my application for my double major approved, I've been running around from building to building getting a million signatures and sorting through the bureaucratic process of the registrar's office. 

So while that's totally not fun, I am SO PUMPED for my second major and am almost there with the approvals. I need one more signature, and then I turn it into the Humanities and Sciences Dean and wait. However, Dr. Soyinka-Airewele, my Global Studies professor, agreed to be my advisor. Which is awesome. 

I had a group presentation today in that class (entitled "Going Home to Afghanistan: Displacement and the Politics of Return"), and it went well. The only bad part was I had to stand in front of the class for a whole hour and a half.  It is not fun when you really have to sneeze but can't for approximately 60 of those 90s minutes. I may or may not have looked like a crazy person. 

Oh, and today I got a graduate school pamphlet in the mail from Georgetown. Already. REALLY?

I am so not ready for that process again. Give me a year. Or two.

You Ask, I Oblige.

Some extremely attractive snapshots of Relay for Life! At least we look like sane people in the last one.

I love them all!

Anyway, today was fine. I'm surviving Monday. The only problem is that I just ate my last Thin Mint. This is tragic. 

Somehow I'll make it through. 

It's quite amazing: today I'm only at musical soundtrack stage. Obviously I'm an expert at being in denial. Or maybe I just have confidence that I can handle it all.  I e-mailed my advisor asking how to declare my second major, and he seemed skeptical that I would have time.  But this is because he is unaware of the 35 credits I came in with. They help. 

I just want it all approved so I can get started with my future. As melodramatic as that all sounds, it's true. 

Relaying for Life

Yesterday was a day of absolute insanity. 

I dragged myself out of bed at 8 on a Saturday (this is a crime. A CRIME.) and got ready to head over to the Cayuga Inlet with my roommate Beth.  She rows for the novice women, which is ridiculously convenient.  

When we first got there, I departed from the group of crew girls as they went to start setting up boats and prepping for warm-ups. I explored around the boat house and stuck my nose inside Cornell's, which is 9 billion times nicer and larger. The difference between a top-ranked Division I team and a top ranked Division III team is huge in appearance and performance. Not that that stopped our women's varsity from beating Cornell. Nor did it stop our men's team being crushed by Cornell. 

It was a gorgeous day. Sunny, 60 degrees. It was unbelievable. So I hung around, watching everyone set up and warm-up.  Hobart, Marist, and Cornell teams set up tents and loaded boats off trailers. 

The weirdest part was that Coach Dan Robinson found me because he recognized me from orientation. I kind of got a scolding. "You shouldn't be here, you should be out there."

Which a part of me agreed with. I miss team sports. Maybe I am just obsessed with lakes and the sparkling waters of Cayuga made me subconsciously think of summers in Otis. Who knows. Robinson said a lot of rowers start sophomore year. 

Anyway, so he showed me where they were posting results and tried to explain them to me, because he said very often they are reported incorrectly. Let me just say, it makes no sense at all. I mean, I understand it now--at least, the basics-- but it doesn't make ANY SENSE. 

Then, I sat around and watched many many races with large lulls in between. My editor Cory came down to cover the women's team, and I tried to explain crew to him. But I didn't exactly know what I was talking about, so I think I just made him more confused. 

Then, because I had nothing else better to do, I interviewed 8 different rowers, and Coach Robinson. The required number is three. Whatever. After that, I got a ride back to campus with Cory. 

After that, it was time to get ready for Relay for Life. The theme was 80s, and so my friends and I spent a lot of time applying gross eyeshadow, messing up our hair, cutting up t-shirts, and pulling on brightly colored leggings and leg-warmers. Pure awesomeness. We all carpooled over, and then spent many many hours at Cornell's indoor track, Barton Hall, walked the track, dancing around, listening to acapella, and being crazy.  For a while, future roomie Ashley and I tabled for Active Minds, where we blew up balloons for an hour or so.  The idea was stress relief. At our table people wrote things that stressed them out on balloons, and then popped them.  So, it was totally worth my sleep-deprived delirium today.  

Now, I've got to do some serious writing and get this work done. Time's running out, it's almost April!