Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Read Speed Dating






     Earlier this month, the 4th floor resident assistants of Read, Landes and Curry came together to plan a speed-dating event for their residents. Over 40 guys and girls came to get to know the people on their floors.

     The RA’s set up two rows, one for the guys and one for the girls. As all the people filled into the room, soothing and smooth music played in the background.

      Each couple was given four minutes to get to know one another; to get to know their background, interests, and personalities. After those four minutes were up, the guys said their goodbyes and got up to move down to the next girl.

      One full rotation was made so that all the guys were able to meet all the girls.

      Because this event took place after the first couple of weeks into the semester, many people didn’t know their other floor mates; this event encouraged both the guys and the girl’s floor to really bond.     

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

What happens during freshman welcome week



            On the last Wednesday in August, all new IU-Bloomington freshman move on to the campus. All 11 residential buildings are busy with students and their parents trying to move everything in. Streets are packed and parking lots are full. 
           
            When students arrive, they have to first get the key to their room and a packet of information that includes all the rules of the residential halls, a calendar of all the welcome week activities, and a campus map. I keep mine all year (even veteran IU students get lost).
           
            Students and their parents take multiple trips up to rooms to unload clothes, microwaves, refrigerators, and much more. Once everything is unloaded rearranging and unpacking is the next step.
           
            Once everything is put in the right place, parents leave. For many this is the tearful part, sometimes for the students, the parents, or both. I’ll admit I teared up.

            That night, each floor of each resident hall has a floor meeting. Everyone on that floor gets together to meet each other and play icebreaker games. The Resident Assistant goes over rules and answers every body’s questions about classes and the IU-Bloomington campus.

            During the rest of welcome week, different groups on campus host tons of programs to encourage meeting new people, get to know the campus, and to keep new freshman from being homesick.

            Many students, not just freshman, take the time during welcome week to purchase their books for the upcoming semester. This often results in long lines, but I find that getting your books early is worth it. You don’t have to worry about it once classes start. 

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Washington's new locals

     My name is Katie and I’m a sophomore majoring in Journalism and Spanish with a minor in political science. When I’m not at IU, I live with my mom and sister in Indianapolis, IN. I’m really looking forward to showing, through video, future students and anyone that is interested in IU what really goes on Indiana University’s campus.

      I enjoy the state of Indiana and all that it has to offer, but sometimes, it’s nice to get away. This summer, my mom, 10 year old sister and five year old labradoodle packed up the car and drove 4 days, 2500 miles, to one of my favorite places on earth; the teeny tiny town of Grayland, Washington.

To almost anyone else, Grayland is just a small town you pass through to get to somewhere bigger, but to me it’s heaven. My family owns a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath cottage where it only takes five minutes to walk to the Pacific Ocean.

     As someone who lives in the Midwest, my mom and I are often laughed at by the Grayland townies that are used to everything Washington has to offer. Unfortunately Indiana doesn’t have an ocean. We, as Midwesterners have never had to understand tides, seafood, or 74 inches of rain a year, but to Washingtonians, it’s a way of life.

     After almost ten years of driving 4 days to Washington, this summer, my mom and I finally decided we could consider ourselves locals. We did some stuff this year that to everyone out there is normal, but to us was a totally different world. We went clamming and crabbing.

     By the end of the summer we were able to catch 120 steamer clams (which I wasn’t to fond of) and 11 Dungeness clams (which I was definitely fond of). We felt like true north westerners.

     Sadly, after 7 wonderful weeks, of reading, swimming, boogey boarding, clamming, crabbing, and eating amazing food, we had to make the horrible 4 day, 2500 mile trek back home.

     After returning home, I began getting ready for this year of college, but even though I am excited to start my sophomore year, I still really miss relaxing on the beach watching the waves crash against the surf.