Little 500

The camera is still sickly and in the camera hospital, so I have been thinking of new and interesting ways to keep you guys entertained.
Litte 500 is known as one of the greatest weekends in college history, but to the riders of the race it is much more.

Here is a radio project that I put together about a friend of mine who rides for the Cutters cycling team.

AHHH SPRING!

The camera was on the fritz today, so unfortunately no video. Instead of showing you guys IU, I'm going to have to explain it.
Everywhere I walk on campus, it's evident that spring has sprung! Daffodils are popping up, new mulch is being laid down and I no longer have to layer clothing item upon clothing item to make sure I don't freeze. It's hard to walk around campus and not have a stupid grin on my face.

 What I look like when it's spring outside

Sixty-five degrees and sunny is the perfect weather. I actually want to get up and walk to class. When it was snowing, cold and freezing I was like a hibernating bear, refusing to leave the warmth of my bed, only leaving when it was absolutely necessary -- to find sustenance and attend the occasional class. Now, it's completely different.

I got to give it to them, IU really does have a beautiful campus, and during spring, the beauty is amplified. Hopefully the weather will stay this nice and not dip back down to freezing temperatures, because I'm tired of being a hibernating animal.

Also, hopefully the camera will be fixed next time I post so you won't have to deal with my horrible stick drawing from Microsoft paint anymore.

Major Statistics

So I was cleaning out my room yesterday when I found a notebook with my statistics notes in it. I was flipping through it and found an example about how many students have which major. It made me wonder.  Last year I lived on the media LLC, so pretty much all of the students were either journalism or telecommunications majors. This year however I am on a floor with no specified major. I wondered which major was the most common. I found out some pretty interesting statistics.

Grrr Winter

Winter is cold already, but believe me winter is even colder when you have to walk across campus in it. It's like an artic tundra out there and most of the time it feels unbearable. Here are two of my biggest tips to making it across campus before you turn into an icicle.

RA's Number 1 Advice

When it comes to campus life, the Resident Assistants are trained to know exactly what to do. I thought it would be a good idea to go to the source and ask some RAs what they wish they would have known when they were incoming freshmen. I got some answers that I would have never thought of! Each freshman's first year is different, but here are some great tips to start a freshman year off right.

Cold

The snow and cold weather is definitely a nuisance when I have to walk around campus. I need to dress in at least three layers and I have to leave 10 minutes early to give time for my inevitable daily slips and falls. I asked a few people around Read what they thought about the pesky weather and I got some pretty interesting answers.

Adjusting after break

After such a long break, I always found it hard to come back to school. It was hard to get on a schedule again and to not procrastinate, not to mention I was always homesick. I asked a few people around Read the question, "Is it hard for you to adjust?" Here is what some people had to say.

Finals

Uh oh, finals are almost upon us! IU students everywhere are cringing at the thought of these dreaded tests. These seem really frightening, but in all honesty, they're really not as horrible as they seem. Starting two weeks before finals the Wells Library starts to get full. It's common knowledge that if you manage to get a spot in the library, don't move or else it'll get taken so fast you won't even know what hit you. Every inch of the library (including floor space) is filled with eager final-studiers. I talked to a few people on my floor about what they have either started doing or plan on doing to study and prepare as final's week approaches. Some of them gave some pretty interesting answers. Good luck to everyone who has finals and have a great winter break!

Thanksgiving Break

All the people on my floor, myself included, are all looking forward to Thanksgiving break. It's a time when students don't have to worry about homework, studying and getting stuff done. All we have to do is see family and eat great food. For many students who live far away this break might be the first time they get to go home. Thanksgiving break also comes at a time when students desperately need a break from studying to recharge before finals.

Read Room Decorations

When I got to college, I was really excited about making my dorm room my own; being able to rearrange and decorate however I wanted. I figured since I was so excited about my room, other people on my floor had to be just as excited about theirs.
I went around to three people and asked what they liked and didn’t like about their room and their set up. Some told me how much they love it while others told me what they want to change. 

Community Leadership and Development Center

The CLDC is an amazing resource located in the Read residence hall.

When ever I'm stressed with school work, I go down to the CLDC and do some craft projects just to unwind and clear my mind.

Most of the students I talked to about the center don't know what it is, it's mostly used by Resident Assistants to make bulletin boards, but I whole heartedly believe this resource can benefit so many people.

If you've never been to the CLDC try it out

Read Speed Dating

     Earlier this month, the 4^th 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.     

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. 

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.