Beans are great. They're cheap; they're protein-rich; you can put them in just about anything, and you don't have to worry about them spoiling in their Tupperware container during a chordate anatomy lecture. However, this past weekend I reached my limit. I decided I needed a little pizazz, something out of the ordinary. So last night at the grocery store, I discovered salmon fillets were on sale, and as I sat eating my dinner of grilled salmon, broccoli, and bread (a $2 meal that would have cost at least $10 at a restaurant), I was able to reflect about this semester.
We have already entered week 7 of the 16-week semester, and spring break is less than two weeks away. Classes and school work have become comfortable, settling into the ruts of routine. Although this is nice and less stressful, I was feeling a little bit like my weeks were imitating my diet of beans, beans, and more beans- good, but a little monotonous.
Luckily, the past few days helped add a little "salmon" to my week. On Friday, I hosted a long-overdue dinner party for some BPMI friends. Saturday night, I attended a Honors broomball event, and for my GIRLS Power mentee weekly meeting, we went bowling. Originally we were going to volunteer to make dresses from old pillowcases that would be sent to orphanages in Africa, but I wrote down the wrong date. Woops. This past Monday, I also attended an ISU fencing club practice with my friend Robert, and realized fencing is much more difficult and tiring than it looks! I haven't decided if I want to join yet, but I doubt my slight lull in homework, projects, and studying is going to last much longer so I do not want to make any commitments yet.
So, basically my advice to you if you are feeling like a hamster in a hamster wheel or sick of beans, go explore an unfamiliar section of the grocery store. Or try fencing. Just make sure to wear a breast plate, ladies.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
No coat! No coat! No coat!
For the first time since October, I walked across campus without a coat, and- dare I say it- slight perspiration! Ok, I had just finished my ballet class and was wearing a sweater, but it was warm! For those of you in Iowa, you probably know that last week was amazingly different from the sub zero temperatures not too long before. Everyone's spirits improved, and I didn't have to cut through engineering buildings just to prevent frostbite; my classes happen to be on opposite ends of campus.
Well, besides the weather, my Chordate Anatomy class is going really well. I have to review every day, but I like how the tests are set up. Instead of tricky multiple choice or true false, our professor gives us a list of essay questions and we get to pick 8 out of the 12 to answer. Ballet is still my favorite class, and I think Robin Hood would be up there too if it weren't from 7 to 9pm. Since I have my first class at 9am, 9:00 to 9:00 on campus makes for a long day, but the Robin Hood class is worth it. This past week, I co-led the class with two classmates. We started things off with two guests from the ISU fencing club. They talked about the history of fencing (noblemen dueling in the back alleys of Paris) and showed us some of the techniques. Then we got to practice the footwork. We weren't quite ready for swords. We also gave a presentation about Technicolor and led a discussion about the importance of Technicolor and the dueling match in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) which we watched the week before as a class.
This Friday, I talked to high school students and parents about the Honors program through Explore Iowa State, and attended the GIRLS Power slumber party. The theme was "movies" so my mentee and I dressed up as Harry Potter characters. She was Bellatrix, and I went as Professor Trelawney. Sadly, I do not have any photos. The evening included all things slumber party-ish: pizza, the game sardines, nail polish, a dance party with glow sticks, a terrible night's sleep, etc. The following evening with some friends did include glow sticks, sadly, but the hosts cooked up some pretty delicious food and I was able to talk to some people I had not seen for a while.
I have also been keeping busy with a semester-long research project for my Globalization and Human Condition Anthropology class. My topic: How Globalization Created Apple Pie as an American Icon and is Now Causing its Demise. Whenever I finally finish it, I think I will have to celebrate by actually making apple pie.
Have a good one.
Well, besides the weather, my Chordate Anatomy class is going really well. I have to review every day, but I like how the tests are set up. Instead of tricky multiple choice or true false, our professor gives us a list of essay questions and we get to pick 8 out of the 12 to answer. Ballet is still my favorite class, and I think Robin Hood would be up there too if it weren't from 7 to 9pm. Since I have my first class at 9am, 9:00 to 9:00 on campus makes for a long day, but the Robin Hood class is worth it. This past week, I co-led the class with two classmates. We started things off with two guests from the ISU fencing club. They talked about the history of fencing (noblemen dueling in the back alleys of Paris) and showed us some of the techniques. Then we got to practice the footwork. We weren't quite ready for swords. We also gave a presentation about Technicolor and led a discussion about the importance of Technicolor and the dueling match in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) which we watched the week before as a class.
This Friday, I talked to high school students and parents about the Honors program through Explore Iowa State, and attended the GIRLS Power slumber party. The theme was "movies" so my mentee and I dressed up as Harry Potter characters. She was Bellatrix, and I went as Professor Trelawney. Sadly, I do not have any photos. The evening included all things slumber party-ish: pizza, the game sardines, nail polish, a dance party with glow sticks, a terrible night's sleep, etc. The following evening with some friends did include glow sticks, sadly, but the hosts cooked up some pretty delicious food and I was able to talk to some people I had not seen for a while.
I have also been keeping busy with a semester-long research project for my Globalization and Human Condition Anthropology class. My topic: How Globalization Created Apple Pie as an American Icon and is Now Causing its Demise. Whenever I finally finish it, I think I will have to celebrate by actually making apple pie.
Have a good one.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Plastic Bags, Tapioca, and Dog Skulls- a strange life
I was doing so well with blog updates, and then I got a little lazy. Oh, well. Last weekend was really nice and probably one of the most well-balanced weekends I can remember. I got to spend time with my parents who took me out to eat at Fugi, a Japanese steakhouse where they do the crazy chopping stuff right in front of your table. My parents are getting really good at spoiling me.
Of course I spent a fair amount of time doing homework, but I also got to relax a bit and go with a friend to see Barjche, a modern dance performance by the ISU dance club. Some of the stuff was a little too "modern" for my taste, but I suppose that people really involved in the dance world want to see something new and refreshing. One of the scenes I am thinking about had one dancer moving around on a rolling chair, pretending to drink from a gauntlet, while the other crawled about trying to reach up for a sip. The piece was called "Thirst" which fit in pretty well with the title: "Dance, Nature, and Sustainability." There were other pieces called "Oil Spill" and "Fire" which I really liked. They had a little more "dancing," and the lighting and costuming were excellent. Oh, there was also another really interesting piece in which the three dancers pulled tons of plastic bags through the holes in their shirts as a giant fan blew more plastic bags onto the stage. By the end of the performance, the large amounts of sacks began to hinder their movements- I thought it was a cool social commentary.
Last weekend and this weekend, I have also been fairly busy with CPC (fund-raising for our spring break mission trip) and GIRLS Power. Today I went with my mentee to an ISU women's basketball game. It was my first college BB game and pretty fun. I think she enjoyed it, too. Sometimes it is hard to tell.
Anyway, throw in a game night with tapioca and friends, warmer weather, a new computer (my 7-year-old Compaq XP contracted a virus and I finally bought a beautiful Mac), some tests and lab practicals and you've basically got the gist of my life for the moment. I hope you're all doing well!
Oh, and I have attached one of my art projects I turned in last week. The project consisted of four different illustrations (3 in pen and ink and one in a color medium) and a compilation of the pieces into one black and white layout with some labels for the lateral (side) view of the dog cranium.
Of course I spent a fair amount of time doing homework, but I also got to relax a bit and go with a friend to see Barjche, a modern dance performance by the ISU dance club. Some of the stuff was a little too "modern" for my taste, but I suppose that people really involved in the dance world want to see something new and refreshing. One of the scenes I am thinking about had one dancer moving around on a rolling chair, pretending to drink from a gauntlet, while the other crawled about trying to reach up for a sip. The piece was called "Thirst" which fit in pretty well with the title: "Dance, Nature, and Sustainability." There were other pieces called "Oil Spill" and "Fire" which I really liked. They had a little more "dancing," and the lighting and costuming were excellent. Oh, there was also another really interesting piece in which the three dancers pulled tons of plastic bags through the holes in their shirts as a giant fan blew more plastic bags onto the stage. By the end of the performance, the large amounts of sacks began to hinder their movements- I thought it was a cool social commentary.
Last weekend and this weekend, I have also been fairly busy with CPC (fund-raising for our spring break mission trip) and GIRLS Power. Today I went with my mentee to an ISU women's basketball game. It was my first college BB game and pretty fun. I think she enjoyed it, too. Sometimes it is hard to tell.
Anyway, throw in a game night with tapioca and friends, warmer weather, a new computer (my 7-year-old Compaq XP contracted a virus and I finally bought a beautiful Mac), some tests and lab practicals and you've basically got the gist of my life for the moment. I hope you're all doing well!
Oh, and I have attached one of my art projects I turned in last week. The project consisted of four different illustrations (3 in pen and ink and one in a color medium) and a compilation of the pieces into one black and white layout with some labels for the lateral (side) view of the dog cranium.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Counting Sheep
Last week I turned in my first watercolor assignment. It was a set of three abstract paintings using complimentary colors to better understand the medium. Now we are working on a still life before transitioning to landscapes, people, and eventually illustrations/story-telling. So far the class is pretty fun. A lot of the work can be completed in class, and our professor is quite the character. One of my friends that took the class last semester wrote down some of her favorite quotes of his such as:
1. Those people I disagreed with... well, they're dead now, so it doesn't matter.
2. while discussing airplanes- I'm always next to the guy who's spilling over his seat, like porridge gone awry.
3. You could name this series "But I'm Okay Now!"
4. Being a social outcast doesn't make you an artist. You just have to be good.
5. If this were the solar system you'd definitely be Pluto.
6. I thought drug inspired music would be a good background for watercolor!
7. If God came down from Heaven and made the perfect city, it would not be Dallas.
The list goes on and on, but you get the idea. Something interesting (and challenging for me)in regards to water color is that it turns out better if you are relaxed about it. If you overwork it and try to control too much, it usually doesn't turn out as well. Maybe that is how I should try to approach life a little more.
Perhaps you are wondering why I named this post "Counting Sheep." This past week kicked my butt. I had an awful time sleeping, waking up every couple of hours and not being able to fall back asleep. Then I started to get sick- it just was not a fun time, and there was one night I resorted to the old, count-the-sheep-jumping-over-the-fence idea. It didn't work; I could not figure out if my sheep should look like the cartoony ones from those old mattress commercials or actual sheep. Anyway, I spent so much time trying to visualize what they would look like and how this scene would play out that I never actually got to the counting part. Luckily, I am sleeping better now so I hope I do not have to resort to sheep again. I still have a little bit of a cold, but it seems like that is the normal state of just about everyone on campus.
The photos posted are from Dance Marathon.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Dance Marathon, Ballet Class, and Other Stuff
This past Saturday, I participated in Dance Marathon. It is a charity event in which the volunteers, or dancers, stand on their feet for 15 hours to raise money for the University of Iowa Children's Hospital. I thought it was going to be like one of those crazy dance marathons from the 30s where people had to constantly dance until they were the last ones standing- literally standing. But there was actually a lot more than just dancing. Every hour, we would preform a morale dance that the leaders taught all of the dancers at the beginning of the event. For the rest of the hour, there were lots of games, inflatables, four-square, Wii, demonstrations by clubs like the Swing Society and Judo, and competitions like the classic passing-the-orange-neck-to-neck relay. If you have every seen Charade with Carey Grant and Audrey Hepburn, you know what I mean.
Every hour after the morale dance, families also shared their stories, and each team had an adopted family with whom we were able to spend time and do activities. My team's adopted family had two kids with Hirschsprung Disease which meant they were born without nerves in their lower digestive tracts. Nate, who is 11, receives the majority of his caloric and water intake via an IV through his chest every night. This has kept him alive even though the doctors thought he wouldn't make it past three months old. The problem is that he might have to get a liver transplant since it doesn't get used very much, and he is very prone to infections with the IV. He was a really cool kid, and beat me mercilessly at Wii boxing.
My legs held up pretty well until the last couple of hours. During Power Hour, all of the games were put away and everyone was in the dance room jumping up and down, fist pumping, swirling glowsticks, etc. That was the hardest part. Then, for the final hour, the total amount raised was released to the crowd- $260,000! Thank you so much to all who donated.
Speaking of dancing, I am taking an intro. to ballet class at ISU. I have always wanted to take a dance class, and it is a good break between three hours of lecture and three hours of art studio twice a week. Most of the people have not taken ballet, but there are a few that definitely know what they are doing. It's really fun but fast-paced, and I need to review the terms in our textbook. Yes, we had to buy a text book, and we will be tested on the terms at mid-term and finals. I'm hoping the class will make me more graceful and give me better posture- we'll see. Sometimes I think my movements resemble a chicken more than a swan.
This last paragraph is just a bunch of random stuff. I am still a GIRLS Power mentor until the end of the semester, and today we had one of our large group meetings where we learned self defense moves from the the judo club. You do not want to mess with me now. I also found out that one of my short stories I wrote for Creative Fiction Writing last fall was accepted into Sketch, a literary magazine produced once a semester at ISU with short stories, poems, and some photography. I was pretty pumped.
Have a great rest of the week- hopefully it gets warmer. My memories of Spain are becoming fonder with each layer I add before heading to another class.
Every hour after the morale dance, families also shared their stories, and each team had an adopted family with whom we were able to spend time and do activities. My team's adopted family had two kids with Hirschsprung Disease which meant they were born without nerves in their lower digestive tracts. Nate, who is 11, receives the majority of his caloric and water intake via an IV through his chest every night. This has kept him alive even though the doctors thought he wouldn't make it past three months old. The problem is that he might have to get a liver transplant since it doesn't get used very much, and he is very prone to infections with the IV. He was a really cool kid, and beat me mercilessly at Wii boxing.
My legs held up pretty well until the last couple of hours. During Power Hour, all of the games were put away and everyone was in the dance room jumping up and down, fist pumping, swirling glowsticks, etc. That was the hardest part. Then, for the final hour, the total amount raised was released to the crowd- $260,000! Thank you so much to all who donated.
Speaking of dancing, I am taking an intro. to ballet class at ISU. I have always wanted to take a dance class, and it is a good break between three hours of lecture and three hours of art studio twice a week. Most of the people have not taken ballet, but there are a few that definitely know what they are doing. It's really fun but fast-paced, and I need to review the terms in our textbook. Yes, we had to buy a text book, and we will be tested on the terms at mid-term and finals. I'm hoping the class will make me more graceful and give me better posture- we'll see. Sometimes I think my movements resemble a chicken more than a swan.
This last paragraph is just a bunch of random stuff. I am still a GIRLS Power mentor until the end of the semester, and today we had one of our large group meetings where we learned self defense moves from the the judo club. You do not want to mess with me now. I also found out that one of my short stories I wrote for Creative Fiction Writing last fall was accepted into Sketch, a literary magazine produced once a semester at ISU with short stories, poems, and some photography. I was pretty pumped.
Have a great rest of the week- hopefully it gets warmer. My memories of Spain are becoming fonder with each layer I add before heading to another class.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A Surfer in a Washing Maching
Hey, everyone-
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with loved ones. I certainly enjoyed my time at home with my parents and sister, playing games and cooking and sewing and etc. We also got to see a lot of relatives and some family friends.
But break is over, and a new semester has begun. With 18 credits once again, I decided not to do the archeology artifact illustration work. Part of me realizes I am missing out on a great opportunity to make some good money and add something to my resume, but those are the only reasons why I would be doing it and right now in my life, I don't want to add extra commitments unless they are something I really want to do.
My classes this semester include: Intro. to Watercolor, Comparative Chordate Anatomy and the lab (5 credits), an anthropology course called Globalization and the Human Condition, an Honors seminar called Robin Hood from Ballad to Book to Movie, Scientific Illustration, and Intro. to Ballet (for a fun break between classes.)I'm also in a non-credit fitness class with two friends. It is called piloxing (pilates and boxing) which we are going to try to make into a regular thing since it is too cold to bike or walk to campus anymore. This semester, I am still a mentor for GIRLS Power, an Honors Ambassador for potential students on college visits, a BPMI Club member, a tutor if any students need help with fiction writing or the bio. class I took last spring called Plants and People, and I still want to stay involved in CPC (Collegiate Presbyterian Church.)
Instead of writing about all of my classes at once, I will try to just focus on one a week. First up: Comparative Chordate Anatomy. The professor for this class and lab is very interested in her subject matter and about teaching it to her students (always a plus.) I feel like she could be a character in a Woody Allen film, but maybe its just because she has a New York accent which is pretty uncommon here. Anyway, for those of us who have not taken evolutionary biology or vertebrate biology, we feel a little overwhelmed. We fly through material very quickly- we are already in chapter 3! I understand the concepts, but I have trouble remembering and remembering how to spell all of the phylums and subphlyums and classes and yada-yada. At least a lot of BPMI students, Jake (one of my UA coworkers last year), and a few other people I know are also taking the class. This gives me some options for study buddies later in the semester or at least people with whom I can commiserate.
Last night a BPMI friend hosted a little party, and several of us BPMI-ers came early to help her make potato pancakes, or latkes, for one of the hors d'oeuvres. We never got around to playing games or watching movies that people brought, but it was perfectly fine, and we had a really nice time. Today I leave for a CPC retreat. It was scheduled for this weekend because we do not have classes on Monday due to MLK Day. I am looking forward to the games, sledding, good food, and good talks.
Things are going well for me now- I'm on top of my surf board enjoying the ride, but I know I'm in a washing machine that could suck me down very quickly into dark oblivion where all the lost socks go and never return. OK- that was a little dramatic. But anyway I feel like this semester will be fine as long as I stay with my board. I might fall off now and again, but that is why I wear a safety ankle strap (my family, my friends, and my faith.)
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with loved ones. I certainly enjoyed my time at home with my parents and sister, playing games and cooking and sewing and etc. We also got to see a lot of relatives and some family friends.
But break is over, and a new semester has begun. With 18 credits once again, I decided not to do the archeology artifact illustration work. Part of me realizes I am missing out on a great opportunity to make some good money and add something to my resume, but those are the only reasons why I would be doing it and right now in my life, I don't want to add extra commitments unless they are something I really want to do.
My classes this semester include: Intro. to Watercolor, Comparative Chordate Anatomy and the lab (5 credits), an anthropology course called Globalization and the Human Condition, an Honors seminar called Robin Hood from Ballad to Book to Movie, Scientific Illustration, and Intro. to Ballet (for a fun break between classes.)I'm also in a non-credit fitness class with two friends. It is called piloxing (pilates and boxing) which we are going to try to make into a regular thing since it is too cold to bike or walk to campus anymore. This semester, I am still a mentor for GIRLS Power, an Honors Ambassador for potential students on college visits, a BPMI Club member, a tutor if any students need help with fiction writing or the bio. class I took last spring called Plants and People, and I still want to stay involved in CPC (Collegiate Presbyterian Church.)
Instead of writing about all of my classes at once, I will try to just focus on one a week. First up: Comparative Chordate Anatomy. The professor for this class and lab is very interested in her subject matter and about teaching it to her students (always a plus.) I feel like she could be a character in a Woody Allen film, but maybe its just because she has a New York accent which is pretty uncommon here. Anyway, for those of us who have not taken evolutionary biology or vertebrate biology, we feel a little overwhelmed. We fly through material very quickly- we are already in chapter 3! I understand the concepts, but I have trouble remembering and remembering how to spell all of the phylums and subphlyums and classes and yada-yada. At least a lot of BPMI students, Jake (one of my UA coworkers last year), and a few other people I know are also taking the class. This gives me some options for study buddies later in the semester or at least people with whom I can commiserate.
Last night a BPMI friend hosted a little party, and several of us BPMI-ers came early to help her make potato pancakes, or latkes, for one of the hors d'oeuvres. We never got around to playing games or watching movies that people brought, but it was perfectly fine, and we had a really nice time. Today I leave for a CPC retreat. It was scheduled for this weekend because we do not have classes on Monday due to MLK Day. I am looking forward to the games, sledding, good food, and good talks.
Things are going well for me now- I'm on top of my surf board enjoying the ride, but I know I'm in a washing machine that could suck me down very quickly into dark oblivion where all the lost socks go and never return. OK- that was a little dramatic. But anyway I feel like this semester will be fine as long as I stay with my board. I might fall off now and again, but that is why I wear a safety ankle strap (my family, my friends, and my faith.)
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