It seems just like yesterday that school ended back in May... Then in just a few short months, it's August again, and we've started school! It's amazing how fast the time went by. I remember getting out in May, and thinking, "Yes! Summer!" Then by the end of May, beginning of June, I wanted to go back to school because I was SO bored! And I wanted the time to fly by, and I got my wish. School just started! But now I wish it didn't go by so quickly, that I had more time to hang with my friends, and spend more time hanging with my family before beginning the adventure known as dorming. Yet, I'm glad that school has started back up again. I get to see all my friends that I didn't get to see over the summer and reconnect to those that I've missed the most. And I have things to do! I'm no longer bored! At least I hope that'll be the case soon...

As far as school goes, I have 18 credit hours plus a service learning credit for a total of 19 (but I only have to pay for 18 since the service credit is free at the Mount). I am taking Contemp. Perspectives with Dr. Shannon- love his classes!, Educational Assessment with Mr. Santoro, along with Human Exceptionalities with Mr. Santoro, Philosophy with Dr. Sontag, American Sign Language with Mrs. Ison, and Applied Peer Leadership Seminar with Ms. Mills (it also goes along with the IDS 100 course with Mr. Jenkins, in which I help facilitate a go between with the freshmen students and Mr. Jenkins in the class). They all seem pretty good so far but I may just fall asleep in Philosophy since that's not my cup of tea persay... :)

But this year I am also dorming! So that is super exciting! My roommate is Maria. She's a friend I made from last year so she and I are getting along really well and starting to set ourselves up into some kind of discernable routine and schedule... I'm sure it'll work out perfectly. :D Most of my friends are back and living in the dorms- Tom, Jimmie, Sam, and Anne. Along with my other friends still commuting- Alex and Nicole, along with others.

In addition to all my school work, I have a ton of extracirricular activities I'm participating in. I already  mentioned the peer leading in the IDS 100 course for freshmen, but I'm also the publicity chair for CAB (Campus Activities Board) so I get to make posters and flyers for all the events that will be happening around campus for the next year (and there's an event EVERY week...); I am the Associate Editor of Dateline (the school newspaper) so I get to find student life stories and put together articles and assign articles, etc., for that kind of thing; and then, of course, I'm also blogging! So I have my work cut out for me this year but it should be very exciting!

This year looks to be great and I can't wait to really get it going! Below is some pictures of my dorm and how I've got it set up to begin my dorming adventure! So until next time, think about this, "If you fall in a forest, will a tree hear you?"

Hey y’all! (I’m from the South today, just kidding lol) So I thought I would just drop by and say hey! Hoping your summer is going well J Mine’s doing okay so far… nothing too much out of the ordinary… just chilling, working, hanging… the normal teenager/collegiate student type stuff…    

Some of the highlights have been: at the end of May, I visited my friends Sam and Maria up North in Piqua- that was a blast. J Then um… in the beginning of June I went with my mom to Nashville, Brown County, Indiana, for our annual mother-daughter get-away. I had a TON of fun there… Then I started my baby-sitting job when I got back from that vacation/long weekend (it was only four days which ironically was during the worst rain and flooding in Indiana’s history- ugh). That’s kept me occupied for about four days a week. I haven’t really been working at my other job lately, just ‘cuz it’s slow going there and they really don’t need my help right now. Um… for the Fourth of July, I went up to Anna, Ohio, to go Maria’s family’s party on July 3^rd. That was awesome! There were 300+ people there!!! I stayed the night and then went to a family party on the Fourth.    

As for upcoming events, I am helping out at the July orientation for the incoming freshmen at the Mount on July 18^th. I helped out at the June orientation too so that’s why I’m doing this again. I’m sitting at the CAB (Campus Activity Board) table during the lunch on the first day if you wanna come visit me or find out about the CAB. Last time we gave away free t-shirts to those people who took a quick survey. So I’m looking forward to that. Also, my cousin’s wedding is next weekend, July 19^th, in Indianapolis so that’ll be exciting to go to- I love this side of the family’s weddings! At one wedding, they actually got the bride to roll around on the ground to one of the songs, and for another, my dad and my uncles “kidnapped” the groom and took him out on the town- of course, their sister (my aunt), freaked out and to this day does not forgive them for doing that but it’s all good.    

What else… Oh! At the end of July, we’re having a family weekend/vacation together. My parents, my brother, and I will be doing a weekend of all things Cincinnati. It’s just like any other life in any other big city. You live here all your life and you never go to the tourist attractions. So we’ll be doing that… Then school starts August 25^th and since I’m dorming, hopefully, I’ll be moving in the week before school starts and before all the out-of-towners decide to move in. So that’s exciting- of course, I still need to buy and arrange and pack all the things I need for dorming… J    

Well, here’s a funny and ironic story for ya: so I was shopping the other day with on my best friends, Alex, and while in Icing, the clerk asked if she and I were sisters. We said no, obviously, but the more we thought about it, it almost seems like were sisters separated at birth. Here it is though: I have a twin brother, who is ironically named Alex. I was born at Good Samaritan Hospital on November 7^th and my friend Alex was born at Good Sam on November 9^th. This means, that, she and I were “nursery mates,” (as my mom puts it) while we were there! In the end, this means, that I’ve had a best friend since, literally, birth! I thought that was an awesome story that I had to share with ya… But maybe it’s only funny to me or one of those “you had to be there” or “you had to be them” kind of stories… but still, I thought it was cool… J    

But, any who, summer is moving pretty quickly, not to mention the year 2008. It’s all so very exciting but very sad considering how fast time really is moving… So I hope all is going well and summer’s going good for you… Let me know what you’ve been up to- I’d love to know what fun things go on for others. Story-telling and sharing is one of my favorite things to do, as you already know. ;) So, until next time, see ya later alligator! (This is where you say, “After a while, crocodile!”)

So… the musical “Oklahoma” is over and now it’s time to move on with a regular life… YEAH RIGHT! LOL… Now that I’m done with my extracurricular activity for the year, I just now realized how much I have left to do. I calculated that I have 15 days left of school- just about three weeks. And I miraculously only have one day of exams- granted that’s two exams and one project to do in one day.   

The work I have to do? Too much… Um… I have an education lesson/project due next Friday; an education paper due on Monday; a 4-page history paper due next Friday; a math project due on my exam day that I have yet to update (it’s a continuous project over the course of the semester that needs to be turned in on the last day to be returned so we can use it for future teaching); a math lesson to teach not on Monday but the next Monday… and… um… something else that I’m sure I’m forgetting and will regret here as soon as I remember it… J  

 What else is new you ask? Well, I just finished registering for classes next semester so that’s exciting- actually the whole process was a bit stressful. I had the registration time of 6:30 AM but the system is about 8 minutes slow so I didn’t get on until about 6:38 AM (I love how precise I am in this haha).    I was able to register for four classes fairly quickly: EDU 172 Contemporary Perspectives with Drew Shannon (I have a class with him semester and I absolutely love his class! So I recommend taking one of his classes), EDU 205 Educational Assessment with Dr. Rick Sparks (teaching you how to make tests for your students- also ironically the HARDEST class you will ever take at the Mount for education because Dr. Sparks is a really hard teacher… oh joy right? No, he’s my advisor so I really like him), SED 305 American Sign Language with somebody? (there’s no teacher assigned yet but I am SOOOOO excited about that class! I love sign language and all I know so far is the alphabet), and PHI 200 Perspectives on Human Nature with Dr. Sontag (again I have no idea what this class is about).    

The class I had trouble with was SED 215 Human Exceptionalities with Dr. Santoro (don’t know who that is sorry and nor do I know what the class is other than I need 30 observation hours for it) but it’s all good now and then today I registered for PSY 310 Cognition and Memory with Dr. Jim Bodle (I had his psych class last semester and he’s an awesome teacher also so I would highly recommend taking a class with him too).   

So that’s that… I’m listening to “Free Bird” by Lynard Skynard right now… My thoughts are all over the place but now you know what it’s like to be inside my head sometimes… LOL J   I already told you “Oklahoma” is over but I put a picture of the cast and crew at the bottom so you can see who was all involved… O and my friend Alex is happy that she can talk to me again (*Alex* (8:35:21 PM): and u should write about how i get to see u again...lol) That’s the IM she sent me about the show and how much free time I now have in my life… Oh and a shout out to Maria- my future roommate next year… She’s gonna read this so “Hi!” to her as well…   

Um what else… O! I’m thinking of applying for a position on the Dateline staff for next year. Dateline is the school’s monthly newspaper run by Buffy Barkley and a team of students. It sounds interesting and I’ve never done journalism but sounds fun enough. J 

  I think that’s all that’s new right now… O wait! Get Acquainted Day is on Saturday, April 12^th, from some time to some time… No, it’s from 9:30 AM to about 3 PM or so… I’m participating on the Student Panel so I have no idea what I’ll be doing but it’s something about future students asking me what life at the Mount is like so that’ll be fun I hope… J   

Now I’m done… I think… so have a good day and a good weekend! See you on the other side! Shout out to the birthday boy too (Joe)!

I so can’t believe that it is already Mid-Semester break. I am excited but on the other hand I am not too happy with all the papers and midterms that I have this week or next week.

            It just seems like this school is flying by way too fast. Spring break is in like 3 weeks or so and then after that we are almost in April and that is close to May when it is almost summertime!! But from now and until then I have so much stuff to get accomplished like hopefully pass my Praxis so I can be admitted into the Education department this semester. On top of that, all the homework that I have from all my classes that needs to be finished. But for right now, I am taking one day at a time. I am trying not to rush it. I have been told by many people who are out of college, that college is the best 4 years of your life and when you are in reality you will really want those back.

                                    So everyone live everyday to the fullest!!

Check out my next blog that is coming soon!!