Something New

While everyone is getting excited for Thanksgiving, I have something to doubly look forward to this November. Right as everyone has finished eating the turkey with all the trimmings, I will be getting ready for a wedding, my grandmother's wedding.

I have very few memories of my grandmother while she was married; I have even less of my grandfather in general. They got divorced when I was under the age of ten. My grandpa was an alcoholic and rather sadly passed away a few years ago without having reconciled himself with any of his children. Oddly enough, my name serves as one of the only memories of their union. My name is a hybrid of their two first names, Sharon and Franklin. Shalyn. (I have been told the story that when my grandfather told his buddies about the name of his first grandchild, they thought my name was Shank because everyone called him Frank.)

My grandma is a really strong person. Only a few years ago, she re-did the shingling of her whole house. She has always been a severely honest person, to the point of being brusque. She loves singing so much she goes to church every Sunday just to sing in the choir. Although she is completely tech-illerate, my grandmother met her fiance online dating. They got engaged over the summer when she moved into his house. They talked about getting married in April when my uncle could come out, but given the unforseen circumstances around him and my great aunt, they called last week to tell us the wedding was going to be the day after Thanksgiving.

My mother's family has always been close. I see almost all my cousins, uncles, grandparents, great aunts, great uncles, second cousins, and relatives once removed every Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve, not to mention at what has become a yearly Clam Bake, our annual week-long family camping trip, and at periods over the summer when everyone is at their cottages (more aptly called shacks) by the lake which we call Camp. I don't think I know anyone who sees approximately 45 extended members of their family on a regular basis like I do. That being said, this year has been a hard one for my family. Death, illness, and general misfortune has been the general theme of the year. Frankly, we need something that isn't sad to happen. We need something new.

Thanksgiving is a time when we're meant to give thanks for what we have. I am always thankful for my family and the support they give. This year, I am thankful for having another day to celebrate with them, a reason for all of us to be happy and together.

It's Almost Thanksgiving

Who else cannot wait for Thanksgiving Break? I have to say I am so excited for it my hands start shaking when I start thinking about it. Just think about it! Those mashed potatoes, turkey with gravy, my mom’s Kaluah cake… oh that food. My stomach is begging for it. Then there is my bed. That soft, big, bed that I will be able to curl up in and not worry about getting up for class, work, or homework at 7 in the morning. I might actually sleep enough so I wake up refreshed instead of just begging for one more minute. Of course my family is there. Although I have to say seeing them is amazing my priorities will be sleep and food. Still right before finals family time is like a shot of strength and forbearance that I so desperately need. So yes I am excited. Very excited. So so so excited. The next week and half cannot go by fast enough.

Yet there is one problem with Thanksgiving Break. It’s timing. I wish it was a week or two earlier. And not just because I really want to go home, but because Thanksgiving is RIGHT before finals. When you go home, the whole time you are counting down the days until that last project is due, or that paper deadline is. So you can’t really relax. Because even if you are not doing homework or studying you know you SHOULD be.  So you feel mildly guilty even as you are stuffing those mashed potatoes or Kaluah cake into your mouth.

But let’s ignore all that stress. Today is a day to forget about those deadlines and focus on the positives. This year Thanksgiving is going to be really exciting at my house because we are also going to celebrate my mom’s and sister’s birthdays when we all get home. So I get 3 celebrations all in one weekend.  I am also hoping my sister and her husband will bring their new puppy Josie with them. I haven’t met her yet and it would be amazing if they did.

The English Department is also trying to catch up with this very fast moving semester. Professors are trying to schedule evaluations, finals, and still fit in time to finish the lectures. The English Department has some fun events coming up too. We are getting the house ready for Chowder Fest tomorrow. And Wassail Party is also coming up. Everyone is busy. It feel like it was just New Year’s doesn’t it? Can you believe we are approaching 2013? Well on that note I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving Break and I hope to see you all at Chowder Fest and Wassail! Good luck on finals!

My Biggest Piece of Advice

This semester has been busier than ever. When I have said this in the past, there is a sort of jovial tone to it, a subtle undertone that I am happy and doing many things. But as this semester wears on, I grow ever weary of being busy. I long for nothing more than the ability to sit down without a care in the world and do nothing, or  more accurately, to do things without purpose or requirment.

Every aspect of my life is busier than it was, and I never really considered myself idle last year. I am taking five wonderful courses, but they all demand more time than any of my previous classes. I sincerely enjoy RAing in Maywood Hall, but I can admit that RAing in a building is more stressful than my two houses full of upperclassmen last year.This year also brought additional responsibilities in my extra-curricular life. Rather than just attending Stitch Club, STIR, or Student Council, I hold some form of leadership position in each. Then I am also doing work outside of school; I have an internship and some extra odd-jobs I am currently working on. Not to mention, this year has been the most difficult for me on a personal level. Two of my older but closer relatives have passed away within the past four months. My uncle, who I deeply care for, did something inexplicable and is now incarcerated. My mother just had a very difficult pregnancy that culminated in a very difficult birth, but which luckily gave me a beautiful little brother, William. My father, who pays my college tuition, was laid off. I could spend pages enummerating family trials and traumas, but honestly, I think it would bore you all and just make me depressed.

The time that isn't eaten up by school, work, clubs, and family is spent eating, working out, trying to squeeze in a few hours with my friends who I feel like I have been severly ignoring, or catching up on sleep. Those moments not taken up by necessities are far and few between. I spend the few spare seconds I have between classes writing lists of the remaining things I have to do for the day and figuring out when I will be able to get it all done and finally go to bed.

For once, I really feel I have absolutely no down time. Podcasts and TV shows remain unlistened to and unwatched. Friend's text messages go unanswered except for the late "I am sorry but I just have too much to do." I haven't done laundry in two weeks, which once was a rarity but is now the norm. I don't have time to keep my room in order. I keep getting sick. I know I look tired.

I know what this means:  something must give. I cannot continue to bemoan my status of perpetual overworked business if I do not give up some of the things I do. My issue is that I can see no way of doing so without bringing on myself consquences that I find worse than being stressed and overburdened.

So I will wait out this semester, counting the moments until everything will all be done because all of it has to be done by the deadline. But don't do what I am doing. I have found my breaking point and must anxiously linger precariously close to the edge. My advice which I give  to everyone:  don't push yourself that far. Know your limits and stay comfortably away from them. What I am doing isn't sustainable. If this semester has taught me anything, it is knowing when something is too much for you and being comfortable with saying so.

Bitter Sweet

I remember the very first day in late August of 2009 when I first set foot on Clark University campus to participate in a two-week long pre-orientation program, ACE. I was so excited on my cab ride from Union Station to the campus, but my excitement quickly disappeared as I set my eyes on this unfamiliar place. I never visited Clark prior to applying and so I was shocked at Worcester city life versus New York city life. Boy is it different! Although I knew I'd enjoy my new found freedom from my parents and I would get to experience/start a new life elsewhere, I repeatedly told myself I'd transfer out. I originally wanted to go to Cornell University, but I was wait listed by them. Clark was my second choice. However, I'm glad I didn't transfer. I look at it this way: I didn't get accepted into Cornell fully because Clark is where I was meant to be. Despite the many times I continued to say how much I disliked Clark (for no apparent reason) and the many times I came back from break at the last minute because I didn't want to be here (because I'm such a city girl), I don't know if I would want to be anywhere else. I often say to my friends that I've learned to tolerate Worcester and Clark, but now I feel like I've just learned to appreciate them more. I was able to make my own decisions and mistakes and learn from them. I was able to experience a new life than one previously known to me. The longer I stayed here, the more I found myself saying that Clark is actually not that bad. I mean some days are really dry, but that's everywhere you go. You have to make the best out of your situations. Now that it's my senior year, I feel a bit sad. I'm excited I made it through college, but I just want to start all over again. I think I love Clark! I love that the people here are so diverse, not ethnically nor racially, but in beliefs, in interests, in their way of thinking, etc. I love the unusual at Clark and I love seeing people who make me think twice. I can truly look back at myself and say that since I've been at Clark I've changed a lot, both for the better and worse. I'm proud to call myself a Clarkie.

Hello all,

So far I’m enjoying my life here at Clark.  My roommate and I are getting along nicely, and I’ve managed to make a decent bunch of friends that I’m really growing to like.  I’m thinking about majoring in psychology and going for a minor in Asian Studies.  My favorite class is Japanese, and I hope to go to Japan for study abroad sometime in my sophomore or Junior year.  I like all of my professors, and for once in my life, I’m genuinely enjoying my classes.  Being away from home is great, even though my family lives in Worcester; I have all the benefits of having them nearby without having to live with them.  I’ve only been here for a couple of months but I already consider this place to be my home away from home.  I hope the rest of the year goes as well as the beginning.  Cheers!

Olivia

Fall Ramblings and Senior Voes

Fall semester is running a marathon, at a full sprint. I’m serious. Does anyone else feel that there is less and less time every day? With each day passing more quickly than the last, it seems like I can’t keep up with this marathon sprinter of a fall. Or maybe it’s just senioritis talking. Either way, it’s terrifying.

The English house is keeping its busy schedule successfully and even though students, staff, and professors are flying around the house like busy little bees no one seems quite as haggard and run down as I feel. Did everyone here figure out some magical way to make time slow down and not let me in on the secret? If you are one of these secret keepers please sneak me a note under the workstudy desk and help a girl out.

Chowder Fest is coming up and everyone is very excited. It’s an amazing event at Anderson house that really showcases the close community here and lets everyone mingle and enjoy some great food. I can’t wait. My last chowder fest… and here comes the melancholia. Senior year really is a rainbow palate of emotions.

Another thing that has been skulking around the campus is this terrible plague of a flu. Students are sniffling and our selection of teas is shrinking rapidly. Its ok all you fellow survivors of this plague. We are replenishing our assortment. Stop by the kitchen when you are in Anderson house and replenish your weapon supply against this flu. We even have tissues and cough drops in the office. See the English house is always prepared! My own battle against sickness is ending in a decided victory on my part. Although it’s been a long few weeks of battle my immune system has finally decided to kick into gear. May I say, YAY.

Fall leaves are decorating both the inside and outside of the Anderson house and I just wish I had more time to enjoy the bright colors. Maybe I should suggest to the Goddard staff to decorate the library with colorful leaves as I am spending most of my waking hours there. At least then when I am staring at the wall in a desperate wish for inspiration I would at least be looking at something pretty.

It’s getting chilly with winter fast approaching, but the sun is shining, it’s almost the weekend, I am sipping delicious hot chocolate so I cannot complain. I hope all of you are finding more relaxation this fall than me. If not stop by the English house and we can brainstorm ways to get through it together. I’ll even share my hot chocolate.

My Summer

Hello English Department Blog! Well, it has been a long time, hasn't it?

When I last left you, I told you of my plans to spend the summer in Worcester. I spoke of RAing in a real honest-to-goodness building, cooking for myself, having suitemates, watching construction, and exploring the city.  I definitely did all those things, but nothing was like I expected it to be. So in true Shalyn-Fashion, I am going back over them in the form of a list.

1. RAing:  If I learned anything over the summer, it is that being a summer RA is basically nothing like being a regular semester RA. Students are all there for a reason, and generally, they aren't just fuddling about. Everyone seemed very focused, very busy, and frankly, did not want to be bothered by an RA. While being a summer RA was a great solution for me in finding a summer job, my role in the hall was strange for me. For me, being summer RA essentially cut my role down to some of the elements I like least about the RA role, namely policy enforcement. I enjoy getting to know my residents, putting on engaging programs, and being a resource to students, and those elements of my job were less important to the population I was dealing with. What I found beneficial about my time as a summer RA was forcing me to face those parts of my job that I liked least or had least knowledge about. Working in the office gave me some experience with handling concerned parents and doing administrative tasks. Being part of building staff gave me a peek a what this year would be like. Being seen as a policy enforcer rather than a resource helped me realize that I could have a career in Res Life and Academic Affairs. Ultimately, I would not take the Summer RA position again, but I am glad I took the job and felt that it was a worthwhile experience as an RA.
2. Cooking:  Let me start by saying that I am a good cook for a college student. I was expecting the quality of the food I made to be much better than what I ate during the year and that I would live off the meal plan during this current semester. I was wrong. Food is expensive. I rarely had enough cash to scrape together some fresh vegetables. Food also goes bad quickly. Often times it was a struggle to buy the right amount of food for one person and I would waste food as it sat rotting in the fridge just because I had other things to eat before it. Finally, food is time consuming. Not only does it take time and planning to make food, it take time to buy food. It takes time to think up what to do with a food. I found a new appreciation for the cafeteria over the summer. I enjoy all my meals that I get ready-made in the cafeteria. It is really quite convenient.
3. Having Suitemates:  I really hoped to become close to my suitemates over the summer. I had missed having a roomie. But I can say now, while my suitemates were lovely girls, we didn't make a connection. I attribute it back to the timing. Summer residents are busy and focused. Often times, they were in labs doing research or otherwise were out on the town or back at home. And I was too, so there wasn't much time for bonding.
4. Watching Construction:  I know everyone complains about how construction takes too long and they are never done on time. Well, I am impressed it was done when it was given where they were at two weeks prior to the RAs coming back. It was truly impressive all the work they got done over the summer and simply inhuman the amount they accomplished in the last month. I think they did a fantastic job and think campus looks nicer because of it.
5. Exploring the City:  In addition to working as an RA, I took an internship with the Worcester Magazine. This internship taught me a ton about journalism and my writing/editing ability. What is also taught me was an appreciation for Worcester and an excuse to explore places I never would have been. Over the course of the summer, I drove to most of the city's parks, visited a cafe which functioned as a work placement program for Youth Services, watched the breaking through ceremony at City Square, spoke to all kinds of people,--Occupy organizers, directors of the Hanover Theatre's summer productions, a winning crew team, and a man organizing a community garden--and enjoyed Worcester's Restaurant Week. (Oh, and I did make it to WooBerry finally. I like YoWay better. But now there are three more fro-yo places in Worcester to try!)

So that was my summer. I know summer vacation is sort of a precious period time for most students and their families, both being fully aware of the limited time they will be spending under one roof in the future, but I really recommend spending one summer at your university. It gives you a new understanding and appreciation of your university.

Summer in Worcester

I know last semester I wrote a post about how I was going to be the last one here, the one closing the halls as everyone leaves. When I wrote that, I was not anticipating being able to say the same thing this semester. However it is once again true that I will be one of the last ones here because I am going to be one of the summer RAs in Blackstone. Yes, now that my courses are finished and my papers are resting comfortably in boxes in Leir II (the English Department's Paper Central), I have an entire summer at Clark to look forward to.

It is going to be an interesting experience for a number of reasons. First, I will be cooking for myself. I am by no means inept at cooking; in fact, I rather enjoy it. Still it will be the first time that I am cooking solely for myself for all my meals. Second, it will be the first time I am RAing in a building. I have been an RA in 21 and 23 Maywood all year, two of the RLH Houses. I have loved it, and my residents were fantastic, but I think it will probably be different to be in a suite-style, large residence hall. Third, I will have suite-mates. I have missed having a roommate to come back to at night and share my day with. It will be nice just to have people around that I can say hello to after working in the office. Fourth, there is all the construction that will be going on at Clark. Maybe I can take some pictures and post them when I get back in the beginning of next semester. Fifth and finally, I can explore Worcester in the summer in a way I don't during the school year. My first plan is to walk over to WooBerry and see how it compares to YoWay.

So expect lots of updates when the term resumes! I am sure I will have a lot to say.

April 30th

It’s 4:07 p.m., on a Monday afternoon. I had forgotten that Big Brother Big Sister ended last week and I’m not in the mood to do laundry or any schoolwork so I’m back at work in the English Department for the second time today. Classes are over and the only thing in the way of my summer and home sweet Brooklyn is finals. *Sad face* I wish there was no such thing. I’m trying to take it day by day and remain calm. I don’t want to stress. Stress is no good. As bad as I want it to be over, I don’t want the days going by too fast. I need time to study, but I want to go home oh so badly and forget about school. I remember when I used to LOVE school. I never wanted to miss a day, not even for a doctor’s appointment and I used to love those too. My pediatrician always gave me stickers and I would run around in the halls with my siblings while we fed the vending machines all of our mother’s money. Anyhow, back to school. It’s not like I hate it. It’s just different when you’re in college than when you’re high school, junior high school or elementary. You’re young, wild and carefree (a little less in high school though). In college, you have to buckle down and get serious. You’re either already in the “real” world or preparing for it. It’s all about your future from here on and you can’t afford to screw things up.

It’s been three years. Next semester, fall semester 2012, I’ll be a senior. I’m not ready. I don’t want to go just yet and I don’t want to graduate just yet either. I don’t know if it even matters because this isn’t the end of school for me. I’ve always wanted to become a Pediatrician since I was a little girl and I still do. A lot of people I know or have talked to have changed their minds about their future profession and their majors as well, but I’ve always stuck with mine and I’m happy about that. I always joke around with my friends and say that I’ll be in school forever and that I’ll be sitting in class with my cane then one day just roll over. Ha-ha. I guess I better start loving school again. Ugh. I cannot believe how fast my undergraduate career has gone by. I remember the first day I step foot on Clark campus like it was yesterday. It really does feel like yesterday. Time really does fly huh? Someone needs to tell me where time keeps flying off to so I can go get it and put it in a box and secure it for when I’m ready for the next step. I’ll be 21 this summer, June 25^th to be exact. Ahhh! Next thing you know I’ll be married with children, a house, a car and a career! It’s all just too fast. Time, SLOW DOWN! Please and thank you. Sheesh! I would do anything to be a little girl again, ANYTHING!

The Embarrassment of Being an English Major

“So what are you going to do with that?  Teach?”

These two questions always seem to be the follow up to my answer of the dreaded question:  “What’s your major?”

As I sit with my friends, I always think about how much cooler their answers to this question sound.  Wow, you are a Biochem major with a pre-med concentration?  Wow, International Development and Social Change?  Getting a Master of Science in Finance?  Completed the Mathematics major and now wondering if you should add a double with Physics, and if there’s time, possibly a minor in Computer Science?

What’s my major again?

Repeatedly, I’m told that my degree is not very substantial:

 “The guy who changes tires on my car has an English degree.”

“It will make a nice coaster someday.” 

 “The waiter at the Olive Garden has an English degree.”

And then, there are some pretty weird stereotypes I have to work with too:

“Oh, so you’re one of those book people who sit around trying to think of something original to say about Shakespeare, right?”

“English major?  How do your parents feel about that?  They let you go off to college to get an English degree?” 

“You speak English though!”

                There seems to be an assumption that my English degree is pretty useless and rather lame.  Especially when compared to those science people who are making the future for us all.  Or those finance people who are rolling in the cash.  Or those international development people who get to travel to all kinds of different places.

                What am I going to do with my English degree?  Teach?

Maybe. 

Maybe I will end up teaching English.  Maybe I will end up abroad, teaching English in refugee camps in Jordan.  Maybe I will be working at a private school in Java.  Maybe I’ll end up teaching in inner city schools in D.C., helping children be the first in their families to graduate high school. 

Or maybe I’ll end up being a chairman of a hydroelectric and mineral company in Laos.  Maybe I will end up as a CEO of a major financing company in New York City.

Maybe I’ll be a lawyer.  Maybe I’ll be a lawyer working in a small claims court.  Maybe I’ll be an internationally renowned lawyer specializing in human rights violations. 

Maybe I’ll be writing speeches for political figures.  Maybe for Nobel Prize winners.  Maybe I’ll be working as a translator for the CIA or the FBI.  Maybe I’ll be a journalist for National Geographic.

Maybe my potential is not limited to words written on a piece of paper or defined by the answer to the dreaded question:  What’s your major? 

Maybe most companies don’t care what you got your degree in, but about whether or not you can produce a ten page paper, or a memo, on whatever subject they ask you to write it on.  Maybe experience will be a deciding factor.

And when my friends with their cool sounding majors need help writing their research proposals, applications for research grants, publications, scholarship applications, etc., who do they ask first?

Pulling the All-Nighter

Let’s face it; the season of all-nighters is upon us.  As much as we’d like to think that as college students, we have finally gotten down the skill of effective time management to get all our work done in an orderly fashion at an appropriate time, it just has not happened yet.  The reality is that we are more likely to procrastinate and not do the essay that we’ve had all semester to work on until the very last night. 

“Due tomorrow?  Do tomorrow.” 

The reality is that you will talk about having to work on this essay all day, knowing it’s going to take a while to complete, but you still won’t actually start it until 11:00 at night. 

The reality is that these short-term cramming sessions will help you get a good grade on that exam the next day.  But in the long-term, you are very likely to forget everything you have learned.

Yes, it’s inappropriate.  Yes, it shows a lack of respect for ourselves.  Yes, it’s detrimental to our health.  Yes, it reflects poorly on our generation.  Yes, you will promise yourself that you will never do it again. 

And ultimately, yes, you will do it again.  So, here are some tips to pull the all-nighter effectively:

1.        Start drinking your first large coffee at 9:00 P.M.  Finish it in under an hour and move on to the next one.  Stop drinking coffee by about 1:00 A.M. You can move on to water then.  It takes the edge off the caffeine crash for the next day. 

2.       Make sure your assignment is something you can type.  All the caffeine in your body will cause your hands to shake.  Handwriting becomes illegible.  If you have to highlight or underline things, use a ruler or a straightedge.

3.       Try to pull the all-nighter in a public space.  A lot of people think isolating themselves will minimize chances of distraction and help you get things done faster.  But sometimes these little distractions actually help.  They break up the night and make things less miserable.  Plus, it’s a little comforting to know that there are other people who are going through the same thing as you are.  Strength in numbers.  Solidarity.

4.       Go outside.  Sometimes that rush of fresh cold air will wake you up even more.  Especially in the morning.  Watching the sun rise is pretty gratifying.  This is also when you will promise yourself to go to bed earlier, so that you can wake up early and see this every day. 

5.       Take a nap. If you have the amount of self-discipline to be able to take an hour nap, then get up after and finish whatever you need to get done, then do it! 

And the most important thing of all:  Have a little self-confidence.  At the end of the day, I know I will get everything done that I’ve set out to do.  Whether I’ve done this essay three days beforehand, or the night before, I have the confidence to know that it will get done, no matter what.  It won’t be late.  I will get it in on time.  And the quality of the work won’t be shoddy either.  If you are going to do anything less, then ask yourself why you are in college in the first place?

Sending Your Daughter to the War Zone

The “War Zone” is a term my grandmother uses to describe the beautiful country of Jordan, where I will be studying abroad this upcoming fall semester. It’s true that Jordan borders many countries that have undergone political turmoil in the past few decades, some of which are still technically at war with one another (Syria and Israel have never reached a formal peace agreement, although there has been an armistice in place for a number of years!). There has been no shortage of violence in the area, even today with conflicts between Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank and Israel, chains of bombings in Iraq, and a potentially developing civil war in Syria. However, despite being in a “high-risk area,” Jordan has been a stable and safe center in the region. In fact, Jordan is considered the destination for many refugees who seek stability in the turmoil.

So off to the war zone I go! Having never studied Arabic before! Not being familiar with the customs and culture of the Middle East in general! Knowing no family or friends in the area to fall back on!

And yet, I couldn’t imagine any other way to do it. What a better way than to learn about a culture than to jump right into it! What better way to learn a language than to go to the country where the language is spoken! What better way to familiarize yourself with the area by making your own network of friends in the area!

The Middle East has always been an area of interest for me. Here at Clark, I’m a history major specializing in the area, with hopes to continue on to a graduate school that offers Middle Eastern Studies. Imagine the amazing opportunity that a study abroad program within Jordan holds for me!

My grandmother remains anxious and nervous, however for my studying abroad in the Middle East. Couldn’t I go to the other program in London instead? But honestly, what are grandmothers for if not to worry about their grandkids setting out into the world on their own, with potential dangers lurking everywhere?

Technically I could have applied to study in England, where there is a program designated for Middle Eastern Studies in London.

But I think my mother’s opinion on the situation best explains the reason why I chose to study in Jordan over London best:
“If I was twenty years old, and I had a choice between Jordan and London, the more adventurous option would have been the way to go. You should go to Jordan.”

In the Words of my Mother

Perhaps I am being redundant given Daiva's last post, but Spring has quite clearly come to Worcester with full force. The beautiful seventy-plus-degree weather coinciding with the actual vernal equinox yesterday was the perfect way to let everyone know that Spring is here.

Spring is really a lovely time of year (my personal second favorite). The flowers are in bloom. Guys break out their shorts, while girl step out in sun dresses. Everyone crowds the green with their frisbees and blankets. Even professors seem to want to enjoy the season and have a tendancy to let class out the slightest bit early on nice days. While Spring may be wonderful, I also find it is the hardest season for me to stay focused. This week, I have had a very hard time concentrating upon my homework. Why do accounting problems when it is so gorgeous outside?! Do I really want to read more Bryant poems instead of going for a mid-afternoon walk?

When I was in elementary school, I lived in an oval-shaped cul-de-sac called Heather Circle. The neighborhood was filled a lot of kids my age, and we all used to play Thirty Scatters, a version of hide-and-seek when the weather was nice. Everyday, I would sprint off the bus just itching to go outside and play, but my mother would always say, "Spring isn't due to be finished until summer. Your homework is due tomorrow." I find I am reminding myself of her words would more and more often.

So I guess what I am saying is that although it is wonderful and spring-y out, your homework still needs to be done, and we still have half a semester left. I am not saying don't enjoy those almost-perfect moments basking in the springtime air; just make sure you don't forget that it isn't break already.

Here Comes the Sun!

Spring is slowly but surely making its way to Worcester. The past week has been gorgeous, even if today is breaking the lovely pattern. And this weekend is St. Patrick’s Day, which means the campus students will soon be decked out in green. I am so exited for flip flops and dresses and sitting on the green, I am on the edge of my seat with anticipation. I know there is still a bit of a wait ahead of me, but still. Warm weather is so close I can almost feel it.

With Spring coming I can’t help but notice the damage on the trees around campus again. Especially because one of my closest friends is in a class that is actually making a plan on how to replant campus and also plan what to do with the aging trees. In around 20 years the big gorgeous trees around campus are going to be gone because they are so old now. So there is a lot of planning to be done on how we want the campus to look. It’s a fascinating idea and the students in the class are doing an amazing job. They just held a forum discussing ideas with students and I was amazed at all the work they are doing. Already with all the renovations to campus in the next two years Clark will look very different, but then to think your favorite “thinking” tree might be gone too.. I was feeling a bit sentimental, but also exited about coming back in 10 years and seeing a whole new Clark University.

The English department is also buzzing with activity. The flowers and spring decorations are up, so come visit! Everything is colorful and bright! The professors are running around with projects and ideas. Professor Neuman has a speech coming up on March 26th at 4pm in Lurie. It is sponsored by the Women’s and Gender Studies and will be great. Professor Kasmer is presenting in next week’s Colloquium as well as speaking at a library in Holden next Thursday. Such a busy bee! Us work studies are organizing for the summer, getting ready for spring fling, and generally enjoying the energetic environment.

Congrats!

I believe I had mentioned before that my sister Natasha is a high school senior, so she has been agonizing over the college decision process for these many months now. She applied to five schools, all within Massachusetts, two within Worcester, including my beloved Clark University. As of last week, she has heard back from both those Worcester colleges, and I am excited to say that she has been accepted to both (and I am going to brag for her a little bit by adding with really great academic scholarships)!

Now my sister is really stubborn, especially when it comes to this college stuff and does not want to hear a word I have to say about the decision process or the colleges she has been accepted to even though I go to Clark. So here is what I would say her if she would listen to me:

• Clark is really great for a specific type of person:  I am not going to pretend that Clark is for everyone. People who want strong support from the school community for athletic teams will not find it here. People who want really large classes and a large student body will find Clark claustrophobic. Clark might not be those things, but it is really good at what it is. If you want to find a place where it is easy to get involved in campus and community life, Clark is great. If you enjoy more of a personal relationship with your professors, Clark affords you the chance to do that. I know I really love it here, but I also know I fit the type.
• If you can, live on-campus your first year:  I personally struggled with the decision of whether to commute or live on-campus, and I am extremely glad I chose the latter. As much as it may be true that you can be an involved commuter and establish friendships with people as a commuter, it is a wholly different and worth-while experience to live with your peers.
• Give where you go a fair chance:  I know so many people who talked about transferring to a new college during their first semester here, and while I don't want to diminish their feelings, I think that is too early to really know if you and your college of choice are not a good match. Here is a little secret:  no one feels like they fit in immediately. I'd go so far as to say that is universally true for every college first-year. Everyone has had one of those nights during their first-year where they thought "Why am I here?". While those feelings are unpleasant, I say ride through them for a while and see how you feel after some more time.
• This isn't a final decision if you don't want it to be:  On the flip-side, if you really don't like where you end up, transferring is out there for a reason. There is a college for almost everyone out there, so don't despair if  your first choice doesn't give you the college experience you wanted.

While I may have my own opinions on where I think Natasha should go and where I would like her to go, I know she is a smart kid, and she will figure it out, and most importantly, I know it is her choice. So congratulations, Natasha! I am so proud of you!

Spring Semester Woes and Other Random Thoughts

Has anyone noticed that Spring Semester always goes by in a blink of an eye? Not that Fall semester doesn’t, but in my case Spring semester doesn’t really start before it’s over. Now we are a week from Spring break and after Spring break it feels like 2 weeks and then finals. Scary thing time! And as a Junior I am feeling t his rush of time more than ever. In around two months I’m a senior. And as a senior I have to start thinking about real life. That puts a lot more pressure on this summer. I not only need a job, I need a “fancy dancy” internship to put on my resume. Not only does it have to sound good, but after 3 years of school I want something that would show me what a real “corporate” environment would be like. I mean maybe it’s me, but I feel like all this knowledge that our professors instill in us, has not prepared me at all for finding a job, keeping one, knowing what to do at this job. No pressure though theoretical summer internship. You don’t have to teach me everything; just you know… most things.

Ok so enough complaining. It’s really just exiting. And as the sun shines down on the campus nothing seems too bad. I mean who can be sad when you can wear just a light jacket in February. Oh Global warming you might be bad for the environment, but you are oh so good for my mood. And on this Thursday afternoon with the weekend just around the corner there are not many things that can make me sad.

The English Department is also buzzing with activity. The writing contest deadlines are coming up and students keep dropping off one impressive piece after another. Department Colloquia are also moving along at a great speed. The presentations have been exceptional. The faculty is busy planning next semester, getting ready for finals, but the sun has elevated everyone’s moods. People are smiling and looking for any excuse to take a walk outside. It’s a fun place to be. We’re about to redecorate Anderson House for Spring with colorful flowers and new signs. Come visit after Spring Break and see Anderson House decked out in its Spring Finest!

My advice to myself is to enjoy Spring Semester while it lasts. Treasure every sunshine moment and spend days outside. Have fun, but be productive, as my mom would say. I’m going out to take a walk now with my new favorite band “Iron and Wine” playing.

You're Welcome, Mom.

New England. The land of New England Patriots, clam chowder, skiing, birthplace of the American Revolution, and Cape Cod. I was born and raised in Connecticut; go to school in Massachusetts, and vacation in Vermont. It is safe to say I know a lot about New England. Yet, every single year, without fail, I am still shocked by how cold it gets. Morning after morning after morning I will walk outside and be slapped in the face by freezing cold New England air. So why do I still get so surprised by winter?
When I was in third grade, my mother made me wear one of those snowsuits (I can’t ski if my life depended on it). I thought it was ridiculous. “Mom! It’s not even that cold out! Moommmmmmm!” I felt like Randy from A Christmas Story (“I can’t put my arms down!”). I had an obscene amount of mittens, gloves, scarves and hats. My coats weighed more than I did. I was “that girl” during a fire drill that held up the rest of the class because I had so many extra layers to put on. My mother wouldn’t stop until about mid-April when all of the snow had melted. Then I would move to my spring jacket.
I hate to say this, but my mother was right. New England is New England. Sure we’ve had a couple of days in the 50s, but that doesn’t mean spring is here. Coats, mittens, gloves, hats and scarves were all invented for a reason: It gets cold in the winter. Like, real cold. That’s one of the great things about New England; every winter, it gets cold. Every year. You might be surprised that it took me almost 20 years to learn that. When you think you’re going to look so cool walking outside in 20 degree weather with just a t-shirt on, stop. Don’t be “that kid” who thinks they’re impervious to the cold. All you will end up with is frostbite.
I’ve decided to start a new trend. It’s called “Wear a Jacket Because It’s Freaking Cold Out”.

A Polite Rant

Semester started almost a half a month ago. It is hard to believe how quickly everyone picks right up where they left off before winter break. I already have research to do, readings to finish, projects to plan, and papers to write. This semester is my first semester delving into 200-level course work, and I am looking forward to a challenging semester taking two Management courses and two English courses, American Poetry:  Women Poets and Fictions of Empire.

People who know me are aware of my tendency to start small rants about a wide variety of topics; from the films of Tim Burton to global warming, anything is fair game. I consider it a harmless quirk of my personality and hope others do as well. People who know me are also aware that I am, at heart, an optimist, so these rants typically end on a good note. So I am prefacing my blog post with a warning:  this is one of those rants, but please stick with me through it; I promise it ends on a high note.

The beginning of semester is when you go to your classrooms for the first time. Clark has an eclectic mix of buildings. From the very contemporary Lasry Biosciences Building to the antiquated Estabrook, Clark has a wide range of academic buildings and thus a wide range of types of classrooms, which can be a good thing. However as an English major, I would argue that almost none of these classrooms are really conducive to an English class, or at least, a discussion-based English class.

For example, I have had three English courses now in Sackler 321. Sackler, might I add, is a science building. The room is cold most days of the year. (I believe it is because the windows are of an odd-construction that makes them rather drafty.) It is tucked behind the restrooms and a mildly-threatening room that has a heavy metal door and a sign saying "Danger:  Radioactive Materials". The room itself has two chalkboards, one whiteboard, and all the technology one could possibly desire for a classroom but seems to lack a supply of writing implements for the various boards. The available seating features those awkward chairs with desk-like arms. I call it "desk-like" because it really is too small to hold a notebook or fit an average-sized young adult.

But here is the ending upshot:  I always seem to learn the most in my English courses regardless of how awkwardly the room is set up. Even after the too-small desks and the strange room arrangements, the classes always manage to be fantastic. So although I may not like the rooms they are in, I love the classes, and I am expecting a great semester.

Technologic

As I sit at this work study desk in the English Department, looking outside, I’m struck by the number of people passing by with cell phones or IPods in hand. Eyes fixated on tiny screens held inches away from their faces as they walk awkwardly down the treacherous walkways composed of potholes and ice, aka Hawthorn Street.

What could be so important to deem it worth twisting your ankle in order to read that text message at that exact moment? Why not wait until a later time, preferably while sitting or at stand still?

Or even more dangerous, texting up and down the Jonas Clark building stairs? That must take quite a feat of coordination and dual-focus in order to pull that off!

A lot of people criticize technology in that they believe it encourages isolation. Classic example? A bunch of people in a room, all playing on their phones and not speaking to one another.
Yet, of course the counter-argument to this lies in the fact that these people might be texting family and friends or facebooking individuals who are hundreds of miles away. Technology could be used as a fast and efficient way to break this barrier, thus encourage communication! Not isolation.

But for some of us, technology can become a crutch. This is something we’ve all done before: You espy someone you’d rather avoid or not get in a conversation with, so you pull out your cell phone and act as if you are texting. Perhaps they will think you are busy and won’t notice that you don’t want to confront them.

And isn’t that what technology is all about? Getting rid of confrontations. These days you can email or text someone, rather than actually speaking to them. You don’t need to personally confront someone in order to reach them. Being impersonal gets the job done just as well!

How many people these days are not afraid to sit in the dining hall by themselves? If you are hungry, do you go to the dining hall and risk the fact that you might sit at a table by yourself? Or do you text people to make sure they will be there first? And if you do end up sitting by yourself, are you content to sit there alone, or do you pull out your cell phone and text people?

Maybe technology isn’t about isolation, but rather the fear of confronting it.

Moments in Paradise

As I wrote before, I spent my Winter Break in gorgeous and warm Colombia. I was there to visit family, rest, and quite by accident break my finger. But in reality my vacation was amazing. I got to sit by a pool, get some much needed sunshine and when possible explore new places. But my favorite place was this, my family home in Villavicencio. This was where I spent most of my days enjoying my time with my family.
This is the pool I spent my days at. I discovered the joy of not necesarily listening to music but listening to all the birds and animal sounds around me. Cloud watching was also wonderful, because the weathe changes to quickly there. The trees around the pool where citrus trees so I got to pick an orange or a tangarine when I got hungry and lie back down. Let me tell you this is the life.

Another wonderful thing about vacationing here was that we often got dinner guests. Here is one of them his name is Alberto. He has a friend and together we call them Los Albertos. Here he is enjoying dinner together with us. He was the braver of the two. Alberta would hardly talk while Alberto loved to greet us in the mornign with an Hola and wave us goodbye with a Cio. He was very fond of hollering at us until we finally gave him attentiona and talked back to him. Yet because he was a free bird, there would be days when we didn't see him at all. Alberto loved red grapes but was not as fond of the green, we never quite understood why.

One of my favorite things to do winter break was to sit on the chair I chose as mine on our porch and drink my morning coffee. Most of you know that coffee in Colombia is amazing, so just drinking it was already a treat. But what I loved the most was the view. The wildlife around me was just gorgeous and I felt like I was staring at a painting. Sometimes I had company who also loved the gorgeous scenery. Here are two of them of a date and clearly loving the view as much as I did.

Well I could keep writing about my experiences, but I think I will leave you for now. We are back and Clark, classes are starting and everyone is busier than ever. I am looking forward to the new semester and all the adventures that await here. As my time at Clark is coming to a close I'm starting to realize you have to cherish every moment you have here as well. From your roommates waking you up in the middle of the night, to the scattered snow, and doing work in the AC. So I wish all of you an amazing start to the semester and lots of new adventures. I will leave you with my favorite time of the day in Colombia. I hope it fills you with peace and joy like it always did me. Have an amazing 2012 everybody!