First Week Of Spring (I hope I'm not jinxing it!)

Does anyone else smell Spring in the air yet? Or feel it in the sunshine on their skin and the wind blowing through their hair? Maybe I am a little early stating this, but I think Spring has finally made its way to snowy snowy Worcester. The Birds are chirping the students are out and about and I am ready to welcome the warmth back into my life and hide my winter boots in the back of my closet.

I already hapilly deposited my big winter coat on my bed and switched into a much more stylish and appropriate leather jacket. (ok maybe stylish is my own personal opinion...) My hot coffee has also been replaced with an iced latte. Spring is HERE!

But as I am a senior, spring brings another feeling into the forefront my my mind. Or lots of other feelings. Yes I have written blogs about this before, but come one, I have two monts left at Clark. What else would I be thinking about but that? Realizing that I am getting to the point where I can count the days left easily is  terrifying. And sad. Time to push forward with the job and appartment hunt I think. If only I had no homework.

But lets move on from that thougt before I get too panicked. Lets see.... What could distract me from the pounding in my heart and shortened breathing that signal a panick attack? With Spring brightening my moom I think I can continue on my Clarkie love list. Ahh yes, thats better. A much more pleasant thought.  I think I stopped at number 12. So here we go...

13. I love the random art that students will put around campus. Like that red door next to the library? What's that about? I never get them, but I think they are great.
14. I love when professor bring dogs to class. (Have you seen professor Elliotts puppy?)
15. I love that one tree near the holocaust building that blooms such pretty petals. Which reminds me I am grateful that when they redid Wright they took out the smelly trees. Seriously when they bloomed that whole area smelled like ... things I should probably not say here.
16. One of the things I will miss most after leaving Clark is the English department Spring Fling.
17. The Masquerade. Its a great dance. And an excuse to dress up like a spy this year, who does not like that?
18. <-------THIS.
19. Those random psych department research projects that make students do random things around the AC. Always hilarious.
20. The Clark Quiddich team. I have never gone to a game and really want to. The practices are so much fun to watch. They brighten my day.


Ok I suppose that's enough for now.
Enjoy this lovely Spring Day!

Clarkie Love

So it is officially Spring Semester of 2013. And for me LAST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE EVER!  (or at least undergraduate) Cue the panic.  Cue the excitement. Cue the blind race to the finish. It seems like I haven’t had a minute to sit down or shut my eyes since early January. 

Yet something amazing is happening. I am enjoying every moment of this semester. The trees are greener, the snow is whiter, the campus is more gorgeous, every minute is a prize. So I though this blog instead of ranting about how much I have to do or how scared I am, I will talk about all the amazing things at Clark that I will miss. 

1.       Those few sunny and warm-ish days in between the freezing cold ones when the whole campus comes alive and students are milling outside.

2.       Spree day. It’s amazing that this year’s was a hard won victory for the students and we get one more year of this beloved tradition. As a senior I was not ready to give it up.

3.       The Freud. That statue has become as dear as a close friend now. Not seeing him every day is a strange thought.

4.       The AC. Yes most of the time I’m there it’s for work I don’t want to be doing and I hate being there, yet it’s an amazing place. Everyone working together creates an atmosphere of camaraderie.

5.       The English Department. No I am not just saying that because this is the English Department blog. Seriously this place rocks. Visit it sometime. It’s a home away from home.  

6.       Jazzmans. Those caramel lattes.

7.       The Dorms. Don’t laugh. At the threat of possibly being homeless next year the safety of the dorms is amazing. Free water and heat and electricity. Why does that not happen in the real world? I am going to live in a box…(moment of panic again)

8.       Free Laundry.  Free WiFi. Free anything.

9.       The JC. I love that building. It’s so majestic and history filled. I love walking in there.

10.   Gala. It brings tears to my eyes. Every year.

11.   The little center.  It’s a dive, but such a well loved one.

12.   The cougar. RAWR

 

To be continued….

I unfortunately have to go to class so my list it half finished. I could go on and on. And will do so. Mostly it calms my panicky state of mind.  Feel free to add your own items to this list. What will you miss?

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

What's getting you through finals week?

Finals are my least favorite time of the year. So much stress so much work. But Finals are almost over and my favorite time of the year is fast approaching. Christmas break! Thoughts of the sleep and food I will get during the upcoming month are the only things keeping me sane. Like I said before Thanksgiving is my holiday, but after the two hellish week of finals the month off to let my brain recuperate and my eyes stop twitching. And this year my break is even more exiting that normal, I am not spending my holiday cooped up inside looking out at the snowless, yet none the less freezing street. Oh no! I will be in sunny and warm Colombia. Ok so to most people Colombia is not the vacation destination to be desired. But to me it’s not only the home of my heart, but one of the most gorgeous places in the world. Don’t believe me? Here are some examples!

Amazing huh? Yes as a third world country not all of it looks like that, but still. I can’t get enough of looking at all the places I get to go when I’m there. Here’s another one for you all.

Enough pictures for now. When I come back I will post the pictures I take! Don’t tell me you’re not looking forward to it. Most of my time I will be spending in Bogota (Second collage picture on bottom left) or in my family’s ranch in the plains which looks pretty much like the greenery shown in the second collage. Its flat grass as far as the eye can see. You wouldn’t think that it’s quite as breathtaking as it is. I am so excited to go see my family and get away from the winter chill. I might even get tan! Or do this:

Colombia has had decades of conflict and downturns in its economy, but now finally I am glad to say Colombia is back. The government is doing everything they can to keep everyone safe, and various treaties and agreements have really made a difference. It is still a country in development so common sense is needed, but I hope a lot more people go and see how truly amazing this nation is! But now to get us all through the rest of finals week here is the cutest thing you will ever see! Also taken in Colombia!

Happy Holidays, Good Luck on surviving Finals and I hope all of your vacations are filled with rest, laughter, and lots of holiday cookies!

Turkey and Family

As the below post suggests it’s that time of the year again. But my mind is not quite on finals yet. Maybe it should be. But it is far too preoccupied with the wonderful holiday that is barreling its way toward us. THANKSGIVING! My family loves Thanksgiving. We always say it’s the time you can concentrate of family and great food, without the stress of presentsof Christmas. While some of you might say 'I love buying gifts', in a family distributed over 5 continents it gets a bit much. We have lists of addresses that are always changing, lists of family that is always growing, lists of ages that are changing… all in all my family is just too big and far spread for presents to be an easy buy. But Thanksgiving, now that we do right!

With this wonderful week already here I am jumping from excitement about going home. And yes part of it is to get away from the cafeteria food. I mean come on! Not only do I get to eat home cooked meals, they are specialty dishes cultivated over generations that we only make at Thanksgiving. How much better does it get! And my family is at its best during this holiday. We are all ready to have fun, and are so in love with being together. As a Russian/Lithuanian/Colombian household we eat a lot, we drink a lot, and we party until dawn. This is the time when I hear stories about how all these amazing people came to America, how feuds were born and solved, and how miracles played a part in our family like no other. This is the time of year when I am so truly fully glad to come from the background I did!

This year Thanksgiving is special for a few more reasons. It’s our first without our beloved Grandma Mamute (Mamute means little mother in Lithuanian). She passed away last winter and it’s going to be a big loss at our table without her. She was the one who told my sister’s then fiancé, now husband, that we will know that he truly loves my sister when he has to change her diapers, she led the family song every year (oh yes we bust out the guitar and sing old soviet songs!), and was our own personal ray of sunshine. For me personally this Thanksgiving is also special because for the first time since I’ve moved to America in 2002 I will not be with my family for Christmas or New Years. So this holiday is my one shot at glory people!

Ok, ok enough about me. This post is supposed to be to remind you all how much we have to be Thankful for this year. Hurricane Irene didn’t destroy our College, the Snow storm of Halloween weekend didn’t dampen our spirits too much, our families are still around us, we’re almost done with another semester, and it’s late November but it’s not frigid cold outside yet! Find your own reasons to be thankful this time of year and cherish your time with the family. Finals are coming up, and as much as I don’t want to admit it we will need all the good vibes to survive those!

The Naming of Storms: Halloween 2011

So I’ve been thinking a lot recently, why do we name hurricanes but not other storms? In my opinion Irene deserved a name a lot less than the Halloween storm we just survived. Well, at least at Clark. I know that Irene wrecked havoc in other places of New England, but our own corner of the world didn’t get that hurt. But everyone knows her name. Yet a storm that permanently mutilated our campus goes anonymous? I don’t think so.

That’s why I’ve decided I want to name our Halloween weekend storm. We all know that the worst hurricanes are always female while the lesser ones are male. I never understood that, but I guess us girls can be pretty destructive when we want to be. For some reason though, I’ve always thought of snow storms as male. I’ve been trying to reach deep inside my mind and find some Freudian reason, but as far as I can tell there is none. This storm in particular seemed to me like a little boy who in anger broke the arms and legs off all of his action figures. All the broken tree branches (and whole trees) scattered around campus paints a picture of a room that was messed up in anger.

I decided that the name of this storm at least in my mind will have something to do with the holiday it disrupted. It will embody the fun, scary, energetic atmosphere that overtakes campus every year about this time. It will signify how the snow hushed campus and dampened our holiday spirit. My favorite traditions at Clark happen during Halloween. The first is Drag Ball. What can beat the whole campus getting exiting, going with the theme and supporting a great cause! I think this dance shows to be how open minded this campus can be, how fun so much more that all our political tabling and protests. It the college way to show your support, by coming out and having fun! OPEN has really created an event for the ages. My second favorite night is The Rocky Horror Picture show. I love dressing up and being part of the audience with my fellow students. Everyone has so much fun, and watching the Virgins get initiated into the traditions is priceless. Besides who doesn’t love doing the Time Warp?

I took myself on a bit of a favorite memory trail. Time to get back to the business of naming the storm and I think I found the perfect name. At least in my mind. Ok so you will all laugh. But anyways… meet Brutus Horrificus the Snow Storm of Halloween 2011. My reason is: He was brutal by taking away our holiday and he horrifically messed up our campus. I thought that the name sounded like a Halloween monster from one of those movies. So TADA! Brutus Horrificus you will not be forgotten, but don’t you worry you just gave us college students an excuse to dedicate a whole another weekend to Halloween to make up for your visit. As much as we love you please don’t come back!

Things Learned in the Summertime (aka don’t let go of the sunshine)

I guess now that we had our first snowfall of the season it’s time to admit that summer is really over. Although some of you might be confused at my delayed admission of the fact, I know that others are with me when I say time is going so fast it still feels like the beginning of September. Now that I am finally admitting to myself that I really do have to wait another 8 months until summer comes back, I thought I would reflect on what summer taught me this year.

Now I know that some of you will be expecting a story about epic adventures or meaningful internships, so I have to tell you to bring your hopes down now. I did not have a summer worth writing novels about. I worked at Dunkin Donuts and let me tell you there are no meaningful or insightful adventures there. But I did learn quite a few things this summer. I thought I would share with you my revelations and maybe inspire you to make your own list.

Daiva’s Incredible Summer Lesson List (in no particular order)

1. Never underestimate the value of a good pedicure. (even if no one sees it in your winter boots) Knowing how pretty your toes look puts a bounce in your step.

2. Smile at strangers. It makes both yours and their day better. Besides we all need some good JUJU.

3. You can never feel sad in a convertible with music blasting. So don’t men who going through a midlife crisis buy one. They just know where the happiness is.

4. Don’t ever tease a seagull. Those things are mean and smarter than you think.

5. Grudges are for people who don’t realize how short life is. Let go of the anger! If nothing else that’s another person to have fun with. Besides “Why waste life in friction when it could get turned into momentum”.

6. Take your mom or dad out to dinner. Now that you’re old enough not to be a brat the conversations are much more fun. For example you might learn such things like your mom was once romanced by the prime minister of Armenia.

7. Respond to rudeness by being excessively kind. Not only to you come out the better person, but you annoy the living beings out of the other person because they can’t get a reaction out of you. And is there a better payback than that?

8. Take every opportunity to cloud gaze. Not only is sitting in the sun just plain fun, but you can discover a lot of crazy thoughts lurking in your head that way. Guess what maybe you are deep!

9. The best way to get over a bad day is to dance it out. (yeah you grey’s anatomy fans I got it from there) You get the endorphins, you feel good cause you worked out, and it’s really hard to feel sad when you’re listening to great pump up music. I highly recommend Avril Lavigne!

And finally….

10. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Or others for that matter. We are all silly creatures. Laugh more! And Enjoy your moment in the sun!

If you stuck with me until the end I hope you enjoyed my wise and deep mutterings. Comment and tell me some of the things you learned this summer! And remember don’t let go of that summer fun mindset. Yes, get into your schoolwork, be responsible but don’t get lost in the snowy cold. Hold on to the sunshine!

Daiva Slotkus Miksyte