And the award goes to….

Hi guys!

I know everyone is having a really tough week with their first tests of the semester and the late night studying, but keep your heads up!  Because the Super Bowl is on Sunday!  Not that I actually care about the game, sorry for those of you who do, but football is just not my thing.  I just appreciate any excuse to sit around and do nothing except eat for two hours.  Yay!!!

Speaking of television, I usually don’t have much time to watch it, so I tend to miss out on a lot of current events…such as Stephen Colbert won a Grammy?!  I love the Colbert Report, sorry to you conservatives, but it’s just too funny not to appreciate.  The last episode that I caught up on was February 1st and it was one of the most hilarious I’ve seen.  He flamboyantly displays his Grammy Award and most of the show is about this win.  Additionally, if you watch the Report, you know that there’s a segment called “The Word”.  You guys really should Hulu this episode because it’s one that shouldn’t be missed.  It pokes fun at the Republican disdain for “the B-word”, bipartisanship.  I hope you like it as much as I did, if not, oops sorry!

Oh and just as we’re talking about award ceremonies, did you know that IU has an Oscar award?  Rachel told me this yesterday and we had to find out more about it.  So we searched and found that it belonged to John Ford, a famous director/producer/cinematographer.   He did a lot of old movies, so don’t feel weird if you don’t recognize the name.  Anyway, I think that was a cool fact about the university and you should probably check it out

Hellloooo

Hi guys!

I hope everyone is having a good week and getting ready for the weekend!  Just one more 8am before I leave for home!  I’m going home this weekend and I’m so excited.  I get to see my family!  I’m most excited about my dog He’s a black English cocker spaniel named Charlie, and he is sooo adorable!  I really miss having a dog around, especially since you aren’t allowed to have pets in dorms.  I get so excited whenever I see a dog around campus.  I know some greek houses here on campus have “house dogs” that are so sweet.  Whenever we go to Phi Psi to practice for IU Sing, they have these cute dogs.  One is named Marley, I know this because his owner lives in my neighborhood back home and I’ve known him (the owner) since I was 6 years old.  But the other one (I’m not sure of his name) is amazing!  Although I’m allergic to him (haha) he’s so fun to play with!  I believe he’s a bull dog, but really who knows.  Okay enough about the crazy dog tangent.  Getting serious….

….

This time of year, all the sororities and fraternities pair up with one another and basically make a musical.  Then they all perform in a competition called IU Sing (mentioned above).  At first, I wasn’t really wanting to do it.  I have no musical talent at all, not to mention there’s two hours of practice a night for a month.  Now I know to you dancer folk, this isn’t a lot of time, HOWEVER, when you didn’t know what you were getting into, it is a bit of a surprise.  Sooooo, every pair of houses has a theme.  There’s a script that needs to be written and dances that need to be choreographed.  Trying to get a pledge class of fraternity boys to dance and cooperate?  NOT AS EASY AS IT DOESN’T SOUND!  The IU Sing leaders in the houses work really hard, and it all pays off.  Tickets are on sale right now and the money that is raised is used for scholarships for working students.  If you’re at all  interested in buying tickets, they’re $20 each and it’s a lot of fun and for a good cause, just let me know!!

Next week!

Karlie <333

…

Hey guys!

I feel like that week was just about the longest ever! AND we only had four days of classes!  It probably had a lot to do with the crappy weather and real, non-syllabus week assignments.  I’m so glad it is the weekend and I’m spending it relaxing! 

On Wednesday, Rachel and I met up and just talked about basically everything.  When we were talking I noticed her adorable ring!  It was one of those cute Irish Claddagh rings and she says that they signify friendship.  I really love it, and I quickly started noticing that a lot of other people on campus have them too!  They’re so cute and I think the symbolism is really special.  Rachel also mentioned that some couples have them as wedding bands, which I think is adorable.  I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before but I’m in love with the whole idea of weddings- what goes into them and what they stand for.  It’s such a typically girly thing to think and talk about but I love it, and I’m sure there are plenty of others who can share my appreciation for such a special event!  If there’s anyone out there who happens to read this blog (haha) and would like to share their story (if they have one) about their Claddagh rings, I would love to hear them!  Just leave me a comment and I would enjoy it so much! 

Oh P.S. I included a picture below of the ring for those of you who aren’t familiar with them.  If you look up Claddagh rings through Google images, you can see all of the different types!  This picture is just a typical version. 

Rachel!

Hi Everyone!

I hope that everybody is getting into the sync of the new semester because I can’t say that I am haha I guess I’m just not ready to start all of these classes.  It was awesome going from cramming for finals and studying 20 hours a day to doing absolutely nothing for close to a month.  My break, along with hundreds of other girls’, was cut short to come back to campus for Rush.  It was so fun to see everybody all dressed up for 14 party and all of the parties that followed.  I was one of the lucky ones who recieved a bid from Alpha Xi Delta, a sorority with smart, fun and beautiful women.  I couldn’t believe that they wanted to make me part of their house too, and I was (and am) so excited!  It’s definitely going to be challenging at first to fit everything into my new schedule, but I know that I’m not the only one who is stressing about these things!  I feel that being in this sorority will give me the perfect start to the new year!

Speaking of the new year, I also have a new librarian to meet with for my blog!  Her name is Rachel, and she is sweet, smart and adorable!  I can’t wait to get to know her over this semester!  This blogging opportunity has introduced me to so many fun and interesting people and it helped me realize how helpful librarians can be.  Yesterday, at our first meeting, Rachel and I sat down and began talking about our interests.  I of course told her how much I love to cook, but had the instant greivance of not having a clean and efficient kitchen to work in.  Rachel had the perfect solution for me!  She looked up this book called “College Cooking” and it is basically a book for college students who don’t have a great deal of time, money or resources.  She found out that our library here at IU didn’t have it and I was mildly disappointed because I was really looking forward to that book!  The awesome thing was that she pulled up an international library website that you can search for books on.  This website is so cool because you can check out any book from any library in the world and they will mail it to Wells, for free!  Then, it’s yours!!  I thought this was amazing, so I knew I had to share it with you guys in case you ever needed a book that Wells doesn’t have.  

On the first day meeting Rachel, I learned useful skills and made a new friend!  I know that she will help make my semester easier with her quick thinking and friendly and supportive attidude!  Talk to you next week!

A plane ticket to Cancun for one, PLEASE!

Holy crap it’s cold outside!  The wind is blowing sideways, not to mention you can barely see because the snow is falling into your eyes.  I can’t believe how quickly the weather has changed!  Last weekend I had Rush, which constitutes of standing outside of 19 sorority houses for 20 minutes until we are welcomed inside to defrost for a second or two.  I thought that was freezing!  Now this is 10 times worse.  It wasn’t snowing, the wind wasn’t blowing, and I didn’t have a class all the way on third street to make it to.  I have two simple requests: If it’s going to snow, please let it stick and be beautiful outside, and Please let it snow on Christmas! 

I know that everyone is so excited about the approaching winter break, and I hope everyone will have a great time with their family and friends wherever they are.  It will be so relaxing to have those finals out of the way and to sleep in!  I’m especially excited because my finals are over on Thursday night, so I’ll be heading home and officially enjoying free time by this time next week!  But until then, I think I’m going to be parking my butt in the stacks and getting some serious study time in.  You should think about it too!  And don’t forget about the other libraries on campus if Wells is too full.  I heard the law library is silent, not to mention the libraries that are in some of the dorms!  Good luck and finals everyone, and STAY WARM!

Hang in there!

Hey guys!

I really hope everyone was able to have a nice, relaxing November break.  To me, it was just a small glimpse of what Winter break will be like, which I’m looking forward to so much!  What was basically a mildly extended weekend, I sat around and literally didn’t pick up any school work and watched USC football with my family (which I loved…).  It felt so good to get back into the swing of how things are at home, even if it meant having to come back to Finals Week cram sessions.  Although it wasn’t the most welcoming of greetings, I am so relieved that the semester is nearly over.  Coming from a high school that was on a trimester schedule, I’ve become really sick of these classes.  So those of you freshmen who share my feelings about their class schedule, I’m telling you not to give up yet!  You have roughly two more weeks until a nice and perfectly long break.  So keep studying, don’t slack off (you’ll kick yourself in the butt if you do) and keep your tired brain functional!  Good LUCK!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi everyone! 

I hope you’re all having a great holiday so far!  I’m very excited for today because this will be the first Thanksgiving holiday that I will be at my house.  I’ve lived in this house for 12 1/2 years and never once eaten a Thanksgiving dinner here.  This is because every year, we go to my aunt’s house in Chicago where my whole mom’ s side of the family gets together.  I’ll miss that this year, but it will be so nice to have a nice, intimate holiday with my immediate family.  I’m especially happy for today because my uncle from Los Angeles is flying in and I finally get to see him!  Can’t WAIT! 

So anyway, I hope you’re all enjoying your time at home, wherever that may be.  Please be thankful for all that you have, and think of those who are much less fortunate.  Oh, and it’s also crucial to be thankful for IU…I’m sure we’ll all be happy to be back there after the long break!

Local First!

Although our meeting was short, Brian was able to tell me about a non-profit organization that he and his wife have started called Local First.  Local First is dedicated to promoting locally run businesses around town and stresses the importance of maintaining an environmentally and economically sustainable Bloomington community. 

It is really nice to see someone so passionate about what they’re doing for the community.  The best part is that he doesn’t just stand around and talk about it…he makes things happen.  On Monday night they had a kickoff event for the organization catered by all sorts of local Bloomington eateries.  Today, he told me about a certain “10% Holiday campaign” that encourages Bloomington residents of all ages to purchase at least 10% of their Christmas gifts from locally owned and operated stores and boutiques.  He asked me if I would be interested in taking part and I think I’m up to the challenge.  It would be nice to think that I’m doing something to support the community, and representing students here at IU wouldn’t be a bad thing either. 

If you’re even a tiny bit intrigued, I encourage you to check out the website at localfirstindiana.org.  On the web page you’ll find information about the founders, local businesses, campaigns, and other great ways to get involved in an exciting movement! 

Oh P.S. Get excited!  Thanksgiving break is coming!  I cannot wait!!!

Bones!

I swear, Brian takes me to the coolest, most random places on campus and I love it.  Not only does he know a lot about these things, but he always has a connection to these places in some way or another.  On Tuesday, he took me to the student building where there’s a place that anthropologists work on finding bones and piecing them together.  We went into this tiny little room where students were sifting through enormous trays of what looked like mulch.  They were looking for fossils and bone fragments that most people wouldn’t recognize to be anything significant at all.  Since he used to work in this lab, he showed me around and we looked at the tools and he explained the function of each.  One of them, sort of  like an oven, is where animals go after their flesh has been picked and scraped from the bones.  The bones are then placed in this machine that dries out the extra flesh left so removal is easier.  Quite morbid, yes. 

In addition to the bone cooker (haha), he took me to a different part of the room where rows of towering shelves stood.  On these shelves are hundreds and hundreds of boxes, all different sizes.  Inside these boxes are the remains of animals of all species.  WEIRD!  Among these animals were snow leopards, monkeys, birds and even a horse!  Brian told me that when he used to work in that lab, they got to help find bone fragments of a human who was murdered!  The county police department needed help finding evidence because apparently this person was shot and burned and his remains were spread among pine needles in the woods.  Brian was one of the lucky ones who got to sort through a dozen trashbags full of pine needles with potential murder mystery evidence!  Tedious, but really cool.  It never ceases to amaze me all of the weird and awesome stories that Brian gets to tell.  Most of the stories that I’ve heard have taken place here at IU, so I’m hoping that maybe I’ll have some cool experiences to tell someone about later.  Although no one needs to be murdered for the sake of a good story :)

SUNDAY :(

As dreaded by most, Sunday has come.  The day where household chores are done and homework is rushed.  I personally like to get up a little earlier on Sunday’s just so I can get my laundry situation sorted out.  Soon after, I hit the pavement and trek to Wells to finish my homework and studying in hopes of relaxation that evening. 

I strongly suggest the stacks.  Silence.  It’s a wonderful thing, especially when you have a paper due and/or a loud and boisterous dormatory hallway.  It’s amazing how much you can get done when you’re at the library.  When I don’t go, it usually takes me two to three times as long to get my work done, which is unacceptable, especially when there are such better ways to spend your time!  For example, freshmen, have you ever looked at the library in your dorm?  If you have one, I don’t think all of them do, but aside from the books, the movie collections are extensive!  Not to say that the books aren’t great or anything, it’s just that I personally don’t look for books when I have to read 200 pages of required material.  When I relax, I prefer movies.  The collections consist of various types, anything you could want, from Casablanca to Amityville Horror to 13 Going on 30.  And not to mention the TV series’ like Grey’s Anatomy (a personal favorite), Weeds, The OC and Nip Tuck. 

So tonight, after your homework is done of course, go downstairs, get a movie or two, sit and RELAX !  I know that’s what I’ll be doing