Happy Thanksgiving!

I really hope everyone has an awesome and restful Thanksgiving! All my professors and fellow CND peers have made my first semester here amazing and I'm really thankful for that. I'm going to North Carolina to visit my family for the break. I have to be honest. I'm glad to be getting away from dorm life for awhile! I missed my own room and my own bathroom and home-cooked food! And also my family, of course! I bet by the end of winter break I'll be ready to come back to school.

Anyways have a cool break :)

-Kristin

Introduction

My name is Meghann and I am working through my senior year. I can't wait until May to graduate. It's been stressful, but it's almost over. The only scary thing is that I'm going to have to start looking for a real job soon. Throughout the semester, I have not only been going to school, but also interning and working part time at my job. I am currently interning at Police Headquarters in downtown Baltimore. I work in the gun tracing department of the crime lab, but it's not as CSI as you would think. I do a lot of filing and entering data into the gun database. In addition, I have also been working on a side project for them, which involves boxing up evidence photos. It has been a good learning experience for me and I got to see first hand what it would be like to have a real job. I also currently work at Lauer's as a cashier/office person, which is a small grocery store in Pasadena. I have been there for over 3 years and I work with a lot of great people. Throughout my years at Lauer's, I have seen first hand that the customer is not always right and customer service is somewhat of a thankless job. Don't get me wrong, most of the people are nice and gracious, but there are others that feel like they don't have to be courteous to us and are extremely rude. When working in customer service, you walk away with lots of stories, but I'll save that for another blog.

This weekend was busy, but filled with activities. On Friday, I went to see G.I. Joe, but was dissatisfied with the movie, so I left before it finished. I originally wanted to see it because I remember the toy from childhood, but it felt predictable, one-dimensional and somewhat sexist.

On Saturday, I went to the mall to get ready for the Bachelor Ball. I had lunch at a place called Mari's crepes and was pleasantly surprised to find out they have Macaroni and Cheese crepes. It even came with a side dish of coconut shrimp curry soup. I went to Macy's to get my dress and then came back to school. While I missed the actual auction, I was still able to make it to the after-party. I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of variety in the selection of the bachelors and liked the decorations and food a lot as well. I spent the night hanging out with friends and had fun, but left early, since I wasn't feeling well.

Today was a lazy day, but it was nice to sleep in and sit with my friends during brunch. I got a chance to catch up on homework and plan for the week, including my plans for Thanksgiving. It'll be nice to go out of town for a few days and relax.

Bachelor Ball!!!!

Hey guys,

So last night was the annual Bachelor Ball here on campus, and it was a blast! All 21 of our bachelors were sold in order to raise money for the House of Ruth here in Baltimore. Let me tell you for the price that some of these men went for, it looks as though the House of Ruth will be getting a decent donation this holiday season.
Some of these guys sure did know how to work the James Bond theme! The bachelor who was number 7, as in 007, came out looking like James Bond and threw his jacket at one of the girls in the audience!!! There were several others that were body builders who were picking girls up. One showed off his stepping abilities, and finally we had two guys that were singers who sang to the ladies.
After the auction there was an after party where the ladies and the bachelors could dance the rest of the night away. Their was no shortage of good music, but there was one thing that surprised me the most. When the cupid shuffle was played most of the people stopped to dance. However, later in the night the DJ played "Party in the U.S.A." and everybody was singing all the words and dancing. Overall, it was a great event and I really enjoyed myself. I can not wait for next year! I was even talking to some seniors who said this was the best bachelor ball they have had in years and they were really sad that it was their last one. Hopefully, whoever plans the bachelor ball next year will do an even better job, so the recent grads will come back. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday everybody.

Hugs and Stars

Morrissy Honors Wine Tasting

I have been looking forward to tonight's Morrissy Honors Wine Tasting event for the last 3 years! Now that I am finally 21 (since this past March), I was able to attend tonight's event.

Every year the Morrissy Honors department hosts 2 wine tasting events per year. In the fall semester, the honors students look forward to the red wine tasting, and in the spring semester, the honors students look forward to the white wine tasting. The event is limited to the first 15 students, and it goes without saying that this is one of the most popular honors events on campus.

Not only was the event filled, but Dr. Ritter, the honors director, was excited to share interesting facts about the different types of red wine, as well as tips on how to drink wine properly. I certainly had a blast with the girls who showed for the wine tasting, and I look forward to the spring white wine tasting!

Interfaith Dialogue

Today was an interesting day. I went to the Feeley International Center for an Interfaith Dialogue that featured ELI students and teachers, as well as students from the Women's College. While I enjoyed it in general (especially the speakers on Taoism and Baha'i), it didn't seem as diverse as it advertised. They had multiple speakers on two of the same religion and only one for the others. The one for Taoism was introduced as a Buddhist, so Buddhism wasn't really discussed much. It also would have been nice if they had Hinduism, Sikhism and other religions, since there wasn't really much balance and there are many Sikhs in America.

For those who want to know more about different religions, take RST 331, Comparative Ethics. I'm taking the class this semester and while it focuses mainly on the major religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, the main textbook has a section on Sikhism. The class is extremely interesting and covers a variety of topics in each religion and compares each in two religions at a time.

Internet Fun

As I surf the vast internet, I usually StumbleUpon some really awesome, and often funny things. By the way, StumbleUpon is a website dedicated to exploring the internet. You just put in what you want to see (Satire, Photography, Politics, Humor, and so on...) then push the amazing Stumble! button. Below is an example of a website I StumbledUpon. It's about beards. Let's just say I favorited this site. You can see the bar at the top where you can change your settings and such. Anyways, I love this website.

I also found this to be pretty funny.

As for my day, I went to President Seurkamp's house, as all the NDM freshmen do. It was really nice and she seemed to be interested in our concerns about the school. We mostly complained about how the Doyle food sucked and the social scene lacks here. People seem unmotivated to do things. What's up with that? I asked about the recycling program and she said the school was "working" on it. She didn't know that we leave boxes outside of our dorms so that people can put their bottles and things in them and people take them home to recycle them. If you didn't know we did that, well we do. Some people do anyways. I don't. Not that I don't support the effort, I just usually take the train home and I'm not about to drag a bunch of cans home and risk getting mugged by a homeless person so he can collect the money. Sorry for the homeless person stereotype.

The musical artist that I can't stop listening to at the moment is Imogen Heap. She has a nice voice and I really like the band Frou Frou (Garden State soundtrack reference again).

That's about it.

-Kristin

The Count Down Is On!!!

Hey guys!

So the count down to the holiday season is on. With Thanksgiving next week, it means that winter break is just around the corner. While everyone is counting down til winter and Christmas, I am counting down til Saturday and the Bachelor Ball!!!!!! It is going to be amazing! For those of you who do not know, bachelor ball is an annual charity auction that is held every year at my school. Except we do not auction off movie tickets or anything like that. We auction off guys for the night!!! Well technically it's for one dance, but it is still a really cool idea.

This year the theme is James Bond, so I am hoping that I will find my very own 007 with a license to kill and everything. I really hope to see all of you there. Remember Saturday, November 21 in Doyle Hall at Notre Dame. There is a meet and greet at 7pm and the auction starts at 7: 30, with an after party to follow the auction. So ladies bring your game face and wallets! I'll see you Saturday night.

Later

Hey everyone; it's Zoey again!

November has been a really busy month for me, so I decided to unwind by going out and exploring Baltimore. My friends and I ended up at the Towson Town Center, and had a great night going out to dinner, and shopping. Plus, riding the Collegetown Shuttle really wasn't that bad! We walked around the harbor on Saturday night, and got desert at one of the local restaurants. I definitely recommend a night out once in a while!

Bachelor Ball is coming up, and I STILL don't have a dress! I don't know what I'm thinking waiting until now to buy one. When I finally find the right one this week, I know I'll have fun Saturday night. I'm anxious to see what everyone is going to wear, and of course, the guys. I mean, all girl's school is nice, but sometimes you just need to hang out with some boys.

Well, I'm writing quick before class, and it's about time for me to start picking up my books to head there. Later!

Is it Christmas yet?

Hey all! Zoey here.

Boy, this has been a crazy three weeks! Everything's been piling up and it doesn't seem to be getting any lighter. It'll be Thanksgiving break soon, though! Thank GOD. Eat some turkey, chillax with the family. It'll be awesome. I'm so excited!

Anyway--it's FINALLY the week! Bachelor Ball! I'm going to be there and I KNOW you're going to be there too, right? Hot men, hot dress--best combination ever. As much as my new dress adventure is going...let's just say Mom laughed hysterically when I asked for some funds. Everything else is going well, though. Classes are good and Dr. Berry is starting to strike me as more amusing then anything.

Anyway, you ALL better be there on the 21st for Bachelor Ball. I'm looking forward to seeing you there! Showing off the dress--I know I will be...which ever one I end up with. There should be a new video coming to you soon! That's it for now. More homework to do--ugh.

Hearts and Starts,
Zoey

Cool Weekend

I had a nice weekend hanging out with my friend. We went to Ram's Head Live for a Train concert. I like Train, but they aren't my favorite band ever. They didn't even play my favorite/only song I know, "Drops of Jupiter". The good news is that I found out one of my favorite band is going to be at Ram's Head soon. The band is Zero 7, if you were wondering. I really liked the Garden State soundtrack if you couldn't have guessed it. I pretty much spent the weekend chilling out and being really excited about this video.

-Kristin

The Leaves, Like Women, Interchange

"The leaves, like women, interchange

Sagacious confidence;

Somewhat of nods, and somewhat of

Portentous inference

The parties in both cases

Enjoining secrecy,-

Inviolable compact

To notoriety."

-Emily Dickinson

Just enjoying some poetry by one of my favorite poets, Emily Dickinson! You know it's good literature when the work is timeless. I think most of her poems still hold true today. At least, people can relate to them. The poem I was referring to in the title is about the different natures that women can have in relation to leaves, in my opinion at least. I mean that's one reason I love poetry; you can interpret it in so many ways. I was reading her works on Bartleby.com, which is a great website to read a variety of literature from books to poetry, non-fiction and fiction alike.

As for how my day went, it was filled with catching up with homework and studying. For me, that's actually not the worst way to spend a day because I feel really productive. I even made a trip to the A.C.E. center for some career counseling. It was helpful, and I have to admit that I learned a few things about myself. One fun thing I did was make flan in the community kitchen. I was sort of wary of using it because it's not the cleanest place ever, but I managed to do it with limited contact to any surfaces. I'm always looking for fun things to do, and I enjoy cooking so I had to work with what I had. It all worked out well, and it came out pretty tasty. Most important thing about today would have to be that tomorrow is already Thursday! Time flies when you are really busy!

-Kristin

Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! Well closer to Wednesday at this point. I had a good day. I taught my sociology class about how unhoused people can actually maintain life on the street. We are reading the book "Sidewalk" by Mitch Dunier. It is actually really interesting and I've learned quite a bit about how everyone in our society is intertwined. It's kind of scary because, to me , that means we hold a bit of responsibility for each other. What I mean is your actions don't only affect you, but also everyone around you, and everyone around them, and so on.

It would really suck to be detached from the world, in my opinion anyway. Or at least very confusing. There is only so much you can do for yourself. Sometimes I think it may be better to be separate from the world, and sometimes it is, but other times you have to just share what you know. If you know what I mean. It reminds me of my favorite movie The Science of Sleep. It's about a man who confuses reality with his dreams. I think it's really funny and shows some emotions that we may be too shy to really show in our everyday lives. The movie is in English mostly, but there are a few lines in French and Spanish. It's just a pleasant movie that may leave you wondering what exactly you just watched.

Still just anticipating finals and taking it easy, hope you are too!

-Kristin

November...Already?

The first semester of my freshman year of college is already almost over. I can't believe it went by so fast. I'm amazed at how easily I fell into the rhythm of my college life. I'm actually excited to go home for awhile and enjoy my family and just relax. Mid-terms came and went and now I am preparing for finals! I find it best for me to start early because I am far too lazy to cram at the last minute. At least I know that about myself. The most important part for me is to remain calm. I always try to take some time out of my day to just forget about everything and completely feel free of any obligations. I know I can't do this for any long period of time, but I believe some meditation is important in everyone's life.

One big thing that seemed to always keep me tied down was Facebook. I realized that I was mindlessly updating my status whenever I heard something I thought was cool and that I actually felt the need read everyone else's status. Upon further introspection I saw that Facebook wasn't for me. Maybe I'll go back to it one day because it is a great social networking tool, but for now I'm giving it a rest. I feel pretty cool by not having a play-by-play of everyone I know's life and more importantly, they not having one of mine. Yet here I am, writing a blog for the whole internet to see. Oh, the irony.

Anyways, back to my philosophy on being tranquil. One amazing tool that I use to liberate myself from everyday life is music! My current favorite song is "Ready, Able" by Grizzly Bear from their album Veckatimest.

Veckatimest is actually an island off the coast of Massachusetts that is highly populated with grizzly bears. How clever, right? They are one of my favorite indie bands because of Edward Droste's (lead singer) voice! Of course, all the other parts of the music are amazing, too. I hope you check them and maybe even stumble upon some other awesome bands along the way!

-Kristin

Almost done...

Last week I was sitting in one of my classes, and I just realized that i am graduating next month. I basically only have midterms and a few papers to do and I am out! I started looking for Big Girl jobs this weekend, but I still don't know what I really want to do. I think I want to go to grad school, but I also want to have a job that pays for that. There are a bunch of openings at my internship, and I don't see why I wouldn't get the job, but I don't really want to work at night because of my son. I still have to look a few different places, and I have a job now so it's not like I'll need a job the minute that I graduate. It would just be nice. I'll figure it out though!

Wow, I haven't updated this in eons. Sorry about the lapse in time. Being sick isn't fun, and neither are migraines. I did celebrate Diwali, (The Hindu New Year) in October, and went to the Monster Mash in the Feely International Center and the Baltimore Paranormal Investigator's night as well. It was all a lot of fun, and I liked it a lot.

I'm doing a project for my COM210 class and if anyone's interested, feel free to contact me about participating. There are going to be two events: one that takes place on the 12th of November and a second one that takes place on the 19th. I'm in charge of the one on the 19th. It's going to be on women and relationships, but is going to focus specifically on the Internet and "fandom".

What's fandom, you ask? You all are probably part of it, you just never knew it. This is the definition, according to Wikipedia:

Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, freedom, etc.) is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the object(s) of their fandom and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices (a fandom); this is what differentiates "fannish" (fandom-affiliated) fans from those with only a casual interest.
A fandom can grow up centered around any area of human interest or activity. The subject of fan interest can be narrowly defined, focused on something like an individual celebrity, or more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions. While it is now used to apply to groups of people fascinated with any subject, the term has its roots in those with an enthusiastic appreciation for sports. Merriam-Webster's dictionary traces the usage of the term back as far as 1903.
Fandom as a term can also be used in a broad sense to refer to an interconnected social network of individual fandoms, many of which overlap.

No, you don't have to be hardcore-Even if you're just a regular fan, contact me.

Aside from this project, what really stressed me out this semester was mid-terms. I know it's stressful in general, but when you have 18 credits, it's really hard to study for 6 classes and do projects as well. Two of them are Women's College classes, so it was even more frustrating because they were on different dates. Even if I had more time to study, they were also harder, IMO.

Appreciate Your Life!

As November gets underway, I am bombarded by the sadness and pain that many are going through. I feel grateful and blessed to have my family and friends that love me, for a home with electricity and heat, food in the fridge, freezer, and cabinets...so much to be grateful for, clothes that fit. The hugs and kisses from my son, everyday he tells me "I love you mommy" and from my husband who let's me know in ways big and small that we were meant to be together. Our love is a sincere love, grounded in friendship and tried through the many battles we've fought internally and externally.

We need to see the reasons we should be happy to be alive and have what we have! All the stuff we complain about, really if we think about those people that are in need, those that are lacking, not just material things; but also those that are lacking in the more important things like love, trust, sanity, confidence, stability, good health! We, myself included get so caught up in the day to day, that I forget that it could be me lacking the basics or necessities. I don't have everything I want but I do have what I need, and I am learning to be content, like Paul in the Bible, who said he learned to be content with little and with a lot, but in all things Thanking God!

Yesterday

My internship yesterday was pretty uneventful. We had an issue with some of the boys during group therapy because they did not want to participate. When the kids don't participate in group, they are not allowed to go outside for rec because they did not follow instructions and were off task. All of them eventually ended up participating in group because they knew that they were not going to be allowed to go outside. When it was time to actually go outside, there was some conflict with a couple of the boys because they did not want to wear their coats outside. Eventually they all had their coats on and proceeded to rec without any problems. Dinner was another issue. None of the boys could follow any directions, which resulted in a few of them not being able to watch a movie later on at night. During showers, I was responsible for sitting outside of the bathroom to make sure that there were no fights and that the boys were showering in the amount of time allotted to them. I ended up having an issue with on of the kids because he took 15-20 minutes longer then he was supposed to. This resulted in him telling me that he was going to punch me in the face. I told him to do it and see what happens. He laughed and said I wouldn't ever hit you.

I feel like these boys say stuff like that to see if you really care about them or if you are there just to watch them. During these times, you have to let them know that you are not going to back down and show them that you do care and you are not going anywhere. These kids have been through so much that they will do anything for attention and see who takes it or who just leaves. I am there to let them know that I am in it for them and not for any other reason.

Halloween

So, there's not much to report on my internship from Thursday. There wasn't any drama, and the boys were just excited to get their costumes. They were being Michael Jackson, a monk, Harry Potter, etc. So instead, I'll just talk about my Halloween adventure.


My son spent the night at his father's house on Halloween, but we both took him trick or treating before I went out with my friends. He was Buzz Lightyear and insisted on "flying" everywhere. His "flying" was his running aimlessly with his arms up in the air. Of course, he had me completely paranoid because he kept doing it by the concrete steps in front of the houses.

When we finished up trick or treating, I went down to Power Plant with a few friends. Power Plant on Halloween is absolutely ridiculous, yet utterly hysterical. I was groped by Snuffaluffagus, hit on by Billy Mays, and saw some of the most ridiculous looking people I have ever seen. But, I had so much fun! I think at some point me and a bunch of my friends are going to dress up just because and go down as a group in themed outfits, but we'll see if that pans out.