Krispy Kreme

Towards the end of her blog, Briggs gave mention to a Krispy Kreme adventure that took place during the early hours of Monday morning. This was not fiction, but truth that could not have been more true. When a bunch of us finished watching the movie, "Donnie Darko", at a little after midnight, Emily and Chris both said that they had to move their cars from the Columbia parking lot to the parking garage, or else they would get a ticket. They wanted some people to go with them because no one wants to have to take that walk back at midnight. Sally quickly volunteered to tag along, and I figured, because I had left my Nalgene, Big Blue, in Emily's car, that I would go along too. The four of us went out to the parking lot and I went with Emily and Sally went with Chris. After we drove over to the garage, the four of us met up outside and began our walk back to the dorm. For the majority of the walk, we kept talking about how we really could go for some Krispy Kreme doughnuts. The only thing was, that the Krispy Kreme in Columbia closes at midnight on Sundays. So we were out of luck. Or were we? The idea hit the group as we were just about to walk in front of the business building(which is roughly two hundred yards from our dorm). "Let's go to the Krispy Kreme in Spartanburg!" Emily had told us before about how there is a twenty-four hour Krispy Kreme in her town and that it was the best one there is. Sally was all for the idea, which only got Emily more excited. Chris and I were a little more apprehensive. I had to get up in eight hours and Chris had to get up not long after. Sally told how she had to get up even earlier. It took a little time, but I eventually bought in and figured if nothing else, it would make for a good story. Chris caved as well and the four of us made our way back to the garage at just about one o'clock. We got in the car and drove a smooth hour or so to to the great city of Spartanburg. It was a little tough to see everything in the dark, but it was calm and very quaint. And even though it was dark out, there was no hiding the giant illuminated Krispy Kreme sign. We went inside the store, that surprisingly had a customer, and ordered our doughnuts. We sat in the store for about twenty minutes, looked around a little bit, talked to one of the workers, took some hats for the road, and went back into the car. We left Spartanburg and got back to Columbia Hall at about four thirty in the morning. We may not have gotten a lot of sleep that night, but we did get a little bit closer.

Will This Ever End?

From recent conversations, I have been told that around this time of the year college life consists of Saturday football games, numerous papers, occasional exams here and there, late nights out with friends, all night study sessions, but noone seemed to mention sickness. I have been doing nothing but feeling more than awful for five days now. Pi Kappa 9th Floor seems to have really been hit hard by this. Everytime I have turned around the past two weeks, someone is either just getting back from being sick or has just been sent home! It's crazy! The floor has not felt the same in many many days. I think everyone is finally getting back today for the start of a long week. Last night, a group of us allowed Emily to pick the movie choice, and it was by far a weird choice. Donnie Draco was not my kind of movie so I ventured back to my room where I found my comfortable bed awaiting me at only 11:45 p.m. But like usual, I walked right passed it, only to plop down on this "comfortable" chair, and chat for hours on Skype. During my Skyping I get a phonecall from Emily saying that her, Chris Brown, Pat, and Sally had voluntarily jumped in Emily's car at 1 a.m to rush to Spartanburg to retrieve the Krispy Kreme cravings. I must say, I was still awake when they finally made it back. Oh how I love my hall!!

Weekend Blues

College is great. I have been enjoying every moment of it. Sarah, my roommate, and I get along perfectly. Lets just say that she is fashionably... inadequate? Yeah that works. So she allows me to dress her up like my own personal life-size doll, which gives me a sense of importance and acceptance because without me she would lost, but to be honest I would be lost without her and the other people on my floor.

During the football game on Thursday I got sick. I called Chris Brown and he, Bernice, Emily and Genelle immediately found me and took me back to the dorm only to sit and watch the remainder of the football game on television with me. The following days were quite similar. I remained sick and Pi Kappa 9th floor took care of me: Jake made me tea and Ramen noodles while Chris Brown fed me medication. I'm grateful to be part of such a caring, close knit community.

Swine Flu!

Swine flu has hit Pi Kappa Ninth Floor! Lindsay and Eric both went home early this week after being diagnosed with the “infamous” swine flu. This motivated me to finally do all my laundry and clean my room.

We have gotten to the point where we are using ridiculous amounts of sanitizer at all times, and spray everything with anti-bacterial before using it. There are signs all over the hall posted on people’s doors warning people who are exhibiting any symptoms to stay away. Jamison’s room even has sanitizer beside his cookie jar, and a note telling people they have to sanitize their hands before they can have one.

Chris Brown had a fever during Journalism, so I made him go to the Health Center. He was given a mask; similar to the one Michael Jackson was seen wearing whenever he was out in public prior to his death. Luckily the people at the health center said he didn’t have swine flue. After he was released and diagnosed with only a cold we allowed him to socialize with all the rest of us on the hall.

Bernice Woodard

Public Relations

Homesick

As exciting as college been the past few weeks with meeting different people, experiencing new things, and getting used to classes, there are still a lot of times when I miss my family. Before I went off to school, I didn't think I would ever feel homesick and I couldn't wait to start life on my own, away from my parents. But sometimes it feels like roles have been reversed, with my parents and friends moving along, and me still wishing it could be the same. Don't get me wrong- I love everything about USC, especially my new friends and writing for the paper- but sometimes I still wish I could go home at the end of the night and talk to my sister without it being through a phone. I know everything going on takes some adjustment and things will work themselves out, but I just hope it happens soon.

Taylor Cheney

Print Journalism

Gamecock football

I attended my first Gamecock home football game on Saturday night. I like watching sports a lot, but I've never been a die-hard fan. I didn't pick the University of South Carolina based on their football team, but it seems that I lucked out in that category. I was proud to sit in the student section and cheer for the mighty garnet and black.

This week's game on Thursday should be extra exciting for me because I am singing the national anthem and the alma mater on the field as a member of the University Chorus. This will probably be the largest audience I will ever perform in front of and I might be on television. Mom and Dad are planning on tuning in!

College

My week in a nut shell- Stressful. Tests, meetings, homework, work, newspaper, sorority stuff... Little tasks felt never ending and priorities seemed higher than ever. I've stayed up late almost every night this week and I still felt like I was not making a dent in my work load. I nap during the day to make up for lack of sleep but that left me more tired. I was waiting to have a solid schedule so I could figure out how to manage my time wisely, but if this is what my weeks are going to look like then I need to make a new system and fast. Not that any of it is particularly overwhelming, but everything just kind of happened so fast when I was still on cloud nine thinking college was going to be a breeze. However, on a more positive note, I did get involved with the newspaper this week, I found a new job to keep my mother happy, and I'm two tests into college and have no reason to be intimated by future tests anymore. I'll chalk this week up to a test run, and prepare myself to dominate the challenging weeks ahead.

Sarah Nelson

Print Journalism

Carolina Football

Saturday was a very exciting day. It was the Carolina/Georgia game and everyone was pumped! Since we do live in the Journalism Living and Learning Community, Lauren allowed us to come to her home and watch the game. We had so much fun there! We devoured a couple of boxes of pizza, cookies, chips, soda, and other delicious foods that are synonymous with football season. Me being a pizza-holic, I was in absolute heaven! Even though we didn't win this game, it was still a pretty good experience. I got to bond with some of my floor mates, teacher, and one of the grad students. Living in this community not only provides for opportunities to advance in my major, but we have a heck of a lot of fun too. It's absolutely amazing!

Genelle Williams
Advertising

Exam #1

There comes a time early in every college student’s career when they have to face their first big exam. For me that time will come tomorrow morning at about 9:30 in my Journalism 201 Survey of Mass Communications class. Luckily I have not been alone as I reviewed my class notes and reread my textbook; I have had the other members of the Learning Community at my side. Since we are all in the same class, we have all been preparing for the big exam together. Last week we started reviewing the material we learned in class. I must say, I was a little apprehensive about studying as a group, but now that we have started helping each other out, I don’t know what I would have done if I had not had my 9th floor neighbors. Last night we had a big study secession to review everything, then this evening we all walked over to the Supplemental Instruction (SI) class together to get some extra help. Now we are quizzing each other and doing some last minute refreshing. Come tomorrow morning, I know I am going to be a little more prepared for our exam than I would have otherwise been, had I not lived on the 9th floor.

Chris Brown
Visual Communications

Post-it-Notes

As I sit in my dorm staring blankly at brightly colored post-it-notes that cover the wall beside me with assignments and deadlines from last week, I wonder, am I prepared for college? Syllabuses clutter my desk and my iPod hangs by the earphones out of the drawer. I reflect that in high school I had a planner with a calendar, stickers and notes section given to every student out of tuition money. By the end of the year this planner would be stuffed into depths of my book bag with every other page filled out up until mid March. I have never been organized but throughout high school if I forgot a homework deadline or a test the next day, I always had a friend to remind me. Now in college I have most of my classes without people I already know. While I am learning to be organized in my own way, it is good to have so many people in the learning community on my hall to go to classes with. Every Tuesday and Thursday we trek out onto campus before 8am to go to our classes we all have together. It is comforting to know that I will not forget an assignment or sleep through class with so many people on my hall all going to the same place. So while my post-it-notes stare back at me in disarray, I am reassured that I will be prepared in my classes with the 9^th floor to support me.

Emily Dassel
Broadcast Journalism