My favorite holiday

Halloween is definitely my favorite holiday and all of my friends know it. At home, I threw a Halloween party every year and it was something we all looked forward to, so it will be a little weird to celebrate in Columbia instead of in Spartanburg. I already started my celebration by attending "Rave to the Grave," a Halloween dance party hosted by the Columbia Hall and Capstone residents hall associations. As our president, Chris Brown was one of the main organizers of the event, so I went to support him and had a blast! I am known for my outrageous Halloween costumes, so this year I decided to dress as one of my favorite pop stars: the off-the-wall Lady GaGa. The majority of my costume came from home (this idea came to me over a month ago after seeing GaGa perform at the MTV Video Music Awards) and the only thing I had to buy was the blonde wig. Dressing up gave me a confidence boost and I was not afraid to bust a move on the dance floor, even though I did not win the costume contest.

Tomorrow night I am going to see "Dracula: Ballet with a Bite" at the Koger Center and hopefully going to see Carolina Productions-sponsored showing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" on the big screen at the Russell House on midnight on Halloween.

Once Halloween is over, I have another holiday to look forward to: my suitemate Taylor's birthday on Monday!

Second semester Freshmen..

Homecoming week was an absolute blast.  I was involved with a lot of stuff supporting Alpha Chi, helping with canned creations, float building, attending the showcase and step show.. I was glad I got to experience everything for my first homecoming! 

Aside from that, what I really wanted to talk about...

I was walking to advisement today just reflecting on how fast everything has happened for us. We're well underway with classes and have finally learned the ropes.  Campus is no longer a huge mystery and everything seems so much more convenient now that we know where things are. Football season is almost over! I've loved football season, what happened?! Where did all the games go?! We've made friends left and right and now instead of "hey where you from?" our conversations are have become more personal as we develop life long friendships. Now that I'm getting ready to schedule classes for next semester, it kind of scared me how fast the future is going to come.  Sure, it's only second semester freshman year approaching, but next it's sophomore year, and then before you know it we're almost Juniors and I don't want to think about the rest. I really don't know why I'm worried. In my head the idea seemed a lot worse than how I'm portraying it now.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

It is so hard to believe that first semester is almost over. There have been good memories, funny memories, priceless memories, and even some bad ones and through them all the friendships have grown stronger and stronger. There have been challenges thrown at us right and left, and personally I think we have handled them all very well. Classes have been difficult but I am adjusting well I think. I have been talking to a lot of my friends from other colleges and as much fun as they sound, my heart is at Carolina. I originally did not know if this was where I wanted to be after some things happened, but taking a step back and really thinking about it, Carolina is the only place I really want to be. It has become home to me. When I go back and visit my family and friends in North Augusta, it doesn't feel like home...it just feels like a place I once knew. I am on my own now, making my own decisions, figuring out my own life. I love it here. Everything about it is a craving to one's heart. The college atmosphere is amazing, the people are friendly, minus all the car alarms; waking up to students chanting on gamedays is the greatest, and the friendships are ones you cherish forever!

Homecoming Step Show!

On Friday Bernice, Sally, Chris Brown and I all went to the Homecoming Step Show.  It was so much fun!  By the time we got there, it was about 7:50pm and It was packed.  A lot of people were there, but we still got really good seats.  Although the sorority steppers were good, I liked watching the Fraternity steppers more because they were more entertaining.  My favorite group was Alpha Phi Alpha because their routine was just amazing.  They are really talented so I was not surprised when they won the whole competition.  After the step show, Sarah, Pat and Lindsay joined us for dinner at Wild Wings cafe.  We all had a really fun night!

Football with the 9th Floor Family

As I am sure you have gathered from keeping up with our blog, the residents of the 9th floor of Columbia Hall are nothing short of a family. We don’t just walk to class together, we do pretty much everything together in some capacity or another. Football is no exception. We all gather on the 9th floor before every home game to head for Williams Brice. This past week left Cola Hall and drove toward the stadium. Before the game, we stopped by Lindsay’s brother’s apartment, where he parents made us dinner before the game. We walked to the stadium from there, where we cheered on our gamecocks against Vanderbilt. My favorite part of the night however had to be our adventures after the game. Emily, Pat, Kristyn, Taylor, Brooke, Sally and I loaded into my car to head back to campus. However on the way we decided to stop for some food. Waffle House seemed like a logical option, so we went there. The seven of us crowded around a table, meant for only four to enjoy a our waffles and hash-browns. After we had all finished our gourmet meal, it was back to the car. Since we had stumbled upon the Waffle House by accident, getting back to Columbia Hall was an interesting experience. We went on a 45 minute ‘adventure’ (which some may call being lost) around the outskirts of the city, before making it back to the dorm. It was a fun ride though. A great way to end the day of festivities with my 9th floor family.

Cold Shower

For August and September I have had the pleasure of being able to have a hot, (or even room temperature) shower every day, until October came. Once October reared its masked head I have had the misfortune of cold shower. For some unknown reason, the past few weeks I have been shocked to discover that when I step into the shower I am greeted with cold water bearing down on me. I shiver, but knowing I have class in 40 mins, regretfully continue to shower in the cold. I have no idea why my shower is so cold, no one on the opposite side of the hall experiences this.

But on a happier note, me, Sally and Bernice went to a play tonight called "The Book of Liz." It was funny, but weird. It was in the LAB Theater near Blatt, so it was easy to find. Now I'm going to do some work and stop blogging.

I like to edit.

When I first started copy editing, I slightly dreaded going to the newsroom every Tuesday and Thursday because I still hadn't cracked the "newbie" shell that preceded me. I hadn't ever worked with their editing programs and never had to write decent headlines within 10 minutes before so needless to say, I felt pretty overwhelmed. Over the past few weeks though, I've really started to look forward to going and have improved my writing skills. My copy desk chief, Lindsay, has been an awesome teacher for me and I consider her one of my good friends now. I've also made some other friends, Samantha and Murray, who remind me a lot of my friends from high school. Sam and I recently took a spontaneous road trip to Charleston to see Andrew Bird live at the Music Farm, which was absolutely fantastic! It's nice to finally meet people who know the difference between "there" and "their."

Sweet Surprise

I was checking my email the other day and saw that I had a message from one of my cousins. She told me that I should check my university mail box because there might be something waiting for me. So, the next morning, after class, I went down to the mail room with a few of my friends from the floor to see if I had received anything. Sure enough there was a slip in my mailbox that said I had received a package four days ago from my relatives in Maryland. Once I handed in my slip to one of the men at the desk, he went into the back and came out with a large box. I had some ideas of what would be in it, but I would never truly know until I opened it. My friends and I walked back to Columbia Hall and headed into my dorm. From there I took a pair of scissors to the tape and broke the seal of the package to find something I was not expecting. My original thought was cookies and a note. I was almost positive that was it. Well, when I opened it up there was in fact a note, but instead of cookies, the was a plastic halloween pumpkin filled to the brim with assorted candies. Needless to say, I, along with the rest of the people in my room, were ecstatic. What's better for a college student than artificial sweeteners? No sooner than when I opened it, we dove into the treats. As the candy was bombarded, I opened the letter that was inside and read a very sweet, no pun intended, letter from my relatives. They just wanted to make sure all was going well and to know that they were thinking of me. It was really nice of them to let me know that they were supporting me. It definitely brightened my day and the days of my friends.

A strange return home.

As fall break approached, me, Sarah, Emily and Briggs were trying to plan a nice vacation to Sarasota, Florida. But as it turned out, Briggs, whose car we planned on taking, was forced to go home to North Augusta. So our plan fell through. The monday before fall break I called my older brother and he surprisingly, happily agreed to drive the five hundred miles to pick me up.

He came on Wednesday and I drove the entire way back to my favorite city, Pittsburgh, I am more than happy to call home. This is significant because it was the first time I ventured on the high way. As lame as that sounds, it's true. I mean I am a phenomenal driver, even though millions claim that females can't drive, I am definitely an exception to that statement. The only thing is that I'm a speeder. I went well over the speed limit and made the eight hour drive in six. And my brother slept the whole time, so he couldn't reprimand me, which was okay by me.

Being home after such a long absence was strange. And I mean STRANGE. Everything seemed to quaint. So homey. I felt like a visitor in my own bedroom. My dog, Reuben, was angry at me and ignored me for the first 24 hours, but eventually caved. My mom and dad took turns cooking me the most delicious home-made meals and I forced my brothers to hang out with me. It was not the same. I didn't like the extra attention from my parents or the jealousy my brothers felt towards me for living so far away and having the time of my life. Going home was awesome, but something was different, something I just can't figure out.

Journalism Test #2

Our second Journalism test was today, unfortunately. Sometimes I wish we didn't have tests.. just like every other kid in America. Pi Kappa Ninth Floor had a huge cram session all this week, and especially last night. We, and by we I mean Gabby, has a huge dry erase board that we study with. We fill it with all the information that we need to

know for our Journalism tests. Then we all sit in the study room and quiz each other with flash cards, books, noteb

ooks, study guides laying all over the room. Last night Colin came over and spent the night on Pi Kappa Ninth Floor (with Chris Brown) so that he could partake in our study session. This was the first time Colin has come to visit us here in Cola Hall.

About half way through our study session, Genelle and I got really hyper. We decided to take a stretch break. After our stretch break, some how we ended up playing on the furniture while studying. Which usually happens when Genelle and I are studying together in the Study Lounge. The furniture just screams "STAND ON ME..PLEAASEEEE!!!" so what can we do? We have to do as the furniture asks, it would be rude not to. So we play and balance on the chairs while we cram in information about Ben (the hustler) Franklin.

My name is Kristyn...and I'm a (Diet) Coke addict

College has made me realize how dependent I really am on caffeine. It's pretty terrible, actually. Diet Coke is my beverage of choice, but I'm a big fan of coffee, too. Considering the fact that we have our second journalism test on Thursday morning, my caffeine intake is going to increase tonight and tomorrow night!

I really am enjoying my college experience so far and definitely keeping busy. I started doing page design for The Daily Gamecock. I've actually designed a page 3 times. I do the Monday sports page. Check it out. I also joined Off-Off Broadway, an on-campus club dedicated to performing musical theatre songs. We are currently in rehearsals for a revue show that will run the first weekend in November. I have two big solos and am also a part of several group numbers. I have been doing community theatre since the fourth grade, so this group was a good fit for me. I love being on stage and I love singing, which means going to rehearsals is not really a chore for me. If your ear catches someone belting out showtunes on the hall, it's probably coming from my room.

Fall Break - Home Sweet Home

When I first started school, I wasn't supposed to come home until Thanksgiving.  To me, that was hardly a big deal.  But then more I talked to my family over the last month leading up to fall break the more I dropped the "I never want to come home attitude" and hitch a ride back to Ohio for the weekend.  I needed it though.  Coming home hasn't exactly been incredibly thrilling, but more or less incredibly relaxing. It was a little awkward at first, I must admit.  I came home on Wednesday night and my sister had no idea, so when I walked in the door she was overwhelmingly confused and happy at the same time.  Then my parents gave me hugs and welcomed me home, but I couldn't help but feel like a guest in my own house! I hated that feeling. The next morning my parents were waking me up as I was sleeping to say goodbye and when they would be home, leaving me more money than they've ever left me before to go shopping and whatnot. It was all so strange me to.  I'm glad to say things did get better over time.  Aside from being home, I am so sad I am not at school right now.  I miss everything about school! Though I've heard campus is a ghost town and nothing is open, I would still would not have minded being in Columbia.  And I'm missing the football game, which is killing me! Sad day. 

It's Fall!

As I was walking back to Columbia Hall this afternoon I could not help but notice that it is actually becoming fall. It sounds like a simple enough concept to understand, but it did not really hit me until today. The air is getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, and if you look closely enough you can even see the leaves getting brighter. Fall is my favorite time of year, so I have been eagerly awaiting this turning point in the year. It has snuck up on my though. I can not believe that tomorrow I will make the trip back home to Atlanta for fall break, which marks the half way point in the semester. It feels like it was just last week that I moved into Columbia Hall and started my classes. The time really has flown. I was so excited to have Thursday and Friday off from classes so I could go home and have a break from thinking about school, but now I am realizing how good it is going to be to have the break to catch up on my school work. I am very excited for my long weekend trip though. Along with my studying I will spend plenty of time with my family and friends in the autumn weather.

Chris Brown

Visual Communications

Chick-fil-a

On the first day I went to Russel House, I got chick-fil-a. I was so excited as I happily took my tray over to a table to enjoy my chicken goodness. As I ate, I never could have imaged the burden chick-fil-a would eventually be for me. I thought "Wow, I love chick-fil-a and I could eat this every day!" Little did I know how true this statement would eventually be.

Starting at 10:30am every day chick-fil-a opens, and every night around 10 they close (except Sundays). Chick-fil-a is open when pretty much everything else is closed, my blessing and my curse. So many times I have been craving, horseshoe deli, or soup man, or pizza hut, BUT NO! They are closed and the only thing open is chick-fil-a, and its beaming light illuminates off my hopeless eyes. I have eaten enough chick-fil-a to satisfy a small tribe in a third world country for 6 months. It is ridiculous! They take advantage of the fact that they stay open all the time when all the other places close.

Sure, I can appreciate good chicken for a tasty price like most people can, but I am tired of being forced to eat chicken because its the only thing open. I soon fear I will turn into one, giant, chicken nugget and will be eaten by Pi Kappa Ninth Floor.

News Station

On October first, our University 101 class went to the WLTX news station in Columbia.  I was so excited for everything I was about to see.  Since I am going into the Mass Communication/ Journalism field, I wanted to get an inside view on different career possibilities.  I really enjoyed watching the meteorologist go live and give the weather right there in front of us.  It made me consider broadcast journalism for a while because I think being in front of camera is fun.  Going on this tour made me realize that there are a lot of different areas to go into the communications field.  Although I had so much fun at the news station, I still think that I would like to work for a magazine after graduating college.  

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Every Sunday is NFL football day. There are lots of games, starting at 1pm and the last one starting at 8:30pm. Being from Baltimore, it is clear that my favorite team is the Baltimore Ravens. I have been a die-hard fan ever since I was little. When I lived at home, my family and I, along with a big group of our family friends, had season tickets together. I would get to go to almost every home game. Our big group would get to our lot extra early and tailgate. It is always so fun to get together and talk with everyone while enjoying delicious food. Then, we all head in to the game, where we never sit or stop cheering the whole time. This is what I miss most from home.

With not being able to attend any of the home games or see them on local TV, my friends from Maryland and I have had to find some way to stay on top of our true home team. In the Vista, is the Carolina Ale House. In their upstairs room, they have several TVs and the NFL Sunday ticket, which allows them to get every NFL game being played. Every Sunday, my friends and I gather at the Carolina Ale House to watch the Ravens game, along with the others being played. We order food and talk while cheering on our purple and black team. It always makes me feel like I'm at home again, at the tailgate and one of the games. Going to the "Ale House" has also made me realize how many people from Maryland really do attend USC. Almost every Sunday, the upstairs of Carolina Ale House is about 50% Ravens fans. This is so great to see because it is a great way to meet other people from Maryland, and it creates a lot of energy and enthusiasm while watching the game. We also tend to make a lot of noise and have to be told to tone it down, but it is so worth it because of the game day-like atmosphere. This past Sunday, during parents weekend, I was able to include my dad in this tradition. My dad and I and all my friends and some of their parents took over the Ale House this Sunday, and it was twice as fun. I love this tradition and hope it will continue throughout the entire NFL season. So if its a Sunday afternoon and you're trying to find me, just look up what time the Baltimore Ravens is and you'll know that I'm at the Carolina Ale House cheering on the team of purple and black.