Until Next Year

It's a little hard to believe, but freshman year is coming to a close. It's not everyday that a kid from New Jersey gets the opportunity to further his education while living in a completely different area of the country, but the experiences and lessons that I have learned for next year and beyond, are invaluable. A lot of this is owed to my participation in the Journalism Living and Learning Community. Going to college in an area that I'm not used to, regardless of how much I wanted it for myself, is a difficult thing to get used to at times. But when you're able to live on the same floor as other students that have similar majors and interests as you, and be able to get to know them by taking some of the same classes, it makes things a little easier. As much as I wanted something completely different in my college years than what I grew up with, it is nice to be able to ease into the situation. The living and learning community gave me a platform from which to meet new people, get involved in a multitude of on and off campus activities, and feel comfortable at a large university. There is no doubt that this year has been an eye opening experience and has taught me a lot about myself and others, but that's exactly what I was looking for. Until next year.

Living & Learning Community Advantages

My freshman year could not have been better. By participating in the Journalism Living and Learning community, my transition from high school to college was nearly perfect. Most of my floormates have similar majors to mine, so we all had at least two classes together (University 101 and Journalism 201). We all bonded immediately and formed a family- to this day we still share a facebook official mother! Coming from a very sheltered home, it was fun to be able to experience the college social life and know that I have a group of friends to make sure I'm safe. I have to say, one of the biggest perks besides gaining these AWESOME life-long friends is you never have to worry about eating alone. Also, my academic advisor is one of my teachers and we got to meet the heads of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. I can not even explain how awesome of an experience it has been to live in the Journalism Living and Learning Community. To all of the future participants, I wish you so much luck and hope you have as great of a time as we all did.

~Genelle Williams

Relay 4 Life!

This past Friday was USC's Relay for Life held at Blatt Field. Even though I signed up through the Student Media team, I spent most of the time hanging with the 9th floor and our new friend, Buddy. I didn't expect to stay all 12 hours but it went by so quickly, I hardly noticed...until the next morning.

This was my first time participating in Relay for Life and I had a blast. For the most part, we walked around the track (which honestly could have been positioned better so there would have been more room to walk but anyway) and took turns manning the tent. Watching the step show with Sally (I see you, Larry!), dancing around with Bernice and Colin and watching Pat fist pump like a champ were definitely some highlights of the evening and morning.

Even though I had a great time, it was really moving to hear about some of the victims and survivors of cancer. One participants mom passed away only a few weeks ago from cancer and his team was one of the top fundraisers. I was glad to see our entire University support a cause that effects so many people and their families. Can't wait till next year!

Today's Forecast

After we returned from Spring Break we have had the most amazing weather. It has been at least 75 degrees outside more than a few times the last few weeks. I officially have a new perspective of the saying "spring fever". When it is this beautiful outside the last place I want to be is in class. The weather makes me want summer to get here more than ever, especially with a predicted forecast of weather over 80 this Thursday and Friday. The weather has made me decide to make a very elementary count down to summer to run across the top of my dorm room. If your curious there are only 36 more days til summer and 27 days til the last day of classes!!

A Walk in the Woods

I have found myself very busy this semester. It seems like I have been buried in 'to-do' lists for the past few weeks. While I enjoy my commitments, this past weekend I was ready for something new. It was time to get off campus and do something fun. I have always enjoyed getting out and going for a hike, so I looked in to places in the Columbia area to have such an adventure. After not much research I found Congaree National Park. Last Saturday morning, Emily, Genelle, Pat, Sally, and I loaded into my car and drove down to the park. It was a beautiful day to be outside (which is ironic as it snowed 8 inches the weekend before). We spent 2 and a half hours enjoying the parks trails and boardwalks, and by hiked about four and a half miles. The park is only about a 25 minute drive from campus, so we were even able to make it back to Russell House for lunch. All in all it was a nice break. I look forward to going back more this spring.

Congaree National Park

Multiple Once in a Lifetime Experiences

It has been an exciting past couple of weeks here in Columbia. Starting on Tuesday of last week, I had the opportunity to experience a few once in a lifetime events. The Men's basketball team faced off against Kentucky, the #1 team and the country, and gave them their first loss of the season. This is the kind of thing I watched on television, maybe three or four times in my life, and wished I could have been there to experience it. Well, this time around I had the chance and I took advantage of it. I joined the mob of fans on the court and celebrated the victory with my fellow classmates. 

If that wasn't enough, I found out on Monday afternoon of the next week that John Mayer was practicing for his upcoming tour, at the Coliseum. Even though I'm not a huge fan, this was still something to get pretty excited for. The excitement only grew when I found out the next day that he was giving a free concert for a small group of students. I wasn't able to get one of the 150 tickets, but I waited with a few friends and about two hundred strangers for about an hour and twenty minutes until the security guards finally let us in. The concert was a very cool experience and something that not many people get to see. 

Although these events were awesome and unexpected, there is one event coming up this Saturday that I have been preparing for, for almost a year. On Saturday, February 6, at 8:30 in the morning, on the campus of NC State, I will be participating in the famous Krispy Kreme Challenge. I love to run and I love to eat, so why not combine the two. My task will be to run two miles to the KK, eat a dozen classic glazed doughnuts, and run the two miles back without seeing the doughnuts again and do it in under an hour. Hopefully all goes according to plan. 

Second Semester

It's already February and second semester is going great. With tougher classes, an internship opportunity, and student organizations, I believe that I am more involved this semester. Although there is a lot more work and a tad bit more stress, I think it's all worth it. These experiences will teach me to work better under pressure later on in life. I'm also learning how to multitask this semester. I really should have acquired that skill before I got to college, but better late than never! Aside from academic and extracurricular activities, my social life is fantastic. All of us on the floor still go out together like the big family we are and I absolutely love it!!

Family Dinner

Back again for a second semester and not much has changed in the realm of Pi Kappa 9th floor. Everyone had great breaks but I think it's safe to say we missed our absurd and bizarre occurrences that happen here in Cola Hall and everyone is really happy to be back and doing their own thing again. For me personally I feel like I've picked up on more stuff to start off my second semester, getting more involved at the Daily Gamecock and charity stuff with Alpha Chi. What I really like about this semester though is the new family dinners we have started on sunday nights for residence on the ninth floor.  We kicked off the first week with a delicious pasta meal and following that we had frozen pizza (my weakness). It's a really nice way to kind of kick back and just enjoy yourself with all your friends on the floor. Things are really looking up for a great second semester, and beginning each week with a nice family dinner makes everything that much better. 

Life of a College Freshman

Life has changed dramatically since I arrived to USC in August. I have learned the "in's & out's" of life in the real world, kind of. Although I still look to my mom for money at times, I am still having to provide for myself. I am working and also juggling school work along with a little social life here and there. It's hard to believe that first semester is almost over. After registering for my 2nd semester classes, I can't help but sit here and wonder "where has the time gone?" Finals are approaching and honestly I am scared. I still feel like my study habits are not up to par but I know by next semester I can handle any test thrown my way.
I have truly enjoyed all the different activities I have participated in here at school. Recently I went to see the ballet Dracula with Sally, and I must say, it wasn't that bad. Not saying I would see it again just for the fun of it but still. I will admit though, being here has not only taught me things, but also allowed me to participate in some amazing events.

I love beach music

Yesterday, out of the kindness of my heart, I decided join Bernice and go with her to her Dance Appreciation class. Not that she really needed someone to go with her, but they were learning how to shag dance and Bernice knew I was dying to learn.  So she invited me to come. 

I was big into athletics in high school, but never dance. So learning theses new steps was kind of complicated for me. Bernice laughed at me and helped me through it and I got the hang of it by the end of class.  

Definitely a new experience. Now I'm anxious to get out on the dance floor and shag to some beach music with all the other Southern pros. Except I might need to practice some more first... Yayy for learning new things. College is great. 

No Shave November

Now that it is November, many of the guys on the 9th floor, including myself, have decided to participate in 'No Shave November.' The idea seems simple enough; during the month of November, those of us participating will grow out our facial hair. Once you stop shaving however, it become more complex than it seems. Not looking down on those who display their facial hair year round, but I am personally not a big fan of having facial hair. I can only handle one month out of the year. It comes to a point where it is itchy on your neck, and without trimming the edges of the beard it is messy looking. Not to mention, since I have stopped shaving I have had Emily's hand on my face feeling my facial hair more often than not. Earlier today, some say I 'cracked.' I had to trim the edges of my new grown hair. Though it has only been 10 days, it was starting to look messy. Some say I should be disqualified, but I still have the bulk of the hair growing strong. As November progresses, at least until thanksgiving, I plan to continue to not shave my beard. It should be interesting to how we all look at the end of the month.

Dinner at Dr. Pardun's house

So tonight the Living and Learning Community, along with Stephanie and Lauren, gathered together for dinner at Dr. Pardun's house. It was so much fun! We all got dressed up and helped each other pick out what to wear. When we came downstairs to leave our dorm, our RM Jaime (Nana Shook) wanted to take pictures of us. When we arrived at Dr. Pardun's house, she welcomed us and we all introduced ourselves. She made chicken parmesan as the main entree and it was really good. Oh yeah, this is random, but her house is really pretty. When it came to dessert, we were all like, "OH MY GOSH! THIS IS AMAZING!!" She made a gingerbread cake with homemade whipped cream, it was incredible. We all talked with each other and bonded. We had a really fun time.

Running Club

It took a little bit of time, but I've finally gotten myself involved in a group here at USC. The USC Running Club is a new group that was created this year. I was a runner all throughout high school and really was hoping that there would be a group at USC for me to join. I helped start a small group on campus that met a few times earlier in the year, but it wasn't well known and there was already a larger group being created. But now the two groups have combined and we get together three times a week to go out for runs. I've met some cool people along the way and it will only get better from here. We're going to work on getting some fund raising going so we can enter in races and purchase uniforms. Hopefully it all goes well. 

Journalism Test Take Three.

Tuesday the living and learning community solidered through our third Journalism test. Although this test only covered two chapters, I feared that the details he wanted us to know would be a million times more extensive. One by one we turned in our tests and walked out of the examination room and gathered together waiting for the rest to finish up. After spending a week and a half of hardcore studying, we all were relieved that it was over and we only have one more test to pass until the end of the semester. As each person walked to our living and learning huddle, each face showed some apprehension, but also conveyed smiles. We all feel rather confident. We are finally beginning to perfect our college studying and test taking skills. So what's next? We wait. Tuesday our grades will be posted, but until then....we party.

Journalism Test Take Three.

Birthday cupcakes!

On Monday, I turned 19! I thought it would be weird to celebrate my birthday away from home, but it wasn't too bad. Kristyn surprised me with a crafty collage she made for me and I got a few cards from some of my new friends at school! Unfortunately, I couldn't do too much celebrating because of our Journalism test the next day, but a few of us traveled to Cupcake where I had two amazing cupcakes, Peanut Butter Banana Marshmallow and Cinnamon! I was really happy that my friends could celebrate with me and I appreciated that they still came out, even though most of us had a huge exam the next day. After that, Gabby and I had major crunch time for Wiggins' test and I hope I did well! Getting an A on his exam would be the best birthday present ever!...besides cupcakes, of course.

Lists

After reading "Courage to Lead" I decided to put some of the advice the book offers to work. I figured I would start by writing everything down, just like Charlotte recommends. This seems like a good idea in theory, and could actually be quite helpful... if I only made one list. I currently have twenty running lists scattered everywhere, all with different tasks, assignments, and appointments on them. My desks has sticky notes with lists, my notebooks have lists, the margins of my papers have lists, the back of my hand even has lists on it most days. The lists are overwhelming and more than slightly repetitive. Even though they seem completely unorganized, it still makes me feel better when I cross something off of my many lists.It emphasizes the fact that I have accomplished what needed to get done.

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!