New Things

Howdy,

This past week has been filled with a boat load of things, so many activities, so many things happening. It has been a little overwhelming, but we must plunge forward.

Let's begin. Well this past week I started watching Korra. Yes, I know I am late, but you guys know I am not good with the popular culture things. The important thing is that I am watching it now. I am only in the first season so no spoilers. Oh and yes I am loving it, it is fabulous, Korra kicks butt and Pabu needs to be my best friends.

Okay this might not sound too exciting, but I got a library card. It has mountains on it and it is plastic and shiny and I used it to check out Harry Potter. Again late to the party, but I'm doing it. So many gaps are being filled in in my understanding of Harry Potter. Or rather we are doing it. A friends of mine has decided to take it upon themselves to read the book to me. It's great. We spent a whole afternoon together reading it and eating chocolate. I feel bad about occupying so much of my friends, but I am really enjoying it for now so we will see where it goes.  Also did you know Hagrid's feet are the size of baby dolphins!

This past Friday, some of you may be aware, was all night trivia. It was simultaneously the best and worst experience of my life. It was crazy and fun and stressful and I loved it and hated it and wow yeah so fun. So it started at 10 pm and me being the punctual person that I am I went o the agreed meeting place for our team (my entry) and to my surprise no one was there! SO I ran upstairs to my room to launch the game. The trivia was part an on air radio show and part online. On the on-air component the hosts would ask a question and then play a song. you then had the length of the song to both answer the question and name the song and artist in a chat room. Every hour there are fifty or so questions you have an hour to complete usually with a theme. Also every hour there is a video trivia component where you have an hour to complete a video response to a prompt. Every four hours there are 200 or so question released that you have four hours to complete. AND to top it all off every hour a clue for the ultra bonus is released and the sooner you guess that the more points you get. So that being said a lot had to be set up prior to the game starting so I was shocked to be all by my lonesome. So I set it up and in 15 minutes the team had assembled, thank God. The evening was like a dream filled with highs and lows in moral and sobriety (other peoples). The trivia ended a 6 am and we ten stayed up another two hours to hear the results and celebrate. As a team of honest, rule abiding freshmen we tied for fifth place out of 42 teams! We were just hopping to make top twenty and we are top five. We rocked it! We also won a miss congeniality award of sorts for best video responses getting a 7 out of 6 (that is not a typo).

Here are two of the best (in my opinion):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeKtEB1VZoI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypy25A11sAI

Our team name was Murder She Scrote. I don't think I can explain it. Sorry guys.


This past week I also have been deliberating over who I am going to live with in the coming year. A group of people I have been sort of friendly with all year invited me to live with them. I wasn't really sure how to take it. First of all, it is kind of early. So it kind of came out of the blue. Second of all, I wasn't entirely sure they all really liked me. One thing I have learned since coming to college is that I am very bad at reading people. So I didn't know how to take it. I worried about just being a space filler. In the end I said yes, but I am still unsure. It is early and worst case scenario I can back out and enter the housing lottery alone. I wish I could just parade them in front of you guys and have you tell me whether or not they actually like me. Better yet, I wish I could just live with you ;).

In some more upbeat news I baked for the first time since going to college. Let me say this, it was the most rachet baking I have ever done. We lacked measure tools, a mixing bowl, mixing tools, a kitchen for a small period of time, but I persevered and made some darn good chocolate chip scones for an entry tea party.

Ugh it is winter study so that does mean there has been studying. Stained glass tiling has turned out to be more work that I thought it would be. So much cutting so much painting so much soldering SO LITTLE TIME! I would like to state for the record I only got three cuts, and they were nothing a hello kitty band-aid couldn't fix. Class sometimes feels like a sweat shop, but the people are nice. Also the class is making me realize how much I appreciate craftsmanship I my art. Attention to detail, thoughtfulness and good execution are what I find matter most to me in my artwork. I think that is what this course has taught me.


Well I hope you all are settling back in to your respective campuses nicely and I will see you on the interwebz.

Unicorns, Rainbows, and Puppies,

Jordan

Brief tears in Ithaca

Hi Girls!

I had such a great time seeing all of you over break! Currently I am back at school for rush week- which has not been going so well for me, and I'm only on day 3! There are 13 houses on campus and in the first two days you had to walk around and talk to all of them. There were maybe 5 that I felt that I could see myself in and that I thought I had a good connection with. Today, we met with our Rho Gamma groups ( basically a mentor) to get our invitations back. The Day before we preferenced 10 out of the 13 houses that we'd like to go back to. I only got asked back to 2 out of a maximum of 10. I was quite bummed and surprised. All of my friends got asked back to at least 6 so today I went through a sort of "why me" phase - then I decided to look on the bright side! Those houses obviously didn't like me as much as I liked them - they didn't want me- maybe I wouldn't have been a good fit. The whole process is a bit daunting ans superficial. Maybe its because I'm black, or not very tall, or skinny, not pretty, or maybe its because I don't wear designer brands. I can't dwell on that - I can only go to the houses that asked me back and be interested, cheery and ask questions. Who know's maybe I'll get a bid, or maybe I won't. My friends on the other hand annoyed me a lot. Maybe I'm too sensitive, but going on and on about ALL the houses you have to go back two seems a bit insensitive to me. I'm going into the second round today with a positive attitude, a smile and an open mind. If I don't end up in a house I'll be okay, I'll find other activities to get involved in on campus, join club fencing or something. I started writing this post wallowing in self-pity but now I'm totally pumped for what will happen later on it the day. Tomorrow you'll go to a maximum of 7 houses- most will not get asked back to 7 - and the day after a maximum of 3. I have no idea what the next couple of days will bring, I'm super excited, a whole lot nervous, I keep thinking "what if I don't get a bid" "what if I get dropped in the next round by both" "what if...what if..." But I can't think like that. That type of thinking crushes your spirit like no other.  In the end, maybe I should not have rushed- putting yourself out there and finding a whole lot of rejection is tough stuff. But hey, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger? -thanks Kelly. I'll keep an open mind.

I don't know. I'll keep you posted.

-Ky    

It's the most wonderful time of the year....

It's the hap-happiest season of allllllll!!!!!!

With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It's the hap-happiest season of all!!!!!!

There'll be parties for hosting,
Marshmallows for toasting,
And caroling out in the snow.
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories
Of Winter Studies long, long agoooooo!
It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!!

Yes my dearies it is winter study and it truly is the most wonderful time of the school year. Everything is bright and shiny and full of joy. It is also unbearably cold outside, this morning it was -8 and the wind chill brought it down to -23, but this means lots of hot coco so yay for me! (today I   have already had three cups)

Stained glass tiling is going well. The lady who teaches it is the sweetest little English woman and she loves stained glass soo much. I am learning a lot. I am very excited to become a craftsman. Guys, I can cut and paint glass and tomorrow I am learning to solder. It is all happening very quickly and I am so excited. 

Also because we all only have one class I have experienced some fantastic entry bonding. Like last night we all sat around and discussed and read poetry. Sincerely and honestly, with out a hint of sarcasm. It was like a scene out of the Dead Poets Society. It was magical. Today a bunch of us went to visit one of our local museums and we looked, I mean really looked, at art together. We spent like four hours there, and this was not a very large museum, but it was lovely. 

Fencing is starting back up tonight, but if it wasn't I would totally be with the entry playing on our intramural team. People really want me to play. Little do they know I suck at basketball, but I am interested in hearing how they do. I will participate, however, in the dodge ball league because as we all know I am a ninja. 

I can't wait to see what else Winter Study has in store for me because it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. 

Hope you all are having a good time at home, 

Jordan