Taking a Day

Today I am taking a day to not be a college student. Tuesdays are nice, because I don't have any classes other than a movie in the afternoon for the common freshman class. And those are usually fun or interesting.

So I started out the day getting up early and going to the local elementary school for a student athlete program called Reading Buddies. I got to read to a first grade class and do activities with them about pumpkins. After working with kids all summer, I really missed being around little kids who love it when you act like a total goofball. It was a ton of fun and made me feel rejuvenated. And then when I went to check my mail, I got a super sweet package from one of my favorite people in the whole world! It was the perfect pick-me-up!

I'm going to goof off and watch some Brothers and Sisters (I'm watching season 3), and then go to lunch. Then I have my movie (which is about reconciliation in Rwanda, should be very interesting. After that I have practice, but we're going to the first half of the women's soccer match against our rival school. After that I'll have to do my homework, but at least for today I can have some time to do things other than be a student!

Last night I went to Spanish Club game night. I played Taboo in Spanish, which was pretty tricky. But I held my own! Afterwards, I started teaching one of my suite mates guitar. C and G chords were our starting point so that she can play "Anyone Else But You" from the movie Juno. It was a good start, and fun to share the love!

Overall, life this week is good, after a somewhat more stressful one. It's the last week of volleyball, so now I can start to focus on all the other things I want to do!

Studying

I'm studying for an environmental studies test on population growth. Pretty interesting, but also a tad on the boring side. Either way, it's important. Next unit is biological destruction, which is guaranteed to get me riled up. Yesterday we had no classes- it was what is called "Fall Institute Day", where workshops are offered. I went to the workshop about our study abroad programs in Barcelona and Argentina. It's gotten me thinking about my future educational goals and all that jazz. I'm thinking a term in Argentina is in order, but I'm also going to be on the lookout for programs focused on the environment, as well as spanish language. I was also talking with some upper classmen on my team it got me thinking about doing an independent minor in agriculture. Lots to think about!!!

"I had withdrawn in forest, and my song

Was swallowed up in leaves that blew alway"

-Robert Frost

I'm off to play guitar and have some relaxation time.

Homework can wait.

It's my first Saturday off since I got to school- I don't have a volleyball game today.

So I slept in, hung out with friends, and am currently starting to read "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba. It's pretty good so far! The weather is nice out today, not too chilly. I'm starting to feel the need to get back to some woods... I don't have enough of nature! Only a few more weeks until I'm back to some mountains.

This is why I don't have my license

I would rather be driving this!

Earth Tones

Beets

I have a beet problem.

I love beets SO MUCH.

People think I'm crazy, and say they taste like dirt, but that's why I love them!

Because they taste like dirt in a GOOD way.

I also think beets are pretty.

So that's why I received this textile as a gift from my mom.

I got these two vintage pieces this last weekend at the Antique Mall nearby.

The pea one is an old seed box. This one is a beet can label.

Pretty awesome!

This is a print from Bread and Puppet. My mom and dad went to see them perform and, knowing I was jealous, sent me this poster. It's now on my dorm wall. Pretty snazzy.

In conclusion, please try beets. They are delicious. They are especially good with a medley of root veggies like carrots and potatoes. Golden beets are amazing! All you have to do is put some oil on them and throw them in the oven at 350-400ish for about an hour.

BEET THE SYSTEM!

Even though I love fall, I'm sad to say goodbye to the days of bright blue sky and green things stretching up to meet it.

I'm missing fresh veggies... but there's always next summer to look forward to!

These are peas reaching up in Vermont a few summers ago.

Being on a college campus reminds you of the amazing amount of potential that exists in young people. Although I don't always see it in people my age, I most often do. There are certainly a lot of amazing young thinkers in my life. It reminds me of a grace we sing at camp:

Let all people live their lives

as if life were a song

for singing out of light

provides the music for the stars

to go dancing circles in the night

Illinois MAP Grants in Jeopardy

The state of Illinois has cut the Illinois MAP (Monetary Award Program) Grant by $200 million. If this measure doesn't get vetoed, many students will be forced to drop out of college. More than 250 students at my school (which is roughly 1350 students) might have to drop out come January. This just seems so unfair that students taking the initiative to gain a college education are being cut off with little or no warning. Obviously, loosing that many students would have a pretty negative effect on campus life. I'm sure other colleges in the state are having similar problems. My school says they are committed to trying to keep students enrolled if the funding cuts stand, but there is only so much they can do.

If you would like to sign a petition, click here (you don't need to be a resident of IL).

If you would like more information, click here

There are tons of rallies going on next week, including one in Springfield. It's good to see that students (and their professors and administrators) are taking a proactive stance in defending their education.

Wind power strikes again!

I was watching an episode of The Daily Show and Jon Stewart was interviewing a charming guy by the name of William Kamkwamba, who built a windmill outside his house in Malawi out of old motor parts, PVC pipe, and a worn out bike wheel. The real kicker- he was 14. People thought he was CRAZY! You can watch the interview here. Click on the video "William Kamkwamba".

I must admit I went straight to Amazon and ordered the book he just wrote- "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope". I'll let you know how it is once I read it! Amazing the things we can do if we put our minds to it.

Wind farms

It was one of those moments where you REALLY wish you had brought your camera. My volleyball team was driving to Lincoln, Illinois for a game. Usually I space out and listen to music, sleep, or get some reading done for class, but I was in a seat that didn't really make it easy to sleep. So instead I looked out the window for about 2 hours straight. But it was totally worth it! All of a sudden, I saw wind turbines in the middle of corn fields! People say they are ugly, but I think they were beautiful. The corn stalks are all yellow, and the sky was so blue, it was picture perfect.

I don't think wind power can solve all our energy needs, but it seems pretty awesome to me that, even though I have a lot of issues with corn, the fields can also be used to house these giant power producers. My coach knows I'm into sustainability, and she asked me what I thought about wind power. I think that if we saw renewable energy in action every once in awhile, it would spark more conversations. But sadly, I don't often see many wind turbines or solar panels in the Northeast. Plus wind power seems to be recession-proof! I'll try to get a picture some other time, I'm sure I'll be passing through some wind farm one of these days on my way to Iowa or Wisconsin. Bus rides aren't my favorite, but I sure am seeing a lot of the Midwest!

I'm feeling lots better, I'm still stuffy but I feel like I'm on the mend! My dad is coming tomorrow for family weekend, and will get to see 2 games. And my quilt will be coming with him, too!

My bike!

I've wanted a new bike since I was about 12 years old. But I didn't really need one. But then, tada, I decided to go to college somewhere flat with actual sidewalks, where having a bike is actually a viable alternative to driving. And I got a card on graduation day with an IOU from my parents for a bike of my very own.So one weekend during the summer, we ventured to the Old Spokes Home in Burlington, Vermont. It is an awesome place that sells refurbished old bikes. And it was there that I found my awesome old-school turquoise Schwinn "Starlett".

Apparently I am not the only one here with a bike like this. I've seen some sweet fenders and white wall tired round these parts. I found my bike's soulmate outside one of the buildings the other day. I've also spotted a yellow one that is similar.I figure giving my bike another incarnation is pretty green. Yeah, it may be a little rusted and the seat squeaks, but I'm not wasting materials to build a brand new bike when there are still plenty out there that are running just as well.

I'm feeling much better. I went to my first class yesterday and realized that I needed to still be in bed. So I emailed my professors and went to sleep! I didn't go to practice either. Luckily, I'm feeling much better today, and luckily have no classes, so I can catch up on my work. I'll check in with the trainer this afternoon to see if I can practice! I'm super excited for my dad to come friday for family weekend, too. I wasn't homesick at all until I got sick- that's when you really want someone to take care of you!

Sicky

So I have the beginnings of a bad cold. My throat is sore, my nose is a little stuffy and I'm achy. But good news is I slept 12 hours last night and have been in bed drinking fluids and taking meds and resting (while doing homework sadly) all day. Lucky for me I have a mom who packed me all the things I need when I'm sick. One of my amazing suite mates is off to get me some soup, and everyone is checking in on me once in a while. Hopefully I'll go to bed early and be up for going to classes tomorrow. Send me some good thoughts if you would!

Back to School Shopping

I've always been a fan of school supplies- just ask my sisters. We were always Staples freaks. It was like kids in a candy store when we shopped for binders and notebooks. And then there were pens, glorious pens. And erasers, and highlighters, and compasses (did I ever use a compass? no). But this year I completely forgot to buy school supplies. I had to come early for volleyball, so I wasn't really thinking about classes so much.

But the time rolled around to buy some paper products. Sadly, the place I ended up was Walmart. Luckily, I found some 100% recycled notebooks, and they weren't all that much more expensive than normal ones. They are made by Carolina Pad and Paper. The notebooks are called "Sasquatch: Leave Nothing But Tracks". They have sturdy cardboard covers and are really cute! Check out these little trees-

So I'm using them for my three classes (yay trimesters, only 3 at a time!). They aren't filling up too fast, so I can probably use them for more than one term. And I also bought recycled loose-leaf paper.

I also sprang for three folders. I sprang the extra 30 cents each to buy the sturdier ones. I figure they'll last much longer and I can use them for several terms. Then I bought some 100% recycled pens in the school bookstore with my college's name on them. Now I can show school pride and be green!

I used cute stickers to label my stuff so that I can take them off and put on new ones for new classes.

So overall, by spending about 5ish dollars extra than usual on school supplies, I probably saved a whole buncha trees! And it wasn't even that hard.