C'est La Bonne Vie

La Douleur Exquise

2010-09-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

**Disclaimer** I apologize now if this entry is very Carrie Bradshaw-esque, but sometimes her style is just the only way for me to write. I think she has become my default setting. Yikes, now that is when you know you have watched too much Sex and the City!

Well I am writing this at 1:43 in the morning when I absolutely should be sleeping since I have to get up for work tomorrow, but I can't sleep with all these crazy thoughts jumping around in my head and I need to let them out. So anyways, here is the situation that has kept me tossing and turning tonight. I found out via facebook today that my ex lost his uncle in a tragic motorcycle accident this weekend, and I just felt unjustifiably sad. I mean, yes, I knew him, but not terribly well. I knew he was a wonderfully kind man with one of the most generous hearts of any person I had ever met. But, that was pretty much the extent of my knowledge, and yet I felt crushed when I heard the news. I was deeply sad for my old friend's loss, and even more so for his mother's loss as she had already lost a sibling and didn't deserve to suffer another loss, not that anyone ever deserves to suffer a tragedy like this. I told myself that there would be no tears, because this was not my loss. I could feel sad for this wonderful family, but that was as much emotion as I was going to allow myself to expend, because as Ms. Bradshaw says you are only allowed a certain number of tears on every man, and trust me my bank account on this one was already way overdrawn. But, apparently my tear ducts did not feel the same way and I just started to cry. And once it started it just wasn't stopping. I tried to convince myself that the tears were ok because I was crying for a life that ended too soon, but I knew deep down that I was crying for so much more. In reality I was crying for my lost relationship. And I don't mean the loss of a boyfriend, but a far greater relationship. The loss of the person who for three years was my rock, my support system, my everything. I cried for my lost friendship. For the fact that I was so far removed from his life that I had to even wonder if it was ok to send him a very short condolence email. I cried for the fact that I hardly knew him anymore. The boy who I had wanted to spend the rest of my life with was a total stranger to me. So I cried. I cried over a boy who I am completely over and have been over for some time now. Yet, there I was crying over him- something I hadn't done in a looooooong time. But I knew it had nothing to do with unresolved feelings for him, but for my own inability to keep the friend after losing the boyfriend- something I have never accomplished. Yes, I know that I have only had three opportunities in which to do so, but any statistician will tell you that anyway you slice it, a record of 0-3 just can't be spun into a good thing. It just seems like such a waste to throw away all the years of built up bonding and shared memories, but for me at least the cost of maintaining a friendship after a failed relationship is always just a little too expensive. And I just couldn't help but wonder... What pricetags are we willing to pay in a relationship?

Breakthrough!

2010-09-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

Hello lovely blog world! I have to apologize for my absence, as I have been neglecting my poor blog for a (gasp) new blog. I had been wanting to start a blog dedicated to fashion for quite some time and I have finally done it. Feel free to check it out if you have an interest in hearing my views on all things fashion! And I promise not to abandon my first blog love again! I haven't had anything particularly earth-shattering to write about lately anyways. But my month of September is packed with lovely trips so I should have plenty of entries to come. First up is a trek down to my favorite North Carolina town, ELON!! I already miss my swim loves so much so I am taking advantage of having Sunday off for Labor Day and heading down south for a much-needed reunion.

Today marked a major moment in my time here at USA Today. As previously mentioned, every Thursday we meet for the editorial board meeting and we discuss events, ideas or issues that we will be editorializing about in the near future and try to come to a consensus as to the opinion we should take. I absolutely love these meetings and typically find myself to engrossed in listening to all the brilliant exchanges at the table that I don't contribute to the discussion until it comes time to give our vote. But today, for the first time, I added my own two-sense for whatever it was worth. We had been debating the potential change in the way automobiles are graded regarding mileage numbers. Legislation was passed in 2007 that requires the EPA to create a new labeling system. The simplified system calls for giving cars letter grades of A through D. For example, an all electric car (such as the Volt or Leaf) would get an A+ while a fancy Italian sports car would fall to the bottom of the pile with a D. The writer briefed us on the issue and informed us that while he originally was opposed to the concept of a "nanny state making judgments about cars", he had changed his mind during research and was now in favor of this simple letter grade system. I admit, this wasn't even close to one of the most interesting/controversial issues we have discussed at our little ovalish table, but I still found myself with strong feelings against the letter system. It took me awhile to formulate my thoughts in my head enough to have confidence in my voice, but eventually I spoke up and argued that the letter system could have potentially dangerous effects on my generation- a generation that already has garnered a reputation of laziness. I think that if you take the average 20 something, who is a first time car buyer and has just left the school system where the concept of "the only thing that matters is the letter grade" has been drilled into their head for the past 18 years and show them car rankings with a big, bold government-generated letter grade in 72 point font at the top of the page and the information used to generate that grade in 14 point font at the bottom, the inevitable result will be that the young adult will choose a car with an A or B, regardless of whether they understand how that grade was given. Thus, we continue to allow my generation not to think for themselves and to rely on others to make their decisions. This system perpetuates pure laziness. Rather than empowering our generation, we are hindered from growth. Here is a concept, stop babying us and force us to grow up!! Don't give us the option of taking the easy way out, because apparently we will always take it.

Moving past my rant, I think I truly feel settled in here now. I am gaining confidence in my opinions and learning to venture out of the safety nest and share them with the table. Though my view was appreciated today, I know that this adventure means accepting the risk that my ideas won't always be valued or agreed with. But part of what this job is teaching me is that its ok! Everyday I watch great journalists who have been doing this for years get rejected and it is never the end of their world. They bounce right back in 2 minutes and propose another brilliant idea. I am learning that I just need to keep throwing legitimate ideas out there and eventually one will be caught and I will get a shot to run with it. So while my input in today's discussion certainly won't be changing any lives, the simple act of opening my mouth and letting my words go changed my entire day.

Indulging in a little retail therapy

2010-08-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it was more than a little. But I swear I only made essential purchases and the "therapy" was greatly needed! My little brother, who also happens to be my best friend, went back to school this weekend and moved into his very first apartment! I honestly miss him already, which is pretty pathetic, but trust me if you knew the kid you would totally understand. I am sure many siblings feel that their sibling is the best ever, but mine really is! Matthew is by far the funniest, most caring and all-around most wonderful person I know! He never fails to make me smile and laugh, particularly when he knows I need it the most, which he more than anyone else always can tell. There has never been a moment in my life when I needed him and he wasn't there. The two of us have always been freakishly close, and usually our only fights occur when one of us feels like we aren't spending enough time together. I can tell him anything and know that not only will he patiently listen to my complaints, but he will tell me what I need to hear most and not just what he thinks I want to hear. He has always wanted to be a part of my life, even when I made it difficult on my family. Luckily, his school is only two hours away and because we are so close, I know that I will visit often. But, it was still really hard to drive away from his apartment on Saturday, mostly because I had just been hit in the gut with the realization that my "baby brother" is all grown up. I have no idea when this happened, but when I look at my handsome 6'1" baseball-player brother I see a man. A man that makes me proud every single day to be able point to him and say "that's my brother". A man that has matured into the kind of person that is absolutely adored by his peers and seems to take on a position of leadership among his friends so naturally. A man who is a born mediator and has a remarkable ability to easily diffuse tense situations, particularly within our family of strong-willed personalities. A man whose athletic talents combined with a quiet humility are beyond words. And most importantly, a man who even at the tender age of 19 gives me no doubt about the fact that he will one day be an absolutely incredible husband and father to a very lucky family. I am extraordinarily blessed to call this young man my brother, and I thank God every day for giving me this blessing. There is not a single human-being on this planet that I love more than him. I truly hope that I show him this every day and I hope that I can make him just as proud as he continually makes me. Matthew, even though you will probably never read this I love you so much bud and I will miss you while you are at William and Mary. See you in a few weeks!!

Well, I had intended this post to be about fashion, so forgive me for getting so mushy! Though the shopping couldn't completely take my mind off my brother's newly empty room, it certainly helped! Our local mall was lucky enough to have the first ever Bloomingdale's outlet open on Friday and Mom and I decided this was an event we couldn't miss! We both found some great purchases, including her Eileen Fisher pants, my 7 For All Mankind skinny jeans, coach wristlet and gorgeous navy blue Elie Tahari boyfriend blazer (pictures to come later). My fall must-have list now has three lovely check marks! We both agreed that the store had an awesome selection and the prices were terrific! The shoe and handbag section had us both drooling! Yet, the best part of this day had nothing to do with our major fashion scores. My mom and I had an amazing day together and it was wonderful to get to spend this quality time with her. We haven't had that much one-on-one time lately, and even though a friend of hers went with us, it still reminded me of our special mother-daughter shopping trips we would take every year before school. I always looked forward to those trips, and I am sure she thought it was just because she was buying me great new clothes (and of course who wouldn't love that!), but to me they always had a much larger significance. It was a day that I got to have my mom all to myself, and because of the fact that my mom was a working mother and my brother and I were raised by a nanny, that meant a lot! I have never for a minute begrudged the decision my mom made to pursue her career because I know it was the right decision for her and I am immensely proud of all that my incredible mother has accomplished in the workplace. She gave me a wonderful example of how to balance family and career and I greatly admire her for that. But, I definitely valued those days when I got to spend time with my mom and didn't have to share her with anyone else. My mom has always been one of my best friends, and I valued her opinion on everything in my life, whether it was about clothes, boys, academic decisions or friend dilemmas. Our yearly shopping trips were always a time when I could pick her brain about all of these aspects of my life! I hope I showed her my appreciation of her time back then, but since I was a typical teen, it is very likely that it appeared to her that I took her time and generosity for granted. Hopefully, when she reads this blog (since she is still my biggest fan) she will realize how much every one of those long-ago shopping trips meant to me, and why it had very little to do with what we brought home in our bags. Much love to Barbara Wainman- the greatest shopping buddy, confidante and mother any girl could have! <3

Reliving a childhood dream

2010-08-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I got to do something that to me was one of the coolest things I have done for my career yet! For my first story for the Woodbridge Patch I wrote a recap of the local minor league baseball team's season, who is currently leading their league and expected to do very well in the playoffs. This involved lots of behind the scenes interviews of players and coaches, all of which took place in the locker room and dugout. Now, I understand that to many this doesn't seem like a very big deal, since it is only a minor league team. But for me, it was about so much more than just interviewing professional athletes and coaches for the first time. For me, it was about reliving a childhood dream. I probably should have mentioned that I have been attending games at this stadium basically since I could talk. My parents, being the baseball freaks that they are, have followed the team since they moved to the area, thus my brother and I have never known anything different than summers filled with nights at this glorious park. I have more memories there than possibly anywhere else in my entire childhood, and most of them are some of my absolute best memories. My entire family laughing and happy and bonding over our shared nutty passion for the game, my brother and I screaming at the top of our lungs in a desperate attempt to win the "pizza scream", thousands of pictures with the various mascots over the years, baseballs scrawled with unintelligible signatures of guys whose dreams hinged on moving on from this "low level" team as quickly as possible, etc, etc. I lived for the nights when my dad would come home and command my brother and I to grab our gloves and be ready to go to the park in five minutes. Who knew that pure childhood joy could be bought for $8? The point is that being in that locker room talking with players who reminded me of the guys that I had worshiped as a little girl, instantly took me back to the hundreds of nights I had sat in those seats calling to the players as they took practice swings, desperately hoping that they would turn around and give me a wave. Now, I had been given the opportunity of having their undivided attention, even if it was only for 5 minutes. And I was so happy to see how down-to-earth these guys were. They didn't seem to have been corrupted by the world of professional athleticism just yet and were able to give a realistic analysis of their abilities and lives. I must admit that I have never felt less like a journalist in an interview before; instead I still felt like that little girl who was a die-hard fan. It took quite an effort to forgo my desire to ask for an autograph and remind myself that I was just doing my job, just as they were.

In the end I think the article turned out pretty good, and I will post the link once Patch goes live on Friday. In the meantime, check out some of the pictures from the games last weekend:

1B Tyler Moore, 23 from Brandon, Mississippi
Leading the Carolina League in HRs and RBIs

SS Jose Lozada makes the throw to first

Manager Gary Cathcart coaches third base, with Daniel Lyons at the plate

Francisco Soriano attempts to beat out a bunt that was eventually called foul.

Update: Patch officially went live on Friday!! Make sure to check it out for great local news coverage. And, as promised here is the link to my article about the Potomac Nationals!

Maximizing my interests

2010-08-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest worries my dad had when I confidently told him that I was giving up my plan of being a lawyer to pursue my passion of writing was that I would forever struggle to make ends meet. Though I have only been in the field of journalism for two months, I can already see why he was a bit worried. Currently, I am still living at home, which has its advantages, but I have been searching for apartments in DC for about a month and a half now.While I have not found a place yet, I have already accepted that I am not going to be able to save nearly as much this year as I would have liked. A large percentage of my paycheck will be going to rent, food and other bills, leaving very little left for savings, let alone "fun money." The lesson I am learning from this is that I am going to need to get creative and "maximize my interests" if I want to be able to have that extra bit of wiggle room financially.

Luckily, journalists have quite a few options when it comes to making side incomes. I have chosen to pursue two of these paths: freelancing and photography. A few months ago a good friend of mine, Alison Fallecker, introduced me to a financial magazine called Brass that is dedicated to helping young adults better understand finances and is written entirely by young adults. I applied to begin freelancing for the company and had my first article published in the magazine a few days ago: Conning The Con Men: Be a savvy consumer and avoid the scam It was a pretty great feeling when I received that first pay check. It was the first time that I really felt like a real writer! I have also agreed to freelance for a new local online publication called Patch, that is run by my childhood friend, Lauren Jost, and will be officially launching on August 20th. Check back for the site address in a couple weeks. My first two assignments for Patch could not be more perfect for me! I will be writing a story recapping our minor league baseball team's season! If you didn't know already, I am a major baseball nut and I have been going to games at this minor league stadium since I was old enough to talk. I am probably way more excited than I should be about interviewing the coaches and players of this team, but I accepted long ago that when it comes to baseball, I am a little nutty. My second story will be a recap of the summer swim seasons of our local teams. Again, perfection, considering I was a competitive swimmer my entire life and spent 13 summers swimming for my local team. The Westridge Waves.

As of late photography has become one of my favorite pastimes. While I am definitely a beginner and still have a lot to learn, I think my first attempts at photography have shown that I have somewhat of a talent. I am really hoping to take a class at George Mason so that I can start to study this new interest. I am also lucky to have several close friends who are wonderful photographers that I can learn from, including my best roomie and my cousin. I absolutely love looking at both their photos and learning from them by studying the kinds of moments they choose to capture. My best friend recently got married and was kind enough to let me practice photography by taking her engagement pictures. They are by no means fantastic, but she was pleased with how they turned out, and that was all I cared about. It was such a joy being able to contribute something to my best friend's big day! I am going to continue practicing and building my portfolio by offering to take free pictures of friends and families special moments and I can't wait to see how the journey unfolds!

Charles and Tashina Harris, engagement shots

Challenges of editorializing at a national newspaper

2010-08-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

I mentioned yesterday that my favorite aspect of my job with USA Today is attending editorial board meetings. While I definitely look forward to those Thursday meetings, I am also blessed to be able to attend the daily writer meetings that occur every morning. We use these meetings to discuss what current news we think would make good editorial topics. All three of the writers take turns pitching story ideas and justifying why they think their idea would make a good editorial. I have been expected to contribute ideas since day one, which I admit was way scary in the beginning. I still feel nervous some mornings when I pitch an idea that I am unsure about, but I am learning a lot about what kinds of issues we tend to focus on. For example, we will almost always write about any major Capital Hill event. The majority of our editorials come from political news that occurs in the House, Senate or White House. As a national newspaper, we have a responsibility to our readers to be editorializing about issues that affect the nation, thus we try to stay away from local events even if they are considered major news by the larger papers in the area. For example, I read a great Post story the other idea about how the DC metro is having one of the most violent summers it has had in 20 years. There have been several large-scale fights that have scared away many non-rush hour riders. It is an issue that has received a lot of attention in the area papers, particularly the Washington Post and the Washington Times. Without really thinking about it I pitched the idea of writing an editorial about what has changed to increase metro violence and what measures need to be taken to curb it. However, I was quickly reminded that while our DC/VA/MD readers might find that editorial useful, readers outside of this area might not. It was a really good lesson about the challenges that editorial writers for a national newspaper face every day. Papers such as The Washington Post and The New York Times have the luxury of having a nation-wide readership, but still being based in a local area. Thus, they can editorialize about issues that happen in the DC/NY area as well as the events that are affecting the nation. We, on the other hand, can really only write about local events if they can be tied into a larger issue that the majority of our readers can relate to. Definitely something interesting to think about as I consider where I want to go after this fellowship.

On a side note, my editor told me yesterday that he will be taking me out to lunch next week to discuss getting me writing for the paper! It was excellent news! He even said he mentioned my name and sent my portfolio to the Life section (my favorite) editor and said we can discuss how I can start writing for that department as well. I can't wait to have this lunch! I certainly love my job as it is now, but I am thrilled about the idea of getting back to writing. I remember how exciting it was the first time I had a byline in The Pendulum, so I can only imagine how it will feel to see my name in a major newspaper!

Life in the big girl world

2010-08-10T13:04:00.000-07:00

So I am about two months into my job and I am still loving every minute of it! It will get to be 6 pm and I am honestly thinking, but I'm not ready to go yet! I feel so lucky to be in this office, getting to learn from some writers who I really admire and who can teach me so much. One of the things that I look forward to every week is the editorial board meeting. Every Thursday the entire opinions page staff meets and we discuss issues that will be upcoming editorials. The writer presents a brief description of the issue and highlights the main facts in case anyone is unfamiliar with the details, which never really happens because everyone here is brilliant and completely informed at all times. Then we debate what stance we think the paper should take on the issue. Of course we have to consider our past opinions if it is an issue that we have editorialized about before, because we very rarely change our stance on issues. We take into account new major developments of course, but we try to remain consistent. These meetings are definitely the best part of the week because ten intelligent minds (plus me) are sitting around exchanging ideas and forcing one another to look at an issue from a point of view we may never have considered. Many times I have gone into the meeting feeling quite confident that my view was right and I leave the meeting feeling exactly the opposite because one of my colleagues introduced me to a new concept that totally opened my eyes and made me see things entirely different. I love it! I love everything about this industry and being here. I don't know if my college roommate will ever know how much she affected my life, but I cannot thank her enough for asking me to write that first article and getting me hooked for life! Thanks Ash!!

Trip to London January 2007- one of our first memories together!

Graduation Day May 2010- Our latest memory together, with many more to come!

So dreams do come true...

2010-06-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was possibly one of the best days of my life. I have been freaking out about my future for the last several months because I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of my life and i felt like I was just floundering. But now, I am officially no longer floundering because..... I GOT A JOB!! Not only did I get a job, but I got the dream job. USA Today has offered me a year long fellowship working with the opinions editor. I am beyond excited. Someone actually wants to pay me to write and that someone is one of the best papers in the nation! Of course I will be doing a lot more grunt work than actual writing, but my boss said I will definitely have the opportunity to get some bylines. Plus, I am going to be learning so much about the industry and that is an invaluable experience. Well I am sure I will have a lot more to say once I have started working, but for now I am incredibly happy and eager to start my dream job!

Needing more time

2010-04-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

"Cause I need more time Just a few more months and we'll be fine"

I have just discovered this song called "More Time" by Needtobreathe and it is absolutely perfect for what I feel right now. I graduate in less than a month and I am really starting to freak out. I have major butterflies in my stomach all the time now. A lot of my friends at other schools have finished finals and graduate in a few days and they are all so excited. I don't feel that way in the least. Am I excited to be done with schoolwork? Of course! But am I anywhere near ready to leave the amazing friends I have made this year? NO! I never thought I would be sad when this time got here. I thought I would be ready and excited to start that next phase of my life. Granted, I did think that the next phase would start with my wedding and since we all know those plans changed, I guess that could have something to do with why I'm not as excited. I just can't even imagine trying to say goodbye to the people who have made my senior year indescribable. I just start crying thinking about it. We had our last swim meet on Sunday and I literally had to go to the locker room so that my team wouldn't see me cry. I think a big part of the reason I feel this way is because I feel like I missed out on the first two years of college. I don't regret it at all because at the time I was deliriously happy and in love, but a part of me does wish I could add on an extra two years now that I am experiencing a new kind of love. Most of my friends here are freshmen or sophomores and they are just starting this amazing journey and I want to continue it with them. I know I will be down to visit, but I also know it won't be the same at all. I will be an adult in the real world. I need to be responsible and accept that. I had my four years of fun and I chose to make them what I made them. I need to focus on the amazing times I have had this year and not focus on what I didn't have. I intend to make every last moment at this wonderful place count, so that I will always remember my senior year as one of the best years of my life. It already has been the best year and I am so thankful for that, and for all the people who made it that way. And I still have a few weeks to make even more memories that will help me when I have moments of sadness after May 22nd. So I'm off to continue living my awesome life and I'm sure there will be many more contemplative posts to come. :)

Service with a smile

2009-12-07T23:25:00.000-08:00

Campus organizations give back

by Laura Wainman, November 18, 2009

Residents of a college town are always quick to notice when their slightly louder college neighbors step out of line and engage in behavior viewed as unsatisfactory. But what often goes unnoticed are the many acts of service Elon students engage in around the community.

The motto of Elon Volunteers! is to focus on the reason behind the service and not just the service itself, which is exactly what attracted senior Andrea Medinaceli, the Kernodle Center's outreach intern, to the organization in the first place.

"I think Elon tends to come off as a rich school, and service projects are a way of showing the residents of our community that Elon students truly care," Medinaceli said. "It says we aren't just donating money because we have it, but are interested in making a difference and affecting lives."

Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, hunger is on everyone's mind. Yet little attention is paid to those who are hungry during this feasting season. But at Elon, many organizations are dedicating an entire week to promoting awareness of the hungry and homeless.

Last night the annual Will Read for Food program was held in Yeager Recital Hall, and many Elon students, faculty and staff read selections from their favorite writers. All participants and attendees brought a can of nonperishable food to be donated to the Alamance County Food Bank.

Across town, on Nov. 17 the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. hosted a community service trip to the Allied Church of Burlington to help build beds for the homeless.

The educational week will culminate with a sleep-out on the west lawn Friday. Participants will sleep outside either in sleeping bags or cardboard boxes to show their support for ending the stigmas against the homeless. Guest speakers will be present and the documentary "Have You Seen Clem" will be shown.

Alpha Phi Omega
It is tradition for the newest brothers of the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, to plan a fundraiser, a fellowship and a service project. After raising funds for National Hunger Awareness Week at Coldstone Creamery and hosting a fellowship at CiCi's Pizza, 13 of the 17 pledges held a party at Blakey Hall, an assisted living community in Elon for the residents last Saturday.

"Activities like our Blakey Hall party are a mutual benefit to students and the community," senior APO president Julia Roberts said. "The residents get an opportunity to engage with college-age students, which truly brightens their days, and the students gain a little perspective and are taught humility — a lesson which is especially valuable for Elon students who tend to be from a higher socio-economic class than the typical Burlington resident."

Roberts said one of the most important aspects of being an active member of a community is practicing gratitude and making it an action rather than just an emotion, which is one of the reasons she joined APO.

"When students get involved it helps perpetuate a positive representation of Elon as a university whose students are not only socially aware, but also socially active," Roberts said. "Plus, Elon students are an integral part of fostering and maintaining community partnerships that have taken years to form."

While a portion of the 46 active members were entertaining the elderly residents at Blakey Hall, more of the brothers were engaging with other members of the community, such as lending assistance at PetSmart's holiday adoption weekend and participating in a Habitat for Humanity build. To cap off the weekend, the brothers of APO and sisters of ESA collaborated at the Conservators' Center for half a day on Sunday. It was an average weekend for an organization that has committed more than 900 hours of community service this semester.

Epsilon Sigma Alpha
Epsilon Sigma Alpha is Elon's co-ed service sorority whose 30 active members dedicate hundreds of hours of community service every semester to its two philanthropies — St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and Easter Seals.

One of the biggest events for the sorority is the biannual service trip to St. Jude. Several members of ESA gave up their fall breaks this year to visit the hospital headquarters in Memphis, Tenn. The trip allows students to see first-hand the benefits of their service efforts for St. Jude.

"Our organization sends money to St. Jude's all the time and we never get to see how it is really impacting lives," said junior Brandon Landreth, president of the chapter. "I think this trip really got our members a lot more excited about what we are doing and inspired to continue the work."

Last Friday ESA hosted its semesterly babysitting night for the children of Elon faculty and staff, designed to give the parents a night off, free of charge. Participants are told they may give a donation to St. Jude's if they wish.

"Not only is coloring with a 4-year-old relaxing, but they have wonderful insights on the world," junior service chair Linda Kurtz said. "It's a great break from college life and a nice way to thank Elon faculty and staff for all of the hard work they do by giving them a few hours to do whatever they like."

While Landreth said raising funds for St. Jude's is ESA's primary focus, it also tries to help out as much as possible in Alamance County,too.

"We want all of our members to be engaged members of their community," Landreth said.

In December the sorority will again be giving back to the community by participating in Christmas Cheer. The members will have the chance to give the gift of Christmas to one family in the Alamance community.

"We will be given the ages of the children of our family, told of their most immediate basic needs, as well as a suggestion for a fun toy they may enjoy," Landreth said. "Our members love participating in Christmas Cheer because they know they got to help make a family's Christmas a little brighter."

Landreth said he feels Elon is already doing a good job attracting engaged students, but needs to continue getting the word out about how students can get involved in the community from the moment they come to Elon.

"If you have a good experience with community service as a freshman, you are likely to continue," Landreth said.

Shedding light where appropriate

2009-12-07T23:19:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being so negligent about my blog lately. I will try and post most of my stories that have run since the last post, although a few of them are really only relevant to Elon students, thus, I will leave those out.

The students at Elon are constantly being recognized for their stellar achievements, and while I certainly do not wish to make light of these achievements, I feel that the work of our outstanding professors is too often overlooked. In this article I attempted to shed light on just a few of the amazing projects Elon professors have undertaken.

Going behind the scenes of faculty research

A look into life outside the classroom

by Laura Wainman, November 4, 2009

College is akin to the production of a play. The students spend months learning their lines and rehearsing. As the final performance nears, they begin to frantically cram, spending night after night surviving on caffeine alone.

Finally, the big moment arrives, the curtain is raised and the audience prepares to judge the performance. The limitation of the audience, though, is they miss out on 90 percent of the process, as they only view the finished product.

Just as a student's knowledge cannot accurately be garnered from the final exam grade, the work of a professor cannot be assessed from their time spent in the classroom alone.
Students are aware of the "teacher" role their professors play, but what often goes unrecognized is the months of research faculty members conduct.

Jean Schwind

Most college professors spend very little time thinking about high school, but for
Jean Schwind, associate professor of English, it is a subject that is on her mind daily, especially its representation in American film and fiction.

"Art not only reflects our culture, but shapes it as well," Schwind said. "Portrayals of high school in film and fiction also shape how we view secondary education and teaching, which as a teacher is a subject I am very interested in."

Schwind's research subject is a fairly new topic to be included in fiction, since children served mainly as income contributors before the Depression, and high school was something only wealthy families could afford. This led Schwind to choose to use cultural materialism and new historical criticism to examine this phenomenon.

"I am looking at published documents that discuss things such as how a high school should be designed, both in terms of curriculum and architecture," Schwind said.

Currently, Schwind is still debating what the finished product of her research will be. In the past, she has written a series of articles as she goes along the research process and then compiles them into a book to market once she is completely finished.

"Right now I am working on an article about the role of the foreign exchange student in film and fiction regarding high school," Schwind said.

Most of Schwind's research is individual. But she does teach an upper level GST course on American adolescence every other year, and she said students often undertake research projects that help her with her own.
Safia Swimelar
Safia Swimelar, a political science professor, has long been a believer in the power of images and films as teaching tools, as she said they can help illuminate difficult topics more clearly for students. Now she is putting her theories to the test as she studies how feature films are useful in an International Relations course.

"I am not going into this study assuming that the films will be useful, but rather attempting to determine if they are and how so in order to learn how to better use films in college courses," Swimelar said. "I think that film is used often in the classroom, but perhaps not always to its fullest extent. I think all professors, including myself, could benefit from having a deeper understanding of how films can enrich the classroom experience and engage students more in the learning process."

Swimelar's classroom has become her laboratory as she involves her current international relations students in her research.

Throughout the course, students will watch five feature films, and produce film responses within 24 hours after seeing the film. Though Swimelar said she is not currently reading the responses for anything other than grading purposes, she will review them after the completion of the course and utilize what students gained from each film for her own research.

Essays written during the semester, as well as classroom discussions, will also be valuable to her research at a later stage.

"I am not doing research just for research sake, but for the purpose of helping professors become better teachers and students to become better learners," Swimelar said. "Research forces you to be more aware of how you teach and how students learn, which is what I am always aiming to improve upon."

Elon offers a variety of programs for professors to set up specific times to work on research, such as the course release program, which allows a couple of professors in every department to drop one course for the semester and spend that time researching.

"Elon promotes research aimed at improving teaching, whereas a lot of schools only want pure academic research," Swimelar said. "I think Elon is unique in the fact that it values both and recognizes that opportunities must be given to ensure professors can produce quality research ."

Hal Walker

Surveys are created by the dozen to evaluate how effectively students were prepared for college. But what often goes unanalyzed is how students feel their college curriculum equipped them for the dreaded "real world."

Hal Walker, a leisure and sport management professor, plans to change that.

Though Walker is currently writing a textbook, he has also undertaken a second research project with the goal of creating a valid and reliable tool to measure how prepared college seniors feel to venture into the workforce.

The idea stemmed from a simple survey conducted among the leisure and sports management majors to assess what their career paths would be. Walker decided to expand the project to conclude what courses were most valuable to Elon students and how the curriculum could be adjusted to best suit the needs of future leisure and sport management majors.

"My plan is to write appropriate questions to measure the topic and have them reviewed by five or six experts in the field before it is disseminated to students," Walker said. "I will ask the students to answer the survey twice, waiting about a month in between each set of responses to ensure that their answers remain consistent. The long-term plan is to try and catch back up with the same set of students four or five years down the road and ask them to re-evaluate the effectiveness of their college curriculum from the perspective of the workforce."

Walker reiterated Swimelar's sentiments of not merely doing research for research's sake, but wanting his results to help further develop the direction of the leisure and sport management major and the students. He said he appreciated Elon placing an emphasis on combining teaching, research and service in the classroom.

"I have always been interested in applying research because I am a pragmatic person," Walker said. "Maybe I am just an idealist, but I feel that my job as a professor is to always be thinking about what is best for the program and our students. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of our curriculum and adjusting accordingly will certainly benefit students down the road."

Why should professors pursue faculty research?

There is a widespread belief professors must either choose to teach or do research, but they simply cannot engage in both simultaneously. For Earl Honeycutt, a marketing professor and the 2008-2009 Distinguished Scholar at Elon, this is completely inaccurate as he said he believes research forms the basis of a university and promulgates the growth and development of both faculty and students alike.

"I truly don't think there can be a university without scholars, and you do not have scholars if research is not being done," Honeycutt said. "Professors need to be maintaining their own knowledge in order to profess knowledge to their students, and the best way to do that is to remain active in academic endeavors."

Honeycutt said he also sees research as the best tool for progress, particularly in fields that are constantly changing.

"If I don't stay abreast of the changes in my field, I will get left behind," Honeycutt said. "The greats are never complacent, they are always working toward improvement, and I think that should be the goal of every professor at Elon. There is no better way to accomplish that than through doing research in your field of study."

According to Honeycutt, the benefits of faculty research extend beyond the personal realm of the professor and spill into students' lives, as well.

"Students whose professors have taken on research questions are getting the most current knowledge from professors who are truly excited about their discipline," Honeycutt said. "These individuals are the ones who go the extra mile to learn as much about a topic as they can and are more likely to have gotten input about their teaching methods from other colleagues. This is nothing but beneficial to the students."

Honeycutt finished his fourth book last fall and is currently working on several articles, including one on attempting to reduce turnover in the sales force.
What resources are available to professors interested in faculty research?

Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

CATL works with faculty to promote a comprehensive understanding of the learning process and different learning styles, improve teaching skill, implement new learning techniques and above all foster growth of the Elon Teacher-Scholar attitude. A team of consultants are available to work one on one with faculty engaged in research regarding teaching as well as assist in obtaining grants and filling out Institutional Review Board applications. Classroom observation and videotaped analysis by members of the consultant team are also methods of evaluating faculty research.

Elon Teaching and Learning Partnership

ETLP combines the resources of high school teachers from Alamance and Orange counties as well as college faculty to improve the teaching at both levels and bridge the divide that can form between secondary and post-secondary educators. The communities of faculty explore common questions surrounding teaching and student learning methods and many professors choose to partner with ETLP to conduct their own research. Elon's ETLP facilitators include Dr. Peter King, Dr. Katie King, Megan Isaac and Ben McFadyen.

The office of Sponsored Programs

The Sponsored Programs office assists faculty in securing external funding for research projects and encourages the involvement of students in grant projects. Faculty can also seek assistance from this office in the development of projects and proposals.

Legacy Phoenix: The journey to Elon

2009-10-26T00:54:00.000-07:00

The greatest thing about being a journalist with the Pendulum is that I get an opportunity to learn about my fellow students every day. I have met people doing incredible things that I never would have known about had it not been for a pendulum interview. An 18 year old with a book published, a stunt driver, a girl who performed the lead in a broadway musical for a year etc. etc. Well for my last special projects story I got to delve into the lives of four legacy families at Elon. It was a blast learning about the family connections these students have and how this has changed their college experience. Keep reading to see what I learned.

Legacy Phoenix
For most students, starting college means beginning with a fresh, clean slate. It is an opportunity to completely redefine how they are known. But what about those students who come to Elon with a distinct family name? Legacy students — the sons, daughters, grandsons or granddaughters of Elon alumni — are sometimes viewed as students who got into Elon based more on their last name rather than their credentials, a myth Vice President of Admissions Susan Klopman wants to dispel.

"The notion behind legacies has been misrepresented in the press," Klopman said. "This is the best way for people to stay connected to their university for generations. That may mean that great ideas are generated, or it may mean that financial support is given. Obviously, if the relationship is abused it is negative because you aren't doing those students any favors by letting them into a school they are not qualified to attend."

Klopman said the likelihood of a family making a sizable donation to Elon increases when the second generation attends the school.

"It is a positive thing to let legacies in, because the support they give the university benefits all students," Klopman said. "And let's be honest here — if only 32 of 1,298 students are legacies, they don't even make up a large majority of the student body."

Though the story that brought each legacy to Elon differs, the students are united in a common bond they all acknowledge: coming to Elon felt like their destiny.

Hillary Smithdeal
Every family has their traditions. Perhaps it is a family reunion in the summer or an outing to cut down the Christmas tree in the winter. For sophomore Hillary Smithdeal, the all-important decision of choosing a college meant choosing between two family traditions: would she be the fourth generation of Tarheel Smithdeals at University of North Carolina, or fly her third generation Phoenix wings at Elon University?

"When I was little, I always wanted to go to UNC because my whole dad's side of the family had gone there," Smithdeal said. "My mom always talked about considering Elon, but I told her to stop pressuring me to go to a school I had no interest in. But junior year I had a minor panic attack realizing how difficult it is to get into, and my mom finally convinced me to take a tour of Elon and at least consider it. Well, as the saying goes, the moment I stepped on campus, I had made my decision."

Smithdeal said it was a huge deal for her family when she made the decision to go to Elon since she was the only grandchild who was considering it.

"I got my acceptance letter a few days before Christmas, so when we all got together that year I felt like I had suddenly joined the club," Smithdeal said. "It has brought me so much closer to my family because we now have this really important aspect of our lives in common."

Smithdeal's connection to Elon dates all the way back to Earl J. Danieley's presidency, when her great-grandmother, Mary Thomas, was his secretary. Her great-great uncle, Horace Hendrickson, was a football coach at Elon and holds a place in the sports Hall of Fame. The new field house is going to be named after the Hendricksons since her great aunt and uncle, Amy and Jay Hendrickson, raised a large portion of the money needed to build it.

Smithdeal is well-known at Elon and cannot easily escape her family legacy.

"I definitely have a name to live up to because so many people know me here," Smithdeal said. "I actually had Dr. Danieley for chemistry before I dropped the class, and I went up to introduce myself to him after the first class and he recognized me. I can't afford to misbehave here."

Smithdeal's Elon alumni include mother Lisa Smithdel, grandmother Mary Anne Johnston, grandfather Leslie Johnston, great-aunt Amy Hendrickson, great-uncle Jay Hendrickson, great-uncle Ray Thomas, cousin Lee Thomas and great-great uncle Horace Hendrickson.

Max and Casey Pickler
Freshman Max Pickler filled the days of his senior year of high school with studying, football and spending time with friends, just like most of his classmates. But when it came time to choose a college, Pickler was atypically calm and worry-free. He had known where he wanted to go his entire life: Elon University, to join a long list of Phoenix relatives, including his big brother, senior Casey Pickler. But he made the decision completely on his own, free of pressure from his parents or brother.

"I never even considered another school," Max said. "My entire family graduated from Elon and everyone only had good stuff to say. Why wouldn't I want to come here?"

Though many legacy students admit to feeling pressure to live up to the family name, both the Pickler boys said this pressure isn't really an issue in their family.

"I think it was more of an issue in high school to be honest," Casey said. "All the men in our family played football, so since everyone always saw us doing the same thing, they expected the same results from each of us. At Elon I get to do my own thing and be my own person."

Max said since they have all majored in different areas, it is his responsibility to make his name known and create his own path.

Casey is not only following in his parents' footsteps by choosing Elon, but also in finding his future wife at Elon. Casey proposed to his fiancée, senior Rae Hinkle, during the summer and just as his parents met at Elon, Casey met Hinkle during his sophomore year at Elon.

"It wasn't like I had to find someone at Elon — it just kind of happened," Casey said. "It was just a coincidence. We hit it off right away and haven't looked back since."

And how does little brother Max feel about this newly started tradition?

"It would certainly be nice to find a girl here, but I'm only a freshman," Max said. "I definitely don't feel any pressure."

The Pickler brothers' Elon alumni include parents Gerald and Dawn Pickler, older brother Brian Pickler, aunt Debbie Luciano and cousin Jamie Luciano.

Megan Morgan
Junior Megan Morgan vividly remembers sitting Under the Oaks waiting for commencement to begin. She stood on her chair craning her neck to see, but all she cared about was her itchy dress. After all, she was only 7. Though Morgan has been visiting Elon for as long as she can remember, this was the first memory she recalled at her sister's graduation in 1996.

"Elon was always in my life, but I never really thought about it until I got older," Morgan said. "My family left the decision up to me, although my mom did joke a few times that she didn't understand why no one wanted to go to U-Penn."

For Morgan, the decision to attend Elon was not simply a given, as she chose to look at other schools.

"I was on the fence between Elon and Georgia Southern University because I didn't want to just do what everyone else in my family had done," Morgan said. "In the end, I loved Elon's campus and the size was a much better fit than GSU."

Despite Morgan's qualms about following her dad, sister and brother, she said it was easy to find her own place at Elon because they all had such varied interests. While her sister chose to participate in Zeta Phi Beta and her brother was a member of the Fire of the Carolinas, she found her own niche in the rugby club.

"Even though things are very different at Elon than when my dad was here, it is really comforting knowing that he can relate to things I deal with," Morgan said.

Morgan's father, Marvin Morgan, had a dramatically different experience at Elon than his children did as he was one of the first black graduates, and his oldest daughter, Akilah Morgan Hill, was the first black legacy at Elon.

"I think my family is definitely attracted to the progressiveness of Elon," Megan said. "My dad was here at a difficult time for our race, and while he experienced some resistance, the majority of his time at Elon was spent in a comfortable environment."

Quintin Roper
Junior Quintin Roper is not only a legacy student, but a legacy of a parent who works at Elon. Yet, when given the opportunity to experience life outside this shadow, Roper found he would rather be at Elon and made the decision to transfer as a junior.

"Having Quintin at Elon is something my husband and I have always dreamed of," said Roper's mother, Lisa Roper, assistant director of alumni relations. "Elon is family for us, and it is comforting to know that the same people who took care of us are now doing the same thing for our son. My undergraduate advisor, Pam Kiser, actually remembers me bringing Quintin to class with me."

Roper said his family would definitely like it to become a tradition to go to Elon, and his sister is next in line.

"I have a daughter who is a junior in high school, and she has already visited Elon for an admissions event," Lisa said.

breakdown of legacies at Elon

A taste of luxury

2009-10-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Winery at Iron Gate Farm

Photos courtesy of my lovely and talented roomie Ashley Barnas

This weekend I got to cover the most fun piece I have worked on since starting with the Pendulum! Ashley and I traveled to Mebane, NC to check out a new local winery and we had a total blast! Though it turned out to be an expensive piece (we both bought wine) we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. You know life is rough when your job tells you to go to a wine tasting at a gorgeous scenic vineyard. Here is the story:

Iron Gate winery uncorks local tastes
by Laura Wainman, October 6, 2009
Pour. Swirl. Sniff. Sip. These four words are instructions given daily at The Winery at Iron Gate Farm in wine tastings held throughout the day.

Though Elon is home to an abundant number of student activities, sometimes a short escape from the bubble is a necessity. For students who are looking for a taste of the adult world, this little known treasure, located right down the road in Mebane, provides just that.

At Iron Gate Farm, students of age have the opportunity to taste 14 of the wines grown at the farm for $5 and to take a tour of the vineyard. Drinking does not have to be on the agenda, though, as many visitors to Iron Gate come simply to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. Picnics by the lake or conversations on the front porch are popular options.

"We don't typically see an unusually large number of college students visit Iron Gate, except during Family Weekends at the local schools," owner Debbie Stikeleather said. "Then we get parents who are looking for a relaxing activity they can share with their son or daughter."

Though college students are not Iron Gate's typical clientele, the winery hosts many events Stikeleather said she believes would appeal to students.

"I think college students would love our annual ‘Pumpkin Chunkin and Cornhole Tournament' since it is interactive and seems right up their alley," Stikeleather said.

At the tournament held Oct. 31, the participants, who must be 21 to enter, will use a catapult to "chunk" pumpkins toward a target and bottles of wine will be given as prizes for those whose pumpkins hit the Bull's Eye, get the closest to the target or send their pumpkins the farthest distance. A cornhole tournament will also be held for the first time this year. The proceeds will benefit The Women's Resource Center.

The winery will be highlighting its new Conservators' Collection wines from 7-10 p.m. this Saturday at their Wine in the Wild event. Visitors can enjoy an evening filled with award-winning wine and food, excellent company, live music and a great cause as a portion of every bottle bought goes to the North Carolina Conservators' Center.

Stikeleather also created a private label wine collection to benefit the North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership, as she lost both her stepfather and aunt to lung cancer.

"I wanted to do something to help a cause that was personal to me, and this felt like the right thing to do," Stikeleather said.

Keeping the farm a pillar of the community has always been important to Stikeleather, which is why she has chosen to partner with several local organizations, including N.C. State University.

Students and faculty from the agriculture departments come twice a month to test the grapes and ensure everything is on track at the farm. Local artist Kenny Glenn designs all the wine labels, which was another way for Stikeleather to support the community that has given so much to her.

Two of Stikeleather's wines that are showcased in the wine tasting were designed specifically for her neighbors. The Pack House Red was created with the locals in mind because it goes well with anything, particularly bold, grilled foods. Stikeleather's best-selling wine, Flue Fire, was intended to appeal to her neighbors, who made their wine as the description boasts "tastes like the grapes you plucked from your grandma's vine."

The front porch of Iron Gate has become a popular hangout spot for visitors and neighbors alike, which Stikeleather said is exactly the way she wanted it.

"We have a real community atmosphere and my neighbors are always visiting me and my guests," Stikeleather said. "When we have big events coming up, my neighbors offer to help set up. So they are always welcome at any of our events, which is why we don't charge them an entrance fee. They are absolutely great."

It sure took me long enough...

2009-10-07T00:22:00.000-07:00

I am falling in love. Don't get too excited, mom. There are absolutely no prospective boyfriends in my life currently. I am instead engaging in a long-anticipated love affair with Elon. I can still vividly recall lying awake on warm summer nights dreaming of how I would instantly know that I was where I belonged the moment I moved into my home away from home. Yet, the feeling never truly came. I kept waiting for the magical movie moment to occur, and boy am I glad I didn't hold my breath on that one. I was so busy running off to Virginia Tech every weekend to cultivate my blossoming relationship there that I completely forgot to fall in love with my college like I was supposed to.

Well, just when I had completely given up hope of ever having that birds singing, sun shining, head over heels in love revelation, wouldn't you know it happened. It absolutely shocked me today when it hit me. I have fallen for Elon. I am totally crazy for my swim team and Pendulum friends and they have made all the difference. I am busier than I ever have been in my entire life and loving (almost) every minute of it! I have a purpose here; I have a role to fill and people who I couldn't bear to disappoint.

While some may say I really messed up and will wake up one day cursing my misguided priorities I hold firm in my belief that I won't regret my college experience. It may have taken me a few years too many to feel this way, but at least I got there. And I have eight beautiful months left to enjoy my new love. :)

Je suis dans l'amour. Enfin.

Working hard, playing hard: An Athlete's perspective

2009-09-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

One of the things I am enjoying the most about being Special Projects Editor is that I have the freedom to choose what stories I want to write. I have the ability to shed light on issues that are important to me. Of course I make sure that they are applicable to the larger student body, but it is definitely more enjoyable to work on a piece that I am passionate about. It makes the hours of work that goes into every story well worth the effort. With my baby brother having just started his college baseball career at William and Mary, I have become very focused on the college life of varsity athletes. This week I choose to investigate the college experience of student-athletes.

Junior Jimmy Reyes knew from the moment he arrived at Elon his college experience would be different than most of his peers'. As a baseball pitcher, his days begin at 5:30 a.m. with a morning workout, and are typically completely booked until after 10 p.m. He manages to balance a full academic load along with his daily workouts, practices and games. Yet, for the majority of varsity athletes at Elon, this is nothing out of the ordinary.

Student Athlete or Athlete Student?

Despite the fact that a large majority of their college career is spent on the fields or the courts preparing for competition, most Elon athletes place academics as their first priority.

"I definitely see myself as a student who also plays baseball," junior baseball pitcher Jimmy Reyes said. "When I was choosing a school, I asked myself the same question at each one: if baseball ended tomorrow, would I be happy here? Elon was a yes."

But there are others who feel that since athletics were the avenue which brought them to Elon, it deserves to be top priority.

"Honestly, basketball is the reason I am at Elon," senior guard Devan Carter said. "But I don't take my school work lightly either. Academics are taken very seriously by the entire athletic department at Elon, and that is made clear from day one."

Though the athletes may differ as to the personal order of priority allotted to academics and athletics, the university makes the goals of the institution clear with regards to both arenas. The Athletic Handbook states that Elon University is committed to offering a program that emphasizes and rewards academic responsibility, consistent academic progress toward graduation and preparation for successful living.

The coaching staff for each team emphasizes the importance of academics by creating team GPA goals.

"Each athlete has an individual GPA goal that they are pursuing, but as a team we have a goal of maintaining an overall minimum GPA of 3.0, and we are pushing to achieve a 3.2," men's tennis coach Michael Leonard said. "Nine out of my 10 semesters at Elon we have maintained a 3.0 team GPA, but to earn the Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team award, we need to be at 3.2."

Leonard is not alone in the high standards he sets for his team. Last year the men's soccer team was named an academic all-American team for achieving a team GPA of 3.0, and coach Darren Powell said he expects that his team can be both the conference champions and academic all-American team this year. Volleyball coach Mary Tendler, whose girls had more than a 3.4 team GPA last year, said she believes the academic success of Elon's athletes is largely due to the caliber of students Elon recruits.

"Athletes at Elon were all top performers in high school, so they have already had to learn how to balance sports and academics," Tendler said.

Leonard echoed this sentiment when he said that he didn't bother recruiting tennis players that he thought couldn't handle the work load.

The school provides student-athletes with a number of academic support opportunities to ensure their continued success in the classroom. Freshmen are required to complete six hours of study hall between Sunday and Thursday. Upperclassmen have a choice as to whether they wish to continue study hall or not, but if their GPA falls below a certain level it becomes mandatory again.

"My grades are higher than the GPA required for the tennis team, but I participate voluntarily because I tend to procrastinate otherwise, and study hall keeps me on a schedule," junior tennis player Chase Helpingstine said.

Athletes have an athletic academic adviser whom they meet with in addition to their major adviser. Cayce Crenshaw, the director of academic support for athletics, meets with the students to discuss any questions they may have regarding their academic and athletic workloads. Elon's athletes agree that Crenshaw is essential to their academic success.

"Before Crenshaw came, it was a lot harder to balance everything," Carter said. "She is really great and takes the time to get to know all of our professors so we all work together better. She has made a huge difference".

For many of the athletes, the emphasis on academics is practical.

"I plan on continuing to run after college, but I know it isn't something I will do professionally," senior cross country and track runner Cait Beeler said.

Others keep academics as a primary focus, but may not be quite ready to give up professional aspirations just yet.

"If the opportunity to play (basketball) professionally presented itself, I would absolutely take it," sophomore forward Courtney Medley said. "But if it isn't in the cards for me, I will pursue a career in human services."

Starting with a family

One of the biggest worries for most freshmen is meeting people and making friends. Being a student-athlete diminishes that worry as athletes start school with a whole team of friends.

"Right away I had a group of guys to be friends with so I didn't have to worry as much about meeting people," Helpingstine said. "We all have this major part of our lives in common which makes for a natural friendship."

Though freshman cross country runner Jacqueline Alnes is just beginning to experience life as a student-athlete at Elon, she said she has already reaped the benefits.

"The support from my teammates and coaches has made the transition so much easier," Alnes said. "Everyone was so welcoming and helped me get situated on campus. My teammates even offered to help me move in."

Not all it is cracked up to be

It is easy to look at the life of a fellow classmate performing in the athletic arena and be jealous. Who wouldn't want to hear a crowd of more than 2,000 people chanting their name and be treated like a celebrity after a big win? But what is often overlooked are the sacrifices made by student-athletes pursuing success at the collegiate level.

"I definitely don't get to hang out with my friends as often as I would like to like normal college students do," Carter said. "Even though my teammates are my closest friends, it would be nice to spend more time with other friends."

Student-athletes must learn to master the daily balancing act of juggling hours of weightlifting and practices while still attending all classes, studying for tests and maintaining their grades. During the season, they must also factor in 2-4 games a week, some of which can be as far away as Chattanooga, Tenn. Bus rides become a critical study time.

"The biggest drawback of being an athlete is the amount of time you have to dedicate to your sport," Reyes said. "I am often doing homework well into the morning, because the free time that most college students have, I spend playing baseball. My free time has to be used as academic time."

With academic and athletic commitments occupying most of the day for an athlete, little time is left for other student organizations. But the only opportunity that varsity athletes are barred from participating in is club sports. Otherwise, it is a personal decision.

"There are a few organizations I would enjoy being a part of, but there simply isn't time," senior soccer defender Laura Norwind said.

Do it all again

When all is said is done, there doesn't seem to be many athletes at Elon who regrets their decision to pursue athletics at the collegiate level. While it may be tough to balance the dual roles of student and athlete, most agree that the extra work is well worth it in the end.

"I would make the decision again in a heartbeat," Carter said. "I can't imagine being at college and not being an athlete. There isn't anything like it. I honestly don't know what I would do with my free time."

( sorry if that is really hard to read)

College life in a down economy

2009-09-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

I would venture to say that most college students are well aware that our country is currently facing difficult economic times. We are bombarded with depressing information daily about the downward spiral. Almost every issue of major newspapers covers the "recession" and details how Obama plans to "save us." I know that times are tough and have hit many Americans hard, but as a college student I was curious to see how college life has truly been affected. Thus, for my first official story as Special Projects Editor I explored that very topic. Here's my story( photo courtesy of my fabulous roomie Ashley Barnas):

It seems that it is near impossible to go a day without reading a headline about the economic downturn or hearing about dwindling stock portfolios. Though Elon was named one of Princeton Review's "100 Best Value Colleges for 2009," it is still a private university with tuition at $25,489 and room and board at $8,236. Therefore, it is no surprise that one of the biggest effects the economic crunch has had on Elon students has been their ability to afford Elon.

Pat Murphy, director of financial planning, said there has been a large increase in the number of students applying for financial aid this year. While the final numbers are still being calculated, Murphy estimates at least a 15 percent increase, which he believes is because of the increase in parents who have lost their jobs.

"Unemployment among Elon parents has not been restricted to any particular profession," Murphy said. "I have seen people who were making as much as $500,000 a year lose their jobs. When you have a lifestyle that has been supported by half a million dollars a year and suddenly that money is gone, you have a lot of commitments that you need to satisfy, so it becomes a problem."

Murphy also noted that many of the scholarship accounts from which funds are drawn have had lower balances this year since they have earned less money because of the market.

"For example, an endowment that might have produced $3,000 worth of scholarship money last year might have produced $2,500 this year," Murphy said.

Parents are not the only ones whose jobs have been affected by the economy. Many Elon students have also expressed concern regarding jobs.

Sophomore Laura Bondi said her hours at both her on-campus job as well as her summer job were cut.

"Budgets everywhere have been decreased because of the strained economy, and on top of that minimum wage was increased," Bondi said. "Employers have to make cutbacks somewhere and in my case, hours had to be cut."

Bondi said while she made changes in her personal life while she was at home, she hasn't needed to at Elon.

"College students are kind of in a bubble where they don't have to spend as much money," Bondi said. "I don't need a car on campus, so gas money isn't an issue and I have a meal plan so I don't need to spend extra money on food."

For senior Lesley Cowie, budgeting has been a major part of her life since 2001 when her father lost his job in the textile industry. Her family now lives off her mother's $9 an hour salary as a Lowes cashier, which leaves Cowie on her own when it comes to rent, food and other college expenses.

Cowie maintains three part-time jobs while juggling a full course load in order to make ends meet.

"My dad's situation affected me more than the economic crisis," Cowie said. "I was already pretty thrifty so I didn't really need to cut back per say because I was already working so much that I knew exactly where I could afford to spend."

Murphy, DeLoach and Cowie all advised that students maintain a budget and take full advantage of the free entertainment offered on campus.

The good news for Elon students is that the Student Union Board, an organization dedicated to providing students with low-budget or free programming, has not been affected monetarily by the economy. SUB has actually increased the number of programs offered to 70-80 a semester in order to account for the current economic climate.

While the economic problems have slightly infiltrated the Elon bubble, students have found their college lives to be relatively unaltered.

The story also included a sidebar where the department chair of econ broke down what has happened t get us to where we are today:

The current situation in the United States economy, at the forefront of the news since last fall, has not necessarily been explained at a level that the general public can understand. Elon Economics professor Steve DeLoach provides students with an easy-to-understand background of the current economy and how it got to this point.

"The mess we have on our hands today has been years in the making," DeLoach said. "I think the roots of this go back 10 or 20 years. For most of the ‘90s interest rates were super low and housing prices were on the rise. Americans started living above their means and stopped saving. It seemed logical until about a year and a half ago when the housing market started crashing.
Everyone got nervous and started selling, which only drove prices further down. Last fall, we had the big crash everyone refers to now, and people lost about 40 percent of their total wealth. It was paper wealth, but if you cut what you are worth in half you are going to stop spending. You aren't nearly as wealthy as you used to be. Suddenly, that Lexus doesn't look like such a good buy. It can all really be boiled down to the fact that consumers stopped spending because they didn't feel rich anymore."

Despite this bleak analysis, there is some good news. According to DeLoach, there are signs that we are starting to come out of the recession — consumers are slowly beginning to spend more money and businesses are starting to produce more. Unfortunately, he said the last thing to respond during a recession is actual employment.

"Businesses have a tendency to start working their existing workers longer hours long before they actually hire new people," DeLoach said. "It is a large cost to hire a new worker, so they are only going to hire new people if they are really sure about where the economy is, which is going to take some more time. About 16 percent of Americans are currently unemployed or working part time when they really want to be working full time, and those numbers are only going to get higher into sometime early next year at least. But the good news for seniors is things should start looking better by next summer."

DeLoach has already seen the economy affecting college students. When he asked his freshmen classes what they did over the summer, many of them responded "nothing," as they were unable to find a job. Internships were at an all-time low this summer and many jobs typically held by college students were unavailable as unemployed adults were forced to take on menial labor.

If we had the chance to do it all again... would we?

2009-09-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

Relationships begin. Relationships end. So is life. Unfortunately, when a guy dumps you he isn't even polite enough to take with him all of the wonderful memories the two of you made together. He leaves those for you to painstakingly sift through at 2:02 in the morning when you can't sleep. How thoughtful. And the most annoying thing of all is that no matter how deep inside the box of "bad breakups" you stuff those little buggers, they manage to worm their way out.

It has been 9 months,and I am still sifting. The road ahead is poorly lit, while the one that I am still trying to navigate to the exit stays brightly illuminated. Never having been a fan of the dark I find myself at an impasse. And in the words of Carrie Bradshaw, I can't help but wonder if I had the chance, would I do it all over again? That is really the question that I grapple with on nights like this. If 3.5 years ago someone had whispered in my ear all of the breathtakingly wonderful moments I would spend with him, as well as shared with me the indescribable brokenness that would follow, would I have chosen the same road or quickly made a detour?

I know logically I am supposed to say yes of course I would make the same decision because everything happens for a reason, you learn something from every failed relationship, you have to figure out what you don't want to know what you do want etc. etc. I've heard all the worn out break up cliches that are intended to make you feel better, but in the end just make you feel average. In reality wouldn't it be better to just know right off the bat whether he is "THE one" or just the one for right now? Then we could cut out loses before investing any more emotions or time into bad stock.

I kind of want to watch The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind now. See what Jim Carrey has to say on the subject. I will try and decode this awful rambling tomorrow when I'm not so sleep deprived that the words swim around on the screen. Goodnight.

You know you are a journalist when

2009-09-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

So I have decided that you know you are a journalist when you start critiquing Carrie Bradshaw's newspaper articles on Sex and the City. I was procrastinating an assignment tonight, much like I am doing right now with this blog, and watching one of my favorite episodes (and if you couldn't guess that it was An American Girl in Paris Part Deux, you don't know me very well) when I realized that her writing style would never cut it in the real journalism world. All she ever does is pose questions stemming from the drama in her personal life and then uses each article as a way to vent or hash out her problems. She even uses the same repetitive formating for the questions every time: "I couldn't help but wonder [insert witty sexual play on words here]. There is no way any decent editor would let a columnist get into that kind of rut! But the whole point of this rant is the fact that this is what I was focused on while watching tv. I guess journalism truly has invaded every aspect of my life.

Everything's going so well!

2009-09-16T23:18:00.000-07:00

Swim team loves!! <3

Sorry I just had to use a Moulin Rogue quote tonight because it fits my life so perfectly right now! Everything is just going great! Swim team is amazing so far and I am already totally in love with the team! We have had record numbers at everything so far: 45 at org. fair, 35 at interest meeting and 30+ at practice/ team dinner. I am thrilled and I think our numbers will stay high this year because we have so many fun/ "team bonding" activities planned. The beach retreat, especially, should be a big hit and the dinners after practice are a great way for everyone to form friendships outside of the pool, which will keep them coming BACK to the pool! I am just plain excited for this season and to see how it all turns out. I can't believe I am only president for a few more months though! It has gone way too fast. I remember worrying so much about whether I was ready for the responsibility, but now I am so thankful to all the people who encouraged me to go for it. My mom definitely helped me big time with the decision and gave me the confidence I needed to make the leap. That is why she is the best! She always believes in me, even when I don't quite believe in myself. I am so blessed.

The Pendulum has also been awesome so far this year! Today was the first issue where I was actually the Special Projects Editor and it was a really great feeling seeing that in print! I have worked really hard the past year and a half and fallen completely in love with the Pendulum and journalism in general. This is the position I have wanted for awhile, so it is a great accomplishment even if it is only for a semester. My piece for next week is coming along nicely so far. I have interviewed/ set up interviews with 6 of the 16 players I need and 3 of the 7 coaches. I am on my way! So far I have been incredibly impressed with the players I have met with. They are all well spoken, well-rounded, academic focused student-athletes. Check out my first official story here: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=2542 and http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=2544 (all one story). Any comments, critiques or advice is appreciated!

I actually applied today to freelance for a financial magazine out of Richmond. It is geared towards teaching young people about finances. I am definitely not an expert in the subject, but it is one I am interested in and I would love to learn more. Hopefully, I will get picked to write the story. The magazine doesn't come out often though so my first article wouldn't be published until January 2010 (if I get picked). It is on how banks protect your identity when you bank online, which is something I am curious to learn about. I figure this is a great way to make some journalism contacts in Richmond as well as get my work published in a source outside the Pendulum. Plus $50 never hurts!

The only thing that is not perfect in my life is that I miss my family. I miss my brother a lot and as I get closer and closer to my mom I miss her too. At least we talk all the time though. Matt is impossible! I understand he is busy but I just miss not knowing what is going on in his life. I wish he was at Elon so that I could feel more like a part of his life again. I enjoyed being a large of it this summer! Thanksgiving will be great though. I can't wait to see all the Bro's as well as celebrate my brother's accomplishment of eagle scout. I think it is more a celebration of my parents and Kirstin though to be honest since they had to push him through it kicking and screaming :). But either way, he deserves to be congratulated on the time he put in and, of course, I am excited for any opportunity to have a party! I definitely think that if journalism doesn't pan out I will pursue the whole party/wedding planner dream. Mom says I'm not organized enough though so I guess that is something to consider.

Well I feel like I had more to say but it is late now, and I need to get my sleep so I don't contract the swine. A girl at Pendulum MIGHT have swine flu... yikes. We all need to be careful!

C'est la vie

2009-09-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

This is about the 10th version of this blog post and this is the best I got: I'm not over it.

Assimilating into the journalism world

2009-09-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Once again I am blogging late at night when I should either be a) working on homework or b) sleeping, but since my mother is my only reader at this point I think I do this just to annoy her (I am just kidding mom :) ). Today I found out that I am going to be made an official part of the Pendulum staff (our campus newspaper) and I am totally thrilled! The details are all still up in the air as far as pay and title position but I really don't care because I officially am a part of the staff and will have my very own page whose content I am responsible for every week! I have been reporting for the paper for 2 years now and have fallen absolutely in love with it. Perhaps its the excitement of a deadline or just the simple fact that I get to write, which I'm sure you can tell by now I love to do. Either way, I am so in love that this summer I made the very scary decision to drop my plans of attending law school next fall and instead pursue a career in journalism. Now, instead of having a concrete plan of what to do with my life I am in somewhat of a limbo.

I know what I want to do: move to richmond and be a reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and one day be a columnist. Basically, I want to be Carrie Bradshaw Richmond style and without all the sex talk (I definitely want her wardrobe!). However, wanting all these things is all well and good until it comes time to submit my applications along with hundreds of other very talented writers with the same passion, and very likely a lot more experience in the field. At this point I am not sure wanting will be enough. I look at all my friends at the Pendulum and their resumes are filled with impressive internships at major publications. Heck, my roommate worked at the Washington Post this summer! I know full well what I will be competing against: journalism majors with the experience and skills to boot. I, on the other hand, will only have a mildly impressive portfolio and large dose of enthusiasm to offer.

As a result, I have found myself desperately trying to play catch up with my peers who have been living for three years in this world that I only recently joined. I tweet every day now- a word I swore I would never add to my vocabulary. I try and think of insightful posts for this blog. I volunteer for way more Pendulum stories than I can handle in an effort to continue to grow my portfolio. And I pray that none of my efforts will be at the expense of my grades, as I am counting on my solid transcript to be a selling point to future employers.

I had not meant for this post to be quite as anxious as I am realizing it sounds. But this is what came out tonight so clearly it is what I feel. Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds.

Looking back and pushing ahead

2009-09-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

First day of freshmen year
Well my last year is off to a great start I think! I was on time to all three classes (aren't you so proud mom), and they seem like they are all going to be interesting courses. I think my summer of hanging out with my brother's friends makes me now drawn to the freshmen, because all day long I was constantly surrounded by freshmen, whether it was in my classes or just helping them around campus. I am beginning to think that God has something he wants me to teach or share with the youngin's this year because I am often finding myself inexplicably wanting to give them unsolicited advice about enjoying every minute of the days to come! After both my experiences with my brother's friends this summer and two freshmen swimmers I had dinner with tonight, I find myself in a constantly reflective mood; I am torn between looking
back and pushing ahead.

I want to remember the carefree days of that first year on campus when every moment was new, fresh, a little intimidating but wonderful at the same time. I can still vividly recall the sheer nervousness I felt walking into that first class, totally unsure of what to expect and the sigh of relief I breathed when I realized there were 30 other nervous faces to greet me. I enjoy talking with the "Bros" and my new freshmen swimmers about their first impressions of college as it allows me to recapture those feelings that I regrettably took for granted. Perhaps I can instill in them the importance of not forgetting to live in the moment or letting those seemingly meaningless feelings escape.

Yet, at the same time I feel called to push forward and realize that now is not the time to dwell on the what-I-should-have-done's, but to focus on the future. For I know that the next nine months will all too soon become the topic of a reminiscent blog post. Instead, I intend to make sure that in those future blog posts I can write about all the terrific memories I made of senior year. I want there to be no twinge of regret the next time I feel myself "looking back", because I will know that I enjoyed every last minute of it, right down to the inevitable cram session that will occur. To go along with that my roommate and I have created a list of all the must-d0's of Elon, which we will accomplish before we stride confidently across that graduation stage and take our place among the rest of the inhabitants of the "real world". Check back later to see what mischief we have in store!

Leaping boldly into senior year

No fear

2009-08-31T23:34:00.000-07:00

So I am sitting at my computer at 2:35 a.m. on the night before the first day of my senior year of college. Of course I should be asleep, but I simply can't. I am awake thinking of what tomorrow means and everything that I want to achieve this year. I truly don't know where the time has gone.I find myself constantly advising any freshmen that will listen to me to "enjoy every minute", as I perhaps haven't done. There are way too many cliches running through my head right now about how it feels like it was just yesterday, but sometimes the cliches are the only thing that fit. Right now is definitely one of those moments, as it simply does feel like just yesterday I was an awkward, nervous freshman completely unaware of what my future held. Three years later, I am still a little awkward and a lot nervous about what my future holds. But if I have learned anything in my time here it is that no matter how hard I try, I cannot predict what tomorrow will bring. My only option is to wait; something that has never been my strong suit. All I know is that I am very excited for this year and can honestly say that I believe I can make it the best year yet. It may be the first time ever that I am embracing the beauty of the unknown rather than approaching with fear. I have to say I like the feeling.

J'adore l'automne à paris!

2008-10-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Salut! Well it is officially Fall in Paris and I must say I love it! Actually the weather has gotten much better the past 2 weeks and I have been very comfortable in short sleeves! The leaves are changing colors here and it really is beautiful. I can't even express how lucky I am! This weekend we took a group excursion to the Loire Valley to visit 4 chateaus. C'était incroyable! Don't get me wrong, I love Paris and it is the first big city that I could see myself living in, but it was quite a treat to get to explore other parts of France outside of the city. It reminded me why I do love the more quiet countryside areas. (perhaps why I'm dating a farm boy :)) We could not have asked for better weather and the landscape was breathtaking. Nous avons visité le Château Chambord, le Château royal d'Amboise, le Château Chenonceau et le Château royal de Blois. Mon château préféré était le Château royal d'Amboise bien sûr! The picture on the left was the view from the top of the Château royal d'Amboise. On the other side it looked out over the ridiculously cute little town of Amboise and then this is the water and homes side! I was like ready to move in tout de suite! Chenonceau was also situated on a gorgeous lake and the wake through the forest to get to there was incredibly romantic and amazing! There was even a beautiful chestnut horse grazing on some grass which we passed on our walk to the castle. The architecture of all the château's was really wonderful as well because of how ornate and gorgeously different they all were. The last one we visited, Blois, had parts from 4 different architecture styles as each King who lived there changed it according with the style of his time. It had gothique, flamboyant, renaissance and classique architecture all in one château. Pretty cool if you ask me! We learned the history of each of the château's as well and most of it was fascinating (with a tad bit of boring thrown in there as well. After all we did visit 4 in 2 days!) All in all it was a great way to spend a weekend!

Sorry this entry is so short but it is dinner time and I just wanted to quickly update about the amazing weekend! Love you all!!!

je suis désolée pour ma absence

2008-10-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

(The president's house- le palais d'elysees- waited in line for 5 hours to see it!)
Salut mes amis! Vous me manquez beaucoup! Paris est encore très maqnifique et je suis très contente. J'avais beaucoup d'amis qui j'adore. Depuis mon blog dernier, je suis allée Barcelone en Espagne, et Londres! J'adore les deux!! Ok enough torturing you now with my French :). But like I said everything is going very well. I am still in love with Paris and having the time of my life. I am making some great friendships that will be very hard to leave behind come December. But luckily I still have 2 glorious months here before I have to think about that. I am so so so glad that my friends and family encouraged me to have this experience. When I think about how close I was to backing out I can't believe that I almost missed this. I am definitely blessed. Not many college students have these experiences and I am thankful that I have!

Well my classes are going pretty well. I am getting A's and B's in my grammar class which is exciting and I got all A's in phonetics which is shocking lol. My host mom said she could hear improvement though which made me feel good. Speaking of the fam, things are going great! I feel like I'm fitting in more rather than just feeling like an awkward guest. It has been a lot of fun to get to be a part of a big family for once since I don't have that. It makes me miss Matt though when I see them fighting (which they do a lot) bc I realize how lucky I am. I wish he was coming with my mom in a few weeks. :( But, I am pretty much able to hold a semi-decent conversation now. It occasionally takes me a few tries to express myself correctly but I can understand 90% of what they are saying and I can respond which is a good start. I am definitely not fluent, and I probably won't be when I leave but I will be much closer. I notice that I think in French a lot which is cool. I also make a point of sending my texts in french and talking to my friends in french when we are online. we are all still bad about talking in french when we are together tho bc we slip into English very easily. I got very excited thought he other day because I had to go to a tabac to recharge my cellphone minutes and I had a full conversation with the guy in French without any hitches and when I gave him my 'American' credit card he was surprised because he said he couldn't tell that I was American! I don't know if he was lying or not but I was like sweet!!!

Well two weekends ago I took my first trip outside Paris to Barcelona Spain and I loved it!! It was an AMAZING city. I went with 7 of my friends here and we were all able to stay in a hostel room together! It was kind of like the camp experience that i never had. There were some disagreements in the morning time regarding when we should get up lol but we all worked it out. We got in very late Friday night after a looong day of traveling so after we struggled to find our way to the hostel (not speaking the language and having phones that wouldn't work didn't help the situation) we got some quick fries and went to bed. Saturday we walked ALL day and saw a lot of the touristy stuff: the gaudi buildings, La Sagrada Familia, the gothic area, l'arc de triomf (i like ours better) and some more stuff. Then we did some shopping and I did a lot of trying on but no buying. Thank goodness because my bank account appreciated it. :) We ended up watching the sunset at the port which was beautiful and then eating an amazing dinner! We had so much fun together and then we went home and got ready for the magic water fall thing which was soooo cool. And then we went out for a fun night on the town! Then on Sunday we found the BEACH and basically stayed there alllll day! Then we had another amazing dinner and went to an Irish pub and played cards until 2:30 in the morning when we started making our way to the bus station that would begin our hellish day of traveling. We did not get home to Paris until 2 pm Monday and we left Barcelona at 3 am Monday morning. Ya not so much fun, but still totally worth it!

So then this weekend I went to London to visit my ROOMIE!!! It was sooo needed and a wonderful reunion weekend. Now I am just waiting for her to come visit me. Friday night again it was late so we went back to her adorable flat and she cooked me spaghetti and made me typhoo tea. She knows me well :) and then we just spent hours talking and later that night I met her awesome roommates who I liked very much. Saturday we got up nice and early (for me at least) and bought chocolate chips so that David could make us chocolate chip pancakes! They were sooo yummy. I missed my crepes though for the weekend, but having real pancakes was great! Eventually we got our butts in gear and went 'sploring! We finally experienced the greatness of Camden market and i bought a skirt that I am absolutely in love with. I hope I can find a great shirt to go with it soon so I can wear it. Ash and I match now :). We also went to top shot and another dept. store that I can't remember that starts with a P. We were on a mission for cute bangles and boots, but alas we found neither. Then we had some yummy pizza hut and went home for a little bit. Later that night we went to dinner at... BISTRO BENITO'S!! It was so wonderful to be back and it hadn't changed a bit! The little old man was there and called us beautiful girls again and the son of the other old Italian man was still there and his son who was a newborn last time is now 2 and he has a 7 month old beautiful girl! He gave us a free drink again. C'est la bonne vie! We both ordered the exact same thing as always right down to our bottle of wine! We are creatures of habit. After dinner we walked down earls court and visited all our old favs. Then we walked along embankment and took some pics of parliament and Big Ben and the Thames River. All in all it was a great day! On sunday we had some yummy tea at the place where the Queen loves to have her tea! Then we walked around Trafalgar Square and took all the quintessential London pics including me climbing on the Lion. Then we attempted to go to Hydes Park but it was dark and we were weenies so we checked out London's arc and this cool war memorial instead. I think every european country must have an arc. Paris' is the best though. :) So sunday night I actually got my roomie to come to the Ice Bar with me!! We had a blast. It was so cold and not exactly what we expected, but as always, we had so much fun together. I was sooo sad to say goodbye to her. I love having our awesome deep talks followed by our random crazy moments. She is definitely one of the best people I have ever met in my whole life and the only thing that could make Paris better is if she was here with me. :) There is no one I would rather be homeless with next semester ash!!

So in just 2 weeks I get to see my mommy!!! Yay!!! I am tres excited! But for now I am going to go to bed. I promise I will try and update more often. Love you all very much and miss you bunches.

Bisous a vous!
xoxo
Laura

My Trip so far...

2008-09-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis! Ca va? Je suis très bien, mais vous me manquez!! Haha ok well enough French now. So I've been in Paris for almost three weeks and still can't believe how lucky I am to be having this experience. It is incredible. Sometimes I am just walking around and I realize, wow I'm in Paris! I'm so thankful to be having this experience, although I wish all of you could be here with me experiencing it. So I have started all my classes now and they are going well. The french class started off a little slow and I was nervous that I wouldn't learn anything because of how basic the stuff was (umm learning our numbers???) but it has picked up now and I feel that I was put in the right level. I need some review anyways since I haven't taken french in 2 years and am pretty rusty.It is still a little weird that we are trying to learn a language that we don't know that well in that language but I guess that is the quickest way to do it, total immersion. The phonetics lab is definitely helping because it is an hour of learning how to pronounce words. If anyone is reading this that has been in French with me, you know how bad I need that :) Both of the professors are young women and seem to be great! I am happy to say that I understand what they are saying pretty much all the time now, which is a good feeling! The conversation class is ok, we have a lot of work for that class for sure but I think it will help a lot as well. It gives me good things to talk about with my family though because the topics of the class are pretty cool. This week we were debating whether or not an idea Great Britain had was a good thing or not. A few years ago they were considering placing a new tax on junk food, to help with their increasing problem of obesity. My group had to argue why it was a good thing, which was pretty interesting considering we were doing it in French. My poly sci class is good too. It is in English so easy lol. It is loooooong though. Three hours. But its only once a week so i guess I shouldn't complain. The professor works in the government too so its pretty cool because he has had hands on experience with the stuff he is teaching us. It is always better that way, as opposed to teaching in theory. I have already learned a lot about the French system of government that I never knew. Still think ours is a thousand times better, but its very interesting to learn about. For example, there are 2 heads of the executive branch: the president and the prime minister and they share that office. Also, the president can send the legislative branch home and call for new elections earlier than scheduled (elections are every 5 years), which was very odd to me. Well anyways, enough about classes. :) So as of right now I have weekend trips scheduled to Barcelona with some friends and then I am flying solo to London to visit my beautiful roomie, Ashley, who is studying abroad there for the semester!! Excited to go back to London since I loved it so much last time. I am also going to Italy for our 4 day weekend with my friend Samantha. We are definitely going to Rome, and then we haven't decided on Venice or Florence. I am voting for Florence lol. I might also possibly see Ireland or Switzerland, but I don't know. I am already getting to do so much o that might have to wait until I am rich and come back again some day :). My mom is coming to visit in October with her best friend and I am SO EXCITED to see her. Wish my brother and dad could come too but at least I get to see my mom!! We are going to go to Normandy for the weekend that she is here and I think my friend Samantha is going to come with us. Apparently we are staying in a castle or something?? lol. It should be awesome. My host family is excited to meet her and we are all going to do dinner one of the nights that she is here. I'm excited to introduce them to each other. "Hey real mom, this is my fake mom for the semester". That will be fun! lol. Speaking of my family, things are still going really well in that area. Actually I think they are getting even better! I am starting to feel more comfortable around them and the conversations are flowing better. They are so nice and welcoming and I am trying to make a good impression. I am so glad that we had to stay with families because it definitely helps my French. Plus, I get to experience being part of a big family, which I never had. Dinners can be pretty funny. The 12 year old eats like he is an 18 yr old boy!! He is so funny. I have watched many episodes of Winnie the Pooh (in French of course) and some other Disney movies with Tiphaine and Gautier. I'm an expert now! I also read a little mini newspaper that is free on the metros everyday and it is getting easier and easier to understand! Ok, places I have visited so far. I have seen Notre Dame, Sacre-Coeur, the Louvre, the Pantheon, the eiffel tower of course, Moulin Rouge (well just the outside), some palaces in Marais, Place des Vosges (one of the nicest parts of Paris and where the most expensive restaurant in all of Paris is- you need to get reservations 6 months in advance), I've frequented the French Wal-Mart (Monoprix) about a hundred times lol because you can get food dirt cheap there, OHHH i almost forgot Versailles!!! We spent all of our first Saturday there and literally walked for 7 HOURS lol. But it is phenomenal! Pont d'Alexander III (the most famous bridge in Paris near the Eiffel Tower, les Champs- Elysees, and Pere-lachaise (tons of famous people are buried here). I've also done a little French shopping :) Mostly just poking in the cute boutiques though because its very pricey here. But they have some amazing fashion here! Paris Fashion Week starts the last weekend in September which will be really fun to see! I mean not that I can go in and see it, but maybe I can hang around the area lol, see some celebs. :) I think this weekend we are going to go to some vintage stores that my friend Caitlin found in Le Marais- should be fun. Also I'm going to try and hit up a French movie and hopefully Musee d'Orsay again. I love that place! Tomorrow the Pope is coming!!! He is speaking at Notre Dame so I am going to go after class tomorrow. I will probably be so far away that he will be a tiny little dot, but oh well! It will be awesome to say I heard the pope speak in person :) Other than that, I don't have much else to update on. J'adore Paris!! Miss you all tons and tons and tons!! And now, picture time!
Bissous à vous!!
xoxo,
moi

Back Side of Notre Dame

Louvre and the famous Pyramid

The group at Versailles

The Gardens of Versailles

The Girls at the Eiffel Tower

Group at Montmartre

Moulin Rouge!!!

Sacre- Coeur

Beautiful Gardens at Versailles again

Notre Dame

The Seine

Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

First 2 weeks!

2008-09-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

Bonjour mes amis!! Well I have never done one of these before so sorry if it is not that good. I decided it would be a great way to keep
everyone updated on my time in Paris, France. I have only been here for 2 weeks but I am in love. I may never come home :) For the first week, all of the students from the program I am here with stayed together in a student hostel called Le Foyer des etudiants. We spent the first week really just getting to know each other and the city. We had some orientation classes, and they were taught in French. My french is really rusty so it was a little overwhelming. Actually, it still is but I am just trying not to freak out about it because I know it will get easier. We took a few walking tours of some of the arrondissments of Paris including Le Marais and Montmartre. We also went to the Louvre and learned so much about the history of that I never knew. Did you know it was originally built as a fortress for the people of Paris during the crusades? It wasn't turned into an art museum until thousands of years later, and parts of the medieval Louvre are still intact and part of an exhibit in the Louvre. Pretty cool. Most of the evenings were spent up on our INCREDIBLE terrace overlooking the city, hanging out getting to know each other and sipping french wine. C'est la bonne vie! (which means It's the good life by the way). The picture of the tour d'eiffel is our view from the terrace. At night it lit up blue and at 23:00 it would sparkle!! So gorgeous. A week after we got there we were moved into our host families!! I was so nervous when Monsieur Henri Moulins came to pick me up, but the family is wonderful. My mom, Diane, is very welcoming and talks to me a lot. They don't speak any english of course so communication is difficult at times. I now have 5 new brothers and sister. Ines is the oldest. She is 19 and goes to business school. Hugues is 18 and he lives at his college, which is a military college. Hermine is the middle child, 14 and very shy. She is such a sweetheart though. Gautier is a wild little 12 year old but sooo funny! And of course there is little Tiphaine, the baby of the family. She is only 3, but I'm sure you guys can already guess that I adore her and think she is the cutest thing ever! She loves to ride bikes, swing, and play in her "petite maison" (little house) as you can see in the picture. I eat dinner with the family on tuesday and thursday nights and so far I have loved everything she has cooked! Dad you would be very proud because I eat whatever is on my plate. I am determined to not be picky or come across as rude so I just eat it, and to my surprise I have loved everything so far. They do not drink wine with every meal like we imagine them to and bread is not put on the plate. It is sat on the table, which was a little odd to me at first. They are also big into salad, although that does not always mean what we think of as salad. At my first lunch with them we had carrot shavings with vinegar dressing and that was salad. It was quite tasty. Dessert is typically had every night and a big favorite is this yogurt with fruit, but the yogurt tastes like cottage cheese. It was not my favorite thing ever. :) We did have an amazing tarte du pomme (apple pie) the other night. My family is big into learning what the english word is for things and when I told them that their tarte was like our pie, they found that absurd. They wanted to know why on earth we called it a pie! I had no good answer for them, but it made for a very interesting conversation. We also talked a little about thanksgiving and they wanted to know why we ate a lot for the holiday. I attempted to explain about the Pilgrims and Indians, but was met with blank stares so I simply said "C'est un tradition!" and they were pleased with that answer. So far my experience has been wonderful and I am loving every minute of it! Missing you guys like crazy though! I started all my classes last week and so far they are going well. Learning french in french is an interesting experience but I think it is going to really push me to speak better french which is why I am here after all. I start my phonetics lab on Monday which I think is going to be the best thing for me because it is all about learning how to pronounce things and that is not my strength. Oh and this weekend I experience my first stay out all night! Don't worry mom and dad its not as crazy as it sounds and it was so not me! We went out as a group and hung out on one of the hundreds of bridges in Paris (there are so many of them on the seine because they built monuments directly across from each other to keep the symmetry and then built bridges connecting them) and just chilled with some french people. Then we went to a fun Irish pub to dance, but it turns out the last train home to the suburbs (where I live in Colombes) was at 11:30. So I had to wait until 5 am when the metro started running again. Luckily, the pub we were at stayed open until 4:30 so we just danced all night. It was actually a blast and I didn't even feel tired until after we left the pub and had to wait for the metro to open and then had a 40 minute commute home. That part was not fun. But I guess you have to do it once in your life right! I am going to Barcelona the last weekend in September and I'm excited!! Basically, the trip is rocking so far and I am so glad that my family and friends encouraged me to do this. Thanks you guys for supporting me!! Well signing out for now. I will do more pictures later since I have some good ones!! Love you bunches!!

xoxo
Laura