i LOVE MAiL!!

I think College Students are like kids away at summer camp...we love getting mail! :)

Today I got a package from my Mom and Dad and I was so excited! My mom sent me a new pair of volleyball warm-up pants, some mail and a magazine from home, a volleyball magnet, and a Valentine's Day card! Email is nice and all, but sometimes all I want is some good ol' snail mail! :)

Today there is a TON of stuff going on around campus! FORCE (Future of Ripon College Excellence) is sponsoring Spirit Day all day...if they caught you wearing Ripon Gear around campus you got a prize! I signed up for the raffle in the Commons during lunch and picked up a free Red Hawk tatoo! The spirit continues at the Women's and Men's Basketball games tonight...they will be handing out free pom poms and beads at the games!

Also tonight is "Straight Talk," sponsored by BSU (Black Student Union). "Straight Talk" is a student lead conversation about race relations on campus. They will be discussing issues that are usually not discussed in the classroom.

But that's not all! The French department and the French TA, Coraline, are showing a French film by Michel Gondry.

So there is DEFINITELY no shortage of things to do tonight! And with tomorrow being Valentine's Day I have to study for my exam on Friday tonight! And get a few other things ready... :)

~Christy

Sick! :(

I think I caught the bug that's been going around campus...

I woke up with a fever of 100.7° ... I went to my 8 a.m. class, but I couldn't sit through any more classes. I spent the entire day in my bed sleeping! Hopefully my fever goes down though and I am able to go to my classes the rest of the week. I have lab tomorrow at 1 p.m. so I get to sleep in, which will be good!

Here are some photos from JJ Jumper's visit to Ripon on Saturday!

~Christy

Love and Basketball :)

This weekend is going to be a great one! There are men's and women's home basketball games tonight and tomorrow, so the Red Hawk Nation will be out and about...tomorrow the NCAA Mascot, JJ Jumper, will even be at the games, so I am definitely going tomorrow! :)

Tomorrow morning my cousin and his wife are coming to Ripon to take me and Nick out for breakfast! mmmmm! We're going to Kristina's Cafe, a cute little restaurant downtown. It'll be great to see them, since I just found out they are having twins and they finally get to meet Nick! :)

Have a great weekend!

~Christy

All Caught Up!

Last night was definitely my catch up night! I caught up on laundry, cleaning, sleep, and Family Guy! :) I had about a week and a half of laundry to do, but the nice thing is...it's FREE at Ripon! So I can do as many loads as I want! :) However, the goal is to do laundry once a week...I'll remember that next time!

I didn't have class this morning until 10:10, so it was a nice opportunity to catch a few more zzz's! Too bad the plows were out and about! I just had the one class today, so now I'm working for an hour, then it's a few hours of homework, aerobics at 5 p.m., and lifting after that. Maybe if it's still nice tonight I'll walk to the Save-A-Lot...I need some groceries! :)

I hope this warm, sunny weather keeps up!

~Christy

Another Blizzard!

Over the course of last night and this morning we got another 3" of snow! BUMMER! I am ready for it to be Spring already! We thought some classes might be cancelled today because of the weather, but that was not the case! Rumor has it that Ripon has only called classes once in the last fifteen or so years, so we can just keep dreaming!

This morning I had a chemistry test so Nick and Iwent to breakfast beforehand. I forget how good John's omelets are! The perfect way to start the morning! :) I have class the rest of the day until 4 p.m., then tonight I need to do laundry! I've been putting it off long enough--I'm running out of socks! But maybe if I get my laundry done and it stops snowing I'll venture down to the Terrace to see Blue Sky Nine, a band sponsored by Campus Christian Fellowship...we'll see!

But if this snow keeps up I am going to be upset with that little groundhog!

~Christy

Downtown Developments

Today during Golden Hour SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) is bringing the developers for the new downtown renovation plans to campus. They will be here collecting student feedback and learning what students want in a revitalized downtown area. Some ideas for the renovated downtown include pedestrian spaces, changes in types of businesses, and aesthetic improvements. They want to create a Pedestrian walkway leading from campus to the downtown area, offer restaurants serving organic and locally-grown food, changes to the arrangement of City Hall, improving appearance of downtown buildings, adding more parking, and much much more! These changes will be taking place in the next five to ten years, so to be at the start of this program is very exciting!

After I attend the Golden Hour from 11:15-12:25, I have lab from 1-4 p.m., then volleyball and lifting, and then a S.M.A.C. meeting at 8 p.m. It should be a busy but exciting day!

~Christy

Another busy weekend at Ripon!

This was a pretty busy weekend around campus...Friday night was the Opening of an Art Exhibit; Saturday the Ethical Leadership Program hosted a Leadership Workshop, there were Men's and Women's Basketball games, and also an Intramural Dodge Ball tournament down at Storzer. Yesterday was the Super Bowl and the day of relaxation. Except for brunch, I didn't leave my room! The Habitat for Humanity Spring Break Trip delivered brats during the game, so I didn't have to miss the game and I helped a good cause! :)

Today during lunch SMAC is sponsoring Monday Music Madness with a live artist in the pub, so I have to be sure and check that out! Then the rest of my day looks like class and studying for my Chemistry exam on Wednesday.

~Christy

F.F.F. (First Friday of February!)

I can't believe it's February already! But I can definitely believe it's Friday, and boy am I glad! :)

This has been a busy week and I am definitely ready for a weekend! Last night the volleyabll team went to Intramural Aerobics and Yoga, and all I have to say is WOW. Yoga is SO much harder than I thought it would be. I now understand why our football and baseball teams do it. It is probably one of the most physically demanding things I have ever done. So I am definitely relaxing this weekend!

Tonight I am going down to Storzer to workout for a while, then it's dinner and a movie with Nick. Tomorrow there are basketball games going on down at Storzer, so I'll probably go to those between doing homework. Then tomorrow night we're having a birthday party for Nick and Mike, so that'll be fun. Then it's Super Bowl Sunday! A day of football and vegging on the couch! (and studying chemistry...our first exam is next Wednesday, so I do have to study for that...) :) But other than that...it looks like it will be a great weekend!

~Christy

Jueves...

Hello and Happy Thursday!

Yesterday, the birthday celebrations went well...we went to Big Stella's for dinner, where I ate WAY too much pizza and chocolate cake...then Nick opened his presents back at the apartment...then the celebrations were over for me...I had to go back to my room and work on homework. :(

That's what I'm doing today too. More homework. I have to do some probelems for Chemistry, rewrite/revise a Spanish paper, do normal Spanish homework, and study for a Stats quiz tomorrow. Tonight's going to be a busy night too: the volleyball team is going to aerobics from 5-6, then Yoga from 6-7, then doing a little lifting so we can start our off-season lifting program set up. We're using a really neat website called Fitrex; it has sport-specific workouts and exercises, so I'm really excited to get started on that!

I'm also waiting for this weather to warm up!

~Christy

Happy [freezing] Birthday Nick!!!

Happy 21st Birthday Nick!!

Today is probably one of the coldest if not the coldest day of the year so far. Lots of schools in Wisconsin and around the area have school cancelled for today, but not us! We bundle up and brave the cold...a whopping -11° of cold! But cold mornings call for warm breakfasts! Nick and I went to the Pub after class to get Easy Risers and tater tots :) which hit the spot! Now I have work, two classes, then time to get the last-minute suprises ready for Nick's birthday, then work again, another class, then open gym for volleyball!

Tonight I'm taking Nick to Big Stella's for dinner, then I'm curling up with soome hot cocoa and not outside again until I absolutely have to!!!

Stay warm!!!


Christy

A Balmy 41° in Ripon, WI!

Today is absolutely gorgeous! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I just flew in on my magic carpet. I'm kidding, but it really is 41°! Fabulous. This weekend was a pretty quiet one...Friday night Nick and I stayed in out of the cold and had a dress-up contest: "Who can be the most embarrassing to the other?" It was really fun! :) Then Saturday was the first Scholarship Day for accepted seniors, so I helped with that in the morning, then in the afternoon I went shopping in Appleton with Lauren and Jess.

Sunday was, of course, brunch and then homework. Nick's family came up to take us out to dinner for his birthday, so we went to the Applebee's in Fon du Lac. It was good to see them again, and the food was great! :) Nick's birthday is Wednesday, so I have a few things to get organized before then, but I have the help of my roommate and possibly a few others, so I'll be able to pull everything off! :)

Tomorrow we begin our off-season team workouts and training for volleyball. I am so excited to play again! I miss seeing the girls everyday too, so this gives us a good chance to hang out, catch up, but also to improve for next year.

~Christy

Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun

Today it is a beautiful, sunny day! (But still cold as can be!) The sun always makes it easier to get up...I feel like I'm not the only one getting up early! Today I had Chemistry discussion from 8-8:50, work from 9-10, then Stats lab from 10:10-12:05. A pretty light day! But I need to talk to my advisor and see if I can add an Exercise Science class so I can get my Wellness Requirement taken care of. Because Ripon is a Liberal Arts college, as students we are required to take bredth requirements, which include a fine arts course, a wellness course, a natural sciences course, a behavioral science course, a writing and composition course, and other courses as well. But these requirements lead to well-rounded students and attractive resumes, so bring it on! :)

I'm also excited because tonight is the first class of Intramural Yoga, so I will definitely have to check that out...but other than that I'm staying inside where it's warm!

~Christy

Wednesday already!

Hi there! This has been a busy week already! Monday was a popular day for prospective students to come visit campus, so I lunch hosted and walked a few people to classes and appointments. Yesterday was my day to sleep in! The only class I had was lab from 1-4 p.m. so I slept in and got some homework done! I am also applying to be a Resident Assistant (RA) next year, so I am working on that application and essay questions in my spare time!


Today is a full day of class, and what makes it even worse is it is so cold outside! I am ready for a heat wave or something! SOON! But I guess there are polenty of things to take my mind off the cold...on campus right now is a week-long celebration of Martin Luther King so we have activities related to that going on everyday: Monday was Celebration Dinner with Soul Food in the Commons over the lunch hour, Yesterday was a Poetry Reading during Golden Hour, today is "Straight Talk," a discussion led by Quay Hanna on this year’s theme, “Race, Gender and Politics,” then tomorrow night in Great Hall is keynote speaker damali ayo, writer/activist, and author of the book How to Rent a Negro, Friday's lunch will feature a Celebration Cake in the Commons, Saturday is a day of Service volunteering with Feed My Starving Children, and the week ends on Sunday with a non-denominational worship service by guest pastor President Joyce.



~Christy

Friday is my Favorite :)

I am so glad this first week was only a four day-er! It turns out I had a lot more homework than I had anticipated yesterday, so it was not entirely a day of rest... I went to the movie CUT, a documentary about teens and self-injury, sponsored by Residence Life at 7:30 with Nick. I thought it would be interesting from a psychological point of view, but it wasn't what I had expected. Then, after the movie, I raced to the Terrace to see Jason LeVasseur who was AMAZING! He was definitely a true performer. He was up on stage dancing, cracking jokes, making fun of people, and singing tunes from the Lion King, Christina Aguliera, Sir Mix-a-lot, Oasis--you name it! And BONUS: he's on itunes! So maybe I'll use my gift card! :)

Today I've had three classes so far...one to go, then it's time for a well-deserved nap. Then it looks like the Basketball games tonight and perhaps a movie tomorrow night since the HIGH tomorrow is a whopping TWO degrees! BRRRRR! But I came back with two new winter hats, so I can brave the Wisconsin Winters! :)

This weekend is also Bid Weekend for all the fraternities and sororities. At Ripon you can't pledge until second semester, which is really nice. It gives you a chance to meet people and get to know more about the various Greek organizations and decide if it is something you are interested in or not.

Happy Friday,
Christy

My day of rest...well, kind of!

Today I only had one class! A lab for my Research Design and Statistics class. At 10:10 we met in the computer lab to learn how to use some of the Psychology software we have in the Psychology computer lab. So I spent some time graphing on the computer and even out of lab early! So I got to sleep in AND get out of class early! What a deal. Then I work for an hour this afternoon, then it looks like homework until dinner, dinner, then hopefully hanging out until the Jason LeVasseur concert at 9 p.m. in the Terrace!

I'm really excited for the concert! I checked out his music today and it's really good! He's an acoustic/folk artist with a great voice, and I'm really looking forward to his THIRD visit to Ripon tonight!! :)

Jason LeVasseur

Day 2!

Today was the second day of classes, but I had all new classes today. Many of the classes run on either a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule or a Tuesday-Thursday schedule, so I had all different classes today than I did yesterday. The first day of class is mostly getting familiar with the course, the professor, and the expectations. In Chemistry we went over the class syllabus, my professor, Dr. Katahira, did a demonstration and went over a few basic concepts and terms. I really like him so I don't think 8 a.m. will be that bad! :) Then I worked for an hour between classes. At 10:10 I had Research Design and Statistics, with the newest addition to the psych department, Professor Kovack-Lesh, where we mostly went over the syllabus and did introductions. I had Social Problems after that, where we, again, went over the syllabus! So I am now well-organized for all my classes! :) I had a nice break from noon until 2:30 when I had Spanish until 3:40! My Spanish professor is actually the same one that taught my first semester of Spanish here at Ripon, so that's nice! And that's the way it is as you move further into the departments at a small college like Ripon; you pretty much get to know everyone in the department, which is really nice when it comes to needing letters of recommendation or references in the future.

Well I think last night was my last night of relaxation! :( I have homework to do tonight! It shouldn't be too bad, but I want to work a little ahead so I can go to the Jason Levasseur concert tomorrow night in the Terrace!

Hasta Mañana,
Christy

Second Semester!

Second semester has begun! It is great to be back "home!" Here is a picture we took of our Reunion! :)

Today was the first day of classes for the new semester! I got back to campus on Saturday night because we had our volleyball banquet. My family brought me back and I was able to unpack and get settled again before everyone came back on Sunday, so that was really nice. Then we went to my banquet where Coach gave out fun awards from the season. I received awards such as the "Good Sense" kitchen bag award for court awareness, the "Rip It" energy drink award for being second in service aces, the "Sweeper" duster award for being second in digs, the flashing whistle award for calling plays and helping the offense, and the frog award for being quick like a frog! The banquet was a lot of fun and a great way to wrap up the season and thank the seniors and the coaches.

Yesterday was registration. All the professors have a table set up in the Tartan area of Storzer and you are able to meet with them and change classes if you need to. I was lucky, I didn't have to make any changes to my schedule, so I just needed my advisor's signature!

This semester I am continuing to work toward my psychology major, and also working toward filling some of the pre-med requirements to keep medical school as an option in the future. I am taking the second semester of Research Design and Statistics (a Psych course), Spanish 222, Sturcture and Reactivity (Chemistry), and also my first Sociology class, Social Problems, which I am really excited about. If I like Sociology a lot I might consider double majoring! But we'll see what the semester brings! I also want to go abroad a year from now, so I need to start talking to my professors about the programs available and which would be best for my interests and goals. There's always something to do!

Tonight I have a SMAC meeting at 8 p.m. and I am going to go workout after work, and then I'll have the rest of the night to relax--no homework! (yet!)

~Christy

Finals Week!

Finals Week...Ahhhh!

It's hard to believe it's finals week already! I have my Chem final today at 1 p.m., Stats tomorrow at 8 a.m., a Latin test tomorrow at 1 p.m., a paper due for Latin Wednesday at 9 a.m., and then my Spanish final Thursday from 9-11 a.m. So I'm pretty busy all week! But it's easy to study around campus this week. There are extended hours at the library and Great Hall is transformed to an around-the-clock study environment with snacks donated by local churches. And my favorite part about finals week: Late night breakfast! Tomorrow night at 11 p.m. the faculty and staff serve a breakfast for the students in the Commons. It's free and a great study break! Plus, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, so there's no way I'm turning down a second breakfast! :)

It's a stressful time, but we are rewarded with a month break...so I think it all evens out!

--Christy

A Dicken's of A Weekend!

What a wonderful weekend! I am ready to begin the last week of classes refreshed, rejoiceful and full of holiday spirit! :) Friday night my girlfriends and I went to Dicken's of a Christmas; it was my first time and I absolutely loved it! We went to an International Gift Market, looked at all the Living Windows, voted in the Gingerbread house contest, and ate lots of cookies! I can't think of a better way to spend a snowy Friday night! Saturday we got 6 more inches of snow, but I didn't mind! I stayed in all day working on my presentation for my study. Sunday was another relaxing day; I watched a little football game as I worked on homework and big snowflakes fell! I love the snow, even though I almost fell a couple times today! It's just so beautiful!

Lindsey, Jess, and me :)

--Christy

Dicken's of a Christmas!

Ripon's 17th annual "Dicken's of a Christmas" kicks off tonight in Historic Downtown Ripon! The event began 17 years ago when a handful of community members decided to organize a Victorian-themed festival as a tribute to the stunning Victorian architecture and homes throughout Ripon and to thank the community and businesses for their support throughout the year. Over the years, it has grown and become one of Ripon's premiere festivals held every year the first weekend of December. It runs Thursday-Sunday and features Living Windows in downtown businesses on Friday evening, carriage rides through Historic Downtown Ripon, a Tour of Homes on Saturday (including the new Campus Apartments!), Dickens of a Quilt Show, an Enchanted Forest of trees sponsored and decorated by area organizations, an International Gift Market, Victorian Costume Contest, Breakfast with Santa, Gingerbread House Contest, and Victorian Dickens Photos--just to name a few!

I don't think I'll make it downtown tonight because I have a big Chemistry exam tomorrow, but I am definitely heading down for the Living Windows tomorrow night! I might even have to do a little shopping at the International Gift Market! :) Tonight I do want to try and go to the Yoga Class in Great Hall, which is led by the woman that owns Marigold Yoga, located downtown. I think it would be a relaxing and rejuvinating study break! :)

--Christy