Busy Busy Busy!

Today I have SO many things to do! Tonight there's an EarthWeek BBQ, De Novo Dahl in Concert at 6:30, then they're showing Blood Diamond in the Pub at 8! I have to sell Springfest t-shirts for SMAC, so I will get to eat dinner and enjoy a concert at the same time! :) YES! Before that though, the volleyball team is practicing, since we have an off-season tournament on Sunday! I might have to miss the Student Appreciation dinner put on my the Admission and Financial Aid Offices for their student workers, but I definietly need to have some of the dessert! Toni makes the best desserts!

The end is growing near...and so are deadlines! I have so many projects and papers due! But hopefully I can get them done before this weekend, so I can enjoy Springfest!

Ciao!

Christy

Red Hawks are thinking Green!

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL! And we definitely took advantage of it! Saturday, Merriman hosted their annual Ultimate Frisbee Tournament to raise money for a local girl with leukemia. It was a great cause, good exercise, and a nice way to get a tan (or burn!) too! Then Sunday, Phi Delta Theta had their annual Firefighter's Run to raise money for the Ripon Fire Department. The guys put on the firefighter gear and run laps around the quads and they also grill brats and hamburgers. It was a lot of fun! I played sand volleyball, which was a blast!!!

This week on campus is a week-long celebration of Earth Day! Let me give you a run-down of the events!

Tuesday
- Earth Day Golden Hour: The Urgency of Incorporating Sustainability in Higher Education--An Ethical Perspective; Dr. Peter Blaze Corcoran with an introduction by ELP Green Certification Students
- Earth Day Presentation: Earth Charter Ethics--Supporting Young People on the Journey to Sustainable Societies; Dr. Peter Blaze Corcoran
- EGOR & SMAC Present the Earth Day film, the 11th Hour

Wednesday
- Sodexho & EGOR “Zero Waste” Earth Week BBQ
- Environmental Group of Ripon, SMAC, College Dems, & College Republicans present De Novo Dahl in Concert

Thursday
- Dedication of trees to Ripon community
- Nature Photo Art Show and Contest co-sponsored with Photogenesis
- Organic T-shirt Tie-Dying co-sponsored by SMAC & Bonner Program

Christy

Thinking Pink...

Last night my Living Group, Think Pink, did our activity for the semester. We made pink ribbon pins and sold them around campus. We made over $150 for Relay for Life! Relay for Life is tomorrow night at Ripon High School, so we're going to head down there to volunteer and donate our pin money!

The weather yesterday was beautiful! There were intramural softball games, sand volleyball matches, kites being flown, and frisbees being tossed around campus. The campus really comes alive with the warm weather! :)

Today i'm headed to the JV baseball game to see some of my friends play! Then it's time to hit the books! Tomorrow I'm making up a Chemistry test I missed on Monday when I was sick, so I need to review some more for that!

~Christy

What a Week!

This week has been crazy. And crazy seems to be the forecast for the rest of the semester.

I have two exams next week, then projects and papers due the following weeks. This month is going to be busy and stressful! But at least there are awesome activities going on around campus to offer a break and some fun during this stressful time! Last night Ripon Afterdark sponsored a comedian, Multicultural Club sponsored an Open-mic night, and SMAC had a speaker talking about sex. Tonight SMAC is showing Hairspray and it's also Spring Fling, a Sadie's Hawkins Dance with the theme "Rollin' through the Decades." The one-act student-directed plays are also this weekend (I'm going tomorrow night!).



It should be a fun weekend!




~Christy

Ripon on YOUR Resume

Last night Jess and I went to the Resume-Building Workshop hosted by Professor Judy Roy, Professor Brian Smith, and Professor Diane Mockridge. What a great opportunity it was! We learned what grad schools and scholarship committees are looking for and how Ripon will help us along the way. Grad Schools and scholarship teams are looking for well-rounded individuals... at Ripon you are involved not only in your education, but in your community and extracurriculars...they are also looking for community service...Ripon has an Office of Community Engagement dedicated to making students aware of volunteer opportunities and professors who make opportunities aware to you as well because they know what you're interested in. Grad Schools and scholarship teams also look for great recommendation letters, which you are sure to get at Ripon. Your professsors know you personally and are able to really speak about your accomplishments and character. No matter what your goal is, the professors are willing to help you get there, and that's what makes Ripon so special.

While I want to figure out my future plans soon, tonight I am finishing a paper for Friday and doing my laundry! :)

~Christy

Happenings around campus...

If you've ever thought there's nothing to do on a small campus in the middle of Wisconsin, think again! Let me give you a run-down of all the things happening around campus:
-Saturday was the Bags Tournament hosted by Sigma Chi to raise money for the Jamaican Maymester
-Sunday was the Mud Run sponsored by the Pre-Med Society
-Last night there were IM floor hockey games
-Today Besty Nadler, an athletic trainer at the Olympic Training Center spoke about her work as a trainer at the Center, as well as her involvement as a Medical Director in Winter Olympic Games and the Paralympics. (Betsy was actually my sociology professor's undergraduate roommate!)
-Tonight the National Scholarship Team is offering a resume-building workshop
-SMAC and the Cultural Diversity Committee are showing "Last King of Scotland"

There are even more activities coming up this week, but I will tell you more about them as they come...I have to write a paper! And go to the resume-building workshop, a SMAC meeting, and an intramural volleyball game! :)

~Christy

GORGEOUS.

One word to describe today's weather: gorgeous. It is 52° and sunny! And tomorrow's supposed to be even warmer! :D

That's great because tomorrow Sigma Chi is hosting their annual Bean Bag Tournament! The profits go to help the Jamaican Maymester in Hagley Gap (which I'm going on this year!). It's a great cause and who doesn't love bean bags?! Then, tomorrow night, Sigma Chi is having their annual Graffiti Party...t-shirt + Sharpies = Graffiti!

But tonight, I am helping Jess with a lock-in at the UCC Church just off campus. I am so excited for it! I haven't been to a lock in since high school! But it's kind of sad that I am so tired all I want to do is sleep! But hopefully we'll get some sleep tonight! :)

The Ethics in Health Care Conference continues tomorrow with a presentation from the Honorable Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services: “The Covered and the Uncovered: The Ethics of Failing to Ensure Health Coverage for all Americans.” I'm not sure if I'll be back in time to see his presentation, but it would be really neat to. We just finished watching Super Size Me in Sociology this week, and Tommy Thompson was featured in the film!

Also going on this weekend is the Mud Run, sponsored by the Pre-Med Society. It's a 5K run through the Prairie to raise money for the Palestinian Children's Fund, which helps Middle Eastern children with medical needs. Very cool!

Have a great weekend!

~Christy

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

Today there are so many things happening on campus! I just finished eating a brat from the brat fry sponsored by the Office of Community Engagement--Yum! Also, over the noon-hour, E.G.O.R. (The Environmental Group of Ripon) sponsored guest speakers Paul Linzmeyer and Steve Dunn, who discussed "The ‘Grean’ Journey to Business Success in the 21st Century." The first home baseball game is also today, at 1 p.m. I would really like to go to the game, but I have a Sociology exam and a Stats quiz tomorrow...so I'll probably be inside studying. But if I open my window I can hear the announcing! :)

Tonight, as a part of the Ethics in Health Care Conference, the movie "Sicko" will be shown in Bear Auditorium followed by a faculty panel. It's at 7:30, so I hope to have all my studying done before that! I'll miss my intramural volleyball game, but I am confident the team will go on to victory even in my abscence. Go Vicious and Delicious! :)

~Christy

30 days!

As of yesterday we officially have ONE MONTH left of classes! I can hardly believe it! But things are definitely getting busier, and as they do my room gets messier and messier! I just don't have time to keep it as tidy as I would like!

Friday and Monday were Accepted Student Days, so Jess and I hosted overnights Thursday and Sunday. The girls that stayed with us were great and I hope they both decide to come to Ripon! :) Accepted Student Days went really well overall (except for the rain Monday), and it was great to meet the people that I have been sending letters to all year!

Yesterday I got to sleep in! I had Chemistry lab from 1-4, then I practiced with the volleyball team, went to dinner, worked on homework, went to a SMAC meeting, went to an Intramural Volleyball Game (GO VICIOUS AND DELICIOUS!), and finished up the night with some more homework and HGTV! :)

Today is absolutely GORGEOUS outside, so hopefully the sun will help keep me awake and give me energy! I have a full day of classes, but nothing going on tonight but homework. So hopefully that means getting to bed early...we'll see how that goes! Ha!

~Christy

Busy times on Campus

There is so much going on around campus these days! Let me give you a brief run-down: Next weekend (April 4th-5th) is the Ethics in Health Care Conference, but there have been events and speakers this week too. On Tuesday, Edmund Pellegrino, M.D., the Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Medical Ethics at the Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at Georgetown University Medical Center, gave his speech, "Bioethics and Politics: Mixed Marriage or Shotgun Wedding?" Then, today the Advanced Public Speaking Class presented a forun on "Ethics, Health Care and Today's Student." Then next Thursday there will be a film screening of Michael Moore's "Sicko" followed by a faculty panel. Friday will open the Conference and Dr. Jocelyn Elders, former Surgeon General of the United States, will be speaking on "Differential Health Care in African-American Communities." All day there will be other various panels and presentations. On Saturday, Tommy Thompson, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, “The Covered and the Uncovered: The Ethics of Failing to Ensure Health Coverage for all Americans.” He will also serve on a panel, discussing End-of-Life Issues.


I am really excited about this conference. Right now in my Social Problems class we are learning about Health Care and the problems associated with our health care program in the U.S.


Also happening on Campus: Mary Strange is speaking about Women and Hunting tonight in East Hall Little Theatre...tomorrow is the Friends of Lane Library Used Book Sale (books are $0.50-1.00!!)...Fiction writer Justin Cronin will be in Lane Library and also do a book signing...and there is also the Alumni Association Board of Directors Meeting this weekend! So there will be a lot of people on campus! But, as they say: the more, the merrier!


Christy

Over the hump!

I am so happy today is Wednesday! I had a Chemistry test this morning that I spent ALL of last night studying for, so I'm glad that's over. The rest of the week should be downhill from here...I have a take home portion of my Stats test due Friday so that's the only "long-term" project I have to plan for! Then Friday and Monday are ACCEPTED STUDENT DAYS!! Jess and I are hosting girls for both nights, so that should be a lot of fun!

Tonight, the Pre-Med Society is selling hot dogs in the Quads for $1! It should be a beautiful night to be outside and I could definitely go for a hot dog or two! :)

Christy

Mini Spring Break!

Yesterday afternoon I returned from a whirlwind weekend in Milwaukee! It was a perfect little get-away! I wanted to go home for Easter, but it's a long drive for my parents to pick me up from Ripon and then drive me back home and then bring me back and drive back home, so I went home with Nick for the weekend and then my parents came over and met us in Milwaukee! We went to a show on Saturday night called "Hula Hoop Sha Boop" and then went out to dinner and walked around downtown Milwaukee. It was a little chilly, but it's always fun to be in a big city!

Reality set in though when I got back to campus. I have an exam today and another one on Wednesday, so I will be busy studying for the next few days! It was worth it though! I had a great mini-vacation of a weekend!

Christy

Happy SPRING!!!

I am so happy that it is finally and officially Spring! And boy are we glad! The view around campus is cheerful as we start seeing less snowbanks and more shorts! I can only hope this sunny weather continues!

Today I had two classes: a chemistry discussion at 8 a.m. and then a lab for Research Design and Statistics from 10:10-12, but I got done early! Now I am spending this beautiful afternoon inside doing homework! :( But hopefully that means I can go to bed early tonight!!

Tonight SMAC is sponsoring "Funny Money," which includes a speaker and fun activities to help learn about budgeting our money. There are also going to be CASH prizes, so I might have to check that out!

Happy Spring!

Christy

Back in the Swing of Things!

I'm back! Spring Break was great; I was able to relax and rest up! But it is always good to come back and see everyone again! The Commons is probably the best place to see people after break, so of course I had to go there for dinner Monday night!

It's hard to believe, but this week is registration for next semester! On Monday I picked up my registration packet and a course listing, now I have appointments to meet with my advisors to plan my schedule. I am also going to officially declare my Psychology and Spanish majors and my Sociology minor! Exciting!!

It's pretty busy around here, as usual. Today I am giving a presentation in Spanish, I need to talk to the Chair of the Art Department to see if a course I want to take this summer will transfer, I need to meet with my THREE advisors, and do homework! ...I also want to get some sleep! We've only been back three days and I am already exhausted! :)

~Christy

Goodbye Midterms, Hello Spring Break!

I just finished my last midterm! What a relief! Now the time is mine to relax and enjoy! I am staying on campus tonight, then tomorrow I have to ref a Junior Olympic volleyball tournament on campus, then it's home to Minnesota! My dad is coming to get me tomorrow, so I have to get packed up! ...I'll do that after I go to a fish fry tonight with some of the baseball guys! :)

See you in a week!

~Christy

So close I can almost taste it...

Spring Break is 48 hours away! This morning Jess, Lindsey, and Theresa left for their Alternative Spring Break Service trip to Panama, so it's going to be a quiet night on 3rd East! :( I'm not doing any service trips or going out of the country...I'm just going back to Minnesota. I haven't seen my family in over two months now, so it'll be great to catch up and spend time with them.

Today I turned in the introduction to my Psychology research project, so all I have left this week is a Spanish exam tomorrow! It's the first of the two exams all semester, so I'm a little nervous! But I'll spend the afternoon studying, so I should be good to go! Then hopefully I can get to bed early and enjoy breakfast in the Commons tomorrow morning! I love the omelets! :) mmm!

Ciao!

Christy

I love my roommate!

Yesterday morning both Jess and I didn't have class until 1 p.m. so we had a little getting ready party! We played music--everything from Disney to Dispatch to Hanson--and we danced around the room as the sun poured in the windows! It was so fun. We decided that sunny days and music make all the difference in the morning!


My day was off to a great start! Then I had lab from 1-4, followed by dinner, a little studying, and a S.M.A.C. meeting. In S.M.A.C. we're planning for our biggest event of the year: SPRINGFEST! It is a day-long celebration held in the end of April featuring live music, activities, and great food. This year Quietdrive is headlining, along with Treaty of Paris...and others! It is going to be a lot of fun!


This afternoon Joe and I are recording in the WRPN FM recording studio! I am really excited! After we get the passage recorded we will be set to start running our study after Spring Break!


Then tonight Jess, Lauren, and I might go shopping! Jess is going on an Alternative Spring Break Trip to Panama through the college and needs to pick up a few more things. And I, of course, am never opposed to shopping! So I think we might go to Oshkosh or Fon du Lac sometime this evening!


So much to do!

~Christy

In like a lion...

March is definitely roaring in like a lion! Last night as I was watching HGTV with Lauren and Jess we all oohed and ahhed as the lightening bolts flashed outside the window--it was beautiful! We wanted to go on a walk but we knew the rain would be coming soon. And it did. Followed by snow during the night. That combination made for very slippery sidewalks this morning!

But I have exciting news! I'm headed to Spain in a year! I just met with Professor Fuerch on Friday and we talked about studying abroad...for an hour! I was so excited to learn about all the opportunities Spain has to offer; it truly is incredible. I also found out that it's possible for me to major in Spanish! I didn't think it was an option for me. I had taken three years of Latin in high school, so I had started my Spanish career at Ripon in Elementary Spanish 111. I stopped taking Latin after two years, but I have continued with Spanish. It will tough, but extremely rewarding in the end!

Tonight I'm going to Pastimes for all you can eat wings! I can't wait! :) mmm mmm

~Christy

The Countdown begins...

Seven days until Spring Break!!!

Not that I have any exciting plans or anything...I'm just going home to Minnesota to spend the week relaxing at home with my family and my dog!

But I am definitely in need of a break! I have been so busy lately with everything, it's crazy! I can't wait to have a week to catch up and relax!

Last night I went to the play, Arcadia, with Jess and Lindsey...it took up my entire evening because it was 3 hours long!!! Good thing I didn't have any homework for today! Today I have homework to do and I have to start reading some journal articles and doing research for my Psychology project...AND the volleyball team is going to play tonight! I miss playing and I'm ready to get out of the weightroom and finally spend some time in the gym now that the basketball season is over!

~Christy

Hello!

Hello! Yes, I'm still alive! Last week was crazy, but things are back under control now! Saturday night my roommate Jess and I hosted a slumber party--complete with fort-building, junk food, and Drop Dead Gorgeous! It was great! Sunday was spent studying. ALL day. I had two exams Monday.

Monday was then spent catching up on the homework I didn't do Sunday while I was studying...it's a vicious cycle! :)

Yesterday was relaxing for the most part. I got to sleep in and then spend three hours in a chemistry lab!

I am going to study abroad in Spain next year so I am currently trying to get all of my business lined up for that! I talked to a few current students who have studied in Spain to hear thier perspective and later this week I am going to meet with the Spanish Professor who is in charge of the program! I am so excited!

Tonight the Spring play, Arcadia, opens! I can't wait to see it!

Ciao,
Christy