First day of classes!

Today was the first day of classes for second semester, but I was not there. I am headed to Madrid, Spain to spend the semester abroad...I leave on Friday! But I had to come back to Ripon one last time to see everyone! I will hopefully try to keep up on my blog and share my experiences while I am abroad.

Here is a photo of me and some friends taken during my visit yesterday...

--Christy

iHasta Pronto!

A Dickens of a Weekend!

This past weekend was Dickens of a Christmas in Historic Downtown Ripon! Dickens of a Christmas is a Victorian-themed Christmas festival as a tribute to the stunning Victorian architecture and homes throughout Ripon. It features something for everyone: Living Windows in downtown businesses on Friday evening, carriage rides through Historic Downtown Ripon, a Tour of Homes on Saturday, Dickens of a Quilt Show, Enchanted Forest of trees sponsored by area organizations, an International Gift Market, Breakfast with Santa and much more! It is fun to see all of my friends in the Living Windows and it always puts me in the Holiday Spirit!

This year there Las Posadas was also part of the Dickens tradition. Las Posadasis a Christmas tradition in many Spanish-speaking countries which reenacts the Biblical Mary and Joseph’s search for lodgings in Bethlehem. There was a reenactment, caroling, traditional foods of Spanish-speaking countries, and a Latino DJ! What fun!


The pressure of the end of the semester is building...this is our last week of classes, then next week it's finals week! So much to do!



The weather forecast for today is 3-4" of snow in additon to the 5" we got yesterday! All I have to do is study, so let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!





--Christy

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am heading home today for Thanksgiving Break! We have classes tomorrow, but I have an appointment at the Spanish Consulate in Spain to obtain my Visa for studying abroad next semester! It's hard to believe it's Thanksgiving Break already! When we come back we will have two weeks of classes and then it's finals week! The semester is just flying!

I hope you all have a fun-filled and relaxing Thanksgiving!

Winter Wonderland!

Last night campus was transformed into a beautiful Winter Wonderland with five inches of snow! I think the campus looks gorgeous with the fresh layer of snow, and it puts us all in the Holiday Spirit! Friday night, Untied, an all-male vocal group made up of six upperclassmen, performed a benefit concert to raise money for the Santa Squad, a non-profit organization started by a junior at Ripon to raise money and purchase toys for children. At the concert Friday night they raised over $600!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner! We have classes until Wednesday this week, but I'm heading home tomorrow and then down to Chicago on Wednesday to apply for my Student Visa to study abroad next semester! But the break isn't going to be very relaxing with all the homework I have to do! The last two weeks of class I have two presentations, two papers, a Spanish composicion, and an exam! Then it's finals week. :(

But if the scenery stays like this I think I'll be able to manage! Check out the beautiful sights around campus!

Something for Everyone!

There are so many activities going on this week around campus! I have to write them all in my planner so I make sure I get to everything I want to do! All week, the Office of Community Engagement has been sponsoring Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week including activities such a food drive, the opportunity for students to build a cardboard shack and sleep in it tomorrow night on the Village Square, an "Empty Mugs" pottery sale at Vox Coffee on Saturday, and also a trip on Saturday to volunteer with a food drive at the Council of Spanish Speaking Milwaukee (which I'm attending! :))!

Tonight, there are a TON of great things happening!

- Open Mic Night in the Terrace

- Ripon College Professors are leading a discussion about the country's current economic state
- The Sociology club will be having its FIRST meeting

- The Residence Life Staff of Tri Dorms, Johnson, and the Senior Apartments are hosting a night of scarf-making in the Johnson main lounge

- The Student Education Assocaition (SEA) is having a meeting tonight

- The Student Volunteers for the Blue Mountain Project is having a meeting tonight


--Christy

America's Next Top Model could be a Ripon College student!

Tonight, as many of you may know is the season finale of America's Next Top Model! There is a lot of excitement on campus as we root on our fellow classmate, Brittany "McKey" Sullivan! She is a sophomore here at Ripon and in the final three competing for the title of America's Next Top Model! At least for the girls on campus tonight is as exciting as the Super Bowl! :)

Here are a few of McKey's past photos:

The weather outside is frightful...

Yesterday it was snowing all morning, and when I woke up today I was happy to see the light dusting of snow still on the ground! Hopefully today's sunshine doesn't melt it away!

Yesterday I had two exams and a quiz and I am so thankful they are over! Now I can concentrate on my papers and presentations I have to prepare for several of my classes! It never ends!

Today I only have one class, then I'm selling Autism Awareness t-shirts for Psi Chi during lunch at the commons. This is the second chance to buy t-shirts; during the first sales we raised over $600 for Autism Speaks, a foundation to raise awareness and fund Autism research.

--Christy

And the crown goes to...

Last night was Ripon College’s second annual fund raiser for the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. It was put on by the Communication Department and raised over $3,000! It was full of entertainment with competitors trying to win the title, and prizes, of Mr. Ripon! Contestants showed off their skills--dancing, singing, and telling jokes, but in the end there was only one Mr. Ripon. A senior took home the crown!

Today is a very relaxing day for me...I don't have any classes! I work for a couple hours and then I'm participating in a psychology study, after that the day is mine to work on homework and catch up laundry!

This afternoon Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and The Environmental Group of Ripon are sponsoring a presentation by Ripon Alum, Steve Sandstrom, entitled "Global Climate and the American Consumer: How You Can Make a Difference." It should be very interesting and educational! In addition, tonight the Spirituality Association of Ripon (SARC) and Campus Cristian Fellowhip (CCF) are presenting Sister Lynne Smith of the Benedictine Abbey in Madison (an ordained Presbyterian minister), who will speak on the work of her religious community to restore the environment. She will also explain how she, a Protestant pastor, came to be a Catholic nun.

Peace,

Christy

The ending of another season

This past weekend was the Conference Tournament at St. Norbert College. At the end of the regular season the top four teams make it to the conference tournament, where they play to see who will move on to the first round of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Tournament. We were the number three seed and played the number two seed, Beloit College, in a tough match Friday afternoon. We lost in three sets, 15-25, 18-25, 25-27. After staying to watch the Championship match on Saturday, I went with my parents to catch the last quarter of the football game at Lawrence University. The boys won 42-14!

I went home with my parents Saturday night and went to the Packer-Viking game in Minneapolis on Sunday! What a game! It was a tough last-minute loss, but it was a fun game!

Today, in honor of Veterans' Day, Ripon College Republicans and ROTC will be sponsoring a Veterans' Day Celebration at 7 pm in Great Hall.

--Christy

What a day!

Today is an exciting day around campus! The College Democrats and the College Republicans along with Student Activities Committee are offerinf rides to the polls, but I'm going to walk and enjoy this beautiful weather! It's a balmy 70 degrees! I love it!

Over lunch, I went to a study-abroad luncheon where students that traveled to Spain last semester met with students who are going next semester. It was very informative and has made me even more excited "ir a Madrid"!

I was recently invited to join Psi Chi, the national honor society in Psychology. Psi Chi was founded for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. Receiving an invitation to Psi Chi is a great honor! In order to be eligible you must have had 9 completed semester hours in psychology, have declared a psychology major or minor, have a GPA of at least 3.0 in psychology and a 3.0 overall, and must be ranked within the top 35% of your graduating class! So I am very excited to have been invited to join Psi Chi!

This weekend's Halloween festivities were so fun! Merriman had a Haunted House open to students after donating a canned food item for the Food Shelf. It was a spooky good time and for a great cause as well!

Also this weekend, the Red Hawk Volleyball team beat Lake Forest College and earned the number 3 seed in the Conference tournament coming up next weekend! It was a great match and a great end to the regular season!

--Christy

Where has the time gone?!

Hello! I am sorry it has been so long since my last post! The time has just run away from me! First, it was midterms week and then I spent Fall Break in Texas on a volleyball trip! It has been a hectic few weeks!

Texas was a BLAST! It was nice to be out in the warm sunshine! We went on an African Safari, ate dinner at a Medieval Times Castle, visited the JFK Museum, did some shopping, and of course, played lots of volleyball!

The volleyball season is coming to a close, sadly. We had our last home game of the season last night, where we lost to St. Norbert's in four sets. Saturday, we play at Lake Forest College in Illinois, and if we win we will be the number three seed heading into the Conference Tournament next weekend! Only the top four teams go, so it would be very exciting!

This weekend is Halloween--my favorite holiday! :) This afternoon I'm going to Goodwill to try and find a last-minute costume! There are plenty of Halloween festivities happening around campus: Theta Sigma Tau is hosting a Halloween Party at the Union tomorrow night and Merriman fraternity is having a Haunted House Saturday night! I am so excited...let the tricks, treats, and hauntings begin! :)

T.G.I. Friday AND Homecoming Weekend!

I am so the weekend is almost here! Today was a very stressful day: I had two exams, a quiz, and corrections for a composicion due! So...last night I took a study break at midnight to make a Kwik Trip run for caffeine and ice cream treats! I didn't go to bed until 2 AM and I got up at 7 AM to study some more before my first exam at 9! So I am runnign on a solid five hours of sleep! I have one more class today, from 2:30-3:40, then I have to run and lift for volleyball, and then the weekend is all mine!

Tonight I am going out to dinner with some of the girls and then SMAC is showing fireworks over Upper Sadoff at 9:15 PM! I'm so excited! What a great way to kick off the weekend!

Then tomorrow the football game is at 1 PM against Beloit College, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is performing at Storzer at 7:30 PM, and Magdalen Hsu-Li will be performing in the Terrace at 8:30 PM!

So much to do this weekend...including studying for midterms next week... :(

Happy Homecoming! GO RED HAWKS!!

--Christy

Give up my cell phone for a day?!

In my Intro to Sociology class we are studying deviance. Deviance does not necessarily have to be something bad, just something outside your norms. On the first day of the unit our professor, who normally wears pumps and business attire, was sitting in the front of the class wearing sweatpants and a hoodie with her feet up the the table! That was her form of deviance, but today is a chance for the students to be deviant! For 10 EXTRA credit points, we had to lock up our cell phones in her office for 12 hours. So as of 9:15 this morning I am going on 45 minutes without my cell phone! I think it will be good for me though; I have two exams to study for today, so I won't be distracted by calls or text messages! :)

On the court last night, the volleyball team beat Lawrence University in 4 sets: 16-25, 25-19, 25-15, and 25-23! It was also Senior night, so we, juniors, had to plan the night! Yesterday Sara and I were running all over town, getting balloons and bouquets of flowers for our five wonderful seniors! But everything went very smoothly and the seniors and their parents really appreciated it!

Today from 3-4 pm there is an Alumni Panel on Graduate School, followed by a panel of Alumni Attorneys, who will speak in detail about careers in various legal fields. This is a great opportunity to learn about graduate school admission process, programs, and the GRE.

Also tonight, Ripon College's Ethical Leadership Program is sponsoring a forum to discuss Wisconsin’s Drinking Age and the Amethyst Initiative. The Amethyst Initiative is a statement signed by 129 college presidents, including Ripon College’s President David Joyce, that does not prescribe a particular policy change but states the signatories' belief that the legal drinking age of 21 is not working as well as the public may think, that its unintended consequences are posing increasing risks to young people, and that it is time for a serious debate among our elected representatives about whether current public policies are in line with current realities. The forum is intended to open the discussion about Wisconsin’s legal drinking age as well as encourage student, faculty and community participation to bring forth as many positions, beliefs and questions as possible. It should be a very interesting and well-needed discussion.

--Christy

Homecoming Week!

This week is Homecoming Week at Wild Wild Ripon and there's a great line-up of events! The week kicked off on Saturday with a brat fry at the soccer game. Yesterday campus organizations grabbed thier paintbrushes and painted the windows of the commons, and today SMAC sponsored Monday Music Madness in the Pub during lunch. On Thursday, comedian Chad Daniels will be at the Terrace. Friday there is a Fireworks show on Upper Sadoff and Couch Potato Playoffs, and Saturday is the Parade and the Big Game! The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is also performing Saturday night at 7:30 in the Rodman Center.

Homecoming week is a fun week to show our school spirit and attend activities around campus! GO RED HAWKS!!!

--Christy

Madrid, Here I Come!

Today I received my acceptance letter from the Academic Year Abroad - Madrid Program! Now the next step is filling out an academic questionnaire, a health/insurance questionnaire, a housing questionnaire, and signing a contract for payment...

I am so EXCITED!!! :)

Working Hard...or Hardly Working?

Today is my "day off" so to speak! I don't have any class, so I am going to use my time to walk a few blocks to Ripon Drug and pick up a few things and then cruise over to the Thrift Store and see if I can find any treasures! It's kind of chilly, but definitely worth it! Maybe I'll even stop in at Vox Coffee for a sip of heavenly warmth! :-) After my shopping, I'll probably cook up a little lunch with Nick, and then decide if I want to do some homework or consider taking a little nap! This cold, cloudy weather is not good for my spirit! All I want to do is stay inside and sleep the day away! Especially since Plant Department turned the heat on in all the buildings on campus yesterday!

Even though I'm hardly working today, the construction crew is hard at work, tearing up the streets of Elm and Seward! I think the students are ready for the project to be done...the construction crew starts long before any college student ever wants to be awake! But the project should move quickly; the goal completion date is the first snowfall...which I hope is not coming any time soon! Here are some pictures of the current campus conditions!

--Christy

Peace, Party, and Volleyball

Today I went to a presentation by Dr. Ann Frisch of the Nonviolent Peaceforce. Dr. Frisch is a retired professor from the University of Oshkosh, who is now a member of the US Fundraising Board and a returned international civilian peacekeeper. She talked a lot about her organization, Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), which is a nonpartisan unarmed peacekeeping force composed of trained civilians from around the world. I am very interested in Peace Studies, after taking a Peace Studies Maymester and traveling to Hagley Gap, Jamaica last spring. I spoke with Dr. Firsch after her presentation about internship opportunities and I hope to be in contact with her in the future.

Tonight for dinner, Student Activities is sponsoring a Block Party to celebrate the closing of the streets! WRPN FM, Ripon's own radio station, will be providing the music, Student Activities will provide chalk for drawing on the roads, and dinner will be served outside too! What a great way to celebrate!

This weekend, the Red Hawk volleyball team went 2-0 against Grinnell and Knox! Putting us at 3-1 in conference and 7-9 overall. This week we are getting ready for our conference match against Beloit on Saturday...

--Christy

A Greener Campus!

Today work is set to begin on removing two streets that run through campus: Seward and Elm Streets. The removal of these two streets will make camus greener and more pedestrian and bike friendly. This is such an exciting time to be a student at Ripon College! In the two short years I have been on campus, I have seen so many positive changes: the remodeling of the Pub, the building of the Senior Apartments, rennovation of Todd Wehr building, addition of field turf on the football field, rennovation of the Pickard Commons to create more space for students and student organizations...and now this! I can't wait to see how the new, "green" campus will look!

This weekend we have two home volleyball games, against Knox and Grinnell. Going into the second week of conference play, we are 1-1, and ready to mark up two more wins! Also happening this weekend: Mentalist Wayne Hoffman will be on campus tomorrow night, Capture the Flag tournamnet sponsored by Kappa Delta sorority and showing of "Get Smart" on Saturday.

This weekend is also Family Weekend, so tomorrow's classes are open to parents! There are informational sessions about the History of RC, Updates about what's happening on campus, Off-Campus programs, and Seed Collecting with Professor Skip Wittler! It's sure to be a great autumn weekend!

Enjoy it!

--Christy

Weekend Roadtrip!

This weekend marked the start of conference play for the Red Hawk volleyball team! And what better way to start off the season than with a 7 hour road trip to Illinois College and Monmouth College, two schools in the Southern part of the Midwest Conference. We left Thursday night and arrived at our hotel in Jacksonville, Ill. at 2:30 AM! It might have been a long trip, but it was very comfortable! We watched movies, listened to music, slept, and of course, did homework!

We opened Friday night with an awesome win against IC, then lost to Monmouth on Saturday. My mom drove down from Minnesota to watch the games, which I loved! I rode back with her Saturday after the game and was abel to spend some time at home and see my family.

Today, my Spanish professor, Dr. Fuerch, is holding a meeting for all students interested in studying abroad in Spain next semester! I have already sent in my application and am excited to learn more about study abroad! The program I am going through is called Academic Year Abroad. It's program is located in Madrid, but there are also programs in Toledo, Sevilla, and Alicante.

Not to mention all of the other study abroad programs Ripon offers:

-Botswana
-Budapest
-Costa Rica
-Argentina
-Florence, Italy
-Montpellier, France
-Paris, France
-Bonn, Germany
-Turkey
-India
-Japan
-London and Florence
-China
-Russia
-Semester at Sea
-Tanzania
-Ripon, Yorkshire, England
-Bangor

If you want to learn more about these great opportunities, check out the Ripon Website, http://www.ripon.edu/Academics/special_programs/off-campus/index.html! Happy surfing!

--Christy

Mondays aren't so bad after all!

Most Mondays are usually my least favorite day of the week, but yesterday there were a lot of great things happening around campus! During lunch, SMAC sponsored "Monday Music Madness," a free concert in the Pub. Ari Herstand, a native of Minnespolis, MN :), performed. He sounds like a mix of Dave Matthews meets Ben Folds...check him out on iTunes!

Last night was also the kick off of Sigma Chi's Derby Days, a week-long series of events, raising money for the Children's Miracle Network. Last night the guys sponsored a bon fire behind Storzer Athletic Center. What fun!

Tonight we have a home match against Marian College at 7 pm...I'm excited! I love home games! The students really come out to support one another and it's a fun time for everyone! I'll let you know how we do!

Have a great Tuesday!

--Christy