The title says it all. Been editing essays, studying for my tests next week, and doing research for my research paper. Also I been trying to readjust my sleep schedule ever since my trip to Boston. I was there visiting some college friends at MIT and BU and yeah I know it is in the same time zone, so you may be wondering why I would ever need to readjust my sleep schedule.
The night I arrive at MIT, my friend takes me to a frat party. I also saw a friend from Wellesley as well as a friend Harvard. As you would expect at any college frat party, there was a great deal of drinking and some people getting seriously high. I had a few drinks with my friend and his friends. But after having school and then lab and then a 5 hour bus ride where the bus driver was tap dancing with the breaks, I decided that I really wanted to go back to his dorm and call it a night. My friend told me nicely that he had to stay for his frat until 2 a.m. so not knowing my way around I decided to stay with him. 2 a.m. finally comes and when I looked for him in the frat house, I found him helping out a friend who had a bit too much to drink. This isn't the first time I saw someone having to throw up because he/she had too but seeing the bad condition he was in I decided to help out. I was seriously afraid that the dude had alcohol poising since all he did was throw up and not respond. It wasn't until 5:00 a.m. that I got out of the frat house after the paramedics came to pick him up.
This isn't meant to discourage anyone from going to MIT or saying that all MIT kids are the same (there are some seriously nice and responsible ones I met that night) but on the way back my friend and I had a talk. He told me more about the drama that he had seen between his newly made friends. I think all college students have this need to be bigger and take on new things and responsibilities, but through the people I met that night and the words of my friend, I began to realize how it was badly misconstrued in the midst of needing to prove yourself to others. My friend and I both went to Stuyvesant and we both know what is like to be in the circles of the most competitive students in one of the most competitive schools. It is not to say Macaulay is not competitive, because it is. Maintaining a 3.5 GPA unless you want to be kicked out, and meeting people who have the credentials for top schools such as Columbia and Dartmouth, who also wants to get to the same med or law schools, means competition as well. However, as my friend told me how he was disgusted at the fact that most of the drunk kid's "friends," who claimed to care about him, simply sat on the side gossiping with one and another while me, a stranger, helped and watched over him, I began to miss my school.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Invigorating Open House
To sum up this week: stressful. With about six weeks of school left and the massive to-do list of things to get done before then running through my head I was even having trouble enjoying watching Mad Men with my best friend on Thursday night. Luckily, the Macaulay Halloween Party last night was a blast and helped me de-stress a little. And today I went to the Macaulay open house and got to spend a couple hours of talking to prospective students and parents about how amazing Macaulay Hunter is. It reminded me of how appreciative and grateful I am for all that I've gotten out of college so far, and helped to re-invigorate me somewhat. So back to work for now, and looking forward to a Halloween Party later.
Enjoy the weekend! As always, feel free to contact me with questions at kt.ohagan@gmail.com
Enjoy the weekend! As always, feel free to contact me with questions at kt.ohagan@gmail.com
Friday, October 29, 2010
PARTYTIME
TGIF.
Fridays are always a great time to let loose and forget about the troubles of school...at least until Sunday, that is. I'm excited for the Macaulay Halloween Party because so many people have been making their costumes and planing to hit the dance floor hard (just like that dog!). Can't wait!
Ahhh the Weekend
This week seems like a blur, even though not much had happened. Monday, simply another hellish orgo midterm, tuesday lab and lecture, wednesday lecture and interning, thursday was a typical 5 class day. But what made this week sweeter than the last 3 was how I finally came home from the dorms- got to see my mom, dad and brother after such a long time. Its funny how I used to think I would never get homesick much- heck, I thought I would love to be far from home for as long as possible. But as they say, home is where the heart is, and I actually do go a bit crazy if not at home at least once a month.
Today, I'm kickin' it in the lab ( my internship)- a pretty relaxing yet productive way to spend my Friday off, because in between lab responsibilities, I get to finish up work. Lessens the work I have for the weekend, making it much more enjoyable.
By the way, if you happen to read my post ( which you must be haha because you're up to here already) scroll down to Katharine's post. Her "shameless advertising" is the cutest thing ever, hands down!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
one of the better busy days.
so even though I got to sleep until 10:45am this morning (god bless 12:10 classes) it was a long day. in retrospect, I have no clue how I got through high school, going to class from 8:00am-4:45pm every day (eekers)!
anthropology in the morning wasn't bad. I had to pay extra attention because I'm giving a presentation on this week's readings & lectures with a friend next monday. just my luck, the professor sped through the lecture (which involved many numbers and dates and some math. I am not a math and numbers person -- if I were, I would be taking a math and numbers class!) and, naturally, the lecture was only minimally related to the reading. lucky me.
then came the majors fair. seriously, if there's anything scary out there it isn't a weird halloween costume -- it's thinking about what I'm going to major in. yep. chances of me just having ONE major? slim to none. I'm far too indecisive and interested in many things to have one major. but, I did meet with my anthropology professor about the presentation and, after many really bad presentations, I think mine will be refreshing and just what she wants.
headed over to the met with friends for mhc seminar and saw a really awesome, kick-ass exhibit on john baldessari. it was awesome. especially interesting because it was a modern exhibit at the met. hm. anyway, I was scoping it all out and my excitement was definitely showing because my professor came over and asked if I was enjoying myself (she knew, from my love of this type of modern art, that I would say yes. that and I was practically bouncing through the exhibit.). I told her that I loved, loved, loved it and she said that I should, 1. look in becoming an art historian based on the class discussions we've had & my eportfolio posts, and; 2. look at an internship at a museum this summer or year. she even told me she would gladly write me a recommendation letter. please, I was (and still am a little bit) glowing.
then it was back to hunter for a psych research credit. and why isn't psych a lab science again? psych research credits are kind of stupid though, not going to lie. I get why we have to do them, but some of the stuff I had to answer was pretty dumb. that and I was in a dark room for like 40 minutes staring at a computer screen. lame.
scored matt & kim tickets from a friend (who couldn't use them and said I only had to pay for them if I used them) and couldn't go, I just felt too jittery and tired. I didn't even have a lot of work tonight but I was just pooped. so, I wrote another mhc review and watched the new glee (which was AWESOME in case someone hasn't seen it). tomorrow will bring anthropology, psych and another long snapshot curator's meeting, but at least those are fun and will look good if I actually try for an internship at a museum or gallery. thinking about it now, it seems like a pretty sweet deal...
anthropology in the morning wasn't bad. I had to pay extra attention because I'm giving a presentation on this week's readings & lectures with a friend next monday. just my luck, the professor sped through the lecture (which involved many numbers and dates and some math. I am not a math and numbers person -- if I were, I would be taking a math and numbers class!) and, naturally, the lecture was only minimally related to the reading. lucky me.
then came the majors fair. seriously, if there's anything scary out there it isn't a weird halloween costume -- it's thinking about what I'm going to major in. yep. chances of me just having ONE major? slim to none. I'm far too indecisive and interested in many things to have one major. but, I did meet with my anthropology professor about the presentation and, after many really bad presentations, I think mine will be refreshing and just what she wants.
headed over to the met with friends for mhc seminar and saw a really awesome, kick-ass exhibit on john baldessari. it was awesome. especially interesting because it was a modern exhibit at the met. hm. anyway, I was scoping it all out and my excitement was definitely showing because my professor came over and asked if I was enjoying myself (she knew, from my love of this type of modern art, that I would say yes. that and I was practically bouncing through the exhibit.). I told her that I loved, loved, loved it and she said that I should, 1. look in becoming an art historian based on the class discussions we've had & my eportfolio posts, and; 2. look at an internship at a museum this summer or year. she even told me she would gladly write me a recommendation letter. please, I was (and still am a little bit) glowing.
then it was back to hunter for a psych research credit. and why isn't psych a lab science again? psych research credits are kind of stupid though, not going to lie. I get why we have to do them, but some of the stuff I had to answer was pretty dumb. that and I was in a dark room for like 40 minutes staring at a computer screen. lame.
scored matt & kim tickets from a friend (who couldn't use them and said I only had to pay for them if I used them) and couldn't go, I just felt too jittery and tired. I didn't even have a lot of work tonight but I was just pooped. so, I wrote another mhc review and watched the new glee (which was AWESOME in case someone hasn't seen it). tomorrow will bring anthropology, psych and another long snapshot curator's meeting, but at least those are fun and will look good if I actually try for an internship at a museum or gallery. thinking about it now, it seems like a pretty sweet deal...
Shameless advertising
This would be an especially good opportunity to buy a certain Honors Adviser a little something ;).
Aside from being excited for my mom, I'm thrilled to have finished my last midterm today (German Children's and Adolescent Literature). Now onto homework...
- Katharine
Midterms and Majors
Today I took my last midterm (for now.) My Media Studies Exam, like the History one I took on Monday, was significantly easier than my first test in English. I probably shouldn't make such statements before I get graded, but I truly regret spending so much of my weekend studying. I studied in my discussion class and with my classmates in the library in between discussion and the text. Those two hours of studying would have been adequate. The material for 100-level midterms could easily be what I absorb from notetaking in class.
It's not that I was planning on taking 100-level classes forever, but after this afternoon, I probably could. (I did not expect to like my 100-level classes, because they're basic and cover a large body of information, but I'm finding that that's what I enjoy about them.) I'll be done with my GERs at the end of the semester and was looking forward to focusing on Media and Psychology. But the media fair made things alot more complicated. There are so many courses and I things I want to study, including departments that I've never heard of. If I take intro courses from every department with which I had a interesting discussion with a representative, it will take me through semesters of midterms to come=(
It's not that I was planning on taking 100-level classes forever, but after this afternoon, I probably could. (I did not expect to like my 100-level classes, because they're basic and cover a large body of information, but I'm finding that that's what I enjoy about them.) I'll be done with my GERs at the end of the semester and was looking forward to focusing on Media and Psychology. But the media fair made things alot more complicated. There are so many courses and I things I want to study, including departments that I've never heard of. If I take intro courses from every department with which I had a interesting discussion with a representative, it will take me through semesters of midterms to come=(
Bottleneck Weekend
Just as Halloween approaches, so do my exams/projects/essays. That can only mean no dressing up and going trick-or-treating on the weekend. Why yes, I do enjoy partaking in that even though I'm 18. I feel like Halloween really brings out the kid in everyone and it's just a great way to get creative with your outfits, which is always fun, especially in a place like New York City.
Hope your weekend is much more fun filled than mine!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Learning is fun?
Right now, I am strongly reminded of something my chemistry professor said to the class last spring. We were talking about studying, probably in the context of a tests, and he said something along the lines of: you know, people will tell you that learning is fun. But it's not really that fun, or at least not all the time. The actual process of learning is frustrating and confusing and difficult. But if you feel like that you know that you really are learning, and the rewards are worth it.
That's exactly how I feel right now, as I'm fighting with complicated math homework. Especially so because I really want to understand this, seen as math is incredibly important for the fields I'm interested in, and it's like taking a hike through jello right now - I can't see where I'm going and there's a lot of resistance.
But yes - the rewards really are worth it, especially when it's a subject you honestly want to know. My midterm looming less than a week away, and the fact that I have another test to study for as well, are adding to the stress. But it does feel good to sit down and grapple with this stuff. Studying is often like that, for me at least; I don't want to do it, but when I finally do it actually makes me feel better.
Now, back to that jello....
-Celine
That's exactly how I feel right now, as I'm fighting with complicated math homework. Especially so because I really want to understand this, seen as math is incredibly important for the fields I'm interested in, and it's like taking a hike through jello right now - I can't see where I'm going and there's a lot of resistance.
But yes - the rewards really are worth it, especially when it's a subject you honestly want to know. My midterm looming less than a week away, and the fact that I have another test to study for as well, are adding to the stress. But it does feel good to sit down and grapple with this stuff. Studying is often like that, for me at least; I don't want to do it, but when I finally do it actually makes me feel better.
Now, back to that jello....
-Celine
Monday, October 25, 2010
goodbye weekend, hello week.
so it's 12:17am on, technically, monday. hello week, welcome back. luckily it's a little less hectic of a week. my take home exam in modern political theory is done (well, almost. finishing edits.) and my anthro midterm is over and I did well on my second psych test. all is well in the world -- until I get my tests/papers back.
and this weekend we ventured out to the countryside for some air & foliage (and a really hardcore game of ultimate where I was called the secret weapon -- uh, what? come again?). it was really nice, very chill, very relaxing. then I went home for dinner tonight -- I was craving home cooked food and mom & dad so back home to riverdale it was for dinner and a flu shot.
and now it's the week again. luckily weeks go quickly around here and then it's halloween...
and this weekend we ventured out to the countryside for some air & foliage (and a really hardcore game of ultimate where I was called the secret weapon -- uh, what? come again?). it was really nice, very chill, very relaxing. then I went home for dinner tonight -- I was craving home cooked food and mom & dad so back home to riverdale it was for dinner and a flu shot.
and now it's the week again. luckily weeks go quickly around here and then it's halloween...
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Balance
My birthday came and went this Thursday into Friday. It came after a day when I only had 2 hours of sleep after working on a CHC play ( got an A+ for all that effort so its all good), but going to Pacha ( for free on top of that- yay for USG!) started off my year on an amazing note. Friday was a day of chores, with many failed attempts at studying for my organic chemistry test. But I headed out to dinner later that night on my actual birthday, which ended up draining a lot of precious studying time for me.
Which brings me to something almost everyone tackles while in college- what's the perfect balance between work and play? I say "Jemi, you'll only stay out for an hour" but that turns into 3 or 4 hours out. Leading to piles of work on a Sunday, and cram sessions I won't even remember when I need to. Either way, I have learned priceless time management lessons ( not yet skills- I'm still on my way to getting to a perfect schedule that I will actually stick to).
Happy Sunday everyone.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Lull
I've once again neglected the Mac blog, but I suppose that just means I have plenty to write about now. The past few weeks have been outrageously hectic, but now that midterms have come around, there's a lack of written assignments, which leaves me with the rare luxury of free time. I slept for 9 hours last night!
My poetry professor wasn't lying when she said she assigns a lot of work. In the past 3 weeks, I've written 3 poems and have done 2 or 3 "log" assignments, which involve reading and responding to poems in one page journal entries. We're also getting around to critiquing each other's poems and recitations (I recited "somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond" by e.e. cummings and "Der König in Thule" by Goethe). Although now, having a lot to hand in means the professor is behind on grading, so there's a current lack of assigned work for that class besides revisions.
My reading load has been heavy as well; a German kids book called "Taco und Kaninchen," which I'm glad to have finished because it was pretty idiotic. We finished discussing "Their Eyes Were Watching God" a couple of weeks ago, and I got an A+ on the paper I wrote about Zora Neale Hurston's use of animalism in the book (!), and next week we'll be finishing up our discussion of "Invisible Man," and will be starting Richard Wright's "Eight Men."
Aside from this, I have a German Radio Plays midterm on Monday and had my Econ midterm on Thursday, which I think I did pretty well on considering I'm terrible at math. Things are Norton are steadily busy - reading, evaluating, declining, mailing. I get to go to the sales conference next month and see what that's all about, and I've actually made it my ambition to become a freelance copywriter or proofreader. NYU has a certificate program that's really cheap and would qualify me for either, as well as giving me a leg up in the publishing industry by way of formal training.
In all, things are great. Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone!
-Katharine
Friday, October 22, 2010
MSC, Midterms, Pacha
Sorry I missed doing my posting last week. I was elected to the Macaulay Scholars Council, had the first meeting on Friday, was working on a take-home midterm over the weekend (which I'm still working on, as it's due Monday) and had a midterm yesterday.
Since being elected to the MSC, I've actually been pretty busy working on getting some of my ideas implemented, such as SING! at Macaulay, a Cultural Passport Scavenger Hunt, and an expanded and improved MSC website. Plus I'll be helping out at the next MSC event, the annual Halloween party at Macaulay next Friday, which I've heard is a ton of fun.
At this point I still have three midterms left (STAT and HIST 276.5 both have 2 midterms, and see the next paragraph) and I've gotten two back (just took my first STAT midterm yesterday) - both 90%+, and I was pretty happy with both grades.
The take-home midterm for HIST 356 is kicking my butt at the moment because I didn't really do as much work on it as I should've last weekend (decided to party with friends instead) and I'm also fighting off a killer cold/sinus infection/something that is just making me feel awful. I'm paying my dues though - my Friday night spent at my desk at work and hopefully in bed in not too long.
I did get to go out last night however, at Hunter's annual free night at Pacha. I took my best friend from Macaulay Baruch and we had a good time, leaving a little early to watch the season 2 finale of True Blood at her place (and Season 3 isn't out yet! what are we going to do?!?! I might try to get her into Mad Men).
Back to the growth of political parties in the Early American Republic!
Since being elected to the MSC, I've actually been pretty busy working on getting some of my ideas implemented, such as SING! at Macaulay, a Cultural Passport Scavenger Hunt, and an expanded and improved MSC website. Plus I'll be helping out at the next MSC event, the annual Halloween party at Macaulay next Friday, which I've heard is a ton of fun.
At this point I still have three midterms left (STAT and HIST 276.5 both have 2 midterms, and see the next paragraph) and I've gotten two back (just took my first STAT midterm yesterday) - both 90%+, and I was pretty happy with both grades.
The take-home midterm for HIST 356 is kicking my butt at the moment because I didn't really do as much work on it as I should've last weekend (decided to party with friends instead) and I'm also fighting off a killer cold/sinus infection/something that is just making me feel awful. I'm paying my dues though - my Friday night spent at my desk at work and hopefully in bed in not too long.
I did get to go out last night however, at Hunter's annual free night at Pacha. I took my best friend from Macaulay Baruch and we had a good time, leaving a little early to watch the season 2 finale of True Blood at her place (and Season 3 isn't out yet! what are we going to do?!?! I might try to get her into Mad Men).
Back to the growth of political parties in the Early American Republic!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
midterms...forreal?
so I never had midterms in high school -- nope, just didn't have them. and now I am getting kicked in the butt. I'm totally down with my psych class (4 tests over the course of the semester, nothing too cumuluative -- as in no more than 4 chapters of material on one test) and I'm doing well because I'm studying the way I know how to study.
and then comes anthropology which, not only is the lecture about 10x bigger than ANY class I took in high school but it's just a ton of information mishmashed into a very sad heap on the floor. so, I'm trying to study (really, I am.) but it almost seems futile. how many more times can I explain "cultural relativism" and give examples of it from the readings we've done & lectures we've heard...over the past EIGHT weeks. please, as if I'm supposed to remember all the lectures? let me just explain that -- the lectures haven't made any sense. like really, none. it's a joke. really. so studying for this thing (by the way, it's not only honors kids in the class and I sound like an elitist jerk saying this but the kids who aren't honors ask really dumb questions. like REALLY dumb.) seems pointless. no matter what, I'm still going to know more about this stuff than other people are.
and then, due monday, is my polisci take-home exam. granted, it's definitely not the hardest it could have been but it's certainly not easy. so, while I'm not particularly excited to write 3 short essays interpreting, contextualizing & refuting quotations from locke, hobbes, rousseau & descartes (that's a lie, I'm a little excited) I'm definitely procrastinating writing it...and using "studying for anthropology" as an excuse. psh.
and now...off to more anthropology (just a little review before bed!) & beginning to write poli sci (maybe outlining my 3 essays). and bed. lots of bed!
and then comes anthropology which, not only is the lecture about 10x bigger than ANY class I took in high school but it's just a ton of information mishmashed into a very sad heap on the floor. so, I'm trying to study (really, I am.) but it almost seems futile. how many more times can I explain "cultural relativism" and give examples of it from the readings we've done & lectures we've heard...over the past EIGHT weeks. please, as if I'm supposed to remember all the lectures? let me just explain that -- the lectures haven't made any sense. like really, none. it's a joke. really. so studying for this thing (by the way, it's not only honors kids in the class and I sound like an elitist jerk saying this but the kids who aren't honors ask really dumb questions. like REALLY dumb.) seems pointless. no matter what, I'm still going to know more about this stuff than other people are.
and then, due monday, is my polisci take-home exam. granted, it's definitely not the hardest it could have been but it's certainly not easy. so, while I'm not particularly excited to write 3 short essays interpreting, contextualizing & refuting quotations from locke, hobbes, rousseau & descartes (that's a lie, I'm a little excited) I'm definitely procrastinating writing it...and using "studying for anthropology" as an excuse. psh.
and now...off to more anthropology (just a little review before bed!) & beginning to write poli sci (maybe outlining my 3 essays). and bed. lots of bed!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
I've just finished - or mostly finished - studying for my Ethics midterm on Friday. The next two weeks are full of tests, including two next Monday that are just 40 minutes apart. Things are getting rather overwhelming. I don't even think I'm taking very hard classes, it just that taking 15 to 17 credits every semester gets tiring after a while. Plus I'm in my lab about 12 to 15 hours a week which means even more mental energy consumed, and even less time to study. But it's definitely worth it; I've come to enjoy being at lab far far more than being in class. For that matter I'm getting pretty tired of being in school in general... sigh.
This fall is also busy because I have some applications to prepare; I'm applying for three scholarships this fall. One is the Goldwater, a pretty prestigious science fellowship. Another is the NIH undergraduate scholarship, a program for disadvantaged (i.e. poor) science student; that one has less prestige but is a good deal, they give you money, training over the summer, and a job after graduation. Then I'm applying for another smaller program through Hunter, the BP-ENDURE program, a similar stipend and summer program specifically for neuroscience students.
This fall is also stressful because it involves a ton of thinking about the future, and not in a pleasant daydreamy way. I've been putting a lot of time and effort planning out my last 3 semesters, deciding when to take my GRE, figuring out when to apply to graduate school and starting to consider where I'm going to apply. My next step will be to pick the brain of the principle investigator at my lab and see what he has to say on the matter. At the moment the top contenders are NYU, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, MIT and Johns Hopkins... but I'm sure that list will get longer.
This fall is also busy because I have some applications to prepare; I'm applying for three scholarships this fall. One is the Goldwater, a pretty prestigious science fellowship. Another is the NIH undergraduate scholarship, a program for disadvantaged (i.e. poor) science student; that one has less prestige but is a good deal, they give you money, training over the summer, and a job after graduation. Then I'm applying for another smaller program through Hunter, the BP-ENDURE program, a similar stipend and summer program specifically for neuroscience students.
This fall is also stressful because it involves a ton of thinking about the future, and not in a pleasant daydreamy way. I've been putting a lot of time and effort planning out my last 3 semesters, deciding when to take my GRE, figuring out when to apply to graduate school and starting to consider where I'm going to apply. My next step will be to pick the brain of the principle investigator at my lab and see what he has to say on the matter. At the moment the top contenders are NYU, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, MIT and Johns Hopkins... but I'm sure that list will get longer.
Seminar Sandwich
I've found the Macaulay Honors Seminar to be amongst the few things that my classmates will complain about regarding our program. They are time consuming and without a doubt amongst the hardest classes one might encounter during the early years of college. Most students here are academically well rounded and can easily handle this, but don't like how their new freedoms are compromised by being forced to study topics beyond their realm of interest or expertise. On a personal note, the Arts and Culture of New York City plays to what I think are my strengths. I truly enjoy it. (You won't catch me complaining until the Science and Technology of NYC...and even then I've kinda wanted to take a Geography class.) Regardless, everyone can acknowledge that the honors seminar takes us all around the city of New York and offers plenty of eye-opening experiences. Yesterday, such experiences framed my already exciting day.
In the morning, my class and Macaulay Honors College Dean Ann Kirschner met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to a chance of rain, Big Bambú, the rooftop installation that we read about and planned on seeing, did not open until 11:00. Because of this, we spent our first hour at the museum viewing Katrin Sigurdardotti's Boiseries and the period rooms that inspired these sculptural installations. When I view modern art, I usually wonder where the artists get their ideas. Walking through these white cut-out rooms, I could see their source. It was very creative. But it wasn't the only creative walk-through exhibit at the Met. Big Bambú blew my mind! It is made of thousands of bamboo poles, tied together to create a expansive organic environment within the city. Although we were unable to secure an appointment to travel on a ramp throughout the sculpture, it is something that I MUST do, before it closes in a few weeks. So much more than Panda (or stoner) heaven!!!
I then returned to Hunter, had lunch with my friends. I also studied for my first ever college midterm. I took the aforementioned test (Introduction to Literature) at 4:10. I think I did alright, but timed essays are definitely my weakness. I couldn't help but hope that my other exams, which I take next week, run more smoothly.
But I also couldn't dwell on it as I rushed from English to Hillel. A few weeks ago, I received an Emet Leaders Fellowship. As a result, I get to participate in weekly Jewish programs with Rabbis and other Hunter Students. We also get free dinner and a choice between a stipend and a trip to Israel following the 10 week program's completion. Last night, we ate pizza and discussed shabbat, but I had no time to rest.
I had to leave early, change in to formal wear, and get on a bus to Rockefeller Center. I would finish yesterday with my Seminar Class at the Metropolitan Opera. We saw Les contes d'Hoffmann, which is about the failed romances of a German Poet, who is modeled after Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, writer of the stories that inspired the Nutcracker and Coppelia. I enjoyed the modern staging and strong singing. Although, I like to think that I could get more entertainment for the money spent, it was a very good way to end a day.
I didn't get home until after midnight and have been tired ever since. Thus I really don't know what to say about today's media class and lecture on General Education Requirements. But I'm still content and ready to meet my classes' challenges, even when it is just an ordinary day.
-Danielle
In the morning, my class and Macaulay Honors College Dean Ann Kirschner met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to a chance of rain, Big Bambú, the rooftop installation that we read about and planned on seeing, did not open until 11:00. Because of this, we spent our first hour at the museum viewing Katrin Sigurdardotti's Boiseries and the period rooms that inspired these sculptural installations. When I view modern art, I usually wonder where the artists get their ideas. Walking through these white cut-out rooms, I could see their source. It was very creative. But it wasn't the only creative walk-through exhibit at the Met. Big Bambú blew my mind! It is made of thousands of bamboo poles, tied together to create a expansive organic environment within the city. Although we were unable to secure an appointment to travel on a ramp throughout the sculpture, it is something that I MUST do, before it closes in a few weeks. So much more than Panda (or stoner) heaven!!!
I then returned to Hunter, had lunch with my friends. I also studied for my first ever college midterm. I took the aforementioned test (Introduction to Literature) at 4:10. I think I did alright, but timed essays are definitely my weakness. I couldn't help but hope that my other exams, which I take next week, run more smoothly.
But I also couldn't dwell on it as I rushed from English to Hillel. A few weeks ago, I received an Emet Leaders Fellowship. As a result, I get to participate in weekly Jewish programs with Rabbis and other Hunter Students. We also get free dinner and a choice between a stipend and a trip to Israel following the 10 week program's completion. Last night, we ate pizza and discussed shabbat, but I had no time to rest.
I had to leave early, change in to formal wear, and get on a bus to Rockefeller Center. I would finish yesterday with my Seminar Class at the Metropolitan Opera. We saw Les contes d'Hoffmann, which is about the failed romances of a German Poet, who is modeled after Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, writer of the stories that inspired the Nutcracker and Coppelia. I enjoyed the modern staging and strong singing. Although, I like to think that I could get more entertainment for the money spent, it was a very good way to end a day.
I didn't get home until after midnight and have been tired ever since. Thus I really don't know what to say about today's media class and lecture on General Education Requirements. But I'm still content and ready to meet my classes' challenges, even when it is just an ordinary day.
-Danielle
Sunday, October 17, 2010
"Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays."
I realized I haven't MacBlogged in a few weeks, so I'm not going to do a rundown day by day of what y'all have missed (because that would simply take too long). Instead, I want to talk about how my program (and the week that encapsulates it) works. I'll start off on Tuesday, because (a) I'm weird and (b) it actually segues better.
Tuesday: I generally wake up at around 8:30 for my 11:10 class. I eat breakfast (generally either scrambled eggs, toasted English muffins or cereal), read articles from the morning's New York Times online, shower, prepare my lunch and then at around 9:30 or 10 I leave to walk to 68th Street. (Even though it's 43 blocks to Hunter from the dorms, it's really the first time I've ever been able to walk to school, so I do it anyway - unless it's cold, or rainy, or I'm running late, in which case I take the bus or the train up.)
After my Expository Writing class (which so far has been going really well, largely because I write a lot but also because Professor Robbins really knows his stuff (he's a really nice guy too)), I eat my lunch - generally leftovers from the past few days prior - and then do a bit of reading and review for my next class, The Dreyfus Affair. Often after reading, I'll nap (thank goodness for the comfy chairs on the 6th floor of Hunter West) and then have a snack before my class starts at 3:45. After my class ends at 5:00, I go back to the dorms, either walking or taking the train. Once at the dorms, I watch Jeopardy! at 7:00, then have dinner, and finally do work, research, read, and listen to music.
Wednesday: This is always the funky day in the week, as I have my MHC course, Arts and Culture in New York. It meets in a different place each week: one week it's in Hunter West, the next at MoMA, the next at the Jazz Museum in Harlem, and then back to Hunter West again. Generally an hour prior to the class, which begins at 2:10, I meet in a large group with my advisor, Charlotte, who is absolutely amazing at what she does (that's something that's not mentioned enough about the Macaulay Honors program, the wonderful advising available). After class at 4:40, I return back to the dorms and continue what I usually do.
Thursday: Due to a fortuitous quirk in my program (and due to only having four classes), Thursday's my off day. I sleep late, de-clutter my room, do laundry, and make the meal for the rest of the week, along getting work done and a doing bit of light reading. On occasion, I use my Cultural Passport to go to a museum.
Friday: FRIDAY! Basically, I do the same thing as Tuesday, except sometimes I go visit a museum after class (a great number of museums are open late Fridays).
Saturday: Sleep. That's about it. (It's my connection to my Jewish heritage - willingly or unconsciously, I don't do any work on Saturday. (Though, at this point, the Ultimate Frisbee club and team are starting up, so I'll have to wake up early for that.)
Sunday: Generally, Sunday's my day to finish any remaining work for Monday and Tuesday, do a bit of reading, and watch the Jets. Otherwise, it's similar to Saturday, what with all the sleeping late and laziness. Plus, Sunday's my pancakes day. Either Sunday or Monday, I go to Trader Joe's to get groceries for the next week.
Monday: Monday's kind of great because my only class begins at 3:10. I get to sleep a bit later than usual, waking up generally around 11, often watching that weekend's Saturday Night Live while eating breakfast (thank you Hulu) before leaving at around 1:30. My First Amendment Law class, which has actually improved pretty greatly over the past three weeks or so (reason being, in a nutshell, less tangents and more focus) is at Roosevelt House (on Park and 65th), making for a slightly different, and slightly shorter walk up. (As a bonus, I don't have to use those infernal turnstiles.). After class ends (generally about 10 or 15 minutes late for one reason or another), I walk down Park Avenue back to the dorms to do work and continue the week.
Tuesday: I generally wake up at around 8:30 for my 11:10 class. I eat breakfast (generally either scrambled eggs, toasted English muffins or cereal), read articles from the morning's New York Times online, shower, prepare my lunch and then at around 9:30 or 10 I leave to walk to 68th Street. (Even though it's 43 blocks to Hunter from the dorms, it's really the first time I've ever been able to walk to school, so I do it anyway - unless it's cold, or rainy, or I'm running late, in which case I take the bus or the train up.)
After my Expository Writing class (which so far has been going really well, largely because I write a lot but also because Professor Robbins really knows his stuff (he's a really nice guy too)), I eat my lunch - generally leftovers from the past few days prior - and then do a bit of reading and review for my next class, The Dreyfus Affair. Often after reading, I'll nap (thank goodness for the comfy chairs on the 6th floor of Hunter West) and then have a snack before my class starts at 3:45. After my class ends at 5:00, I go back to the dorms, either walking or taking the train. Once at the dorms, I watch Jeopardy! at 7:00, then have dinner, and finally do work, research, read, and listen to music.
Wednesday: This is always the funky day in the week, as I have my MHC course, Arts and Culture in New York. It meets in a different place each week: one week it's in Hunter West, the next at MoMA, the next at the Jazz Museum in Harlem, and then back to Hunter West again. Generally an hour prior to the class, which begins at 2:10, I meet in a large group with my advisor, Charlotte, who is absolutely amazing at what she does (that's something that's not mentioned enough about the Macaulay Honors program, the wonderful advising available). After class at 4:40, I return back to the dorms and continue what I usually do.
Thursday: Due to a fortuitous quirk in my program (and due to only having four classes), Thursday's my off day. I sleep late, de-clutter my room, do laundry, and make the meal for the rest of the week, along getting work done and a doing bit of light reading. On occasion, I use my Cultural Passport to go to a museum.
Friday: FRIDAY! Basically, I do the same thing as Tuesday, except sometimes I go visit a museum after class (a great number of museums are open late Fridays).
Saturday: Sleep. That's about it. (It's my connection to my Jewish heritage - willingly or unconsciously, I don't do any work on Saturday. (Though, at this point, the Ultimate Frisbee club and team are starting up, so I'll have to wake up early for that.)
Sunday: Generally, Sunday's my day to finish any remaining work for Monday and Tuesday, do a bit of reading, and watch the Jets. Otherwise, it's similar to Saturday, what with all the sleeping late and laziness. Plus, Sunday's my pancakes day. Either Sunday or Monday, I go to Trader Joe's to get groceries for the next week.
Monday: Monday's kind of great because my only class begins at 3:10. I get to sleep a bit later than usual, waking up generally around 11, often watching that weekend's Saturday Night Live while eating breakfast (thank you Hulu) before leaving at around 1:30. My First Amendment Law class, which has actually improved pretty greatly over the past three weeks or so (reason being, in a nutshell, less tangents and more focus) is at Roosevelt House (on Park and 65th), making for a slightly different, and slightly shorter walk up. (As a bonus, I don't have to use those infernal turnstiles.). After class ends (generally about 10 or 15 minutes late for one reason or another), I walk down Park Avenue back to the dorms to do work and continue the week.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
What a Wonderful Library
I bet I'm not the only one from Hunter who thinks our library aesthetically sucks. The academic atmosphere in which we're supposed to be able to study in is not up to par. This I say after a visit to the Baruch Library, where I am comfortably sitting in a chair that fully rotates and has proper cushioning, where the lighting is not too fluorescent, the furniture is not squeaky and chipped, and where people actually know how and when to shut up. Very highly suggested for those of us who dorm at 23rd.
Yet another week has passed by- not too busy, just too many little assignments due in the middle. Next week will be somewhat worse, with midterms and study abroad applications due. But whatever happens, as long as I get some sleep, I'll be perfectly fine.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Ongoing busy-ness
Another busy and borderline hectic week gone by. It's getting to be outright cold in the city, windy and overcast and all. Very autumnal (I love that word). I'm just another hour or so of dog-sitting sit between me and the weekend. And the semester is half way over already! I knew this would happen - that is, that time would fly past at an absurd and uncontrollable rate - but it always takes me by surprise anyway.
My next set of midterms are looming on the horizon, with the first one in just a week. Luckily the first three - Intro to ethics next Friday, then German Radio Plays and Social Psych the following Monday - should be on the easier side, although I still want to get a lot of studying in especially for the Monday ones. Then I'll have a few days before my statistics and calculus tests. Sigh.
In the meantime I'm once again trying to figure out how to organize all my classes so that I accomplish that coveted goal, actually graduating on time with the degree I want. It should be feasible... just a bit challenging. Especially because one of the classes I need to take is literally offered only once in my last 3 semesters, and most of the others have only a couple sections or so. Add to that the fact that professors I need to talk to about classes are ignoring my emails and the fact that the psychology department is sending me around in circles, and in sum I'm really quite frustrated with Hunter at the moment.
On the other hand I do have something cool to look forward to for next year - my senior thesis. And I don't mean that sarcastically, I'm really excited about doing my thesis. For one thing the head of my lab is totally awesome, so writing a thesis under him promises to be a great learning experience. For another, it'll be really exciting to actually get down to some real productive work. I'm determined to have a kick-ass thesis, too. You can see I've already been putting a lot of thought into this... I'll pretend that daydreaming about writing one's thesis is a perfectly normal and not at all nerdy thing to do.
Time to walk this old dog I'm tending to.
-Celine
My next set of midterms are looming on the horizon, with the first one in just a week. Luckily the first three - Intro to ethics next Friday, then German Radio Plays and Social Psych the following Monday - should be on the easier side, although I still want to get a lot of studying in especially for the Monday ones. Then I'll have a few days before my statistics and calculus tests. Sigh.
In the meantime I'm once again trying to figure out how to organize all my classes so that I accomplish that coveted goal, actually graduating on time with the degree I want. It should be feasible... just a bit challenging. Especially because one of the classes I need to take is literally offered only once in my last 3 semesters, and most of the others have only a couple sections or so. Add to that the fact that professors I need to talk to about classes are ignoring my emails and the fact that the psychology department is sending me around in circles, and in sum I'm really quite frustrated with Hunter at the moment.
On the other hand I do have something cool to look forward to for next year - my senior thesis. And I don't mean that sarcastically, I'm really excited about doing my thesis. For one thing the head of my lab is totally awesome, so writing a thesis under him promises to be a great learning experience. For another, it'll be really exciting to actually get down to some real productive work. I'm determined to have a kick-ass thesis, too. You can see I've already been putting a lot of thought into this... I'll pretend that daydreaming about writing one's thesis is a perfectly normal and not at all nerdy thing to do.
Time to walk this old dog I'm tending to.
-Celine
TGIF
Friday: Since I've entered college, the word is pretty much synonymous with sleeping in, seeing friends, doing laundry and not even attempting to study or do homework. I enjoy my Fridays VERY MUCH and am hoping that I don't have to do what now seems like a sacrilegious act and schedule classes on this most cherished of weekdays.
This Friday was no exception. It was relaxing even though I spent some of my waking hours in motion.
In the afternoon, (I love not having to do anything before 1:30) I went on a corporate visit with my fellow Macaulay students to HBO's Midtown offices. We learned about scheduling at HBO, developed our interview skills, ate tasty treats and briefly answered questions to win HBO merchandise, but the main focus of the event was the HBO's Summer Internship Program. Its seems like a great opportunity to work with specialists in a number of fields. I do wish it were open to freshman. I also wish the school had mentioned this in its online program description X(. I guess its my own fault for not doing my own research. I still have no real regrets....those brownies were to die for.
This seems to be the case with free food as of late. Hunter, the honors college, and Hillel have been extremely generous in stuffing my stomach. This evening, I enjoyed Shabbat dinner with the Hunter Hillel in the dorms. After we finished eating, we played improv games and ate from the most spectacular cupcake cake. And the night was still young.
I have just gotten back my friend's dorm where about 7 of us girls spent the last 3 hours talking. Shabbat Shalom. TGIF!
This Friday was no exception. It was relaxing even though I spent some of my waking hours in motion.
In the afternoon, (I love not having to do anything before 1:30) I went on a corporate visit with my fellow Macaulay students to HBO's Midtown offices. We learned about scheduling at HBO, developed our interview skills, ate tasty treats and briefly answered questions to win HBO merchandise, but the main focus of the event was the HBO's Summer Internship Program. Its seems like a great opportunity to work with specialists in a number of fields. I do wish it were open to freshman. I also wish the school had mentioned this in its online program description X(. I guess its my own fault for not doing my own research. I still have no real regrets....those brownies were to die for.
This seems to be the case with free food as of late. Hunter, the honors college, and Hillel have been extremely generous in stuffing my stomach. This evening, I enjoyed Shabbat dinner with the Hunter Hillel in the dorms. After we finished eating, we played improv games and ate from the most spectacular cupcake cake. And the night was still young.
I have just gotten back my friend's dorm where about 7 of us girls spent the last 3 hours talking. Shabbat Shalom. TGIF!
gloomy friday afternoons
being the chubby kid (at heart) that I am, I am currently surrounded by a mini-muffin wrapper, a mini-rice krispie wrapper and oreo crumbs. I love fridays, even if there isn't any sun anymore and I had to buy a pashmina on the street because it was too windy for me.
fridays are my easiest day -- I have class from 9:45-11am and then I'm donezo (tuesdays I have to go to work downtown for a few hours) so I'm free to relax before I start studying for the 2 exams (oh did I mention that one's a midterm?) that I have this week. and my boyfriend decided to hitch a ride from his friends so he'll be here from cornell this weekend too. while I'm thrilled and love seeing him, I know that a big chunk of saturday (which is usually our hang out day) is going to be spend studying. hopefully he has work too otherwise he'll be resigned to watching tv episodes while I ignore him for hours. (I swear he has spent more weekends in the city than in ithaca at this point. long distance relationships with a very committed boyfriend who happens to find rides to the city for free makes to be a very easy relationship.)
so as always, I went to the gym after class (guess all that candy made up for my sweat & lost calories) & headed to union square to meet friends for a little bit of pre-weekend shopping. didn't find anything good & the line at trader joes was too long to justify just buying dried mango so to the dorms I went and took an hour long nap (longer than I usually nap for).
I didn't write about my advisor meeting but that's pretty exciting news for this blog, so...for next semester it will be (drum role, please!):
mhc 150, psychology of human sexuality, nature of religion, english 120 art history or music history or french.
I seriously cannot decide. there are really way too many classes I want to take and just not enough time to take them all
I'm trying to set up my schedule so I won't have class on friday but I think that's unrealistic. my advisor wants me to take an honors section of english 120 but it meets on friday from 3:45 t-5pm so I'm really feeling the no on that one and I'll just take another honors section of something. I really don't want class that late on fridays. If I'm lucky I'll have 2 days a week off because that's pretty necessary for a lot of internships. it's just going to be a pain in the butt to plan but I'm excited for all the classes! it's nice that I'm going to be taking classes with friends because right now I really only have one class with them.
and now, because blogging acts as my interim activity between napping & studying, on to psych.
fridays are my easiest day -- I have class from 9:45-11am and then I'm donezo (tuesdays I have to go to work downtown for a few hours) so I'm free to relax before I start studying for the 2 exams (oh did I mention that one's a midterm?) that I have this week. and my boyfriend decided to hitch a ride from his friends so he'll be here from cornell this weekend too. while I'm thrilled and love seeing him, I know that a big chunk of saturday (which is usually our hang out day) is going to be spend studying. hopefully he has work too otherwise he'll be resigned to watching tv episodes while I ignore him for hours. (I swear he has spent more weekends in the city than in ithaca at this point. long distance relationships with a very committed boyfriend who happens to find rides to the city for free makes to be a very easy relationship.)
so as always, I went to the gym after class (guess all that candy made up for my sweat & lost calories) & headed to union square to meet friends for a little bit of pre-weekend shopping. didn't find anything good & the line at trader joes was too long to justify just buying dried mango so to the dorms I went and took an hour long nap (longer than I usually nap for).
I didn't write about my advisor meeting but that's pretty exciting news for this blog, so...for next semester it will be (drum role, please!):
mhc 150, psychology of human sexuality, nature of religion, english 120 art history or music history or french.
I seriously cannot decide. there are really way too many classes I want to take and just not enough time to take them all
I'm trying to set up my schedule so I won't have class on friday but I think that's unrealistic. my advisor wants me to take an honors section of english 120 but it meets on friday from 3:45 t-5pm so I'm really feeling the no on that one and I'll just take another honors section of something. I really don't want class that late on fridays. If I'm lucky I'll have 2 days a week off because that's pretty necessary for a lot of internships. it's just going to be a pain in the butt to plan but I'm excited for all the classes! it's nice that I'm going to be taking classes with friends because right now I really only have one class with them.
and now, because blogging acts as my interim activity between napping & studying, on to psych.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
a week I wish I could skip a week
not that things are going badly (aside from spilling oil on a silk shirt, which was so goddamn annoying), I'm just oddly stressed out. next week and the week after I have a lot of stuff due and a few tests to take, so that's a pain. maybe I'm upset that the boyfriend left today? he was home for a whole week! that's a big deal!
regardless, I put aside my work tonight (after completing everything that I had scheduled for myself) and went to the mark ronson & the business intl. concert at webster hall (so conveniently close to the dorms, it was amazing) and had the time of my life. if anyone doesn't yet listen to mark ronson, his new (self-titled) album is incredible. he brought in a ton of guest stars (q tip, pill (a rapper from atlanta that ronson worked with), alex greenwald (formerly of phantom planet), spank rock (who is AWESOME), nellie mckay (beautiful, amazing, ephemeral vocals) & marsha ambrosius) to do the hands-down most amazing concert I've ever seen.
ronson not only played guitar, sang, and did synth for his own stuff, but halfway through the show they wheeled out turntables and a laptop and ronson hardcore turned webster hall into a club. the floor was pounding, there was sweat all over the place, it was beautiful.
and then I went home to do work and fill out a job application for another part-time job at a boutique...just trying to turn out some stuff so I'm working a little more than 3 hours a week...
first snapshot curator's meeting tomorrow. should be very fun, I can't wait! there is a very long to do list sitting on my bed right now and the minutes are ticking down until I'll be getting not-enough-sleep-to-function. so, as soon as I hit the "publish post" button down below, I'll be on my way to getting some sleep!
regardless, I put aside my work tonight (after completing everything that I had scheduled for myself) and went to the mark ronson & the business intl. concert at webster hall (so conveniently close to the dorms, it was amazing) and had the time of my life. if anyone doesn't yet listen to mark ronson, his new (self-titled) album is incredible. he brought in a ton of guest stars (q tip, pill (a rapper from atlanta that ronson worked with), alex greenwald (formerly of phantom planet), spank rock (who is AWESOME), nellie mckay (beautiful, amazing, ephemeral vocals) & marsha ambrosius) to do the hands-down most amazing concert I've ever seen.
ronson not only played guitar, sang, and did synth for his own stuff, but halfway through the show they wheeled out turntables and a laptop and ronson hardcore turned webster hall into a club. the floor was pounding, there was sweat all over the place, it was beautiful.
and then I went home to do work and fill out a job application for another part-time job at a boutique...just trying to turn out some stuff so I'm working a little more than 3 hours a week...
first snapshot curator's meeting tomorrow. should be very fun, I can't wait! there is a very long to do list sitting on my bed right now and the minutes are ticking down until I'll be getting not-enough-sleep-to-function. so, as soon as I hit the "publish post" button down below, I'll be on my way to getting some sleep!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Art seems to be a big part of life lately...
I finally have enough time (and have recovered sufficiently enough from sickness) to post up a new entry! I also have a great gap period where I primarily only have reading and studying that I have to do for my classes. But assignments will be due soon enough, as always.
I thought I would start by talking about my wonderful internship. I am an Apprentice Museum Educator at the Rubin Museum of Art on West 17th Street and 7th Ave. My responsibility is to help my supervisors manage teen and school education programs and to stimulate excitement about Tibetan and Himalayan art. So far, I really love it! I am amazed by how wonderful the teenagers are whom I work with and how passionate they are about life and about art. They want to be tour guides and to teach about art and we get to help them. To work with your people is a very fulfilling experience for me. So far, my fellow interns and I have done a lot of reading on Buddhism, Hinduism, and aspects of art from the Himalayas. This past Friday, we had our first training session on school tours and pre-visits to schools. In addition, on Tuesday, I went to the Rubin Museum of Art's after party to celebrate their annual fundraiser gala. It was an amazing experience to watch my supervisors and the whole education department let loose, and dance like maniacs. I was surprised that the education staff were the life of the party. There was free Indian food, traditional singing and dancing and the museum cafe was transformed into an exotic and chic night lounge!
As for my classes, they have been going pretty well so far. I am still waiting on some project grades but I feel like they went relatively well. I need to revise a paper for my Thomas Hunter Honors Program class by Wednesday but the grade wasn't bad at all so it should come out fine. This semester I am only taking four classes due to my internship and other things that I want to do like establish/start up the Sociology Club and make a website of my artwork. In high school, I churned out a bunch of pieces for my AP Studio Art class and I have been wanting to create my own website for awhile. I also want to get back into creating art and do A LOT of photography this semester. The city is such a great place for inspiration in my opinion and lately I have been walking around thinking, "Wow! If only I had my camera!" or "That would look great in pastel!" We will see what happens. I just need to get moving and make stuff happen!
I will wrap up with a quote by Mr. John Lennon, as it was his birthday on Saturday:
"When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be "
P.S. I promise picking a major and career is not that scary (at least in my experience). =] I just think it's a very good song because it expresses inequalities and contradictions present within society clearly and effectively.
I thought I would start by talking about my wonderful internship. I am an Apprentice Museum Educator at the Rubin Museum of Art on West 17th Street and 7th Ave. My responsibility is to help my supervisors manage teen and school education programs and to stimulate excitement about Tibetan and Himalayan art. So far, I really love it! I am amazed by how wonderful the teenagers are whom I work with and how passionate they are about life and about art. They want to be tour guides and to teach about art and we get to help them. To work with your people is a very fulfilling experience for me. So far, my fellow interns and I have done a lot of reading on Buddhism, Hinduism, and aspects of art from the Himalayas. This past Friday, we had our first training session on school tours and pre-visits to schools. In addition, on Tuesday, I went to the Rubin Museum of Art's after party to celebrate their annual fundraiser gala. It was an amazing experience to watch my supervisors and the whole education department let loose, and dance like maniacs. I was surprised that the education staff were the life of the party. There was free Indian food, traditional singing and dancing and the museum cafe was transformed into an exotic and chic night lounge!
As for my classes, they have been going pretty well so far. I am still waiting on some project grades but I feel like they went relatively well. I need to revise a paper for my Thomas Hunter Honors Program class by Wednesday but the grade wasn't bad at all so it should come out fine. This semester I am only taking four classes due to my internship and other things that I want to do like establish/start up the Sociology Club and make a website of my artwork. In high school, I churned out a bunch of pieces for my AP Studio Art class and I have been wanting to create my own website for awhile. I also want to get back into creating art and do A LOT of photography this semester. The city is such a great place for inspiration in my opinion and lately I have been walking around thinking, "Wow! If only I had my camera!" or "That would look great in pastel!" We will see what happens. I just need to get moving and make stuff happen!
I will wrap up with a quote by Mr. John Lennon, as it was his birthday on Saturday:
"When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be "
P.S. I promise picking a major and career is not that scary (at least in my experience). =] I just think it's a very good song because it expresses inequalities and contradictions present within society clearly and effectively.
visiting and homework
I took a day trip down to Baltimore yesterday to visit people from the lab at Johns Hopkins where I worked over the summer, and finally got to see the famed undergraduate campus (I was working on the medical campus on the other side of town which is completely different):
I met up with the postdoc I worked with and another undergrad from the lab, and we walked around the campus, drove through Baltimore a bit, and had dinner by the harbor. It was good to be back; even though I was only at Hopkins for eight weeks, I got quite attached, and the postdocs I worked with really took me under his wing and is one of the best science mentors I've ever had. I jumped on the opportunity to get some advice about scholarship applications and where I should go next summer. Knowing people in the feild is great, I love having these resources to tap into.
It was also kind of weird to be back there, summer feels so long ago already. And back in the real world I have a ton of calculus homework piling up. Off I go!
-Celine
I met up with the postdoc I worked with and another undergrad from the lab, and we walked around the campus, drove through Baltimore a bit, and had dinner by the harbor. It was good to be back; even though I was only at Hopkins for eight weeks, I got quite attached, and the postdocs I worked with really took me under his wing and is one of the best science mentors I've ever had. I jumped on the opportunity to get some advice about scholarship applications and where I should go next summer. Knowing people in the feild is great, I love having these resources to tap into.
It was also kind of weird to be back there, summer feels so long ago already. And back in the real world I have a ton of calculus homework piling up. Off I go!
-Celine
Friday, October 8, 2010
Thank You Columbus
I have to agree with Jemi - if we're going to get a day off, it should be elections day or veterans day. As it is I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to work a trek home to Brooklyn to vote into my busy Tuesday schedule (10 - 1 Internship, 3 - 6 Babysit, 6:30 - 7:30 tutor). But I've still got some time to sort that out...
In the meanwhile, the day we DID get off was Columbus day, which, as Jemi said, everyone gets off! Or at least my boyfriend did as well, so we're in Boston visiting a good friend of ours at Harvard. I feel like I deserve a weekend off in the middle of midterms (first one was Wednesday, one on this coming Thursday, two the Thursday after that) but I am already anticipating the enormous amount of work to come as projects' and papers' due dates loom just around the corner from midterms...
But for now, a nice quiet night. Harvard apparently banned parties tonight, since tomorrow is LSATs (which I might be taking in a year; ahhh!) so we're just going to watch a movie. I hope everyone has as nice and relaxing Columbus Day weekend as I am!
In the meanwhile, the day we DID get off was Columbus day, which, as Jemi said, everyone gets off! Or at least my boyfriend did as well, so we're in Boston visiting a good friend of ours at Harvard. I feel like I deserve a weekend off in the middle of midterms (first one was Wednesday, one on this coming Thursday, two the Thursday after that) but I am already anticipating the enormous amount of work to come as projects' and papers' due dates loom just around the corner from midterms...
But for now, a nice quiet night. Harvard apparently banned parties tonight, since tomorrow is LSATs (which I might be taking in a year; ahhh!) so we're just going to watch a movie. I hope everyone has as nice and relaxing Columbus Day weekend as I am!
Ahh the Weekend is here
This week was quite relaxing- I was able to get 2 nights of at least 7 hours of sleep. I think that's the best accomplishment I achieved over the past 7 days. Sadly, I highly doubt such a trend will carry over into next week, but hey I'll relish what I got.
Now that I'm thinking about it, nothing extraordinary happened this week. Just went through my classes, did work. But a word of advice to the wise: never skip a lecture in a class you're already behind in reading (a.k.a organic chem)- I'm totally lost and need to catch up a.s.a.p.
And now, I have a 3.5 day weekend to look forward to where not only do CUNY kids get off, but everyone else I know in the tri-state area. Just have to run to my internship, do a few hours, come back to the dorms and get ready to trek home.Thanks Columbus ( although I'm pretty offended we don't get Veterans and Election Day off- more offended by not being able to remember and honor Veterans).
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Another grey but nice cool day in the city. Not much to report here; I've been insanely busy, burning the candle on both ends, and it's getting pretty tiring. I finally declared my behavioral neuroscience concentration in my psychology major and am already half regretting it. Having to declare a major is probably one of the things I like least about the college system, and in my opinion... some of the majors at Hunter specifically are just rather small and restrictive. Not so much in the humanities, I don't think, but for some reason the science departments have real trouble recognizing the value of interdisciplinary study. Alas...
OK enough complaining, time to do homework.
-Celine
OK enough complaining, time to do homework.
-Celine
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
so much to do, so little time.
it felt like forever until I stepped back into my dorm room today. after staying up watching fast times at ridgemont high with some friends, I was all ready to get a good 7-hours of sleep. right?! wrong. instead, I got back to my room and was videochatting with my boyfriend to say goodnight when he asks me to "please please please" proofread his paper. he promised it was short (lies). because I am a terrible speed-editor (guess I would make a terrible college professor and/or high school teacher) I proceeded to eliminate yet one more hour of sleep. down to six (I'm a big fan of eight).
note: while I am complaining about six hours of sleep being an unreasonably small amount, I am aware that real college students and high school students sleep 4 hours a night. I don't know how I did that in junior year and am not excited to do it for college, even though I know it's inevitable.
so, after hauling my very tired butt out of bed this morning to polisci, I forgot my notebook. so, that was fun. I was then off to get more face wash (there aren't very many clarins stores in the city so it was off to bloomingdales I went -- just the cure for rainy days). the scary russian woman, irina, who helped me forced me not only to buy face wash (they don't even sell the industrial size bottle that I like until christmas!) to buy toner too. which I don't need but OH, IT'S ON SALE (sarcasm). but, she yelled at me about that and apparently the moisturizer I use is too heavy for my skin? I don't think I went to bloomingdales for a verbal beating, especially when my skin is clearer than it has been in months! after being accosted and attacked by irina (who gave me a card to get a facial -- I wonder how much crap she would make me buy if I took advantage of that? she's also scary. I don't want the scary lady giving me a facial she might poke my eye out.) I treated myself to surf spray because mine sucks and I don't use anything in my hair so why not try something? again, the lady at bumble & bumble tried to convince me to buy stupidly expensive cream for BEFORE I use the product that I want to calm my frizz (I don't have frizzy hair. at all.). needless to say, I booked it out of bloomingdales. from now on I'm sticking to floor 3.
had to take a video of public art for an mhc assignment so I went to (of course) the hello kitty statue on 52nd & park (so cute!) and interviewed this woman named barbara. she was a little weird but got the job done.
then it was off to work, but not until after the man at the salad place mockingly smiled at me when I didn't go through the salad creation store the right way. being condescending is not nice. do I look like I work in one of those office buildings on 50 & park?
work was boring. blah blah blah. taught the new girl some things about unpacking clothing & putting out new merchandise, joked around with old coworkers, yadda yadda yadda. I essentially get paid to do very little for three hours. work involves running breaks so I ended up on the upper west side after coming from the west village (I'm going to have to rethink this route) and finally (FINALLY!) got home at ten to five. my feet hurt.
and now it's time to do work before I see the social network with friends tonight -- it was, sadly (but obviously) sold out on friday (and who wants to be in such a cramped theater the first night it's out? vom.) so we decided to go on a tuesday night because, of course, who the hell goes to the movies on a tuesday night?
want to get ahead in work because cornell has fall break this weekend & the boyfriend comes home tomorrow (the brother comes home friday). so much to do in so little time. time to speed work!
note: while I am complaining about six hours of sleep being an unreasonably small amount, I am aware that real college students and high school students sleep 4 hours a night. I don't know how I did that in junior year and am not excited to do it for college, even though I know it's inevitable.
so, after hauling my very tired butt out of bed this morning to polisci, I forgot my notebook. so, that was fun. I was then off to get more face wash (there aren't very many clarins stores in the city so it was off to bloomingdales I went -- just the cure for rainy days). the scary russian woman, irina, who helped me forced me not only to buy face wash (they don't even sell the industrial size bottle that I like until christmas!) to buy toner too. which I don't need but OH, IT'S ON SALE (sarcasm). but, she yelled at me about that and apparently the moisturizer I use is too heavy for my skin? I don't think I went to bloomingdales for a verbal beating, especially when my skin is clearer than it has been in months! after being accosted and attacked by irina (who gave me a card to get a facial -- I wonder how much crap she would make me buy if I took advantage of that? she's also scary. I don't want the scary lady giving me a facial she might poke my eye out.) I treated myself to surf spray because mine sucks and I don't use anything in my hair so why not try something? again, the lady at bumble & bumble tried to convince me to buy stupidly expensive cream for BEFORE I use the product that I want to calm my frizz (I don't have frizzy hair. at all.). needless to say, I booked it out of bloomingdales. from now on I'm sticking to floor 3.
had to take a video of public art for an mhc assignment so I went to (of course) the hello kitty statue on 52nd & park (so cute!) and interviewed this woman named barbara. she was a little weird but got the job done.
then it was off to work, but not until after the man at the salad place mockingly smiled at me when I didn't go through the salad creation store the right way. being condescending is not nice. do I look like I work in one of those office buildings on 50 & park?
work was boring. blah blah blah. taught the new girl some things about unpacking clothing & putting out new merchandise, joked around with old coworkers, yadda yadda yadda. I essentially get paid to do very little for three hours. work involves running breaks so I ended up on the upper west side after coming from the west village (I'm going to have to rethink this route) and finally (FINALLY!) got home at ten to five. my feet hurt.
and now it's time to do work before I see the social network with friends tonight -- it was, sadly (but obviously) sold out on friday (and who wants to be in such a cramped theater the first night it's out? vom.) so we decided to go on a tuesday night because, of course, who the hell goes to the movies on a tuesday night?
want to get ahead in work because cornell has fall break this weekend & the boyfriend comes home tomorrow (the brother comes home friday). so much to do in so little time. time to speed work!
Monday, October 4, 2010
7 Events in 7 days that I could have blogged about but didn't....untill now
In high school, I was active in many extra-curriculars and always had something outside my house scheduled to do every day of the week. While I have made friends and explored the city, College hasn't really been like that for me. It's been nice to get 8+ hours of sleep, but as of this week I can feel myself returning to my prior state of mind. Hunter's club fair is in two days (I can't wait!), but this week was busy in its own right. I didn't write a blog but ,in addition to the usual chores, classes and homework,....
on Monday, I took a tour of art in the Subways with my Arts and Culture of New York City Class. The work was very impressive, although I did know where most of it was already. It was great to learn the backstories involving certain pieces and the MTA employee kept us from looking too weird as we stared up in the ceiling with awe.
on Tuesday, I had "Dinner with the Dean" and business woman Carla Harris at the Macaulay building. Our guest was very motivational and the food was quite yummy. I haven't finished the book or taken a job...but if I do, my future looks bright.
on Wednesday, I went to "Fall for Dance" with my classmates from my MHC Seminar. The four professional performances were of mixed quality, but it was a nice night. All of the girls in my seminar live on the same floor as me. We had fun getting dressed up and going back and forth to the city center together.
on Thursday, I got a call from my best friend from high school. She was at a concert in the city with another of and wanted to know if I wanted to meet up with them after it. I took the subway back and forth from Penn Station and had dinner and walked around Times Square. Encounters like this are why I love being somewhat close to home.
on Friday, I went to the Morgan Library with fellow Mac Blogger Daniel Pecoraro. I couldn't really match his walking pace or enthusiasm en route to the Library, but really appreciated the Mark Twain, Roy Lichtenstein and Edgar Degas exhibits. And to think, I got to see really incredible works of art for free. (Which is actually something I did on Monday and Tuesday too.)
on Saturday, I had Tech Seminar at the Macaulay building. We worked on our e-portfolios, which was something we had already learned about in class. It would have been a flat-out-waste of time, if it wasn't such a pleasant reminder of the many great freshman in Macaulay outside of Hunter (although Macaulay at Hunter is definitely the best branch of Macaulay =) Later, at 8 p.m., in the Macaulay building, the Macaulay 24-hour play festival came to a start. I met the people that I would be directing, some of whom were professional actors. We also learned that our 10 minute play would start with the line "3:45 a.m. That's absurd.," include the line "Stop what you're doing and look at me." and feature an Obama mask. I had no clue how our script writer was going to make things work out.
on Sunday, I saw how he did it, and spent my morning directing a hilariously clever dark comedy about circus workers plotting their escape and watched its performance at 8:00 that night. My family came in for my college directorial debut. A great time was had by all.
Today was a very laid back kind of day. But with ComicCon, Columbus Day, Snapshot day, the visits of more friends from home and two papers' due dates on the horizon, I'll be in over my head again before long.
on Monday, I took a tour of art in the Subways with my Arts and Culture of New York City Class. The work was very impressive, although I did know where most of it was already. It was great to learn the backstories involving certain pieces and the MTA employee kept us from looking too weird as we stared up in the ceiling with awe.
on Tuesday, I had "Dinner with the Dean" and business woman Carla Harris at the Macaulay building. Our guest was very motivational and the food was quite yummy. I haven't finished the book or taken a job...but if I do, my future looks bright.
on Wednesday, I went to "Fall for Dance" with my classmates from my MHC Seminar. The four professional performances were of mixed quality, but it was a nice night. All of the girls in my seminar live on the same floor as me. We had fun getting dressed up and going back and forth to the city center together.
on Thursday, I got a call from my best friend from high school. She was at a concert in the city with another of and wanted to know if I wanted to meet up with them after it. I took the subway back and forth from Penn Station and had dinner and walked around Times Square. Encounters like this are why I love being somewhat close to home.
on Friday, I went to the Morgan Library with fellow Mac Blogger Daniel Pecoraro. I couldn't really match his walking pace or enthusiasm en route to the Library, but really appreciated the Mark Twain, Roy Lichtenstein and Edgar Degas exhibits. And to think, I got to see really incredible works of art for free. (Which is actually something I did on Monday and Tuesday too.)
on Saturday, I had Tech Seminar at the Macaulay building. We worked on our e-portfolios, which was something we had already learned about in class. It would have been a flat-out-waste of time, if it wasn't such a pleasant reminder of the many great freshman in Macaulay outside of Hunter (although Macaulay at Hunter is definitely the best branch of Macaulay =) Later, at 8 p.m., in the Macaulay building, the Macaulay 24-hour play festival came to a start. I met the people that I would be directing, some of whom were professional actors. We also learned that our 10 minute play would start with the line "3:45 a.m. That's absurd.," include the line "Stop what you're doing and look at me." and feature an Obama mask. I had no clue how our script writer was going to make things work out.
on Sunday, I saw how he did it, and spent my morning directing a hilariously clever dark comedy about circus workers plotting their escape and watched its performance at 8:00 that night. My family came in for my college directorial debut. A great time was had by all.
Today was a very laid back kind of day. But with ComicCon, Columbus Day, Snapshot day, the visits of more friends from home and two papers' due dates on the horizon, I'll be in over my head again before long.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Butterflies
In return for all of the wonderful things that Macaulay gives to us, we are committed to doing community service hours throughout our four years of undergrad. For most of us, it's not a big deal, having happily done many hours of service in high school. However, getting out of bed at 7 AM on a Sunday morning to go to Staten Island for some community service was more than a little bit difficult. Luckily, I got my best friend Whitney, who is in Macaulay at Baruch, to come with me. We headed to the Sneak Peak event at Freshkills Park, which is not yet open to the public (hence the name "Sneak Peak"). The site used to be a landfill, so much of the event was about environmental sustainability, which is very relevant to the discussions my class is having in MHC 200 (Science and Technology in New York - the required seminar for first term sophomores). Though the day started early, and it was colder and windier than we expected, it ended up being alot of fun. Whitney spent the whole day as the face-painting artist (the kids loved her - see an example of her artwork in the picture above) while I wandered from station to station - helping kids make bracelets and kites, signing visitors up for tours, and making sure people were putting their waste in the proper place - trash bin, recycling bin, or compost bin. The kite making was at the top of the north mound, and the view was beautiful - you could see the downtown skyline and parts of NJ. Not a bad way to get 6 hours of community service done - not to mention free shirts, hats, and lunch :)
Friday, October 1, 2010
rain days. malaise.
I hate the rain. I joke around that I "melt in the rain" (nothing like a good wizard of oz reference) but I seriously hate the rain more than almost anything. maybe it's because I was a cat in another life (ask all my friends, I meow) and cats, of course, hate the rain & water but whatever the reason, I feel lethargic, insatiably hungry, cold and kind of sad whenever it's raining. so, pulling myself out of bed this morning at 8:30am was not fun. at all.
luckily it was my polisci class and the group was smaller than usual (I guess other people had problems venturing out into the rain also...) so it was a good discussion group. funny as always, interesting and the hour and 15 minutes flew by. so, that was nice.
being that I hate the rain, I did not go to the gym after class. nope, instead I went back to the dorms, sat on my bed and watched 30 rock while eating pretzels. such yums.
not too much work for the weekend which is very, very nice. not like there's a lot planned for the weekend socially, but it's always nice to be able to relax. going to stop procrastinating this mhc review that I should write about a youth concert performance we saw...2 weeks ago. going to get ahead in psych and begin on chapter 5 even though we haven't yet finished the chapter 4 slideshow (I'm just getting a little uneasy because we're behind schedule and then I don't know how to allot my time. I know. I'm totally a freak. any other human being would be thrilled that we don't have any work for this weekend. actually, most people haven't even read chapter 4 in the textbook yet. society rewards those who procrastinate.) going to brunch with some co-workers from the boutique. maybe I'll even go home (?! dad would be so happy).
probably the most relaxed weekend yet which is nice because midterms are (relatively) soon. very relatively. as in, in 2 weeks. however, the boyfriend and the brother are home for fall break (apparently cornell has to give its students breaks every 2 months or so. I wonder why.) so they're going to demand lots of time and affection. might as well use this time to work very, very far in advance. not like that's unusual for me.
luckily it was my polisci class and the group was smaller than usual (I guess other people had problems venturing out into the rain also...) so it was a good discussion group. funny as always, interesting and the hour and 15 minutes flew by. so, that was nice.
being that I hate the rain, I did not go to the gym after class. nope, instead I went back to the dorms, sat on my bed and watched 30 rock while eating pretzels. such yums.
not too much work for the weekend which is very, very nice. not like there's a lot planned for the weekend socially, but it's always nice to be able to relax. going to stop procrastinating this mhc review that I should write about a youth concert performance we saw...2 weeks ago. going to get ahead in psych and begin on chapter 5 even though we haven't yet finished the chapter 4 slideshow (I'm just getting a little uneasy because we're behind schedule and then I don't know how to allot my time. I know. I'm totally a freak. any other human being would be thrilled that we don't have any work for this weekend. actually, most people haven't even read chapter 4 in the textbook yet. society rewards those who procrastinate.) going to brunch with some co-workers from the boutique. maybe I'll even go home (?! dad would be so happy).
probably the most relaxed weekend yet which is nice because midterms are (relatively) soon. very relatively. as in, in 2 weeks. however, the boyfriend and the brother are home for fall break (apparently cornell has to give its students breaks every 2 months or so. I wonder why.) so they're going to demand lots of time and affection. might as well use this time to work very, very far in advance. not like that's unusual for me.
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