Sandy Aint so Dandy

Stuck at home for a seven (7) day weekend is one thing, but with a broken tree in the back and barely any internet,phone or  cable, its another thing.

I know I dont have it so bad, so I'm very thankful that our house and home is relatively unscathed after the storm. I hope and pray everyone at the Rockaways are alright, and readers in Manhattan and the other boroughs, Long Island and NJ and other areas are doing ok too.

I was at the dorms on Sunday around 12pm, when my parents called. Up till this point I really thought the "frankenstorm" business was just inflated newstalk. My parents wanted me to stay at the dorms because we had thought it would be safer with the thicker windows and walls. However, a few spotty announcements later over the loudspeaker, my friends and I were evacuated out. Thankfully, we left, because after seeing all those pictures of the flooded streets around Brookdale, and knowing that the Tisch medical center was flooded out, and that the Con Ed power plant in the area exploded, I'm glad I'm home.

Of course, with no subways running, how will classes ever start? And *gasp* HALLOWEEN?! Whats going to happen with the Halloween Parade in Greenwich??Christie's supposedly "postponed" the holiday- it sure will be weird to see trick-or -treaters in early November. 

Anyways, I hope everyones doing ok. Stay safe and dry!

it's been a while!

Hey guys,

Sorry I've been away for so long!  I had to take some time from class because I wasn't feeling too well, and ended up getting swamped with work.
One thing I have to say about Hunter professors is that they're incredibly understanding.  They've given me time to catch up on assignments, and have been willing to explain missed lectures to me.  So far I've just been completely immersed in the current work, and the work I need to catch up on…which isn't a lot of fun, but I know it'll turn out well.  The extra day from Hurricane Sandy should help me out a bit with the work, as long as the power doesn't go out! *crosses fingers*
This stormy weather reminds me of my first few days at Hunter…we had to do an in-building evacuation at the Grad Center, about 5 minutes into our Laptop Info Session!  We had literally just found our classrooms and opened our laptops, when these announcements came on ordering us to stay put, and a few minutes later, to evacuate because of the earthquake.  I remember thinking, this can't possibly just be an earthquake, it has to be a terrorist attack.  I had no idea an earthquake could cause an evacuation or damage!  I remember how reassuring and calm the Macaulay ITFs were (apparently, they're not only great at technology, but at diffusing tense situations!).  Despite the evacuation, I didn't feel anything, but later that day, I found out that my mom had actually felt the earthquake at the park, but that no one believed her at the time!
…and, the first weekend at the dorms, we had to evacuate because of Hurricane Irene!  I remember being kind of freaked out about that "Zone A" evacuation and the fact that mass transit would be shut down (it just sounds SO ominous!).  They ordered another one this weekend, but I was home ahead of it.  To be honest, I didn't think much of it this time, even though this storm is probably much worse…I guess this is just another thing we'll get used to...
Anyways, I hope all of you are staying safe throughout the storm!  Enjoy your days off =]

G.

No meat? No fish? No chicken?

For this whole week, I took up a challenge with a friend to become a vegetarian. Why? Just for the heck of proving to a vegetarian friend that we could do it.

I personally don't think it is that hard to be a vegetarian since I don't eat much meat anyways. My regular meals since college started has consisted of bars, apples, and cookies. As you can see I get plenty of nutrition.

The real question is: What does the diet of a vegetarian include? Chicken? Fish? Eggs? I thought it was just red meats but, according to the friend who challenged us, we can't eat any meats or fish or you could just chose what kind of vegetarian you are. Whaaaa??? So confusing! I've got plans to go to a sushi buffet this week so I'm just going to stick to my version of the diet thank you.

It's been two days since I started the diet and I think I'm doing pretty well so far...well better than how my friend is doing at least. I haven't had any meats, red or poultry, but I've had seafood and lots of veggies and mushrooms of course. It's only the beginning so we'll see how all this goes...

Opening Act

Those in my seminar already know how much I dislike that class. Late assignments, skipping part of class...This class is interesting if you are of the artsy and abstract type but the only use this class has been to me is catching up on lost sleep.

Several Thursdays back, there was a class trip to the Met Opera House to watch Carmen. I must say this has been the best thing we did as a class. This was such a wonderful experience since I've never been to an opera before. We didn't have the best seats; we had the seats that were the farthest back. However, we had the best seats for the music.

The opening act just captured my whole attention. The amazing music from the orchestra, the heart-throbbing voices of the opera singers, and the unity of the whole cast meld together so well. I fell in love with the characters immediately. If performances were most of my seminar class, I would be the most attentive student there. Luckily, we have few performances coming up.

Persimmons, Lacrimal Fossae, and Professionally Singing Off-Key

Hey KIDZZZZ
I never know how to begin these posts. Especially my greetings, I wish they weren't so boring. "Hey kids?" "hello!" "What's up?" Laaame. Someday I'll come up with original, attention-catching greetings. For now, "Hey KIDZZZ" will do. (Even though I'm only 18 as a sophomore, so a lot of people are older than me. Even the freshman class is mostly probably older than me or my age...but they don't all have to know that. If you're a prospective student reading this (does anyone read this? They do, right?)), you're younger than me. So I can call you a kid. Digression over.)
I'm really excited about my acting project on Monday, only because my role as an aspiring actress requires me to sing loudly, expressively, and off-key. I've only spent my whole life preparing for this role while singing in the shower. Seriously, if this were a job, it was made for me. I can see it now- Amirah Yasin, Professional Off-Key Singer. Is it bad that I'm a little TOO good at the obnoxious-off-key singing? Whatever. Let's hope my acting is convincing enough.
Anatomy is still taking up all of my time, but, BUT, on the bright side, I now know the function of the mandibular fossa...and I can make a lot of cheesy jokes about bones that no one uses in regular conversation. For example, "You make me so happy that my lacrimal fossa no longer serves any purpose" or "My heart is so broken and shattered that if it could have fractured, it would have been a comminuted fracture because it shattered into a multitude of fragments." It's okay if you need to take a second to stop reading this blog because you're dying of laughter, my jokes usually elicit that reaction.
JUST KIDDING. Lacrimal fossa = passageway for tears and comminuted fracture is a type that shatters the bone into a multitude of bony fragments. So my jokes kind of make sense, but no one ever gets them. Sigh. They're usually followed by a silence during which I laugh...alone.
Anyway, other exciting updates: Persimmons are now at fruit carts! The joy this has brought into my life is comparable to the joy I get from reading good fiction books and fangirling about love triangles (who doesn't love jealous fictional characters? PS If you're a book nerd who likes Libba Bray, her new book "The Diviners" is out and it was pretty good! Hot jealous fictional characters in a love triangle included) and the joy I felt when I found out that Double Stuf oreos were $2.10 cheaper than normal at Morton Williams. Get on that, people. It's a good deal! Have a great week, y'all! Amirah out.

Grimm, Sandy, and Orgo Madness

Hey everyone! =)

The last few weeks have been intense, and I don't see an end to the intensity anytime soon. haha
Taking five classes is definitely tough. I have my second Orgo exam next Friday, and I really need to do beautifully on it. The subject is really quite fascinating when you understand it. When you don't, it's the most confusing and mind-boggling thing. But I will try my best to master it.
There's also a hurricane hitting next week. Hopefully, it won't be too bad. I'll probably be so wrapped up in orgo that I wouldn't even notice a tornado hitting my window. :p Sigh.
I've also spent the last week writing my bio lab report. It ended up being super long again. Another sigh. The material is incredibly interesting. It just takes a lot of time to put everything together.
Nobody said college was going to be easy.
In other news, I'm completely in love with the show "Grimm". I started watching it last year, and I was completely hooked from the first episode. It's a crime drama that is influenced by the Grimms' fairytales and other stories. Each episode is a perfect combination of fantastical elements and real life issues. The show has addressed things like genetic modification, bullying, and the difficulty of fitting in and growing up. I highly recommend it.

Have a good weekend! =)

S.

I've decided to switch things up a bit this week and feature a poem instead of just a quote:

(This poem is translated from Russian.)

Love
by Anna Akhmatova
(Written November 24, 1911)

A snake, it coils

Bewitching the heart.

Day after day, coos

A dove on the white sill.

A bright flash in frost,

Drowsy night-scented stock

Yet, sure and secret,

It’s far from peace and joy.

It knows how to weep sweetly

In the violin’s yearning prayer;

And is fearfully divined

In a stranger’s smile.

All That, and a Can of Soup...

I finally, FINALLY, was able to attend a Met College Party after 4 years at Hunter. It lived up to my expectations, and even more- photo booth, appetizers that ended up being free dinner, and the Warhol exhibit along with the Pre-Photoshop exhibit at night- what more can a college student ask for?

While dressed up to the best of my ability as a hippie (?) from c.1968-1970s, a friend and I strolled around, looking at piles of candy that was considered edible art, a room with floating balloons that was utterly enjoyable, multiple cows, a bugs eye art piece, and awesome almost photoshopped images, but before the dawn of digital image manipulation. I have not gone to the Met in a while, and this was a great way for me to feel classy and have fun , for free!

Hey all! It's Indiana again, from the Quidditch team. Comiccon went great! Despite the tiny pitch, lack of contact due to the concrete floor, and really slippery surface, we won a good majority of the games! Props to NYU and the Badassilisks for the great games and the amazing time! Our team was lucky enough to get 9 speaker passes from the International Quidditch Association, which we had to rotate in order to let everybody on our team play. Lucky for me, I was able to keep my pass and go all three days! After that tiring weekend, I put off a lot of work for my Structure of the Urban Region and Expository Writing class that I managed to finished today in a rush of productivity. This last week of October however will prove to be the best of this wonderful month with the Brotherly Love tournament and festival in Philly, my birthday on the 30th, and Halloween the day after! Oh. And my first midterm on the 31st. I'll check in and let you know how everything goes next week!

Senior Research Forum Night

So last Wednesday was the first Senior Research Forum night for the senior class. Basically, a night of mingling with peers to have great conversation and to build community, we had three presenters who had the most interesting projects ever, ranging from turning pictures into music, is african american literature a relevant genre, to the process of making a successful play. Along with my fellow SRF team members below, we pretty much made sure that we gathered as many seniors and special guests into the Four Freedoms Room of the Roosevelt House as possible, along with coordinating with our presenters and MCing for the night. As I've never had class at Roosevelt House, I always feel look forward to taking the mini extra walk to get there. It feels amazingly classy to have hors d'oeuvres on the back balcony/patio, and then to segue into dinner into the room while listening to presentations.   It was a great community event in the beautiful Roosvelt House, and I cannot wait for the future  SRFs!

The Four SeRFers (I just made up SeRFers, so if it doesn't click, its all on me haha) 

Being part of a Korean organization is such a bliss when there are foods such as Ddukbokki and Kimbap, made by missionary students from Korea, during my weekends! Mid-terms week is bearable because of Korean food! NO JOKE!

Black Rock Forest, Microbes, and Poetry

Hello everyone!

Last weekend, the entire sophomore class went hiking in Black Rock Forest which is up in Cornwall, NY. I got up super early to get to the dorms on time from Brooklyn. (I had an orgo exam the previous day so this was a nice way to get away from the studying.)
The bus trip was only supposed to be an hour and half, but the bus I was on took 3 hours to get there. We were all starving and restless by the time we got there, but also excited for the hike.
It was chilly but sunny. A perfect fall day. We hiked through the forest for about two hours. Our group leader pointed out a praying mantis, maple trees, and salamanders among other things. The praying mantis was particularly fascinating to me since I had never seen one close up before. She was clinging onto to a tree because she was cold. We were told that she had laid all her eggs and would die in the winter. Even though female praying mantises are not the most affectionate of all creatures (they bite the heads of males during mating), I still felt bad for her. I wondered if she knew that she was going to die.

We were walking over some rocky paths, and I twisted my ankle like three times! We had to climb over some big rocks, and I have a huge fear of heights. I have no idea how I did it. haha. But the view from the rocks was well worth the climb.

It was my first time hiking so I was exhausted afterwards, but I had a great time. Thank you, Macaulay. Forever challenging us to grow, learn and be better. :)

In other news, this past Tuesday, I had my first microbiology exam. I definitely have an appreciation for bacteria now. I don't think people realize the complexity and the intricacy of certain bacterial processes. They are these tiny creatures, but they're everywhere and have such well-developed metabolisms and are so well adapted to their environments. Even if you think they're yucky, you've got to be impressed by their ability to survive and adapt for millions of years.

I've been inspired to write some interesting poetry lately. It's been cathartic and a way for me to express my creativity. It's nice to use the other hemisphere of my brain every once in awhile. :p

S.

Enjoy your weekend! =)

Quote of the week:

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.”

~Thich Nhat Hanh 

MIDTERM HEART ATTACK.

MY FIRST MIDTERM EXAM IS TOMORROW.
I THINK I MIGHT DIE. 
I'M GOING TO DIE.
I'M DYING.

On a slightly more cheerful note, I'm going to use this post as a shout out to a really nice guy named Kwame who lives here in the dorms. (I am sorry if I misspelled your name, but I've only spoken to you once or twice. I've never seen it written out, and my Facebook stalking was not helpful.)

So I was in the elevator, reading over my notes from my political science class and stressing out when I didn't remember something. Kwame was standing in the elevator, and he asked me - "How're you?"
I replied that I was a little stressed out, I had midterms this week.

He looked at me and asked, "Macaulay?"

I nodded- he figured that out that quickly??

"Honey, don't worry - you'll be fine."

I think I spoke to this boy once before. He doesn't know what class I'm in, if I've studied, or if I've ever even been to class.

Yet he has enough confidence to say that I"ll be fine. And it wasn't one of those sarcastic "Oh you'll be fine, this is common courtesy, I don't actually know" comments. He said it like he meant it.

Thanks - it meant the world to me.

Freshman Frustrations

I've been behind in writing here, but I've been behind in so many things lately that it's just normal. College is definitely kicking my butt, but I actually love being busy all the time. It's nice in a way, knowing that I have something to do at every moment. Despite missing the nonchalance of Summer, it makes every day off feel that much sweeter.
On a side note, I absolutely despise studying. It sounds crazy, but I hoped coming to college would be the same as high school. It's not. I coasted without studying, but you're practically on your own here and it would be foolish to be happy with subpar work.
Time management is still a skill I wish to attain.
I'm working on it.
Anyway, this is a short post. Gotta get back to my seminar paper!

:)Lauren

Studying, Cyclohexane chair, and General Insanity

Hello everyone!!
I've had sort of an intense week (as you can see from the title of this post).
I basically spent all of last weekend doing schoolwork. Writing a bio 200 lab report, doing reading and writing assignments, and studying for my first orgo exam. That studying continued through this week culminating with the test today.
My lab report focused on how certain environmental conditions affect the growth of bacteria. It's definitely interesting stuff, but writing the lab report takes sooo much time. oh my gosh. I tried to split it up the past I could, but it was still super tiring.
I've also been studying orgo and trying to get all of the concepts and do a bunch of practice questions. It was an intense test. I hope I did well. Organic molecules are cool, but they definitely have a mind of their own. haha. On Tuesday, my professor introduced the chair conformation of cyclohexane (which thankfully was not on today's exam, but will be part of the next one). The concepts are fascinating, but it just takes time and effort (like all things) to truly master and in order to do well on the tests, you have to really understand the molecules, almost become them in a weird way. haha.
So my week was consumed by all of this. Next week is not going to be much better. First Bio 200 exam, English essay, Seminar 3 midterm...I have to stay ahead of all of it.

Anyway, enjoy the weekend everyone. Get some work done, watch a little TV, daydream a little, and if you have time, maybe even sleep!! What a thought. But seriously, sleep is super important. ;)

S.

Quote of the week:


"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."


~Albert Einstein

Cyclohexane in all of its glory:

Hey guys!

Haven't been very active so far...my apologies! Actually, Anatomy and Physiology has taken me a bit by surprise these days, but thankfully the first lecture and lab tests are over with so I'm getting used to memorizing tissue types and now have moved onto bones..supraorbital suture, anyone?
Today I saw the Dark Knight Rises (finally!). It was so good, much different from the Avengers in it's intensity. I actually cried when Alfred left and then when I thought Batman was dead and Alfred thought so too....LOVED that Gordon used the "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known." For some reason I've always loved that line. Unfortunately (JUST KIDDING, FORTUNATELY!) it doesn't apply really in my life so I could never legitimately say it/facebook status it (...LOL) and actually mean it with all my heart! But it definitely applied to Batman's life. That is all I have to say about that.
Also Joseph Gordon Levitt is an amazing man, and the Joker (Heath Ledger) and Robin (JGL) were in 10 Things I Hate About You. A nice fact that I'm a little too happy about...
The rest of my exciting Friday night includes watching Bridget Jones with my friends....which is something I'm incredibly excited about. What does that say about me? Actually I don't care 'cuz Bridget Jones is the best movie around town. If you haven't seen it....then I am sorry you've gone so long in life without hearing Renee Zellweger's rendition of "All By Myself" in pajamas (an inspiring song!)
I'll end this pointless entry with a nice thing that happened today: as I walked to the subway, 20 minutes late to class, I found myself desperately wishing for some iced coffee. But alas, after digging around in my tiny purse I could only come up with $1.10, but the nice coffee-bagel man told me to pay him  back on Monday!!! I definitely will, but it's just..nice that he trusted a city customer to pay him back!

Amirah

Hey guys, last time I checked in with you I was in Long Island at 2am the night before our quidditch scrimmage against Hofstra. I'm very proud to say we won three out of four games! Despite the miserable cold and rain we managed to win all games except the first, where we just needed to warm up. We took a lovely photo with the Hofstra team, left on a high note, and went to celebrate at the Majestic Diner for dinner. The next matches coming up will be taking place at Comic Con at the Javits Center this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! Once again, I'll fill you in about the details and might even post some photos of the cosplay I worked so hard on after the event!

Today is Monday.  Monday comes directly after Sunday, which, as my friend Rebecca Black so aptly pointed out, is not a Friday.  I do believe that I said I would put out posts every Friday; however, I’m a representative sample of the Macaulay student body, meaning I’m spontaneous and keep you kids on your toes.  Clearly, I have put off my blog post intentionally so as to make a bold statement about the fickle, whimsical nature of the college nebula.  Unproductivity, ladies and gentlemen, is a classy endeavor.

Speaking of classy, today I ate dinner.  At 7 pm.  Like a human. 

Am I becoming an adult?  Oy vey. 

The Weekend Train Schedule and Midnight Adventures in Brooklyn

Hey guys! This week has been so crazy that I haven't gotten around to blogging. I actually have been telling myself to blog since Monday. I put Post Its all over my room reminding me to do it. I opened my fridge and there was a sticky note saying, "JUST BLOG ALREADY" on my milk carton. So, I'm getting around to it now.

Let me start last weekend because it was packed with Seminar events. On Friday after my 10 AM Philosophy lecture I took the bus over to the New York Public Library of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. This library is absolutely beautiful. It's flanked by the Metropolitan Opera House and it's right by Julliard. I personally love the Upper West Side because it's a bit more artsy and quieter than the Upper East Side and the last time I went there, I had some really amazing sorbet from this cart at 72nd. If you haven't gone to Lincoln Center, there's a huge water sculpture outside and a rooftop lawn that's nice to sit on if it's sunny and warm. This day it was raining, but it was still really pretty. I had originally gone there with my Seminar class to view dance videos but this time I had a five-page paper to write. Yeah, that paper. I buckled down with a whole pile of books around me and wrote the paper in six hours. Determination, children. Pure determination.

Anyway, that night I rushed back to the dorms to meet my friend and to go to a dance performance with my Seminar class. We saw a Roseann Spradlin post-modern dance piece called "beginning of something". It was crazy and amazing and it really opened my eyes to the world of dance. I've never been a dance person because I just never got it, but this piece was moving and packed with meaning and I came away knowing I would never forget it. Saturday morning, I went out again with my friend to the Noguchi museum in Long Island City. We got so lost. First, there were no N or R trains running to Queens that day and the 7 wasn't running at all, so we had to take the F and then the bus. However, I've never taken public transportation to Queens. If you've never been in Queens, you should probably know that as you go north, the avenue numbers go down, not up like in Manhattan. Thus, we took the bus in the wrong direction and ended up circling back to where we started after 20 minutes. We were just happy to be on a bus because it was a pretty long walk. We finally got there and took a look around. Some of the sculptures were pretty cool, especially the "Sun at Noon" and "Sun at Midnight" sculptures (shown below, respectively).

 

To reward myself for my diligent work on my paper the day before and for actually making it to this museum on a Saturday when the bus and train schedules are totally inconsistent and horrible, my friend and I went to the Olive Garden on 6th Avenue and 22nd street for the first time (at least for me). I got the Chicken and Gnocchi soup and unlimited breadsticks. Even though it was $7 for that soup, I feel like I deserved it after my paper and the long and difficult journey to Queens. Plus, you can't complain with unlimited breadsticks. I met up with some other friends down at St. Marks and we went to a super cute tea shop with Cinnamon tea that helped cure my sore throat. Seriously, my sinuses are going crazy from this changing weather. I also haggled with a street vendor for the first time and got some cute sunglasses for only $5!

Sunday I went to Fall for Dance with my seminar class, which wasn't nearly as interesting as the Roseann Spradlin piece. There was a piece by the Julliard school which was way too modern and minimalist for my taste. Twyla Tharp's "Sinatra Suite" was also great since I love Frank Sinatra and the mixture of ballroom dancing and ballet left me wanting more. However, my favorite was Hong Kong ballet's "Luminous". I find ballet really beautiful and their take on human relationships was so heartbreaking I actually felt myself tearing up a bit. That's what good art does for me. I spent the intermissions taking photos of the beautiful architecture (I'm kind of an architecture nerd to be honest).

                                                            


Anyway, I had a full week of classes, a dinner with my parents, and some really great fries at the cart outside Hunter while catching up with my friend after English class (our bi-weekly ritual which was broken by dinner with my parents). This long weekend was spent catching up on work, laundry, and general housekeeping and lounging around. The most interesting parts of it were the undergrad night at the Frick Collection and our midnight adventure to the Brooklyn Bridge. The Frick is the most beautiful museum I've ever been to. It used to be an old house and has all these nooks and crannies that you can get lost in. There's even an antechamber to the bathroom. Again, I'm kind of an architecture nerd. I finally got to use my One Thousand New York Buildings book that I got a couple years ago. It has all these interesting buildings in New York by neighborhood along with a little history. I also dragged all my friends along with me to see the Palace Hotel for the 15th time because architecture. Plus, we had amazing empanadas at this Cuban restaurant. Anyway, I had never been to the Brooklyn Bridge before and my friend Chris kept getting lost trying to find it. Even when he got out at the Brooklyn Bridge stop, he ended up in Times Square. Somehow. We need to get a leash for him. It was a spur of the moment adventure and it was freezing but we had so much fun walking across the bridge and freezing our extremities off (seriously couldn't feel my toes). I'll leave you with the panorama photo my friend took of the city from the bridge.

Bye guys!
Erica

Fun Times

After a month of college work, nothing is better than having fun with your best buddies...

Especially when it's karaoke :)

Baby, it's (kinda) cold outside

So I can't believe that the heat at the dorms will only be put on around October 10! Even though thats only three days away, it still seems so far considering how cold I get super fast. Already my feet are ice cold, and I have three sheets piled on at night. I knew I was forgetting the one thing I hated about fall- it starts to get chilly. Don't get me wrong, I love being outdoors in the morning chill with a nice sweater ( finally get to pull out the chunky sweaters and boots!), but indoors, its another story for me. Sigh, I can already feel another cold coming.

Plus side- as its the season of pumpkin, I got a pumpkin spice latte (yum) and a pumpkin scone from Starbucks over the weekend. It was uh-maz-ing. I can't wait to have pumpkin pancakes (found a recipe on all recipes.com) and anything else pumpkin-y!

Armed with my pumpkin latte, I settled down to study for physics. I was on a roll ( sort of) while my friend and I were at our local Starbucks. We then transitioned to Panera  to get my favorite French Onion soup, and then went to our local library in our hometown. Of course in the library, where I should have been completely in the zone, I fell into a food-coma almost instantly, while my friend was slaving away on her papers. She had the gall ( or should I say brilliance?) to take this picture:

Anyways, I should probably get on my physics studying again- I have a midterm ( my first physics one since high school junior year!) this Thursday. Dunno if I should be nervous or just relaxed, as I haven't done anything physics related since high school. Oh well,  back to one and two dimensional motion!

October

ITS OCTOBER!

My favorite month of the year and not just because my birthday's coming up. Cold weather, pumpkin lattes, comiccon, the new Walking Dead premiere, and most importantly, quidditch. It's been a while since I posted but tomorrow (oh wait later today) the team is scrimmaging against Hofstra! While the weather will be a bit wet and cold we'll still do our best! Hopefully this will prepare us for our demo games at comiccon next week, then the Brotherly Love Cup at Philadelphia the following week! I'll update you with the winners and maybe even pics!

UNeventful?

This past week has been largely uneventful because we had a full week of school, and so every day was spent in class or doing work. However, I did manage to fit in a few fun things during the week, and after writing this blog post I realize that I did actually still manage to have quite a good time - so maybe uneventful is not the correct word to describe this past week. Last week, I actually trimmed my own bangs for the first time with success (aka I can see again, and don't have a completely messed up hair cut) and visited MOMA to see an exhibit for my Arts in New York Seminar class. We were given the option between four or five exhibitions in different museums around the city to visit on our own, and my friends and I decided to visit MOMA. I actually really enjoyed the exhibition, and would gladly go to more similar to it.

As I've said before, I'm in the Chinese Flagship program and this Wednesday we were visited by someone who works for the Department of Defense - in the National Security Agency. It was really interesting, she told us about internship and job opportunities and it definitely sounded like it would be a pretty fantastic job to have. Earlier that day, I went to the Brooklyn Museum with my Arts class and actually barely made it back in time for the mandatory meeting with my adviser. However, I did enjoy the trip to the museum and just made it back in time for the meeting, and right after that the instructional about the NSA, so all was well. Later that night was the Presidential Debate, of course, and everyone gathered on my floor to watch it. As a Pre-Law, Political Science major student (who took AP Gov last year in high school), I find it very interesting to watch political events such as the debates, but I also felt very bad for Jim Lehrer who could not control the course of the debate at all.

Last night my friends and I went to an undergraduate night at the Frick Collection. I would highly recommend going to the Frick because it is absolutely beautiful, and going to undergraduate or teen nights when it's free (or Sundays from 11 to 1 every week when there is a "suggested donation" policy) makes enjoying the beauty of not only the art on display, but also the building itself, even better. So, if you are ever looking for something to do on a Sunday at noon or if one of their event nights falls on a night you are free, I definitely say go for it.

I have my first midterm this Tuesday, for Economics 100, and I'm quite nervous for it. However, I have been understanding the homework rather well, and with studying this weekend I'm sure I'll be able to do well. Wish me luck! (And good luck to all of you out there who are starting on your fall midterms as well!)

Transitions

Hello all!

It's been quite a while since I've posted to this blog, so many of you probably have no idea who I am.  As such: my name is Katharine, and I'm officially an alumna of the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter!  I graduated this past June:

While I really do miss Hunter and Macaulay (especially with the Spring course schedules going up...I'm pining after some of the Literature listings already!), I'm absolutely loving my post-grad life, and thought I might do a farewell post, just so you guys can see what life is like after Macaulay.  (Though I really shouldn't say after Macaulay - Macaulay and Hunter will always be in my heart!)

So what am I doing? 

It's crazy, but I've landed a job at my dream company, SoHo Publishing, who, amongst knitting and crochet books, publishes my favorite magazine: Vogue Knitting.  As a writer, grammar enthusiast, and knitting fanatic, my company is the perfect place for me to utilize all of my talents and explore all of my passions.  I even get to use my German once in a while!  (Vielleicht nicht so viel wie ich möchte, aber es gibt viele deutsche Touristen in der Nachbarschaft, in der ich arbeite. Auch lese ich jetzt viel Kafka =) ) 

Including my internship, I've been with this company for about 13 months, and it really does feel like a second home, and it's been an environment that allows me to grow professionally.  Last month, I published both my first article and my first knitting pattern, and I've been doing freelance knitting work for them for about a year.  I'm currently working with designer Josh Bennett, knitting sweaters that will be sold at Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue.

A bit of unsolicited advice

Here's a bit of what I learned over the past four years; a bit of advice I wish I'd received mixed in with the best advice I ever got from upperclassmen and advisors:

1. Don't let anyone psych you out of your dream major because they say you'll never find a job with it.  I was a double major: English with a concentration in Creative Writing, and German.  I can't even tell you how many times someone would, upon my revealing my field of study, scoff and say "Well what are you going to do with that?" or "German is a useless language, why don't you just take Spanish?" The answer to those dumb, patronizing questions is simple: "I'll do whatever I want with my degree." Seriously.  Aside from the fact that my English degree is explicitly useful to my work, degrees in the humanities tend to instill qualities that employers look for: good communication skills, open-mindedness, patience, good critical reading skills, etc.  College is about growing as a person, not necessarily about job training, so do what you love.

2. Don't let the idea of a salary deter you from doing what you love during college.  Unpaid internships, despite all of the controversy around them, are amazing.  You get hands-on experience, get an inside look into different professions, and make incredible contacts.  Plus, they can turn into jobs.  I started interning for SoHo in the fall of my senior year; they hired me part time that Spring, and I started full time on June 1st.  Even if they hadn't, taking the unpaid internship still would have been one of the best decisions I made during college because of the experience and contacts.  Paid internships are nice, but they're rare, and the more work experience you have before graduation, the more appealing you look to employers.

3. Do as much as you can possibly fit into your schedule.  College goes by super quickly, and even if you cram 5 classes and an internship/job/research assistant position into every semester, you'll still find after graduation that there are things you wish you did.  That's definitely the case for me!  So savor your college experience.  You'll be glad you did.

4. Talk to and be friendly with your professors, advisers, and the Dean.  They're some of the most wonderful, intelligent, and inspiring people you will ever meet.

With all of that (tl:dr, I know) I just want to wish you all a heartfelt goodbye.  Macaulay and Hunter have been so wonderful to me, and I know that without everything they gave me, I'd be struggling right now.  Good luck with all of your endeavors (hopefully they include Macaulay!) and be well.

With love,
Katharine

(P.S. If any of you have questions or want to have a conversation, I'd love to answer them/have one!  Email me at katharine.maller@yahoo.com)

My First Post/Debate!

Hi there! I'm Danielle, the newest blogger! I'm living here in the city, at Brookdale, but I grew up on Long Island, out in Suffolk County.  I'm hoping to be a Political Science major, with Pre-Law advising. (SHAMELESS PLUG: The Pre-Law program is AMAZING at Hunter. Elise Jaffe, the Pre-Law advisor is one of the nicest ladies I have ever met!) Right now my friends and I are talking about joining the fencing team, and what we're going to do for our community service this year (hint hint, this counts!) 

The weirdest part of college so far is all these PEOPLE. I live in the dorms, so I am constantly surrounded by people - my friends and I hang out in the common room constantly. We all meet up there after our classes and do work and socialize and complain about how much work we should be doing. The majority of my friends are in the Chinese Flagship Program, which is an intense Chinese language program that culminates in a trip to Taiwan in their senior year. So I'm picking up some Chinese, most memorably "shang tu xia xie " - vomiting while having explosive diarrhea. They just finished up a unit on illnesses, so that one has been shouted around the floor for a few weeks.

So, on to what no one wants to bring up... The first debate was last night! Everyone congregated on the 6th floor (my floor!) to watch. It was definitely a rough debate, considering that they only talked about half the issues, and almost none of the social ones people respond to. Poor Jim Lehrer though - he got trampled. I don't know what they offer to pay these moderators, but it must be substantial if they're willing to try and break those two apart. Maybe the candidates will behave better in the next round. (I can dream, can't I?) I actually have to pay attention since I'm old enough to vote this year; which is probably what I'm looking forward to more than anything at the moment. 

As a Political Science major, I guess I will nerd out for a minute, over the fact that our voices actually count in elections. Yes, there is the whole issue of the Electoral College actually electing the president and us only electing them, but they are supposed to follow the voting of the populous. Actually, now that I'm thinking of it, I didn't do my Political Science homework because I was watching the debate. Hm. That's not good. I honestly doubt we're going to talk about much but the debate in class today, but I guess I had better read the passages anyways. Toodles folks!

Louboutins, Climate Law, and Midterms

Hello. :)

My bio lab was canceled this past Friday so I took the opportunity to go on a brief excursion to Fifth Avenue. Almost every time I walk there, I pass by Bergdorf Goodman, but I never go in and check it out. The store is huge, and I find all of expensive stuff and dozens of sales associates a bit intimidating. I feel like my humble Brooklynite self wouldn't belong. haha
But last week, I finally walked in. It was awesome. The store is celebrating their 111th anniversary this year, and when I walked in I was greeted by a beautiful Dolce & Gabbana dress. I made my way through the Hermes scarves, Chanel watches, Louboutin shoes, and Jason Wu dresses among other things. Needless to say, everything there is ridiculously expensive, but it is also just beautiful to look at. Maybe I'll actually be able to afford something there one day. :p For now, I'm satisfied with just walking with my mouth agape and trying not to freak out while touching multi-thousand dollar Louboutins and Roberto Cavalli dresses. Next stop Barney's and Saks.
Earlier that day, I had my first group meeting with my Seminar professor on our final project. My group has the task of analyzing current climate law and thinking of new proposals. I'm definitely excited about it, and I think it'll be a interesting challenge for me. Group projects are always tough, and I am in a group with all boys. An adventure. haha
This is the time in the semester, when essays have to be written and midterms have to studied for. I have one test every week for the next three weeks and also readings and papers to do. I can't complain though. I'm lucky to be able to go to college, be a part of this amazing program, and chase my dreams.

Quote of the week:

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.
~Franklin D. Roosevelt

S.