Lights, Carbon, VS, Presentation

Hi everyone. =)

Some things:
- It's a rainy Friday night in NYC, and I'm just taking some time to enjoy a bit of freedom before finals. (ugh...that word).
- I had an orgo exam today, which as you can all imagine was a ton of fun. I have respect for orgo. The reactions can be really cool, but the tests are tough.
- I had my last bio 200 lab today. I have to do one more lab report and then no more until next semester! yay.
- My friend and I took a walk in the rain today because the 6 train was running with delays. NYC is so pretty at night and especially during this time of the year. Bloomingdale's is covered in lights and there are stars hanging up on lamp posts. I didn't even mind getting a bit wet from the rain. I would actually love to just spend an entire night walking through Manhattan with a friend or a group of friends. I know it sounds insane, but I bet a lot of interesting things go on at night.
- The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was on this week. I know all the guys watch the show just to see chicks in their underwear, but I actually like seeing the really cool designs. haha. The designers are super creative with how they transform underwear into art.
- I have to do a group presentation during the Seminar 3 Common Event on Sunday. Should be interesting. Presentations always make me a bit nervous though. Wish me luck.

Much luck to you all during finals!

S.

Quote of the Week:

“We read to know that we are not alone.” 

~ William Nicholson

we're almost there!

Hey everyone,

So I registered last week and it went pretty well, I registered for all the classes that I wanted.  I'm taking the 4th Macaulay Seminar, a Thomas Hunter Honors Seminar, Advanced German Conversation, Music Theory 2 and Musicianship 2, and Jerusalem in the 20th Century.  I'm so happy about my classes--I don't love how they had to be scheduled, but whatever.  The past three registrations, I've ended up changing most of my classes last minute!

As for my current classes, they're going pretty well also, as we wind down towards finals!  My group gave our presentation, on ecological gap analysis, for our Seminar at the Macaulay building last night.  It was pretty cool!  Presentations can be nerve-wracking, but I love that I'm able to get some practice now.  I'm okay with speaking, but I really want to get comfortable with presenting information, in front of a group.

I also had to visit the Museum of the American Indian for my Tribal Religions class.  The assignment was to find an object and write about its significance, in relation to what we've learned in class.  The Museum is really cool--they have an exhibit right now about American Indians in popular music, from 1920s' jazz to 1960s' rock and folk and today's pop.  You can sit and listen to the music while you read, or watch a video of performances.  They also have their permanent exhibits, which is where I found this drum:

I wrote about how it might effect the player's sense of togetherness and the groups' sense of community and worship.  I also wrote about the significance of the lines and circles.  This may or may not be true, but what matters in the paper is the depth of thinking.  We're supposed to look at the objects, not with our prior knowledge in mind, but with an open mind, so that we can understand what we see, instead of what we know.  It's so difficult to do at first, but I think I've been getting the hang of it!  I'm looking forward to taking another religion class, and to going to another museum, sometime soon. 

Happy St. Nicholas Day everyone!  Keep working hard and preparing for finals; before you know it, we'll be on break!  We're almost there!  Talk to you soon =] 

G. 

Thoughts, Registration, and Schoolwork

Hey, everyone!!

I can't believe it's already the last day of November. Time is just passing by so quickly (and yet not quickly enough because I want finals to be over and done with. haha)
This week, we all had to register for next semester 's classes. That's always a fun process. NOT. It's uber-stressful, but this semester it went pretty well.

I finished reading Othello this week. Such a sad story. I feel like it's still relevant today. Unfortunately, jealousy, insecurity, and accusations of cheating are still parts of many modern-day relationships.
I have a final paper about the play due next week. Hopefully, I'll be able to write something coherent while simultaneously studying for orgo.

I had a nice convo with a friend today and she helped turn my semi-crappy day into a relatively good one. What are we without our friends?

Also, between thinking about organic molecules and jealous men, I've been thinking about life in general. How difficult it all seems sometimes. How the dream seems so far away and impossible. How oftentimes we get in the way of our own success. How we question the very essence of what is right, who is good, and why things happen the way they do.
Sometimes, it's so easy to get lost in the everyday madness of things, but you can't let your dreams die. Life is worth the effort, the bleary eyes, the worry, the confusion. Just for those single moments of clarity.

Peace.

S.

Quote of the week:

"For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson