So Long, Farewell...

Oh the final post! So much gravity placed on this one act of writing. I feel as though I should say something grand and reassuring but have no idea what to say. I'm not very good at this sort of thing but here's my best shot: Don't fret. College is a transformative part of life. You will be lonely, scared, and sad at one point or another during your college career but in the end what you learn and experience will be worth the trouble.

In other news, today was the last day of classes and I draw ever closer to that place I call home--Mankato, Minnesota. I am so excited to see my folks again. I have yet to hand in one paper, which is almost finished, and then pack. Sorting through papers is the most tedious part of the packing process--what to keep and what to discard? Who knows when I might want to read an excerpt from "The Waste Land" or some travel writing theory again? I've already started packing my books, trying to decide if I should attempt to sell any back to the bookstore. Less for me to carry anyway since the money is never much.

Weaving was my last class of the day/semester. We compared our body of work and discussed what pieces were our favorites and what we would change in the future. My prof brought us cookies. Pretty sweet. I shall miss my days at the loom and the seniors I met through this class. Admissions hosted a lunch for all the student workers today which was awesome. Everyone brought a dish to pass and we were fed well. I stayed longer than I thought, catching up with coworkers and counselors. They even gave us treat bags. Nothing like junk food to fuel us for studies!

No matter where you end up, (my faceless, nameless audience) I hope that these blog posts helped you visualize what life at Beloit is like and the kinds of wonders/travails you can look forward to in the coming years. Good luck on the journey!

The End is Nigh

No, this isn't some apocalyptic post. I haven't had visions of the end of the world recently, just the end of my second year at Beloit. Part of me is sorrowful at this realization. I'm already halfway through my college education. But I'm mostly happy and excited for some change. In less than five days I will be on my way home to Minnesota. Most people around campus are scurrying about trying to finish papers, projects, portfolios, and studying for final exams. I am not a part of this crowd though my friends are. I am in the very tiny minority of people who will be done with everything come Wednesday--the last day of classes. I'm standing on the cusp, folks. Done with Beloit, back to Minnesota, and a summer spent taking care of my nephew in St. Paul. Then on to Chicago in the fall!

I have been doing a lot of reading lately. That and attending special events on campus. Since I have the time and all. Events pile up this time of year. Everyone wants in on the action. Saturday I attended a scholarship luncheon with the board of trustees, which was awkward and stiff. A bunch of people standing around trying to network, holding glasses of punch, while classical piano plays in the background. At least the food was good and I did meet a nice alum from Minneapolis. We bonded over fettuccine. In the afternoon was the senior dance show where senior dance majors choreographed and performed their work. It was a lot of fun and I got to see some really cool dances. One was done with glowsticks.

Sunday was the Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra concert featuring the vocal talents of a young Beloit alum who has gone on to opera stardom. I could only stay for the first half of the performance but it was pleasant to sit there and let the music wash over me. I read Richard Bausch's short stories while listening to the concert. A perfect combination. Afterwards I went out to dinner with Shanna--you know, the SOI queen--which was lovely. It was a nice walk downtown and we ate at Domenico's, an Italian restaurant that is often frequented by college students due to its close proximity. Tomorrow night there is a poetry reading at Gallery ABBA, which I will attend, and Thursday there will be the unveiling of the Beloit Travel Anthology. Since I have been published in the anthology I will definitely go to that as well. I've snagged some masculine strength for my move into storage on Friday so that means I'd better make some cookies as compensation. Everything is wrapped up neatly in a ball of twine.

Winding Down

I suppose this post will be contradictory to that of my coworkers but my semester is beginning to wind down in workload these days. Ah, the benefits of a creative writing major. This year I haven't had a single final. Instead I have final papers and portfolios which I love because I can plan ahead and get them done early. In truth I am probably one of the only people on campus who doesn't procrastinate. This means I will have a very lonely final week at Beloit because everyone else will be studying like mad. Just nine more days, folks. Nine more days.

Don't think that I am only too glad to leave Beloit. On the contrary, I am feeling kind of blue thinking that I won't be back on campus until next January. But it will be a big exciting adventure in Chicago for wee little Krista, with no one to hold her itsy bitsy hand. Actually it could be similar to New Student Days. All these folks I don't know gathering together from all sorts of ACM schools to come to the Newberry for a semester. Could be like an FYI. Strange.

Yoga Week has continued without a hitch. I taught a beginner class and got some newbies, which is always fun. Tomorrow is the late night relaxation yoga class. Hopefully the teacher won't have to compete with nice weather and will get a big turnout. Friday the week ends with a meet and greet featuring cookies. Maybe no one will come but if that is the case I will have plenty of cookies for finals week!

Only one more paper to write. One more paper. It is 4-5 pages. Short, insignificant. All I have to do is sit down and write it but I find myself balking at the task. If there is one type of assignment I hate, it is literary analysis. I am good at it but I hate it with the passion of a thousand suns. Ah, well. Builds character and all that yippety yap. So I am procrastinating by weaving a rag rug. Now this is truly procrastinating because I have no assignments in my weaving class. Purely self-indulgence of the worst kind.

Monday Meditations

I'm a fool for alliteration, not gonna lie. But this title does possess some significance in the way of content prelude. I have organized Yoga Week on campus this week, which began yesterday with a free dinner at the intercultural center. It has been beautiful all weekend in Beloit with high temps and sunny skies. Everyone is hanging around outside, laying in the grass, reading under trees, playing Frisbee. I was a little worried that I wouldn't get much of a showing for my dinner what with the weather as competition. But I made a bunch of lentils and rice and hoped for the best. I ended up with maybe 25 people, which wasn't bad. All the food was eaten up so no leftovers to crowd my mini fridge. It was a shameless promotion for Yoga Club but hopefully I get some new faces at this week's yoga events.

It has been a wonderfully productive and relaxing weekend for me. The weather is intoxicating. I want to roll around in the grass and stare at the sky. Everything is so green and lush! The daffodils are blooming and some of the yards in Beloit are completely overrun with blue flowers. I went for a walk on Sunday morning around the neighborhood. Everyone was outside doing yard work. It was quiet and lovely. I even bumped into my tutee who was outside walking her pet rabbit. We talked for a while and then I headed back to campus. I think this is my last week of tutoring which is kind of sad.

Saturday night I stayed up late making cookies. I don't really know what possessed me to begin baking at 11 PM but the results are delicious. So many cookies in my room. Temptation all around.

Friday night I was checking my email and discovered that I have been accepted into the Newberry program. I had figured as much but now it is official. Rather underwhelming to receive the news via email but I don't need to worry. This is exciting! I will be living in Chicago next fall. Should be a stressful but amazing time. Actually I have been trying to tell each of the professors who wrote me recommendations about this news in person. I only caught up with Linda Sturtz today but will catch the rest tomorrow. Turns out Linda already knew because she's friends with the professor who is co-leading it. She was terribly excited for me and made me promise that I will take another class with her before I graduate even though I am not a history major. I have already promised Chris Fink that I will take the Beloit Fiction Journal class my senior year as well. My friends tell me I have to stop making these kinds of promises but it is so nice that professors here care about students as individuals and not just as bodies in the classroom.

My weaving class put our semester's work in the library display case this afternoon. I didn't stick Izzy and Irwin in but did include my inkle scarf, overshot table runner, and rya sample. The case looked a little forlorn since most kids forgot to bring their finished work. Oh well. At least we try hard. Actually, since I am finished with my weaving class I have decided to spend my final class periods spinning wool. Feels good to bond with the spinning wheel again. My hands have missed it.

Glorious Spring Day!

Today was Spring Day on campus. This means no classes just frolicsome good times outside. Programming board brings in lots of activities to entertain the kiddies--inflatable battle rings, tie-dye, spin art, live music, popcorn, ice cream, dunk tanks...the list goes on. The majority of campus spent the day outdoors in the beautiful weather. Highs in the 70s and blue, cloudless skies. Unfortunately I forgot my sunscreen and got a little pink. But that will just act as a reminder of my fabulous day off from school!

Some years the weather doesn't cooperate. Last year, for instance. It was cold and rainy on Spring Day and few people were out in the quads for jello wrestling. But this year was perfect. There were even water balloon fights. My day began well. I made pancakes for my friend. Afterwards I went to the weaving studio and finished my final project--a gorgeous black alpaca shawl. I am so happy with it. Truly, my finest creation yet. Not only was I pleased with its appearance but this also means that I have no more work to do for my weaving class. Essentially I am done with it! Only three more to go...

After lunch my friends and I decided to go fly a kite since it was windy enough. We went to the academic side of campus since there were fewer people around to maim when the kite took a nosedive. Lots of professors were about and watched our pathetic efforts with amused faces. Finally, my friend Alyssa caught a strong breeze and the kite took off high, high. It soured over the trees and past the science building. It was a beautiful sight. Then the inevitable happened. The breeze stuttered, the string became tangled in several trees, and the kite landed on the roof of the new science center. The string broke so we climbed to the roof of the old science building to see if we could spot the kite. To no avail. It was pretty funny actually. Now the construction workers will have a kite of their very own.

I did little to no work today. Slacker, slacker. But on Spring Day that hardly matters. I listened to a fun band, ate some ice cream, spun around really fast with my friends, ate picnic food in Chapin Quad for dinner...now to work in admissions. Next week is Yoga Week on campus. I'm coordinating the whole shebang by myself so we'll see how it goes. It kicks off on Sunday night with a free curried lentil and rice dinner. I bought the groceries today and Shanna was kind enough to give me a ride to and from Cubs. It was a heavy load. I wish I could sit outside and read the rest of tonight but duty calls. What a glorious day!

April Showers

It has been rain, rain, raining all day today. Steady downpours and wind howling around corners. The grass is greening up and flowers are poking through the soil. Unfortunately I won't be around to appreciate the lovely outcome of all this moisture. May will barely have its foot in the door before I leave campus for the summer. Three weeks. It's a mantra running through my head these days. Three weeks.

We're getting to the crunch time of the semester as I'm sure you seniors out there are too. Big decisions coming up--summer jobs, where to spend the next four years of your life, etc. Don't sweat it. People will try to tell you that there is one perfect college for everyone but that's a lie. Some colleges will be better fits than others but rarely does one encounter someone who steps onto a campus and instantly souls meld and birds sing. Most people can carve out a place for themselves anywhere they go. Be optimistic and go with your gut or, failing that, pocketbook. My sister is a director of financial aid at a small liberal arts college in Minnesota and if there is one thing any vacillating high school senior should know it's this: never leave college with more than $20,000 of debt. Any more and paying those loans back will become a major burden. Also, private lenders are a bad idea. No bank loans under any circumstances. Take a Stafford, even unsubsidized, or other federal loan over a private loan that is subject to jumping interest rates and can rarely be consolidated.

Okay, enough money talk. It was student Symposium Day so classes were canceled. I went to see three symposiums, a modest amount. All of them were informative and interesting but some more polished or attention-grabbing than others. The one about librarian stereotypes was hilarious, particularly because my brother in law is a research librarian. Therefore I am very familiar with modern librarian culture and the whole "hipster librarian" movement. Fun, fun. It feels like a long weekend for me, especially because I only have one class tomorrow. Lazy girl. This rain makes me want to curl up in bed with a good book but unfortunately I have plumb run out of new literature! I really, really, really want to read Jhumpa Lahiri's newest short story collection--Unaccustomed Earth--but can't get a copy of it. In lieu of reading perhaps I'll spend my weekend in the weaving studio. I finished my muppet blanket and am on to alpaca. Baa. Or whatever an alpaca says. Do they make sounds? Perhaps they are the strong, silent types of the camelid family.

Monday, Monday

A cold wind is blowing today, chasing away the fine weather of the weekend. That's the nature of April. To quote T.S. Elliot, "April is the cruelest month." Actually, I don't agree with that statement. February is much crueler in my opinion and I'm not that big of a fan of "The Waste Land" anyway.

I finally finished weaving my wretched table runner today. Only five broken warp strings later and I have something I can hang in my closet. Not too bad. Really it looks fine. There is only one mistake and it isn't even that noticeable though it fills me with quiet shame. Wednesday I begin my muppet project and after that an alpaca shawl. Should be a fun and exciting time ahead.

This week is only four days long at Beloit because Thursday is student symposium day. Classes are cancelled so everyone can attend presentations on student research. The booklet describing the symposiums came out last week and everyone has been flipping through them trying to decide which to attend. Many look fascinating so it will be hard to choose. A couple seniors I know have presentations so I'll try to make it to those and maybe one about librarian stereotypes through the ages. Lord knows I love librarians.

Wednesday night the creative writing department is hosting a flash fiction reading at the student-run art gallery downtown--Gallery ABBA. The theme this semester is "One Night Fever" and I'd really like to see what people came up with. I haven't written anything for this reading since I'm firmly mired in journalism and creative non fiction this semester. Fall the topic was "Dinosaurs" and I wrote a piece about a plastic dinosaur I used to have named Mongo. In any case I should put in an appearance on Wednesday to support the department.

Sunday Night Shift

Tonight we had a little SOI get-together in admissions to discuss important upcoming events like May 1st declaration day (deposit paid on or postmarked by May 1st only), financial aid awards letters (the majority have been sent off and should be received in the next 7-10 days), and the senior open house (this upcoming weekend--call for reservations). This is a busy season for students on all levels of education, from seniors graduating from high school and setting off to college to seniors graduating from college and heading off to the workaday world. In between are the rest of us, steadily pushing onward to another year through piles of paperwork and assignments that seem to grow bigger with each passing day. Only four more weeks and I'm home for the summer but in between now and then are 3 essays, a couple revisions, alpaca shawls, and one Brit Lit exam. Daunting, but the beautiful spring weather invigorates me. In Wisconsin we say "Forward!" (sorry, bad WI joke referencing the state motto)

One of the best things about working in admissions--besides meeting all the wonderful prospective students of course--is the free food. Bryan fed us cake and ice cream as an incentive to come to tonight's meeting. I was going to show up anyway because of my work ethic and all but free food sweetens the deal, no pun intended.

Yesterday I spent a goodly portion of my time outdoors exploring Beloit on foot with my friends. We walked around downtown and headed to a deserted school playground to swing and fool around on the zip line. It was a windswept school in the country. Stubbled fields of corn stretching as far as the eye could see. The wind tugged at my skirt and carried my spirits high. Afterwards my friend's visiting father drove us around Beloit to see other parts of the city beyond walking distance--for example Woodman's and Shopko. He took us out to dinner at Tilley's pizza, which is cheap and delicious. A local fave that more students should frequent. Last night was part two of the 24 hour Voodoo Barbie performance where the performers stay up together for 24 hours and give two shows. By the end they are terribly irritable and exhausted which makes for amusing situations. Students came to watch in full force. That's what Beloiters like--seeing folks make fools of themselves for the amusement of others. It's a great attitude, really carefree and unselfconscious.

One is the loneliest number...

Song titles make excellent blog posts. I am very much alone in admissions tonight. No other SOIs or counselors to keep me company. But there are benefits to solitude such as playing my music as loud as I please and singing along with abandon. Rockin' out on Wednesday night, folks. That's Beloit for you.

It is a lovely evening in Wisconsin. Warm and blue skies. It probably strikes some readers as odd that SOIs have a tendency to blog about the weather. But the weather becomes dreadfully important in the Midwest. It dictates what you wear and do, to a certain extent. There are always some people who will defy logic (read: weather) and wear sandals and shorts in the snow. But the rest of us check the forecast daily and begin conversations with classmates comparing weather reports. More snow on the way? Cloudy and cool tomorrow. Yep. Looks like rain. Sure does. Time to get out the umbrella. You know it.

Recently my life has become a Jane Austen novel but I'm afraid I can't elaborate. In weaving today we had ourselves a regular party complete with folksy rock music. Everyone was busy at individual looms working on individual projects and one student brought in his laptop to make the time past quicker. It was rather pleasant. Usually people just plug into their I-pods and hunch over the looms all Silas Marner-like but playing music aloud creates a communal atmosphere, which is pretty nice. My table runner is progressing nicely. I finished the first patch of overshot and have gotten about halfway through the body. I should finish by next week for certain. Hurray!

Jan Egeland, world-famous humanitarian and diplomat, will come to campus tomorrow as the 2008 Weissberg Distinguished Professor of International Studies. He's giving a speech about “Progress and Setbacks at Humanity’s Frontlines” tomorrow night in Pearsons hall on campus. Every year the college asks activists for global issues to visit campus as part of the Weissberg program. Unfortunately I have night class and won't be able to attend unless my professor decides to be charitable. One can never tell with him, especially since we are supposed to have a guest speaker come to our journalism class to talk about life at a daily paper. Ah, the conflicts of life at Beloit. Too much to do and not nearly enough time.