So long, farewell...

Ah, the final post for the semester. While it's always a little sad to bid farewell to another half year of my college career it's also hard to be very despondent when a month of respite begins in only two days. Don't worry Blog fans. The SOIs will return in January to entertain you with the thrills and exasperation of being a Beloit student. So until then enjoy this final post for Fall '07!

Much has happened since my last post. But where to begin? Friday night was a busy one on campus. My friend and I went downtown to attend the Beloit Holidazzle after dinner. It was very spirited with all the lights, piped-in Christmas music, and free food and drink. I bought a gift for my nephew from the college bookstore and wandered into several of the little shops lining State Street. There were crowds of people down there mingling--students, faculty, and Beloiters. Even Santa Clause made an appearance. Pretty sweet. We headed to campus after a while to attend the first annual Miss Beloit pageant hosted by one of the frats on campus. Don't worry. Pageants on campus are simply a venue for student organizations to raise money for charities and for folks to humiliate themselves on stage. The girls competing for Miss Beloit were not the traditional sorority girl figure of popular culture. In fact, one of the contestants sawed a log with a chainsaw as her talent, which really says something. It was an entertaining spectacle to be sure. Afterwards my pals and I headed out to see the final Voodoo Barbie (campus improv group, for the uninitiated) performance of the semester. It was even funnier than usual perhaps because it was a veteran member's last show and they tried harder. Who can say? The rest of the weekend was work, work, work especially on Sunday when work intruded on my dinnertime. Just kidding, Bryan! Actually Bryan was really sweet and took all the SOIs out to dinner at a local fave called La Casa Grande. It was good time to reconnect with coworkers and de-stress at the end of the semester--plus we got a free dinner. Let's hear it for Beloit Admissions!

Only one more class stands between me and freedom. Being unusually lucky this semester I was exempt from final tests and only had final papers to complete for my classes. I handed in my English paper on Monday, my creative writing portfolio today, and my history paper will change hands tomorrow morning. In weaving we already put our rugs on display in the library and will just clean up the studio tomorrow and eat fry bread. Yum, yum. Now nothing left to do but pack and attend various cultural events 'round campus. I attended a friend's band concert last night and will go to the dance workshops tomorrow night. An Anthro party and friendly get together involving biscuits and other snacks will round out the fun. Hurray for December and have a great month everyone!

Hickory Dickory Dock...

Unimaginative title, I know. But I'm feeling rather uninspired tonight. Again it is snowing in Beloit and the cosmic ballet goes on. It seems as though the weather is aligned against me. Only when I have to venture out to work in Admissions does it begin to snow.

Not much has happened this week since my last post. I finished my basket in weaving class and so set about spinning yarn from some merino wool that I bought at the Minnesota State Fair a couple years back. Ah the State Fair! It seems so long ago that I was trekking around in the straw and muck of the fairgrounds eating deep-fried goodness and ogling seed art. Goodness, how I miss the prairie and my Minnesota home.*

Anyhow, today was the last 'real' day of my creative writing class so my professor threw us a party. It was so sweet! He told everyone to bring something and no one did except him which was sad (actually I brought some cookies I made on Sunday but they were getting kinda stale and so I was too embarrassed to put them out). But he brought quite a spread--crackers in the shape of butterflies, cheese and meat, clementines, and cider. If I had known that he would go all out I wouldn't have eaten lunch right before class. This is just one shining example of the dedication of professors here at Beloit, folks. They are even willing to spend their weekend beer money on students, as he put it. From here on out it will be paper-writing, filling out evaluations, and packing for me. Perhaps something wild and woolly will occur this weekend that I can regale you all with come Tuesday. One can only hope.

*Reference to a song from A Prairie Home Companion movie.

Snow, snow

It is snowing strongly outside at the moment. Walking over to Middle College tonight in the whispery hush of the snowfall I was reminded of a Mary Oliver poem entitled "Lonely White Fields." The scene evoked by the final line seemed fitting to quote this evening--"The fields swell with a rosy light and the snow keeps on falling, flake after perfect flake." That is what I'm thinking of as I look out the windows tonight. Well, that or The Shining if you prefer a more sinister take on snowfall...

There is a real pine tree in the admissions office and it is emitting a pleasant though distracting scent of evergreen.

So classes are winding down and students are winding up right now. I'm down to two more creative writing classes which is sad. We're having a party on Thursday which should be fun though everyone is supposed to bring something to share and very few students have the money/time/inclination to go buy something for class. I haven't decided whether to bring graham crackers or Cheerios since those are the only real foodstuffs left in my pantry. Well, that or dried pasta. It will be interesting to see what anyone brings. A poor man's feast, no doubt. I only have one more paper to write for my classes, which is quite a relief, and I finished up with tutoring for the semester today. The other folks in my weaving class are completing their rugs and I've woven a little basket as of Monday that could be used for keys or pennies. Our rugs go on display at the library next Monday which will let everyone see the outcome of our hard work and agony over the course of the semester. And only two more shifts in admissions are left as well! Hopefully there will be much excitement to share with you in the following days before I finish with classes and head home for the holidays. Excitement such as a snow day perhaps? Actually that never happens on a residential campus like Beloit unless the professor can't make it to campus because students simply have to strap on their boots and bundle up before going out to slip and slide on our way to class.

The end in sight

I feel like I should say something reassuring about the last two weeks of class, especially in light of the dismal reports my colleagues have made of late. However, I can't do it. It's all sad and true. Stressful, stressful, stressful even with the end in sight. I only have one more final paper to write (in addition to two short ones) but I haven't written anything yet and no longer possess the desire to do so. There comes a point in ones college career where one has to break down and admit the evil of papers. I am so sick of papers which is very unfortunate given my chosen major. Oh well.

At least I have a respite with my weaving class. No papers, no tests, just sore hands. I'm currently weaving a basket which is going well. It's hard to get started and proves pretty tough on the fingers but there is a sense of accomplishment in seeing the progress of an art project that is unrivaled by anything. I never seem to achieve the same sense of satisfaction in handing in a paper or a story asI do when finishing a rug or basket. Hmm...perhaps this is telling me something. Alright! Enough philosophizing for one night. Two weeks from today I am heading home for a month-long break from papers. I can hardly wait but first I have to get through the next two weeks. Late nights of typing and banging my head against the wall are on the horizon, folks, made all the more unfortunate given the number of exciting doings on campus during this period like concerts, movies, dances, and parties. Helps break up the monotony of studying anyhow. All work and no play makes Krista go crazy.

Thanksgiving Recap

Hello all! I hope you had a lovely holiday last week filled with an abundance of food and pleasantries with estranged cousins. Oh, and shopping too! Mustn't forget the shopping. I was going to say something akin to the message in a Charlie Brown Christmas about the commercialism of Thanksgiving and Black Friday but caught myself just in time.

Well, I certainly enjoyed my five days away from the daily grind here in Beloit. Put my final papers and semester wrap-up on hold to bask in the sunshine of familial togetherness. I left campus last Wednesday around 8:30 AM and didn't arrive in St. Paul, MN until 4:50 PM, which was amazingly quick if the truth be told. For those of you Minnesotans who won't have a car next year and wonder how the heck one gets home if your folks won't pick you up, let me break it down for you. I take the Greyhound to Minnesota and back to Beloit over breaks. There are variations on this theme of bus travel but it usually involves going south to go north which doesn't make much sense at all. Okay, so I take a campus shuttle to the Van Galder bus station in South Beloit, IL. Then I catch a Van Galder bus to Madison, WI. From there I walk back to the Greyhound station (unless a terribly friendly bus driver offers to drop you off on the corner during a red light like the last one did) and catch a bus going to St. Paul which usually arrives somewhat late at the specified destination. There is generally a lot of waiting around in bus depots too. It actually sounds worse than it is. You have so much time to do homework and get to meet lots of interesting people, which is a boon if you're a creative writing major like me. No wonder so many of my stories center around bus stations...

Anyway, the ride to St. Paul was pretty slick and I got to Minnesota early for once. The bus was crowded on account of the holiday and so I sat next to an exchange student from China who was very friendly. We ended up having some great conversations which made the time pass much more quickly and it even started to snow when the bus reached Tomah, WI which was pretty nice and holiday-ish. The fields were dusted with white and very lovely. Reminded me of a Mary Oliver poem--"Lonely White Fields." Check it out. Okay, so once in St. Paul I stayed at my sister's house and got to meet my brand-new nephew. He was so beautiful and sweet! I can assure you that I spent lots of time with him over break. Thanksgiving I spent at my grandmother's house which was fun. The day after my parents and I went shopping (but certainly not at 4 AM) and on Saturday I got to spend some time with my best pal and peruse my favorite used bookstore (it has two cats!).

The days just sped by and soon I was back on the bus heading to Beloit. I got back to campus on Sunday evening and had dinner with my friends followed by a low-key birthday celebration for one of them. And now I am back at work writing papers and compiling portfolios and weaving baskets (since I finished my rug). Ah, the life of a college student. But soon the semester will be done and I will be able to veg out at home for a month. Only 16 more days until winter break!

Feelin Like a Sophomore

I can't believe that I haven't yet written about the Sophomore Retreat! I guess I better get on that but these past few days have been a whirlwind of intrigue and dinosaurs. Please forgive an old SOI her faults, dear readers.

So anyway, the retreat was essentially a brief respite from the drudgery of collegiate life. We had to RSVP for it weeks ago and only the first 160 students who replied were allowed to attend. It was hosted at a swanky resort in Fontana, WI near Lake Geneva. And when I say "swanky" I mean that it was tacky and overpriced. They had a Christmas display in the lobby that was a little like drinking treacle--all glitter and fake snow and rosy cheeks. But the service was great. All the employees were very courteous, the food was a nice change of pace, and the rooms were impeccable. It was the perfect time to get away from campus to relax and that's exactly what I did. We had a welcome ceremony that involved forced volunteerism for Beloit Family Feud (I had to play but won a gift certificate so all was not lost). Then we broke up for a Hot Topics event where students brainstormed ideas on how to improve different areas of the college. Mine was about how to get off campus more and into the Beloit community. Others talked about recycling, energy consumption, and 'green' food programs. There was a communal dinner where each group sent representatives to present their ideas to the students and faculty and then we attended Break Out Sessions on various topics of interest to sophomores like grad school and internships and enneagrams. Afterwards we were free to roam the hotel. There were some planned activities like a dance and casino night but otherwise people pretty much did what they wanted to do like went swimming and ate pizza while watching cable in their rooms.

The next day we had another Break Out Session and mine was about yoga and meditation which was very relaxing. Then lunch and a faculty panel where we could quiz teachers and administrators about college changes. Immediately after lunch they packed us up on the bus and we headed back to campus in the rain under leaden skies to write papers about Tess of the d'Urbervilles. All in all it was a good time but entirely too short. At least we have Thanksgiving break this week. Happy holidays everyone!

Let's Hear it for Babies!

For those of you who are too young to remember the glory days of burned-out hippies teaching children to love themselves, my title is a reference to the wondrous film "Free to Be You and Me." It's also a reference to the fact that last week I became an aunt! My oldest sister had a son on Thursday so I was out partying 'til the wee hours of the morn instead of hangin' out in Admissions. Actually, I had a class engagement Thursday night but I wish that I would have been out celebrating my new nephew instead.

This week will be a short one thanks to the national holiday coming up on Thursday. I will be heading home on Wednesday, which is sooo exciting! I can't wait to see my family again and especially my nephew. My parents and sister headed up to St. Paul on Saturday to visit him and sent me pictures on Sunday. He is so cute and I cannot wait to hold him and love him up!

Thursday night I had to attend a flash fiction reading for my creative writing class. For the uninitiated, flash fiction is stories that are 500 words or less. The theme this year was dinosaurs so everyone had to write a short story about dinosaurs. My class had to provide food and drink for the event and we were all required to read aloud to the assembled group. It was actually more fun than I thought it would be. A lot of people read and the majority of the stories were really entertaining. I dedicated my story to my nephew and my professor complimented me on it after the reading, which was nice. The reading took place at Gallery ABBA in downtown Beloit which is a student-run art gallery that features pieces done by students and faculty. One of my friends actually sells earrings down there. It was a popular reading despite being off campus--there wasn't a single spare chair in the room. Some students played music at the beginning to set the mood and it was generally an enjoyable time.