Posts Tagged college

Welcome to Your Junior Year!

May 12, 2014 at 4:45 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hi everyone,

Welcome to your junior year experience while living on-campus! This is a critical time in your college years as you continue to plan for your future.  Your experience living on-campus will help you succeed.

Our residential area strives to develop a respectful, inclusive and engaged community that is centered on each member’s life experiences and expression of personal identities through advocacy, integration, holistic education, and reflection. Our mission is in accordance with the learning domains of the Department of Residential Education and Housing, we support residents throughout degree completion, assists students with post-baccalaureate transition affects, provides opportunities to develop life skills for the whole person, and to make memories through the development of community.

Our area includes a variety of residential facilities; the College Houses on Carlton Avenue and Pennington Road, Hausdoerffer and Phelps halls, and Townhouses East and South.

Manisha Ford-Thomas serves as the Assistant Director for junior and senior students in residence. She received a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in African American Studies and a Master’s of Education Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Seton Hall University. Manisha has worked professionally as an educational administrator in several organizations, after school programs, extracurricular initiatives and higher education institutions.  She is committed to empowering students attending institutions of higher education and works to create agents of change in areas of leadership, critical thought, diversity and inclusion one student at a time.

Curtis Chan is the residence director in Townhouses East and West.  Curtis earned a Bachelor of Social Science at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) in Hong Kong and a Master’s degree at West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, West Virginia.  Curtis’s previous experience includes working as Graduate Assistant in residence halls and the Residence Hall Association at WVU, instructing the WVU University 101/First Year Experience course, serving as a unit supply specialist in the US Army Reserve, and interning in the international relations department at Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg in Berlin/Potsdam, Germany.

Michelle Crotto works as the Residence Director of the Metzger Drive Apartments and College Houses at The College of New Jersey.   Michelle earned an undergraduate degree at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia and a masters degree at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Michelle’s previous experience includes working as a peer coordinator and an assistant area director at Babson College as well as a residence director at Saint Anselm College.

You may want to think about your transition from a traditional corridor style residence hall to the apartment, house, or townhouse style living.  It is different because you not only share your bathroom with your fellow students, but you also share a living room and kitchen with your suite or housemates. You will need to think about how you wish to set-up & maintain the shared areas.

For juniors and seniors we focus on monthly themes and events appropriate for your development rather than frequent recurring programs.  We encourage students get involved in the “Big C” – the bigger community in and outside the College. We also emphasize the following aspects:

  • One-on-one conversation with your student staff member
  • Career development
  • Graduate and professional studies preparation and finance
  • Life after TCNJ

Our staff focuses more on personal connections. They conduct one-on-one conversation with you in order to develop a mature relationship and provide you with opportunities and services available to juniors and seniors at TCNJ.  It is also a good chance to establish a good connection with your house group or suitemates in creating a young adult learning community.

You may wonder, “How do I get involved?” Interpersonal relationships are very important because it is not a traditional residential area and the students experience in residence may be more isolating. Your engagement in the community will benefit you and your neighbors.  In the coming year you should consider attending events sponsored by ResEd, potentially join Residence Hall Association, and have your student organization collaborate with us.

Are you ready for the new challenge!?! We are looking forward to see you in August!

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A Wilde Reflection

May 5, 2014 at 3:42 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing.” –Oscar Wilde

A final hello, readers:

As this semester comes to an end, I figured it was necessary to have a “classic” self-reflection upon the year. I have not blacked out at any social gathering, so fortunately enough for you, you can access all of my detailed memories right here (or on Facebook, depending on how diligently you read).

It was a rough semester I’m not going to lie. Between my honors courses, working as an Oral Proficiency Hour leader, volunteering at a clinic, and attempting to not dismiss my social life, I’m lucky my brain hasn’t started expelling smoke from my ears. I’m sure you can relate.

This year will be memorable for all of us, but I think I narrowed it down to my top 5 moments:

  1. The blessed David Muha, alerting us to when the CONJ was closed due to inclement weather. When Mother Nature was at her worst frosty fury, he  built a snowman sticking up the middle finger and proceeded to send out texts and emails to us. Singlehandedly, he saved a multitude of us from late nights up writing essays or cramming for an exam. You should immediately set up a sacrificial altar to him. (Ideas for sacrifice: class notes, old exams, your meal equiv receipts.)
  1. When Big Larry called me by name. This wonderful moment came the second semester on a Tuesday when Big Larry wasn’t feeling so well. I gave him a chocolate bar (his favorite candy), and from that moment on he claims that he “will cross heaven and hell for [me], [his] sistah”. With Big Larry on my side, I can do anything…except for sneaking into Eick.
  1. Winning twice at bingo. Well, let me tell you, if you want a free theatrical performance coupled with a sporting event, you need to go to Bingo nights at TCNJ. When someone isn’t shouting at the top of their lungs that they won, bantering with the callers (usually one of my friends), or frantically running up to claim their prize, they are genuinely enjoying themselves (I promise). Generally, I regard myself as an unlucky person: the one with the non-winning card every time except for when it’s unlucky bingo. But that one bingo night, I won twice, totaling $20, and it was even on my 20th birthday. It’s fate, my readers, fate.
  1.  Random adventuring. Though this is cheating a little, there are two random adventures that defined sophomore year for me.
  • Once I went walking with a friend and explored the bamboo forest on campus (the one near the baseball field). With the snow weighing it down, it posed a beautiful obstacle course. We even saw the elusive TCNJ cat in its natural habitat.
  • The other time, a group of friends and I went out to sushi, loitered in a dollar store where we found the most upscale classical literature: The Breakup Book, coaching the average female specimen on how to cope with the loss of her partner. Narrowly avoiding being kicked out, we sauntered over to five guys and ate once more before coming back and simply relaxing in a dorm.

And the top moment is….. *dramatic drum roll*

  1. Completing two loops non-stop. I’m not an avid runner, but I do like to keep in shape. I’ve teamed up with two workout buddies and with dedication, I can safely say I’m on my way to becoming an Olympian. Our motto can be found on the PEC wall: “building strong bodies to carry competitive minds”.  Inspiring and original, I know. Well. Before we were so ripped, we ran our first two consecutive loops on the Saturday it snowed. As the plow trucks’ drivers looked on in confusion, we remained crazy enough to keep going. After the 3.2 miles, I experienced a runners’ high like never before; I couldn’t stop smiling or giggling. I won’t run a marathon but I now understand why some people do.

So, as this year comes to a close, I reflect upon many more wonderful moments. Oscar Wilde stated that “experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing”, and I didn’t start to figure out who I am without the ups and downs, stressors and relaxers, of academics and relationships. With some core courses out of the way (especially Organic Chemistry), I can’t wait to be an upperclass(wo)man and really reach Nirvana. Now, I go into junior year with an open mind, experiences, and memories. Thanks for reading and best of luck in all of your endeavors!

–          Lauren

 

Hey there! I’m Lauren McKay, a sophomore Biology major with a Spanish minor here at TCNJ. I love to go for a run, eat, and go to concerts. When I’m not studying, which is usually 98% of my time, I’m hanging out with friends, teaching Spanish Conversation hours, or quoting Oscar Wilde. When I grow up I want to be a doctor astronaut dinosaur and save the world. (I will also have my own theme song.) Since all healthy relationships are founded on jokes and lies, I hope to expedite our relationship by bringing you some tantalizing tales with some subtle yet profound truths. We can go out to dinner and end our night with a walk along the beach (simply circuiting the outdoor volleyball court). Thanks for reading! Oh, and can I have your number?

Hey there! I’m Lauren McKay, a sophomore Biology major with a Spanish minor here at TCNJ. I love to go for a run, eat, and go to concerts. When I’m not studying, which is usually 98% of my time, I’m hanging out with friends, teaching Spanish Conversation hours, or quoting Oscar Wilde. When I grow up I want to be a doctor astronaut dinosaur and save the world. (I will also have my own theme song.) Since all healthy relationships are founded on jokes and lies, I hope to expedite our relationship by bringing you some tantalizing tales with some subtle yet profound truths. We can go out to dinner and end our night with a walk along the beach (simply circuiting the outdoor volleyball court). Thanks for reading! Oh, and can I have your number?

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Closing Time

May 1, 2014 at 4:10 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As I emerge from the deep, dark, bottomless pit of despair known as the Last Week of Classes to write this final post, I am struck by two things. The first is that it is so bright out here! I forgot civilization existed! The second is that this semester has gone by so quickly that I feel like it traveled at the speed of light.

Here we are, rising juniors at last. I try not to think too much about how this means that we are essentially halfway done with college, because it makes me really philosophical and I get all deep and nobody wants to listen to that. Instead, I like to think about everything that I accomplished this year.

But, of course, I couldn’t have done any of it alone. I want to recognize all of the people that helped me get through it and set me on a course to an awesome junior year.

So, if you guys don’t mind, I’d like to write a few Thank You Notes to close out sophomore year.

Thank you, School of Business, for helping me finally declare a major in Marketing. It may have taken the excruciating pain of Corporate Finance to figure out that my heart really does belong to marketing, but I think it was worth it (although my GPA may not agree).

Thank you, English program, for continuing to be a place where I can explore my passion for literature and develop my skills in writing. I’ve worked with some of the kindest professors this year and I am so excited to see where this course of study will take me.

Thank you, Career Services, for helping me figure out how to meld these two majors into a viable professional platform. It has allowed me to get a great marketing internship this summer which will take me one step farther on the road to an actual career. Also, thank you for not laughing at me when you noticed that I spelled ‘involvement’ incorrectly on the resume I gave out to everyone and their mother at the Career Fair.

Thank you, Dave Muha, for all of the snow days at the beginning of the semester. They were super fun.

Thank you, everyone in AKPsi and Lion’s Eye, for making my extracurriculars extra fun. It really speaks to the quality of student life at TCNJ that I’ve been able to meet so many great people. I am beyond happy to call you guys my friends.

Thank you, family, for being my number one supporters in everything I do, from shuttling me around to internship interviews to giving me encouragement when I feel like life is getting to be too much. I don’t say it enough, but I wouldn’t be anywhere without you.

Thank you, roommates and extended roommates, for being the best friends I could ask for. You put up with my weird sense of humor, celebrity obsessions, general cynicism, and existential crises, and I love you for that. I’m so excited to do it again next year, bigger and better than ever.

And finally, thank you, dear readers, for taking the time to come along on this journey through sophomore year with me. I hope that you found something that I wrote at least a little enjoyable, or that I made you chuckle, or that you caught at least a few of my obscure pop culture references. I hope that your year was as fruitful as mine was, and that you’re heading into the summer a better person than you were when you came out of the last one.

Best of luck on finals and beyond!

Julia

Julia Woolever is a Business Administration and English double major and, no, she doesn’t know what she wants to do with that combination. She works at the TCNJ Art Gallery and is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi professional fraternity and Lion’s Eye Literary Magazine. She has an alarmingly intense love of all things pop culture. You can usually find her listening to Mumford and Sons, binge-watching British dramas, and/or crying about various celebrities on Twitter.

Julia Woolever is a Business Administration and English double major and, no, she doesn’t know what she wants to do with that combination. She works at the TCNJ Art Gallery and is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi professional fraternity and Lion’s Eye Literary Magazine. She has an alarmingly intense love of all things pop culture. You can usually find her listening to Mumford and Sons, binge-watching British dramas, and/or crying about various celebrities on Twitter.

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The Last Brita Filter (Year in Review)

April 29, 2014 at 4:13 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My realization that this year was nearing its end came in a very odd place. I was in the target off of Nassau Park on a rainy Sunday. I went on this particularly gloomy day because the light on my Brita water pitcher turned red, which meant it was time to get a replacement. First, I get a jug of milk, then toiler paper. I searched for the filter but couldn’t find it, so instead I went to get toothpaste and mouthwash. Then, I made it to the fateful aisle 7, but I didn’t have any more hands to carry the filter so I went to find a basket. Then, I went back to the fateful aisle 7.

I got the filter and looked at the package and it said, “Replace in 2 months.” 2 months. That would mean the around mid-May. Literally my internal monologue went like this: “Awesome, I don’t have to replace this before the end of the year. Wait. School is ending. That can’t be right. Yeah, 6 weeks.”

For some reason it was such a shock. I partially blame the weather because at this point it was mid-March and there was still the chance for a massive snowstorm, but it all still caught me off-guard.

I guess part of that is also because I’ve lived so much life this past year. Like everything I’ve ever written it sounds completely corny, but it’s true. I have experienced so much.

First off, early in the year I had to deal with my finding my roommate pretty much unresponsive on the floor in our room. I had to spend 12 hours in the hospital waiting until he was (a) conscious, (b) cleared by the doctors. I don’t think I’ve ever done that for anyone. And by “that” I mean devote and sacrifice my time not because I wanted to, but because I had to.

What did I get out of it? Well, anxiety. But, also I learned that I am a stronger person than I initially thought. There was a sense of pride in how well I held it together. Not to sound like I’m bragging, but it has always been an issue that I could never deal with stress and high-pressure situations well, let alone a somewhat (and probably over blown) traumatic situation.

I also took an e-board position at the radio station. What did that do for me? Well, anxiety. It also let me have the time of my life working on something that I truly cared about. It also gave me the chance of making friends that I can see keeping for a lifetime. They taught me how to balance work and play, which is something that I feel I never knew how to do.

Lastly, I have never been more stressed, scared, or over-extended in my life. I have taken the hardest classes, participated in the most activities, worked as many hours as I could, but I would never have it any other way.

What matters is that I have found a group of people that I can rely on. What matters is that I have learned how to manage my time. What matters is that I was able to move forward. That last Brita filter was my goodbye to sophomore year.

This year has been a whirlwind and I’m not sure anything has really changed. I’m not totally sure how I get through a single day of life. With all its awkwardness, missed opportunities, and regrets. Then, you look back and realize that none of that really matters, because none of us really know how to live life, but at least I’m having a great time learning.

 

Karl Delossantos is a sophomore marketing major and communications minor. He considers himself to be a complete film geek with a passion for television, theatre and music. He is also on the board of directors at WTSR and is also a DJ and discourse show host where he and his co-hosts talk about, you guessed, TV, movies and music. He hopes to work in the world of show business awards campaigning and somehow is going to win an Emmy.

Karl Delossantos is a sophomore marketing major and communications minor. He considers himself to be a complete film geek with a passion for television, theatre and music. He is also on the board of directors at WTSR and is also a DJ and discourse show host where he and his co-hosts talk about, you guessed, TV, movies and music. He hopes to work in the world of show business awards campaigning and somehow is going to win an Emmy.

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Realizations

April 23, 2014 at 4:09 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Amidst all of the dreary weather and snow days, the second semester of sophomore year has progressed well, with just over a month left. As I sit here eagerly waiting for the carefree days of summer, I have realized that this year is crucial not just as part of my college experience, but to my life after graduation as well.

Freshman year was definitely a transition, to say the least. While I spent my first semester getting acclimated to an entirely new lifestyle, at the same time I still felt connected to my high school friends and experiences. Back then I wasn’t quite sure who I would make friends with in college, so it seemed normal to hold on to friends from home who I felt more comfortable with. I’m sure many freshmen felt the same way, especially those who attend school far away from home. In addition, there were a plethora of clubs and activities to choose from, and I knew that it would simply not be possible to do everything that appealed to me. I made it out unscathed, but adjusting to college life was definitely a process that took time and perseverance.

There are many differences between this year and last. The main thing is a newfound feeling of maturity as I begin to pave the path towards adulthood. Yes, technically I was an adult at 18, but it really struck me when I celebrated my 20th birthday a couple months ago. Childhood may be over, but there’s certainly a lot to look forward to. For example, I recently completed a series of interviews for summer internships. While they were a bit taxing, I really felt a sense of excitement as I started the career planning process. The accounting department at TCNJ does a great job at making opportunities available to students, and I feel privileged to be gaining this experience as a sophomore.

I have also become more connected with my parents this year as opposed to in the past. This may seem odd since most envision college students becoming more independent from mom and dad. However, while I have met many great people here, I also realized that your parents are an invaluable resource. Friends may come and go, but your parents will always be there to support you along the way and give you advice. I always look forward to sending my parents a daily text about how my day went, and I wish I had communicated with them more in high school.

Like any year, sophomore year has had its ups and downs. But now that I am fully engrained in the TCNJ community, I feel more comfortable with who I am and what my goals for the future will be. As for now, I’m just trying to make the most out of each day and continue to develop the good habits that will help me throughout life.

 

Hello there! My name is David Miller, and I am currently a sophomore Accounting major. So what’s there to know about me? Well, as far as interests go, I love to run, bike, and go to the gym. I ran cross country and track back in high school and am proud to say that I still run on a consistent basis! I’m also a huge Breaking Bad fan, and love watching football and talking about it with friends. I have made it a priority so far to involve myself on several activities on campus. So far, I’m an active member of Water Watch, LDP (Leadership Development Program), and Phi Beta Lambda, TCNJ’s branch of Future Business Leaders of America. One of my main goals this year is to expose myself to new clubs and maybe gain a new hobby or two in the process.

Hello there! My name is David Miller, and I am currently a sophomore Accounting major. So what’s there to know about me? Well, as far as interests go, I love to run, bike, and go to the gym. I ran cross country and track back in high school and am proud to say that I still run on a consistent basis! I’m also a huge Breaking Bad fan, and love watching football and talking about it with friends. I have made it a priority so far to involve myself on several activities on campus. So far, I’m an active member of Water Watch, LDP (Leadership Development Program), and Phi Beta Lambda, TCNJ’s branch of Future Business Leaders of America. One of my main goals this year is to expose myself to new clubs and maybe gain a new hobby or two in the process.

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Pitch Perfect-ly Happy

April 14, 2014 at 2:01 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Unlike the lucky ducks who got to jet off to exotic locales where it was warm for more than 24 hours at a time, I spent my spring break right here at home in New Jersey. More specifically, on my couch right here at home in New Jersey. My time was split between getting caught up on schoolwork, applying to internships, and watching movies, with a serious emphasis on the latter. I watched everything from Blue Jasmine (Cate Blanchett is an icon) to War Horse (do not watch if you like horses or Tom Hiddleston because you will sob the entire time). I watched Gravity and Non-Stop in the same day which made me decide to never get on a plane or even go to the Air and Space Museum ever again. But, before you start thinking that I’m a bit too highbrow in my cinematic endeavors, I will let you know that a highlight of spring break was watching Pitch Perfect for the five billionth time.

Pitch Perfect follows the story of the Barden Bellas, a collegiate a capella group comprised of a ragtag group of girls who must join together to bring home the championship trophy and reclaim their cool. And it’s aca-awesome.

But what I noticed about Pitch Perfect during this particular viewing was how it was nothing like my college experience and yet somehow exactly like it. The most glaring difference is in the fictional Barden University itself. There is not a single indication of anyone actually going to class. No one ever sat out a Riff Off because their English paper was due at midnight. It’s honestly unclear if these people even had majors. Academics are so glaringly omitted in this movie that I actually fear for the future of the characters. Another major issue I have is the dorm rooms. They make New Res look like a tenement house. Depicted as Pottery Barn Teen rooms on steroids, they feature huge windows, crisp white furniture, and, most unrealistic of all, massive built-in-bookcases. You know, for all of the books that the students apparently need. For their studies. Which they devote so much time to.

The part of Pitch Perfect that rings so true is not in the plot or the spontaneous musical numbers, though I am a huge proponent of more of those happening in real life, but in the spirit. Behind all of the harmonizing, musical puns (“pitch-slapped” is a highlight), and stereotypical romantic comedy mush, Pitch Perfect is a movie about the power of teamwork and chasing your dreams. The Barden Bellas’ drive to succeed is something that I have seen often in the students here at TCNJ. Whether it’s in a classroom project or in a club, diverse groups of students have to come together to reach a common goal. It is that diversity that allows us to be so successful. We all have our individual ways of creative problem solving, but it is when we come together that we shine. Also like the Barden Bellas, we are very passionate. We are dedicated to our work because we love it. We’re not afraid to take risks to get what we want. And we know how to have fun along the way.

While it would obviously be amazing to be a Barden Bella, live in a dorm with built-in bookcases, and never do any work at all, I wouldn’t trade TCNJ for Barden University. I am right where I belong.

Although I am serious about the need for more spontaneous musical numbers…

 

Julia Woolever is a Business Administration and English double major and, no, she doesn’t know what she wants to do with that combination. She works at the TCNJ Art Gallery and is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi professional fraternity and Lion’s Eye Literary Magazine. She has an alarmingly intense love of all things pop culture. You can usually find her listening to Mumford and Sons, binge-watching British dramas, and/or crying about various celebrities on Twitter.

Julia Woolever is a Business Administration and English double major and, no, she doesn’t know what she wants to do with that combination. She works at the TCNJ Art Gallery and is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi professional fraternity and Lion’s Eye Literary Magazine. She has an alarmingly intense love of all things pop culture. You can usually find her listening to Mumford and Sons, binge-watching British dramas, and/or crying about various celebrities on Twitter.

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The Junkie

March 27, 2014 at 1:25 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Readers,

I—I—I need to confess something to you.

I’ve been hiding it from many people for years, and now I think is the right time to get it off of my chest. Not many people know about my fascination, my addiction, but I trust you. And you can spare your ol’ pal Lauren a few minutes of your time to listen, right?

Well, it all started about 2 years ago when I first came to TCNJ. I was a naïve freshman: bright eyed and excited to be out of high school. Soon, the collegiate stress and environment was ripping away at my very intrinsic fibers of being. All that I was raised on seemed to not count in this modified hotel for young adults. Soon into the year, I was staying up late at night, twitching and itching to do something. Whatever “it” was (no, not Stephen King’s “IT”), it needed to be indiscernible to the public at large, but secretly satisfying. I scoured the Internet for ideas and for others who have had similar urges. Finally, I crossed the perfect site, laden with information and ideas: Pintrest.

I spent hours on the site, casually pinning any picture I liked to my various “boards”: funny, artsy, beauty, and random. As time marched on, my typing and left clicking noises echoed through the halls. However, it was only the beginning of the spiral downward.  Friends began following me, subconsciously putting the pressure on me to continue pinning the most interesting of things; I added more boards, more categories, less filters. As fast as I went, no matter how many hours I spent, there were always more ideas, more quotes I liked, more people I followed, less hours sleeping.  It was so bad, I even starting growing a beard. Finally, one of you faithful readers, brought the obsession to my attention, I needed to bring my pinning down several notches. To combat the overload of cute animals, mesmerizing landscapes, and wonderful crafting ideas, I started making lists.

Well, this led to another habit—I mean hobby—of mine: making bucket lists. I now have a bucket list for anything imaginable: movies, books, countries to travel to, crafts (to attempt) to make, animals to pet, foods to try, things to avoid, bands to see, and of course, the classic “life” bucket list. They are all stuffed into my desk drawer, constantly being modified, added to, and crossed off. Not only have the physical lists been easier on my eyes than a computer screen, but make my goals seem more tangible. The lists are not simply ideas open on the Internet, but rather personal goals connected to memories.

Now, not only do I have stories correlated with the numbered activity, but stories to tell others and ideas to expand upon. So, thanks for listening and helping me cross of another item off of my list:

36. Become a doctor astronaut flying dinosaur

37. Write an honest blog

38. Go Zorbing in New Zealand

Happy hobby-ing,

Lauren

 

Hey there! I’m Lauren McKay, a sophomore Biology major with a Spanish minor here at TCNJ. I love to go for a run, eat, and go to concerts. When I’m not studying, which is usually 98% of my time, I’m hanging out with friends, teaching Spanish Conversation hours, or quoting Oscar Wilde. When I grow up I want to be a doctor astronaut dinosaur and save the world. (I will also have my own theme song.) Since all healthy relationships are founded on jokes and lies, I hope to expedite our relationship by bringing you some tantalizing tales with some subtle yet profound truths. We can go out to dinner and end our night with a walk along the beach (simply circuiting the outdoor volleyball court). Thanks for reading! Oh, and can I have your number?

Hey there! I’m Lauren McKay, a sophomore Biology major with a Spanish minor here at TCNJ. I love to go for a run, eat, and go to concerts. When I’m not studying, which is usually 98% of my time, I’m hanging out with friends, teaching Spanish Conversation hours, or quoting Oscar Wilde. When I grow up I want to be a doctor astronaut dinosaur and save the world. (I will also have my own theme song.) Since all healthy relationships are founded on jokes and lies, I hope to expedite our relationship by bringing you some tantalizing tales with some subtle yet profound truths. We can go out to dinner and end our night with a walk along the beach (simply circuiting the outdoor volleyball court). Thanks for reading! Oh, and can I have your number?

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Spring Break, Where Art Thou?

March 13, 2014 at 9:29 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

I thought this past Fall semester was by far the toughest semester I have had yet.  It’s not that the work was difficult, except for maybe one challenging class, but there was just so much of it.  The work never stopped, and maybe that’s due to the fact that I took 7 classes.  Some were half semester courses, but still, it was just a lot to process at the time.

This semester, however, completely has me so swamped.  I only have four classes and one seminar, which shouldn’t seem too bad.  Two of them are 100-level courses for Communications, the others are 200-level Business courses, and then a seminar pertaining to my major.  It seems pretty evened out, right?  Wrong.

My classes are all pretty much back to back to back, and the time that I do have in between them is for working.  I definitely underestimated this seminar coming in, probably because I look back on the Fall semester and consider it a major success.  I came out with a GPA that surpassed my goal, I could maintain my three goals, and I had kept in contact with my close friends.  I figured I could handle anything life threw at me because I made it out of the fall alive.

That was my first mistake.

Never, ever, ever underestimate a semester.  Just because I’m taking less classes does not allow me, by any means, to believe that these classes will be easy.  I’m definitely doing more work for my 100-level courses this semester, and my other courses involve so much more thought than I predicted.  And with work taking up whatever free time I have, I feel as though I have no time to myself.

I overscheduled myself this semester, believing I would have downtime when it was all over.  Now I’ve only overscheduled myself without having any room to breathe.  If there was any advice I could give to other sophomores, and other students for that matter, it would be to do a good job with managing your time.  The workload generally does not get any easier as college semesters go by, but it can be easier to handle them if we adjust ourselves to taking these harder classes, and then maybe we will be better with finding free time.

But I still can’t wait for spring break.

Hey there! My name is Adrienne Barsoum, and I am a sophomore Accounting major with a potential Communications minor. I commute to school from Hamilton, a twenty-minute drive, rather short yet highly inconvenient for someone such as myself who prefers to stay in one place. I enjoy reading books of any genre during the not-so-frequent free time I possess, and though I am currently working three jobs I always leave aside time to have fun and venture out to try new things.

Hey there! My name is Adrienne Barsoum, and I am a sophomore Accounting major with a potential Communications minor. I commute to school from Hamilton, a twenty-minute drive, rather short yet highly inconvenient for someone such as myself who prefers to stay in one place. I enjoy reading books of any genre during the not-so-frequent free time I possess, and though I am currently working three jobs I always leave aside time to have fun and venture out to try new things.

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PERUsing Around

February 11, 2014 at 2:36 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Hi again faithful readers!

As we all recovered from finals and Eickhoff food, I risked my gastrointestinal track in another country called Peru (Perú for you Spanish enthusiasts out there). Although I could preach about how fulfilling the MEDLife mobile clinics were (insert club plug here), instead I find it more suiting to talk about the people I met. With the new semester and New Year, I promised myself that I would be more outgoing while still respecting the golden rule of stranger danger. By poking my head out of my figurative shell, I learned a lot of cliché things that I feel the need to share. See if these descriptions inspire you to strike up a conversation with someone new.

The Sculptor: A 65 year-old man with short curly grey hair who sat next to me on the plane. He was your typical artist: calm, collected, tall and thin, calloused hands, paint and dirt splattered on his clothes, and he even wore a hat. He participated in the Vietnam Protests and has a house in Vermont to muse. He is currently is campaigning to fulfill his “pipe dream”, carving a head looking up towards heaven (the sky for atheists reading) in a mountain near Machu Pichu.

The Mother: A thirtyish year old woman who embraced and kissed me upon our meeting. She thanked me for my hard work and even entrusted me with her 5 year-old daughter. Her daughter became my “new best friend” that day. The most refreshing part of the encounter was that she was not “phony” as Holden Caulfield would say; definitely one of my top ten all-time hugs.

The Student: A quiet freshman from Cornell. She is an only child and was forced to take public speaking classes both in and outside of school due to her intense fear. Her speech was precise but thoughtful. Although she confessed how lonely she occasionally feels, she understands she can change that as she becomes an adult. She plans to become a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases. Quality human all around.

The Intern: a swarthy 18 year-old Peruvian who loved Western music. As we hauled concrete, he played Ke$ha, Macklemore, and the theme to “Rocky”. If he wasn’t trying to make a joke, he was laughing. He mocked how American girls always commented “SO CUTE” or “OH MY GOSH”. He made me promise that I would “never forjet hiim”, and I can’t because we’re Facebook friends now.

The Dentist: A 26 year-old Peruvian who loved to practice his English. I successfully taught him the word “sassy” and assisted him during cleanings. He was our unofficial travel agent, offering activity suggestions when my group and I were in a pinch. As his fourth clinic week came to a close, he took a well-deserved mini vacation to a local beach. My new favorite dentist.

Although these stories may not seem like much, I hope they awaken some ambition within you. Whether it is to go travel, to talk to another student or Eick worker, or to get to know your professor, I hope you have the courage to do so. I also hope you have the fervor to listen and appreciate their story. Because it is an era where people advertise themselves on social media (Facebook, tumblr, Twitter, etc.) to gain random “followers” humanity is refreshing. Trust me.

Happy talking,

Lauren

Hey there! I’m Lauren McKay, a sophomore Biology major with a Spanish minor here at TCNJ. I love to go for a run, eat, and go to concerts. When I’m not studying, which is usually 98% of my time, I’m hanging out with friends, teaching Spanish Conversation hours, or quoting Oscar Wilde. When I grow up I want to be a doctor astronaut dinosaur and save the world. (I will also have my own theme song.) Since all healthy relationships are founded on jokes and lies, I hope to expedite our relationship by bringing you some tantalizing tales with some subtle yet profound truths. We can go out to dinner and end our night with a walk along the beach (simply circuiting the outdoor volleyball court). Thanks for reading! Oh, and can I have your number?

Hey there! I’m Lauren McKay, a sophomore Biology major with a Spanish minor here at TCNJ. I love to go for a run, eat, and go to concerts. When I’m not studying, which is usually 98% of my time, I’m hanging out with friends, teaching Spanish Conversation hours, or quoting Oscar Wilde. When I grow up I want to be a doctor astronaut dinosaur and save the world. (I will also have my own theme song.) Since all healthy relationships are founded on jokes and lies, I hope to expedite our relationship by bringing you some tantalizing tales with some subtle yet profound truths. We can go out to dinner and end our night with a walk along the beach (simply circuiting the outdoor volleyball court). Thanks for reading! Oh, and can I have your number?

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The End of the Beginning of the End: A Lament in One Part

May 1, 2013 at 11:46 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , ,

By: William Westerman

Well, ladies and gentlest of men, it seems that our time together (or rather, my platform on which to shove my opinions into your unwilling mouths) has come to a close. We’ve encountered a full range of emotions on this blog: happy, sad, mistrustful, kinda sleepy, worried, concerned, angry, hungry, disinterested (my ability to list relevant adjectives has no bounds).

But, in all seriousness (and that is exactly what I strive to maintain on this detailed analyses of the human condition), I shall miss my opportunities to give some semblance of cohesion to my messy world at TCNJ. It seems that writing often has the ability to smooth over our rough patches, give rise to transcendent themes, and provide ourselves some sort of narrative. But really? Between winter break, spring break, weekends, and the messy of bits of time each week that seem to go unnoticed, it truly is daunting to summarize the achievements and currents that have run through a year, much less an abbreviated college year. I won’t pretend to wax sentimental about the unforgettable experiences I’ve had: I’ve already forgotten. I won’t pretend to remember every inside joke: they are not important. I even won’t pretend to keep in touch with every person I have met: that is unfeasible.

But (and that is one large but), I can yield to the significance of time, as well as the act of existence. Just getting out of bed in the morning (“morning” is loosely used), going to class, eating reasonable meals, all these things mundane and forgotten characterize the importance of all lives…in their relative unimportance.

I’ve promised myself not to be preachy or overtly moralistic on this blog , so I will leave the sentiments from my heart elsewhere—you don’t need some internet pipsqueak to teach about you about the secrets of the universe and the mysteries of life—I cannot possibly do that.

My new home! Another larger, older library.

My new home! Another larger, older library.

What I can assure you of, and I hope that you can assure yourself of this, is that you have changed. I don’t think anything more is needed to be said on the subject, but just by breathing, you have changed.

Which leads me, however uncertainly, towards the future. After chronicling my time at the TCNJ I-House, it is with regret that I leave my blogging post in New Jersey, and take up the torch of blogging from a different academic venue. Next year, I’ll be studying abroad during the fall semester at the University of Oxford (and hopefully Japan in the spring!). Besides searching for old manuscripts in the catacombs of various libraries, I will be attempting to travel and write more prolifically on some of my experiences. Perhaps, if you don’t hate what you’ve read, you’ll join me there? Stay tuned for future updates!

Finally, I recognize the long-forgotten shout outs to many of my fans, including the lovely Samantha B and (for extra measure, don’t say I never gave you anything) Kim D. Your rootin’-tootin’ Aussie style and extremely generalized observations about the US and New Joisey have yielded many fruitful topics of conversation. (Also to Em-lee!) As well as everyone else—I know you won’t become petty over not including every name.

As you can vaguely tell from the personalized shout outs above, my time as TCNJ International Ambassador (fancy!) has made me confident to mix and mingle with the many peoples I’ll sure to meet abroad. So whether it’s in England, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia, Argentina, Thailand, and, yes, even Brazil, I’m sure to learn a lot—and hopefully not make a fool of myself. Too much.

William 2

I now officially relinquish my title as TCNJ International Ambassador Inquisitor Blogger Extraordinaire, and fade into the great beyond!

See you on the other side.

WW

P.S. I haven’t died.

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