Class of 2013: Freshman Blog

Oh hello there! I’m currently writing from my actual real live home. I feel like Dorothy with her Toto and all wrapped up with a little Kansas loving. I’ve been away in D.C. for most of the summer getting my intern on, so since coming home I’ve been sitting in either a beach chair or lounging on my sofa.

And here I am at home, spending my wholesome Sunday evening the all American way — with muh teevee. I got through most of my usual TV lineup – “Sixty Minutes” (while muting the insufferable Andy Rooney part); some “Law and Order” episode that my dad figured out waaaaay before I did; and finally I got to the coup de grace: “Mad Men.”

Now nothing gets between me and my television. Or so I thought! You see, despite criticism and absolute disdain- I have stood by the often distasteful “Real Housewives” franchise, sat through entire marathons of “I love New York” on VH1, I even bought into that whole “I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant” nonsense for a few episodes. So in a quick summary: I LOVE TRASH TV. Lack of propriety? Questionable morals? You know I’m watching. I am more loyal than a politician’s wife during a sex scandal (cough Jim McGreevey).

But along came “Mad Men.” I know the Emmy award winning show isn’t exactly on par with “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” but this evening, when I started watching a perennial favorite …. I just couldn’t do it. WHY? That’s what I was asking myself! I mean, come on, we have some Don Draper, we have some fabulous get-ups, we have POCKET SQUARES. But I just couldn’t do it. Every time I heard Betty get dismissed, or Peggy get shot down, or Joan skeeved on – I started to get upset. Because all of this nonsense really did happen, be it to my mother or her mother or even her mother.

This summer I interned at a renowned feminist organization, and it really changed things for me. I’d always identified as a feminist, but I became like exponentially more dedicated through this experience. It’s been one of those experiences, where I hadn’t realized that I had changed until I was placed back in my old surroundings.

I remember the exact moment where I decided that the ongoing feminist movement was something I was going to commit to. I was sitting in a lunch with Ellen Malcolm, who founded EMILY’s List (where I interned). As everyone was doing introductions, she suddenly cut one girl off and made her stop. The girl who she had interrupted obviously looked petrified and I am pretty sure I made a Scooby Doo inspired “HUHHHHHHH?” noise.

Ms. Malcolm then said something I will never forget: “Say your full name. Women so often just say their first name- like they shouldn’t be taken seriously. Say your full name.”

Oh man was I intimidated! I was all: “I always say my full name. I’m a baller.” Then I started giving it some thought…. I thought about all the times I introduced myself in that annoyingly high tone, “I’m TY-LER.” Oh, yuck.

And sometime between that point and right now, I’ve changed. And believe me, Imma jump aboard that Obama train like the groupie I am. So of course, I’m excited/nervous to see how my new, ULTRA PC personality meshes back at Hopkins. But I’m going to stand by that. Because I can.

YOURS FOREVER AND ALWAYS LOVES OF MY LIFE THE REASONS THAT I BREATHE,

Tyler D.

(I know that it would have been more dramatic if I had signed with my full name … but I don’t think I’m supposed to use it here. IRONY!).

Dear Friends,

Still hope your summer is treating you well.  I apologize, but I do promise that this post ends with a point; it’s not just me going off on tangents.

Yesterday morning, I opened my e-mail when I got to work. Scanning my messages, I immediately noticed that between 2-4am I had a crazy number of messages from my parents. That was odd, I thought, since one or two messages throughout the night is much more typical. Confused, I opened the newest of the messages, from my mom, and learned that my dog, Ralph, had died during (my) night. I won’t elaborate on what happened immediately thereafter.

Ralph had been with my family since I was four years old. I am an only child, so, though it may sound odd to some, he was in some senses more of a brother than pet to me. I never had a brother to get into trouble with, but I did have Ralph, my always-dependable partner in mischief. Better yet, he was always game for anything, especially if there was the promise of a few Beggin’ Strips involved.

I’ll admit that I thought the dog-pesky kid sort of bond was uniquely American. Maybe it’s the (perhaps corrupted) vision of the American Dream I’ve painted in my mind: white picket fence, a barbeque, lemonade, and a large, green lawn in front on which a kid plays with his dog. But that’s not entirely true.

I don’t always do bad news very well, and, yes, the second I could leave work, well, I did. I went down to a lounge in Parliament where everyone hangs after work.  There, I had a few conversations with some people I didn’t really know too well – some regulars I’d seen around the place before, what have you, but also my roommate’s boss, Sam.

Sam’s Scottish, and he was curious as to why I (apparently) looked like hell and wasn’t in the best mood. I told him why, and, somewhat to my surprise, he was able to relate: he had a similar go-around maybe two years ago, and during then, he told me, he felt the same.

Sam and I weren’t alone at the table; my roommate’s colleague, Jessica, was also there. She grew up in Spain, though, as she told me afterward, she’d lived across Europe as her family travelled for work. When she was growing up, her dog, Sadie, had travelled from country to country with her and her family, just as Ralph had travelled from state to state with my family and me as we moved. Needless to say, it was nice to be able to relate. But moreover, upon reflexion, I noticed that, in this regard, there’s a bit of universality on this matter: regardless of culture and country, there are always more commonalities than one would expect. Thankfully, this is one of them.

Another is something that I’ll admit I didn’t expect too entirely much in a building void of doctors (but certainly not lawyers). I’d been inside for far too long, and after Sam, Jessica, and I had reached a bit of a slow point in our conversation, I headed outside for a few minutes to get some air. There, I saw a friend of mine, Liam, who is also working here. He was with his boss, who is from Northern Scotland. I didn’t know his boss, so I introduced myself, said that I was from the United States and said that I was here for the summer before I return to university. He, typically trying to maintain the small talk without reverting to the weather, asked where I’d went to school. Of course, I replied Hopkins.

At first, I thought his ears somehow misconstrued ‘Hopkins’ for ‘Harvard’ or ‘Oxford’ based on his reaction. I was really rather confused at first, because, again I’ll admit, I didn’t know Hopkins had that sort of international esteem. But it apparently does. The next day (today), I gave him my resume as he asked. Before I told him of my university, he wouldn’t have read it. But after I told him, he asked for it.

Now where does universality come in here? Pretty simple, actually. I don’t like to name-drop that sort of stuff, because I, well, think it’s sort of silly. But here it actually made a difference. In the United States, Hopkins calls a good reaction, but I had no idea that it would in the UK. What I’m getting at here is that Hopkins does have a reputation that gets you something that a lot of other places don’t. Moreover and interesting to note, I was in a bar full of Oxbridge alumni. What I’m not getting at, however, is that you should pick a school solely because of its reputation: I was lucky enough to have been admitted to a school that is respected and that fits my academic and social wants, needs, goals. A lot of my friends were wooed by third-rate state schools because of cost, and those schools do indeed have their place, but they’re aren’t for everyone, and if one has an opportunity to attend a school that’s right for him/her and is positively reputed, well, that’s something more to consider. It does have benefits that you wouldn’t expect or imagine.

Oh, and I even made it clear that I am primarily studying history, not something related to pre-med.

–Daniel

This is a photo of Ralph taken about a month ago.

Howdy from Texas y’all! The summer lifestyle has fully set in for me—Dallas weather has begun to easily surpass the 100-degree mark, swimming pool season is officially in full swing, and I have more or less run out of things to do. Ahh—you know it is summer when suddenly you find the items on your formerly packed agenda magically melting away. It’s like whiplash from slamming on the brakes in your car—we were all functioning at full force toward the end of the year with finals studying and spending our last few weeks with our college friends. And now—just a few weeks later—there’s really not a whole bunch going on!

With the exception of work, I’ve had very few obligations since I’ve been back at home. I am proud to report that two very large and imposing cardboard boxes remain outside of my bedroom (much to my mother’s dismay) and will likely not budge until it is time for me to return to Baltimore (I figure, what’s the use in unpacking them now when they will have to get packed right up again? Logical thought process.) I did, at one point in time, have elaborate plans to get healthy and detoxify my diet (when you’re no longer at college, subsisting off of Diet Cokes, coffee, cookies, and French fries is just not acceptable anymore). Honestly, though, I don’t know if I have made much progress in that regard—I’ve learned that just as the college lifestyle supports unhealthy eating and sleeping habits, so does the “I’m at home for the summer doing nothing” lifestyle. It’s something about the combination of being bored, not feeling productive, and as a result, staying up late to feed into that under-productivity…

I should mention that this summer has not been a complete waste so far. Fortunately, I made it back from Baltimore in time for my high school’s Class of 2010 commencement, which was lovely to watch. It was a surreal experience to now watch from the sidelines as the new graduating class filed up to receive their diplomas.  In some ways, I still felt like a student at my high school (total nostalgia—the white dresses, large-brimmed tea hats, delicate daisies…plus all of my old teachers, many of which are now retiring). But in other respects, I felt that I had changed so much as a person since the last time I was a graduate, standing on graduation terrace alongside ninety-nine of my other female classmates. Seeing my friends from the Class of 2010 transition from students to alums was a thrilling experience. I am confident of the amazing adventures in store for them as they move on to their respective colleges next year!

In addition to the graduation stuff that was going on at the beginning of the summer, I was so fortunate to have my roommate Kimber visit Texas all the way from New Orleans! She was driving to Sante Fe with her mother and decided to stop by en route to New Mexico. Chloe, a fellow Hopkid from Dallas, and I did our best to show Kimber around the city for the short amount of time she was here. We all wished we had more time to spend together, which is why she may be visiting in August too (and stay longer the second time around!). Either way, her visit and my separation anxiety affirms how close we’ve become—what would I ever do without my Hopkins friends?! The mere thought is anxiety-inducing.

Well, that’s pretty much my entire summer…(NOT in a nutshell. That’s the full story right there, you guys). I hope everyone is enjoying their vacations! Can’t wait to see many of you next fall. -BK

Hey, everyone –

I hope that everyone is having a fantastic summer.

In my previous posts, I’ve written about a lot of stuff: security on campus, what I happened to do one weekend, etc.  I’ve taken a look at what I’ve written in the past – when I wrote my first post in September, when I wrote about going home, spring break, blah blah – and in reading and recollecting, I don’t think that I’ve hit one single, main topic throughout the past year.  This is a pity, since there certainly is one: I’m lucky to be at Hopkins, and the more I realize this, the more I appreciate it – the faculty, my fellow students, the facilities, the University in general and what it can provide.  I apologize, but it may take me a few paragraphs to show my point.

I will be candid: there were days when I wasn’t happy at all at Hopkins. Most of them were in the fall.  Maybe it was schoolwork, maybe it was a problem with a friend, maybe it was just a headache, but I certainly had those days when I was just totally put-off when I saw a Hopkins shirt or something like that.  And, yes, there were one or two days that I had quite a think about leaving.  For a bit, I feared that I was unique, that everyone else I knew in high school was getting along brilliantly and with a smile on their faces.  But that wasn’t true.  My friends and I, we all have had trouble transitioning, and it’s just a matter of time before you find your niche, get comfortable, and really begin to enjoy yourself – socially and academically (a balance of both is CRUCIAL, I think).  I had a bit of trouble finding this at Hopkins, but when I did, I became as enchanted with the place as I was when I stepped on campus as a newly-admitted Class of 2013er in April 2009 – and I was pretty stoked then, by the way.

This summer, as I’ve said, I’m spending my time in London.  Being 4,500 miles away from home and 4,000 miles from my ‘new’ home was a bit difficult at first.  This was weird; I didn’t really too bad of a problem adjusting to life away from home when I came to Hopkins, so it was odd being ‘homesick’ over the summer.  I’m not certain why I was/am, to be honest.  Though I was by no means a loner, I didn’t associate too often with my classmates in high school, and because of this, I don’t have as many ‘bros’ from high school as a lot of my peers (that is literally the first time I’ve used that word, by the way).  But I still didn’t have a longing for Arkansas in September like I do now for Baltimore.

Anyone who knows me knows that I can be a bit stoic at times, and I’ll admit that I am, but when I left Hopkins for London (I had to fly direct from there, no stop at home, to make my program on time), I was legitimately sad to leave.  I was moving out of my room on my last two days in Baltimore, but even while that was going on, I was trying to see all of my friends at least twice before I left.  Luckily, I saw most of them at least thrice.  Not to sound too sappy, but there have been times in London already when I’ll run my credit out on my phone during an impromptu call to the US to talk to friends.  I like it; my credit card hates it; the guy who sells me a top-up downstairs certainly loves it.

I didn’t know what to expect in terms of the social scene when I came to Hopkins.  In a not so brilliant move, I started to research Hopkins’ social scene when I deposited on CollegeConfidential.  That site offered a viewpoint that scared the beejebus out of me: I thought I was going to a place where everyone lived in the library, drank two glasses of milk with their meals, took their vitamins and made their bed in the mornings, and thought a discussion on Thoreau was racy enough for a Friday night.  Thank God, that ‘all-knowing’ site was wrong.  At Hopkins, I have met people that I truly care about, think about, and want to see.  They’re amazing.  I’ll conceit that there are some perpetual library-dwellers (and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not my scene at all, truth be told), but when you look your head around the corner, Hopkins is a place where you can have a LOT of fun. That’s why I love it: there are people whom I want to be with, in a city where one can see some cool sites and have some massive nights, in an environment that still fosters some fantastic ed-u-ma-kation.

This morning, I went to work.  Outside my window, Big Ben is about 50 meters away.  I have a blast-proof window to see it through.  For my job, I have to go down to the floor of the House of Commons on occasion. I handled an original Act of Parliament given Royal Ascent by King Henry VIII. I’m now working for an MP, and I’m now also volunteering at David Milliband’s Labour leadership campaign.   I’m writing this in the library of the London School of Economics, where I’m a student this summer.  I’m also 19, and I’m also from rural Arkansas.  Besides the whole age and place thing, none of that would have happened without me going to Hopkins.  I truly do owe this summer to that University.  It has a name recognition that gets my CV looked at, yes, but, more importantly, what I’ve learned there – and who I’ve met there, how I’ve learned to interact with people of many nationalities, too – has allowed me to not be an idiot walking around here.  And, in simple terms, I’m lucky to have had the experiences I’ve had at Hopkins, because they’re already working in my favor, and I’m even luckier to have met the fantastic people that I’ve met at Hopkins.  Not to be repetitive, but my total experience at Hopkins just makes me feel fortunate, lucky to be there, and for that, I’m grateful – grateful that I can go there, that I do go there, and that I did decide to go there.  It’s my new home.

So, everyone, I hope you all are having an amazing summer.  I’m still in London, and work is really starting to pick up — both a great thing and a ‘eh’ thing, since I both love my internship and to sleep.  But c’est la vie.  I’m having a great time here, and everyone in my flat and program are amazing.  This weekend, we went to see Fedde le Grand at the Ministry of Sound, and it was amazing — totally worth the day after (of course, we were just sluggish because we were at a rave from like 11 – 6am, that’s all).  I’m working about 3.5-4 days a week, split two ways between Parliament and David Miliband’s Labour leadership campaign; both have been great thus far.

In this post,I’d like to recap my blog posts from this last year.  For me, it’s been interesting to look at some of them again – makes me think of how I was feeling when I wrote them, what I’ve been up to these past few months, etc.  For me, pretty cool.  I don’t keep a diary or anything, so this is about as close as I’m going to get J.

First Post: And Then It Began

Boy, I wasn’t kidding.  My first post as a Hopkins student, and, man, I’ve come a long way.  This was me when I was really, really, really new at Hopkins!

Social Scene Stuff

Okay, not quite as new-to-college me as the first, of course, but this was when I was just discovering that Hopkins really did have a social life (I lowered my hopes after reading some good ol’ fashioned fibs on things like collegeconfidential) and when I was just starting to get in the groove of this whole college thing.

[update: all libraries are created equal, I feel, so I’ve relocated to Trafalgar Square at midnight, watching people drunkenly attempt inline skating.  I’m consequently laughing.  A lot.]

A Matter of Campus Security…

This came after the first open house I attended.  There were a lot of parents asking about security, so I thought I’d give this topic a go.  This is the result of that idea.

Mah Schedule…

This beez my first semester’s schedule.  It’s a lot of fun to see what I thought of it then and how I remember it now.  Sooo different.  I actually still talk to one of my professors; she’s awesome.

Reflections on Going Home

First time going home.  This was my attempt to share what I was feeling at the time.  It’s the first of my less topic-oriented posts and was more just me talking.  That said, the preceding posts weren’t me trying to write a research essay J.

Hmph

School was owning me at this point, and it was me trying to struggle with being me while having more work to do than I’d ever had.  Of course, it was written right before finals.

Au revoir, fall semester!

So the previous post was during finals, so, as this one’s name implies, this is afterwards.  I was soooo ready for the semester to be over, to just have a break to chillax, and it felt good J.

And the deadlines cometh…

I wrote this en route to Italy over winter break.  I was bored at the time – it was a long flight – and it was just before the January 1 application deadline, so this is me trying to offer advice on the essays.  They were by far my least favorite part of the college admissions process – wait, those AND standardized tests.  Together, they may have been the bane of my existence.

Looking Back on ‘09

My final post of 2009, this was me reflecting on the past year, what’d changed, and what I sort of thought would come.  It was interesting to write.  I was in Italy with my parents on vacation, and we’d been talking a lot about my first semester, so this was interesting to write.

Me and the History Major…

I came to Hopkins wanting to pursue International Studies, and now I’m a history major.  Why?  Well, that’s what this post is about J

Intersession

Lots of mail.  Lots of fun.  Lots of film to watch for class.  That was my first intersession at Hopkins, and it’s what I cover in this post.

New stuff (great name, I know)

A recap of what’d been going on between intersession and then, this post also covers – wait for it – SNOWWEEK, also known as SMOWOMG, SNOWMAGEDDON.  You get the point. Oh, and no biggie, but the Winter Olympics had been going on.  They’re sort of my World Cup.

My Semester Thus Far: An Update

Starting to think about housing.  Midterms approaching.  Fun being had.  This is the story behind this post, which is more an update about what’d been going on at Hopkins for me.

A Not-so-brief description of my classes…

You know when you’re trying to procrastinate so you will do anything to avoid real work?  Well, I do, and it’s the story behind this post: I had a lot to do, so naturally, I decided to offer more information about my class schedule than anyone may ever need to know.  Oh, and when I was writing this, Muse played Bmore.  MUSE MUSE MUSE MUSE.

MAH CRIB

This highlights – EVEN WITH VIDEO (since we’re fancy like that)– why Wolman is ‘da bomb,’ and you even get to see a pic of my obese cat, Stanley.  Oh, and some pics of Little Rock, too haha.

SaveMoneyChella

In essence, this is me describing my time at the Coachella Music Festival, by far the best time of my life EVER.

End of the Semester!

Wooooo.  Riding a mechanical bull.  Studying.  Cooperative feasts cooked in friends’ apartments.  That was the end of my second semester at Hopkins, and it’s what you can hear about should you read this post.

Scotland

Earlier this summer, I had a political study visit to Scotland.  We ran around the Scottish Parliament and, later, sung Lady Gaga in a pub in front of a live band.  AWESOME all around.  Check it to find out more.

Well, that’s all I got for now.  Since I’ve sort of gone through my entire year, I thought it appropriate to post my class’ flag in this post, since it’s what I did in my first post.

Have fun,

Daniel

My last post, “The Top Ten Reasons Why I Already Miss College,” affirms what an amazing and enriching freshman experience I had this past school year—so much so, that I want to go back! Any college student will tell you that freshman year is an instrumental time of change and growth, consisting of (but not limited to) lots of personal growth (mentally and perhaps physically in terms of the Freshman 15…yikes…), a number of challenges, newfound independence, a completely different lifestyle and environment, and new people. My freshman year involved a ton of learning experiences—some that resolved themselves easily, and others that were slightly more difficult, but nonetheless valuable. If I could do it all over again, though, I wouldn’t change a thing about these past two semesters! I am fortunate enough to have a collection of blogs that have documented the progression of my freshman year. And I’m thrilled that I’ve had the opportunity to share them with you! This past year has provided me with a wealth of fond memories that I will undoubtedly cherish for life. Here’s a brief overview of all of my blogs:

To New Beginnings and ENFJ’s

My first blog post ever! So weird to look back on. I discuss my personality test results (ENFJ or “the extrovert”), and reflect on my first few weeks as a Hopkins student. Also included: the transition from my fourteen years at an all-girls school to the college lifestyle—a must read!!!!

Weather: It’s All Relative

The onset of cold weather hits a Texan pretty hard. I celebrate my birthday and my friend surprises me with tickets to Regina Spektor in D.C.!

Felloween and more!

My friends and I go to Fell’s point for Halloween (one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the nation), dressed as JHU football players and football (of course). I attend a JHU Kranti performance (an a cappella group on campus) with the rest of Royce house to support one of our fellow residents.

Rain + Hot Cocoa = Feeling Bloggy

A brief survey of each of my classes and the professors.

My first week at home has been full of extravagances. I have indulged in all things I hold dear to my heart: the Real Housewives franchise, Wawa’s Hoagiefest, and Dear Abby archives. Now that I have made it through the detox of all knowledge that I had to learn during finals, my brain is decidedly mush.  Just the way I like it.  I feel like I now have enough perspective to reflect on what was my freshman year.

Heaven knows that I am too shallow to have deep reflections.  Therefore, I decided to go through all the music that has made up a soundtrack to this year (yes, even the embarrassing dollar sign girl), to show just what kind of a year I had. I’ll try not to be too hipster, but I’m not making any promises.

1. Sleepyhead, by Passion Pit. Okay, so this was number one on my iTunes most played. I’m not really sure what that means, but I’ll go with it.  I first heard this song at the Rec Center in January when I was keeping true to New Years resolutions and attending spinning classes.  Later in the spring semester and long after my workout regimen took a little hiatus , I listened to this song while in D.C. at a climate rally where John Legend, Sting, and the Roots also played.  So, H-O-L-L-A exercise and political activism!

2. Dancing in the Moonlight, by King Harvest. This is my all time favorite, hands down.  I have danced to this song in my dorm, on the freshman quad, in Char Mar, down N. Charles street, and I’m sure quite a few other places on campus.  I dare you not to dance to this smooth classic.  This song reminds me of summer, fun, and just how awesome it is not to have a curfew.

3. Party in the U.S.A., by Miley Cyrus. Do I really have to explain?  I know you are all judging me hardcore, but think back to last September, when we didn’t care about Miley and her stripper pole and we weren’t all jealous about her Aussie boyfriend.  This song welcomed me to Hopkins, served as a nice little upper during intense study seshes, and was with me as I got past the whole, “I’m sorry, I’m a freshman.  It’s so embarrassingggggg!” phase.

4. Slide, by the Goo Goo Dolls. This one is courtesy of Pandora, the internet radio site.  I’m not gonna lie, I would probably ditch school to compete with the middle aged groupies of the Goo Goo Dolls.  You gotta do what you gotta do, and this is my jam when I embracing my nineties heritage as middle class white girl.

5. Let’s Stay Together, by Al Green. That’s right, now we’re getting sultry.  This baby will break through anybody’s hard exterior and make them mush.  Honestly, I hardly listen to the words- just Al Green’s voice. One day President Daniels and I will share a slow dance to this song and mull over our love.

6. Wonderwall, by Oasis. There are few other songs that will get everyone singing along like this puppy.  Bring out your token friend with a guitar, and pretend it’s Berkeley in 1969.  That’s right- do the sing a long!

7. Any song on any of the millions of records, by Dave Matthews Band. Davvvvvvvvvvveeeeeee! I have a love hate relationship with this man.  The hate comes from my lifelong hate of DMB and the cult like frat-broeyness that it represents.  The like comes from me actually listening and secretly liking.This is a big guilty pleasure, but Davvvvvveee really is the perfect compliment to the chill, hanging out with friends mood college can evoke.

8. Don’t be Shy, by Shwayze. To me, this song evokes summertime.  So during our snow week around my birthday, when everyone was getting on each other’s nerves in such close quarters, I would put this on just to remember when the ground was not covered with foot upon foot of snow and cars could actually drive down N. Charles Street.  Also, it has a good message: life it too short to be shy.

9. I’m a Lady, by Santogold. I am a Santogold lush, let’s be real here.  Anyway, at a few points this year, when I was sloppily eating in the FFC or wearing sweatpants (my antichrist), I needed a little reminder that in fact, I am a lady.

10. Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. This is the hipster pinnacle of my musical tastes. But the song is really about how your home can be anywhere.  Hopkins has come to be my home this past year and that is because of the great friends I have made here. I am so excited and grateful that I have three more years in Charles Village, and hopefully I will be allowed back despite my outrageous hipster tendencies.

Honorable Mention: “The Best” by Tina Turner (a given), Radiohead (who doesn’t have a phase?), ke$ha (that fool was everywhere), and State Radio (just because they played at Spring Fair).

HAVE  A GREAT SUMMER!

TyTy

P.S. I’m sorry I didn’t fall into real college alternative rock yet. I’ll save my Fiona Apple for another day!

Action Shot!

Hey guys, Greco here. Spring break is now over, and I just came back to Hopkins from Korea this morning. It was a 13-hour non-stop flight, and I could barely sleep in the plane because of this really loud, obnoxious baby that was sitting in front of me. Anyways, the best way to get over jetlag is to never take naps and stay up late at night for a couple of days. I was about to pass out in the early evening, so I grabbed a can of energy drink, but now, my hands are shaking and my heart pumping crazy fast (I have very low energy-drink tolerance…).

Anyways.. today I’m going to talk about the must-have items when you are in college. Sorry if the title is misleading, but this has nothing to do with fashion haha. They are just some stuff that I find very helpful in managing hectic schedules and transforming Hopkins into my second home. Warning: Some of them (could possibly be most of them) may apply only to myself.

1. Daily Planners

Not just any planner, but daily planner that has 24-hour empty time slots for each day. I’m horrible at remembering meeting times, appointments, special events, etc. Using the daily planner, I don’t have to worry about forgetting important appointments and bother trying to remember them—everything is in the planner and I can always check to see what’s coming. It’s also nice to see what time I’m free each day, and this makes it easier for me to arrange other appointments. Furthermore, I can see what time slots and how much total time I have each day that I can spend on doing homework and study for tests. Hopkins provides subscription links for your course schedules so you can download it to your calendar programs like iCal. Having it synced to my cell phone, I can access my calendar anytime, anywhere. I also started using a paperback planner where I would write down to-do lists, due dates, and reminders. I think you can also benefit from organizing your days. College, in my opinion, is all about balancing social life and academic life, and I think using planners can greatly help you have a balanced college life.

2.  Laptops

Duh. I mean, what can a college student achieve without using a computer? Some people write notes during lectures. Almost all the assignments must be typed in a specific font, font size, and margins.  Where would you store all your important documents your professor requires you to download? I suggest you bring a laptop instead of desktops. It’s always nice to have an option to carry your computer to anywhere you want—I also suggest you get a big enough backpack to fit your laptop.

3. Dusters

I may be a bit OCD, but I really hate seeing dust sitting on surfaces… kinda suffocates me. And the building I’m living in is pretty old, meaning dust piling up every two or three days. Although I don’t dust my room like everyday, but I clean it every now and then to save myself from breathing in piles of dust.

4. Good printers

Pretty important. Say you just remembered you have to print something for the class and you only have like 5 minutes. If you don’t have a printer, you either have to give up or go to the library to print it and be late for class. And you can only borrow other people’s printers so many times. Also, the higher the ppm (page per minute) number, the shorter it takes for printing to be done. Also, get a printer that has large ink cartridges so you don’t have to refill them every two weeks. I have a color laser printer and it’s a wonder, I tell you. It is definitely more expensive then the inkjet printers, but the toner lasts really long and the quality of the print is pretty awesome.

5. Air Fresheners

This comes pretty handy if your room smells weird but you don’t know where the smell is coming from. Just spray it in the air and your room smells fresh. Get the one with which you can also spray on linens and carpets. I sometimes spray it inside my trash as well.

6. Comfy Pillows

Believe me. Sleeping is the best part of the day. You want your sleeping experience to be perfectly relaxing and comfy, so you get a nice deep sleep for recharge.

7. ALARM CLOCKS

Speaking of sleeping, you can’t sleep forever, especially if your class starts early in the morning. Well, I usually get up easily with one alarm clock, but I’ve seen people using like 5 alarm clocks at a time to make sure they get the heck up and go to class in the morning–especially if you have a midterm in that morning (I did see a couple of people sleeping through midterms… and basically ruin their LIVES… no not really the rest of their lives, but you know what I mean…).

Other stuff include water filters (so you don’t have to buy millions of water bottles each year), mps players, microwaves, fridges, and fans (especially those living in AMR’s!!!!!!!).

Again, other people may have different opinions, but these are the things that cannot imagine living without. The most important thing would be to make yourself home as much as you can and transforming a ready-made college life into your own custom world.

So I’d like to say that I just got back from a luxurious spring break destination. That my days were filled with spa treatments, good food, and beautiful foreigners. I sure would like to say all that. But if I did, I would be telling a big ol’ fib.

My spring break consisted of: geriatric pool watching, early bird specials, and sleeping on a lumpy mattress next to my snoring grandmother. I know you all are jealous. Spending the past week at my grandmother’s retirement complex in Florida, I have come to see just how much retirement is very similar to college life (with a few abridgments).

1. Both groups are usually up at 4 AM. Yes, while college students are probably pulling all-nighters and sustaining on caffeine at this hour, their elderly counterparts are just waking up.

2. Most residents do not have a car. In Baltimore, while many upper-classmen do drive, the majority of students on campus do not have cars. They are a pain to park, take care of, and who wants to always be asked to drive a friend somewhere? At a retirement community, most licenses are taken away by the state government. First, your night vision goes. Next thing you know, you just drove straight into your neighbor’s living room.

3. Two Main Topics of Conversation: the weather & where you are going to eat next: Conversation in Florida could basically be looped around two topics: the weather channel & food options. At college, the weather can be a big deal. Uhm, remember when Hopkins got an entire week off of school because of snow? Also, as spring is arriving, there is just more happiness spread around campus. Everyone is all smiley.

As for food, my grandmother could not plan her meals more in advance. Also, that woman can make a lot of different meals using just one chicken (soup, chicken salad, chicken sandwich, chicken & rice, etc.) At school, we do talk a lot about food, as well. But usually, we are planning how to add some variety into our meal plan or complaining about how hungry we are. I’m not going to lie, every night before bed I plan out when I am going to eat my meals and choose between the FFC or Levering (or off-campus if I’m really feeling wild).

4.Both groups LOVE where they are: College students never want to leave. Everybody is always telling us to stay in school as long as possible, and we listen! Who wants to face the real world? The elderly feel a similar contentment. However, instead of the real world knocking at their door, there is the grim reaper looming. Basically, college students do not want the bill collectors of adulthood to start coming around and the elderly just want to be left alone by the big woman upstairs.

Roomie Prom Shot                                             Outside of AMR II

I”m writing this on my last day at home. Honestly, I wish I had stayed home for spring break but  boy oh boy, I cannot wait for the comfort of my dorm bed. Honestly, my reserved library desk/sometimes sleeping quarters is more comfortable than the lumpy sea of Grandma Dotsy’s mattress.

I think a lot can be said about a person from a first impression.  However, I think a lot more is
left unsaid.

I have always been a little ashamed, and to a point still am today, of admitting exactly what I am and what I do.I get a large range of reactions, especially outside of Hopkins, when I actually tell people what I am majoring in.The line “I am actually studying chemical and biomolecular engineering with a concentration in cellular and molecular bioengineering…” elicits responses ranging from laughter to shock.A part of me wants to laugh it off; another part is embarrassed and never wants to endure another introduction again.

I’ve been told that I’m not really a stereotypical engineering type. But what is a stereotypical engineering type?Is it the male with big glasses, sloppily dressed, coffee-chugging, croc-wearing, socially awkward type?I don’t know many people who fit into that stereotype anyways.Maybe it’s a shock that there is something in my skull, not just empty space.Maybe it is a bummer that dumb blond jokes won’t apply.

It’s almost as if society views being feminine, female, and an engineer as a forbidden quantum triplet state.Even though quantum mechanics claims that a triplet state is impossible, it occurs.In life there are always people to prove our preconceived notions wrong.So maybe I am some sort of living dichotomy, a natural Frankenstein, of abstract-minded romantic and a systematic logician.  I am a Barbie-blonde cookie-cutter creation of femininity and a rebel fighting to fit in a male-dominant world.  So if I could chose two words to stereotype myself, I would chose female engineer.

These two words imply strength and courage, characteristics I feel I lack some days.Sometimes, it is difficult looking around in my courses just to realize that there is no one else that looks like me. Sometimes you look around and realize you’re the only girl in the room, or maybe one of few and you get this sense of solidarity.  Sometimes I think maybe I am alone in this dichotomy and in these ambitions, but then again I believe no one is alone.

Throughout high school my dreams changed.  I wanted to be a freelance writer, I wanted to be a hair
stylist, and I wanted to be a jazz musician.  Honestly, I think I could have followed any of those dreams.  In the end, when I was really serious about looking at schools, I started to think about what I am capable of.  I had always been interested in science.  My dad, who is literally the real life Doc Brown (from back to the future), always had a good array of chemicals for me to play with when I was little.  From spilling bottles of mercury on my kitchen floor just to watch the scattering of tiny metallic orbs, to throwing pure sodium in water in my backyard, to my clever use of platinum wire in my freshman sludge project, chemistry and I always had a dynamic relationship.

Not many people get the opportunity to do what I do.  Some people are just not programmed to be engineers, some people just can’t do math, and some things just don’t click.  I am really fortunate to be one of the people, where things aligned just right, and I do have the opportunity to pursue something like Chemical Engineering.  I think, well gosh darn it; if I am capable of this
I should do it.  This is not to say I’m perfect by any means.  I’ll never be the girl with the 4.0 and extraordinary extracurriculars.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if my name shows up in the local paper on the Dean’s List, I’ll I care about is learning.  It’s what I love, and what I am here for.  Maybe other students have different plans; whether it is a lucrative job post graduation or acceptance into a fancy medical school, but for me the more challenging the material the better and I am here for the next
challenge.  Maybe this makes me some sort of masochistic super nerd, but it’s who I am.

There are so many statistics and figures that try to prove that maybe women will never be as academically capable at men.  No matter what you read, you can’t shape yourself to fit into what others will claim.  Nobody wants to be another point on the curve, you have to push yourself to be an outlier to this data set; you have to give yourself a chance.  It may feel like you’re an outsider in the good ol’ boys clubs.  It may feel like you don’t belong.  Ultimately, it is up to you to convince yourself that you do.  I honestly believe that there is no intellectual difference between men and women.  In fact, I bet I can do anything a man can do just as well, maybe even better.

I feel that girls spend so much time cutting each other down.  From a “she’s too fat comment” to a snide “that dress is hideous” muttered blurb.  It’s unfortunate the sometimes girls spend so much time and energy cutting each other down instead of using that effort to come together as a gender.  Some people think that the women’s rights movement ended decades ago, but I can feel that it is still very alive today.  Maybe in all the laws and legislature men and women are equal, but in everyday life exists discrimination and generalizations that prevent true equitable treatment.This inequality exists not only in the field of science, or higher education, or the work place.  It is in everyday living we have to endure the ignorance of others, have to contest the stereotypes, and fight not to perpetuate them.

When I look back at all the adults in my life that pushed me further into academia, I am really truly grateful for all that they have done, despite my ignorance at moments.  I remember one day in physical science lab in my freshman year of high school, a group of friends and I were joking around laughing about how women couldn’t be engineers.Our teacher overheard us and lectured us about how women are just as capable as men and they should pursue engineering. This teacher pushed me
individually into pursuing science, telling me that I could go anywhere I wanted, be anything I wanted, and not to let anyone hold me back.

I also think back to an interview I had my senior year with an alumni of my high school. She told me about nearly fifty years ago,
when she attended my high school, how she was one of the first girls to ever take physics at the school. The teacher would lecture the few girls in the course how women were intellectually incapable of studying physics, and he would unfairly grade their work.

These two instances both haunt my memory and inspire me to never give up in my ambitions. I think about these two memories all the time.

I am so fortunate to exist at this point in time. I am granted so many opportunities that never existed for women before. I am the first female in my family to pursue a degree in natural sciences, and I am the first person in my family to pursue a degree in engineering.  I want to be the first person in my family to get a PhD, so that would make me the first
Dr. Watkins.

I realize that sometimes the factors that are small and seemingly insignificant truly can affect the path we choose in life.  It’s the little things and places that we submerse ourselves that shape us into the adults we will become.  From a Merck Index on my bookshelf since before I could read and a particle accelerator in my basement from before I knew what an atom was, I
can see now that I am in so many ways just a product of the environment I was raised in.  Maybe we are just like elementary particles and where we go with our lives is just a product of probability and pure chance.I never chose my parents, or my eye color, or my hometown.I never chose to be female.

So we can take what chance has given us, but we can also make cognizant decisions about how exactly we can
play the hand that we’ve been dealt. We have to think about what we are capable of, what we can change, what we can do
to make the world we live in a better place.

I am pursuing a degree in chemical engineering not just to follow my own dream.I do it for all the women in the decades
before me that couldn’t pursue this dream. For the girls at my high school fifty years ago that were told they
weren’t capable of learning physics. For the housewives decades ago who wanted to build bridges and buildings, not just
stare at them through a kitchen window. For the adolescent girls who think playing unintelligent garners the
affection of the opposite sex. For my potential future daughters, granddaughters, and nieces.

To me engineering is so much more than a list of courses, a set of skills, or a degree.It’s a symbol for something broader and much more meaningful. It’s a way for me to make society a better a place, to protest the discrimination I have endured, to
further the hard work of women before me, and to give girls in future generations, who dream of being anything, a better, more accepting world to follow their aspirations.