Class of 2014: Freshman Blog

Me at my summer internship at Teen Vogue!

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that this will be my last post on the Class of 2014 shared blog, and my first post in my new Jay Talking blog. On one hand, I am a little sad to be saying goodbye to my freshman experience. The past twelve months have held some of the most incredible times of my life, and part of me is a little envious of the incoming Class of 2015 and the amazing journey that is in store for them. But my excitement for sophomore year trumps any nostalgia I might be feeling, because I have so much to look forward to in the ensuing months. I am dedicating this post to a preview to some of the topics I will be covering this upcoming year in “Jay Talking,” and I hope you come along for the ride.

Classes. Being the total nerd that I am, I can freely admit that I am itching to get back in the classroom after three months of vacation. I am particularly excited for next semester, because I have the perfect set of classes lined up. I am taking Introduction to the European Union, Ancient Egyptian Civilizations, Oceans + Atmospheres, Undergraduate Seminar in History and The Victorians.

Montauk 2011 with my dad and three brothers.

Now if you are like my best friend (and Biology major) Amanda, this schedule might make you groan. But if you are a humanities student like me, you might find this array of classes as electrifying as I do. One of my favorite aspects of Hopkins is the wide variety of available courses – something you can see for yourself if you take a quick look at our course catalogue. It is incredible to me that Hopkins is able to provide an extensive enough selection of courses to meet all the needs of its diverse academic population.

Charles Commons. Having lived in Wolman my freshman year, I am making a short move down North Charles Street to a sophomore dorm Charles Commons where I will be living in a double with Amanda. Charles Commons is absolutely beautiful – it’s the newest dorm on campus, and everyone in the dorm gets their very own room in a suite. Amanda and I also have a kitchen which means that I will be forced to don a chef’s hat several times a week… we will see how that goes! My other closest friends live only a floor away so I am eagerly anticipating all the good times we will be having in our new dorm.

Repping Hopkins at the Jersey Shore.

Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. If you have been following my previous blog entries, you might know that upon my acceptance to Hopkins I was also given the Woodrow Wilson Research Fellowship. The program is unique to Hopkins and provides undergraduates with funding for independent research in the subject of their choosing. I am in the planning stages of my project centered around media coverage of the 2012 Olympics in London, England. I am going to research the US Olympic Committee’s use of broadcasting during the games next summer, and analyze the success of these efforts. This upcoming year I will be working on organizing the details of my project, and planning my trip to the 2012 Olympics. Needless to say I am a little excited.           

Alpha Phi. Sophomore year will be my first full year as a sister in Alpha Phi and I am so excited to become more involved in my sorority. My friends and family from home still find it hilarious that I ended up joining, because I was positive I would not go Greek prior to coming to Hopkins. Once I got to campus however, I found out that that I harbored many misconceptions about what Greek life is like, especially at Hopkins. I met several amazing Alpha Phis and knew that it was an organization I wanted to be a part of. Some Alpha Phi events I am particularly excited about are our Casino Night, Greek Weekend, date parties and formals.

Enjoying Central Park with my friend Evan.

Study Abroad. I am planning on studying abroad for a semester in the fall of my junior year, which means that I have to start planning for my trip well in advance. I had such an incredible time studying abroad over Intersession in Spain last semester that I can hardly wait to go overseas again. I have an appointment with the Study Abroad Office scheduled for next week when I get back to campus to discuss what programs I will be applying for, but I am hoping to go to Oxford University!

With so much going on in the upcoming year, move-in day next Sunday can hardly come soon enough. Remember to stay tuned to Jay Talking as I write about all my new adventures as a sophomore!

“Read a book!” If you had suggested I do that during my senior year of high school, I probably would have laughed in your face.  It’s not that I wasn’t a good reader—come on, I was in the highest reading level in 2^nd grade!—it’s just that I didn’t enjoy reading as a pasttime.  The idea of sitting down and reading a book was less appealing to me than the thought of staring at a blank wall.  Then again, why should I have enjoyed reading?  It’s not like I’d read anything good since Goodnight Moon.

Everywhere I went I would see people reading, their eyes glued to their books.  “What on Earth is so interesting in there?!” I wanted to shout.  On the outside, these people looked uninspired…little did I know, they may have been watching a phenomenal book unfold inside of their minds in the form of a zillion vivid and magical little pictures that, when put together, could surpass even one of Hollywood’s greatest films.

The book that changed everything

Today, I am an avid reader.  How did I get this way?  Well, it all started with one little book.  Ok, maybe “little” isn’t the right word; the book is over a thousand pages long.  Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell.  When my mom recommended it to me the summer after my senior year, I reluctantly agreed to give it a try.  As I read the first couple of pages, all I could think about was the pain in my wrist from holding this gigantic novel, which seemed to weigh more than I did.  As I flipped through the first few pages, I still didn’t know that I was reading my way into a brilliant and extravagant world of glowing orange sunsets, endless cotton plantations, ancestral soil, ornate dresses, gorgeous southern belles, war-ridden gentlemen, a vast supply of gold, and, the inevitable, poverty and dirt.  Once I entered this world, there was no getting out of it.

It's pretty thick...

My parents had to tear me away from the book so we could have family dinners.  I’d miss episodes of my beloved TV series, “The Bachelorette,” because Scarlett O’Hara’s quest for love was a lot more entertaining.  Long story short, I found the secret ingredient that makes reading enjoyable—a well-written book.

After Gone With the Wind, I decided to listen to all of my mom’s future book recommendations—even if those books were a bit different from the ones I’d previously enjoyed.  She handed me The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.  This young adult science-fiction novel about a post-apocalyptic society in a made-up country is the last book I could have ever imagined I’d read after finishing all of Augusten Burroughs’ eccentric memoirs.  I loved it.  When I finished it, my adventure was far from over; that book was only number one in the Hunger Games trilogy.  After Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, I was eager to read a fourth.

Augusten Burroughs is my favorite author

If I hadn’t tried something new, I would never have understood how much pleasure and excitement books could bring.  My life, my vocabulary, and my imagination have all been enriched by this new passion, and all because I gave it a try.  Reading books always looked dull and tedious, but guess what I’ve learned?  Don’t judge a book by its cover.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This will be my last post on the Class of 2014 shared blog.  I am moving onwards and upwards and I now have my very own blog page: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/lucie/. “The Lucie Show.” I will post all future blogs to that new site. Check it out and tell me what you think!

JHU_Lucie’s reading recommendations in no particular order (you can thank my mom for this list…)

1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
2. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
3. Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison (Augusten Burroughs’ brother)
4. Dry by Augusten Burroughs
5. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (definitely don’t judge this book by its cover)
6. Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs
7. A Wolf at the Table by Augusten Burroughs
8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
9. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
10. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
11. All I Can Handle by Kim Stagliano
12. Sit, Ubu, Sit by Gary David Goldberg (see my blog titled “The Screenplay of My Life” for more information about this book)
13. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
14. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
15. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
16. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Definitely see the movie too!)
17. Room by Emma Donoghue (Thank Julie Rebecca Leff esquire)

Pre-Orientation week! From the left is me, my boyfriend, and two of my best friends (I met all of them during Pre-O!)

I’m excited to announce that I now have my very own blog page, Life Without Sound (thanks JHU_Joe for all the amazing tech work!). So in the future, you can find me here: Life Without Sound. You may wonder why I chose that to be the title of my page – well, as most of you know, I am deaf and I would say that I experience life at Hopkins from a very different perspective. It’s been a year since I moved into Wolman Hall on 6th floor east and I have not yet fully written about my experiences as a deaf student at Hopkins. Since the very beginning of Pre-Orientation (which is like, the best week ever FYI), I’ve received many questions about my experiences at Hopkins and life without sound. So here goes:

Have you had any negative experiences pertaining to your hearing at Hopkins?

Surprisingly, none. And I say “surprisingly” because I was extremely anxious about being accepted before coming here. I was lucky enough to attend a high school where the community was very close and supportive. I was unsure whether Hopkins would be like that too. I’m happy to say that Hopkins has gone far and beyond my expectations. My friends are truly some of the best people I’ve met and several of my professors have been quite accommodating too.

What challenges do you face in the classroom?

A lot. I have more difficulty in math and science courses because teachers tend to use the blackboard often to write out equations, draw graphs, etc. A common occurrence is that professors tend to turn around to explain something on the board, with their backs facing me. When that happens, sounds go off. I can’t see their lips anymore and I miss everything they say. The interpreters can’t really help in this situation, because the professor is wildly pointing at points, shapes, and lines, and there’s no time for me to quickly look back and forth between the interpreter and the professor. I get reallyyy lost. With that being said, another challenge is often missing random things the professor says. For some of my classes, I need note-takers to have an extra set of notes so I can find all the gaps in my notes and fill them in. It can be a bit frustrating especially if you’re a person who’s very particular with your notes (like me).

As you can probably guess, those aren't my notes (they're my friend's...sorry Katherine!) - needless to say, I got notes from someone else!

But doesn’t the extra time you invest in your studies like reading over another set of notes help you study?

No. It’s not extra time. Rather, it’s time lost. It’s more of catching up to do, trying to fill in what I missed. Then I have to actually understand the material. While I’m busy catching up, others are reviewing or studying their material. So it can be a disadvantage sometimes.

Then what is an advantage of being deaf?

Being able to sleep really well at night or just simply turning all sounds off.

Why did you choose to attend Hopkins, a hearing university, instead of a deaf university? While I have nothing against deaf universities, I looked at hearing universities because I went to a hearing school and I was also raised in a hearing family. I also felt that I would miss out on all the opportunities Hopkins offered and I wanted to take what I could get. I applied early.

Do you ever wish you didn’t have interpreters? Eh. Sometimes. Because the university provides me with two interpreters, they are scheduled to attend my classes. So, it’s not wise for me to skip class.  And yes, I like to skip class (but I don’t, I swear). I realized that in a way, it’s a good thing to have interpreters because I’m forced to go to class and in the end, it helps me because I never miss anything. Additionally, I’m really grateful to the university for providing me interpreters (for free!) so I will take what I can get. I also have a unique relationship with the interpreters and they’re really great people. They’ve always been advocates for me and I can always send them an e-mail/text whenever I can’t attend classes such as when I’m sick (I do get sick, I swear) or late. The worst is being late, though. I try not to put my interpreters in that position. Imagine them awkwardly sitting up in the front of the class with hands folded in their laps, having no one to sign to.

Matt and I!

Do your friends know sign language? Some of them do. Especially my boyfriend (he’s hearing), who is almost fluent in sign language. But the majority of my friends don’t sign because they’ve found that I can lipread them well (to the point where they don’t even use their voice when talking to me – this one goes to you, Matt!).

Signing "awkward"!

What’s the disabilities office like at Hopkins? Extremely accommodating. They assist all kinds of students and the director of the office is very, very friendly. Dr. Mosser is actually also a freshman advisor – if you have him, you’re lucky!! You can visit their website here: http://web.jhu.edu/disabilities. And yes, that’s an “O” in the American Sign Language alphabet on the front page of the website.

Can you drive?

You know, I really don’t know why people ask me that! Yes, I can and no, you don’t have to be able to hear to drive. You do miss the sirens and horns (you should be checking your rearview and side mirrors often anyways), but if you think about it, driving is mostly visual – there’s blinkers, stop lights, signs.

What about fire alarms going off? Especially when you’re asleep?

Hopkins is pretty much equipped with visual fire alarms in many of the buildings. I’m not too concerned about that; plus, I’m often always around other people and I pretty much get the message if a fire alarm goes off…Hopkins was also very accommodating in regard to my dorm – they installed strobe light fire alarms so that it will wake me up if I’m sleeping. I can’t guarantee if that works though – I haven’t experienced it yet. The four times the fire alarm has gone off in Wolman, I was somewhere else! I also basically had #1 in the lottery for dorm selection (maybe I should add that to my advantages of being deaf list) because they had to know which room in advance so they could install the fire alarm system which takes awhile. Needless to say, my suitemates were delighted to get our first choice!

My lovely suitemates for sophomore year!

Is there anything you regret not doing at Hopkins? I would say not much. Though there are a few things that I do wish I could have done/do at Hopkins. I regret not being in a lot of clubs. The time I devote to my work is a lot more than others since I have to do more catching up and extra work. It’s also difficult to be in social groups where there’s a lot of talking and activities. It’s really hard for me to follow what’s going on. I’d also love to be a tour guide because I could just share everything about Hopkins and why I love it so much. But it would be too hard for me mostly due to visitors asking questions in the crowd – I wouldn’t be able to hear them/lip read that far away. Plus I can’t really walk backwards.

What advice would you give to incoming freshmen? Based on my experiences, be vocal. Stand up for yourself and get it done. Talk to professors or TAs if you need help. I was a bit hesitant asking for help and I should have done that in the beginning of freshman year. They help you more than you expect. It can sometimes feel uncomfortable or intimidating, but don’t let that get into the way.  And, if you think that the disabilities office can help you (anything from visual aids, extended time on exams, note-takers, etc.), then ask. They are very discreet and respect your privacy. Bottom line: stand up for yourself.

Well, I think that’s just about it. That’s what life at Hopkins is for me.

My freshman dorm - cleaning isn't really my strong point.

With only 27 days left until my highly anticipated return to the Charm City, I have already started packing for my move back in to Hopkins. I have loved being home here in Ridgewood with my friends and family, am having the best time at my internship at Teen Vogue, and got some much needed relaxation this summer – but I am ready for the school year to start again. I miss my friends from Hopkins, have the perfect schedule of classes lined up for Fall Semester and am positively itching to be back on campus again. August 21^st really just can’t come soon enough.

Organizing what stuff will be coming with me down to Baltimore got me thinking about what items were really essential to my existence as a college student. I remember worrying last August about matters like would I have enough staples in my room, wondering what items I would need to get me through this upcoming year. With two semesters of college behind me, I have finally figured out what I need to “live on my own”.

So, to help give you perspective/incoming students some direction in your pre-college shopping, I have decided to dedicate this blog to 10 Things in my Dorm I Could Not Live Without.

1. Rain boots.
   

   Thanks to these, puddles were never an issue while walking to class.

   Girls this one is mainly directed at you, but fashion-forward guys, pay attention. There is no worse feeling than sitting in lecture, unable to concentrate because you are thinking about the on setting hypothermia in your cold wet toes, or how you just ruined that new pair of shoes in the rain. Invest in a pair of rain boots prior to your arrival, and you (and your feet!) will thank yourself later. Along the same lines, make sure you bring a waterproof coat as well.

2. Picture frames. Although my adjustment to Hopkins and college life in general was about as smooth as possibly imaginable, there were times that I felt homesick and really missed my loved ones from home. I found that decorating my room with pictures of my friends and family not only helped me with adjust to being away from them, and also made my dorm room feel cozier and more like my own. So make sure to take some time before you leave to flip through some photo albums and pack a few of your favorite pictures to put up in your new room.
3. DVDs. Having movie nights with friends is one of my favorite ways to relax at college. Bring a few classics from your family’s DVD collection, because there will be the odd Friday when no one feels like going out and a night in watching Step Brothers seems needed. Popping in an episode of Sex and the City was one of my favorite ways to take a short study break – the episodes are the perfect length of time to regain the mental strength needed to get back to the books.
4. Jansport backpack.
   

   Some of my favorite picture frames.

   Some of my friends have the supernatural ability to fit their laptops, textbooks and notebooks into these tiny, cute shoulder bags, but I have never mastered that art. I need a giant backpack to fit all of my stuff and I am not ashamed to say I love it. Though not particularly chic, the practicality of a backpack really just cannot be beat so I highly advise you all to bring a double-pocketed backpack with you to school.

5. iHome. I set up my iHome speakers in our suite’s bathroom so I could rather inconsiderately blast music while I showered. My best friend and suitemate Amanda can attest to the fact that I am quite the shower singer.
6. Blow-dryer. In those chilly Baltimore winters, it is impossible for girls to go outside with wet hair, so I highly advise investing in a blow-dryer so your hair does not freeze (fact: that has happened to me).
7. Surge protector. In my epic Bed Bath and Beyond trip last August, I purchased a long surge protector with seven different outlets. I proceeded to place this under my desk at school, and though I only realized it in retrospect, it was an integral part of my existence. In it, I plugged my cell phone and laptop chargers, my lamp, my blow-dryer and my iron. With the way dorm furniture is often set up, it can be difficult to access wall outlets, so a surge protector with several outlets is a complete necessity.
8. Nalgene.
   

   My favorite DVDs.

   The best way to stay hydrated in college is to carry around a reusable water bottle with you so you can refill it at any water fountain around campus. I never left the room without my Hopkins Nalgene.

9. Mattress pad. I can honestly say that my college existence was significantly happier, because of the wonder that is my mattress pad. Nothing makes me grouchier than having a bad night’s sleep, and the airy perfection that I slept on every night ensured that never happened. My advice is that if you are going to splurge on any pre-college purchase, treat yourself to a really gorgeous mattress pad. You will be thanking yourself all year long.
10. Bounce dryer sheets. Although I can never get my laundry at school to smell as good as when my mom does it for me at home, using Bounce dryer sheets definitely helps. My best friend Amanda insists on putting five dryer sheets in per load because she wants her towels and clothes to smell “delicious” but I find one or two usually does the trick.

Dear Summer Before Senior Year Marina,

My very last Winter Formal :(

I know that right now you are feeling frustrated. You have just spent a month in a writing program at the school you dreamt about for years and just realized that it is not only far from a dream school, but it is a “nightmare school.” While you feel more confident than ever about your writing skills, you’re unsure as to whether you should plan your entire life around a career in the field, or focus on your second love, Science. You’ve been pouring over the websites for a number of top schools, and the only feeling you get as you scan their virtual tours or read their Student Ambassador testimonies is nausea. The Common Application was released the first of this month and your parents have encouraged you to make an account. Every single day since. You took a look at the Application and became so intimidated by the sheer number of tabs that you shut your computer and went for a run, seven miles away from your dorm room. You feel like the only life skills you are gaining during your stint in Providence are the ability to purchase more clothing than can fit in any of your suitcases and a thorough knowledge of drug culture thanks to Junky, Naked Lunch, Girl Interrupted, and The Bell Jar. Your mother called to tell you your AP scores but she was either so enthused or enraged that you weren’t sure if she said “Five” or “One.” You are confused, weary, discouraged, overheated, and bored and you have absolutely no idea how to even begin the baffling task of applying to college.

Ski Team Girls during my last season; I'm second from the left.

I’m here to tell you to take a deep breath. Drink a cool glass of water. Do a few yoga poses. Eat a bowl of vegan ice cream. In the next four months, YOU, somehow, by some sort of fairy dust or flick of a wand: prepared applications to over 15 schools; applied early decision to one; had several interviews during which the most awkward thing was introducing yourself to someone who was not your interviewer and the best was talking for three hours about school traditions and getting to skip all of your afternoon classes; didn’t even have to wake up early to check your SAT scores because you’d already been awake for half an hour to get to crew practice; bought a college sweatshirt and wore it religiously; realized that there is nothing on earth you’d rather be doing than medicine;  and received an email with “Congratulations” in the subject line. While all of these momentous events are happening, please don’t forget to do a few of these seemingly mundane things as well: always get your Collegetown Bagels coffee card stamped, take the time to write a few pages each week, hug your friend Victoria every time you see her and every time you say goodbye, practice walking in heels, set your alarm five minutes earlier, and wear crop tops more often while your BMI is still 17. When you’re sitting in your kitchen two years later feeling old and lame, you’re not going to remember what the prompt for your Hopkins supplement was, but you are going to remember how much fun you had turning Mr. Woodward’s first period Biology class into a breakfast buffet every day of the week. You will have to struggle to recall your SAT scores, but you’ll definitely be able to relive the moment you put your keys onto your Senior lanyard. The days spent filling in your date of birth and parents’ education information will meld into the nights you spent at Cornell with your friends and the sunrises you watched come up over Cayuga Lake from your seat in a freezing, green racing shell. You may think that you have only one chance to apply to college, but you also only have one chance to be seventeen, to experience the fall of your senior year, to spend continuous time with the friends who will, in a year, become long-distance for the rest of your life.

Rowing!

I’m not going to tell you to not mess anything up simply because you won’t. I wish I could tell you to savor the feeling of waking up at 5 AM in your real bed or buying your first item for college (a hot water heater). To scream until you’re hoarse at the Slightly Stoopid concert in Philadelphia that you and your best friend snuck out to the week before your birthdays. To take more pictures of the people you love and to plaster your walls with them so you never forget even a freckle on one of your best friends’ faces. In the next two years you are going to meet so many incredible people; you are going to discover a field of study that answers all of the questions you’ve been wondering about your entire life; you are going to do your own laundry for the first time besides summer camp; you are going to receive a A+’s and F’s; you are going to drive 340 miles from Baltimore to Ithaca, all by yourself; you are going to lose one of your best friends; you are going to fall in love, with a school, a major, a sorority, a city, and a boy. I promise that even though what you feel right now is frustrated, there are a million other feelings for everything that happens in the next two years. When the times comes, you won’t need to worry about how to feel, so your job is just to put everything you can into that last slalom race, clean your room a couple extra times, and find an incredible dress for Prom. This is the last time in your life when things will feel slow; right now you’re a train picking up speed and it won’t be until your freshman year of college has been over for three months that you’ll realize that there is no “off” switch.

Sincerely,

Sophomore Year of College Marina

At Straight Up Films, the company I’m interning for this summer, I spend my days reading and critiquing screenplays.  One day I’ll read a romantic-comedy.  The next, I’ll pick up a murder mystery, or even a zombie western (I’m not kidding).  It’s always been a dream of mine to write a screenplay—perhaps I’d even base it on my own life.  The problem is, although I have an idea of the direction that my life is going, I’m still unsure of where life’s path will eventually take me.

I came into Hopkins as a Neuroscience major, planning to go on the pre-med track and eventually attend medical school.  Or did I want to become a plastic surgeon?  Within two months, I had changed my major to Film and Media Studies.  When I took my Introduction to Fiction and Poetry Writing course, I switched over to the Writing Seminars department.  Indecisive.  I know.

The way my schedule would look next semester if I were to add Chemistry to my courseload

A few days ago, I came up with the idea that I wanted to become a dermatological surgeon.  I quickly signed up for Chemistry to fulfill the first of my pre-med requirements.  The next day, I dropped the class.  Indecisive, again.  I know.  I realized that dermatology was more of a hobby in my eyes, and, as my mom says, “Medicine is not a hobby, it is a lifelong commitment.”

Me (left) and Rose...one of my friends from Hopkins who knew that she has wanted to be a doctor since before she was in middle school

On some days, I’m sure that I want to get my own agent and try out for commercials.  On other days, I want to be that agent.  One week, I want to be the host of a reality TV show.  The next week, I want to write the TV show’s script.  Soon after, I want to star in it.  Do I want to be on screen or behind the scenes?  Do I want to write a script or be written in to a script?  Do I want to produce?  Direct?  Or am I destined to work in Las Vegas and be the bartender at the Hard Rock Café?  (I am a certified bartender, you know.)  These are questions that I ask myself every day.  My parents tell me that many people who end up on TV didn’t necessarily dream of being famous—maybe they started as a radio personality.  Or a lawyer.  Or a seismic activity expert.  Does the fact that, at the age of 18, I know I want to entertain mean that I’ll never make it there?  Does it mean I will make it?

A school like Hopkins has the tendency to scare people. The students are incredibly driven.  Many of my friends knew what career they’ve wanted since they were in middle school.  I, however, did not. I’ve switched my course load many times (ask my academic advisor, he’ll vouch for me), yet I still don’t know exactly what I want to be.

Read it.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t know.  I’m not ready to decide.  And you know what?  That’s perfectly OK.  My summer film internship will help me determine if I’m more interested in reading scripts or working on the production of movies.  The book I’ve been reading, Sit, Ubu, Sit by Gary David Goldberg (the creator and writer of the hit NBC TV show, “Family Ties”), has given me some insight into the television industry. Maybe the fact that I get jealous of performers in the NYC subway systems means that I’m destined to perform.  Maybe the fact that after reading Goldberg’s book and learning of his 14 million dollar syndication packages, I’m suddenly (gee, I wonder why) inspired to write a TV series, means that I’m destined to create—who knows?!

The world will have to wait for the screenplay of my life to become a major motion picture—I simply haven’t come up with an ending yet.

A screenshot of me and my friend Julie in Cobra Starship's new music video, "You Make Me Feel"

This post is completely dedicated to all my gorgeous friends who have either just graduated from high school or are  just beginning their college searches. I went home this week to take a break from Orgo and had the opportunity to finally spend time with some of my closest high school friends, all of whom have been questioning me endlessly about my freshman year. Since a number of my friends are just about to go off to school for the first time, they’re nervous about fitting in, making friends, and creating all new lives for themselves away from Ithaca. My friends still in high school are struggling to find colleges that fit them and figuring out how to condense their lives into the Common Application. Since I’ve had some heart to hearts about everything from roommate trouble to Greek Life with my friends Lily, Kelly, Cassie, and Gelly, here is my official advice blog regarding freshman fall with the issues I realize are most poignant for incoming freshmen.

My little prodigies, Cassie, Kelly, Lily, and I at my graduation last year!

1. Even if you really don’t feel like it, always say yes to doing something social. I have never, in my entire Hopkins career, regretted going to a party or meeting my friends for dinner. While I’d love nothing better than to stay in my pajamas and watch netflix all weekend, it’s important to take advantage of social life wherever you go to school because there is no other experience like college. It’s definitely important to find a balance between school, activities, and social life; but especially in the early days, every social event presents potential for new friends and a ton of fun.

2. If everyone on campus knows who you are after first semester, you’re doing something wrong. I know it sounds weird, but as I was telling my friend Cassie, never underestimate the power of being under the radar – especially at first. I know I came from a high school where I was a big fish, so it was definitely a shock to suddenly be one of many big fish in a gigantic pond, but there there’s something really great about going about your life with at least some anonymity. I like that I have carved out a little life for myself where I do have a large community of friends and acquaintances who think highly of me, but I’m still meeting new people all the time who don’t raise their eyebrows when I introduce myself or somehow already know my name (I hope, discerning reader, that you know what I’m getting at). At a school as large as Hopkins, there are very few ways to have the majority of the student body recognize your name, and I can’t really think of any that are positive.

3. Freshman year friendships mimic elementary, middle, and high school ones. O week is completely like elementary school, where the people you are around become your best friends. Then, like middle school, during the rest of the semester you might develop another set of friends that, while based on concrete qualities, might be much more shallow than significant. However, by the Spring, your friendships are similar to the ones you had senior year of high school. They are meaningful and feel as if they make sense; you click in more ways than just having similar clothing styles or a favorite fraternity to frequent, and you feel comfortable and entertained whenever you’re around them. The best part of the whole progression is that it’s something almost everyone goes through, so there’s very little awkwardness involved with the friends you didn’t stay close with after the first few months of school.

Kelly and Lily, my two best friends who just graduated Ithaca High School!

4. Wait to go back to school clothes shopping until you’ve evaluated what clothing you’ll actually need for college. I didn’t realize how many going out and formal outfits I would need (thank you Facebook for documenting every weekend outfit so I can never repeat a dress or skirt!) and I was so glad that I’d saved money so I could go shopping a number of times during the fall. Also, as unfortunate as it sounds, you might gain weight freshman year and you’re going to want to be able to buy clothes that actually fit. It’s a fact of life that most people gain weight in college and there’s nothing wrong with it; there is a huge problem, however, when you’re wearing jeans two sizes two small or a shirt that doesn’t cover your bra!

5. There is absolutely no reason you should be looking for a relationship. I was in a number of serious relationships throughout high school, so I really wanted the opportunity to see if I could operate on my own in college. However, I have friends who were basically on “boyfriend searches,” something that tended not to go so well for them. My mom has a saying “With love is like health insurance, the ones who want it the most can’t get it.” If you’re actively on the prowl, ask yourself why? You have the rest of your life to be operating in tandem with someone else. Enjoy the first few months (or years!) of college independently. Establish your own routine before adding someone else’s wants and needs into the mix. And, there’s nothing more annoying than that friend that’s always complaining about not having any boys in her life; DON’T BE THAT FRIEND!

6. Make every effort to stay in touch with your friends from home, but don’t stress if you don’t talk daily or even weekly or monthly. I have some friends, like Chaney, who I talk to every single day, no questions asked. But then friends like Jacob or James, I don’t need to talk to all the time to know we’re  going to still be close and when we’re hanging out, it’s like nothing has changed at all. As long as you put in the effort to see each other over breaks and have a good friendship foundation to begin with, you should have NO trouble staying close.

7. If you’re wondering if you made the right decision to not go to school near home, think about this. There is something so special about creating your OWN life for yourself in a new city; finding that coffee shop where they always know your order, discovering tiny tapas bars or a frozen yogurt place that you could recommend to anyone, being able to make jokes about certain local customs that you’d have to explain to friends. You want to be able to be the one giving the directions when your parents come to visit and the one telling your friends about the cute neighborhoods you go on runs in. You’ll always be able to go back to your hometown and know that, no matter what, it’s still your base. But don’t underestimate the wonder in knowing TWO cities inside and out and having a life that is completely separate from the one you grew up with. Sometimes I’m a little jealous that my friends from Cornell get to sleep at home whenever they want or have their mom still do their laundry. But then I realize they also are eating at the same places they’ve been eating at for the last eighteen years, still getting their coffee at Collegetown Bagels, shopping at Urban Outfitters on the Commons. That’s not really growth, is it? Obviously while you’re away, a few things might change and you might forget all the shortcuts to your friends’ houses. But your hometown will ALWAYS be there; you don’t need to be there every day to make sure it doesn’t disappear.

Chaney, my best friend, and I still talk more or less continuously, every single day.

When you’re taking summer classes, the work and reading you’ll have to do is concentrated about three-fold compared to the norm. Doing well means spending a fair amount of time in the library. Inevitably though, putting your nose to the grindstone for too many consecutive hours will lose you one perfectly good nose.

Here are a few tips for blowing off steam in the MSE:

The Beach! The Summer! YES!

1. At night, the sprinklers turn on over the Beach. Huge jets of water spray all over the grassy slope, turning it into the perfect slip n’ slide! First, make sure that you’ve brought along a change of clothes and a towel in your backpack. Then, sprint up the stairs to M level, past the security desk, out the door and dive onto the Beach. You’ll go a whole lot farther and faster if you bring your own sled (say, a plastic garbage can lid).

***WARNING: EXPERTS ONLY*** If you want to really take your mind-soothing shenanigans to the next level, bring along some dish-soap and just cover yourself with it. Happy Sliding!

The Keyser Quad is bounded by Gilman to the West, the MSE to the East, Ames and Krieger Halls to the South, and Mergenthaler and Remsen to the North.

2. Have you ever streaked? Yeah, don’t do that. This is a family blog, come on now. Instead, you should just gather your friends and take a group lap around the Keyser Quad. Feel free to chant or sing or quiz each other on the relationship between the axon radius and the space constant. Whatever floats your boat.

There's an alligator in there. Don't believe me? Go see for yourself. Really. I'm not joking.

3. Come to think of it, there’s a pond with a fountain in the President’s Garden. When you just can’t read another page, take your party of study-amigos right on over and lay in the grass underneath the starry, Summer night sky. But be careful, legend has it that there is an alligator in there…Forewarned is forearmed! I mean that literally. Bring a weapon to fend off the carnivorous reptiles.

***DISCLAIMER*** Actually, this is a pretty awful idea. A concurrent legend has it that if one falls asleep by the President’s pond, one turns into a crocodile his/herself, and that in his/her transformation he/she liberates the soul of the last poor student who was trapped in a crocodile’s body. And that’s just embarrassing for everyone.

This is basically what I'm talking about. This picture is from SOHOP, the Spring Open House and Overnight Program, when Milkman came to Homewood.

4. There is nothing wrong with a midnight library rave. Find a study room in some deep corner of either C or D level, close the door, turn up the speakers, hit play on your handy-dandy dubstep playlist and just go nuts.

***ADDENDUM*** Your handy-dandy dubstep playlist is something that I feel should be on the University’s official list of what to bring to college.  But for some reason, my correspondence on the matter goes unanswered, and year after year it is excluded from the suggested packing list! Go figure…

5. Last time I checked, all of the library computers are equipped with the Paleo-Windows game Minesweeper. I think it pretty much goes without saying that you should make use of this often in order to temporarily shirk your academic responsibilities. But remember, library etiquette is key to ensuring that you aren’t reborn as something lame in the next life like a Californian banana slug, a Brazilian banana spider, an Ethiopian banana frog or, God forbid, a banana of any geographical origin.

To conclude, here’s a quick quiz on polite computer use:

Imagine that you’re playing Minesweeper (no, no don’t click that one! It’s a mine for sure!) and no other computers are open. A visibly distressed undergraduate rushes up to you and says, “I have 5 minutes to print my thirty-page thesis and make it all the way across campus for a final! I’m sorry to interrupt your game of Minesweeper–by the way, you should put a flag on that square; it’s a mine for sure–but I’m ever so visibly distressed! May I please use that computer for just a moment? You answer:

A. No.

B. Of course!

C. You have ten seconds! GOOOOOO!!!!

D. Are you kidding??? There’s no way that’s a mine! There’ a “1″ between those two isolated squares and a “1″ just to the right of the other one! Gah! Just for being bad at Minesweeper, heck no!

Obviously, the right answer is B, but if you want to have a high potassium content in your next life, be my guest! Fun fact: The banana is the most radioactive fruit!

Well, that’s all for now, Blue Jay Nation.

As always, Go Hop!

Let’s be real. Most people think summertime is a chance to be unrelentingly lazy. I completely support this ideology. As such, I have become an avid “stumbler” in my spare time. For those of you who don’t know, stumbleupon.com is just about the coolest site in the world. After choosing some basic interests, stumbling allows one to explore the internet and arrive at random sites. Stumbleupon is essentially the force of fate connecting you to the coolest websites ever. It has completely changed my life…sort of. After stumbling across (it sounds more sophisticating than it actually is) an 8-track of Kid Cudi mashups, I have decided to go to his concert for The Cud Life Tour in Baltimore!

On a smaller scale, stumbleupon allows you to like or dislike websites so your browsing experience can be tailored to exactly what you want to look at. Over the course of the summer, my stumbleupon consists of blogs, shoe websites, and dessert recipes…(you can take what you want from that). Anyways, yesterday I stumbled to a blog called The Burning House. It asks people to send in pictures of around 10 things they would take with them if their house was burning down. I loved seeing the differences among peoples’ posts: age, gender, nationality, etc all determined what items a person would bring. Most of them were far from practical, like taking your entire collection of Harry Potter paraphernalia. I started to collect of all the things that were sentimentally important to me: photos of family, the fam itself, the dog, my phone, some clothes, etc.

I stopped when I saw the one response by a man whose house had actually burned down, and he decided to take only 3 things: tekite (a rock) , his parrot, and laptop with a hard drive. He went on to say that he would even just take the parrot if he didn’t have any time. So that’s when I decided to completely change my perspective. Choosing what is truly important to you is extremely difficult. Assuming EVERYTHING you own, besides around 10 items, is completely destroyed, it is hardly an easy task to decide what you want to keep and what to leave behind. So I had to filter down my immense collection of random crap.

This is what I ended up with.

Epic modeling by the dog.

Besides my family…
1. THE DOG
2. Phone- it contains almost my entire life.
3. Laptop- it ACTUALLY contains my entire life, but actually.
4. Keys to my 1999 Honda Accord (lovingly called Swaggerwheelz).
5. Wallet (with ID, $$, etc)
6. Watches- even though I would probably already be wearing one ‘cuz I loves me a watch.
7. Books- The Genius of Andy Warhol and Alfred Hitchcock’s Biography It’s Only a Movie (I’m really into biographies at the moment).
8. Running Shoes- DID YOU RUN ON NATIONAL RUNNING DAY (June 1st?!)
9. Purse- already holding a clip for ma hair, my fav shades, my magic wallet with train and Lax game stubs, and my all important gloss/ lip balm.
10. Moleskins and a pen- to write all the stuff that goes on in my mind.

I have never considered myself a very emotional person, but I have to say that this was rather difficult. However, I think that being a minimalist is one of the most valuable characteristics a person can have. Simplicity, in other words, is more practical and beautiful. Being able to confidently say that the 10 items I chose are a condensed version of me, was really satisfying. I am sure that my current collection of items would be starkly different from the items I would have chosen last summer (when I didn’t even have my license, and would probably forgo my book for a copy of Anchorman-which remains one of my favorite movies). I guess that means that I can safely go on in life and continue to add more to it. The premise of The Burning House is intriguing, and it made me think for the first time in a while since the beginning of this summer. Thank you stumbleupon.com.

For fun, I also asked my little brother to do the same thing. His 13 year-old self chose the following:

he clearly doesn't need ANYTHING else.

1. Laptop

2. Phone

3. Spikes

4. iPod

5. Soccer ball- he’s obsessed

6. Lax stick

7. Duck that he sewed in class

8. Xbox

9. Soccer Jersey (like I said, he’s obsessed)

10. Hat

ENJOY THE HEAT!

P.S: I got the first Daily Announcement email from Hopkins in a while and alls I can say is that: I MISS YOU JOHNNY HOP!

MISS YOU!!

If you haven’t heard of Ruth Reichl, she’s this awesome food critic who worked at Gourmet and New York Times. One of the ways she reviews restaurants is by going to those establishments disguised as a few different people. At one restaurant she highlighted in her book, she went in as herself. The place was packed, so she had to wait for a little bit. The host comes over to her to inform her that there is a table for her; suddenly, the PRINCE of Spain said that he’d been waiting much longer than her and he still didn’t get a table! However, when she returned wearing a fat suit and did her makeup differently and she was treated horribly. She ended up giving different reviews: one for if you were a famous food critic and another for if you were anybody else. I thought this was an awesome way to look at a restaurant, so I put on five disguises and went into the FFC.

Disguise #1: Veracious Vegan

Fish are friends, not food!

As a vegan, I sometimes find eating at restaurants horrible. It’s hard to find food that I can eat while still staying healthy. However, I feel the Fresh Food Cafe does a great job of this. There is a really nice salad bar filled with lots of variety including lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, beets, broccoli, carrots, olives, croutons, spinach, cucumbers, hummus, peas, corn, mushrooms, and cauliflower. They have really awesome marinated tofu every once in a while. They also have a vegetarian station where they have black bean cakes, falafel, chili, etc. This is really nice because they use special pans that don’t have meat on them. The fabulous cook there (Christine) even is willing to wash the pans for me if a non-vegan has put cheese on it. I feel like I get all my nutrients. Sometimes, I wish they had yummy desserts for me too (I like cookies and cake too), but overall I think we have a lot of good options.

Rating: 4 out of 5 tofus

Disguise #2: Hibachi Habitué

Spatulas are fun!

I love watching things being made in front of me. At home, I cook everything from soufflé to homemade pasta. Since I know how to make everything, I like to see how things are made. And the FFC does a good job of either letting us prepare things ourselves or preparing them in front of our faces. We have the action station where we can order things like pasta or tacos made-to-order along with the vegan/vegetarian station where they prepare falafel and black bean cakes. They also don’t just have prepared salads or hamburgers; you can decide what you want and make your own. They also have an awesome ice cream bar where you can put chocolate sauce, gummy bears, M&Ms, caramel, graham crackers, oreos, and cookie crumbles.

Rating: 5 out of 5 spatulas

This is the "Action Station" in its inactive state.

Disguise #3: Sweet Tooth

SUGAR!

Rating: 6 out of 5 cookies

You can pick your sweet drink of choice!

Aforementioned lemon squares

Disguise 4: Health Nut

Because a disguise consists of carrying random props around, but looking exactly the same

There are a lot of foods available for the health nut at the FFC. I personally love all the fruits and vegetables they have all the time. It’s incredibly easy to just grab an apple or a banana. They have a really varied salad bar and lots of grilled things (if you’re not into the fried stuff). I think the best part is that they usually have the calories and grams of fat near the food so you can see what’s in what you are eating. It’s sometimes hard to resist those desserts.

Rating: 3 out of 4 health bars

Yummy fruit

Disguise 5: Busy, Stressed Student

Again, attractive is my middle name.

They’ll be a few days when you are busy and stressed. And the FFC helps you with that. If you feel you have time to eat in the dining hall, then you can get a take out box where you fill a pretty large box of food and then leave with it. They have nice comfort food (i.e. desserts) and also have late night where you can get some brain fuel. The best part about the FFC though is the staff- whether it’s the omlette lady that is really happy at around 7:45 in the morning to the card swiper that always asked me where my sweater was to the workers that smiled at me and asked me how my day was going to the ice cream scooper that gave me extra sprinkles, the FFC workers are really awesome. They even had a sushi day for the first day of finals!

Rating: 5 out of 4 stressballs

Lessons learned?

I am really bad at disguises.

The FFC has a lot of variety for any character’s needs.