The Future of US-Muslim World Relations

Spent today at a Leadership Retreat on the "Hope Not Hate: The Future of US-Muslim World Relations." Lotta really great conversations.

So...Chicken Parmesan is Fried

We (the close gang of friends) went out to dinner with Chris' parents, who were in town for his mom's birthday and Chris' orchestra concert. We went to the Pizza House. No pizza during Lent; that's junk food. I thought about just getting a salad, but that seemed ridiculous given that actual pasta wasn't much more expensive and I could always get a salad in the dorm. So I ordered chicken parmesan. Totally forgetting that it's fried. Don't ask me how I didn't think about that, I have no idea. But oh well. I ate it, because I'd ordered it and I figured it wasn't really a huge deal. But it was junkier than high-class chicken parmesan due to the fact that it came from a pizza house. And mostly it felt weird in my very healthy gut. Oh well. Becca's silly.

"American Dreamz"

Terribly movie! It had a few very good moments. But the ending was awful! (You'll never guess...I cried.)

Gaza Lecture

The Peace and Justice Studies and Muslim Studies Programs brought in Joe Stork from Human Rights Watch to give a lecture on Gaza. I also had the opportunity to sit in a roundtable faculty discussion on Obama and the Middle East with Stork and Wendy Chamberlin, current director of the Middle East Institute and former ambassador to Pakistan. That was very cool. And Beth (co-director of P&J Studies) brought in the four-month baby. I got to give him a bottle! 'Twas a grand day.

MSUFCU Errands!

I think I freaked out the MSUFCU cashier or service representative or whatever you call the dudes. He looked at my check from Nola (she paid me for the entire year's condo bills in one check) and was like, "Umm...do you need this today?" I think, somehow, he's not used to seeing college students with large checks...Anyways, it was kind of fun. And now I shall be able to pay the American University in Cairo for my tuition!

It's Wet!

I had to bike to Mt. Hope UMC last night to work in the nursery. I generally get a ride from a friend, but she didn't go last night. The church is five miles away from my dorm and like three and a half from my class right before work. So it isn't that long. And it's essentially a straight shot down Mt. Hope. In other words, it would be a lovely bike ride. If it weren't pouring rain.

Ash Wednesday

We had a very ash-filled Ash Wednesday...the ladies set up a beautiful candle display for our evening Taize service on the altar. And then left it. We came in the sanctuary to start the service and there were a few extra flames dancing around...

No one was hurt. Nothing was seriously damaged. Mostly the altar shroud was a bit scorched. I think most of the damage came from the fire extinguisher...

Take That, Econ Test

I got my points back. So there. Humph. Sadly, I still missed a point and a half for stupid errors. But oh well. Life shall go on. I'm really not all that worried about it.

Happy Ash Wednesday!

Welcome to Lent! I have not yet forgotten. We're off to a great start. Happy 40 Days!

Roommate: It's Official!

Today has been quite the official day. I officially have a new roommate. Yeehaw!

Cairo: It's Official!

Haha! I have officially been accepted to the American University in Cairo's Arabic Language Institute. Heehee. I'm going to Egypt; I'm going to Egypt!

Next Year's Scheduling

I have tweaked and played - and have made next year's schedule work! Haha!

Hooray for Useless Meetings!

I emailed the chair of the department of microbiology to double-check if my AP Waiver of Bio 110, 111, and 111L would also waive that requirement. That led to a meeting to "discuss the requirements in detail." Oh joy. In case I can't read...
It wasn't completely useless. Confirmed a few details. Found out a bit more about the research component of the degree and funding. Mostly what happened is I was reminded of how much I like microbiology...so I think the BS is definitely happening...

Professor Hunter is Back!

At last! Finally! Our beloved professor is no longer int he hospital and is back with us. Yay!

SDS PAGE

Today's chem lab project: gel electrophoresis. Fun! I had a few questions and minor slip-ups, but for the most part, totally succeeded at something brand new. 'Twas grand and glorious.

Apparently I'm a Bee

We got into a discussion of Patroni at the dinner table. And my beloved friends named me "bee." Thank you, guys.

Paczki!

There are paczki in the caf dorms today...yummy!

Ah, Home

Enjoyed my time in Mount Pleasant very much. "Oklahoma!" was a lot of fun. But it's good to be home. I got in last night at 9 or so. I could tell how much Bailey missed me. There were a lot of dishes that needed washing...

I Feel Loved

I'm staying the night at Hannah's after watching "Oklahoma!" at the high school. Came home to Trixie, the dog. And Trix wouldn't go outside without me. She's currently sitting on my lap sticking her tongue in my ear...

Campus Crusade for Christ

People walked up to me in the caf and asked if I wouldn't mind taking a survey about my spiritual life. And I of course said "sure." They were from Campus Crusade for Christ...haha. That was fun. We had chats about universalism. 'Twas enjoyable. Mostly they said "huh." "I see." "That makes sense." It was very fun.

Well, fine then

Apparently Dr. Geissinger didn't find my responses to the exam fully sufficient. Well fine, then. I didn't do enough this time. Next time, missy, just watch out. lol. It's rare I have a prof who wants me to write more...I shall thoroughly enjoy myself next examination...

Happy Thursday!

It's freakishly windy. And the wind is freakishly cold. Which leads to its being freakishly cold, even though it's 23 degrees...

Roommate?

I may have found a condo mate for next year! Her name is Lindsey. She sings in church choir with me and is an MSU Music Therapy undergrad. I think it will work out really well.

Case Competition

We won! Yay! Lucretia Mott is being inducted in the Multicultural Heroes of Fame! Yay!

News Headlines

GM, Chrysler seek billions more, to cut more jobs

US general visits Afghan bomb site for death claim

Israel sets soldier's release as truce condition

Clinton seeks to improve US image with Muslims

Facebook backtracks on terms of use after protests


Am I the only one who finds it ridiculous that this social site online is now big enough to create major headlines? At least it was under the international stuff...

Well, that's Annoying

I didn't do that badly on the Econ Exam, but grades are based on class rank and the class average was really high...
And he's a weird grader and doesn't do partial credit well. But there are a few partial points I may be able to get back...

Ah, the Love

Courtesy of Chris...he posted this on my Facebook Wall, seeming to think I might be interested?

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/fda_approves_depressant_drug_for

"FDA Approves Depressant Drug for the Annoyingly Cheerful."
"Made by Pfizer, Despondex is the first drug designed to treat the symptoms of excessive perkiness."

"Confessions of a Shopaholic"

This is mostly for Mum...but I heard randomly they were making a movie. And they are. Which is fine. But the dude who plays Char in "Ella Enchanted" is playing Luke. WAY to young. Like, FREAKISHLY too young. Just saying.

TLC in Chem Lab!

I was totally proficient in today's lab tasks! It was happy. I made media (food for bacteria...yummy!) and did a lot of thin-layer chromatography to isolate compounds in a substance. I understand what I was doing and why I was doing it! And life was good.

So I'm Smart

Really and truly!
I had a meeting today for a debriefing on the MLK Celebration. It was in the 1961 Room of Case at 11:30. I have a class in Case through 11:40. I told Audrey I'd be late and have to leave in time for Chem Recitation. Ross goes over in Politics and Markets, but no big deal. I go in Case caf, grab some chow, go to room. It's locked. Confused! Wandering around a bit, decided to head into cafeteria and check the email. Haha! It's in Room 1962 in Wilson. Smart little Becca. Should I bother going? Of course I should. I'm Becca. I don't skip things. So I go. I find the room. I walk in. There are two ladies sitting there. I don't know either of them. They say, "you here for a meeting?" "Yep." "Inclusion?" "The MLK Debriefing?" "Yeah, that's Monday, March 16. A month from now."
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...Rebecca Farnum. Ain't she cute?

Yay! Econ Exam

It was relatively simple. Yay! I was somewhat worried. But no major problems. Now just to wait for the grade and make sure I wasn't making false assumptions...lol.

Case Competition Dress Rehearsal

Had fun at dress rehearsal today. They made a few good suggestions. Sadly, we've dropped the applesauce joke we had for an intro teaser and fun ending (Lucretia Mott. Haha). But life will go on.

Fun with the Dutches

Alec is in town for the ADS Weekend. Toured him around residence halls a bit, chatted up MSU, and then went to Chili's with Becky and the Ellises. It was a long wait for some reason...and then we suddenly realized it was Valentine's Day. That was smart. Let's go out to eat on Valentine's Day - a Saturday! - near campus. Genius. Pure genius.

Happy Valentine's Day!

And welcome to post #365. I have lots of PA work to do, and Alec Dutch is in town for the MSU ADS weekend. I'll be touring him around campus today, so I need to get some work done.
Lots of love!

ADS Weekend #2

ADS Weekend again...more meeting and greeting students. I spoke to more students and families in-depth than I did last week, which I really enjoyed. Today I have a class at 11 and am also bus-hosting, so we're a bit double-booked. But I shall get to various places whenever and life will go on.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bai made chocolate chip cookies last night, came in late, and put the bag by my bed. I was smelling them all night. But then I stole a bunch and brought them to chem and we're eating them now...so it's all fair.

Professor Hunter

is now back in the hospital. We're still being lectured by Professor Hunt. Who's nice and all, but not Professor Hunter. And I would much rather he weren't stuck in the hospital...

Good Morning

We're back to 36...which still feels fairly balmy. Though the wind nearly killed me while I was running this morning...

Cooking with Gas, Baby

I'm writing a paper for Politics and Markets on Hobbes and Axelrod...and boy, oh boy, am I cooking with gas, baby. Kicking butt and taking names, as it were. Woot woot!

Okay. Back to paper. But my word, I have my moments.

(Kindly ignore this thirty seconds of self-praise. You want proof? Here, I'll give you my intro. You all can help me make my cooking fire even hotter.)

Hobbes’ Leviathan is one of the earliest writings on social contract theory. It has proved to be incredibly influential and is to this day well-read and cited. But Hobbes’ belief in the necessity of a militaristic central authority is not accepted without dissent. Many scholars believe that Hobbes is too pessimistic about human nature or take exception to the idea that government must necessarily hold military authority over its subjects in order to be effective. One such scholar may appear to be Axelrod, a philosopher who argues, using the model of the prisoner’s dilemma game, that cooperation can evolve in humanity and that small clusters of cooperators are able to invade a community of “defectors.” Axelrod certainly seems to be writing in contradiction to Hobbes, as he cites him in the first few pages of his argument, stating that “[Hobbes] argued that before governments existed, the state of nature was dominated by the problem of selfish individuals who competed on such ruthless terms that life was ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’” (Axelrod, 4) and goes on to argue that, contrary to Hobbes, he believes cooperation can emerge without a strong government. But are these two men’s arguments truly contradictory or is it possible to reconcile them?
To begin, a look at the assumptions both of the men make. The first statement that Hobbes makes is an assertion of the equality of men in capacity: “the weakest has strength enough to kill the strongest” (Hobbes 1). This assumption is made, though not explicitly expressed, by Axelrod, as the setup of his prisoner’s dilemma game requires both players to be fully capable of making all possible moves to equal degrees. Axelrod does explicitly state the assumption that his approach in seeking to answer this question of cooperation was “to investigate how individuals pursuing their own interests will act” (Axelrod 6). Hobbes, too, assumed that people act in accordance with their self-interest. The third of Hobbes’ major assumptions is where he and Axelrod have their first major split. “…if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy, they become enemies…” (Hobbes 2, emphasis added). The entirety of Hobbes’ argument is built on a world in which men desire the same thing and it is not possible for the object of desire to be shared. Axelrod’s argument, however, is founded in a world where men are able to cooperate towards a common goal and each benefit.

And that's where I stopped to glory. Just to clarify - most of the genius I was glorying in is still in my head, not typed out. We'll see if it stays. lol.

Cafeteria Music

In off-hours, The Gallery plays music. Which is nice and all, though I'd rather be able to listen to my iPod. This morning, however, I kid you not - we were privileged to hear "We're All in This Together" from "High School Musical." It seemed a bit ridiculous.

"Malcolm X"

Saw the Spike Lee Joint today with the Chautauqua. Great movie. I didn't really know that much about him. There's a really, really cool sequence about his pilgrimage to Mecca...

Islam Exam

We have our first exam in Islam today. But she gave us every question that would be on the exam like a week before the exam. Question - can I remember the definitions to seven key terms out of 22 provided? Can I rewrite an essay I've already been able to write because she provided the prompt? Good grief. I kind of feel like I should study, just on principle. But I really kind of can't...

Chem 182H

Professor Hunter had surgery two Fridays ago. All of last week we had a substitute professor. And today, when I finally was going to see him again, he called in ill. This is not good. I hope he's okay. And I miss chemistry...

Chem 182H

Professor Hunter had surgery two Fridays ago. All of last week we had a substitute professor. And today, when I finally was going to see him again, he called in ill. This is not good. I hope he's okay. And I miss chemistry...

Well, Darn

Presidential Study Abroad Scholarship
Awarded to students with out-of-state residency who have a high school GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale) or above and ACT composite of 21 or above or SAT combined score (critical reading and math) of 1000 or above, for use with an MSU-sponsored Study Abroad program; $3,000-$5,000, depending upon the length of the program.

Stupid out-of-staters. This does solve the mystery of why Bai and Sean have this scholarship and I don't...

Game Theory

I really, really like economic and political game theory. Like really really. This is problematic...

Why Hello There

I still exist. Truly. Crazy busy weekend. Wesley Foundation Campus Ministry State-wide Retreat. Alumni Distinguished Scholarship Competition Weekend, meaning I work recruitment. Birthday party I bike 7 and a half miles both ways to get to. And then lots of homework. But it was good.

The Gallery

Our cafeteria, to use Bailey's word, "asploded." A pipe burst. Fire trucks, flashing lights, and a closed cafeteria greeted me when I came home from work. Oh dear.

I'm hungry...no, seriously. Thursdays are my late dinner days...and I'm hungry...

Joseph Lowery

I was supposed to have lunch with Rev. Lowery today, as he was coming in for a Lecture tonight. Unfortunately, he became ill. So I had a lunch with several other lovely people instead. Bright side: I was able to advertise the "Malcolm X" screening of the Chautauqua's next week. But I was greatly looking forward to meeting Dr. Lowery...

(He did the benediction at Obama's Inauguration, is a United Methodist, and co-founded the SCLC, by the way.)

I love my grandparents

I think I should steal one during the nice months and ride it back and forth from the condo to campus...

Lucretia Mott

My team for the Case Competition is researching and presenting on Lucretia Mott. I've managed to find some of her sermons online and have been reading through for quotations to use. And I'm finding that she was totally amazing. Genius woman. Great ideas.

Great Day in Chem Lab

Had an excellent day in the chem lab today. Collected fractions! We have an organic compound with impurities. We run it through a column of silica gel and solvent to separate the impurities. I get to collect the runoff in small doses to separate the stuff. You would think it would be boring. It's grunt work. But I loved every minute of it and left the lab with a huge grin on my face. I'm such a freak.