Fair Trade Bash

MSU Students for Fair Trade hosted a Fair Trade Bash tonight. I went in late, but managed to hear some of the Q&A session with the speakers. They had vendors and a lot of great information. I didn't stay long, but I wanted to support a friend in Fair Trade and, as previously mentioned, do my Students for Peace and Justice poster child appearance. Turns out another of my friends is in Students for Fair Trade. Had no idea. Anyways, they did a really good job with it. And I got some good, fairly traded dark chocolate! Which I get to eat in eleven days!

500!

This is the five hundredth post. I just felt like we should make a marker. So here it is.

Tuesday - BUSY!

Tuesday was insanely busy. As will be the other days this week. Chemistry class, meeting with Dick Peterson for PA, Arabic, chemistry lab, Islam class, LBGT Panel, Fair Trade Bash (not in charge of at all, thank God, but I really need to make an "appearance" as the Peace and Justice poster child). There's an Arabic exam tomorrow (it's really Thursday, but I have to take it tomorrow because I'm spending all of Thursday afternoon in chem lab for a special project).
Life is crazy because I leave freakishly early on Friday for the conference in Boston. And I need to get everything done before that. Good heavens.
It's a good thing I like the things that I do...

Physical Chemistry

Dr. Hunter is talking about physical chemistry today in class (about the course here at MSU). And I've had a lot of fun these past few weeks and want to take phys chem...bah, humbug. Too many interests.

Bailey's Birthday Party

Pictures from Bai's party.



Yes, a rubber duck pinata. We beat the crap out of the poor thing...pinatas are NOT just for nine-year-olds.




An "Iron Man" bobble head. What can I say, we're weirdos.




Happy Bai! She seemed to be enjoying herself.




And yes, rubber ducky ear buds. Who doesn't need them?

HIV Testing

That was a joy. lol. Had to get tested for Cairo (the university requires it on the physical, which makes sense and is a good practice). Olin does free testing, but you have counseling, etc. The guy was very understanding and did an abbreviated version for me, though.
Got my blood drawn for it. She used a pediatric needle and got my vein on the first try! Go, girl, go! I was talking about Cairo and she's like "Yeah, no offense, but you can always tell the study abroad ones." I laughed.
Anyways, results take a week. So I get to go back next week for post-test counseling. Yeehaw.

Examination Morning

Well, folks, I'm still alive. lol. Macroeconomics: Okay. The biggest problem was worrying about time. I don't wear a watch, because I always have my computer. And there's no clock in the classroom. So I was worried about getting to my next examination on time. Could have spent a bit more time double-checking things. But I did get to every problem and didn't rush freakishly.
Politics and Markets: Good. Like what happened in religion, I had too much to share. Took a bit too much time with the case study, but I didn't seriously screw up anything else (I don't think!). All in all, life is grand. Glad it's over - two exams back-to-back are a bit much, even for me. Rewarding myself with a strawberry-banana yogurt lunch...

And the Winner is...

The all-time winner of Bailey's presents: Rubber Duck Headphones. You heard me right, folks. They are ear buds. And on the earpieces, little rubber ducks. She's going to look so ridiculous. I cannot wait.

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"

Oh, wait. I'm not really. I'm mostly looking towards Easter at this point. Do I care if it's white? No. But I would like it to be warm, because the egg hunt will be more fun in Wesley's huge lawn. Either way, though, I get to eat! Haha.

Umm...that would be snow

I just biked to my meeting through snow. Gee, yippy. Running tomorrow morning is going to be interesting. I wonder if all the wet sidewalks will freeze. I think I'm voting for the not-by-the-river route tomorrow morning...

MSU Basketball

Apparently it's going well. There are lots of happy shouts. I care. Really, I do. Just not enough to watch. lol. Go, Spartans!!!

On the banks of the Red Cedar,
There's a school that's known to all;
Its specialty is winning,
And those Spartans play good ball;
Spartan teams are never beaten,
All through the game they'll fight;
Fight for the only colors:
Green and White.

Go right through for MSU,
Watch the points keep growing,
Spartan teams are bound to win,
They're fighting with a vim!
Rah! Rah! Rah!
See their team is weakening,
We're going to win this game,
Fight! Fight! Rah! Team, Fight!
Victory for MSU

Well, that went well

Bai came into the RING Room at 3. She was surprised. There weren't a ton of us there yet, because the opera was this afternoon. But David had told Bailey that RING had an E-Board meeting because the funding from the University Activities Board was lost. And so Bailey came down very annoyed and angry. And she walked into a room decorated like crazy, with a huge table of presents, some fantastic-looking cake and her favorite ice cream, and a rubber duck pinata. All in all, 'twas a great success. We got lots of pictures...I'll be sure to post some. For now, I'm off to an Interfaith Council meeting, followed by Students for Peace and Justice.

Getting to Church

I packed up my water bottle and a yogurt today and left for church very early, thinking I'd get there early and study a bit for my class, as I wasn't hungry early enough to eat in the dorm before I'd need to leave for church. But my bike lock was stuck due to the rain. I must have tried like thirty times. It was ridiculous. I finally went inside to try and find a friend's number for a ride. I wasn't thrilled about that idea, either, though, because I am scheduled to eat lunch with Katie after church and then would have to walk all the way back across campus. I couldn't find the right number, though. So I did some quick work on the computer. Tried to find Bailey's key to get into the bike room and steal her bike, but couldn't locate them. I finally went back outside to try the bike one more time or just walk...and it opened on the first try. Go figure. Apparently I shouldn't have been biking half an hour earlier...

Studying for Politics and Markets

I had a break-through this morning. It's going very well and I'm greatly enjoying my essay preparation. We've had some really great readings in this course...

Bailey is in a Fantastic Mood!

Bailey's in a great mood tonight. She's playing fun music loudly and cleaning. This does NOT usually happy. But I'm thrilled. I can see my floor!

Steamed Broccoli!

I told Mom I wanted steamed broccoli if we went out to dinner. We didn't. And they had steamed broccoli (plain!!) in the dorm. I love my college...

Mom and I Fail at Shopping...

Mom and I went shopping. We tried to go clothes shopping. Miserable fail. Grocery shopping, however, we succeeded at. Very much so. Even with my not being able to eat.

Egyptian Birthday Party

Had a lot of fun. Instead of a pinata we did an "excavation" in a plaster/sand/clay pyramid. Sang "Sena Helwa" with the kids (to the tune of "Happy Birthday," very easy to learn in Arabic) and wrote out their names in Arabic. It was a lot of fun.

Interesting Quotation

This quotation is interesting. It was a status on Facebook. And that's all I'm going to say about it.

"Do you think the ant can figure out how we can build a barn? Then how do you expect the human race to figure out how God built the universe?"
- Bernie Mulder

Saturday's Schedule

Good morning! It's Saturday, March 27. Welcome to life.
I went to bed around 9 last night, having stayed up a bit later than normal the two previous nights. I woke up at 4:45 and felt decently rested, so I got up and did my run. And now I am happily cuddled in bed studying for my Politics & Markets exam.
Around 11, I need to leave for a kid's birthday party (family from church). He's on an Egypt kick right now, and the mom found out I spoke Arabic. I'm going to make an Egyptian drink (berry mint coolers - with all-Egyptian ingredients. Haha. Yeah right. But hopefully it will be good and a bit different from what the kids have had before), teach the kids "Happy Birthday" in Arabic, and general hang out. Should be fun.
And then it's back to the studying! Woohoo. I'm thoroughly enjoying it, really. Emmett has provided all of the essay questions that will be on the exam (a wide range, only a few of them will be on the actual test). I both really like and hate this system. On one hand, you can prepare really well. Just write your essays ahead of time, go into the classroom, and write them out. On the other hand, you're writing many more essays than will actually appear on the exam. Of course, when you're really geeked about the subject, you don't really mind...cause essay-writing is fun...

ADS Dinner

The Honors College brought in three ADS Alumni to speak at the dinner tonight. The first is a prof here and works in engineering and genetics. He spoke a lot about his own field, but mostly about how geeked he was about it and how we all need to find our passion. The second..."I believe in the power of pie." She talked about finding a favorite dish and making it your calling card. Our one female was stereotypically relationship-based. But it was very well done. The third and final (and good call on their part to have him go last) was Robin Sloan, the most recently graduated, who spoke about the need to "disenthrall ourselves." We cannot go be the best cog in the machinery. We need to innovate new machinery. "Don't sell out." He didn't actually say that. But he came close. Beyond not selling out, though, he was saying don't even take the normal, existent cool stuff. Create your own cool, better stuff. He was very motivational. And he said he enjoyed speaking to a room that was actually paying attention instead of on Facebook. "It's not just college students anymore...we do it in business meetings."
I ate a thoroughly fantastic strawberry. And some blackberries! 'Twas quite delightful.

I've Been Poked

Got shots today. Yeehaw! And there you have it, folks. The most exciting part of Becca's day. (How pathetic is that?)
Also had a lecture by Dick Peterson I attended. Some some other peace and justice folk. Most of the information he presented was stuff I'd already heard from him, but there were some questions about relevancy to current events I enjoyed.
Apart from that, I've been studying economics and politics and markets for a double exam session Monday morning. And got my Arabic pretty much done.
Tonight is the ADS/UDS Dinner in Eustace-Cole. Off to schmooze with dorks...ain't life grand?

Postcard from Dr. Mertz!

Elizabeth Peters (actually, Dr. Mertz) responded to my letter about going to Egypt this summer! It was a handwritten postcard. She gave her encouragement. Rather than supplying specific places to go, she simply said "talk to people." So there it is! Off I go! lol.

Fasting

I’ve been reading too much theology lately…I’m becoming a phony theologian and writing mini-treatises…

A famous practice of Sufi Islam (broadly described, Islamic mysticism) is “dhikr.” Literally, the word means “remembrance.” Sufis use it to refer to their goal of constantly remembering and considering God. It goes along with the Sunni idea of “ihsan” (“righteousness,” “sincerity”), to “worship God as though you see God.” The issue arises, though – how do we incessantly keep God on our minds as we live, work, play? Sufi Muslims would gather as a community to perform dhikr, with the ultimate goal of doing it always, so that it becomes as constant as breathing. Many times, giving up something for Lent is said to help an individual remember God. Every time you see something that you gave up (you want to drink that coffee but you gave up caffeine, you want to watch the premiere of that movie tonight but gave up TV, etc.), the intention is that your mind is turned to God. The same has often been said of fasting. Every time your stomach grumbles, you’re supposed to think of God. Fasting, then, is not actually about giving up food (though it is in some forms of fasting). Fasting is about dhikr, about remembering and paying attention to God. Though this isn’t the sole reason I fast during Lent, it is a major contributor.
But here’s the catch. In Sufi Islam, true dhikr doesn’t require going to your church, gathering as a community, and following prescribed rituals in order to help you focus. True dhikr is obtained when it simply becomes part of you. You don’t fast to fast. Fasting is a tool. As such, the true objective of fasting is to reach a point where one no longer has to fast in order to obtain the spiritual benefits of fasting. I shouldn’t need Lent or hunger to feel as close to God as I do during this season.
And that is my prayer for all the world. That we may live in dhikr. Remembering, always. Thinking about, always. What it is you’re remembering or thinking about is fairly irrelevant, be it Allah, God, love, justice. Just so long as you’re thinking.

Babysitting Jacob

The infant (under six months, though I'm not exactly sure how old) of one of the co-directors of the Peace and Justice Studies program. Very cute. We spent several hours together this afternoon. I was his first sitter other than grandma (don't I just feel honored!). Will probably be doing more of the same so that Mom can start to get some work done.

Olin Physical

I still need more tests. There's a week turnaround for HIV testing (required from Cairo). Fun, fun. Oh, well, we'll get there eventually.
Physically, I'm healthy. Shocking, I know. My pulse was at 56. Go, Becca, go! Haha. So there.
Get to go in for a TST (TB test) and a meningitis vaccine. I am not planning to get HPV vaccine. There's still a lot of controversy around health issues related to it and what it's been used for. If you have a serious objection, speak now!

Yay for Quiet Sleep

My mentor (RA) and a few other folks went downstairs last night and stopped/quieted the music. So I got some sleep. Yay!
Had a nice run this morning. Off for a physical (Cairo requires one), chemistry (yay!), babysitting an infant (big yay!), religion class (another yay!), and then Mt. Hope Childcare (very much yay!). Life is just grand.
Enjoy your day, my darlings!

Loud Music

For some reason, a loud band is playing outside my window right now. At 10:45 on a Wednesday night. I have no clue. And I'm ever-so-slightly annoyed. Well, try really, really annoyed.

Until that started happening, it was a great day! It still has been a great day, I guess. Just not so hot an evening. Worship was really nice, though. It's the first time I've been to a full MSU Wesley worship service in a while. It was good to get my gathering praise music in.

Ladies and gentlemen, the reason I will not miss every part of dorm life next year. Yay for condo in adult community!

"China"

"For Evelyn and Rudolph Jackson, life is about counting the days to retirement and plodding ahead after 40 years of married life. Then Rudolph becomes obsessed with martial arts, transforming their static lives as he throws his aging body into this new, unlikely passion. Based on a short story by National Book Award-winner Charles Johnson, CHINA is a funny, surprising drama of love challenged and renewed."
http://www.itvs.org/shows/ataglance.php?showID=7328

Jeffrey C. Wray is an associate professor at MSU and directed this film. His wife was a producer. They came into Chautauqua tonight and showed this film. The film is really cute - Dad, you'd like it. Just a simple little story about a middle-aged couple. And it was really cool to be able to sit down with the creators and talk about what we liked, what we didn't, why certain artistic decisions were made, etc. It was a really good night.

Arabic OPI

The Arabic Department is having OPI (Oral Placement Instruction, I think) training this weekend. We have no class Thursday or Friday. I shall miss it. It is good timing, though, as I am baby-sitting tomorrow and it runs into part of class time. Now I won't have to take the baby to class. (Though everyone now doesn't get to meet Jacob, which was going to be fun.)

Yay for Macro!

Haha! I have read a chapter in the Macroeconomics textbook. And it all makes sense. I don't know what I missed and where, but suddenly life in Becca's macro world is much happier. This test is going to rock. So there, dudes!

I just finished another chapter. And I got that one too! It's fun to read. The book seemed totally terrible when I was doing homework. But now, kabamm. I'm a macro whiz. I don't understand why I was in such an econ funk, because I was loving Politics and Markets. Who knows. I'm out! The world is beautiful and bright! (Who cares that it's raining outside. Macroeconomics makes sense and is beautiful.) Happy, happy Becca. Life is good, man.

It's Raining

In case anyone hadn't noticed...it's a bit damp outside. Right now, my weather gadget on my desktop is telling the truth. This morning, right before my run, it wasn't reporting the fact that it was raining. And then I walked outside. And it was. My spirits were dampened very slightly. My shoes more so.

That's Talented!

Advertisement on Facebook today:
"Volunteer in Africa: Explore the glorious culture of Tanzania, Ghana...2008 dates still available."
I mean, seriously folks. Somebody in that organization has got skills.

Students for Peace and Justice on the Radio

I'm doing a radio segment on "Exposure" tonight, the student radio station at MSU. They overbooked the night, so we're going to be very crowded and life is a bit insane. But we'll get to plug our upcoming programs a little bit, so that's good. We're waiting to go now...

Islam Exam

I don't think I've ever been so rushed in an exam in my life. Cause here's the thing: When you learn a crapload of information to share, you have a crapload of information to write down. And that takes some time. lol. I was pretty much writing the entire time. And I got everything down I needed to, but I could have written more. And of course, I wanted to do so. Because I learned it, liked learning about it, and wanted to share it. But I'll survive. It was a good test.
It's very clear, though, that I don't write all that often anymore...my hand is dying. lol.

Transitive Verbs

Today in Arabic, we had fun with transitive verbs. Mostly with the pronouns you can use to complete said transitive verbs. We're getting more and more linguistic every week. Chris and Christine, as linguistics majors, love it. I, as a grammar freak, also love it. And it means I can say more properly! And that makes me happy.
Happy Becca! (I'm sensing a theme, lately...)

Photoelectron Spectrum

That's really cool too. Chemistry toys are fun.
Photoelectron spectrum – inject x-rays. Photoelectrons ejected have an energy equal to initial energy of x-ray minus how much energy it takes to get them out of molecule. Spectrum is formed with different kinetic energies. Can match to the energies of the molecular orbitals in the molecule. That’s fun too!

Heehee. I like molecular orbitals.

I'm having lots and lots and lots of fun in chemistry today! Heehee. Matrices! And molecular orbital diagrams I understand now! And symmetry orbitals. And symmetry characteristic tables. Heehee. I love school. College rocks, dude. You sit around and learn fun stuff all day...

Tuesday's Schedule

I have a religion exam today! Haha. Love these days. And I am going to answer her questions so thoroughly that she has no choice but to admit I get 100%. So there, Geissinger! lol.
Also have a gig on the Student Radio Station about Students for Peace and Justice. And a "Guess Who's Gay" Panel tonight. (Folks ask stereotypical questions and try to figure out each person's sexual identity/orientation. It's rather entertaining to see how many people guess who correctly.)
In the morning, the usual: chemistry and Arabic. I ran to church and back today, so I'm feeling extra-vibrant. La vie est belle!

Dude! I like AUC

The tuition I'm paying the American University in Cairo? It's a flat tuition rate. But apparently I can take both the basic 3-credit intensive courses and some electives without paying more. The fees also cover extracurriculars. Not sure how all that works. I guess they just make more money off you if you don't take advantage of the opportunities. I'm kind of psyched, though. I shall have fun!

Hello, Beautiful World

I've had a fantastic day. That makes several days in a row...what am I going to do with myself? This is just too much happiness!

Great Chem Lab

Had a fantastic day in chem lab today. Was productive! Made media (food for bacteria) and gels (a medium to figure out what’s what in a solution). Then learned a lot from Mark about the biochemistry of the compound he’s working with and how to use a few new machines. I’m feeling less and less like an incompetent fool every week. And this is happy! lol.

Macroeconomics

Ah, how fickle are emotions. We went over some of the homework for next time, and I'm suddenly much happier with this class. Yay!

Well, That's Encouraging!

I did fairly well on the last economics problem set. This is encouraging. Very encouraging. Happy morning. There is hope!

POP Art Contest

To all aspiring artists,

The Peace over Prejudice Campaign of Michigan State University is proud to
present the Creative Peace Contest to MSU/LCC/UMICH Students.

We want you to use your creative talents to show us what PEACE over
PREJUDICE means to you in your own passionate way, and you may win up to
$500 for coming in first place. Other prizes include $300 for second place,
$100 for third place, and $250 for People’s Choice Award that will be
determined through voting on the contest’s facebook group.

Almost all creative mediums are accepted, including but not limited to:
drawing, painting, comic, photography, typography, graffiti, dance, comedy,
martial art, music, spoken word, animation, game, film, web, sculpture,
culinary, architecture, and fashion.

NO ENTRY LIMIT, but must attach ENTRY FORM and LEGAL FORM, found on our
website and our facebook group. Deadline is April 15th, 2009. Digital files
may be sent to popartcont...@gmail.com. All other formats must be mailed to
101 Olds Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI 48824.

Please check the contest’s facebook group and our website for more
information and updates. Please direct questions to popartcont...@gmail.com.

Best of Luck,

The Peace over Prejudice Team

- www.popmsu.com
- pop...@gmail.com


If only I were moderately creative...

Today, I was Productive

I have had a lovely, productive day. I love it when I'm working all day and enjoying all of it. Did quite a bit of PA work - I'm reading through materials from the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict and suggesting resources Dick might want to use in the Peace and Justice class. Some really great articles. And I'm finding out about current nonviolent resistance movements, always a pleasure.
Other than that, a brief but happy moment with Dean at church, to whom I am liaison from the Staff/Parish Relations Committee, a meeting about the Interfaith Council forming on campus that was longer than I expected but productive, some work on economics (my least favorite part of the day, as already mentioned), a meeting for Students for Peace and Justice which went very well, and now I'm wrapping it up with an LBGT Panel and off to bed!

Macroeconomics

I'm going to complain now. Because I really don't like this class. And I think I should. I don't not like subjects. And I loved micro. I think it's the prof's fault...and that just depresses me. Grr.
(Sorry, I was just doing homework for the class with a friend. It's generally frustrating.)

Landon Cafeteria

I clearly need to stop visiting other cafeterias. It's just not good. Landon has Coke Icees! Seriously! Just sitting there! And sushi. You heard me - sushi. I'm sure it's not great sushi, but still. And a fruit and cheese bar. And fantastic-looking fancy desserts. I am most definitely coming back sometime when it's not Lent. I came today on my way to the Union from church for a meeting - it's right next door. And I think it may become a favorite. lol.

Church Today

Had a good service today...John Ross preached from John 3, but focused on standing in the light. He had flashlights and an umbrella...'twas quite entertaining. On my way to a campus Interfaith Council meeting. Tonight is also Students for Peace and Justice and an LBGT panel.

And, Just for the Record

I really have done things today other than watch movies. Just wanted to throw that out there. I look like a total bum right now...lol.
There's a religion test next week. And I'm working on being able to write her an entire book so she can't possibly complain that I'm not giving her enough information.

"House Bunny"

I can't believe that I'm admitting to you that I watched this. But Elena's been wanting to see it forever. I honestly thought it was going to be cuter than it was. It wasn't. There you go, world. A movie Rebecca Farnum honestly didn't enjoy very much. Definitely a waste of a few hours. But I hope Lena enjoyed herself...
Note to general public: Don't bother. Totally not worth it.

"Uptown Girls"

You would think this would be a terrible comedy from its cover...but it was really a very emotional relationship movie (and not between a girl and a guy, I'll have you know). I cried (shocking, I know). Anyways, I stole it from Katie and it was just adorable.

Terrible Way to Wake Up

I went to bed at 6:30 yesterday...I was completely exhausted. I figured I would wake up at some point, do more work, and then go back to bed. I didn't. Get up for more work, that is. But I did wake up at 11:30 when Bailey and Chris walked in. Usually it wouldn't be a problem, because I would just block them out. But here's what I heard:
Chris: "...Joe Biden!"
Bailey: "I'm still kind of in shell shock. The president died."
Turns out that Bailey was talking about a television show. No idea why Chris was talking about Joe Biden. But let's just say I was very unpleasantly alert for a little while there...not a happy time.

Golden Key - I'm a Member!

Just thought I'd let you all know - I have officially joined Golden Key. Induction is April 7th...or sometime around there...lol. Yeehaw!

"Keep Making Peace"

Today is "Keep Making Peace" at Central UMC.



I am feeling fantastic - had a nice, hard run this morning and am off to get a bowl of cereal!

Dude!!

I received some AMAZING information today. Apparently "The Gallery" now does takeout. You can get up to one meal per day in takeout. Just swipe your ID, they give you a box, you can fill it up and take it out! This is AMAZING! Picnics every day with no problem. Food on Holy Saturday taken out (not smuggled!) for midnight on Easter. This is purely amazing. I can take out ANYTHING! (Sorry, I'm just a little bit thrilled about this...)

Ah, Beautiful Yogurt

I have discovered the glory of "Totally Takeout" and their nonfat strawberry and peach yogurt. I can, once a day, go into "Totally Takeout" and get a certain amount of food. It's designed for students who's class schedule conflicts with meal times. For some reason, yogurt is only two of your daily fourteen points of food. So I got seven yogurt today that will last me at least through the weekend! Yogurt is fantastic stuff. I generally don't eat it in the cafeteria because it's bulk and there are better things to eat, but the Country Fresh personal containers are beautiful things.

Bailey Clearly Hasn't Fasted Before

This morning was fun. Bailey clearly has not gone long periods of time without food before. She got french toast in addition to her eggs and hashbrowns. I didn't comment at the time...
Quotation of the meal: "I think maybe my stomach shrunk." Really, Bailey? I'm shocked. lol. Poor girl. Let's just say she didn't manage all of her french toast (could NOT have called that one...oh, wait...).

Update on Bailey

Bailey gets to eat some "solid" food today. (Meaning solid foods as soft and liquid-like as possible.) Scrambled eggs and hashbrowns are on the menu for this morning. She is majorly excited. She's also threatened to eat some fudge.

Lots of Babies!

Got four babies tonight at Mt. Hope to play with. Three of them were really good. One was absolutely adorable, but colicky. And so he was just not a happy boy. Poor little guy.

Thin Mints!

Happily, a mom at Mt. Hope brought in Girl Scout cookies and had extra Thin Mints. Andrew's last day at the Honors College is tomorrow, so that worked very well. Glad I managed to find some in time.

Watching Basketball During Islam Class?

The girl in front of me is streaming a basketball game on her computer while in class. I understand and have seen checking email, reading comics, etc. But watching basketball seems a bit absurd to me...

Golden Key Clothing Drive

The signs are talking to me...I just saw a sign for the MSU chapter of Golden Key's Blood Drive. Nice.

Chemistry Rocks!

We just had a fantastic day in chemistry. We're working on point groups and symmetry in atoms. I'm having myself a blast. Geometry I can do! Chemistry Mum could do! This is awesome.

It's Cold Again

Silly Michigan. It was like 70! And now it's thirty again. Luckily, I checked before going off on my morning run, so I wasn't freezing.

Bailey's Home!

My girl is home! She's still on an all-liquids diet, but not in a lot of pain and decently perky. It's good to have her back.

Dinner with Katie

Had dinner with Katie from Battle Creek tonight. We'd been doing lunch on Sundays fairly regularly, as she lives in Wilson, which is close to church. But the last several weeks have been insane...it was nice to catch up with her.

Golden Key Honor Society

Does anyone know anything about Golden Key? They've issued me an invitation to join and are a very international organization with some great scholarships. But I'm not sure I'm going to bother...not to mention pay the joining fee.

MSU Musical News

This is fun...

MSU's Fall Musical will be "Rocky Horror Picture Show."
The Spring Musical will be "Rent."

At least, that's the word on the street...

Three Meetings

Three meetings in one night immediately after a class is a bit extreme. I'm just going to throw that out there.
Yesterday's afternoon schedule:
1:50 Arabic
Bike to Holden
Eat bowl of cereal and work on research
4:10 Islam
Immediately after class - Shalom Center Guiding Committee
Immediately after that (i.e., slightly late) - Detroit Churches History Research Team Meeting
Immediately after that (though not late) - DMYP Conference Call
And then, finally, Arabic homework.

The point? It's not just the Methodist church who loves meetings...

Bai's Okay!

I sent a care package off to Bailey today. And just now found out she'll be home tomorrow. No stones! No surgery! My roommate back! YAY!

Going to Cairo!

I got a plane ticket today! It was most exciting.
I have a flight from O'Hare on Sunday, May 31 at 10:05 pm. I return July 27 at 5:35 pm. Isn't life just grand?!?!

AND I get TWO free checked bags. Haha!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Totally forgot until I came down to breakfast that it is Saint Patrick's Day. Enjoy yourselves; behave. I'm wearing green, actually. Totally an accident.

That was nice

I love chem lab. I do. But I'm tired. And Mark wasn't there today. I went in to ask the other lab folks if they needed anything. The answer, mercifully, was no. So I got to come home. Yay!

Ha! A Bike!

I managed to walk very quickly to church and get my bike and still get to my Madison class on time! Haha! Take that, world.

Well, Drat

Windows Vista has this thing where it will restart itself if it needs updates desperately. And since Fred hasn't been on for more than a week, it needed them. So my alarm didn't work this morning. I got up in time to get to class, but...

Pros: I got some sleep. I like sleep.

Cons: I haven't run. I haven't showered. I haven't eaten. I don't have my bike, currently locked up at church, which I need to get around campus in today's insane day.

Good News and Bad News

Nicaragua was fantastic! More details to come!
I am home safe!
Bailey is in the hospital with pancreatitis! I don't really know much other than she isn't here. Again, more details to come.
And I am tired and am now going to bed. Much love!

Congratulations to Kristin!

Yeehaw! Kristin, our choir director at the University United Methodist Church, got the job with the MSU Children's Choir. Woohoo! Kristin is not leaving me! Great happiness. Good email.

We're Here!!

We've arrived safely in Quilali, the beautiful town where the Smalls live. Lots of mosquitos, lots of adorable children. We visited a market in Managua (the capital where we landed) and an active volcano, where we hiked up and circumscribed a crater. It was gorgeous!!! Internet connection is pretty good, but it involves being in the Smalls' bedroom. So it will be limited. But we're all here, safe, no one's had any serious accidents, and having a blast!

I'm Off

I'm leaving for Nicaragua now...don't know how much I'll be able to blog while I'm down there. So hang in there, and I'll be back in a little over a week. Lots of love to all!

Here it is (maybe)!

Next Year's Schedule:

Fall:
ANP 270: Women and Health
BS 148H: Honors Bio I
BS 158H: Honors Bio Lab I
MMG 301: Introductory Microbiology
MC 220: International Relations I
CEM 351: Organic Chemistry I
REL 310: Judaism

Spring:
BS 149H: Honors Bio II
BS 159H: Honors Bio Lab II
MMG 302: Introductory Microbiology Lab
MC 221: International Relations II
CEM 352: Organic Chemistry II
PHL 453: Ethics and Global Health (!!!!!!!!!!! Becca is excited.)
PHY 251: Introductory Physics Lab I
PHY 194H: Honors Physics I

Happy Friday - and Nica Start!

Today we head off to Nicaragua! Woohoo! Grampa Farnum and a friend of Wesley and the family are driving us all over from Lansing to the Detroit Airport. We have a transfer somewhere in the southern US (how pathetic is that I don't know or care? I know we're coming back into Texas for a while on the way back.). And then we'll be in Managua! Yeehaw!

I love Dr. Fryer!

(She's my main advisor.) Students are allowed to take only twenty credits a semester unless approved by their advisor. Next fall, I need to take twenty-one in order to get some base classes in at the appropriate place. I emailed her rather skeptically, and...'Not a problem. I can enter an approval to go above 20 credits when you are enrolling; you add all but the last course and then tell me what it is, so I can enter a "maximum hours" override to permit enrollment." I love this woman.

Chem Midterm

I kept meaning to post and kept not posting...lol. Sorry

So...chemistry...did not go as well as expected. His sample test was mathematical application heavy, and I studied all of that really well. And then on the actual midterm, there were a lot of questions about definitions of things I haven't encountered before we never worked with in problem sets and he hadn't gone over more than once in lecture that I didn't bother to commit to memory. So. Oh well. Life shall go on.

It's Chem Midterm Day!

And aren't we just thrilled about it? Heehee. I think (I hope) it's going to be fun. I am now off to get some food and read over some notes...

I've Been Advised!

From here to kingdom come. Had a meeting with Andrew at the Honors College about med school. He's making me take the honors bio sequence. And Dr. Fryer with Arts and Letters and I had a nice chat. She didn't whine about my taking twenty credits. It was really nice. I was expecting to have to launch a strong defense.

Arabic Midterm

I confused the word with uncle for mother (they're freakishly similar). Oh well. There were a few extra credit opportunities, so I think I'll be fine. Tomorrow's chem midterm is the question...

Maybe?

I may head to Tufts after four years at MSU, who knows.

http://www.tufts.edu/med/education/combinedmd/mdmafletcher.html

Health is a critical factor in creating and preserving socioeconomic stability and high levels of social welfare throughout the world, particularly in third world countries. Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) and The Fletcher School (FL) created its combined MD/MA degree program with the belief that individuals who are well-educated in both medicine and international affairs will be better able to plan, gain approval for, and implement effective health and medical care programs throughout the world.

By combining clinical training with an international diplomacy, language, and business perspective, the combined MD/Fletcher School MA program bridges the fields of international relations and medicine. The program is designed to produce well-rounded physicians who understand the principles of international law, politics, economics, and business.

Mindful of our global society, physicians equipped with The Fletcher School experience are better prepared to address global health problems and strive for a future in which clinicians, researchers, and diplomats focus on public health and its link to environmental conservation, democratic participation, economic stability, and gender equity.

Students bring a wide range of international work experience to the program and enrich the student body with their backgrounds in maternal health, disability support, and humanitarian agency programs. They strive to practice medicine, formulate policy, and collaborate with researchers, physicians, and diplomats on an international stage. They also understand the synergy between peace and justice and clinical medicine that economic, political, and social factors profoundly affect the health of populations throughout the world.

Graduates of the combined MD/Fletcher School MA program can pursue jobs in organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ford Foundation, the UN, USAID, the U.S. Foreign Service, the World Bank, and other international agencies; they can also work in international companies such as ARAMCO or IBM. With their combined experience in medicine and international diplomacy, our graduates can work closely not only with other health professionals but also with diplomats, government officials, politicians, legislators, nonprofit managers, and business people who can influence and implement health-related programs worldwide.

They also have an MD/PhD Program. And that's all paid for, though I honestly don't know that I will have done enough medical-focused stuff in undergrad for them to let me in:

http://www.tufts.edu/sackler/mstp/

The Tufts University School of Medicine M.D./Ph.D. program is designed for students who want to pursue careers that include both research and clinical practice. Students receive rigorous scientific training in addition to full academic and clinical training in the practice of medicine. This training program enables students to bridge the disparate cultures of scientific investigation and clinical medicine. This program is supported by a Medical Scientist Training Program grant from the National Institutes of Health. All students receive full tuition scholarships and generous stipends throughout their training.

Robo-Carp!

This is fairly awesome...it's fairly old, but I hadn't seen it before.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1007_051007_robot_fish.html

From National Geographic:

October 7, 2005—This week the London Aquarium unveiled the newest "species" to join its collection: robo-carp.

Computer scientists at the University of Essex in the U.K. developed the self-guided robot fish, seen here swimming in the aquarium. The designers say it is the smartest such robot yet created—the fish uses artificial intelligence and built-in sensors to avoid obstacles and respond to environmental changes.

The fish's battery lasts for up to five hours, though the scientists hope to one day program it to search for and access a recharging station when it runs low.

"This work has many real-world applications, including seabed exploration, detecting leaks in oil pipelines, mine countermeasures, and improving the performance of underwater vehicles," project leader Huosheng Hu told the Associated Press.

The bot, which resembles a one-and-a-half-foot-long (half-meter-long) common carp, mimics the undulating motions of a real fish swimming and turning. Three of the cyber-fish will swim in a tank at the aquarium alongside their living counterparts.

—Victoria Gilman

"The Impossible Dream"

I really, REALLY like this song. I've liked it for ages, but I don't know that I've ever told you all how much. It just came up on my Mandy Patinkin Pandora Radio Station (the version from Colm Wilkinson's "Stage Heroes" album). And it's so good. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about:

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

It's pretty. And makes me happy.

Good Morning and Happy Tuesday

Had an LBGT Panel this morning for an anthropology class. Bailey was in the class. (It felt a bit ridiculous to be paneling for my roommate on LBGT issues.) The class did a really good job of asking questions, though, so it was lots of fun.
And now I'm in chemistry - exam Thursday! And I am no longer terrified, but instead rather excited. Life shall be grand.
I slept through forty minutes of my alarm this morning. No idea how. It didn't matter, since I get up early to run. I still got to run and everything, just didn't have as much time for studying this morning as I was planning. But life shall go on. It felt a bit ridiculous to have managed to sleep through forty minutes of beeping, loud music, and an online "cockadoodle-doo," but I'm just that skilled.

Well, the Cat's Out of the Bag

We were discussing the Honors Option of MC 241 after class today. And Ross mentioned that he didn't care if we did the paper he'll require of us this semester or over the summer. If we get at least a 3.5, we'll get the "H" added. Unless, of course, any of us are graduating. And he looked at me and said, "Aren't you graduating?" Ha. Ha. Oops. So then I had a lovely little conversation with Ross and two other students about how I'm not, in fact, a Madison senior who's majoring in one of the fields Ross doesn't teach very often. I get read the "Switch to Madison" speech. It was lovely. Mostly I'm vastly entertained that Ross thought I was a senior. It will be interesting to see if he treats me any differently now...

MC 241 Short Analytical Paper

3.8! Which, given the professor and the fact that it's a Madison course, I think is really good. And counts as 20% of the class's final grade. Average grade was slightly below 3.0.

Final comments on the paper:

Wonderful paper. Nicely argued, although you might have gotten to the final argument a little faster. You did a great job with Hobbes: so good that I might have accepted this paper as a very good paper for MC 271, in which we discuss Hobbes at length!

Yay!!!! That was a nice moment in my day.

It's COLD!

Well, colder than it has been. I generally check the temperature before I go running, just so I know what to expect. But I foolishly left this morning assuming it was around 23 degrees, as it has been recently. It wasn't. I had icicles. But I didn't really think of it as being all that cold until, sitting at breakfast, I saw that it's currently 9 degrees outside. And biking to Econ, I felt it. It's COLD. This morning is the first time I've wanted to be in Nicaragua, not for the sake of being in Nicaragua, but in order to wake up at not have temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm excited. On both counts.

Cafeteria Music

I walked in this morning to "The Boys of Summer," which is a lovely song. But now they're playing something that I think is by the Backstreet Boys or 'N' Sync...