Winter Wonderland in Read

As winter break and the holidays are almost here, I wanted the ultimate Christmas photos for my blog before I left for home. Luckily, all I had to do was look into the room across the hall from me.
























Gabi spent an entire Saturday transforming her and her roommate, Shelby's room into the most creative holiday exhibit I've seen yet in a residence hall. Complete with garland, lights, snowflakes, and even mini stockings for nametags on the door, her decorations catch everyone's eye as they walk past. Gabi also caught my heart by playing my favorite Christmas radio station from back home online as she decorated!

You Know 'Tis the Season When...

Out of your window at Read, you see the giant Christmas tree being assembled through the window of the Musical Arts Center. It is lit a section at a time. The giant statue looks out at the cold weather. Ballet and music majors on your floor seem to have disappeared to the land of dress and tech rehearsals, while the Land of Sweets is being assembled behind the curtain. You know the holiday season is officially here when The Nutcracker arrives.


Since last year, my friend Michele, whom I danced with at my studio back home, and I have started a tradition of going to see all the ballet performances, and The Nutcracker is our favorite. My friend Kelli from the dance program also came with us to the Saturday matinee performance at 2 p.m.


The show, as usual, was amazing. Since it was a matinee performance, there were a ton of small children there with their families which reminded me of going to see ballets as a child and not being able to stand not being the one dancing. The same was true this time, as The Nutcracker might be the only such inspiring thing to make me wish for the week ahead of dance classes instead of the weekend.


As you can see, the show was very well attended, and with good reason. The live music was fantastic and the dancers, costumes, and scenery sets were all beautifully amazing. If you have not yet, I encourage you to see The Nutcracker or the fall or spring ballet at least once in your time at IU.

Thankful for a Family-Filled Break

The picture above sums up my Thanksgiving break: full of family, chaos, and love. It also sums up why my family is incapable of taking group photos, but that is a whole different story. My brother and his new family of four came from Arizona to stay with us, as well as my brother and sister-in law from Indianapolis with their two daughters, and my two grandparents from Dover, Tennessee.


I was able to see my nephew, Elek, again, who I am convinced may grow up to be the most handsome boy on earth. Everyone finally met his little brother, my precious nephew, Gavin, for the first time.


In addition to celebrating Thanksgiving, and a little bit of Christmas as my talented family members took turns playing Christmas carols on piano, we also celebrated my niece Lillie's birthday. Although the stomach flu was passed around my family, the company, dinners, and desserts more than made up for it. It was a much-needed relaxing break, and I have never been so happy so see a group of people together in one place before.

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Finally! After a marathon of classes with no fall break, students prepare to head home for Thanksgiving. After classes finish on Tuesday, we will lug home loads of laundry, whatever homework we have not yet finished, and our appetites for home-cooked food. What we should bring back, though, is also exciting.


Ever since I can remember, I have been obsessed with Christmas; so when my boyfriend brought me to a floral shop completely decked out in holiday decor, I was inspired to remind readers to bring back their winter coats and holiday decorations.


After spending such quality times with family over Thanksgiving, we will be anxious to do it all again for winter break. Decorations in IU's residence halls and on campus are always great this time of year, but having your own in your room cannot be beat. If nothing else, they will make dead week seem a bit more lively and help to lift your spirits throughout the finals stretch.


So remember to bring back your winter holiday decorations from home, and have a happy Thanksgiving and a relaxing, much-needed break!

Dancing "For the Kids"

The Indiana University Dance Marathon (IUDM) will take place this year Nov. 13-15. The biggest student-run organization on campus starts at 8 p.m. on Friday, and participants do not stop dancing and raising money for Riley's Children's Hospital until Sunday. Hip Hop ConnXion, a company team on campus I am a part of, has been preparing for our performance at the marathon this week.


We will be performing a set composed of four mixed songs at 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning, featuring choreography by our own Sarah Mattingly and Wesley Owens. Performances help to keep the energy level up while dancers are inspired by the stories of Riley's patients and their families.


Our pre-IUDM practices have been auditioning and setting team members for these routines. This is my first year on the team, and I am extremely excited to be able to participate in the marathon for the first time, just to be amongst the positive energy and caring there.

Art Inside Art

When deciding what to write my blogs on, I try to think both about what readers want to see or know, and what I want to take photos of. Now that it is dark out by the time I walk to evening dance rehearsals, I noticed something that fit both of those descriptions: the IU Art Museum. The sky-scraper of a pole with color-changing LED lights shines onto the white stone walls of the museum to provide a peaceful but vibrant view.


This work of light draws several people each night, whether they are simply taking their own photos of it, or laying on the ground looking up to watch the changing colors, or even using the spot as a place to play music with friends.


As many know, IU's campus is already beautiful enough in the fall, but at night, no matter what the season, 7th Street draws crowds to view the gorgeous light show. If you are scheduling a visit to IU or a campus tour, make sure you leave time for yourself to come back after dark, and see one of the many reasons IU students are proud to be Hoosiers.

They're Great Pumpkins, Read Residents!

At IU, Halloween is more of a week-long celebration than a one-day holiday. Students often have numerous costumes, and the residence halls put on festive programs all week. Read's celebration of Halloween and autumn this year is Harvest Fest, and Tuesday, Oct. 27, was pumpkin painting night.


Residents could choose a pumpkin from under the Halloween-Christmas tree, which was decorated with lights, spider webs, paper chains, and little ghosts. They could choose from a wide variety of paint colors and paint brushes to create their masterpieces. Some chose typical Halloween themes, and others tried to depict their own costumes.














Besides free paints and pumpkins, participants were also offered snacks, cookies, drinks, and candy. The program was not only fun, but helpful to those who might be homesick for traditions like pumpkin carving or holiday decorating.

Midterm Mayhem

Many students are making the daily, or in this case, nightly walk down Jordan Avenue to get some serious studying for midterms done at the library. The popular term for this on Facebook has been coined "Spending the evening with Herman."


The library has many floors to choose from, each with its own studying environment. For example, students with group projects for midterms choose to work on the 4th floor, where the atmosphere is more relaxed and talking is allowed. For students with a lot of individual reading and memorizing to do, there is the 2nd floor which is entirely a quiet zone. Other floors include books, movies, printing stations, research rooms, and anything else you might need.


For those who spend consecutive hours working at the library, the Commons Cafe sells snacks, bagels, coffee, juices, and even paninis, and is a nice break from studying.

Decorating Doctrines

As residents are becoming used to their new rooms on campus, their priorities shift from settling in and learning their way around, to making their room more comfortable, stylish, and unique, especially with the Cool Room Contest coming up. Here are some tips for decorating without cluttering valuable space.

Hang something IU-related. My first year at IU went by so fast, I can hardly even believe it, which leads me to believe that the next three will fly by as well. When I look back through my photos taken in my room last year, I am happy to see our cream and crimson decorations.


If yours and your roommate's styles do not exactly match up, tie them together with large scarves or sheets of a mutual color or decoration. These cheap thrift store items can add color to your room and help your two sets of individual belongings appear better-coordinated. Hang them over surfaces such as chairs or clashing bed spreads.


Print out and post pictures of your family, friends, and pets around your room. This not only helps the walls seem less bare, but makes your room feel more like home. Plus, the people in the pictures will be excited to see they are a part of your college experience if they come to visit!


Hang Christmas lights, before Christmas. You will save yourself time once winter comes and finals studying begins, and also brighten up the room with something more interesting than the ceiling light and desk lamps that you are given.

Refuge from Rain at Read

On a rainy day like yesterday, most students are reluctant to go out and find something to do. Luckily, the residence halls have everything you need to entertain yourself if you know where to look.


In Read, the Beck Game Room provides plenty to do during bad weather. There are comfortable couches, a big-screen TV, and games such as foosball, air hockey, ping pong, and pool.

The Hoosier Cafe was also a popular hang-out spot, with choices from snacks, to meals, to Starbucks coffee. Music students took advantage of the rainy weather to play for floormates on the grand piano, and students used their free time to enjoy meals with friends.

Sunday Socializing

In residence center life, your floormates often become your family and best friends. In residence centers like Read, the boys down the hall from you often become your brothers. Last Sunday, the girls of Landes 2 and the boys of Curry 2 had a chance to socialize over free wings from Buffalouies.



The social started off as roommates came in together, then found familiar faces from their respective floors. Before long, people made new friends that they never even knew lived down the hall. Residents found out what they had in common with their new friends, including similar roommate stories, their favorite wings flavor, or the conversation sparked by my RA's music choices for the event.





As the wings ran out, the crowd thinned out as residents began to return to Sunday homework, studying, and laundry. The social was both a nice study break and a foundation for future plans and friendships.

Making the Most of IU Football

Being an IU football fan is not always fun and games, but the games themselves are an excuse to make your own fun despite the final score. Here are some of my favorite tips on how to enjoy the games and feel like a true Hoosier.


Sit near the band. The Marching Hundred are sure to set the gameday spirit, and if you are unfamiliar with the chants, cheers, and dances, there are enthusiastic people surrounding you who you can learn from. There is no more collegiate feeling than the one you get from hearing the IU Fight Song played live, only a few rows of bleachers away.


Come prepared. Depending on the crazy Indiana weather, you might need anything from sunscreen and sunglasses to a sweater and a scarf. Eating and hydrating beforehand are good ideas too, especially if the weather is hot; avoid pricey stadium food by eating at your residence halls before the game (Gresham Food Court at Foster is conveniently on the way to the stadium from most residence halls!) It is always fun to see food courts packed with people in cream, crimson, and face paint on gamedays.


Show your spirit. Dressing up in IU gear sets the tone for the game; from a simple hat to painting yourself with logos and letters, the more enthusiastic and creative you get, the more fun the games become for you and those sitting around you. Some of my most memorable outfits from games include bright red and white striped pants, and the dresses two girls fashioned out of over-sized IU tees.


Go in a group. Getting your floormates together is a great way to make new friends. With your student IDs, tickets are only $5. Even if gameday does not match up to the fun you had together in game nights on your residence hall floors, they can be there for you to soften to blow should the score not play out so well or the referees make arguable calls.

Contest of the Best

Of all the opportunities on campus to get involved, why not go for the ones with cash prizes? The $400 grand prize is hard not to notice, with the posters and advertisements around Read Center, but the talent of the contestants is even harder to miss.

One of those contestants is Read resident Brant Craft. Brant has been diligently practicing since the day he noticed the sign outside Landes's Dining Room.


Brant uses the music practice rooms in the basement of Read, which are open to any residents. Many are equipped with pianos, and as you walk through the winding basement halls whether to rent a music practice room yourself or just to get a sandwich at El Bistro, you pass doors bursting with piano music ranging from beginning scales to Bach.


One of Brant's other favorite places to practice is outside the University East and West Apartments, across the street from Read. The apartments look out onto an open field with trees, sun, and picnic benches, and we head out the doors, we passed two girls who also chose to practice their guitars outdoors.


Guitarists who pass the application phase of the contest record a song with or without vocals at IU's studio. Each gets their own web page with their recording on it, and listeners can vote for their favorites. So check out bloomingtonsound.com next month to listen and vote--the winner might end up being someone from your very own residence center!