Spring at IU: Communities In Bloom

As the weather turns warmer, students are taking advantage of IU's beautiful campus. There are so many beautiful spots to hang out outdoors, and even walking to class seems like recreation instead of a chore.


One nice thing about living in Read is that it houses the Performing Arts Community, so as a dance major, I run into my friends from the department every day. We all have the same core classes so it is always easy to find a study buddy, and on nice days, you can take your studying outside and it becomes both relaxing and productive.


Yesterday I ran into Nicole, who was studying in Kinsey Hollow behind Read, one of my favorite spots, when two of our other friends from the dance program walked up from their Kinesiology class and we all studied together for a bit during our break between classes and rehearsals.

Spring Break 2010: Munster, IN

Many other bloggers would probably have titled their spring break blog something more exciting, like "Panama City Beach" or "Cancun 2010." While Munster may not be the most exciting spring break vacation spot, there was nowhere else I'd rather have been this year, because I got to come home and watch my brother play in Munster High School's Battle of the Bands.


He and I have played small shows and open mics together, but seeing him play in a full band competing with other groups and doing a really amazing job was the highlight of my spring break--the week isn't even over yet and I already know I can say this!



My brother, Michael, plays lead guitar and sings some, too. They played a lot of really challenging songs and pulled every one off great. I felt like both a proud parent and a paparazzi member sneaking up in front of the stage to get photos, but everything about this night was worth it, even though his band, Alterior Motives, didn't end up taking first place. There's always next year!

A Red Carpet Affair

Each residence hall at IU is great at covering national events in their own local ways. For example, two weeks ago, there was an Olympics viewing party with a special focus on diversity, and this past Sunday in the Beck Game Room, "A Night at the Oscars" took place.


The wait in line for the free food was well worth it, and the students who attended brought as much character to the event as the stars did to the Oscars!


I remembered this being one of my favorite events from last year, because everyone got to dress up, which you do not usually do walking around campus after rolling out of bed all week. The program was catered by Malibu Grill and had a Mocktail Bar for awesome drinks, complete with pineapple slices.

Cabin Fever Relief

For the past week, I have been studying for exams, and that studying marathon will not end until Spring Break. Luckily, I have family in Indianapolis, and was able to visit them Friday through Saturday afternoons. Getting to be in a different city and have new things to take pictures of was so exciting, and my brother, sister-in-law, and nieces were happy to help. I even got to climb on the roof of a building on the circle downtown to take photos!


Being around family and children was such a relief from all the studying and really helped to put my stresses in perspective. Playing dress-up and having dance parties and Wii tournaments, not to mention a home-cooked meal, was exactly what I needed until Sunday rolled around and I had to get back to Bloomington for rehearsals and more Anatomy A215 studying that will not end until this Friday!

If you want to make a trip to Indianapolis, there are shuttles that will take you to the Indianapolis airport from several locations on campus for $25. Indy is a great city to see, especially if you're an out-of-state student. It makes for a great weekend trip!