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.