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!

Student Society for Cancer Research at IU

A newly formed campus organization, started by my friend Caleb "Josh" Joshua Habimana-Griffin, is starting to plan its first activities for cancer research fundraising.


Since I was in Fort Wayne this weekend, I missed the club's second meeting. Ben Baroff, one of the club's event planners, met with me for lunch yesterday to fill me in on what I missed. We will be having 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, T-shirt and wrist band sales, and possibly a car wash to raise money to donate to the Jimmy V. Foundation, which goes directly to cancer research.


Be on the look out for our tables set up around campus in the next month, where you can sign up to volunteer at future events, purchase t-shits or wristbands, and make donations. Anyone can join, and the time commitment revolves around your schedule and how much you want to put in. Although it is a brand new organization, it's extremely inspirational to me, and every member's story as to why they joined is touching. To do good deeds, build volunteer work on your resume, or just for fun, sign up for the club today!

Let it Snow, Let Classes Be Cancelled!

The recent abundance of snow has transformed IU's campus to something we did not even see before the winter holiday break. Everything sparkles as I walk to class, and to keep my mind off the freezing cold water sopping in my shoes, admiring and appreciating the scenery brightens the cold days.
























The university's gardening provides perfect splashes of color against the perfect white snow, reminding me of and making me miss Christmas even as I look forward to Spring Break. These trees in the Arboretum are my favorite on snowy days like this, as well as the red berry trees without leaves on South Jordan Ave. outside Delta Gamma, across from Read.


For those who are not as crazy about snow as I am, at the very least, it is something pretty to look out your window at, and a reason to hope for cancelled classes. After all, we did have a snow day in late January of last year for the first time in about 40 years!

Laundry Day

While laundry may not be the most fun college experience you will have at IU, the bright side of laundry day is the convenience of the facilities.


The smallest laundry rooms in Read have 4-5 washers and 4-5 dryers, and Beck Wing's Large Laundry Room has 7 of each. That's around 22 of each throughout the entire building, in the basement. The laundry rooms are near lounges and El Bistro, so you can find a more comfortable place to read or study if you have a long time to wait for loads.


Washing one load costs $1.50, and drying costs $1.25, but if you use your Campus Access Card, the prices are reduced to $1.25 and $1, respectively. If you're lucky, the day you forget your card or quarters will be the day your friend is there with you to "swipe you," otherwise, the most inconvenient part is running back up and down stairs.


Laundry at college really isn't as bad as you might think as long as you don't let it pile up too high. My advice would also be to wash your clothes any day but Sunday, as it can be harder to find open machines.

Room to Live

One of the biggest fears prospective college freshmen have about going away to school is the cramped, uncomfortable, and lonely "dorm life." However, Read rooms are actually a good size for residence halls, and come with a bathroom shared with the next-door room. All residence halls provide furniture that is easily rearranged to fit your style.

Read rooms originally come with both beds bunked over your desk and dresser. One way out of climbing a ladder to your bed every night is to bring your bed down and use your desk and dressers as tabletops for TVs, books, etc.

Another arrangement is to L-shape unbunked beds. This is a good for roommates who are really comfortable with each other and don't mind sharing the whole room. It's a nice set up because it gives the room a more comfortable feel, makes more open space, and provides back rests for sitting in bed and reading, doing homework, or watching movies with your roommate.

Last but certainly not least, you can debunk the beds and subdivide your room for more privacy. This is how my roommate and I have our room, and we really like it because we have different starting times for classes each morning, and this way we can turn our desk lights on and get ready without waking each other. It's also nice to be able to decorate your side how you want it, and this next picture is an incredible example. With a divided room, stick-on wallpaper from Target, organization, and a matching bed set, her room looks professionally done and like a home away from home.

The Best of Everything

My best friend is a Resident Assistant at Wright, and she was lucky enough to be able to lead an academic floor of talented visual artists. One of the biggest worries anyone has in college is how they are going to find a job afterward. Luckily for her residents, a program she offered on Monday opened them up to a world of resources and guidance for careers.


The students, ranging from painters to graphic designers to photographers, were introduced to the Career Development Center and Arts and Sciences Career Services associate director, Sara Pennington-Busick, and her husband Lee Busick. Both are artists of many different mediums, and helped explain how to build and write resumes, portfolios, and the like when applying for a job in an art field.


Like any great program, free pizza, breadsticks, and drinks from Pizza X were offered, so residents were able to receive a delicous meal, helpful advice, artistic inspiration, and save meal points all in one night.