Thanksgiving Break is here. I was very much looking forward to it. Not only because of its definite interruption of the daily grind, but also because I have not yet been home this semester.
For Fall Break I went to my room mate’s house. There is a short and very awkward video of us on our way back already posted. My room mate, JD, is from Decatur, Indiana. In Decatur I went to my first corn field, saw my first Amish individuals, and spent quite a sizable portion of time gawking at how flat and expansive all the land was. It was a really fun and relaxing time. By relaxing I mean that JD and I watched roughly 10 movies in 3 days. JD’s family was very, very hospitable. I ate lots of really good food, and was always comfortable. I even went along to JD’s stepsister’s cousin’s wedding- talk about being in the family! The cake was delicious. Needless to say, I was sad to go and I hope to one day return to Decatur.
There are pictures of Decatur and my segregate family in my photos section.
For Thanksgiving I am home. My parents have redone our living room- a very typical empty nester move. It looks nice, but I of course miss the old living room- a very typical college student come home move. I am looking forward to the big day and the food that comes with it. My favorite component of a traditional Thanksgiving meal is the stuffin’. Stuffin’ is the same substance that others might call dressing or breading. I spell it with no “g” because that is how I pronounce it and because I am losing my southern scent so rapidly I want to empower the remnants.
My Family is a Turkey-potatoes-stuffin’-succotash-gravy-rolls family. Succotash is a southern vegetable dish I can’t explain because even I do not understand it. But it takes the place of other families’ green bean casseroles or glazed carrots. We also have sweet potatoes/yams covered with marshmallows; but I don’t include it because I am unaware of which root vegetable we actually use and I just eat the marshmallows anyway. More importantly, however, is the fact that my family always has turkey. It is my opinion- not eating turkey is not celebrating Thanksgiving. I’m not implying that vegetarians are unpatriotic, but I actually am.*
Thanksgiving is an all around first-class holiday. It offers all of the gathering and eating of Christmas without all the anticipation and anxiety. Not to mention, if none of your family members make you frustrated or upset- you can just go shopping the next day and put a check mark beside those two emotions.
All around, I believe winter is a time to stay inside and create homemade presents, to eat warm things and tell stories, to read and write and not get a lot else done. Happy Holidays!
*This is satire. I am highlighting the fact that people should not get so hung up on what type of poultry (if any) they serve at Thanksgiving. I don’t think vegetarians are unpatriotic, if anything they are more patriotic and should get to vote twice.**
**This is double satire. I am highlighting the fact that what you eat has nothing to do with you being respected as a person/citizen, unless you like mayonnaise. ***
***No satire, I just don’t like mayonnaise.
Stumble It!
Many people cannot wrap their heads
around why anyone would want to join a fraternity. I can’t say I could either. I
grew-up beside ‘big’ Greek Life- the large university scary Greek Life that
ends up on the news. Because of this when I came to Butler,
I was not only never going to join a Greek House- I wasn’t even going to go
inside of one. But I did, however, fill out the recruitment application on the last
day it was due; so if, sometime over Winter Break, I decided I did want to
rush, I would be able to come back. I came back.
The reason I showed-up to
recruitment was so I could go through it and make absolutely sure Greek Life
wasn’t for me. The first day of recruitment I was excited but skeptical. We
took a tour of each house on campus and after that were left to our own
devices. Each day following, students were allowed to visit Greek Houses during
two 2 ½ hour appointments. Butler’s
recruitment is dry and students aren’t allowed to go to houses outside of these
specified windows. It is very structured,
very well run and (to my surprise at least) very relaxed and fun.
I was a skeptic. I wasn’t at all
sure about this Greek Life thing. So each day I asked good and important
questions. Each night I called people who’s opinions I respected and where generally
not for Greek Life. I was being won over, so I wanted to make sure that it was
completely legitimate. I thought about it all for a long time. But when it came
down to the end of the week- I wanted to be a Phi Psi.
Everything that happened after, mounds
together in what happens to be the best decision of my college career. I
love Phi Psi and it loves me back. I
never thought I would ever be Greek, but that is true to many men in my house. Butler’s
Greek Life is different. Many people can agree on that. Butler
has just 4,000 undergrad students. Because just a little over a third go Greek
it leaves a very manageable community for Butler
to watch closely- we couldn’t get away with things that large schools could.
Additionally, We do 2nd semester recruitment only. This means all
freshmen have an entire semester to get settled into college before they have
to make the ‘big Greek decision’. Also, because Greek students spent an entire
semester growing close to students that may not have gone through recruitment-
everyone has Greek and Non-Greek friends; we don’t have a huge rift in our
campus.
I would
recommend recruitment to anyone, even if they decide not to go Greek in the
end, you meet more friends in those four days than you could anywhere else. Men
interested in signing up for Formal Spring Recruitment (rush week) can do so at
http://www.butler.edu/greeklife/?pg=528
The form for has to be completed by Dec. 12. Interested
women should have already signed-up.
It has long since been rumored that a system of secret, sealed-off, underground tunnels is plunging through Butler’s underground. This rumor is simply a rumor; a true rumor. Yes, Butler does in fact have an underground tunnel system and I, BUJoe, Blogger in the field got to infiltrate these tunnels.
Butler has two tunnel systems. The larger one connects Schwitzer Hall to the back of C-Club in Atherton Union’s basement. The second connects the Sunset Ave./Hampton Dr. corner of Ross to the Parking Lot/ 44th Street corner of Ross.
The tunnel in Schwitzer was built as a food service tunnel. Back in the day (no idea when “the day” was) men and women at Butler separately; men ate in Atherton Union and women ate in the basement of Schwitzer Hall. (This is interesting because Butler was one of the first colleges to admit women on an equal basis as men, and Butler has always been a Coed school- so meals and living [and sports, of course] were the only divided activities.) The meals were prepared in Atherton’s large kitchen and then taken to the women using the tunnel system. After eating became a coeducational activity at Butler the tunnel was no longer needed, it not of use to students because it connects directly to the storage areas in the back of the kitchen. The tunnel runs directly under the pathway that one would take to go from Schwitzer to Starbucks.
The tunnel in Ross is home to a large Basilisk and the Heir of Slytherin, false.
The tunnel in Ross was strictly for maintenance. The Sunset/Hampton corner of Ross was built first and stood as its own building for several years until the Parking Lot/44th corner could be added. When the new section was built a new boiler room was built as well. The tunnel connects these two areas and runs diagonally through the courtyard. As I understand it, the building runs on only the new boiler room now, so the tunnel in Ross is also obsolete.
I have many pictures from the tunnels and from sealed off chambers in Schwitzer’s basement in my photos section. I left the Ross Hall tunnel unexplored so who knows what dangers could be growing in its darkness at this very moment. To get to the tunnel in Ross a student would have to go through the Boiler Room. Which I don’t think can be done (hmmm..) and a Schwitzer resident can find the locked door to the pre-tunnel chambers right beside their basement kitchen. (which makes sense) This door is locked, of course, but all you have to do is “Speak Friend and Enter” (in elvish, of course) I would advise students not to try to enter these places, not because it is wrong or dangerous, but because if you have ever read a book besides Thomas the Tankengine - nothing good ever happens in tunnels, and I fear you will unleash a great evil upon the Campus.
Alpha Chi Omega had their philanthropy week to raise money for the Julien Center which houses victims of domestic violence. Their week is called "Fribee Fling", I'm the one in the bandana.
I feel that the best part is at about 3:30 when we are clearly waaay to tired to be cheering.
I am a proud member of the Butler Speech Team so I was pleased to go to the Bradley /Illinois State University Swing Tournament. A swing tournament is when two schools have two tournaments in the same place. For example we may have one tournament all day Saturday, the come back Sunday morning and do it all over again.* This was my first tournament of the year so I was pleased to get back in the swing of things. (bad pun intended) This is my second year on the speech team.
Being on the Speech team does not necessarily mean that I give speeches, a common and understandable miscommunication. Speech or Forensics is simply an umbrella term for the acting, speech, and debate events that fall underneath it,which means- At a speech tournament there are tons of different events to compete in; some involve current issues and persuasive speaking with others are more based on the use of strong emotion and creative topics**. The list of diverse acting, speaking, and debating events is far too long and unnecessary to get into now, all you really need to know is that --when we compete (whatever that competitive event may be) we wear suits.
That is right. To compete in Intercollegiate Speech and Debate you must be both poised and classy (or at least appear so). I must say that our small but mighty team of overzealous oratators can look pretty intimidating when we walk in a business professional power-V. We like what we do (whatever it is) and Butler shleps*** all around the frivolously flat Midwest.
Not only is the speech team at Butler an important activity and a strong resume builder, but it is also a class. At Butler every student has to fulfill a public speaking requirement. They can take a public speaking class or they can be on the speech team for two semesters. The beauty of this arrangement is that instead of sitting in a class room the student who chose the latter gets to travel and eat.
You read me! When you are on a speech trip all of your food (and hotel, entry fees, etc.) is paid for! Speech is defiantly a very worth while activity and I love doing it. Additionally, if anyone would like more information about the speech team I have plenty to give! If you are really interested then you should know that Butler’s Speech Coach is Janis Crawford and you can get a hold of her through the Butler website.
I hope this was helpful!
-Joe
*The reason that Swing tournaments are so popular is because a team can travel from very far away and get two tournaments in a weekend instead of one, which means two tournaments but only one hotel, one location, and one trip. Some schools will only come for one day, so even though a lot of people stay the competition does change from day-to-day.
**To clarify even more- the three areas are Platform (formal speaking), Interp (Interpretative/acting events) and Limited Prep (events where the speaker uses a brand new prompt each round instead of a prepared piece)
***Shlep- v.(Yiddish)- To carry or drag. 1. I shlepped my books all over campus today, and this heat, feh! I’m shvitzing like a matzo on a chaza’s fork! Kvetch?! I haven’t begun to Kvetch ya shnook!
You can't hear the music very well, but for Alpha-Phi all of our music had to come from boy bands and we had two trampolines at our disposal in the back. Alpha Phi's Philanthropy is Cardiac Care so all of the heart refrences make sense. This video is not as impressive as our lip sync was in person, but it's pretty good.
There are two types of people in this world; the ones who will think this blog is gross and the ones who like it- read with caution.
At Butler we have sky walks that connect all of the academic buildings in the “Academic U” (a grouping of buildings that makes horseshoe shape.) These become very convenient on rainy or fowl weathered days because students can walk from class to class, building to building without having to go outside. However these useful glass walkways have a dark side. They kill birds. Lots of birds. We are up to around 100 a semester.
The gentle, loving, unsuspecting songbirds are simply flying through campus trying to do little birdy things like look for twigs and berries, serenade young maidens, or help people put on their towels Cinderella style- I don’t really know. Tthe point is, before they can get a song out of their finely feathered throats they slam into a (Surprise!) glass wall. Butler is of course making efforts to fix this problem. Large stickers have been applied to the walkways to say “Hey birds, this might not be air”; and even larger stickers are being sought after. But the problem is still not completely solved, leaving Butler students to ask, “When will the stickers be big enough!”
A small task force of Butler professors and students has been assembled to help with the problem. A reachable phone number was put in the Butler Digest so individuals on campus could report dead birds they came across. These birds are then located and studied to determine if in fact a it was a window that killed them. After inspection they are sttored in a large freezer in Gallahue Hall.
Even odder, however, is the fact that these birds made a final migration in my drawing class. The professor made sure that it was fine with everyone involved before the class period started, but on Tuesday our drawing studio was adorned with about 25 dead birds. You see, animals (birds especially) are both complex and beautiful. So, we would all become better artists for drawing them. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a little creepy.
In fact, because the birds were frozen; while they sat through my three hour drawing class some began to slightly unthaw and form sad little dead bird tears in their eyes. It is difficult to draw a bird. It is even more difficult to draw a dead crying bird.
It was a great experience and I in no way want to suggest that I or Butler University finds the death of playful woodland creatures as humorous. I’m glad my art class could make the best of a bad situation and my final drawing is posted in my Photos section. In the mean time, maybe we should all take a day off from cleaning our windows.
-Joe
Dave Isay came to Butler! This is significant for many reasons. The most well known and respected reason is that Dave Isay is the author of Butler’s Freshman reading book, Listening is an Act of Love. More vainly, however, this visit was significant because I got to introduce him in Clowes Memorial Hall. That’s right readers, I have only been a Creative Writing major for two years and I am already in cahoots with notable modern authors. False. I humbly believe that I got to introduce Dave Isay (Author of Listening is an Act of Love in Clowes Memorial Hall) because when an e-mail was sent out about the event I was the first to respond.
However, this was my second time working (in Clowes Memorial Hall) on L is an A of L. Part of Welcome Week at Butler is that the Freshmen attend a Academic Convocation about their summer reading book. This year the English Department put on the convocation, so I go to be a part of it! I only spoke for about 4 minutes (in Clowes Memorial Hall) but it was in front of all the freshmen and a lot of fun. No to mention, because I am on the Butler Speech Team speaking in front of people is more blessing than stressing.
Listening is an Act of Love is a book compiled by the Storycorps project. Storycorps’ staffs and maintains booths that travel the nation collecting true stories from everyday people. Individuals make an appointment in advance and go into a booth with someone they believe has a unique/significant/interesting story to tell. The interviews last 40 minutes and are recorded. The participants get one CD and another copy is sent to the Library of Congress to be preserved for future generations. Needless to say; because excellently everyday people are interviewed instead of the siliconed celebrities we are used to hearing from, amazing stories surface from every spectrum of American life.
Personally, I can say that Dave Isay is a great guy. Our dinner was splendid and we were joined by Butler staff and a few other readers from the Academic Convocation. Dave truly loves what he does and plans on doing it for the rest of his life. It’s great to meet people who are living their dreams (especially in Clowes Memorial Hall).
As for advice, I would have to tell everyone that the Visiting Writer’s Series is more than worth while and all Butler Students should try their best to attend any of it’s sessions. I would also implore individuals to check their email, thoroughly and often. I would not be nearly as involved if it were not for reading the Butler Digest. Other than that I would just urge everyone to eat more dark green vegetables (Spinach, Broccoli, romaine lettuce, Clowes Memorial Hall, etc.) They are the most nutrient rich of all vegetables and you should have a half-cup serving each day to gain their disease fighting powers.
Thank you for reading!
-Joe
-If you are interested in learning more about Listening is an Act of Love or the Storycorps project in general, please check out http://www.storycorps.net/
-Clowes Memorial Hall is the largest venue in Indianapolis and seats 2,220 people. It is made of Indiana Limestone and resides comfortably on Butler’s Campus- it’s kind of a big deal.
-For more information about Dark Green Vegetables or nearly any other dietary facts please refer to http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html. It’s very helpful.
One of my favorite things to do at Butler is Skit/Stunt/Lip Sync like there’s no tomorrow. Every Sorority has a Philanthropy week and several of those weeks end in skit competitions. Last week Kappa Alpha Theta had their annual Grill-Off which always has a Cheer Competition. We won this year! (again) This week is Alpha Phi’s Philanthropy event so I’m spending each night up late working on a Lip Sync. Their Lip sync is called Heart Throb and the participants can only use Boy Band Music. Additionally, because Alpha Phi’s philanthropy is Cardiac Care, their week is called Bounce for Beats and a trampoline is in use during the entire skit. When Fraternities have their big weeks, some of them have lip sync competitions that the sororities compete in. However, all of these competitions are open to anyone, not just Greek houses. I was extremely excited to find out that Ross Hall will be competing in Bounce for Beats as well. I am really excited for Friday! Phi Psi won last year, so we’re hoping for two years in a row; but not getting burnt out is difficult.
The skits take a lot of time, effort, and jazz hands. We have to figure out our own music, dances, and there are always lots of stunts. To figure out which stunts and dance moves we can handle we all just start breaking it down and tossing each other into the air until something looks cool enough to put in. It’s really dangerous, risky, and not at all safe. Generally, we have no idea what we are doing. Seriously. But no one has died yet, and the sororities always provide a coach or two to help smooth out rough spots, think of dances, and keep us alive.
Last week we made a Ring of Fire. I mean that literally. There was a ring. It was on fire. Someone jumped through it. It’s the grand finale of our Theta Grill-Off skit. You should watch the video in my "Phi Kappa Psi- Theta Grill-Off Champions" blog. It’s pretty impressive.
Bounce for Beats will be fun. It will be difficult to top the ring of fire, but it’s possible that that was a bad idea in the first place. Bad or brilliant. A little of both. I will probably be practicing until 1:00 tonight, but doing these skits is a lot of fun and a wonderful bonding experience. Not to mention, there are not many facets of my life where my one-handed cartwheel comes in handy.
Tons of people on campus come to watch these skits. In fact Geneva Stunts, which takes place during Parents Weekend and benefits the YMCA, is in Clowes and individuals have to buy a ticket to get in. The only skit night that isn’t open to everyone is the New Member skits that take place in the spring semester. Each Greek House has their new pledge class do a ten minute skit and it gets very intense. Phi Psi has received 1st place for the past eleven years.
Needless to say, even though I thought I was leaving my musical background in High School it has followed me to college. But I don’t mind, because sometimes in life you just have to dance it out, and grin ridiculously while doing it.
I have built many wonderful friendships and relationships through out my stint in College and life in general. I have come across many amazing people from very separate places and interesting phases. All of these encounters have shaped me, but none have quite the flavor of one of my life's best relationships- Me and Food.
I am a huge fan of food and eating. Sometimes, in fact, I believe food is a big fan of me as well. Much like Kanye throws back to his Momma, The Cotton Gin respects Ellie Whitney, or Rihanna appreciates false eye lashes. Food has to be a fan of me, because I'm a fan of it. I've been alive for 19 years now, and I've eaten for every single one. I eat loud and proud and frequently and I love every digestible minute.
I love going out to eat. It is very social; everyone sitting down together (which doesn't happen so much anymore). Everyone eating off of each other plates and complimenting or mocking each others tastes; it is all very entertaining and very intimate. I'm a fan of ordering food, chatting while waiting for it, eating it, sharing it, hording it, finishing it, feeling bad because I ate to fast/much, and getting dessert after it all. I even enjoy being hungry because it makes the act of actually receiving food a more grateful occasion.
College has only been the cat litter to the flower bed of my food fancy. While I did peruse all of the exotic and deliciously classic restaurants of my hometown; moving to Indianapolis has really bloomed my posies of food options. Broad ripple Village has not yet given me a bad meal and neither have the more upscale downtown restaurants when I get to take advantage of them. In fact, I feel that Butler has steeped up its food game as well. C-Club offers more food for your dollar this year. Although, I must complain that they Philly Cheese Steaks are not nearly as greasy as they were last year.
Before college I had not engulfed Qdoba, Chipotle, Moe's or any type of Cantina. I had not yet indulged in a noodle bowl restaurant or had I gnashed in a Bagel Shop. Some parents worry about sheltering their children for fear that, once out of their clenched parental talons, they will go wild and get pregnant. This is a reasonable fear because I have done just that with food. gotten pregnant. with love. hungry, greasy, topped with bacon love.
Today in America we feel the need to eat well, informed, and neatly. We need to know what is in our food, just how to prepare it, and where it came from. But this can become difficult, especially when you live in a dorm room and all you have is an orange Gatorade, 3 packets of taco sauce and half a pint of mint chocolate chip. (Which, in college, is a feast!) SO I encourage everyone to just eat. Feast and be merry and share your food! Split an appetizer, Share an entree, and don't let anyone touch your desert!
Have fun when eating, try new things, and always clean your plate.
Here are a few of my favorites--
-Anything Fried (if it can't be battered I don't trust it)
-Deserts with threatening names (death my chocolate, vanilla volcano cake, misdemeanor marshmallows)
-Foods with different sauces (it gives you lots of options and dipping really gets my chainsaw hummin')
-Chocolate (chocolate!)
-Food that I know is really healthy and I can talk about it being really healthy but it still tastes good. (Self-righteousness is one of my favorite flavors)
-Foods on a stick (it may be my upbringing, but nothing makes me feel safe like a giant fried, powdered, syruped something on a stick)
-The list goes on and on. Indianapolis has a TON of wonderful food options and they are even more fun to exploit with your new college friends at odd hours during the night.
Eat.
Sleep.
HRC.
I love living in Phi Kappa Psi. I was very excited to be living in the house with nearly all of my closest friends, but I was concerned if all those great people would be too distracting and too loud. I'm pretty involved, so there are lots of times when I need to be up early or up extremely late or entertaining other odd hours. But my strange schedule melds perfectly with many of my brothers’ awkward agendas. I can sleep when I need to, but there is always something going on if I want to be up late. Generally when I get free time (as rare as someone who doesn't like 'doba) I just ping-pong from room to room. Doing things Kramer style and just barging in on my friends to catch-up, or eat their Easy Mac, or play some Brawl. (Super Smash Brothers) It takes me a long time to get focused, mostly because being unfocused is so much more fun. Procrastinating is wrong but it feels so right! I get work done when I need to, but there is always something more fun to do!
For example; this weekend it seemed like Broad Ripple was the destination of choice. Being a sophomore means that not all of my friends have meal plans, which means I get to eat out a lot more than usual. Just this weekend I went to Qdoba twice, Broad Ripple Bagel, and Noodles. All of which are very fantastic. We ran into other Butler students at each restaurant, each time. ( a common occurrence) Broad Ripple is truly like Butler's little village. Going to Qdoba ( or 'doba runs) is probably the most common food sojourn.
So- a little bit of Greek House Living in review-
1) Lots of going out to eat in very packed cars. (Once one person says 'doba, everybody wants 'doba)
2) A huge cloest - I don't mean this square footage wise. Part of brotherhood is that you get to borrow clothes from anyone who wears your size. (At Phi Psi, that gets me access to roughly 30 different wardrobes) (This may not excite everyone, but it does cut down on laundry)
3) Tons of eating. I don't mean the 'going out for dinner' eating. I'm talking -Hey, it's 2:12 AM, let's share a pizza- eating.
4) A Huge DVD/music collection. (See 2 for more details)
5) Everybody has your back like you wouldn't believe. This is the main difference between Greek Life and Dorm life. While living in a residential hall does provide a lot of time to grow close to others, and you do make really amazing friends- When you live in a Greek house individuals have an obligation to you not just because you live close by (like in residential halls) but because you are brothers/sisters; a bond you keep for the rest of your life.
Greek Life is not for everyone, but I sure love it. I loved living in Ross Hall my freshman year too! I just needed to have that close bond that only Greek Life could give me. I needed a family not just a unit.
Dr. Jim Wand, the famous hypnotist, has been coming to Butler for 11 years now. He comes on the Saturday of the first week of school and always draws a very large crowd. The reason that he creates such a frenzy is because he is about to get around thirty people to embarrass the Ba-Jesus out of their lives. Dr. Wand is a professional and he prefaced the, we’ll call it- fiasco, with a very informative talk about what hypnotism is and a few things that he used to P-own* nubes** in the past. I was going to this event to support my Orientation group, if they needed me, and because I had missed it the previous year. So I roll in with my posse and sit pretty smugly in our seats to watch the “Definitely worth it!” show. I expected Dr. Wand to just ask for Freshman to come-up, but I was surprised that he immediately asked for Student Orientation Guides! I get excited very easy, and I was suddenly affronted with the need to be hypnotized. This was never the way I planned – not my intention. I got so brave raising my hand, Lost my discretion. It’s not what I’m used to, Just wanna try it out. Unlike Kate Perry however, my impulsive experience did not lead to a hit song. It lead to me riding a Balloon Bull on Clowes Memorial Stage- thinking it was real.
Getting hypnotized was crazy. To be hypnotized you can’t fight it, you have to want to go deeper and deeper into the semiconscious. I was worried that my slight skepticism might cut into the hypnosis, but that was far from the case. Some people on the stage remembered absolutely nothing. I remember quite a few things, but they are in a skewed dreamy way. Participants were invited to perform College Olympic events- such as Gossip, and Star Fountain Swimming, while others became stars such as Rihanna and Carrie Underwood. I am told that one of my shining moments was when Dr. Wand passed out an ancient Chinese elixir (to make one a golden Olympian). He apparently instructed us to guard it with our lives, don’t let anyone take it. At some point I felt that big “W” was trying to steal my elixir and I wrapped my entire body around his thievin’ arm. He dropped me and I hid under my chair for a few minutes. Other more absurd things happened, but I am blogging this information all second hand.
Being hypnotized was a little like being underwater, or in a dream, all inhibitions dripped away. It was a really great show apparently, and I was proud to have been part of the entertainment. I didn’t fully come out of the hypnosis until about two hours later, and I have had a lot of odd conversations with others that got hypnotized. I have to say it was a positive experience. While it is true that many things have to line-up for someone to be hypnotized- they have to want it, and they have to be proactive about remaining under the spell- hypnotism definitely works and I feel that all should be excited/scared to try it.
*To P-own is to Power-own. And is often used by chill individuals to describe a time when one of their dudes or dudettes got owned very powerfully and without mercy. (Ex. Did you see Joe clear out that platter of cupcakes? Yeah, he P-owned those tasty treats! True that! But then he got Powned by hypoglycemia.) “Owned” can also be used to describe an incident with slightly less fervor. ** Nubes are individuals that are new to something- derived from the term “Newbie”. Through out classic Literature and the gaming world, “nubes” are generally the most likely to be P-owned by something, mostly because they are inexperienced or naive. (Ex. Did you see that nube get P-owned by star fountain? Yeah! She had no idea that it is actually like eight feet deep! Do you think she ever got out?) (Ex. Did you read Jane Austen’s Emma? Of course! We’re you impressed by the detailed description of aristocratic life in an early English leisured class? Not at all, Harriet Smith was such a nube.)
Moving in was very different for me this year. I guess it was less moving in and more just moving back. The differences were numerous; I am in Phi Psi this year instead of Ross, so I was furnishing a real room instead of a dorm room. This required things like light green paint, tasteful beige curtains, and floor lamps. (My roommate brought all of the things that
are actually useful) However the biggest difference between me moving in this
year and me last year was my attitude. Last year I did not want to come to Butler. It wasn’t where I
was going, (I was very excited about being here) It was what I had to
leave. I just wasn’t quite ready to part with my home. I went to tons of camps
as a kid and never got homesick; in fact I knew that I would have very few
problems adjusting in my new college environment; but I had a fantastic time in
High School and it is always difficult to leave a sure thing for a less certain
situation.
Two days into my freshmen year I knew I loved it, everything about it. My days were all
sunshine and name games. I even loved the things I didn’t like because I
claimed they helped me appreciate the things I enjoyed even more. The first
weeks of a being college freshmen are painful and awkward and terrifying and
hilarious. Looking back on my first days, my friends and I can do nothing but
nod solemnly and then laugh our brains out. We were so lost but we had sooo
much fun. Sometimes, for very brief and sporadic moments, I almost wish I could
go back to freshmen year and view things through fresh eyes again- but then I
remember that I wore Jorts** and pronounced Meijer as My-Jer. I learned a lot
and I had a great year, but I don’t want to trade it for my current situation,
especially because now I can have throw pillows in my room.
Because I am Greek (and unnecessarily involved) I was part of “Greeks on the Move”, which is a program that allows guys in polo shirts to absolutely champ fully packed freshmen cars.
The fresh families pull up in completely stuffed cars and the Greeks descend
upon them like Pharm majors to a Periodic table. Generally we would get all of
the individuals possessions in 1 ½ trips. Generally the dad would purposefully
hand me something light. (Demeaning and unnecessary) However, after awhile I
began to look at the freshmen a little more reflectively. I started wondering
what they would become; which clubs would they join, what classes, would they
eat lunch in Atherton or ResCo, would they ever read the blog I wrote about
them, would they think I was cool, are they going to get arrested tonight? You
never know with these new freshmen; but because I was and Orientation Guide,
Diversity Coordinator, and spoke at the Freshmen Convocation I am even more
anxious to watch them grow, and was also anxious why every Butler freshmen girl seemed to have absurdly pink plastic storage bins.
Moving in was, I’m sure, both rewarding and stressful to all. But it’s great to be back in the Bubble. I love being a sophomore and I love being here. This year is going to be so unbelievably
fun and busy! I am so glad it has finally started.
**Jorts are jean-shorts. I still see absolutely no problem
with wearing them. I feel they are just the warm weather equivalent to jeans.
However I faced enough ridicule about mine that I stopped wearing the one
pair.(they were falling apart anyway) For the loss of my Jorts I mainly blame
Andrew Sprunger. But to those souls who still sport the Jorts- Live the dream
kids! Just keep livin’ the dream!