Search results matching tag 'Freshman Year'

Hello... for the third time!

ChristinaL — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:01:00 GMT

I am very excited to introduce myself as a Butler Blogger for the third time! I am, in fact, the longest-running blogger in the very long history of Butler Blogging (three years...haha) Now I am a senior, but I started this wonderful job when I was a sophomore, so if you want to know what is like to become an upperclassmen at Butler, become more involved at Butler than I could ever imagine, move away from Butler (to study abroad), come back to Butler, add a major, spend summer in Indy interning and then become a senior, then think of my blog archives as one long epic novel about a Butler career. I also tell stories sometimes on my blog about being a freshman, so you really get my whole Butler experience! It's like having all 10 seasons of Friends on DVD : ) To see all my archived blog posts, click here.

So far being a senior has been exciting and scary. Being an orientation guide for the new students and being one of only 3 seniors who still lives in my sorority house means I am around younger Butler students a LOT. That makes me feel really old because many of them (and probably many of you reading this blog) were born in the 90s. I think it is a symbol that I'm officially old when the children of the 80s are no longer the kids! The younger ones also make me a little jealous that I don't get to have all the annual college rituals ever again! I will never have another Welcome Week or undergrad Homecoming or move back into my sorority house, and that's hard when these and so many other things at BU are traditions I have grown to love so much.

Old people have to hang out together. I am on the far right, in the middle is another old senior - my friend Erikaa, and on the left is another old person we met while in Grapevine, Texas for Pi Phi national convention. : )

The nice thing about being a senior surrounded by younger students is that people actually seem to think I know what's going on! ; ) Really, I love being a resource for my younger friends as they start or continue their college journeys. I know my older friends meant SO much to me when I was starting college. It is because of the people that were seniors and juniors and sophomores when I got here that I grew to love Butler so much. They made me feel so welcome and immediately like part of the family, so I'm glad to be that older friend for someone else and pay it forward.

Well, that's enough musing about being old for one blog post. (My advisor is about to turn 70 so he always makes fun of me when I complain about my age.)

I guess I will do a little introduction in case you are just joining us here at the wonderful Butler Blogs. You already know that I'm a senior, but you might not know that I am a double major in English and Spanish with a minor in Gender Studies. I am in the Honors Program and I will begin research on my thesis any day now. I am very involved with Greek Life - I hold exec positions for Pi Beta Phi, the Order of Omega (Greek honors society) and the Panhellenic Association which oversees the sororities. I also play clarinet in the band and am in a music fraternity, work with alumni through the Student Foundation and dabble in other clubs and committees as much as I can. I work for NUVO Newsweekly, which is an independent newspaper in town... and thus supports one of my million potential post-grad plans: journalism. I am from the Chicago suburbs (I went to Naperville North HS - GO HUSKIES!), but I've also lived around the Midwest and in Tokyo, Japan, and I studied abroad last year in Madrid, Spain. Traveling is pretty much my favorite thing to do. I also love volunteering, riding my bike, meeting new people, reading, dancing, recycling, and color coding my calendar. Is that enough for now? I write infamously lengthy blogs, so I'm sure you'll get to know me, but if you ever have questions, feel free to comment or email me. The only thing I love almost as much as traveling is TALKING ABOUT BUTLER! : )

An Amazing Weekend at Miss Indiana State Fair!

StephF — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:15:00 GMT

So the past week has been abosolutely CRAZY! Last Friday I came up to Indy for the Miss Indiana State Fair Pageant, and it was an absolutely amazing weekend!!! Now of course I had to be completely packed for school on Thursday night since I moved in on Sunday afternoon when it was all over, but that wasn't too bad. The pageant was at the Marten House Hotel in Indianapolis for the Miss Indiana State Fair pageant. Since I am Miss Pike County, I represented my county, and competed for the title of Miss Indiana State Fair 2010. :) The Queen acts as a spokesperson/representative of the State Fair, and she works to promote the Fair all over the state. So basically, she has some pretty awesome opportunities! On Friday we had interviews, which basically took all day. There were 88 contestants (there are 92 counties, but not each one brings a representative), and I was number 84. So I was pretty far down the line, which meant I had to be nervous for a lot longer, but I kind of liked it! Since there are SO many of us, we only get 3 minute interviews, which completely flew by! Mine felt like it was only 5 seconds long....but it was a pretty fun 5 seconds. Yeah, I am sorta strange. I actually like interviews. I'm just a fan of them. :) Then on Saturday we modeled our suits and our evening gowns, and once that was over, the judges picked the top 10 who would compete the next day in the public pageant for finals. At lunch on Saturday, I had a pretty exciting experience. I met two incoming freshmen who had read my blog!!! I love meeting my readers, because it makes me feel like people actually do read my blog. So of course, I had to get pictures with them....

Here I am with Miss Clinton County, Kelsey Neal....

And Here I am with Miss Switzerland County, Rachel Gurley.....

So meeting them basically made my day!! That afternoon we went to the State Fairgrounds for a Fashion Show where we got to wear an outfit that showed off our personalities, and just to spend the afternoon walking around the Fair. But of course, for me, it couldn't be that simple. I had to trip on the pavement, and skin my knee, and go to the First Aid Station, and then have a police report filed about my "accident". Yeah it was crazy, but so much FUN! The ladies working there were absolutely hilarious. :) So once I was all patched up and we had modeled our outfits, we set off on a trek around the fair. It was such a fun time, and I really enjoyed just walking around and seeing different exhibits. Then we rode in a parade, and 3 other queens and I got to ride in a manure spreader, which was AMAZINGLY fun. :) It was basically fulfilling a dream of mine. Just kidding...so we closed out our big day at the fair with a special dinner with the State Fair Board and basically a lot of very important people, to honor this past year's Queen. The next day we got up bright and early, and headed to the fairgrounds for rehearsal for the public pageant. Then before we knew it, we were all dressed up in our evening gowns and waiting to introduce ourselves in front of the 2500 people at the Pepsi Coliseum! Once all 88 of us had introduced ourselves, they announced the top 10, and I was one of them!!!!!! I was so surprised because all 88 girls were equally amazing, and I didn't expect anything like it at all. So they rushed us back to get into our suits, and then into our dresses, both of which we modeled, and we also answered an onstage question that we had no idea what it would be. Eventually, it was time to find out who the next Miss Indiana State Fair would be.....and I was not even nervous! I was so proud of making it that far, and I knew I would be happy with the outcome no matter what. So they announced the 4th Runner Up, the 3rd Runner Up, the 2nd Runner Up, and when they announced the 1st Runner Up.....it was ME! :) I couldn't believe it....it was more than I ever expected by FAR, and I was just so excited! So here is a photo of the whole court...

So as you can see, it was SUCH an intense weekend, and it was just too much fun! I loved every minute of it, and would do it again in a heartbeat! Now I'm all moved in at Alpha Phi, and today was my first day of classes, so be looking out for blogs about my Sophomore year!!! :)

I love the 4th of July!!

StephF — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:57:00 GMT

So I totally can't believe that this week is already over! It has basically flown by. When I got home from HGS, I had just over two weeks before Miss Pike County, the pageant I am going to be in. So this week I have been getting my outfits all together, making signs, keeping up on the news, and figuring out everything else! Before Girls State I was in this rut where I was never productive whatsoever, but since every day last week I was up around 6:30 and doing things every day...now I feel like sleeping in till 9 is crazy, and I am just in this mood to get lots of things done! It has been a pretty successful week for me! :)

The beginning of school is getting close....it's only a month and a half away, which is so hard for me to believe! So if you are an incoming freshman....I sure hope that you are getting excited....because college is wonderful! And if you still in high school....enjoy your time there, but remember to look forward to college too!!!! :) But back to the incoming freshmen, as you are getting excited to get to college and as you get all of your stuff together.....also prep yourselves for the massive amounts of icebreakers that you will have to do when you get to school. That is the one thing that I remember being tired of after my welcome week, doing ice breakers. By the time classes start, there is no longer any ice to break....and you will be soo glad.

So I am getting rather excited for the 4th of July. :) It is basically the best holiday ever, besides Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving....I just love holidays basically! But I love the 4th so much because a nearby town has a huge festival for the 4th every year....so I go there and have the best homemade ice cream and fair food and I get to see all of my friends....and my Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Stu always have a 4th of July get-together...and I love going there too! So basically it is lots of amazing food and company....all at the same time! They even have tractor pulls and a demo derby at the festival.....which are so "Southern Indiana" but still tons of fun. So the next few days for me will be spent celebrating the 4th of July.... :)

Ahhh....how I love to fondly remember my years in high school...:)

StephF — Sat, 09 May 2009 05:20:00 GMT

Wow....so today I have been reminiscing about where I was this time last year. For the seniors at my high school, tonight was supposed to be a Senior Awards Dinner, but it was postponed because of bad weather....but it made me remember what I was doing exactly a year ago today. At this point in my senior year, I was pretty obsessed with documenting the last time I did everything special with a photo...like the last time I rang the bell at Key Club to begin our meeting (I was President of my high school's club my senior year)....I especially appreciate my teacher/sponsor Mrs. Craig in the background....she was laughing at me, and I'm sure that she will be very glad that I am posting this photo on my blog...you're welcome Mrs. Craig.. :)

You're probably all voting for Senior Superlatives, or you already have....but here is a photo that I also love....of one of our English teachers helping my Senior Superlative "partner" set up our photo for the yearbook...it looks pretty safe if you ask me...haha.

And you might be taking senior trips, or trips with different clubs or organizations, especially since it's warm now....I was lucky enough to go on two different trips toward the end of my senior year, one with student government to a Cardinals game, and one to Holiday World with the Senior Class....even though I'm not much of a baseball fan, or much of a roller coaster fan....both trips were seriously amazing....here are some of my best friends and I as we were waiting to get inside Busch Stadium....

So my main idea for this post is.....if you are a senior now, even though your years in high school are almost done, and you are most likely SOOO ready to be done, and you have probably been suffering from severe senioritis for the past 3 months, enjoy your last days there! Do everything that you can to help yourself remember how much fun you're having (like taking tons of pictures....like I did..haha) because if you get homesick during your first year in college, it's pretty wonderful to have stuff to look back on and just to remember all of those fun times... :) If you're not a senior yet, then remember that when you are a senior! So as you are counting down the days/hours until you are officially done with high school, don't forget to enjoy those last days with everyone that you have known for at least the last 4 years of your life. My memories of the last few weeks of school are some of my absolute favorites from all of my years in high school. :)

From my desk at Butler to my porch swing at home... :)

StephF — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:56:00 GMT

So I am finally done with my freshman year at Butler! It's a really weird feeling....because I feel like it flew by while I also feel like it just dragged on and on. I can't believe that this time last year I had like 2 weeks of my senior year left....and that the only things I had been to Butler for were Early Registration, Butler Business Scholars, and my very first tour. I have learned so much in the past year about myself, about Butler, about Indy.....and everything else in the world. It's OUTRAGEOUS! I knew that my freshman year of college would be a big change for me....but no matter how much you think about it and tell yourself that....it's hard to imagine it until you've already been through it all. I would really like to share as many tips and as much info about your freshman year at Butler as I can....but that would be an outrageously long blog....so I think I'll make it into a series...get excited! I'll try to come up with a catchy name for it if I can.....since my words of wisdom are so important (at least I think so...haha) and will hopefully be helpful for all of you incoming freshman as you get ready to come to Butler!

So on Monday I had my final final....haha. It was Statistics.....and it was like pulling teeth to try to get myself to study. I couldn't focus here at home over the weekend, so I went back to Butler in the early afternoon on Sunday....and I couldn't focus there either! I kept packing up everything that was left in my room....and thinking of other things to do besides study. Schwitzer was like a ghost town....there were like 10 people left in my unit....and the walls were bare, and so were all of our rooms! I think the lack of things to do made me want to get my stuff packed up even more because by then I was VERY ready to come home. I had a wonderfully relaxing weekend at home with my family....no washing clothes as fast as possible to get ready to go back to school....no packing up any stuff....just chillaxing and watching movies! If only every weekend were like that... :) So on Sunday night I went over to Ross to my friend Tommy's room to study with some people in my Stats class....but that didn't help me focus either....so I went back to Schwitz and I finally got to studying...at like 11:30 at night. haha....I'm a night owl...and I do my best work in the wee hours of the morning, obviously. :) So I studied like crazy till I was too tired to function....slept for awhile....then got up and packed some more, because I was supposed to check out of my room like 40 min after my final ended....which didn't exactly happen. haha. My professor graciously let me stay late to finish my final....then the elevator at Schwitz was stuck on a floor.....and it basically took me forever to get everything packed up. But by 6 PM, I had been officially done with all of my classes for 3 hours, my Mom's Trailblazer was jam-packed with the second load of all of my stuff, I had cleaned and checked out of my room in Schwitzer, I had spent all of my Flex Dollars, I had returned library books, I had used my last meal exchange at C-Club, I had turned in my key fob at Alpha Phi, and eaten dinner there. Yeah....I was productive. Then I carefully drove home for the last time in awhile....(carefully because I couldn't see out the back of the car...haha.) Since then I have been sleeping a TON, unpacking everything and finding places for it all, and trying to find a summer job. I probably need to focus on the finding a job thing a lot more than the sleeping and unpacking things....but I beat almost all of my friends home, so I feel like I already have a bit of a headstart..haha. And I don't really want to think about being productive right now. I'm just enjoying our porch swing and couch and everything else at my house. :) Well I'm off to try to be productive....but look forward to my posts with advice for your freshman year.....and if you have anything you want me to talk about, just send me a message!

Farewell sweet BU

LizM — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:41:00 GMT

This will be my last blog post of the year! Wow. Time flies. I can't believe that this year is actually coming to a close. I am having such a hard time staying focused to study for exams...I just want to play with my friends before we all have to leave to go home! I had two finals yesterday, journalism and biology. Both went pretty smoothly except my biology one was given in a different room than we are usually in. The room felt like a sauna. It was so hot I thought I was going to have a heatstroke. Also it was right after I ate lunch so I was really sleepy. But it wasn't that awful, I survived.

We also had room picks on Tuesday night for Theta. I am rooming with one of my good friends and another girl who I absolutely LOVE and will hopefully get to know better. We were able to get one of our favorite rooms in the house so that was definitely exciting. I also was able to sign up for a bottom bunk in the cold dorm which is awesome. The way our house is set up, we have desks, dressers, and closets in our rooms but we all sleep in a big room on the third floor. It's kind of like summer camp. There is a big room full of bunk beds and that's where all of us sleep. Its called the cold dorm because it is always cool (with the windows open) and dark, so even if you want to take a nap in the middle of the day you can go up there and find some peace and quiet. I'm really looking forward to moving into the house and getting to know the other girls on a deeper leve.

Today I had the day off which was nice. I had one of my big bros over for lunch at the Theta house because he is leaving to go home tomorrow. I'm not going home until next Tuesday so I have a few more days left to savor. I have a mass communications exam tomorrow and then I have my music final on Saturday morning. My roommate isn't leaving until Tuesday either because she has a final on Monday so I just decided to stick around and hang with her for a day or two more. I have SO much stuff to pack up so I will need the time. Also our RA just informed us that our room will be used as a tour room for students during the summer...wonderful. That means we actually have to clean. We are two of the messiest people in existence and never clean our room, so this should be interesting. I'm just not ready to leave yet. I'm scared of being a sophomore and growing up. Last weekend when I went home I was dreading coming back to school but now I don't want to leave :( I wish we could stay and hang out and just not do the whole schoolwork part of it :)

This summer I will be nannying for two little girls who are our neighbors. They don't get out of school for another month by the time I get home so I will have some time to relax and get my ducks in a row before work starts. My clothes are all over our house - in tupperwares in the garage and the basement and thrown in my closet - so I need to go through them and get rid of stuff I never wear and try to get that organized! Also it will give me some time to maybe find a night job at a restaurant or something and to hang out with my friends that are about to graduate from High school and those that are home from college. My dad and I are taking a week to go fishing in lakes and ponds around the area and enjoy the hopefully beautiful weather. I really like fishing and I haven't been all year so that will be a lot of fun to get to spend time with my dad. I'm sure my mom and I will take some shopping trips and do some movie nights together too :) I've missed her a lot.

I am really looking forward to coming back to school next year though. The past month or so has been rough with so much schoolwork and just trying to make it to the end of the year. This year has been very eye-opening. College is an experience unlike anything else in life. Living on your own, making your own rules and trying to decide who you want to be is probably the hardest thing you will ever have to deal with. You just have to take it one day at a time and learn from your mistakes. Everyone is here to learn and to grow and sometimes its nice to know that you're not all on your own. We're all in the same boat. You'll have days where you just don't want to get out of bed and face the world and days where you can't help but tell everyone about that awesome grade you got on your paper or that you finally declared your major. You just have to milk it for all its worth and stop worrying about what other people think. These four years are your life and what you make of it. If you constantly worry about what other people think or waste your time trying to be someone you aren't you won't be happy. Its only until you discover who you are and the person that you want to be, regardless of what your parents or friends or professors may think that you will have so much happiness and fun that you never even knew existed. College is so much more than just classes and finals and parties and a degree.

"It takes courage to grow up and become who we really are. All our dreams can come true...if we have the courage to pursue them."
-- Walt Disney

A sophomore... really? When did that happen?

SarahG — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:38:00 GMT

My freshman year of college has officially ended.... dang. I honestly cannot believe how quickly it has flown by. Yesterday afternoon I came "home" for the summer, against all of my inward desires. Yes, it will be nice to have a break from school work and to see high school friends again. But honestly, I would so much rather be back at Butler than here in New Pal.

Waking up on Tuesday morning and packing all of my belongings was kind of a surreal feeling. I knew I was going to have to leave in a few short hours, but I think I was still in a state of denial. It didn't really hit me until I got in my car to drive back. My best friend Jenni had made me a CD full of songs representing our freshman year. And as soon as the first song began to play, I started crying. It took my every effort to not stop the car, park it, and refuse to leave. Now, you may think I'm just being overdramatic, and maybe I am. But you've got to understand... I wasn't just driving away from campus for the summer... I was driving away from my friends, from my memories, from my life.

I wish I could explain to you exactly what Butler means to me. People often ask me what is so great about life at BU, but I feel like nothing I could possibly say would give complete justification. It's simply one of those things you have to experience for yourself. Honestly, I feel bad for people who attend other universities and have no idea what I am talking about. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some are having the times of their lives as well, but I for one couldn't imagine going anywhere but BU. They call it the "Butler Bubble" because we almost live in a little world of our own. Everyone uses this phrase sarcastically - but it really does hold some truth. Students at BU are honestly and sincerely enthusiastic about this school. There are so many opportunities to get involved and so many great people to meet and befriend... gosh, I really can't even begin to explain. I don't know how to make these words mean more than just empty sayings to you.... but trust me, once you're here, you get it. You get why no one ever wants to leave and why saying goodbye to Butler, even for just a few months, is a huge deal. Going "home" sucks.... so bad. For us, Butler is home.

To the incoming freshmen, I am so very jealous of you all at this moment. You are about to delve into one of the greatest and most profound transitions of your life. But don't let this scare you in the least... be excited. If given the opportunity, I would re-wind to the beginning of my freshman year without a moment's hesitation. Coming to Butler last fall, I already knew it was the school for me - I was absolutely certain. But truthfully, I had no idea just how right I was. The experiences I've had this past year have been extraordinary; I feel like I've grown so much as a person in such a short span of time. And I know that Butler has played a huge role in this transformation. So freshmen, get ready. A year from now you will know exactly what I am talking about... but until then, you'll just have to sit back and enjoy the ride.

I want to end this blog with some words of wisdom for those of you about to begin college. Some advice is Butler-specific, some is more about life in general. Either way, take it in... I wish I would have known some of this before entering my freshman year:

- Have fun during Welcome Week. And don't be scared! It's a time for meeting many of the people you will be seeing much of in your next four years at Butler, so get to know them!
- Try new things. How are you supposed to grow if you don't get out there and see what the world has to offer?
- Make new friends. High school friends are great, but if you're not open to meeting new people, you're missing out on the college experience.
- Read the summer book. To be honest, I didn't, but I really wish I would have. The discussions would have meant so much more!
- Talk to upperclassmen. We aren't scary, I promise! And we would love to get to know you.
- Hang out with your unit. Keep your doors open and mingle! I've made so many memories with the girls from 2E, and had a great time living there all year long.
- Study, study, study. Yes, college is hard. But it's manageable (and rewarding!) if you make the effort.
- Take a day to just sit out in Holcomb Gardens. It's beautiful and serene... and a great place to get away from the world to just clear your mind!
- Don't be stupid, but have some FUN!
- Go greek. Or at least consider it! Greek life at Butler is so unique, it's really an amazing opportunity. If you find out it's not for you, that's great. But if you realize that it is, you'll be so glad you took the time to explore it.
- Don't be afraid of growing up. It's a good thing. On the other hand, don't be in a rush to grow up too fast. Take the time to find yourself and enjoy each and every moment.
- Skip class... every once in a while. Let's face it, sometimes living is more important than studying. I'm not telling you to not care about your school work, but college is about much more than just getting an education.
- Go swimming in star fountain. Trust me, just do it.
- Be optimistic. There is always a brighter side... find it. Live for it.
- Eat dessert at Atherton. It's great, I swear!
- Talk to your professors outside of class. Most of them are actually really cool.
- Just be yourself. People are going to love you for who you are, and fitting in just happens naturally.

- Lastly, and most importantly: Believe when people tell you that college will be over in the blink of an eye. You must live for every moment in order to make the most of your college experience. Good luck with everything... and start getting excited! I am absolutely thrilled for all of you, and I hope to meet many of you in August!

2007: A year in pictures

ChristinaL — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 07:00:00 GMT

You may think I put tons of pictures up on my blog, but for every one I post, there are hundreds more on my computer. To celebrate the end of 2007, I picked out some of my favorite shots that you haven't seen before. Enjoy!

Bell tower in the snow, February 2007.

Snow day! The guiding spirit of our music fraternity was named Boh, so we made a Kappa Kappa Psi themed "Boh-man".

Our student foundation is known for our rugbies... but we stole the idea from University of Wisconsin. Our conference in Madison was a blast - it's such a cool city and we loved hanging out with the UW students!

KKPsi hosted Salsa Night last year - here's two of my friends dancing. At Butler, we love ballroom dancing (everyone's favorite PE credit!)

In front of the house with my Greek family after I got initiated into Pi Phi.

Sweet 16 game vs. Florida! Butler showed it on a massive screen in Clowes hall. We may have lost, but we're winning in this picture

When our team arrived home from the Sweet 16 in St. Louis, we were there to cheer for them when they got off the bus.

Sigma Nu's World Vision Bowl (sorority football tournament) is one of the most popular Greek events all year. Check out our team captain getting tackled in the middle! Those girls were intense!

All the music & dance fraternities & sororities teamed up this year for a pirate-themed formal. Everyone else pretty much wore normal dresses and suits, but three of my friends who were the DJs for the evening really got into it.

At our District convention in Cincinnati, my Big Big Big Brother Eric won the highest award a collegiate member of KKPsi can get! We were so proud. It was an exciting convention because my big brother (and blogger) Alex was elected district secretary/treasurer, our former chapter president Jeremy was elected district president, and our chapter was selected to host the next convention in Indianapolis! I feel so lucky to be part of such an outstanding group.

So my friend Julie was studying abroad last spring in Australia, but before she left she had a life-size cardboard cut-out made of herself! We took it to all of our KKPsi events and tagged "her" in all our photos of so she could see what we were up to. In this shot, she's hanging out in Cincy with us. Only Julie...

The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is a huge event at Butler and so much fun. Last year some of my friends and I dressed up our buddy Paul for the Miss-ter Relay beauty competition. Makeup, shaved legs, panty-hose, jewelry... "Paula" was the real deal. She raised a bunch of money for cancer research and so we won the competition!

Once upon a time, we were cleaning out the band storage room in Hinkle when we found a box. My friend Nate said, "Hey, I can use this!" He took the box home over winter break, and when he came back... Boxbot was born! After that, many late nights were spent doing Boxbot photo shoots around Ross Hall...oh the freshmen dorm life. Nothing like it!

I know this isn't the greatest quality picture, but no record of 2007 would be complete without Steak n Shake. This photo is from a special trip with my "family," but I think we went about once a week. Oh frisco melts - how we love thee!

Finals Week - Spring 07. Somebody soapified Star Fountain!

I absolutely loved my freshman dorm room in Schwitzer. I was so sad to leave it that I went on an insane picture taking spree during the last week of school. It was pathetic... but now I can probably do a great blog post on what a Schwitz room looks like!

I spent my summer performing with the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps from Casper, Wyoming. We toured the whole country and performed 3 or 4 times a week - so much fun. Here's the colorguard, aka the people I spent ALL my time with and love soooo much! Most of them are from Texas... I miss them!

Check out how tan I was by the end of the summer!

Even though I was all over the country this summer, I never felt too far away from home because there were always Butler friends around. Chris (the guy in the BU sweatshirt) is a drummer who marched with me for 2 summers in a row (and helped convince me to go to Butler!). Evan, in the middle, is also a music major at Butler and is the drum major for a different corps from South Carolina. This photo was taken right after he was named best drum major of all the corps in the nation! Go Bulldogs! : )

Drum Corps International Championships were in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl this year, so we got a day off to enjoy Cali. We spent an afternoon at Santa Monica Pier where MTV happened to be filming an episode of Next (see they bus behind us?) And yes, it is as fake as it looks on tv. The producers tell all the people what to say!

"Make new friends but keep the old"... even though I'm not home very much, I'm still close with some of the same friends I've had since junior high. Ashley (who goes to Augustana in IL) and Sarah (who goes to GWU in DC and took this picture) and I had a campout on my back porch before we all headed back to school in August.

Back at Butler, finally! Block Party is my favorite part of Welcome Week because you can find out about all the awesome student organizations. Here I am at the Butler Student Foundation (BUSF) table with Forrest (president) and Sara (secretary).

BUSF always helps out with Homecoming and this year Kate and I worked at Blue's Family Fun Fair - of course we had to test all the games ourselves before the kids got there!

My Big Sis Ariel was our Homecoming Queen candidate for Pi Phi. Here we are at the football game - she's the greatest!

Living up my nineteenth birthday with two of my best friends, Amy and Betsy.

Pi Phi and Sigma Nu teamed up to plant trees for Keep Indianapolis Beautiful this fall and had such a blast. My friends Jon, Ariel, Ross and I were an amazing team - we planted four trees and named them all after characters from Finding Nemo. This is Sharkbait!

Fall at Butler is so beautiful! I love our campus.

One of my favorite things about being a sophomore is getting a Little Brother for KKPsi. I first met Jimmy at camp when he was 16. Last year when I heard he was looking at Butler I was so excited that I did everything in my power to convince him to come here. Not only did he choose Butler, but he joined my fraternity and now he's my little!

The BUSF exec board puts so much hard work into creating a great experience for Butler students, alumni and prospectives, so it was so sweet that our advisor rewarded us by taking us along to Chicago to help with her conference. These three people with me are some of the most involved student leaders at Butler and I admire them all so much. I feel so lucky to consider them great friends, too!

Basketball was one of the greatest parts of 2007, and it looks like 2008 could be even better! "DAWG POUND! wooooooosh!"

Wow, 2007... my first full year at Butler and such an amazing one. So many great people, good memories, late nights, long days, and fun times.

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful 2008 and that I'll see some of you at Butler this year!