Search results matching tag 'class'

Shakespeare, Straight from London

ChristinaL — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:59:00 GMT

As a senior, I've finally reached that point in my English major career where I must spend copious amounts of time with Shakespeare, but lucky for me, the semester had been enlightened with real British accents and plays come to life.

Two of the actors from King Lear, courtesy of Butler's website

Shakespeare is not a required class for English Lit majors, but we do have to have an early English lit course, and I was not too keen on a whole semester of Milton. I decided that reading lots of Shakespeare would not only would fill me in on lots of random pop culture references but also make theatre-going easier for the rest of my life. My professor, Dr. Walsh is, in a word, obssessed with Shakespeare. He actually takes a group of about 20 students to England every year to attend Shakespeare plays and receive credit. I wish I could have gone on the Shakespeare Trip, but the timing's never worked out for me, so here I am stuck in the stateside version...

It's not so bad this semester, however, as the line between the stateside version and the England version grows blurry. About a month ago, The Actors From the London Stage, a group of five actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, came to campus as artists-in-residence for a week. They put on a production of King Lear, and they all visited lots of classes.

Usually artists-in-residence stay in the theatre department, but this time Butler Theatre shared the wealth with the English department, too! One of the very accomplished actors came to our class while we were working on Hamlet. We're used to just reading plays silently on our own for homework, but that day we worked on reading the play out loud. He showed us that the way the play is performed can drastically affect the meaning, and he actually had all of us read and perform as he coached us through it. It definitely put us out of our comfort zones, but how cool to say that we've been coached in performing Shakespeare by a renowned London actor? That was definitely a crazy experience for a Wednesday afternoon in class.

This week we had another amazing experience to enhance our class. Butler has ANOTHER artist-in-residence from the British Shakespeare scene, the internationally-acclaimed actor and director Tim Hardy. He is teaching classes for the theatre students and also directed them in The Merchant of Venice, which opened on Wednesday. We read Merchant earlier this semester in class, and I actually wrote my paper on it, so I was so excited that Hardy picked that play. My whole class got tickets to see it on Thursday night, which was especially fun since one of our classmates, a theatre major, was in the play!

I thought the interpretation was wonderful. It was a very different take on it than my initial reading (and probably a lot more modern), but I loved seeing how the same text could be read to create a completely different meaning. This is considered one of Shakespeare's most complex plays, because it deals with religious bigotry. so it is not clear what Shakespeare's attitude is toward all the characters. If any of you are familiar with the play, Hardy chose to make Jessica's subplot tragic because she realizes that in her quest to fit in, she bought into the anti-Semitism at the expense of her own father. It was very thought provoking, because we read the play a comedy but this interpretation ended with Jessica alone on the stage crying. All in all, a wonderful production!

I am always impressed by the Butler Theatre department, and encourage anyone reading this to check out one of their plays next time you're on campus. The Merchant of Venice has shows today and tomorrow, but it might already be sold out, so call ahead! Although I don't think I'll have the time to see it, I also want to plug another BU production this weekend: Into the Woods by the Lyric Theatre department in collaboration with Broad Ripple HS, the local arts magnet school. So many great shows going on, and only $5 for student tickets! I always feel so lucky to be surrounded by high caliber art on campus and in this city.

Q&A With A Butler University Parent

BUGuestBlogger — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:38:00 GMT

1. What was the college application process like for a parent?

Searching for the right university for your son or daughter can be a bit overwhelming. Lots of people and lots of websites are telling you what you should and shouldn't do. In the end, I think you have to listen to your student and listen to your instincts about who your son or daughter is and what they need to succeed as they move from high school to college. Make a "to do" list and just take each step as it comes.

2. What was the best part about the application process?

I have two daughters - one is a junior and one is a freshman - and they both independently handled their college applications. The best part of that process was standing back and watching them take control of the situation. They filled out the applications, worked with their high school guidance counselor to be sure transcripts were sent, wrote and submitted the necessary essays, and followed up with the admission offices to be sure their applications were complete. I also enjoyed seeing them compose the resume that's included with the application. I was so proud to see a comprehensive list of all of their accomplishments and I think they felt good sharing it with the university.

3. What was the most difficult part?

My oldest daughter did experience a slight glitch in the application process when some of her paperwork became separated from her application. She was in a bit of a panic and I offered her some advice - contact your high school counselor, contact your admission counselor, etc. It was tempting to jump in and do those things for her but I put the ball in her court and let her find a solution to the problem - which she did! Sometimes it's difficult not to take over and do those things for them but our kids are smart, capable people!

4. How many other schools did you look at?

Each of my daughters considered three schools. The oldest always had Butler at the top of her list and didn't really visit any other campuses. The youngest did visit all three schools but Butler also became her number one choice.

5. What made Butler stand out?

Of course, Butler has an outstanding academic reputation but several other things stand out to me. The people (faculty, staff, and students) are warm, friendly, helpful, and pleasant. When you visit campus, you see students smiling and laughing as they walk from class to class. You see professors waiving and chatting with their students in Starbucks, the dining hall, or in the courtyard. Also, Butler students have so many options and opportunities including 60 different majors and 135 clubs and organizations. Finally, I think the city of Indianapolis is a huge selling point for Butler. Whether students are looking for internships or job opportunities, entertainment or sporting events, museums or parks, healthcare or shopping, it's all at their fingertips in Indianapolis. It's a great place to live while pursuing a college degree.

6. What do you wish you would have known before you started the process that you know now?

I wasn't sure how the admission process and the financial aid process came together. I thought it would all happen at once but they are two separate things. First the admission letter is sent and then - six or eight weeks later - the financial aid package is sent. I think it's important to take your time and not rush the student to decide until you have all of the information. You don't really have to commit to the university until May 1^st and your enrollment deposit is fully refundable until then.

7. Is there anything you wish was different/easier?

I have to say that the FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is rather long and tedious but it's definitely worth completing. Your student may be eligible for aid you weren't aware of and it's also important to complete the form if you intend to apply for a student loan so you should set aside time to do that.

8. Any other advice that you have.

I guess I have two bits of advice...try to let your son or daughter be involved/in control of the college search and application process as much as possible. This is their future and they should have a hand in it. Offer advice but understand that they need to learn to manage their time and efforts because they'll be doing it on their own when they get to college. The second bit of advice is to enjoy this time with them and be excited and upbeat about what lies ahead. Try not to burden them with your anxiety or fears - it's perfectly natural to have them but you wouldn't want that to dampen your son or daughter's mood during this special time.

Butler University Homecoming 2009: A Dog's Eye View

butlerblue2 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:35:00 GMT

It's finally here, it's homecoming 2009! Much like Christmas day, a birthday, first day of summer vacation, or any other highly anticipated day or event, homecoming week is one of the highlights of my job as mascot. I just love how the campus always comes alive with energy amongst a beautiful fall backdrop. And just as there are great events, activities and offerings, there's even better reunions, renewed relationships and just people connecting with each other, their alma mater and/or this great university. Homecoming certainly is a special time.

As you could imagine, as mascot, I'm quite busy come homecoming week, although, I've spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday doing a lot of resting up by emphasizing a routine of lounging around the office and sleeping in anticipation for the hustle and bustle that is Thursday, Friday and Saturday of homecoming. Butler President, Dr. Bobby Fong only thinks he's busy this weekend...he should see my social calendar!

On Thursday I have just a couple of appearances including my annual photograph with the Butler University Board of Trustees...nothing like getting a little face time with the "Top Dawgs!" And while they may have the reins to this place, I think they know who really calls the shots...why else would they put me front and center in their picture?

Thursday is a fairly light day, all things considered, but in addition to the trustee photograph, I've got an interview about the annual Bulldog Beauty Contest and an appearance at the dedication ceremony and grand opening of the new College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences building on campus.

Before I get started on my homecoming responsibilities on Friday, I've got a little personal business to tend to with the annual "Blessing of the Animals" service put on by our neighbor, the Christian Theological Seminary. The ceremony is held in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi's love for all creatures and its officially celebrated on Oct. 4th, but CTS holds their service a couple of days early so that it's during the week. That's Friday, Oct. 2 at 1 p.m. in the CTS courtyard if you are interested in attending. I rather enjoy the event and frankly, I'll take a good blessing anytime I can get it!

After that, it's back to campus and back to work. There's a women's soccer match at 4:30 p.m. versus defending Horizon League champions Milwaukee in the Butler Bowl that's also an opportunity to support a very special cause... Cancer Awareness Day. Come out and support the Butler women's soccer team as it hosts its Cancer Awareness Day.

All fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of *** cancer awareness and the first 150 students in attendance will be able to attend a halftime tailgate, with each student getting a free hot dog, chips and a drink.

Friday's women's soccer festivities will begin with a ceremonial pregame coin flip featuring Butler women's basketball coach Beth Couture, who was diagnosed with *** cancer last spring. Couture, who has won 363 games in her career - including 105 at Butler - is set to have her cancer treatments completed in time to lead the Bulldog basketball team this season. The women's soccer team will also be wearing pink warm-ups. Also at halftime, the Bulldogs will honor Joy (Aschenbrener) Sweeney (1995-98), who was inducted into the Butler University Athletic Hall of Fame last spring.

I might just have to trade in my blue jersey for a pink shirt on Friday afternoon. I'm not one for pink, my name is "Blue" after all, but I am one for a good cause so I'll see what I can do.

Back across campus at 5 p.m. I have an open house to attend in the Fairbanks Building for the School of Journalism and then it's off campus I go to the home of our resident IndyCar driver and 2003 Butler grad, Ed Carpenter, as I've been contracted to do an appearance for his daughter's birthday party. I don't normally do that sort of thing, but it's a special friend and a special request, so I make exceptions.

After the birthday party, I'm headed home to host my grandparents who are coming into town and staying at my place. I'll also use that time at home to rest up and get ready for a big Saturday on campus. Meanwhile, I'll send my dad back to Butler in my stead to attend the President's Dinner...formal dinners aren't really my thing...that whole begging for food at the side of the table is considered faux pas, I guess.

On Saturday I can be found all over campus, whether riding in a Corvette for the parade, running the undefeated football team on to the field for their match against San Diego, showing my face at the young alumni Barktoberfest event, cruising the Butler Bowl parking lot for some handouts/table scraps at the tailgates or attending the volleyball game in the evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. It's sure to be a busy, but fun day.

And while all of that is well and good, perhaps there's one event that I'm most looking forward to...an event that makes Butler's homecoming different than any other homecoming. That event of course would be the annual Bulldog Beauty Contest!

You saw my post last month about the contest and it appears that my predictions were true as once again this year we are set to have our best competition to date! We have 74 dogs pre-registered for the event as of 9 a.m. on Oct. 1st and that's a new record. Last year we had a total of 75 dogs show up, including walk-ups, so we are certain to exceed that come this Saturday, Oct. 3rd at 10 a.m. !

Keep in mind this event is free and open to the public, so whether you have a bulldog to compete with or not, you definitely want to attend...and bring a camera! Who knew a bulldog beauty contest would be such the spectator sport?! We'll have increased seating this year (five sets of bleachers) for your viewing pleasure as well.

Held on the main mall, just south of Norris Plaza, these 74+ dogs (mostly bulldogs) will parade on a stage and catwalk and compete for the honor of being named the top dog in one of the following categories.

-Cutest Bulldog
-Meanest-Looking Bulldog
-Best Dressed Bulldog
-Best Dog Trick*
-Most Butler Spirit*
-Best Wannabe Bulldog*
-Oldest Bulldog
-Youngest Bulldog

-Best in Show*

Categories ending with an asterisk are the only categories open for non-bulldogs.

Keep in mind the "Best in Show" this year walks away with the grand prize of one year's supply of dog food provided by Eagle Pack Holistic Select Pet Food, WellPet, and City Dogs Grocery! That's a more than $600 value! Other category winners will take home prizes from City Dogs Grocery and all participants will receive a pack of Holistic Select Treats from Eagle Pack, WellPet and City Dogs Grocery. (a full list of sponsors is listed on the image below)

Oh, and we've increased our panel of judges this year from five to seven to include a couple of celebrities and our good friends at Indianapolis' ABC affiliate WRTV-6...morning weatherman and traffic reporter, Paul Poteet and Tom Davis.

Why Paul and Tom? Well, we thought they might be able to help us on the weather and traffic Saturday morning, but even more than that, we know these guys like to have a good time. Just visit http://www.paulpoteet.com/ and their "Off the Cuff" videos for proof.

I hope to see you on Saturday morning for our Bulldog Beauty Contest...trust me, you don't want to miss this event! If you can't make it, then hop online as I'm going to try and do a live twitter-cast of the event either at www.twitter.com/butlerblue2 and/or www.twitter.com/butleru.

So that's what my Homecoming weekend looks like, but of course, that's just a highlight of events during Butler's homecoming weekend...at least the ones that I'm involved with anyway. So for a complete listing, visit www.butler.edu/homecoming and take a look at the complete schedule of activities this weekend.

And if you can't make it back, I'll be tweeting my homecoming adventures at www.twitter.com/ButlerBlue2, so feel free to log on often for status reports and pictures!

Here's to a great homecoming weekend, filled with victories, reunions, good times and great weather!

Go Dawgs!

Blue II

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

BUJonathan — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:34:00 GMT

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Can I just say that I love fall! No, correction, I love fall on our campus. The end of summer does bring sadness, but at the same time I look forward to the possibility of a new academic year that includes fall!

There is nothing better than waking up early in the morning to go work out at the HRC. On the way out of my house always makes me realize that there is more to come within the year including the holidays. Starting school is not something people think as something of excitement, but here people get excited to see each other again.

I was awake the night before the start of class thinking how much of an exciting year I would have (especially with this being my Senior year). Finally, I fell asleep and woke up to a very hectic day. Since we always start school on a Wednesday I packed my bag and made my lunch like I have always done since the first day of kindergarten. I walked to class with my blackberry in hand and proceeded to my Income Taxation course.

Walking in the classroom brought a rush that we all feel the first day of school. Immediately I thought to myself, "Am I in the right classroom?" "Do I have the right textbook?" "Should I even be in this class?" Yet, all my fears were relieved when I sat down and just calmed myself down. Soon there after my professor walked in, and a weird feeling suddenly came over me. Some would call it focus; I call it instant gratification because as soon as I got the syllabus I knew I would love/hate this course. Even Though I knew it would be difficult I was determined to learn as much information as possible for my prospective law career.

After class I went to my on campus jobs, and I was really excited to see one of my best friends was working. Josie and I have been friends since we first met on campus, and it was great to see her super excited to start class. The first thing she made me do when I walked into the office was take a picture. The picture below is actually the one we took on the first day of class.

I left work, and then heading to my next class that I am actually sad to say I had to drop due to other commitments. I wanted to take another law class, but I found that the subject it was on was nothing that I was interested in since I am business major. So, I ended up dropping it, and I am happy I did because it opened up so much time on my end!

Lunch was up next on my schedule, and I was so excited to spend it with Josie again. I got ready for my next class at one, and Josie grabbed a latte from Starbucks and read the New York Times. It was funny because even though we were having our lunch together we really not even interacting. We liked to call it our business lunch.

After our business meeting, I headed to my last class of the day. I signed up for Investments because it is a required class, but quickly feel in love with the course. It is extremely exciting to learn about investing, and our professor has this simulator that teaches us how to become an investor. That is really what they mean when the College of Business says Real Life Real Business.

The first day of class ended, and I couldn't have had a better day. It was nice to be back on campus, but sad to think that my time here is almost over. Only fun should come out of this year. So, I will keep you posted!

What I Did Last Summer - The Summer Essay

butlerblue2 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:04:00 GMT

(This blog post contains no images…for photos and video, please visit the following websites: http://www.twitpic.com/photos/butlerblue2 andwww.youtube.com/butlerblue2.)

It’s late August (the last day in fact) and while, in my opinion, we should all still all be out hitting up bodies of water, golf course, outdoor amphitheatres, race tracks, or rolling on two wheels, enjoying a round of catch in the front yard, enjoying an afternoon nap in front of a fan and/or all of the other fruits of summer, instead we’re all hustling back to the halls and walls that hold us over the cold, dry winter months. We’re back to the rooms that hold as much knowledge and learning as they do daydreams and germs, but it’s the obligatory rite of passage in our lives as we know it, yes, it’s back to school time.

For my elementary, middle and high school counterparts, you’ve most likely done your settling in and by now there’s a good chance that your desk is already a mess, your locker stinks and you and classmates have worn the fresh wax of those hard terrazzo floors. We collegiate types like to put the return to campus off a bit more, like it should be (and much like I did my blog to this summer); and so the Butler Bulldogs returned to campus for the first day of class, last Wednesday, Aug. 26th.

At Butler, like most college campuses I would assume, the return to school is less dreaded than say at the secondary level. I wouldn’t know, I didn’t go to high school as I was a bit of a prodigy…going straight to college and all. But my parents went and they usually just groan when it’s referenced. But college on the other hand, now that’s some of the best days of your life and so why wouldn’t 18-23 year-olds want to leave their parents behind each summer to start a new season of fraternization and studies?

Combine that anticipated return to campus with a faculty and staff at Butler that’s a-buzz with the news that we’ve moved up in the U.S. News & World Report rankings AND our freshman class looks to be one of the best to ever step foot on campus!

Butler received its highest ranking ever of second in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report America’s Best Colleges. It is also Butler’s 21st consecutive year being among the top 10 in this category. For all of the scoop, head here: http://www.butler.edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=1256&z=22

And as for the freshman, well, we welcomed 958 freshmen when school began last Wednesday with a class slightly larger than the enrollment target of 915. The students making up Butler’s class of 2013 boast strong high school academic achievements and an average GPA of 3.74 (on a 4.0 scale). Eight are National Merit Scholars (up from 4 last year); one student is a National Achievement Scholar. Fifty-six of them were valedictorians; 19 were salutatorians. Twenty-nine are Lilly Scholars. More stats here:http://www.butler.edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=1252&z=22

So anyway, about my blog…um, yeah, well, you see, once I found out this past spring that Butler’s president, Dr. Bobby Fong was taking something called a “sabbatical” for the next three months, which involved him not coming to campus, leaving the country and putting someone else in charge, I said to heck with it. I figured that while Dr. Fong may run the campus, I own this place so if he can take some time off, then I can too.

Unfortunately, the guy I come to work with everyday, my dad, yeah well he doesn’t get these so-called “sabbaticals,” (I called him a fool for not working that one out in his contract.) so we still had to report to campus every day. That being the case I had to find at least something I could take a sabbatical from and so I chose the blog (and the web cam and Facebook).

I still came to work every day, I still tweeted on my Twitter.com account regularly (@ButlerBlue2) and posted a couple videos to my BlueTube (YouTube.com) channel, but that was about it. Otherwise, I laid low when it came to the new media and self promotion. However, while I may have not been on the computer much (and neither should you have been…it’s summer after all!) it wasn’t like I was leading a completely sedentary lifestyle. In fact, I did some pretty cool things and so to tell you all about it, I’m going to write a little back to school summer essay. I’m sure you know what I’m referencing and maybe have even had to write one or two of them in your lifetime.

Yep, it’s the “Here’s What I Did Last Summer” essay, by Butler Blue II. Have fun grading, errr, reading it.

June

The month of June was rather uneventful, and perhaps the most noteworthy item of the month was settling in to an empty campus. Late May and June always bring the promise of a fun summer and the harsh reality that it’s going to be a lonely campus. I like the summertime and I also enjoy the peaceful collegiate atmosphere that only summer can bring to a college campus, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I preferred the hustle and bustle of the students shuffling to class.

Otherwise, my month of June was filled with appearances for the Office of Admission, photo opportunities with young campers on campus for everything from sports camps, music camps and even writing workshops. I also had a couple of extended stays at my grandparents’ houses which were pretty fun too.

July

The seventh month of the year might have been one of the best for me so far this year and most certainly marked the highlights of my summer.

I’ll start with the pinnacle of my summer which was a fine purchase by my parents known as the Tail Wagon by Burley. The best way to explain this thing is like having my own chariot to ride in which my parents can either hook up to their bicycles and tow or push like a stroller. And trust me, when you’re a heavy bulldog with little short legs and a general difficulty breathing, this is the best way to go for a “walk.”

In fact, there’s only two things wrong with the Burley Tail Wagon…1.) I don’t get to ride it near enough and; 2.) my parents didn’t buy it for me sooner. Now, I’m not sponsored by Burley or anything, but that’s a gig I wouldn’t mind either. Hint, hint. Hey Burley people, if you need a spokesdog or even just some happy pooch to grace your product packaging, then hit me up!

The month of July was cool too. And by cool, I mean as in temperature. In fact, it was something like the second coolest July on record in Indianapolis and while that didn’t sit well with some, it was certainly quite welcome by me. Think about it, I’m stuck wearing this fur coat no matter the weather conditions!

So with the cool weather and a new toy in the Burley Tail Wagon, you would have thought that would have been beating the pavement at every opportunity. Well, I did get out quite bit, but only when I could pull my dad away from watching Lance Armstrong peddle the Tour de France on VERSUS-TV or put down a book he picked up called “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” by Garth Stein. It’s a book about dogs, and auto racing, two of my dad’s favorite things, and top that off with the fact that the book is written from a dog’s perspective, much like my blog, and he was hooked on every word.

On top of that, July 20 marked the 40th anniversary that famed astronaut Neil Armstrong and colleagues Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins crewed the first mission (Apollo 11) involving a lunar landing. My dad is a big space geek as well, so of course he was all about commemorating that event by watching and reading the media coverage.

So I spent a lot of time on the couch with my dad watching rockets, bicycles and reading about racecars which was all just fuel on my own burning fire of desire to test the limits of my Burley Tail Wagon.

I suppose that with all of the good that July brought there’s bound to be a little bad as well. The bad came in the form of broken glass. Long story short, my mom was driving our family’s new Honda Ridgeline and I was on the backseats, chilling out in my seat cover/hammock. And by “chilling out,” I mean I was fast asleep. While cruising along the highway, suddenly, and with no warning, our sunroof just exploded. No, it did not crack, we did not hit a bump, it just exploded. Shards of glass were everywhere as it covered me, my mom, and both the interior and exterior of the truck. Thankfully everyone was fine and after I was able to get vacuumed off later that evening, I was good to go. Unfortunately the folks at American Honda did not deem the failure of the glass to be a warrantable occurrence (I find that to be leaning on the side of unethical.) so they didn’t pick up the tab for the damage. The didn’t even spilt the bill, so my parents were truckless and a little lighter in the pocketbook for much of July, but that’s life I suppose.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Honda makes a wonderful product, but I pinned them as one to stand by their product just a bit more than they actually did. After all, while there are known cases of sunroofs exploding in their vehicles, it does appear to be rare and often times caused by a manufacturer defect. But I’m just a dog, so what do I know?

July also saw a couple of our Butler Bulldog student athletes bring home some new hardware in the form of gold medals! Yep, our own men’s basketball players, Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack won gold medals on behalf of the USA in the FIBA U19 World Championship in July. Not only that, but the pair were the talk of the team and represented Butler quite well. Read all about it:http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=967621

August

I was worried that with all the highlights brought about by July would leave August an absolute bore. But the “dog days of summer” did not disappoint either. In fact, August got started with a bang as 2003 Butler University grad and Vision Racing driver Ed Carpenter put on an impressive display of driving in the IndyCar Series’ race at Kentucky Speedway on August 1st.

Ed put on the drive of his young career by charging from a 14th starting spot all the way up to lead the race for 34 laps and eventually battle with Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske in an exciting ten lap duel which ended in Ed taking second by just 0.0162 of a second! It was Ed’s best finish and most laps led in an IndyCar event. Of course, my dad works part-time for the team so I have a vested interest in all of it, even outside of Ed being a Butler Bulldog. I was proud of all involved.

Summer Etcetera

The promise of another academic year and the students returning to campus is definitely something that I look forward to in August. The return of the students brings a buzz back to campus that even I can sense and pick up on; adding a pep to my step. My social calendar picks up immediately and my desire and need for attention is met by students who adore me, and/or miss their own doggie that they left at home.

Of course, there were other noteworthy summer highlights as well and include the usual activities like swimming in my kiddie pool, trips to my grandparents’ houses, frequent visits to local ice cream shops and outdoor dining facilities like Boogie Burger, Greek’s Pizzeria and Yats, which are all in the Broadripple area.

Summertime is also the anniversary of my annual health checkup and vaccinations. So I went to visit my pal and Butler grad, Dr. Kurt Phillips of Woodland Animal Hospital in Carmel, Ind. Dr. Phillips gave me a clean bill of health, but was a bit concerned about my propensity to walk gingerly from time to time, specially as I tend to stiffen up after a hard play or romp. While I’m only five years old, I am now considered to be middle-aged and VERY active for a bulldog, so he thought it might be wise to put me on some arthritis medication as a preventative measure.

Not only do I like taking the arthritis medication each day as my parents cover it with peanut butter to get me to swallow it, but it actually works too. A month or so after taking the stuff, I’m feeling like a young pup again! So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.

So that was my summer, or at least that was my summer as summarized in essay form. I hope you enjoyed it.

Stay tuned to the blog as now that school is back in session, I’ll be more diligent about updating it early and often. Also, don’t forget to follow my Twitter feed as well: www.Twitter.com/ButlerBlue2 as I’m updating that on a regular basis and including photos as well.

Here’s to summer days gone by and now a great 2009-10 academic and athletic year on the campus of Butler University. So far so good!

Blue II

P.S. For pictures and video of my summer adventures, head tohttp://www.twitpic.com/photos/butlerblue2 andwww.youtube.com/butlerblue2. Sorry, this post was already long enough without the imagery, so I just decided you can go check it out on your own.

The S Word...

ChristinaL — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:12:00 GMT

...stands for SENIOR. Also known as what I have officially become as of 5 pm Monday. But let's not say it too much, because the last few days and thinking about how little time I truly have left in college has gotten me even more stressed than finals.

I had no exams, but my finals this year were intense. I had a final paper to write for every class. Normally I like writing, but jamming this much into the end of the year, on top of a whole semester writing articles for my internship at NUVO Newsweekly? No longer fun.

In the end, I wrote about 40 pages (and did LOTS of research & prewriting) within about 9 days:

5 pages in Spanish analyzing the postcolonial/gender theories in the works we read about Hispanic "women on the road"

9 pages about Lolita for my American novel class - the last thing I turned in... I think I may have lost all brain power by that point.

9 pages arguing against a literary critic about The Tin Drum - definitely the most challenging one

18 pages about working women's role in the women's suffrage movement in New York City - definiely the most time consuming one. My room turned into a mini-library, with so many books for research...

I am just SO SO SO glad it's over. I feel like I have grown so much as a writer this year. I'm not sure whether that's coming from having to write in Spanish, or being challenged with new assignments, or the pressure of having to write professionally for my internship, but I have definitely improved... nevertheless, my improvements have made me really obsessive about my writing. I do SO much planning and outlining and I am never happy after one or two drafts. My final products may be better but I am spending a lot more time on them! Stressful. I am ready to take a break from writing...for like a week. Then I am back to work at NUVO.

Anyway, I had kind of a chill day after my papers were all turned in. I had to move myself out (my parents don't always come down to help me anymore... boo for getting older and more independent) which took the better part of Tuesday (but interrupted with breaks to watch the Real Housewives of NYC marathon. perfect for packing, and realizing that your life is NOT that dramatic. I had dinner with a few of the senior girls from Pi Phi (who I will miss ridiculously... there's that s word again! let's not talk about it because I'm in denial.)

Now I am back home in Chicago. My mom and I went out shopping today, but she took a wrong turn and we accidentally ended up having to turn around at O'Hare airport. That was especially weird because I started out this school year at O'Hare, boarding the plane to Spain for my study abroad semester. Now it's the end of the school year and here I am. It truly seems like September 1st was just a few weeks ago, but just thinking about how much my life has changed since then blows my mind.

I've been really nostalgic in general lately, but especially about Spain. The people I met there are so dear to me, and the experiences have shaped me forever. This semester, I feel like I've grown tremendously as a student and through my internship, especially... but I just haven't been happy the way I was in Spain.

I think I've had way too much on my plate and not enough free time to enjoy the things and people I love. I've had good times with so many people I love at Butler... but really, not enough, and I haven't been able to spend the time I wanted to with my family... even the ones just down the street on the east side of Indy. I haven't been healthy to my body... too many almost-all-nighters, too much soda and junky food, not enough exercise. I guess I just want something a little more simple and calm for next year. I don't know if I'm capable of doing that. Butler offers so many opportunities, and I'm just not good at saying no. But, I guess that's my challenge if I want to end out my career with a happy and healthy "s word" experience. I've got one year left. I need to be smart about it.

This summer is my chance to get started... I'll still be around Butler and blogging, so stay tuned and wish me luck!

I am officially a psychology nerd.

SarahG — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:42:00 GMT

One of the psych courses I've been taking this semester is Cognitive Psychology. This branch of psychology looks at mental processes, or how information is represented in the brain. Cognitive researchers examine how people think, perceive, remember, and learn. I guess when I think of the term "psychology" in general, this is the kind of stuff I think of... how our interactions with the environment are relayed in the brain. Going into the class, I didn't really know what to expect... I mean, it was just another requirement for my major! But now that the semester is nearly over I've realized how much I've actually learned. What's so cool to me is how much our lessons directly translate to everyday life. Several times per lecture I'll find myself thinking, "Huh. So that's how that works!"

For example, take the whole cell-phone-while-driving debate that is going on right now. Did you know it's not actually the task of holding the phone that's causing the problem? (Yeah, I didn't either!) It's diverted attention... your attention is being divided between two things: driving and talking, which impairs your ability to focus on the road, and delays your reaction time. So bluetooth devices don't even make a difference... interesting, right!?

Anyway, the reason I brought this up at all stems from a topic we covered in class the other day: inductive reasoning. We were discussing the ways people cognitively reason through problems and situations, and the mistakes and biases we fall victim to. One particular heuristic caught my attention that day... the confirmation bias. This refers to the tendency we have to selectively look for information that conforms to our hypothesis and overlook information that argues against it. The reason the confirmation bias stood out to me is because of an incident that happened over Easter weekend. I was out to dinner with my extended family when my uncle presented a problem to me. He and my younger cousins had been arguing over whether you actually have some "pull" to look at the clock when it's set at 9:11. I think we've all experienced this... I'll admit, every time I see the time 9:11 I think it's weird. But that's just the point! According to the confirmation bias, we notice evidence supporting our hypothesis and disregard the rest. Each time it's 9:11 you may think it's strange... but just think of how often you've looked at the clock when it's 12:52 or 3:14 and not taken notice... odds are just as likely!

So to all of you psychology majors out there... get excited for Cognitive! The BU psych department rocks, so even if you're in a different major but are still somewhat interested... sign up for intro and find out what it's all about!

PS: Sorry Phillip and Brett... your Dad was right!

PPS: I just read over this post and have to say... wow, I am a dork... I just got really excited about psych. Hence the title of this blog haha.

Race to the finish

ChristinaL — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:34:00 GMT

Hello everyone! What a CRAZY week it has been... I have alternated between nights of almost no sleep, trying to meet deadlines, and then nights when I slept for nine or even eleven hours straight, trying to catch up.

Here's is what's keeping me busy:

1) Course scheduling: I think this actually gets harder as an upperclassmen when I get to register first! The reason? SO many upper level classes are in the late afternoon/at night. Great for sleeping in. Not great for the fact that they overlap and I have to make tough choices about what to take.

As of right now, I am signed up for Philosophy of Feminism (requirement for my Gender Studies minor), American Women's Writing (my research seminar for English Lit), Hispanic Masterpieces (300-level survey course for my Spanish major) and Media & Cultural Criticism (will count for Gender Studies... but I'm mostly taking it because this is something I can see myself using in my writing career. For example, last night I went to a play downtown and I'm working on a review for it for my NUVO internship right now).

I know that's not a lot of classes (only 12 credit hours), but I can also get 3 credit hours for writing my honors thesis. I think it will be a good idea to block aside that time so I don't get too stressed writing my thesis! There is also a program I am considering where I could be a "writing fellow" and assist a professor with teaching their First Year Seminar class (part of the core curriculum) and help out the first year students with adapting to college writing. I already do this for my job as a Writer's Studio tutor, but it would be nice to get some classroom experience in case I decide to go to grad school and have to teach undergrads.

2) Volunteer work: takes up time... but is definitely the stress relief in my busy schedule.

For my Panhel position, I have been advising a group of new sorority members from all the houses called Junior Panhel. They have been hard at work planning a week of service projects and they went so well. We focused on helping different groups - on "Animal Day," sorority members went to the Humane Society and Animal Care & Control. On "Elderly Day" we went to nursing homes, and on "Kids Day" we went to after school programs. I volunteered for one of the nursing home projects and it was SO much fun! We did a craft with some elderly ladies and got to talk with them. They really love having activities scheduled in their days, and I like getting advice from people who have seen it all. My craft buddy, Pat, wants to tell all the women out there that it is VERY important to get a job with your own benefits - don't rely on a husband's benefits to support you in your retirement. Good advice! It was also so much fun to meet some Greek women from other sororities that I didn't know before. It was awesome that we could all come together and make new friends while supporting a great cause. Snaps to the freshman women who planned these excellent opportunities!

On Friday, several brothers from my band fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi, spent the evening remodeling our band storage room in Hinkle Fieldhouse. We had to dismantle the old shelves, carry the heavy scrap wood a long way to the dumpster, and then build the new shelves that we had raised money to order. It was definitely a learning experience... we had three shelving units to assemble, and we did each of them in a different way! It took a while, but we were really proud to have finished this project - it will be a huge help for all the band and cheerleaders who use this room regularly. Here are some before and after shots:

3) HOMEWORK! There is so much to do!

I have spent a good chunk of this weekend (whenever I wasn't catching up on my sleep) reading and doing research. I am reading novels for two of my literature classes and a very dense history book. It is fascinating though, because it's about immigrant working women in New York who organized all the factory workers to demand unions and better wages and rights for working women. I am also in the middle of doing research on these women, because I'm writing a big paper about how these women contributed to the women's suffrage cause. They were very inspirational ladies! If this interests you, I recommend the book we're reading: Common Sense and a Little Fire, by Annelise Orleck.

So, these things have been keeping me busy, and I have a meeting and event packed week ahead of me. April at Butler is always crazy busy, but a good time. I hope I can keep a decent balance between work, fun and sleep this week/ For now, I'm going to get back to that theatre review, find some dinner and then more research/reading.

To my high school senior readers, I know that this can be a stressful time in your life, too, as you try to make a college decision, so if there are any questions I can answer for you, please send me a message or comment here. Good luck!

So, what's this early registration thing?

ChristinaL — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:07:00 GMT

Hey everyone! I always know that it's getting close to the end of the year when Early Registration starts and our campus is full of parents and high school seniors every Friday. It always makes me smile to see the next generation of Bulldogs!

Since some of you are probably coming to Early Reg soon, I asked my friend Michael to talk to you guys about what Early Registration is all about. He is one of the students who is planning your orientation for next fall! You'll see him on some of the panels or giving tours at Early Reg days, so feel free to say hey and tell him you saw him on YouTube. He's a friendly guy : )

(Please visit the site to view this media)

When I came to Early Registration as a freshman, I wasn't even sure that I wanted to go to Butler. I was still really torn between here and Wash U in St. Louis, and I didn't know how to make the big decision! Early Reg definitely helped me to get a better feel for the professors and the campus and I think it swayed my decision a little bit! A lot of Early Reg is just info sessions for you and your parents, because there IS a lot you need to know about becoming a college student. You can also do other typical campus visit stuff like take a tour, shop for new Bulldog gear at the bookstore, or try out some of our campus food options.

However, the most important thing that happens at Early Reg is signing up for classes! I loved this, because I got to sit down with the Head of the English Department and ask ALL my questions (you better believe I had a lot!). He helped me choose my classes for Fall 2006 (gosh I'm old!) and his recommendations for classes and professors all turned out to be great. It was cool, because he remembered me from Scholar's Forum when I came to interview for my scholarship, and so he really knew who I was and talked to me about how much all the professors wanted me to be a part of the Butler English Department. That made a huge impression on me when I was making my choice, and I'm glad it did. At some other colleges I visited, the profs acted like I was lucky to even be there, but at Butler, every day my professors show up excited that they have the opportunity to teach us... that's what they like to do!

Dr. Watts was also very helpful in introducing me to other students and faculty in the Department. He found an English 185 class and a freshman Honors Class for me to sit in on so I could meet students around my own age (and some of those people I met that day - who are seniors now - are good friends of mine today! kind of cool to think back on...). He also introduced me to a senior English major who was a tutor in the Writer's Studio (aka the campus job I have now) and she sat down on the Studio couch with me and answered ALL my questions for at least an hour. Every little thing. That's how much people love our department and this school and want to share it with new students.

So basically, I just want to encourage all of you to get the most out of your Early Reg day! If there is something you need that will help you make your college choice, ask for it! Go visit your potential department and talk to students and professors that have some free time or are waiting around for a class to start. These people will answer your questions honestly and give you all the details that your Admission counselor or tour guide don't know. Actually, feel free to approach anyone at Butler and ask them a question - we are friendly people, I promise.

Oh, and a few words of registration advice... if you are not a huge science fan, take Genetics and Evolution! A lot of it is about ethics which I found fascinating and our "labs" were not too science-y (although we did have to breed fruit flies for a month!). And if you get invited to the Honors Program, take an Honors class. It's a good way to meet other very cool freshmen and the topics are fun. And don't stress out if you get 8 am classes. You probably get up even earlier than that now for high school, so no big deal, and I PROMISE that by the time you are a junior or senior you will have days like I do with no class until 4 pm or free Fridays. If you have other questions about registration or a specific professor's style, you can always message me and I'll tell you what I know!

I also hope to meet some of you soon in person, because I am going to be sitting on a few panels at Early Registration days with the other Student Orientation Guides. If you see me, please come introduce yourself and say hello! It makes my day. Hope to meet you soon!

What I Learned from Studying Abroad

ChristinaL — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:58:00 GMT

Although I’ve been back in the States for about two months now, I still find myself thinking about study abroad on almost a daily basis. Almost everything reminds me of something from Spain. I talk about my experience in my classes all the time! It is ridiculous how much you can learn about the world in 4 months.

I am taking a Comparative Lit course this semester, and I think I mention something I learned in Spain at least once per class (three times a week! yeah, my class is sick of me haha). During one class period, I was able to draw on knowledge from three of my four classes in Spain (Spanish History & Civilization, Great Masters of Spanish painting and 19^th Century Spanish Short Stories)… and we are studying India in Comp Lit. Learning about one country in depth makes it so much easier to understand other foreign cultures.

Spain has also been on my mind because last week the three Pi Phis that were in the Alcala study abroad group (me, Rebecca and Chelsea) gave a presentation to our sorority house about our experiences. We told a lot of funny stories, but I tried to make it a little more educational by reading my sisters this list I made on the plane ride home from Spain. I hope this helps to give you a better idea of what studying abroad is all about and why it is so important!

Shooting the arrow (our Pi Phi symbol) at a Templar church in Soria, Spain.

What I have learned from studying abroad:

There is so much out there that I don’t know about! For example, this year I have discovered the European Union, Spanish politics, history, literature, etc. If I lived twenty years without knowing about all these interesting things, just imagine how much there still is to learn about in the world. I’m just getting started.

Being a tourist has helped me realize that there are fascinating things to see everywhere! It’s not just Europe. I will definitely take more advantage of all the cultural opportunities in my hometowns, Chicago and Indy.

I now have a very strong desire to be multilingual. I am definitely on my way to being bilingual in Spanish, but after I met so many people who speak three or more languages and then I fell in love with France (I speak no French), I became anxious to add more languages to my repertoire. They say the third language is easier to learn than the second! Let’s hope it’s true.

I definitely have an increased love of talking to strangers and trying to learn from absolutely anyone I meet. Take the bus. Sit next to a stranger. Say hello… and get ready to meet the coolest people in the world.

Rebecca and me and Jose - a Guatemalan UMass alum with a Boston accent who returned to Spain with the book his Spanish ancestors wrote about their move to Guatemala. Basically one of the coolest people I've EVER met. He taught me all about the corruption in Guatemlan politics and the non-profit he started to help kids on trash heaps. We met him on a bus....Talk to strangers.

I’ve learned how to do what I want - not just what other people tell me is best or what they want from me. I’ve gotten better at listening to myself and my needs. I need to go to sleep at 9:30 pm on a Saturday? Okay. I am sick of art museums and churches and cannot handle looking at every single painting in Paris? No big deal. No guilt. Sometimes you just have to do what will make you happiest and not what seems like the cool or sophisticated thing to do.

I have found my independence. If I don’t take care of me in Europe, who will?! There is nothing like being halfway across the world from your parents to help you grow up.

I am not so uptight! Everything will be okay in the end. We miss buses, we buy the wrong ticket, we get sick…but now I just stay calm and let it be. There are some things I can’t control, and that is okay.

I am not so afraid of looking stupid. My friend Jared really helped me with this one in the beginning when I saw him speak terrible Spanish to anyone with no qualms (we were all pretty much terrible, but I was way more shy!) and even go to an old-woman-aerobics class with me. Everyone looks like an idiot sometimes – especially in a foreign country. That’s okay. You learn from it, you laugh about it, and you move on. If you don’t risk looking stupid every once in a while (or every day, in my case), you will miss out on so much.

My Spanish is SO much better. I couldn’t even remember “DINERO” when I got on my plane to Spain and now I could probably hold a conversation with anyone on the street and more or less read a newspaper or books.

I have a genuine interest in art… and now I actually know something about it! (I was a huge art museum nerd in Madrid – you have to be with three of Europe’s greatest art museums all within 10 minutes of the downtown train station!

I actually like wine now and will try almost anything to eat… seriously! even the slimy-looking clams covered in lemon juice that my friend’s host mom made us. And guess what? They were amazing!

fabada = bean stew with blood sausage - one of my favorite Spanish dishes!

I appreciate hanging out with myself and the beauty of down time. One of the greatest and worst things about college life is that you are always surrounded by your friends… Spain gave me some time to go solo. It was nice to know that I can have so much fun on my own, and to get inside my own head and have time to think. There is also something to be said for not being SUPER busy like I always am at Butler. I found myself just walking around town, enjoying the trees and the buildings and watching the people and smiling at how beautiful the world is when you take the time to slow down and look at it moving by. I think for the rest of my life that will be my gauge of happiness; when you walk around and find yourself smiling all the time for no reason other than you love being alive, then you know you are truly happy!

I think I have a lot more options for my life after college. My Spanish university has a graduate program for foreign students called Teach & Learn where you can come back and get a master’s degree in multicultural education while working as a teacher in a Madrid school… and they pay you for all this! I will definitely consider this and any other option that will take me back to Europe. I know living abroad has to be part of my life in the future.

This was my second time living abroad, and yet I learned so much more in 4 months than I ever expected. Studying abroad is scary, and exciting, and liberating and messy and comical and amazing in ways you will never expect.

When I was trying to plan my study abroad semester during the spring of sophomore year, there were times when I thought I didn’t want to go. The application seemed like too much work, or I was scared to speak another language, or I just couldn’t bear the thought of everything I would leave behind at Butler. But, I remembered what my AP Lit teacher in high school told me: her greatest regret from college was not studying abroad. She said that was the one thing she would urge all of us to do.

Whenever I thought of not going to Spain, I remembered Ms. Hitzeman’s advice, so listen to me now and remember this when you start to make excuse or have doubts:

STUDY ABROAD! It will change your life.