Search results matching tag 'friends'

The Shame Game

BUCathryn — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:37:00 GMT

I quit NaNoWriMo. It was killing my soul to do it and it's killing my soul not to do it, but I had to choose the path that would prevent me from causing physical harm to inanimate objects during Thanksgiving break. In a strange turn of events, I've been doing a whole ton of other writing, which has been fun and refreshing after a long drought. I'm still going to be NaNoSuMo-ing (National Novel SUPPORTING month!) Olivia and the few others I know who are doing it. :)

Also, biochemistry pop quiz today. Rough. 16 questions. So not cool. I really needed a few moments with Cute Overload after that.

Once I get past the immunology test Wednesday and somewhat prepare for my Top 200 drugs quiz Friday, it's time for BREAK! As usual I'm ready to go home and sleep in every day! Curtis and I already have our Saturday planned for Steak n Shake. Why? I don't know. He has coupons. And I haven't eaten there in a while. Classy!

This past weekend was relaxing. I did little to nothing. My friend Diane and I hit up Shalimar in Broad Ripple for their lunch buffet on Friday. Delicious. I really enjoy good Indian food, and I enjoy eating too much of it in one sitting even MORE. I highly recommend the vegetable samosas and chicken tikka masala. Despite it being almost midnight, I could eat all of that right now.

I have nothing else exciting to report. Oh, I got my pharmacy intern license! Prepare to see me in a white coat behind counters doing legitimate pharmacy things! (Scary.)

Ballet, bagels, and other things that start with B

BUOlivia — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:09:00 GMT

Studio Dress was yesterday--the Nutcracker has finally been assembled! Now come the daily run-throughs. Maybe I'll put a schedule up of what we did during Studio Dress, but now I want to talk about my friend's birthday and what's going to happen today.

So my friend turned twenty! It was incredibly exciting. We went to the near-by Broad Ripple and ate dinner at Ripple Bagel and Deli. I had a hard time deciding what to pick, because the store looks like this:

That's not even the full menu, since I couldn't fit it all in one shot. You can also order the items that are written on pieces of paper tacked up around the blackboard, so the possibilities are sort of overwhelming. But I decided on the Blonde Bombshell, a turkey and lettuce sandwich with veggie cream cheese and not-creamed cheese. I put it on an apple bagel, and they steamed it (their signature thing-y), and it was awesome.

We also got cupcakes from The Flying Cupcake.

Today we are driving to Chicago with Sigma Rho Delta (honorary dance fraternity) to see Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. So I've got to get a move on, but you can watch this video if you want to know more about one of the pieces we'll be seeing.

Didy Veldman Rehearsal Video from Caleb Custer on Vimeo.

Pumpkins are for Parties

ChristinaL — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:16:00 GMT

Dressing up in costumes is the most renowned college Halloween festivity, but I am here to make a case for an under-appreciated seasonal favorite: carving pumpkins, an activity beloved by social chairs of college clubs everywhere.

It seems that every organization I am in decides to host a pumpkin carving party at some point, so I thought this noble activity deserved its very own post.

Just a few reasons of the many reasons to love pumpkin carving:

1. You can adapt pumpkin carving to any theme. This year, my band fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi, had a pumpkin carving brotherhood event, and almost all the pumpkins featured our letters or our motto. When I was a sophomore and we carved pumpkins for the literary magazine, of course my pumpkin masterpiece was the Bard himself, Shakespeare!

2. Pumpkins bring people together. When I was a freshman, my friend Nancy and I brought home a pumpkin we had carved at BUSF Fall Retreat. It was the birthday of this girl we both knew named Betsy, so Nancy and I decided to give Betsy our pumpkin. It turns out that Betsy LOVES pumpkins and considered that to be the perfect birthday present. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, and four years later Betsy is one of my closest Butler friends. This year to celebrate her last Butler birthday, I decided to throw back to freshman year and carve her a pumpkin - this time with a 22nd birthday theme. The best part about comparing the two pictures (then and now, respectively)? Betsy is wearing the exact same sweatshirt in both! ha.

3. You get to make a mess and play with the gooey pumpkin guts. College often seems to be about reconnecting with your inner child before heading out into the big bad real world.

4. Pumpkin seed snacks for later!

5. Holiday hype makes everything more fun, and after being in Spain last year, I can tell you that the American Halloween is a very unique experience. Embrace our cultural traditions, even if it does sound a little weird to explain carving large orange produce into works of art.

Happy Halloween!

My whirlwind weekend: rehearsal, writing, and Boy Scouts... I should write about Boy Scouts

BUOlivia — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:33:00 GMT

Writing the words "writing" and "Boy Scouts" next to one another made me realize I should somehow include Boy Scouts in my NaNoWriMo novel.

I'm wearing my beautiful new NaNoWriMo 2009 shirt. (Thanks, Dad!)

That's right. It's November 1, and it's a mark of how much I enjoy blogging that I'm writing here instead of in the little, five-page fledging word document (known now simply as "NaNo 09") that is my newest literary adventure. For those of you who missed the last time I talked about NaNoWriMo, here are the basics:

Write 50,000 words in the month of November.
It's quantity, not quality, that counts.
You win if you write the required number of words: I've participated for the past four years and won the last two.
This a worldwide event, with participants everywhere from Austria to China to Indianapolis.
My NaNo novel is shaping up to be a series of vignettes using a connected cast of characters to tell a larger story about an intergalatic crisis involving migraines, gravity, and wasting time.
I'm going to meet Cathryn in thirty minutes in Starbucks to write some more.
I already have 2523 words! (You need 1667 a day.)

Oh, and the whole Boy Scouts thing? I was a Boy Scout for Halloween last night. I wore my Dad's neckerchief and neckerchief holder-thing and my grandfather's Boy Scout jacket. I even learned the Boy Scout salut, handshake, and sign. I carried a penknife. I had a backpack. It was pretty much awesome. My friends were characters was varied as a cowgirl, Little Red Riding Hood, Regina from Mean Girls, and an adorable babushka.

We went to one of the fraternity's haunted houses--it was really intense. I basically dragged everyone through (because I didn't really want to linger, not because I'm brave), pretending I wasn't freaked out so they wouldn't target me and, well, I wouldn't be freaked out. Lots of fun!

Then this morning I helped out with the Butler Catholic Community's Family Weekend mass.

Now it's back to my fledging pages of poorly written prose!

Go Laguna Lodge! (That's what's on my neckerchief.)

[View:http://go.butler.edu/cs/themes/hawaii/utility/:550:0]

The Great Pumpkin Slaughter of '09

BUCathryn — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:48:00 GMT

Because we pharmacy kids get no social time whatsoever (HA! just look at all of the Facebook browsing in class!), Lindsey and Kelsey invited me over for pumpkin carving.

Thankfully, Meijer labels things, otherwise I would have thought I was purchasing an orange. (Note the ridiculous battlescar. My pumpkin is a warrior!)

Let me just say that we all purchased massive pumpkins. And we were a little unsure of how to get started.

What's that, Lindsey? Should we find a BIGGER KNIFE?

I'm not having any luck either. Random note: all of those papers up the hall are an extensive layout of metabolic pathways for biochem. Oh Kelsey, you are a beast.

With a variety of kitchen utensils and those seemingly worthless carving knives, we got into the guts of our pumpkins and went to town. Kelsey chose an ambitious Edward and Bella portrait to carve and Lindsey had a super-secret design that Kelsey caught a glimpse of while washing her hands at the sink. Lindsey's super-secret design: a mortar and pestle! She'll be a great pharmacist one day. :D

Two (count 'em) TWO hours later, my Pokeball was almost complete.

Gotta catch 'em all.

Those little carving knifes are the best, but for some reason the carving pack it came with didn't include one of those pokey sticks that helps score the skin of the pumpkin. By the time I was done with my Pokeball, my thumb was numb from the vibrations of sawing through that giant pumpkin. Ouch.

To top off the night, we made some delicious pumpkin seeds. All in all, a successful Halloween activity! Go team pharmacy!

Why I love marshmallows

BUOlivia — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:39:00 GMT

The weather = gorgeous. Despite the rain, I've been enjoying the great outdoors because it's been warm enough to venture out in jeans and short sleeves. And since the rain held off last night, it was just about perfect for roasting marshmallows!

S'mores? In a residence hall? Sort of. I've told you about the FIRs for my wing in ResCo. If you're confused, go here. If you're intrigued, go here.

Anyway, Deb and Mike were kind enough to host a s'more-making/hot-dog-eating gathering on their patio outside their apartment in my residence hall. It was a lot of fun--I love marshmallows. In fact, I adore marshmallows.

Marshmallows are like childhood. We always used to camp up in Pennsylvania, and we also had a chiminea on our porch, so my family well versed in marshmallow roasting. Besides trying all the fun tricks like catching it on fire, seeing how many layers you can make, and putting chocolate or peanut butter on them, marshmallows are symbolic of a carefree courage, the type of courage that lets you see how close you can get your marshmallow to the coals without it catching on fire, but if it does catch, it doesn't really matter, because, hey, you're a child and carefree and the marshmallows still taste awesome.

My friend likes marshmallows too.

I stayed for quite a while last night. It was nice to see all the different people I live with outside their little study-holes. We joke that we live in the dancer wing of ResCo because there are a lot of dance majors. And sure enough, some more showed up to join in the chocolate-marshmallow goodness.

Chocolate marshmallows? Oh, yes. To make, insert a piece of chocolate inside the marshmallow. Roast. The chocolate melts in the marshmallow and is pretty much the best thing since anything was ever invented.

Since, I'm not making sense anymore, I'm going to stop typing soon. Basically, I went and roasted marshmallows on a lovely late-October day with the lovely FIRs with my lovely friends. And it was all lovely.

What I miss most

BUTaylorM — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:40:00 GMT

College is great. You'll hear that from everyone, even me, but I would be lying if I said there weren't things I missed about high school and life before college. What I miss most is:

-Books. Not school books but novels and stories. Sure, I read them for class and such but I rarely find the time to sneak in a good novel in between working and school and such. It's really heartbreaking, especially for me- the english major. I long for a hot cup of tea, a warm bed, a good novel, and time to enjoy the three. I long for breaks and weekends where I can find that lovely moment.

-Pets: I miss my cats and my dog, more than I realized I would. Pets are always so happy to have you around. That is one of the greatest feelings, hands down.

-Fireplaces: I know this is going to sound strange but, at my house, during the fall we always have a fire going. I miss the smell of crackling wood and homemade bread. I miss the smell of home, the familiarity of what fall used to be.

-Baking/Cooking: My mother will say I am a terrible cook but... I try. I really miss making my own sandwiches, salads, veggies, and cupcakes (which I am notorious for). There is something I find so gratifying in making my own food... it makes it that much tastier! Sure, there are ways to cook here on campus but... it's not the same. Here it is for sustenance rather than enjoyment.

Most of all, I miss my friends. I have the greatest friends and being away from them makes me realize that even more. The hardest part is trying to keep up with what is going on in their lives. It's hard to stay connected when my friends and I are on such very different paths. My closest friends are still in high school, enjoying the fun and everlasting senior moments. Some times, I think I am supposed to be in high school with all of them (I did skip a grade so... technically, I should be). Luckily, I live close enough that I can drive home and go to our Starbucks, our place and get a great big hug from Ashley, a good story from Katie, and a smile from Kevin.

When I first came to college, I sort of had this mentality that I needed to make new friends. Sure, you do and you should if you want to have fun in college and make it worthwhile but... whoever said you had to get rid of the old ones? Maybe they are some of the best friends you'll find. Who ever said those people, the people who shape you, need replacing?

My day at the airport: the world grows smaller every day

BUOlivia — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:14:00 GMT

Fall Break! I'm typing this in the lovely town of Richmond, Virginia. If you want to know more about this totally awesome place, you can watch this video my parents showed me the other week, which is pretty much the bee's knees.

Anyway, it's been raining lightly/misting/sprinkling ever since my plane touched down on Wednesday night. "It's a London fog," my dad told me, in a shaky, faux-Ulster accent.

But I'm not here to tell you about the weather in Richmond. I'm here to tell how the world shrinks a little every day. The stages of reduction:

I found, through idly comparing stress levels in the Butler Starbucks, that I was taking on the same flight as one my dance friends! My cousin drove us both to the airport on Wednesday after ballet class.
Once at the airport, we saw two junior dance majors having an early dinner. We joined them.
After they left, and we were contemplating our plates of French toast, who should show up but another sophomore dancer? "Over here!" we yelled, and the three of us had dinner together.
We went to sit at our gate. As I was adjusting my luggage, I saw a familiar head... A sophomore dance minor. She was on our flight too, and was actually in the row in front of me. Funnily enough, she had even told my roommate the day before that she could give me a ride to the airport if I needed one...

So we all flew back down South together. There's something about plane rides that inspire confidences, a complete sense of camaraderie. We shared some Indy style popcorn together. Carmel and cheese. I highly recommend it. Here's a picture of us as the plane touched down in Charlotte.

And now you know how the airport basically served as a Butler Ballet reunion.

Happy 18th Birthday to me!

BUTaylorM — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:40:00 GMT

I am 18! How exciting! I started off this very important day with a shower... I don't know why I am sharing this with you but... alas, I am. I had class from 9-12 and had lunch with the girls. I took time to watch, embarrassingly enough, the Hannah Montana movie (I cannot believe I am admitting this. It may be removed upon further judgement). At this point, I am doing anything to avoid homework or studying or anything of the academic sort.

I think I am still in the childhood mindset that birthday's are supposed to be some huge extravaganza. Birthdays are supposed to be filled with fun and parties and sweets and no cares or worries, right? Well, I suppose, in a college-y way, it was. I had more wall posts on my facebook than I care to share (thanks friends!), lovely Katie S. made me a card (thanks, girl!) and my dear friend Laura bought me cake and peppermint ice cream (she knows me TOO well). Once again, I am finding college's little moments really mind blowing. Every time I find myself doubting anything, my unit friends seem to pull me back together.

On my 'birthday' high, I made a list of goals for my upcoming college years (like a new year's resolution...only on my birthday) and I have decided to share it with you in hopes that you all will keep me motivated to stick to my goals!

Have a 3.5+ GPA this fall semester-- after that, hopefully, it's all looking up
Apply for the Honors Program (I got in at admission but failed to turn in the application on time... how foolish of me)
Study abroad (Spain or London, please)
Get a job at Borders/Barnes & Noble (I am an English major, after all)
Intern/work/volunteer at a library
Become a big sister (and I don't mean my parents have another kid... haha)
Rush/Pledge --If I don't do it, I'm afraid I'll regret it.
Read a book (not for school) every 1-2 weeks
Get ahead; Don't fall behind
Make someone's day everyday

I think these goals are realistic and I am going to try my hardest to attain them. In writing these goals on this very important birthday, I vow to follow through.

What I wish I knew then that I know now...

BUTaylorM — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:04:00 GMT

Let me start this off by saying that it finally feels like fall. It's lovely. As I look back on all the time I have already spent here, I thought of all the things that I have learned in the past few weeks... thing I wish I had known before I started school. I don't want to leave everyone in the dark so I will shed light on some burning, prospective students' questions.

1. Flex-Dollars/Dawg Bucks/Meal Plan(s)

I am not going to sugar coat it. As an incoming student, meal plans are confusing. I had no idea what flex dollars were, what dawg bucks were, if they were the same thing, or how to use them. Flex Dollars are points, essentially, that come when you get your meal plan. I, for example, have a 240 meal block plan and it comes with $150 flex dollars. The 240 meals can be used at Atherton or ResCo dining halls (or through the C-Club Meal exchange, which I will explain in a minute.) and they last for the semester. I have, honestly, had trouble getting to meals at Atherton because I have a busy schedule and, often, I don't worry about my meals. Flex Dollars last only for the semester and don't roll over. Dawg Bucks do. Also, Dawg Bucks are something you buy to supplement your flex dollars if you go through them quickly. You can use your flex dollars/dawg bucks at C-Club, Starbucks, or the Zia juice bar in the HRC (health and recreation center). *see below for useful sites about meal plans*

2. C-Club Meal Exchange

I love the meal exchange. It is available from 4:30-9:30 PM at C-Club. Basically, you get yummy food like wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas, or chicken strips with a side and a drink and it counts as one of your meals rather than deducting from your flex dollars. If this weren't an option and I went to C-Club as often as I do, I would be out of flex dollars already. This is something I highly recommend you use as an incoming student.

3. Wi-Fi/Internet Access

Before I came to Butler, I was unaware of the fact that the campus in its entirety is not wireless. However, don't let this deter you from Butler. Schwitzer Hall now has wireless internet (Ross Hall does not) and buildings like Jordan, Gallahue, Holcomb, and the Pharmacy building have wireless, too. The thing is... Butler is an old campus (that was something that attracted me to the campus) and things like wireless and air conditioning are hard to install in the beautiful old stone buildings but like I said we are on our way to a wireless campus. In all honesty, I haven't had too many problems with internet connections or any of that.

4. Homecoming/High School-like Events

Currently, Butler is having Homecoming Week. It's really exciting as the sidewalks are covered in chalk... a huge thing here at Butler (if you need to know what's going on, just look where you're walking). Just this past weekend, there was an '80s dance. I wasn't really aware that there are still dances, homecoming, and clubs like high school. If that is something you were afraid of losing from high school, fear not! It is still here! If that is something you thought would go away, fear not! You don't have to go to Homecoming... there are plenty of other things to do. College is kind of awesome like that.

5. Dry Houses versus Wet Houses

A dry house is a fraternity/sorority that cannot have alcohol on its premises. All the sororities and one of the fraternities are dry houses. Now, for some that may sound like a terrible thing. What's college without parties, right? Well, I am not condoning underage drinking whatsoever but WHEN you are of age, there are places to have a good time. The nice thing about dry houses is that they are, generally, a lot cleaner. Without alcohol, there aren't parties where the house gets trashed.

6. Greek Life

Like I said above, we have wet and dry houses. Another thing I didn't know, specifically regarding Butler, is that Butler's sororities/fraternities are not off in their own little world. There isn't a divide between the 2 groups. In fact, there is a club, Independent Council, that serves to join the 2 groups together: Greeks and Non-Greeks. Also, because Butler is not a large state school... you won't find the groups separated. Campus is united... something I didn't know. Another thing that is really great about the Greek system here at Butler is that you don't rush until your second semester (unlike Purdue and Ball State where bid day has come and gone). This allows you to really get to know the houses, the girls, and Butler's campus in general. You won't have to make a rash decision because you have no time. Awesome, no?

7. Hall Commodities

Things Schwitzer Hall has that I didn't know about:

-Kitchenette for each unit (microwave, sink, recycling bins)

-Kitchen with stove/oven in basement

-Movies/kitchen utensils, pots, and such

-Ice machine

-Laundry Room

-Computer Lab

-Study Rooms

-TV lounge

Granted, you will see/hear a lot of this if you go on a tour or to information sessions but still... it's nice to know that you really don't need a microwave in your room. It's all there at your disposal. Who knew?

8. Club involvement

Something I learned really quickly here at college is that you do not want to get overly involved with clubs because the meetings will overlap and it's not worth it. It is more useful and tactful to choose a few clubs to get really involved in and focus on them. Granted, that is just my opinion and there will be other people that tell you otherwise but I have always found my time to mean much more to an organization when it is focused and not worrying about other things (if that makes sense). To each his own, I suppose.

8. Free Stuff/Free Events

5 words: College students LOVE free stuff. It's everywhere. Find it and get it! You'll never need a pen or notepad ever again and pizza will never taste as good unless it is free.

9. Laundry

I am not going to lie to you- laundry is expensive. If you have 5 loads of laundry, it will end up costing $10+ if you wash and dry it. If you do your laundry at a busy time, like Sunday, then you will have to wait. Either way, laundry can take forever. Some tips that I have found useful are

Only wash what you need (if it's something you won't use for awhile, let it sit in your basket until you can take it home)
Make a makeshift dryer in your room using a drying rack and fans
Watch your laundry 24/7. Take your books/laptop and work while you wait.
Moms will help with laundry (THANKS MOM!)
Sort your clothes before you get there.
Fold clean clothes in your room (the laundry room can get a little gross... same goes for above).
Get the most out of your money... don't wash small loads because it will cost the same either way.
This is what I do while waiting:

I would like to credit my unit friends: Bethany R., Bethany G., Laura S., Lexi C., and Megan R. with giving me some extra ideas and thoughts on BU.

Hope this was useful, Dawgs.

P.S. Meal Plan info:

Meal Plan Terms

Meal Plan FAQ