Hello from England!!

Hello! I apologize for the being possibly one of the worst bloggers ever. I have not made a post in over three months! Exams and the relaxation of summer captured me!

I am writing you from OXFORD, ENGLAND! I am studying abroad through a program called British Studies at Oxford. There are four Birmingham-Southern students here, and we are all taking different classes at St. John's College of Oxford University. I have only been here a week, but it has already been amazing!

Oxford as a city is beautiful and rich with history. In my history of science class, my professor always says, "Just a five minute walk" or "Just 300 yards from where you are sitting" and names some major discovery in science, and thus in history, that happened near where we are. Oxford brings out this amazing drive to work hard, study hard, and play hard for me. I am surrounded by the most brilliant minds in the world. I am just a lowly undergrad student from Indian Springs, Alabama, but I can discuss Aristotle, Galileo, and even Thomas Jefferson with some of the most intelligent people this world has ever seen. I am learning form the people who wrote the books on the subject. Seriously, for both of my classes, the professors gave us copies of their books or works on the subject. How amazing is that?

Dr. Tatter and Dr. Ullrich, two members of the English Literature faculty, are teaching classes here. So far it has been more than I have ever imagined. This weekend, two of us BSC-kids are going to Ireland. The weekend after that we are all going to Stonehenge through an excursion with BSAO. The weekend after that, a few of us are going to Brussels, Belgium. You basically can't come to Europe and not go to more than one country. As my Dad says, traveling country to country in Europe is like traveling state to state in America.
I hope you are having an enjoyable summer!

The Birmingham-Southern crew at the garden party behind St. John's College. It is an honor (and big deal) that we are allowed on the lawn two specific times during our weeks at the college. Left to Right:Matt Maloy (sophomore), David Miller (senior), Sarah Kloewer (senior), and Kerry Patterson (senior)

At St. John's college pub for coffee or tea in between classes and before our common lecture. I will probably come home with an addiction to coffee. We should start a tea/coffee time at Birmingham-Southern.

Hello from England!!!

Hello! I apologize for the being possibly one of the worst bloggers ever. I have not made a post in over three months! Exams and summer time just captured me.

I am writing you from OXFORD, ENGLAND!!! I am studying abroad through a program called British Studies at Oxford. There are four Birmingham-Southern students here. We are all taking different classes at St. John's College of Oxford University. I have only been here a week, but it has already been amazing!

Oxford as a city is beautiful and rich with history. In my history of science class, my professor always says, "Just a five minute walk" or "Just 300 yards from where you are sitting" and names some major discovery in science, and thus in history, that happened near where we are. Oxford brings out this amazing drive to work hard, study hard, and play hard for me. I am surrounded by the most brilliant minds in the world. I am just a lowly undergrad student from Indian Springs, Alabama, but I can discuss Aristotle, Galileo, and even Thomas Jefferson with some of the most intelligent people this world has ever seen. I am learning form the people who wrote the books that I need to read for class. How amazing is that?!

Dr. Tatter and Dr. Ullrich are here with us. So far it has been more than I have ever imagined. This weekend, two of us BSC-kids are going to Ireland. The weekend after that we are all going to Stonehenge through an excursion with BSAO. The weekend after that, a few of us are going to Brussels, Belgium. You basically can't come to Europe and not go to more than one country. As my Dad says, traveling country to country in Europe is like traveling state to state in America.

I hope you are having an enjoyable summer!

Pictured: The BSC crew at the garden party on the St. John's lawn. It is a BIG DEAL that they let us on the lawn two times during our weeks at the college. Left to Right:Matt Maloy (sophomore), David Miller (senior), Sarah Kloewer (senior), and Kerry Patterson (senior)

This week has been rough. Sleeping didn't happen too much but that's ok because now it is SPRING BREAK!!!! Midterms are killer- I always end up with a ton of stuff due in every class at the same time the week before spring break. It makes it even worse because all I can think about is being at the beach! Well, all of my papers are done, take home midterm exam complete, Art critique- survived, project proposal submitted... With all of that behind me I will be leaving this afternoon to go home for the weekend. On Sunday after church I am catching a flight to the Bahamas for 6 days!!!!

In other news, two weeks ago Birmingham-Southern launched the Destiny: Delivered Campaign. Basically BSC will be raising 100 million dollars over the next ten years which is exciting ( Get more info here http://www.bsc.edu/advancement/campaign/). For the launch there was a huge party on campus for Alumni. 60 or so students helped out with the event because it was massive. I got to host one of the awesome alumni being honored at the event; Ansley Collins a BSC graduate of 2001 who now works for NASA as a TOPO- basically she coordinates the docking of the space shuttle with the international space station. It was really fun. Below is a picture of newly elected SGA president Trey Cotney and I at the event. I wish everyone could have been there it was so pretty and all of the speeches and presentations made me so proud to be a Student ( and soon to be Alumna) here at Birmingham-Southern. Of course that was the desired effect. The point of the evening was to impress the alumni so they will give the big bucks toward the campaign. I was convinced and I don't have the big bucks that's for sure. It takes a lot of money to run BSC ( an average of $100 a minute). Tuition, while expensive, is only half the cost of a student's time at BSC and most student's don't pay full tuition- they have scholarships from the School which are funded by the annual fund ( which is where the $100 Million from the Destiny: Delivered campaign is going). Anyway I guess what I am trying to say is that while I may spend a lot of my time stressed out and angry that I have big papers due or what not I know that it is all worth it for a degree from this place. Not only is it an outstanding college in the academic realm it also has left me more well rounded- knowledgeable of the problems in the world around me globally and locally, comfortable to discuss tough issues, more open in my world view and a little less socially awkward :) .

History in the Making...

At the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, I am going to tell you a really cool story that happened this past week. Every history major is required to take HI 270, the Practice of History Seminar. In the class, we are learning about the process of history, reading, researching, and writing, using the American Civil War as a focus. Every student is working on a specific research topic that is interesting to them. Dr. Mark Lester (pictured side right) and Dr. Guy Hubbs (pictured bottom left) are the instructors for the course. Last Thursday, Dr. Lester and Dr. Hubbs had Dr. George Rable (pictured top left) from the University of Alabama be a guest speaker for the class. He is a renowned Civil War historian and scholar. Google his name and you will see how interesting he is. Dr. Rable walked into class, looked at a list of every students research questions for our papers, and gave every student advice on their topic with a list of books they should consult. Obviously he had prepared before he came to the class, but the fact that he just rattled off advice for every topic, minor or major, was astounding.

After class, Dr. Lester and Dr Hubbs invited the students to coffee in the cafe with Dr. Rable. We in the SGA-couch area in the cafe, just chatting. I wanted to ask Dr. Rable, as well as my professors, a simple question about history. I am studying to become a high school history teacher. I know, why in the world would I want to go back to high school? I posed the topic of improvements in teaching history in the secondary classroom setting. What happened after was amazing. To keep this post to a minimum, I'll just say that Dr. Lester, Dr. Hubbs, and Dr. Rable provided the encouragement I needed to re-strengthen, if you will, my commitment to teaching high school history. One thing Dr. Rable about teaching is, "Rule #1: Know something. Rule #2: Be enthusiastic. Rule #3: If you are not enthusiastic about it, act like it." As I left the coffee time, I thanked Dr. Rable for his time and he responded, "Get them fired up!"

I am genuinely excited about teaching history. I still have a long way to go before I am certified and in a school, but I can't wait to get there. Part of that enthusiasm is knowing that I can make a difference. Dr. Lester, Dr. Hubbs, and Dr. Rable reaffirmed my belief that teaching can change lives even though I know it is going to be hard. Some of you reading this post might be laughing or thinking that I am naive, but I am up for the challenge. Check back with me in 2010, I'll let you know how it turned out.

This weekend several students from BSC, myself included, attended the YMCA's Collegiate Legislature. It is the college version of Youth-Leg for those of you who are familiar with that. It was BSC's first time to send a delegation to the event and we did really well. Of the 5 bills we took 3 passed, one in both the house and senate. We were chosen as the best delegation at the conference. One of the members of our delegation was selected as the outstanding delegate and one of our bills was chosen as the best bill at Collegiate Legislature. Basically we dominated as expected. Above is our delegation in Montgomery on the steps of the capitol building.

My roommate and I were talking earlier about how weird the weather has been this week. We realized that we have had hail, sleet, tornadoes, snow, rain and 73+ degree weather all in just 7 days. It is a little insane. Every morning I wake up and put my hand on the window pane to see how warm/cold it is that day. A cold window pane means I should wear layered clothing since it will most likely be much warmer by lunch time. During my time at BSC I have learned to love my pink rain boots which I bought in the spring of my freshman year. When it rains around here if you aren't wearing boots then your feet are going to be soaked. It is all of the hills I think. The rain water is running down the hill as you are walking up the hill... you get the picture. Bottom line- this week we have had crazy weather!!!


Until later...

Apparently I'm an Avid Sports Fan... Who knew?

So one of my favorite parts of the spring semester is SPORTS!!! In my spare time lately I have found myself at several sporting events. I have friends on most of the sports teams here so going to games is even more special because you can support your friends and BSC at the same time. Allison, Ashley and I went to a basketball game earlier this week and took some signs for our friend Mark. We thought it would be fun to embarrass him so we made these posters with inside jokes ( which no one else probably got but we thought were hilarious!). BSC won this game and over all we have a GREAT record especially considering the fact that we are a brand new team. Both the men's and women's basketball teams have their last home games today so I'm going to go this afternoon.

Speaking of brand new teams, this year is BSC's first time to field a women's lacrosse team. I went to their first game earlier this week too. They played the University of Alabama and beat them 15 to 5!!! I was totally impressed. Oh yeah, we made posters for this game too ( this poster business has just been happening this week- I guess I was in need of a creative outlet or at-least an excuse to doodle with a marker...).

It is weird to think how much controversy there was over the switch we made form D1 to D3. Some people were very upset and some people still are but the switch has been so great in my opinion. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't originally onboard with the idea, but now I'm so glad it happened. We have gotten more sports and more students are able to participate plus the money we had tied up in the D1 program has been distributed to other parts of campus so there is more money to work with for many departments. And did I mention BSC Football!? Go Panthers!! I'm so proud of all of our teams this year- they are laying the foundation for an athletic program of excellence that will be around for years to come at Birmingham- Southern.

Breathe Deep...

Wow. I don't even know how to describe this past week, and it's only Wednesday!

Monday was insane. I went to work, class, and drove to a school in Birmingham for my first tutoring session. Not to metion I had to drive home for dinner with my parents and then drive back in time for a meeting at 9:00 pm. Crazy, I know! It is days like this Monday that make me feel like I am making progress though. I know I am busy because I am teaching, learning, and working. That is really all I want to do anyway.

This Saturday is Scholarship Day. Students from across the nation are coming for a competition for scholarships. It is really stressful for the students who come, but a lot of fun for the current students. Despite the fact that we have to get up early on a Saturday, we get to meet prospective students. It is always cool to meet people from different places.

I am just going to try this, but if there is anything in particular that you want to hear about from one of the bloggers, e-mail us! Seriously, let us know what you want to know! So, let us know if there is something you want to know. Talk to you soon...

Valentine's Day Love!

Hello again!

Yes, school is back and in full-force. I am already working on two different research papers, covering the Civil War to the People's Republic of China. So far, I have been set up to go tutoring at a local high school, and I have learned how to write a program for a computer game. If you can't tell, I am in two history classes, one education class, and a computer science class. I was really nervous about computer science, but it really isn't that bad.

My birthday is tomorrow! Yes, it is Valentine's Day. Since everybody goes out to eat tomorrow night, my friends and I are going to eat at Chick fil A. I know, big party, right? But, I like the simple things. This weekend is going to be pretty crazy though. Thursday night is my birthday! Friday night, my best friend from high school is coming to visit. Saturday night is my sorority's formal. Not to mention homework. But, I love being busy.

Birmingham-Southern has a lot of things to offer, we just have to reach for them. I feel better when I am involved with different organizations and clubs on campus. Being active makes this campus even better than it already is.

Also, I want to thank you for sending me e-mails! I love to get mail. If you ever have any questions about anything, please just let us know!

Getting Back in the Swing of Things

We are now in the second week of the Spring semester here at BSC and there is already so much going on! Last Saturday, was the competition for scholarships in the arts and this coming weekend will be the scholarship competition for the theatre department followed by our academic scholarship competition day the following Saturday.

While I miss the calm that was interim, it is nice to be getting back into a steady routine with my classes. This semester is going to be a little rough for me, but I am nonethless excited about that which lies ahead. To get specific about my schedule, I am taking a Biology course, two Psychology courses, and an Art History class; as you can see, I'm going to be taking several types of courses...which is the cornerstone of the liberal arts education that BSC provides.

Well, my well-rounded curriculm calls, so that's all for now. Until next time!

All Good Things Must Come to an End...

Interim term is slowly drawing to a close. While I am excited about friends returning from travels abroad and internships, I am still sad that the month is winding down. Here at BSC, Interim term provides us with the opportunity to explore and to encounter so many things that we might not have a chance to experience otherwise. In my opinion, Interim is one of the features that makes BSC's such a great school because it provides we students with an opportunity to learn/think "outside the box". It's also nice to just be able to focus all of your attention on one course. Well, even though I feel like I haven't said very much, I guess that's all I have for right now. Until next week!!!

Slowing to a Stop

Well, interim is winding down. People are coming back from their various trips around the world. I love looking at people's pictures. Of course, Facebook does help with that.

I met with my Interim Sponsor, Dr. Ott. She is amazing! She has helped me SO much with my project. I am watching historical movies and writing about whether or not they can be utilized as teaching tools in secondary classrooms. It might sound boring, but it has actually been really fun. Some of the movies I have watched were made in the 1930s & 1940s. I just got an e-mail from Netflix that my "silent epic" is being sent to my house next. I had NO IDEA my new film would be silent. I'm not too excited about that. But, I am excited about finishing interim and being back at school. I miss seeing all my friends everyday!

A group of my friends and I are going to the airport on Sunday to pick up a friend who is coming back from the Italy interim. I'm sure it is going to be a fun experience seeing her again. We are probably going to cause a scene at the airport. I hope that is not a problem.

I am going to Auburn this weekend to visit some friends from high school. Interim is the perfect time to get away for a weekend and not be too worried about school work while you are gone. I can't wait to drive down there. I just don't want to see any cops on my way. :)

I can't wait for the next semester to begin! I hope you are enjoying this blog of BSC students! E-mail us if you ever have any questions!

Piano... Who would've thought?

As my freshman year at BSC pushes forward I look have found myself in a situation that I never thought was possible. I am learning to play the piano from a world-renowned pianist! I have always had a longing to learn to play the piano, but as I started getting older I thought that I would never have the time or opportunity to be able to learn. However, BSC's 4-1-4 academic schedule has given me that opportunity. The interim term was designed to do exactly this for students. It's a time for students to be able to explore something that they might not have had the opportunity to do otherwise. We have classes ranging from piano to rock climbing and even classes that travel to places such as Italy and the Carribbean. I have enjoyed my class so much. Professor DeVan is an awesome teacher, and he does an excellent job communicating the way that we should be playing. I hope that I can motivate myself to continue playing long after I am done this January!

And It Begins Again

Hello all, I apologize for not posting sooner, but since I got back last week I have been quite busy. I had an amazing Christmas break, but it is great to be back at BSC...especially because interim is one of my favorite times of the year. For those of you who aren't familliar with what interim is, please check out our web-site because it explains what the term is much better than I'm sure I could haha.

Last year, during interim, I had the opportunity to travel abroad and study Spanish in Argentina and this year, I am staying on campus and taking a class...the possibilites for what you can do are endless. I really enjoy this term so much because it gives me the opportunity to fully immerse my time and efforts into something that I find interesting.

Well, I guess that is all for now...I need to get back to work. Until next time!

Interim is Here!!

Hey all! Students are back at BSC from break for interim. Interim is the month of January in which students can take one call, internship, or trip. Really, all options are open for what students can do.

This year, I contracted my own Interim. I am studying historical movies and determining whether or not they are historically accurate and if they can be utilized as teaching tools in secondary history classrooms. It might sound boring, but it is really interesting. Who wouldn't want to watch movies for a month and get credit for it? In the mean time, I am living at home to spend more time with my family and working with an accounting firm that I have worked for since high school.

During Interim, BSC provides many opportunities for students to have fun. They include a variety of things, from hip hop dance classes to movie trips, to Mama's Home Cooking. Moms bring a home-cooked dish to BSC, and students can come eat all the amazing foods in Bruno Great Hall. It's a pretty big deal. There is a countdown until that day in Norton Campus Center.

Since I am living off campus, I have missed most of the activities. However, this past weekend, my old roommate and I went to Atlanta to visit my sorority sister who graduated last year. She graduated majoring in Business and she is now the marketing director for a business outside of Atlanta. She played volleyball at BSC and now coaches a club team down the street from her office. She showed us the ropes of Atlanta. We visited Georgia Tech, the CNN center, IKEA (my favorite), and many other things. It was a great weekend trip! We tried to make it as cheap as possible so we stocked a cooler with food from the cafe and convenience store at school. It really helped! We didn't have to buy snacks or lunch for each day that we were there. The entire trip was fun! It was also really encouraging to see a current BSC graduate with a great apartment, great job, and great plans for her future. You can always hear about all the amazing opportunities, but to see them in real-life is wonderful.

Well, I hope your January is great! I will catch back up with you later!