On Campus

Spring Wheels

Posted on March 21, 2009 by astudley
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Break is just about over and people are slowly starting to make their way back to campus.
Although it was a dead zone here, it was kind of nice. I had premium parking all week long.
The weather has been pretty pleasant as of late, so I guess this means I’m going to need a car wash. It rained the other day and I thought Mother Nature had saved me ten bucks, but all that dirt magically reappeared just as the sun did. My father would have a slight coronary if he saw my wheels right now, but I think the mud gives it a little character. Like they say, different strokes for different folks.

No break for Spring

Posted on March 16, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under 1 | 1 Comment

It’s spring break, and I’m not in Mexico. I’m not in Florida, and I’m not in California.
I am in Pleasantville, New York.
This time last year I was in Acapulco, lounging by the pool and taking the occasional dip to reach the pool bar. The sun was beating down, and the music was deafening. It was a wonderful time.
Now I’m on my couch in this ghost town of a campus, but at least it’s not too chilly out. There’s always an upside, right?
My brother and his girlfriend came up for a short visit this weekend, and we hit many of the tourist sites in NYC. From the glitz of Times Square to the fake bags of Canal Street, we ended our evening in Little Italy and had a surprisingly affordable meal.
Some of the roomies and I will be heading into NYC again tomorrow for St. Patty’s Day, and though it may not be tropical, it’s likely to be just as crazy as a spring break destination. I can settle for that.

Case of the Mondays

Posted on February 23, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under school | 2 Comments

I’ve got a case of the Mondays, and it’s just hitting me at 8 p.m.

I’ve got a paper due tomorrow afternoon, and another on Wednesday night. This morning I woke up with determination and purpose, set out to finish both on my free Monday.�

I have failed to do either. Oopsie daisies.

Now here I am, with my newspaper meeting in less than an hour, and about two paragraphs completed�on the cultural significance of a stone axe.

An exhilarating assignment, if I do say so myself.

Blockage

Posted on February 18, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under 1, classes, college | Leave a Comment

I’m trying to finish a writing assignment right now, and I’m having a serious case of writer’s block.

I have to write “the city” in 2-3 pages, and incorporate environment, sensory description, culture, history, research, dialogue, character development, dialect, and purpose. Piece of cake.

I’ll probably end up blowing it off until the morning, wake up extra early to down three cups of jet-fuel coffee, and then hate myself for procrastinating when the words don’t magically fly onto the page.

Well, at least I’m not lost for words when it comes to my dilly-dallying. That’s gotta count for something, right?

Reliability

Posted on February 16, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under college, newspaper, valentine's day | 1 Comment

As predicted, last night was a blast. We met some new people, spent pretty much all of what little money we had, and yes, paid for it today. But it was well worth it, and definitely one of my favorite valentines days thus far.

My News Editor informed me today that she wants to quit the paper. It’s a tough position, and she has unreliable writers that end up only adding to her workload. Fortunately for me, however, she is willing to stay on until we find a replacement.

But it won’t be an easy task. Students, at Pace at least, seem to only commit to drinking on Thursdays and provoking senseless fights. Everyone has wonderful ideas for the paper once they’ve downed a few, but they’re nowhere to be found when the actual work kicks in.

I’d be lying if I said it isn’t annoying that I only have a handful of people I can count on. I must add, though, that I am insanely grateful for these few individuals who have stayed strong from issue to issue. It hasn’t been an easy ride, but they’ve toughed it out with me. They’re some good eggs.

All the single ladies

Posted on February 14, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under valentine's day | 1 Comment

So far I have spent my Valentine’s Day shopping for the perfect outfit, feasting on organic fast food (who knew?), and watching the heart-wrenching film Changeling.

Now, in an effort to feel semi-productive, I am trying to finish editing the articles for my newspaper so the layout editor won’t have my head come Monday.

But I only have so much time. My roommates and I will be heading out soon to catch He’s Just Not That Into You, which should fit perfectly with this particular holiday’s theme of “all the single ladies.”

My boyfriend and I broke up last week. I made the decision on Monday that I need to fly solo at this point in my life. I probably get that from my incessantly independent parents, but so be it. Right now, it works for me.

Tonight we’ll bar hop in nearby city White Plains, dance, laugh, and probably pay for it in the morning. But what the heck, this might be the last time I get to spend the holiday with three valentines. I’m gonna go all out.

Spoons and PJs

Posted on February 3, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under snow day | 1 Comment

I just received word that tonight’s classes have been cancelled due to inclement weather conditions. Yeeehaaaw!

Two of my roomies are elementary education majors, and drive to White Plains five days a week to student teach. It was pretty snowy last Tuesday, and they made everyone in the house sleep with a spoon under their pillow and wear their pajamas inside-out, believing that it would be just enough to cancel school. And sure enough, schools all throughout Westchester were cancelled the next day.

I had never heard of this spoon/pajama theory before, but believe me, I would have done anything back in the day to get some time away from school.

In seventh grade, some kid convinced me that if you swallow a spoonful of baking soda, you throw up instantly.

Thinking this was a brilliant idea, I tried it one morning in an effort to stay home “sick.” I snuck the baking soda into the bathroom with me, and left the door cracked just enough to ensure my mom could hear her poor daughter getting sick.

But I didn’t throw up. And although I sure felt like I was going to, Mom wasn’t havin’ it. Off to school I went.

I’ve gotta say though, the snow we get here is a mere dusting compared to what we get in New England. I remember driving to FHS in much worse. My little junk-box would skid down Elm St. at morning rush hour, and my brother and I would shriek for our lives.

Ahh, memories.

Smooth Sailing

Posted on January 29, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under classes | 1 Comment

So I have now had all of my classes, and there was one in particular I was dreading with every inch of my being: Computer Information Systems.

It’s a class most freshmen are required to take, and somehow, I never took it. After hearing all of my friends complain about how difficult it was, I decided to wait until my senior year in hopes that it would no longer be a requirement to graduate.

Dumb move.

Last semester I told an advisor that the computer screen would give me a headache, so I was better off not taking it.

“Okay,” she said. “You just have to test out of it.”

“What kind of test?” I asked, curious.

“A physical one that would verify your claims,” she said.

I nodded. Later that day, I registered for the course.

But I must admit, it’s not half bad-so far. But then again, right now we’re working with Excel. We’ll see how fun it is when we get into Javascript and I’m begging freshmen to help me out.

As for everything else-so far so good. Travel writing, Anthropology, Landmarks in American Film, and Casting; this schedule is a dream come true for a senior on the cusp of graduating. And to top it off, we even had a snow day yesterday.

Smooth sailing thus far.

Business as usual

Posted on January 21, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under 1 | 4 Comments

So I’m back at school for the last time.

I moved all my stuff in on Monday, and hugged my roommates as they greeted me at the door. I think I actually pulled a muscle from lugging in a laundry bag full of clothes I probably won’t wear. Perhaps I should have stretched first.

To be honest, I wasn’t really looking foreword to spring semester, but I’m pretty excited now that’s here.

Over the break, many relatives and friends asked what I was going to do after graduation. To each of those questions, I replied with a shrug and a couple of options I felt I had to throw out there, just so I didn’t sound as utterly clueless as I actually am.

But I’m not going to dwell upon the unknown. I’ll go to classes, get the newspaper up and running, and cap the weeks off with a night out. It may not sound like much, but for now, it’s a routine I know I can count on.

Forget planning

Posted on January 9, 2009 by astudley
Filed Under break | 2 Comments

Every time I anticipate coming home for a long break, I think of all the things I’ll be doing.

From silly activities like shopping for the boots I’ve wanted for three months to visiting a friend’s distant campus, the possibilities always seem endless as I approach a vacation.

But here it is, almost over. I have little over a week left in the Ham, and I haven’t gotten those boots. I haven’t traveled any great distance, either.

And though this break may not have panned out as planned, it has turned out to be even better than I’d hoped. It’s rare when that happens, but it sure is nice.

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