Study Abroad

So I just realized it is Friday and I have forgotten to do my second blog!! Anyway...

I feel like, at this point, it is obvious that I have all intentions of studying abroad (most likely in my Junior year). I have always had an interest in languages and different cultures, and this seems like the perfect to be able to experience such things first hand. As many people realize, after college such opportunities to travel just don't come around very often (under the assumption that you don't work in a job requiring extensive travel), and therefore now is the ideal time to have the experience of a lifetime. Along the way you benefit not only academically, but also in the sense of experience and an expansion of friendships with people from all across the globe.

Being a German major, my likely place for study abroad will be Germany--more specifically, Bamberg (if I do the program through USC). I have been to Bamberg before, and I could definitely see myself there. There are also programs offered that aren't run by USC but are recognized by USC in cities like Lüneburg and Berlin. I could also go to Austria through other programs, which seem to take place exclusively in either Salzburg or Vienna. I would be happy with all of these options.

If I were not to go to a German speaking country, I would want to go to either Australia/New Zealand or Iceland. Those are places that I greatly desire to see. However, as a German major, I doubt these are the best options. As for why I would want to go to those places, though: Australia and New Zealand seem self explanatory--they are beautiful countries with both urban and natural attractions and are well known for their welcoming people. Iceland may seem a bit odd, but I think it would be very cool to go there (oh, I am so punny). Just do a Google image search of Iceland, and I think it speaks for itself. Many different landscapes are all squeezed onto this sparsely populated (outside of Reykjavík) and ever changing island, making the entire place a natural wonder. If I had to choose one place to go that I had never been to before, Iceland would be the place.

Now on to my service site. So far, so good, I guess. There are only 3 meeting left, which is kind of nice, except I don't feel like we got much done. Overall I understand the goal of the program, but I feel like it's ineffective with so few meetings over such a short amount of time. Forty-five minutes once a week for eight weeks is not a lot of time to get much accomplished, and, being honest, I'm not sure if I am helping my girl or not. We were told we were going to get lists of assignments, tests, and grades, and, as far as I know, no one has gotten them yet. At this point it would be too late, but it would have been helpful early on so that I could know if my mentee was always telling the truth (though I do think she is trustworthy, and I choose to believe her).

Bookface

Tonight is the tennis club's doubles charity tournament for the JDRF, so I will be there tonight. We are supposed to dress up, but I lack anything remotely like a costume, so I am sure I will just wear my normal stuff. Lame. I was thinking of using a Jim Halpert idea from The Office, but I'm not sure if people would get the reference so I won't.

Byeee!!

Holland

Leadership

To me leadership is when someone decides to take responsibility for something and then guides those who decide to join them along the way. Sometimes leaders are chosen and other times they are people who step up to a challenge that no one else was willing to take on. As for if I have ever been a leader, I suppose I have to say yes because I was the vice president of a club in my high school, but it didn't do much, so it wasn't a lot of work at all. Generally, I don't like leading people because I hate telling people what they have to do (I'm a people pleaser), but I like certain aspects of it such as planning.

Over time I would hope to maybe have a leadership position within an on campus organization, and, for right now, I feel like that would be possible with the tennis club. I have been going to every practice, and the leaders know who I am, so I feel like that is a possibility.

Sadly now I have answered all of the things asked in the prompt, and I am not sure what else I could write, unlike in my last post. I see the next blog topic, though, and I am very excited for that one--it is something I love talking about. I hate having short blog posts, so I am going to ramble a bit before I end this.

I feel like there was something I wanted to blog about over the last few days and was like 'I will add it to my next blog', but I cannot for the life of me remember it, so I guess it will not be posted. It's a shame because I'm sure it was brilliant.

This isn't it, but it just popped in my mind: I am contemplating continuing this blog even after the course is over, though I'm not sure if it would be worth it since I'm pretty sure that you (Jimmie/Brent) and my mom are the only people reading this. Maybe after the semester ends and if I decide to continue I will share the link with more people.

Yes well... I guess that is all for now!

Holland

WAIT I think I remember:

It was my schedule for next semester! I went to advising, and, assuming I get my ideal schedule, I will have no classes on Fridays. (This had better happen.) Sadly, I had to drop Arabic because it interfered with stuff and is a very stressful class because I dedicate so much time to it, but I know I can always pick it back up, and I have the DVDs and book were I to be so ambitious as to try teaching myself.

This is what my schedule would look like:

GERM 420, TTH, 9:30-10:45
ENVR 101: TTH, 2:00-3:15
ENVR 101L: W, 10:10-12:10
ENG 102: MW, 4:00-5:15 (This may change depending on when my current English teacher is teaching.)
HIST 104: TTH, 12:30-1:45
PHIL 102: MW 2:30-3:45

My German class would be Medieval German Literature, which is not offered every semester, so I am excited and really hoping I will get into that class.

OK.. Now that is all. 

One last thing: Is it me or is the font slightly smaller? I have no clue what I did, and it is bothering me.

OK. End.

Diversity Day

Having gone to a pretty diverse high school back in Pennsylvania, I came into USC with a pretty good knowledge of what it means to be diverse. I thought/think of a place as diverse if two or more (usually more) cultures exist there. Obviously the greater the range of cultures present, the more diverse the place/school/institution is. Since coming to USC I would say that my definition has not changed. The only difference here is that I hear multiple foreign languages on a daily basis, not just Spanish.

At Hand Middle School I would say I experience diversity in the sense of the girl I work with is of another ethnicity (she is African American), but the school itself does not seem very diverse in its population; I would say probably at least 70% or more of the kids are also African American. However other than having a different ethnicity, I would not say our interactions are in any way 'diverse' in nature because my mentee and I are not very different. She has some different interests and does karate, but she also is very similar to my sixth grade self in the sense of personality and music interests.

So now that I have finished answering the prompt, I will go off on a bit of a tangent, but it's not that much of a tangent because it is related to the topic. I feel like the question of whether or not we view diversity as important could have been added to this prompt to allow for a longer blog post, and that is what I am going to address now!! (You can stop here, if you wish, for grading purposes. =])

I view diversity as not necessarily being important, but rather helpful. I'm not going to lie and say I had a very diverse group of friends in high school, because I most definitely didn't. However, I am still very interested in different cultures/languages/religions despite not having much interaction with people of other ethnic backgrounds. Religion is the only thing that made my group of friends diverse in any way, shape, or form. I am friends with people from religious backgrounds from many branches of Christianity as well as those who are Jewish or Muslim. Additionally, I have friends who do not believe in any religion at all. However, religion isn't as often talked about in Pennsylvania as it seems to be in South Carolina, so it really has no role when it comes to making friends; it's more something you learn later after you have met the person.

I say that diversity is helpful because it can allow someone to learn about  different cultures themselves without having to base their opinions off of what their parents or peers say. Additionally, it opens them up to the idea that other cultures exist and that no one is superior to the others. However, diversity, as seen in America, can lead to almost a lack of culture. I would even go as far as to argue that because America was such a melting pot it hurt its ability to create a distinct culture. (That's not to say I can't list things that are attributed specifically to America, but, as a whole, I would be hard pressed to define American culture.) Especially having spent long periods of time in Germany, I could definitely come up with a summary of its culture as a whole nation and also regionally (though, admittedly, they had a head start by over 2,000 years... Even so, Mexico--a country younger than the US--has a definable culture, so time may not be the issue).

I could go on about how diversity is both helpful and harmful to culture, but for now I see no need to.

Auf Wiederlesen!!

Holland

Traditions

Off the top of my head I cannot think of a single Carolina Tradition in which I have taken part. I doubt going to a football game counts because that is, like, a universal tradition of colleges and universities. It would probably be smart of me to get out Transitions and remind myself of the traditions, but I am not currently doing so. I know of traditions, like the Tiger Burn and Ring Ceremony, but it's not time for the Clemson game (and I won't be here for it anyway), and I am not eligible for the Ring Ceremony yet.

As for my favorite tradition, I am not sure. Every year since 8th or 9th grade at the end of the school year my friends and I have had celebratory picnics at the Rose Garden in Bethlehem, but I'm not sure if this is a favorite tradition of mine, it's just one that comes to mind when I think of my friends. I enjoy holiday traditions like putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving (even if my mom wants to downsize to a smaller tree... I refuse to let her). I love Christmas music in general and the 'traditional' foods that are abundant in the Holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years.

Stocker Family
Christmas Tree 2008

My favorite traditions probably are my family ones. I love that every Christmas Eve my mom cooks a big dinner (sometimes I help, but mostly I sit in front of the oven with a Santa hat on, waiting for the indicator to pop up to show that turkey is finished) and we all eat together and, afterward, the kids (all 3 of us) each get to open a gift, which is chosen by another sibling. Being with my family is something I really enjoy (no matter how much I may wish to deny it), and I love when we are all at home and dong things together. When we are home, you're more likely to find me in my brothers' room with them than my own.

I also enjoy Thanksgiving because it is the one holiday traditionally spent with my father's side of the family, whom I otherwise don't see very often. They are also very important to me, and it always makes me happy to see them. They are quite different from my mother's side, who I see regularly, but in a good way. Also, they are good cooks/bakers, which is always a plus.

A new tradition was recently started by my aunt, and we have done it 3 or 4 times since it start back in the Spring (including when I was home for fall break). My mom's side of the family, my best friend Maggie, and I go to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner and then we play on their Wii together. We do both sports and Rockband, and it is hilarious--especially when my grandparents try. Though it is a new tradition, I hope it continues on in the future because it is a lot of fun!

Well I have to leave for class in about fifteen minutes, so I should start packing up.

Ciao!!!

Holland

Greetings from Bethlehem, PA!!

Springhouse Bethlehem, PA
Feb. 2008

If the title didn't give it away, I have flown home for fall break and am currently at home in rainy Bethlehem, PA!! I am so happy to be home, and I know, come Sunday, I will not want to leave. Today my mom and I went out to Target to get a few things, and then we went to Panera's for lunch (pumpkin spice latte, anyone???). Tomorrow I think we are going to Wegman's because it is the best grocery store on earth, and I love it so much. Sunday I am going over to my aunt's house for a 'Hallowiin' party (you can imagine what that entails... Isn't my family so creative??). It will be nice to see some of my family, and my best friend, Maggie, will also be there! I am very much looking forward to seeing them all.

On Sunday I will fly back to Columbia. My flight leaves from Philly at 3:35 PM. Currently I do not have a ride back to Capstone, but I hope someone at the airport can help me find a taxi. I'm pretty nervous about this, but I doubt it will actually be a problem.

In regards to Brent's presentation on Wednesday: I don't know if I learned much of anything, considering most every health course I've ever taken and AlcoholEdu covered all of these topics. Also, I haven't had any experiences at USC so far that were related to alcohol in any way, shape or form, and I plan to keep it that way. I have heard stories from people about other people who have gotten into trouble with alcohol, but that is about as wild as my college experience gets.

My advising session is on the twentieth of October, and I have some ideas of what I want to take next semester. I plan to continue with German, to finish my math credits with another logic course, and to finish my English credits with English 102 (maybe with Steve again, if I can manage it!). That leaves two empty spots. Right now I have three options I am considering:

1. Continue with Arabic.
2. Start with a Linguistics course (for my minor).
3. Start my required science course (probably will be Anthropology, but I also want to see what other options there are).

Of the three, I will probably choose science just to get that out of the way, and, depending on my grades, I will probably continue with Arabic so that I don't forget anything. Considering I only need 12 credit hours for my minor, I am pretty sure starting it my Sophomore year is not a risky move.

Yes well, I am off!!

Holland

Service and Research

So it is 10:18 PM, and I just thought of writing the blog now before I forget (again)... glorious.

So far my experiences at my service site have been so-so. While the program itself seems a bit unorganized and strict (in some ways), I have also been paired with a really great young girl, who is getting good grades and has organization skills perhaps even better than my own. I know I am supposed to rearrange all of her things to fit the program's system, but I have not done that. Her current system is working for her, and I see no need to change it. She is excessively organized and keeps track of her assignments and grades in her various day planners. If she begins to struggle, maybe her organization can be looked into; however, for now, she seems to be perfectly well organized and prepared for school. I actually question why she is in the program, but I won't complain--I like having a relatively easy mentee!!

As for my own strengths, I feel that I make myself easy to talk to when we are in the program, and I am able to relate to my mentee's situation. When we look at her homework I see why she could struggle, and then I proceed to tell her some of my own strategies for completing assignments to the best of my ability (e.g.: looking at the questions first so that I know what to look out for while reading the text). We worked on a worksheet about the Egyptian and Kush Empires... Now I am no expert in either of them, but we walked through the readings and completed some of the questions due later on in the week.

I have yet to volunteer somewhere else this semester, but maybe I will if I can find time in why schedule, which I should be able to do. I know there is a charity tournament on the 29th with the Tennis Club to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which I am considering participating in. I have a friend with type 1 diabetes, and this would be a great opportunity to contribute to a cause to which I have a connection. (Of course, even if I didn't know someone, I would still participate!)

In terms of the presentation today, it definitely made me a lot more interested in the idea of undergraduate research, even if I have no clue whatsoever what I would research. I love Brit Lit (poetry in particular) and everything German, but I do not know how to pair the two. I would love to travel internationally, but I feel like a lot of my research interests would be culture-based, so language could be a barrier if I went somewhere outside the English and German speaking world. (I would really love to do something in the Middle East or South America [or the rest of Asia or Africa or Europe or Oceania or Antarctica], but I don't know what...) I also love photography, so maybe I could so something like 'a culture in photos' or multiple different cultures. hmmhmhmm.. I'm just brainstorming here, but that is actually really awesome sounding. I just have so many questions about how it would work! Maybe I will email the Office of Undergraduate Research. For now I will probably just wait to talk to my advisor on the 20th.

I should go to bed soon, considering I have a 9:30 class tomorrow. Lamelamelamelamelame.

Auf Wiedersehen!!

Holland

I am done with 1/16(ish) of my college career.

Firstly, I would just like to thank you (Jimmie/Brent) for accidentally forgetting to schedule two blogs for this week. I really appreciate it. :-)

Anyway, now that the semester is approximately halfway done (WHAT?!), the time has come to reflect on my experiences so far.

It would be hard to pick a favorite memory, seeing as there are so many memories (both good and bad), or things that were not funny at the time, but are funny now. Perhaps the one memory that sticks out the most to me now is the day Monica, Coy, and I were called in to mentor when we weren't told we had to. At the time, I was not a happy camper, but now I find the experience to be hilarious. It was our first day with rain in ages, and, of course, we are called in... Did I mentioned we walk? I was on the computer and listening to music when Monica got the call. She told me 'We have to do go Hand.' 'Now?' 'Now.' We rushed out of the room and down to Greene St., where we waited for Coy to catch up with us. I forgot to change my shoes, so I was floundering in my flip flops as Monica set a ridiculous pace. My manual was out, and I read instructions and the day's plans out loud as we walked through Five Points and then through the residential neighborhood leading to the school. Upon our arrival, my feet were flecked with mud and my clothes were damp from the light mist that the rain had turned into, making an umbrella useless. Then we came back and met Sgt. Kenneth 'Help a Brotha Out!' Adams. Need I say more?

While at the time it was not a fond memory, now I feel like it is something I will always remember when I reflect upon my first semester in college. There have been other memories that I have made, but even now some of them are blurred and detached from any emotion in particular. (I just realized how I put the HMS experience above my first [and, so far, only] football game. Of course, football is not my sport of choice, so I guess it was less important to me than it is to most others.)

If I could do one thing over again, I would have to say I wouldn't mind redoing my first two weeks or so here. In a time when most people were making new friends and going out seemingly every night, I remained my little, shy self and had issues meeting others. In turn, I ended up spending a good amount of time in the room. The good news, however, is that I have joined some organizations and have made friends to go out with for meals or to go to the gym. Also, I have met people in my classes, and though I don't see them often outside of the classroom, I always say 'hello' when I pass them on campus. Also, I have found myself being more likely to ask people to do stuff than I was in high school. Maybe I am becoming more outgoing? God, I hope so!

Another thing that is important is my goals for the semester. So far, I would say that I am managing to complete them. My grades remain in the A range (I actually think I might have one B, but we will let that slide), and I have been making trips all the way to the gym (a workout in itself) every day when I don't have tennis. This has only been hindered once, and that was because of rain. I proclaimed it as my 'fat day', which is exactly what it sounds like: all food, little exercise. (I love fat days from time to time... So much. Food. <3 =]) As long as 'fat days' are few and far between, I see no problem with them.

So far I would say that I should keep functioning as I have been, perhaps getting more involved with friends from time to time. Overall, though, I am satisfied with my current situation. I admit I could probably dedicate a bit more time to my studying/readings as to put more effort into them, but so far I have yet to miss a class or assignment, and I am happy with the quality of my work.

Bis bald!

Holland