So, I fail yet again in my weekly blog posting and I'll apologize yet again. I was doing so well...and then October hit. Words cannot describe the chaos and craziness that was my October. My weeks were a combination of work, studying and sleep deprivation and the weekends were flooded with all that I couldn't accomplish during the week. My social life was sadly lacking to say the least. But, October is now over and it is crazy to think we have less than a month and a half left of this semester. Before we know it it'll be winter break!
However, now I'm taking the small opportunity to catch my breath before diving back into final papers and finals preparation. The thought of this weekend has gotten through October, especially on those days when I didn't think the to-do list would ever be conquered. Tomorrow I fly out to New York City to visit a friend who is doing his masters program at Columbia. I've been to NYC before, but I'm excited to visit some new sites, including the Guggenheim and the 9/11 Memorial. I'm grateful that I didn't plan the trip for last weekend. I know its going to be humbling to see how much damage there still is in the city from Hurricane Sandy. Regardless, I'm just excited for a small change of scenery and some much deserved down-time. I've decided I'm just going to be doing a lot of reading. I'm going to tackle my course reading but am hoping with all my hours in the airport that I can go back to reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. We'll see what I find time for!
On another note, I hope those of you who are 18 are planning on going out and voting today. This year was my first opportunity to vote in a presidential election, and I am proud to say I cast my vote today before work! I've understood the importance of voting for a long time, but I was surprised to discover how patriotic and proud I felt when I voted. If you can't vote yet, it's something to look forward to! Please encourage those who can to go out and vote!
I'm going to keep this post short for today, but I can assure you that I will be back soon to fill you in on more of the craziness (in the best way) that is life in James Madison College! As always, let me know if you have questions!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
What a Week...
Weeks like this one make me question my sanity sometimes...but lucky for me the weekend has finally arrived, and I'm hoping to catch my breath. If you asked me to define what made the week so busy, I'm not even sure I could pin-point it, but I think it had to do with the fact that I went home to work last weekend. So, I ultimately lost my weekend time to get ahead or stay on top of homework. So, this week has been a race to catch up.
Also, I decided over the course of the weekend to apply for a Truman Scholarship. This a prestigious award for those planning on going into public service. The scholarship pays for grad school so obviously it's a huge deal. People from across the country apply but to even make it into that pool of applicants, you have to be nominated by your university. MSU has 4 nomination spots and I'm hoping to receive one of them. The application is intense and I should have started the process over the summer, but alas I didn't really consider it until someone seriously suggested that I should be applying... So now I have a month to prepare my application for the university. Wish me luck!
On top of the Truman application I'm still busy filling out internship applications. I drafted a statement of interest for the State Department and had our career services office look it over along with my resume. I feel like I have a good start on those applications, but there are a lot of places to consider and a lot of forms to fill out...
Then, on top of endless applications I've been working on a problem set for my game theory course. While it's not exactly an enjoyable activity I do enjoy the class and the problem solving thinking it encourages. I've been finding endless opportunities to apply game theory logic to real life. In essence, I am the epitome of a nerd. But you already knew that... I also had a research proposal due today (Friday) for my international security course so that was another task to work on, in addition to class readings. However, on the bright side, I am now finished with all of my summer study abroad papers. They are submitted and all I need to do is wait on the grades! In the mean time I'll just move on to the new papers and assignments.
I'm preparing myself for an intense weekend of productivity. The more I get done in the next few days the easier the week will be. I hope you have all had simpler weeks than mine! Just as a disclaimer, while I probably sound like I am complaining, I was reminded earlier this week by my aunt that I would be bored if I didn't have so many activities...and she's completely correct. I thrive off of staying busy so I just need to keep working and set goals to look forward to! My light at the end of the tunnel is the down-time I'll finally have in November when all my deadlines are met. But until then, it's going to be a lot of late nights and coffee! I hope you all have wonderful weekends! I'll write soon!
-E
P.S. I'm sorry I posted this a day late. I actually finished it on Friday as promised but I didn't have the chance to post it!
P.S. I'm sorry I posted this a day late. I actually finished it on Friday as promised but I didn't have the chance to post it!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Welcome Back!
Hello everyone! So it’s 3 weeks into the semester and I don’t know where the time has gone… My life has been a constant deluge of work, student group activities and reading. I knew it was going to be a busy year, but I wasn’t anticipating it hitting me quite so quickly.
Anyway, I hope you all had great summers. This summer was a once in a lifetime experience for me. I participated in a James Madison sponsored study abroad to Brussels, Belgium for the month of July. There we studied European Union Institutions and International Security with a focus on NATO. It was amazing to be in a city where I could see myself working one day. And yet Brussels was only one fraction of my experience abroad. I worked extremely hard last year to save up money and seek out scholarships so that I could enjoy my study abroad but also take the opportunity to do some additional traveling.
My actual adventure started in Israel in June. I stayed with a friend in Jerusalem for a week and fell in love with the country and culture. After Israel I flew to Rome to visit one of my best friends who was studying abroad there. I had a whirlwind weekend with my best friends (another one of my friends flew in from his study abroad in Valencia) but then took off on my own to southern France. I spent 5 days in Nice where I met amazing people at my hostel and traveled along the coast by day. It was the most relaxed part of my trip to be sure. Then I took off for Brussels to meet up with my classmates. The weekdays were filled with class and group excursions but weekends we had free to travel and explore. During that time I was able to visit the picturesque city of Brugge and then spend another weekend in Amsterdam. Words cannot describe the experiences I had. I summed up my travels with a few days in Paris, France before flying home on August 1st. Below are just a few of my many pictures. I think I honestly took over 1,500 photos. I’ll make sure to post more photos throughout the year.
Once back in the Michigan it was a rush to get everything ready for the new school year. I had to write a few papers for my study abroad program…which I am finally finishing up this weekend…and pack up my life into boxes so I could move into my new apartment. I moved into my new place at the end of August. It was surreal not to be living in Case Hall anymore but I feel like I live there anyway what with the amount of time I spend there for work, class and student organizations. Nearly a month later apartment is feeling a lot more like. I’ve printed some of my photos and am eager to put the finishing touches on my bedroom next week…if I ever find the time. We’ll see. Lately I’ve just been trying to take everything as it comes. I’ve been fortunate to have a plethora of opportunities lately. Now I just need to prioritize and conquer the to-do list that comes with those opportunities. Wish me luck!
Anyway, I’m eager to share another year with you through this blog. While I’ve made this goal before, I am determined to stick with it this time; I am going to be better at blogging. My goal is to have one blog post a week (at minimum) so that I can keep all of you a bit better informed about life at Madison week by week. Please feel free to ask questions and let me know what else you’d like to learn about. I’ll be sure to share more stories of my summer studies abroad and my current task of filling out scholarships and internship applications. But until my next post (which will be next Friday at the very latest) I will say goodbye! Enjoy your weekend!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The Master Plan?
So, the topic of today is all about decisions. Decisions are hard...or at least if you're as indecisive as me. My current decision centers around the choice to pursue a Senior Honors Thesis. It's a distinguished program to complete through James Madison College, and it includes a year of research to write a major thesis and then publicly defending it. One of my professors suggested it to me, and while I've heard of the program, I'd never really given it much thought. But now it seems like a really valuable experience that I could enjoy. I get to pick the topic and find a professor or a couple professors to help advise me and work with me through the process. I've been talking to a couple specific profs to try and figure out ideas on topics and if writing the thesis is the correct choice for me. It really is a major time commitment. Initially I was dead-set on writing it, but now I am a little nervous to commit. Luckily I still have a little more time until I decide. The topic I have in mind at the moment is transatlantic relations, but that is likely to be merged with some other topics such as the European Union or international security. With my study abroad program, I'll have plenty of time to explore my options and figure out what really interests me.
So, anyway...that has been occupying a big portion of my thoughts. That and summer. I can't wait for summer to get here. The more I should focus on finals, the harder it becomes...
I found out I won a couple study abroad scholarships on Monday night! It was a huge relief because money is always tight, even after 3 jobs. But my program fee is officially covered by scholarship money. Now I just keep working to save up so that I can afford to eat...
My failure to decide seems to be affecting my ability to remain on a single subject during this blog post too. I apologize for the random tangents. But here's one last one before I sign off and get back to studying. I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by, or this semester for that matter. I feel like I was just moving back into the dorms or returning from winter break... It's surreal to realize that we have one week of classes left before finals week and goodbyes for the summer. I am so excited for next year. But then I am completely terrified that the year will fly by just as quickly. I have so many friends graduating this year...and while I still have 2 years left, I have this nagging feeling that they are going to speed by in the blink of an eye. It's scary stuff. But really exciting too. It just reminds me to enjoy every moment of it and make the most of it. That's my late night advice. Take advantage of every situation and enjoy the ride. I can speak from experience that not everything is easy and sometimes life is a confusing mess. But sort through the chaos and have fun with it. That's what I try to do on a daily basis and it makes for some truly incredible memories.
Okay, well before I get anymore nostalgic, I had better return to making economics flashcards. Econ has been the bane of my existence this semester but I'm in the home stretch! Time to study so I can ace the final! Wish me luck. I'll be back soon with more stories!
So, anyway...that has been occupying a big portion of my thoughts. That and summer. I can't wait for summer to get here. The more I should focus on finals, the harder it becomes...
I found out I won a couple study abroad scholarships on Monday night! It was a huge relief because money is always tight, even after 3 jobs. But my program fee is officially covered by scholarship money. Now I just keep working to save up so that I can afford to eat...
My failure to decide seems to be affecting my ability to remain on a single subject during this blog post too. I apologize for the random tangents. But here's one last one before I sign off and get back to studying. I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by, or this semester for that matter. I feel like I was just moving back into the dorms or returning from winter break... It's surreal to realize that we have one week of classes left before finals week and goodbyes for the summer. I am so excited for next year. But then I am completely terrified that the year will fly by just as quickly. I have so many friends graduating this year...and while I still have 2 years left, I have this nagging feeling that they are going to speed by in the blink of an eye. It's scary stuff. But really exciting too. It just reminds me to enjoy every moment of it and make the most of it. That's my late night advice. Take advantage of every situation and enjoy the ride. I can speak from experience that not everything is easy and sometimes life is a confusing mess. But sort through the chaos and have fun with it. That's what I try to do on a daily basis and it makes for some truly incredible memories.
Okay, well before I get anymore nostalgic, I had better return to making economics flashcards. Econ has been the bane of my existence this semester but I'm in the home stretch! Time to study so I can ace the final! Wish me luck. I'll be back soon with more stories!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Reporting as Promised!
Hello lovely followers, I am back online and reporting as promised! The topic of this post is the study abroad I am participating in this summer. It's going to be absolutely insane. It may just be the best summer of my life! My actual program is focused on International Security and NATO and is based out of Brussels, Belgium. We will be there for the month of July. Classes run Monday-Thursday and are taught by our Madison faculty member who is running the program and by a couple other individuals in Brussels. One of those additional teachers is someone by the name of Jamie Shea. I had the opportunity to hear Jamie Shea speak at the JMC commencements last spring, and that is where I realized I had to participate in this study abroad program. He has a distinguished background working for NATO and was a wonderful speaker. I can't wait to meet him!
With 4 day school weeks we have plenty of time to travel. Currently our group is trying to figure out plans for traveling and different excursions we'd like to participate in. As for me, I'm doing some additional traveling outside of the program dates. I'm starting my traveling a few weeks early. I leave midway through June for Israel! I'm going to visit a friend who works for the foreign ministry in Jerusalem. I'll spend a week there exploring and visiting everything I can. Then, I'm flying to Rome to visit another friend who will be finishing up her study abroad in Italy. I should be there for about 5 days. Another one of our good friends will be flying in from Spain so we can spend the weekend together! From there my plans are a bit up in the air. I will probably be in either Spain or Germany until I leave to meet up with my program in Brussels. It's insane right!? I am so excited! The thing about traveling in Europe is that it's so easy to get from place to place, so I fully intend to go everywhere I possibly can.
Then after my program ends on the 28th of July, one of my friends and I are going to Paris for a few days. We figure it'll be a nice way to end the program. Then we'll fly back to the states together on August 1st. Once I get home it will be back to work and preparing to move into my new apartment and starting the new school year! The adventures to come are making it hard to focus on school, but only 2 more weeks of class and then finals...then summer! Excited doesn't begin to describe my emotions.
Another update with me is that the new Secretariat for MSUMUN XIII has been hired. This group serves as the organization's executive board and is responsible for planning and arranging the conference logistics and staffing. I was hired as the Chief of Staff this year and am looking for an exciting year working with our staff. Last year it was a staff of over 100 MSU students. This year I'm hoping to expand this even more! You're sure to hear more about this, but if you are interested feel free to email me and let me know! We'd be happy to have you on staff no matter what your previous experience with Model UN is!
I'll update again on Wednesday. I still have to share with you the new academic choice that'd I'm considering within JMC. Hope you are enjoying your Monday. I don't know what the weather is like by you, but if it's as windy as it is here, in East Lansing, don't blow away!
With 4 day school weeks we have plenty of time to travel. Currently our group is trying to figure out plans for traveling and different excursions we'd like to participate in. As for me, I'm doing some additional traveling outside of the program dates. I'm starting my traveling a few weeks early. I leave midway through June for Israel! I'm going to visit a friend who works for the foreign ministry in Jerusalem. I'll spend a week there exploring and visiting everything I can. Then, I'm flying to Rome to visit another friend who will be finishing up her study abroad in Italy. I should be there for about 5 days. Another one of our good friends will be flying in from Spain so we can spend the weekend together! From there my plans are a bit up in the air. I will probably be in either Spain or Germany until I leave to meet up with my program in Brussels. It's insane right!? I am so excited! The thing about traveling in Europe is that it's so easy to get from place to place, so I fully intend to go everywhere I possibly can.
Then after my program ends on the 28th of July, one of my friends and I are going to Paris for a few days. We figure it'll be a nice way to end the program. Then we'll fly back to the states together on August 1st. Once I get home it will be back to work and preparing to move into my new apartment and starting the new school year! The adventures to come are making it hard to focus on school, but only 2 more weeks of class and then finals...then summer! Excited doesn't begin to describe my emotions.
Another update with me is that the new Secretariat for MSUMUN XIII has been hired. This group serves as the organization's executive board and is responsible for planning and arranging the conference logistics and staffing. I was hired as the Chief of Staff this year and am looking for an exciting year working with our staff. Last year it was a staff of over 100 MSU students. This year I'm hoping to expand this even more! You're sure to hear more about this, but if you are interested feel free to email me and let me know! We'd be happy to have you on staff no matter what your previous experience with Model UN is!
I'll update again on Wednesday. I still have to share with you the new academic choice that'd I'm considering within JMC. Hope you are enjoying your Monday. I don't know what the weather is like by you, but if it's as windy as it is here, in East Lansing, don't blow away!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
My Sincerest Apologies...
Hello cyber world....So, I know my last post was "No I haven't disappeared...Yet" but after this absence I am sure most of you think I actually have disappeared. I am been a terrible blogger and for that and my loyal readers I am so very sorry. To be honest I didn't know if I had loyal readers but someone left me a comment about my absence, and I guess there must be some of you out there and that is awesome! From this point on I promise that I will update more frequently. As for my excuse for not blogging, it's a bad one but the general craziness that is life and being involved in anything I can filled up my plate and distracted me. But I have enough down time to fill you in on the happenings at JMC & MSU, and I will keep it at the top of my numerous checklists from now on!
So what has happened since December...? Well, brace yourselves. This is going to be quite a timeline.
So with December came the end of the fall semester and the oh so lovely finals week that we all dread. It wasn't too bad, mostly because with it's end came the beginning of break. I spent break home in Clarkston, MI with my family and friends. It was great to be around everyone and help my mom finish up the baking of Christmas cookies and wrapping of gifts. Then for Christmas my family traveled up to Traverse City as part of our yearly tradition to see my grandparents and family living there. I love that city. And the views from the Bluffs is breathtaking. It was a wonderful holiday season, and I even got to visit friends from MSU.
After returning from break (which was much too short) I dove back into a new semester. I have been taking 14 credits, which includes 2 JMC courses. I have my Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy sophomore sequence class, called "Constitutionalism and Democracy" and then my International Relations sophomore sequence, called "The Politics of International Economic Relations." Then I have an "Oral Expression" French course focusing on speaking and an online International Economics course. It's a decent course load but leaves plenty of time for my extra activities and work as well. The most eventful part of January was MSUIRO's (MSU International Relations Organization) trip to Montreal for McMUN one of our competitive Model UN conferences. We took a delegation of about 50 people and rode a huge bus there and back. It was an amazing trip and we did well at the conference, earning 9 awards!
After the conference it was back to the academic grind for the month of February, but my 20th birthday was a nice excuse to take a break and have some fun. MSUMUN (MSU Model United Nations), the other MUN organization I work with, hosted its first middle school conference. While that was going on the rest of our MSUMUN staff and committees had their first run through and practice, in eager anticipation of the high school conference at the end of March. February flew by, even with that extra day from the leap year, and with March came spring break. Unfortunately my stories from spring break are less than exciting, considering I had to get my wisdom teeth removed. I despise dental work and to say I was nervous is a gross understatement. But I survived! And I didn't even get chipmunk cheeks! Although to my dismay I wasn't even goofy from the anesthesia. All I did was cry when I woke up. Yeah feel free to laugh at that...
After I returned from spring break MSUMUN was all my brain wanted to think about. But don't worry, I made sure to do my homework too, even if less than enthusiastically. This year's MSUMUN conference was our largest yet and hosted almost 600 high school students from across the country. We even had students fly in from places as far as Greece. It was a crazy weekend! I was a chair for a historical committee that had students reliving the difficult decisions of the British Parliament in the midst of the American Revolution. It's honestly one of my favorite weekends, and I look forward to it throughout the entire year. I am already eagerly anticipating next March for MSUMUN XIII.
And now, after all the glory and excitement that is MSUMUN, I am busy buckling back down and working hard to keep up with school assignments while working and planning for this summer. I know I've mentioned it before, but I am going to be studying abroad in Brussels, Belgium on a JMC program. My summer adventures have had some exciting developments since the last time I've posted, but I'll share them sometime soon. I'll also share the epiphany I had last night as far as my academic goals go!I hope you've enjoyed the update and I didn't bore you too much! I can promise you it hasn't been boring living through it all! I'll update in the next couple days with more stories and new plans. I promise by the end of Monday there will be a new post! Feel free to comment if you ever have questions or thoughts! Also, I've added the links to the Model UN organizations I belong to. I know I talk a lot about them. Feel free to check them out if you are confused or curious!
MSUIRO: http://www.msuiro.org/
MSUMUN: http://msumun.org/
So what has happened since December...? Well, brace yourselves. This is going to be quite a timeline.
So with December came the end of the fall semester and the oh so lovely finals week that we all dread. It wasn't too bad, mostly because with it's end came the beginning of break. I spent break home in Clarkston, MI with my family and friends. It was great to be around everyone and help my mom finish up the baking of Christmas cookies and wrapping of gifts. Then for Christmas my family traveled up to Traverse City as part of our yearly tradition to see my grandparents and family living there. I love that city. And the views from the Bluffs is breathtaking. It was a wonderful holiday season, and I even got to visit friends from MSU.
After returning from break (which was much too short) I dove back into a new semester. I have been taking 14 credits, which includes 2 JMC courses. I have my Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy sophomore sequence class, called "Constitutionalism and Democracy" and then my International Relations sophomore sequence, called "The Politics of International Economic Relations." Then I have an "Oral Expression" French course focusing on speaking and an online International Economics course. It's a decent course load but leaves plenty of time for my extra activities and work as well. The most eventful part of January was MSUIRO's (MSU International Relations Organization) trip to Montreal for McMUN one of our competitive Model UN conferences. We took a delegation of about 50 people and rode a huge bus there and back. It was an amazing trip and we did well at the conference, earning 9 awards!
After the conference it was back to the academic grind for the month of February, but my 20th birthday was a nice excuse to take a break and have some fun. MSUMUN (MSU Model United Nations), the other MUN organization I work with, hosted its first middle school conference. While that was going on the rest of our MSUMUN staff and committees had their first run through and practice, in eager anticipation of the high school conference at the end of March. February flew by, even with that extra day from the leap year, and with March came spring break. Unfortunately my stories from spring break are less than exciting, considering I had to get my wisdom teeth removed. I despise dental work and to say I was nervous is a gross understatement. But I survived! And I didn't even get chipmunk cheeks! Although to my dismay I wasn't even goofy from the anesthesia. All I did was cry when I woke up. Yeah feel free to laugh at that...
After I returned from spring break MSUMUN was all my brain wanted to think about. But don't worry, I made sure to do my homework too, even if less than enthusiastically. This year's MSUMUN conference was our largest yet and hosted almost 600 high school students from across the country. We even had students fly in from places as far as Greece. It was a crazy weekend! I was a chair for a historical committee that had students reliving the difficult decisions of the British Parliament in the midst of the American Revolution. It's honestly one of my favorite weekends, and I look forward to it throughout the entire year. I am already eagerly anticipating next March for MSUMUN XIII.
And now, after all the glory and excitement that is MSUMUN, I am busy buckling back down and working hard to keep up with school assignments while working and planning for this summer. I know I've mentioned it before, but I am going to be studying abroad in Brussels, Belgium on a JMC program. My summer adventures have had some exciting developments since the last time I've posted, but I'll share them sometime soon. I'll also share the epiphany I had last night as far as my academic goals go!I hope you've enjoyed the update and I didn't bore you too much! I can promise you it hasn't been boring living through it all! I'll update in the next couple days with more stories and new plans. I promise by the end of Monday there will be a new post! Feel free to comment if you ever have questions or thoughts! Also, I've added the links to the Model UN organizations I belong to. I know I talk a lot about them. Feel free to check them out if you are confused or curious!
MSUIRO: http://www.msuiro.org/
MSUMUN: http://msumun.org/
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
No I Haven't Disappeared...Yet
Hello everyone! I sincerely apologize for falling off the face of this blog for the past month. Needless to say, things have been a bit busy. And yet that shouldn't be an excuse...we are all busy. Note to self: Early New Years Resolution must be improving my blogging skills. That's a reasonable goal...in addition to the list of eating better, sleeping more, working out more. But we have a month before that needs to be seriously considered, right?
So, where have I been this last month...? What have I accomplished...? Well before Thanksgiving I successfully completed a 10 page research paper on the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the international theory that motivated France's actions...Then I went home for a lovely Thanksgiving with my family. I ate far too much and unfortunately had way too much homework. I read Machiavelli's The Prince. It was quite interesting, but I wish I could have read it at a little more leisurely of a pace. Then, when I got back to East Lansing I turned in a paper examining Aristotle's Polity and took a Zoology exam before leaving for Philadelphia last Wednesday with MSUIRO (MSU International Relations Organization).
We attended UPMUNC XLV (University of Pennsylvania's Model United Nations Conference). It was a great weekend! We only won 2 awards but that's not bad considering it is the most competitive conference we attend all year. Last year UPMUNC was the first conference I attended with the Model UN team. It was nice to have a bit more experience under my belt this year. My favorite thing we did was take a 20 minute carriage ride/tour around historic Philadelphia...although enjoying a Philly Cheese Steak at the Reading Terminal Market was pretty awesome too!
But anyway, after a long car ride home I'm back in East Lansing. Today I had my last French exam before finals, so I can buckle down and begin the final study stretch. The library is filling up fast, and I have no doubt that the coffee shops across campus are doing well with the amount of caffeine we are all consuming in preparation for next week's exams. I am taking it easy tonight before hitting the books and my mountains of notes tomorrow and the rest of the week/weekend. Wish me luck!
Also, one final note before I sign off from this update. I am currently sitting in the JMC office overlooking the new Case Hall cafeteria that opens January 8th! It is so exciting to see that it is nearly finished. Now I won't even have to leave the comfort of Case Hall to eat! That's going to make certain New Year's Resolutions a bit harder to keep up, but the word YUM pretty much sums it up!
Anyway, enough of my rambling for now. I'll be uploading some pictures of Philly later this week! Have a good night and stay warm!
So, where have I been this last month...? What have I accomplished...? Well before Thanksgiving I successfully completed a 10 page research paper on the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the international theory that motivated France's actions...Then I went home for a lovely Thanksgiving with my family. I ate far too much and unfortunately had way too much homework. I read Machiavelli's The Prince. It was quite interesting, but I wish I could have read it at a little more leisurely of a pace. Then, when I got back to East Lansing I turned in a paper examining Aristotle's Polity and took a Zoology exam before leaving for Philadelphia last Wednesday with MSUIRO (MSU International Relations Organization).
We attended UPMUNC XLV (University of Pennsylvania's Model United Nations Conference). It was a great weekend! We only won 2 awards but that's not bad considering it is the most competitive conference we attend all year. Last year UPMUNC was the first conference I attended with the Model UN team. It was nice to have a bit more experience under my belt this year. My favorite thing we did was take a 20 minute carriage ride/tour around historic Philadelphia...although enjoying a Philly Cheese Steak at the Reading Terminal Market was pretty awesome too!
But anyway, after a long car ride home I'm back in East Lansing. Today I had my last French exam before finals, so I can buckle down and begin the final study stretch. The library is filling up fast, and I have no doubt that the coffee shops across campus are doing well with the amount of caffeine we are all consuming in preparation for next week's exams. I am taking it easy tonight before hitting the books and my mountains of notes tomorrow and the rest of the week/weekend. Wish me luck!
Also, one final note before I sign off from this update. I am currently sitting in the JMC office overlooking the new Case Hall cafeteria that opens January 8th! It is so exciting to see that it is nearly finished. Now I won't even have to leave the comfort of Case Hall to eat! That's going to make certain New Year's Resolutions a bit harder to keep up, but the word YUM pretty much sums it up!
Anyway, enough of my rambling for now. I'll be uploading some pictures of Philly later this week! Have a good night and stay warm!
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