I promise I'll write something more interesting really soon.
I plan to blog about Representative Sinema's visit, my switch to coxing for the crew team (I was rowing up until about 2 weeks ago) and my visit to Connecticut this coming weekend!
Until then, though, check out my newest post for the Blue Devils United Blog, Our Lives.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Representative Kyrsten Sinema at Duke!
Hopefully I'll get a chance to write more about the visit by this weekend...but for now:
Thanks to my dad for suggesting that I let the student newspaper know about her visit. She made the FRONT PAGE of today's Chronicle! Check it out.
Thanks to my dad for suggesting that I let the student newspaper know about her visit. She made the FRONT PAGE of today's Chronicle! Check it out.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Johnny Queer? No, Johnny Weir
I'll write more about my own life soon. Mostly, I'm very excited about the winter olympics. To go along with that theme, my newest blog post for the Blue Devils United blog is about US Figure Skater Johnny Weir and how he refuses to be defined by his sexuality (which he doesn't reveal). Read up!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
A Champion All Around: Super Bowl XLIV Champion is Gay Rights Advocate
Check out my newest blog post on LGBT Issues in Sport for the Blue Devils United Blog. It highlights the recent efforts of Scott Fujita, a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, in the movement for gay rights.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Friday Jummah
As I mentioned in a previous post, Duke Chapel is currently sponsoring an exhibit called Families of Abraham. In conjunction with this photo display, Duke's Faith Council coordinated a number of events to facilitate interfaith experiences and dialogues. This past friday I attended Friday Jummah--the traditional Friday Muslim worship. I have quite a few friends here at school who are practicing Muslims and out of curiosity, I'd always wanted to go. Afterall, I'd never really been exposed to Muslim culture. Despite my interest, I didn't make it to Jummah until the other day. I guess, in part, despite the "open invitation to everyone" that so many campus groups at Duke proclaim, it can be intimidating to just show up without knowing anybody or it catering specifically to new-comers. So with this in mind and knowing that this week's was part of this coordinated effort I made it a priority to attend. In all, I had a really fabulous time and learned a ton.
I walked in around 12:45 and introduced myself to a number of people. My next-door neighbor was there and so was a kid who lived in my dorm last year. I helped several of the girls stuff "care packs" for the local homeless shelter--which is apparently weekly effort. Most weeks, I learned, they fill the bags with food items, but this week they were donating personal care items. It turns out that many Muslim Student Associations (MSAs) across the country do this as a service project each week.
I found two things about this initiative really interesting:
1) Duke doesn't seem to have a lot of regular service projects. Groups do food drives periodically or other one-time charitable acts, but with the exception of a Habitat for Humanity Club, I don't know of anyone else who does weekly service.
2) A lot of faith based groups (not just at Duke--but in general) give back to their immediate communities. That is, synagogues are involved with the local Jewish nursing home or Jewish Family Services. Or Christian groups go on missions. [As I write this, it occurs to me that there are many instances where a faith based group gathers for a local Race for the Cure or other such events.] But still, I was struck by the fact that Duke's MSA was giving to the local Durham community. This wasn't about religion. To bring politics into it, it wasn't a pro-Palestine/anti-Israel group. It was just about community. Humanity. And I thought that was beautiful.
While I was helping to put the bags together, some individuals made their way to the sheets on the ground (in worship, Muslims remove their shoes and are on a sheet or other type of mat). They were engaging in individual prayer before the group service began. When they finished, the community gathered on sheets. Though the genders were separated (without a formal structure; in this case the men sat in front of the women, but it was pointed out that that was arbitrary and the women often sit in front of the men) they (men with men and women with women) sat side-by-side very closely, which is part of their community worship traditions. I sat with them.
To begin the community worship the Imam delivered a sermon. Following the sermon, everyone rose to begin the prayers. There is no prayerbook, though, as everyone recites everything from memory. The prayers start by reciting the beginning of the Koran (which I learned is not in chronological order and therefore, the story of Abraham, Hagaar and Ishmael is not at the beginning like it is in the Torah/Old Testament). During worship there are ritual bows and other symbolic gestures. The one I found most inspiring was when they would put their thumbs by their ears with their palms up. In doing this they are symbolically casting off anything that is on their mind that is not related to Allah while they mentally do the same. They ended their prayers by whispering salaam over each shoulder. In this way they wished their neighbors peace in their lives.
After everyone was finished praying we gathered over pizza for a discussion about Muslim traditions and religious practices. Much of what I learned at this discussion is integrated into the above story. Needless to say, one woman raised a question about gender equity. During this conversation, I also learned the significance of Friday Jummah. I knew that practicing Muslims prayed five times a day. Most of these times are done individually. I did not know that Fridays, however, are a special community wide gathering for prayer. In fact, Jummah, just means "prayer." It also means something else, but I forget (I'll try to find out and post it).
The final thing I'll share is how one student approached the question "why?" The woman who asked about gender differences kept asking "why?" When the Imam did not answer her question as she would have liked she asked it again, putting even more emphasis on wanting to know "why" something was so. One student finally explained to her that the question "why" isn't a question that Muslims should ask, because they know the answer is always "it is Allah's will." He continued to say that that is not to say that Muslims do not question things. The questions they ask, however, are different. Instead of "why?" the question is "how do we know?" After this they should ask "what is the wisdom?" The essence of the questions boil down to "why," but I really liked the approach of these two questions more than the simple "why."
I walked in around 12:45 and introduced myself to a number of people. My next-door neighbor was there and so was a kid who lived in my dorm last year. I helped several of the girls stuff "care packs" for the local homeless shelter--which is apparently weekly effort. Most weeks, I learned, they fill the bags with food items, but this week they were donating personal care items. It turns out that many Muslim Student Associations (MSAs) across the country do this as a service project each week.
I found two things about this initiative really interesting:
1) Duke doesn't seem to have a lot of regular service projects. Groups do food drives periodically or other one-time charitable acts, but with the exception of a Habitat for Humanity Club, I don't know of anyone else who does weekly service.
2) A lot of faith based groups (not just at Duke--but in general) give back to their immediate communities. That is, synagogues are involved with the local Jewish nursing home or Jewish Family Services. Or Christian groups go on missions. [As I write this, it occurs to me that there are many instances where a faith based group gathers for a local Race for the Cure or other such events.] But still, I was struck by the fact that Duke's MSA was giving to the local Durham community. This wasn't about religion. To bring politics into it, it wasn't a pro-Palestine/anti-Israel group. It was just about community. Humanity. And I thought that was beautiful.
While I was helping to put the bags together, some individuals made their way to the sheets on the ground (in worship, Muslims remove their shoes and are on a sheet or other type of mat). They were engaging in individual prayer before the group service began. When they finished, the community gathered on sheets. Though the genders were separated (without a formal structure; in this case the men sat in front of the women, but it was pointed out that that was arbitrary and the women often sit in front of the men) they (men with men and women with women) sat side-by-side very closely, which is part of their community worship traditions. I sat with them.
To begin the community worship the Imam delivered a sermon. Following the sermon, everyone rose to begin the prayers. There is no prayerbook, though, as everyone recites everything from memory. The prayers start by reciting the beginning of the Koran (which I learned is not in chronological order and therefore, the story of Abraham, Hagaar and Ishmael is not at the beginning like it is in the Torah/Old Testament). During worship there are ritual bows and other symbolic gestures. The one I found most inspiring was when they would put their thumbs by their ears with their palms up. In doing this they are symbolically casting off anything that is on their mind that is not related to Allah while they mentally do the same. They ended their prayers by whispering salaam over each shoulder. In this way they wished their neighbors peace in their lives.
After everyone was finished praying we gathered over pizza for a discussion about Muslim traditions and religious practices. Much of what I learned at this discussion is integrated into the above story. Needless to say, one woman raised a question about gender equity. During this conversation, I also learned the significance of Friday Jummah. I knew that practicing Muslims prayed five times a day. Most of these times are done individually. I did not know that Fridays, however, are a special community wide gathering for prayer. In fact, Jummah, just means "prayer." It also means something else, but I forget (I'll try to find out and post it).
The final thing I'll share is how one student approached the question "why?" The woman who asked about gender differences kept asking "why?" When the Imam did not answer her question as she would have liked she asked it again, putting even more emphasis on wanting to know "why" something was so. One student finally explained to her that the question "why" isn't a question that Muslims should ask, because they know the answer is always "it is Allah's will." He continued to say that that is not to say that Muslims do not question things. The questions they ask, however, are different. Instead of "why?" the question is "how do we know?" After this they should ask "what is the wisdom?" The essence of the questions boil down to "why," but I really liked the approach of these two questions more than the simple "why."
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
LGBT Issues in Sport
Hey all,
I've started blogging for the Blue Devils United Blog called Our Lives. BDU is the campus undergraduate gay-straight alliance. I'm going to be writing on LGBT issues in sport at least every other Wednesday, but will likely supplement those posts with other things that come up as I have time.
My first column was published today. Take a read here. It's just an introduction to me and my column; nothing really profound (yet). Take a look and browse the rest of the site while you're at it. It's a great blog which is doing a lot to change campus culture and enhance the LGBT and ally community on campus. Leave a comment if you wish!
I'll be sure to alert you to more of my posts as the semester continues. Let me know if you read anything (an athlete's coming out story, something about homophobia in sport, something about overcoming homophobia in sport, a policy issue, etc) that might be of interest and I'll do my best to include it.
Together, let's strike out homophobia in sport.
I've started blogging for the Blue Devils United Blog called Our Lives. BDU is the campus undergraduate gay-straight alliance. I'm going to be writing on LGBT issues in sport at least every other Wednesday, but will likely supplement those posts with other things that come up as I have time.
My first column was published today. Take a read here. It's just an introduction to me and my column; nothing really profound (yet). Take a look and browse the rest of the site while you're at it. It's a great blog which is doing a lot to change campus culture and enhance the LGBT and ally community on campus. Leave a comment if you wish!
I'll be sure to alert you to more of my posts as the semester continues. Let me know if you read anything (an athlete's coming out story, something about homophobia in sport, something about overcoming homophobia in sport, a policy issue, etc) that might be of interest and I'll do my best to include it.
Together, let's strike out homophobia in sport.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
SNOWcapades!
Ryann (left) and me (right) doubling down a hill on a trash bag sled! (Photo by Michael McCreary)
I'll write sometime this week about my classes and the beginning of the semester. But for now, I just want to share my last 30 hours or so with you!
Starting last night and through this coming week Duke's Faith Council is sponsoring a series of events called Strange, Wonderful... & Here: How Families of Abraham Worship at Duke. The series coincides with a photo exhibit currently at Duke Chapel called Families of Abraham which (I think) shows various faith practices of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (get it? All the religions which stem from Abraham). The Faith Council has partnered with different religious groups on campus to host interfaith services. Since last night was Shabbat, a bunch of Jews and non-Jews a like gathered at the Freeman Center (our campus Hillel building) to experience Kabalat Shabbat (and ma'ariv) and a hearty Shabbat dinner. The attendance was great. My friend, Ryann, accompanied me to services and then we joined three other friends, Janet, Max and Michael, after services for dinner. Sometime in the middle of services it started snowing.
Post-dinner the five of us made it to the Duke-Florida State women's basketball game. Coming straight from dinner, we walked in about halfway through the first half and the score was 20-2; Duke was winning. The game itself was boring, but we managed to have a good time. Duke won, 73-43. Just as enjoyable as the game was the walk to Cameron with a Constutional Law professor from Northwestern. He needed directions and we were going to be going along the same path for a while. Following the game Ryann took a field-trip with me to the library on East Campus so I could return a movie and pick up a new one. A few hours later, I met up with Michael and some other friends, most of whom I lived with last year, who were having a get together. Our fun was interupted by a drunkenly-pulled fire alarm which exiled us from the warm comforts of a dorm to the snowy and cold quad.
That brings us to this morning. Ryann texted me to tell me that she and some friends in her dorm were making pancakes for breakfast! I went to join the festivities, contributed some cooking utensils and brewed real hot cocoa (you know, with Hershey's Cocoa). All together we had cheesy scrambled eggs, M&M pancakes (we didn't have any chocolate chips...but the vending machine sold M&Ms) and cocoa. Shortly after cleaning up the kitchen, Ryann, two of her dorm-mates and I met up with Michael to go play in the snow.
Making many stops along the way, we finally ended up at the Duke Gardens. Why the Duke Gardens and not just the main quad, you ask? Because the Gardens have perfect sledding hills! We brought trash bags with us and used them to slide down the hill in all sorts of combinations: solo sitting on the trash bag, solo front first, solo inside the trash bag, double sitting on the trash bag, double sitting in the trash bag...you name it! We made snow angels, threw clumps of snow and took lots of pictures. When our feet were finally frozen we decided enough was enough. We took our time making it back to the main part of campus and made a brief stop at the Lobby Shop (a mini grocery/convenience store in the student union) where we picked up 1/2 gallon of milk. We finally made it back to the dorms and made more "real" hot cocoa!
Now 3:30pm, we decided it was time for a snack, so we went to a venue on campus. We ate quickly so that we could make it to the 4:20 showing of Reefer Madness (get it, 420?). Reefer Madness, a 1930's video warning parents and youth about the serious dangers of marijuana, is now a musical satire of the original production.
In total, Durham got 5-8" of snow. For more pictures of the adventures, click here.
Monday, January 11, 2010
A First Semester Redux
I just arrived back on campus for 2nd semester which begins on Wednesday. I wouldn't blame you if you thought I didn't even have a 1st semester, since I didn't blog a single time. Sorry!! I guess one of my new year's resolution should be to try to post more. For now, though, I'm going to try to make up some lost ground by jumping on the "year/decade in review" trend.
If there was one word that could sum up my most recent August-December it would be: sleepless. If I had a few more words to budget, I'd also add: busy; stressful; challenging; good.
So, a few things to catch up and then we'll be on to 2nd semester.
Fall Redux
Classes: I took a full load last semester comprised of Spanish 1, a cultural anthropology seminar called Human Rights Activism, a graduate level ethics seminar on refugees and humanitarian aid and a course that was cross listed among several departments called The World Cup and World Politics. All of my classes were really engaging and they all seemed to connect/have a little bit of overlap at times, which was nice. My professors were AMAZING teachers and individuals. I've never had to work harder in my life, but the sleepless nights and stress were manageable (even if just a little bit) by the fact that I found the topics really interesting and overall just LOVED my classes.
For our final, instead of a more traditional paper or exam, my World Cup and World Politics professor assigned us to create a website based on some research we'd done earlier in the semester. You can check out my website, on Muslim women's soccer, here. Also, my profile has links to other posts I wrote last semester as a contributor to our class blog.
Crew: Many of you know that this past summer I spent a considerable amount of time weighing my options for the coming year. Part of this concluded in the decision to join the Duke Women's Rowing team. DWR is a varsity level sport at Duke and I compete on the "novice" team. The novice team is for anyone who has never rowed before--sort of like a team of all rookies and we mostly compete against other novice squads. This past semester I practiced four days a week and competed in two regattas. We traveled to the D.C. area for The Head of the Occoquan on Halloween weekend and a week later competed at The Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, TN. This semester I will (for the most part) be practicing six days a week and competing in five or six different regattas (including once in south Jersey *cough*family*cough*). The biggest difference between our fall season and spring season is that in the fall our races are 5,000 meteres but in the spring they are only 2,000 meters. So far I've had a great experience--it's been fun getting to know my teammates and my coaches are really wonderful.
Living: At Duke, the freshman live on East Campus. As a sophomore, however, I have the privilege of living on West Campus. West Campus is the main part of Duke and living right on the main quad is really convenient. I'm literally a minute walk away from almost all of our food options and less than a five minute walk awak from our main academic quad. I'm roomming with the same girl I lived with last year and we're having a great time together. So far, after a year and a half together, we've found only one incompatibility: we like the room at different temperatures [I hope I'm not jynxing myself!]. Being my mom's daughter, I like the room much colder than she does.
Classes start Wednesday, so I'll check back soon after that!
If there was one word that could sum up my most recent August-December it would be: sleepless. If I had a few more words to budget, I'd also add: busy; stressful; challenging; good.
So, a few things to catch up and then we'll be on to 2nd semester.
Fall Redux
Classes: I took a full load last semester comprised of Spanish 1, a cultural anthropology seminar called Human Rights Activism, a graduate level ethics seminar on refugees and humanitarian aid and a course that was cross listed among several departments called The World Cup and World Politics. All of my classes were really engaging and they all seemed to connect/have a little bit of overlap at times, which was nice. My professors were AMAZING teachers and individuals. I've never had to work harder in my life, but the sleepless nights and stress were manageable (even if just a little bit) by the fact that I found the topics really interesting and overall just LOVED my classes.
For our final, instead of a more traditional paper or exam, my World Cup and World Politics professor assigned us to create a website based on some research we'd done earlier in the semester. You can check out my website, on Muslim women's soccer, here. Also, my profile has links to other posts I wrote last semester as a contributor to our class blog.
Crew: Many of you know that this past summer I spent a considerable amount of time weighing my options for the coming year. Part of this concluded in the decision to join the Duke Women's Rowing team. DWR is a varsity level sport at Duke and I compete on the "novice" team. The novice team is for anyone who has never rowed before--sort of like a team of all rookies and we mostly compete against other novice squads. This past semester I practiced four days a week and competed in two regattas. We traveled to the D.C. area for The Head of the Occoquan on Halloween weekend and a week later competed at The Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, TN. This semester I will (for the most part) be practicing six days a week and competing in five or six different regattas (including once in south Jersey *cough*family*cough*). The biggest difference between our fall season and spring season is that in the fall our races are 5,000 meteres but in the spring they are only 2,000 meters. So far I've had a great experience--it's been fun getting to know my teammates and my coaches are really wonderful.
Living: At Duke, the freshman live on East Campus. As a sophomore, however, I have the privilege of living on West Campus. West Campus is the main part of Duke and living right on the main quad is really convenient. I'm literally a minute walk away from almost all of our food options and less than a five minute walk awak from our main academic quad. I'm roomming with the same girl I lived with last year and we're having a great time together. So far, after a year and a half together, we've found only one incompatibility: we like the room at different temperatures [I hope I'm not jynxing myself!]. Being my mom's daughter, I like the room much colder than she does.
Classes start Wednesday, so I'll check back soon after that!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Viewer Discretion is Advised
Yes Dad, I mean you ;)
Remember the "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs" campaign?
Try: This is your brain on finals.
A little less gruesome, sure...but no less jumbled!!
Remember the "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs" campaign?
Try: This is your brain on finals.
A little less gruesome, sure...but no less jumbled!!
Friday, April 24, 2009
End of the Year Shenanigans
So, apparently it's been a month since I've blogged. My apologies. I'll try to keep this brief, but there are a few developments in my life I should share.
The first weekend of April was Ultimate Frisbee Sectionals. We're in the "North Carolina" Section with 11 other teams. Fortunately, Elon hosted the tournament so we were able to stay at Duke and just drive in the mornings and back in the afternoons. I can't express how much of an advantage that is--especially where school work is concerned! We didn't start out so hot on our first day in pool play which put us in a tough situation for championship play. Ultimately (no pun intended!), we didn't qualify for regionals, which was disappointing. I did however have one spectacular diving catch :)
The first weekend of April was Ultimate Frisbee Sectionals. We're in the "North Carolina" Section with 11 other teams. Fortunately, Elon hosted the tournament so we were able to stay at Duke and just drive in the mornings and back in the afternoons. I can't express how much of an advantage that is--especially where school work is concerned! We didn't start out so hot on our first day in pool play which put us in a tough situation for championship play. Ultimately (no pun intended!), we didn't qualify for regionals, which was disappointing. I did however have one spectacular diving catch :)
The Team (above). The Freshmen (below).
Next up was Pesach in Philadelphia. I was lucky that my class schedule worked so well with travel. It's always good to see the fam. And lets be honest you really can't beat my Bubby's seder food!! My friend Sophie also joined us for Second Seder and Shabbat, and that was obviously a good time!
Because life wasn't dramatic enough with finals looming on the horizon and all, I spiced things up a bit by dislocating (we think) my finger. I know what you're thinking...but this wasn't some "college nightlife accident." No, it was a gorgeous North Carolina spring day and we were playing some football on the quad. I thought it was just a jam, so I kept playing before calling it a day. I then proceeded to take a nap, which is what I often unintentionally do with my life. Upon waking, I noticed that my finger was pretty swollen and hurting. My own personal orthopedic professional (aka, Pop Pop) recomended that I get an x-ray ASAP to rule out a break or a dislocation. I called Duke Police for a ride to the Duke ER and my friends Taylor and Elizabeth tagged along for the adventure. As it turns out, the x-ray was negative for anything traumatic and my finger continues to feel better every day.
Now here's a riddle for you...what do you get when you mix the vagina monologues and the Duke Women's Initiative and eliminate the vagina part? Since I know you won't guess correctly, here is the answer: Monologues by Duke women (undergrads, graduate students, faculty, staff, etc) about Ugg Boots, relationships with their moms, "i love you" horrors, coming out of the closet, boyfriends, disabled siblings, etc, performed and directed by Duke's female undergraduate students. Aptly titled "All of the Above" it seeks to shed light on the complexities of Duke students' identities and experiences. An incredibly inspiring and powerful program, it left everyone laughing hysterically and almost in tears, with goosebumps and a lot to think about.
Last night was the Duke Women's Basketball end of the year banquet. It was held in Cameron Indoor Stadium and began at 6:30pm. A welcome study break, about 350 staff members, family members, and fans were in attendance to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2008-2009 Blue Devils. Several awards were presented, Coach P gave a talk and the seniors all shared memories, made "shout outs" and left parting wisdom. You can leave it to Abby to make people cry!!
Practice players and managers at DWB Banquet.
Now, I have just 10 days left...and if I could pull a 240 hour-er...I would! I have three finals to conquer before moving out...see you in sunny Phoenix!!
Because life wasn't dramatic enough with finals looming on the horizon and all, I spiced things up a bit by dislocating (we think) my finger. I know what you're thinking...but this wasn't some "college nightlife accident." No, it was a gorgeous North Carolina spring day and we were playing some football on the quad. I thought it was just a jam, so I kept playing before calling it a day. I then proceeded to take a nap, which is what I often unintentionally do with my life. Upon waking, I noticed that my finger was pretty swollen and hurting. My own personal orthopedic professional (aka, Pop Pop) recomended that I get an x-ray ASAP to rule out a break or a dislocation. I called Duke Police for a ride to the Duke ER and my friends Taylor and Elizabeth tagged along for the adventure. As it turns out, the x-ray was negative for anything traumatic and my finger continues to feel better every day.
Now here's a riddle for you...what do you get when you mix the vagina monologues and the Duke Women's Initiative and eliminate the vagina part? Since I know you won't guess correctly, here is the answer: Monologues by Duke women (undergrads, graduate students, faculty, staff, etc) about Ugg Boots, relationships with their moms, "i love you" horrors, coming out of the closet, boyfriends, disabled siblings, etc, performed and directed by Duke's female undergraduate students. Aptly titled "All of the Above" it seeks to shed light on the complexities of Duke students' identities and experiences. An incredibly inspiring and powerful program, it left everyone laughing hysterically and almost in tears, with goosebumps and a lot to think about.
Last night was the Duke Women's Basketball end of the year banquet. It was held in Cameron Indoor Stadium and began at 6:30pm. A welcome study break, about 350 staff members, family members, and fans were in attendance to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2008-2009 Blue Devils. Several awards were presented, Coach P gave a talk and the seniors all shared memories, made "shout outs" and left parting wisdom. You can leave it to Abby to make people cry!!
Practice players and managers at DWB Banquet.Now, I have just 10 days left...and if I could pull a 240 hour-er...I would! I have three finals to conquer before moving out...see you in sunny Phoenix!!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
A Little Bit of Everything
So, I guess it's time for me to catch you up with everything that's been going on in my life. Since my last post at the beginning of this month, I've been in four states, at the ACC Tournament, NCAA Tournament, on Spring Break and am now back at school for the final stretch.
I guess I should back up a bit, though!
ACC TOURNAMENT: GREENSBORO, NC
Following our thrilling victory over Carolina on Senior Night we changed our focus to the post season. The team first traveled to Greensboro (about an hour from campus) for the ACC Tournament. I left on Wednesday evening after practice with our video coordinator, Lauren. The team came later on Thursday, but we got there early to get everything set up (you should see the technology a D1 basketball program has!) and in place at the hotel and the arena. We were also there for the first round games. See, as the 3 seed Duke didn't actually play a game until Friday, however the first round of the tournament took place on that Thursday (the top 4 teams get a bye). In the quarterfinals, we handily beat a really good Virginia team and then in Saturday's semifinals we avenged our January loss to Florida State. On Sunday we would face Maryland. I think I can honestly say that I hate Maryland more than I hate Carolina...and for a Duke student that's kind of unheard of! We'd split the regular season with them, each team winning on their home court. What was an emotionally charged game ended in a heartbreaking 3point overtime loss (yet, again*). Who knew that 5 minutes of basketball could separate a feeling of complete excitement (a last second put back to force overtime) and somber emptiness? Needless to say, everyone was ready for some time off to regroup and refresh. As fate would have it, Duke's spring break began while we were in Greensboro and practice would not resume until Friday morning. Players and staff went their respective ways...and I went to...
SPRING BREAK: New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA
Monday morning I caught a flight to Philadelphia! I took a train from the airport to 30th St. Train Station. I bought train tickets to New York (just like they do on TV...I went to the counter and said "I need to go to New York." They gave me a price and I gave them money). I ran to the track that the woman told me to and boarded the train. Once I was on board, I looked down at my tickets and realized I had no idea what any of them meant! Trenton? SEPTA? NJT? NY? What?!? The conductor graciously explained to me that I was going to take SEPTA (the PA Train service) to Trenton and then would transfer to a new train which would take me to NY. Easy enough. I got to Trenton...figured out where I needed to be, but didn't know the difference between Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. Luckily, the Amtrak and NJT trains going to NY were on opposite sides of the same platform. I finally made it to Penn Station, took the Subway to Barnard College and met up with one of my dear friends, Sophie! Sophie and I met at Camp Ramah Darom in 2005 and we hadn't seen each other since the last day of Ramah Israel Seminar in 2007 (I also saw another good friend from camp, Hannah. We had a chance to hang out while Sophie was in class). Sophie and I had such a good time together just catching up and hanging out! We grabbed dinner at a Kosher deli (corned beef and pastrami sandwich, anyone?) and then went to a Purim Party as Esther and Vashti. We made crowns out of colored flyers we found in her dorm, and I wrote on a white v-neck shirt "Esther was a bimbo. Vashti was the HERO." At the party I got asked if I was a "Barnard Girl," to which I replied that I'm actually "from" Duke but am a feminist nonetheless :) Afterwards we grabbed some frozen yogurt and while we were walking down the streets passerbys offered us a "Happy Purim" and "Chag Samayach." Only in New York! I slept on her floor and in the morning we grabbed breakfast at a Hungarian pastry shop before I headed to the train station...which was more of an adventure than necessary. See, the subway line I needed to take was inconveniently out of service. I proceeded to get on the approrpriate bus, but traveling 100 blocks on a bus in NYC takes infinitely longer than the subway...and of course also longer than the time I'd allotted (because I was planning on the subway). Oh well, it all worked out, and I was on my way to Philadelphia! My Bubby met me at 30th St. Station in center city, Philadelphia, when I arrived. We went back to her and my Pop Pop's appartment briefly before heading out to Aunt Rhoda and Uncle Herman's house for tea! Aunt Nona also came with us, and Aunt Rhoda seriously out did herself. Not wanting to be a serious imposition on anyone, I thought tea was easy: you boil water! But Aunt Rhoda, of course, also made us delicious banana bread, a pear cake, muffins, and mini sandwiches. Between breakfast at the Hungarian pastry shop and tea, I did not eat a real meal all day! It was so good to catch up with everyone though. I just love them all so much and hadn't seen them in a while! On Wednesday morning, Bubby and Pop Pop and I went to breakfast around the corner from their place and then hit a few shops. Later that afternoon, Bubby and I ventured to *THE BEST* ice cream parlor which is situated just a few blocks from them...and then came back for a delicious signature meat ball dinner :) That night we played a few rounds on Boggle (my favorite), before winding down. Thursday morning it was time for me to leave and head back to Duke, but I had a surprise in store for them for breakfast. I spontaneously volunteered to make breakfast for them, if Aunt Nona would join us! She could not refuse the offer, and so I made gourmet scrambled eggs for them all. Bubby and I walked to a train stop which is just a few minutes from their apartment and I was on my way to the airport and back to Duke. I arrived back at Duke safe and sound after a truly wonderful spring break. Back at basketball things were getting turned up, since only the NCAA Tournament was left.
NCAA TOURNAMENT: East Lansing, Michigan
While "Selection Sunday" for the Men's tournament was the day that everyone else was arriving back to school after spring break and had people pretty jazzed up on campus when our men's team received a 2 seed in the tournament, we wouldn't know our fate for another day. The next day, the team, staff, managers, practice players, community supporters and families gathered together for a nice dinner. Before our selection show aired, everyone moved down into the "theater," where the team normally watches film. Everyone in the room was pretty stoked when we were announced as a 1 seed. As the rest of the bracket was released, we learned that Michigan State and Texas were also placed in our region. When MSU came up I think people thought it was kind of funny and like "oh, boy." When Texas was announced, I don't think anyone really believed this could happen. See, 2 seasons ago (after the 2006-2007 season) Duke's coach for 15 years left Duke...for Texas. When that happened, Coach P (with one of our assistants and our Director of Opps) came in to take over the program, leaving...MSU. Quite the triangle. We left Friday after practice for East Lansing, Michigan for the first 2 rounds of the tournament. On Sunday we played Austin Peay, who won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship. We had some cobwebs, but still won 83-42. Michigan State beat Middle Tennessee State in the game before us, 60-59, in a late game heroic probably inspired by home court advantage. At any rate, they escaped by the hair on their chinny-chin-chins and we would have to face them on Tuesday in the 2nd round game. The winner would advance to the Sweet 16 in Berkeley, California. The Basketball Gods had an unexpected and disappoitning fate lined up for us, as we lost the game 63-49 (it was a closer game than the score reveals, and I'm not "just saying that"). After finally getting our stuff together, we departed for the airport. Upon arriving at the airport we were informed that our plane was late. It was now 10:45pm and our plane wouldn't get in until roughly 12:15am. As one of our team doctors said, "talk about adding insult to injury." Understandably, everyone is emotional and tired. We finally got back to school around 3am. We were mostly zombies by that point...and everyone is still feeling the sting of the season being over.
IN OTHER NEWS...
~I have skype! If you don't know what that is, it is a free software you can use to videochat with anyone, anywhere. If you have skype, let me know and send me your skype name so I can find you! If you don't have skype yet, get it and let me know when you do!
~I'm seriously considering creating my own major in social change in activism. I'll keep you posted! (did you catch the pun?)
~Today I attended a symposium called "Duke Women's Forum." About 20 undergraduates came together to discuss varying components of the women's experience at Duke. There were four small groups, of which everyone attended two. They were: Body Image and Self Esteem, Sex, Sexuality and Self Awareness, The Effects of Race, and Handling By-Stander Situations.
~I'll be home for summer in 5 weeks! Time flies, huh?
*Duke lost to Maryland in the NCAA National Championship game by 3 in overtime in 2006...4 of the players on that team are on this year's team.
I guess I should back up a bit, though!
ACC TOURNAMENT: GREENSBORO, NC
Following our thrilling victory over Carolina on Senior Night we changed our focus to the post season. The team first traveled to Greensboro (about an hour from campus) for the ACC Tournament. I left on Wednesday evening after practice with our video coordinator, Lauren. The team came later on Thursday, but we got there early to get everything set up (you should see the technology a D1 basketball program has!) and in place at the hotel and the arena. We were also there for the first round games. See, as the 3 seed Duke didn't actually play a game until Friday, however the first round of the tournament took place on that Thursday (the top 4 teams get a bye). In the quarterfinals, we handily beat a really good Virginia team and then in Saturday's semifinals we avenged our January loss to Florida State. On Sunday we would face Maryland. I think I can honestly say that I hate Maryland more than I hate Carolina...and for a Duke student that's kind of unheard of! We'd split the regular season with them, each team winning on their home court. What was an emotionally charged game ended in a heartbreaking 3point overtime loss (yet, again*). Who knew that 5 minutes of basketball could separate a feeling of complete excitement (a last second put back to force overtime) and somber emptiness? Needless to say, everyone was ready for some time off to regroup and refresh. As fate would have it, Duke's spring break began while we were in Greensboro and practice would not resume until Friday morning. Players and staff went their respective ways...and I went to...
SPRING BREAK: New York, NY and Philadelphia, PA
Monday morning I caught a flight to Philadelphia! I took a train from the airport to 30th St. Train Station. I bought train tickets to New York (just like they do on TV...I went to the counter and said "I need to go to New York." They gave me a price and I gave them money). I ran to the track that the woman told me to and boarded the train. Once I was on board, I looked down at my tickets and realized I had no idea what any of them meant! Trenton? SEPTA? NJT? NY? What?!? The conductor graciously explained to me that I was going to take SEPTA (the PA Train service) to Trenton and then would transfer to a new train which would take me to NY. Easy enough. I got to Trenton...figured out where I needed to be, but didn't know the difference between Amtrak and New Jersey Transit. Luckily, the Amtrak and NJT trains going to NY were on opposite sides of the same platform. I finally made it to Penn Station, took the Subway to Barnard College and met up with one of my dear friends, Sophie! Sophie and I met at Camp Ramah Darom in 2005 and we hadn't seen each other since the last day of Ramah Israel Seminar in 2007 (I also saw another good friend from camp, Hannah. We had a chance to hang out while Sophie was in class). Sophie and I had such a good time together just catching up and hanging out! We grabbed dinner at a Kosher deli (corned beef and pastrami sandwich, anyone?) and then went to a Purim Party as Esther and Vashti. We made crowns out of colored flyers we found in her dorm, and I wrote on a white v-neck shirt "Esther was a bimbo. Vashti was the HERO." At the party I got asked if I was a "Barnard Girl," to which I replied that I'm actually "from" Duke but am a feminist nonetheless :) Afterwards we grabbed some frozen yogurt and while we were walking down the streets passerbys offered us a "Happy Purim" and "Chag Samayach." Only in New York! I slept on her floor and in the morning we grabbed breakfast at a Hungarian pastry shop before I headed to the train station...which was more of an adventure than necessary. See, the subway line I needed to take was inconveniently out of service. I proceeded to get on the approrpriate bus, but traveling 100 blocks on a bus in NYC takes infinitely longer than the subway...and of course also longer than the time I'd allotted (because I was planning on the subway). Oh well, it all worked out, and I was on my way to Philadelphia! My Bubby met me at 30th St. Station in center city, Philadelphia, when I arrived. We went back to her and my Pop Pop's appartment briefly before heading out to Aunt Rhoda and Uncle Herman's house for tea! Aunt Nona also came with us, and Aunt Rhoda seriously out did herself. Not wanting to be a serious imposition on anyone, I thought tea was easy: you boil water! But Aunt Rhoda, of course, also made us delicious banana bread, a pear cake, muffins, and mini sandwiches. Between breakfast at the Hungarian pastry shop and tea, I did not eat a real meal all day! It was so good to catch up with everyone though. I just love them all so much and hadn't seen them in a while! On Wednesday morning, Bubby and Pop Pop and I went to breakfast around the corner from their place and then hit a few shops. Later that afternoon, Bubby and I ventured to *THE BEST* ice cream parlor which is situated just a few blocks from them...and then came back for a delicious signature meat ball dinner :) That night we played a few rounds on Boggle (my favorite), before winding down. Thursday morning it was time for me to leave and head back to Duke, but I had a surprise in store for them for breakfast. I spontaneously volunteered to make breakfast for them, if Aunt Nona would join us! She could not refuse the offer, and so I made gourmet scrambled eggs for them all. Bubby and I walked to a train stop which is just a few minutes from their apartment and I was on my way to the airport and back to Duke. I arrived back at Duke safe and sound after a truly wonderful spring break. Back at basketball things were getting turned up, since only the NCAA Tournament was left.
NCAA TOURNAMENT: East Lansing, Michigan
While "Selection Sunday" for the Men's tournament was the day that everyone else was arriving back to school after spring break and had people pretty jazzed up on campus when our men's team received a 2 seed in the tournament, we wouldn't know our fate for another day. The next day, the team, staff, managers, practice players, community supporters and families gathered together for a nice dinner. Before our selection show aired, everyone moved down into the "theater," where the team normally watches film. Everyone in the room was pretty stoked when we were announced as a 1 seed. As the rest of the bracket was released, we learned that Michigan State and Texas were also placed in our region. When MSU came up I think people thought it was kind of funny and like "oh, boy." When Texas was announced, I don't think anyone really believed this could happen. See, 2 seasons ago (after the 2006-2007 season) Duke's coach for 15 years left Duke...for Texas. When that happened, Coach P (with one of our assistants and our Director of Opps) came in to take over the program, leaving...MSU. Quite the triangle. We left Friday after practice for East Lansing, Michigan for the first 2 rounds of the tournament. On Sunday we played Austin Peay, who won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship. We had some cobwebs, but still won 83-42. Michigan State beat Middle Tennessee State in the game before us, 60-59, in a late game heroic probably inspired by home court advantage. At any rate, they escaped by the hair on their chinny-chin-chins and we would have to face them on Tuesday in the 2nd round game. The winner would advance to the Sweet 16 in Berkeley, California. The Basketball Gods had an unexpected and disappoitning fate lined up for us, as we lost the game 63-49 (it was a closer game than the score reveals, and I'm not "just saying that"). After finally getting our stuff together, we departed for the airport. Upon arriving at the airport we were informed that our plane was late. It was now 10:45pm and our plane wouldn't get in until roughly 12:15am. As one of our team doctors said, "talk about adding insult to injury." Understandably, everyone is emotional and tired. We finally got back to school around 3am. We were mostly zombies by that point...and everyone is still feeling the sting of the season being over.
IN OTHER NEWS...
~I have skype! If you don't know what that is, it is a free software you can use to videochat with anyone, anywhere. If you have skype, let me know and send me your skype name so I can find you! If you don't have skype yet, get it and let me know when you do!
~I'm seriously considering creating my own major in social change in activism. I'll keep you posted! (did you catch the pun?)
~Today I attended a symposium called "Duke Women's Forum." About 20 undergraduates came together to discuss varying components of the women's experience at Duke. There were four small groups, of which everyone attended two. They were: Body Image and Self Esteem, Sex, Sexuality and Self Awareness, The Effects of Race, and Handling By-Stander Situations.
~I'll be home for summer in 5 weeks! Time flies, huh?
*Duke lost to Maryland in the NCAA National Championship game by 3 in overtime in 2006...4 of the players on that team are on this year's team.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
(snow) DAY and (senior) NIGHT
Well, I guess the title gives it away.
Yesterday was the first ever snow day of my life :)
Classes were canceled. It was cold. There was white stuff on the ground...basically it was your classic snow day.
For those of you back east, you might be embarrassed to know that we had a snow day for about an inch of snow, but for those of us who live south of the Mason Dixon line (get it? that's a southern joke) and west of the Mississippi river, it was all very exciting.
Going along with the Day and Night theme, the night before this snowy event was quite another thriller. Duke Women's Basketball beat the Carolina Tar Holes in overtime. Each of our three seniors, who played in their last game ever at Cameron Indoor Stadium, can look upon this win fondly: For Chante Black, even though she fouled out, it was the first time she'd ever beat UNC. Abby Waner opened the game with her trademark shot before going cold from the field. In overtime, however, she hit the winning field goal--another Abby Waner classic 3 pointer--forcing UNC to foul. Carrem Gay had a sort of fairy tale ending: a double-double (15 points; 12 rebounds), 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. For everyone else on the team and staff, this win avenged a loss a few weeks ago, secured 3rd place in the ACC and a favorable seed for the upcoming tournament, and gave us a big win on the 1st day of an even bigger month. That's right, March is finally here...and the Madness has also arrived.
Next time from Greensboro...
Yesterday was the first ever snow day of my life :)
Classes were canceled. It was cold. There was white stuff on the ground...basically it was your classic snow day.
For those of you back east, you might be embarrassed to know that we had a snow day for about an inch of snow, but for those of us who live south of the Mason Dixon line (get it? that's a southern joke) and west of the Mississippi river, it was all very exciting.
Going along with the Day and Night theme, the night before this snowy event was quite another thriller. Duke Women's Basketball beat the Carolina Tar Holes in overtime. Each of our three seniors, who played in their last game ever at Cameron Indoor Stadium, can look upon this win fondly: For Chante Black, even though she fouled out, it was the first time she'd ever beat UNC. Abby Waner opened the game with her trademark shot before going cold from the field. In overtime, however, she hit the winning field goal--another Abby Waner classic 3 pointer--forcing UNC to foul. Carrem Gay had a sort of fairy tale ending: a double-double (15 points; 12 rebounds), 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. For everyone else on the team and staff, this win avenged a loss a few weeks ago, secured 3rd place in the ACC and a favorable seed for the upcoming tournament, and gave us a big win on the 1st day of an even bigger month. That's right, March is finally here...and the Madness has also arrived.
Next time from Greensboro...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tallahassee and Tennessee: Traveling with DWB
One of the things people think is especially cool about being a manager is that we get to travel with the team. As I explain to said people, not every manager is on every trip, but there are managers on every trip (did you follow that?). I also have to explain that while yes, it is pretty fun, we're also working and that no, I don't get paid for "sleeping time." We also miss class but are fortunate to be excused with the same policy which excuses varsity athletes. So far this season, not counting bus rides to Raleigh and Chapel Hill and a preseason scrimmage in South Carolina, I've traveled with the team twice. At the end of January I was on the trip to Tallahassee for our game against Florida State and this past weekend I was in Knoxville for our big game against Tennessee. Generally speaking, we travel there the day before our game and come home immediately after.
Like most big name programs (in men's and women's basketball), we usually fly charter. This means that we take a bus to the airport but instead of going to the commercial areas the bus takes us directly to our plane. When we get to our destination there is another bus waiting for us to take us to our hotel.
On our trip to Tallahassee I didn't actually miss any class because of how our travel schedule and my class schedule matched up. I also got to see a good friend's parents at the game. Unfortunately, we lost in overtime...
In Tennessee we got to play in front of a huge crowd and against an esteemed program. Say what you will about Tennessee not being up to par this season, that they're young and inexperienced...they're still Tennessee, they're coach is still Pat Summit and it's still a pretty big deal. We went to dinner at Coach Brown's house which was fun and really cute...and delicious! I video blogged the trip for the team/goduke.com, so as soon as I'm done editing it down I'll post a link here. Also, our hotel basically shared a parking lot with the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, so in a spare moment between shoot around and pre-game meal I wandered over there with our video coordinator (who is fabulous) to take a gander. Pretty neat stuff, I tell ya. Oh, and how could I forget to mention that we WON.
I'll likely travel next with the team to Winston Salem for our game against Wake Forest (next Wednesday) and will be in Greensboro helping with the ACC Tournament (in early March).
Until next time...Go Blue Devils!
Like most big name programs (in men's and women's basketball), we usually fly charter. This means that we take a bus to the airport but instead of going to the commercial areas the bus takes us directly to our plane. When we get to our destination there is another bus waiting for us to take us to our hotel.
On our trip to Tallahassee I didn't actually miss any class because of how our travel schedule and my class schedule matched up. I also got to see a good friend's parents at the game. Unfortunately, we lost in overtime...
In Tennessee we got to play in front of a huge crowd and against an esteemed program. Say what you will about Tennessee not being up to par this season, that they're young and inexperienced...they're still Tennessee, they're coach is still Pat Summit and it's still a pretty big deal. We went to dinner at Coach Brown's house which was fun and really cute...and delicious! I video blogged the trip for the team/goduke.com, so as soon as I'm done editing it down I'll post a link here. Also, our hotel basically shared a parking lot with the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, so in a spare moment between shoot around and pre-game meal I wandered over there with our video coordinator (who is fabulous) to take a gander. Pretty neat stuff, I tell ya. Oh, and how could I forget to mention that we WON.
I'll likely travel next with the team to Winston Salem for our game against Wake Forest (next Wednesday) and will be in Greensboro helping with the ACC Tournament (in early March).
Until next time...Go Blue Devils!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Midterm Madness
At Duke, you've got to imagine that March Madness is a pretty big deal. But, before we even get to March us students have to weather a different sort of madness...midterms! Depending on the courses a student is taking some will experience a big crunch and others not so much. For me, last semester didn't have a crunch time until finals came around...and even that was pretty manageable. This semester is different though. Now that I've survived to tell about it (it finally calmed down on Monday), I had a pretty rough week and a half. All in all I had two exams, a first draft of a project, a paper and a final draft of a project. I guess it doesn't sound that bad...but when one exam is in math which at Duke is notorious for giving everyone a hard time, one exam is in a class with a HORRIBLE professor (yes, even at Duke they exist :/), my research project required a write up that turned out to be 8 pages and I had a paper on top of that (which is always nerve-wracking...especially the first one in a class) I was forced to manage my time, work for hours on end, stay up till at least 3am on four occassions (including a friday and saturday night!) and give up going to the gym (freshman fifteen?).
Things have finally calmed down, though, and I feel good about my performances on my exams and the quality of my paper and research assignment. Even so, I'm looking forward to having some time to myself again and time to hit the gym to work on my guns ;)
Things have finally calmed down, though, and I feel good about my performances on my exams and the quality of my paper and research assignment. Even so, I'm looking forward to having some time to myself again and time to hit the gym to work on my guns ;)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Inauguration Tales
Sorry it took me so long to get back and write about my 24 hours of adventure on inauguration day. I hope you enjoyed the pictures in the mean time.
On the night of January 19th I found myself running from commitment to commitment, as you might expect from me by now. We had a game that night at North Carolina State University...and what a game it was. Desperate for a win after opening conference play 0-3, being in the midst of a 4 game losing streak and trying to rally around their coach (the now late Kay Yow...another post on that later...and yes, I seem to say that a lot but one day it'll happen), the Wolfpack pushed us to our second overtime of the season. We won the game, went back to our locker room and immediately began writing cards of well wishes, thoughts and sentiment to Coach Yow.
Once we arrived back at Duke, I finished up my managing duties, came back to my dorm to squeeze in an hour or so of work, packed my "stuff" and was right back out the door to catch the bus to DC. I left the dorm wearing a pair of turquoise pantyhose, with gray stirrup pants (come on, you remember those from the 90s?) over them, a pair of black athletic leggings over top, and finally a pair of jeans. I also wore an under armor long sleeved shirt with a long sleeved t-shirt on top and my hiking books. With me I brought a fleece, a hoodie, a winter coat, ear warming head band, a hat (thanks Nicole!), a pair of hiking socks, a pair of cotton gloves and an old pair of my mom's driving gloves (from the 70s when she lived in NY!), and wind breaker pants. Can you say L-A-Y-E-R-S!?
We got boarded the bus just after 12-midnight and were on our way to the nation's capitol! Some hours later we stopped briefly at a rest stop before arriving at RFK stadium. As we got off the bus, the Duke chaperones gave us hand warmers! I'd never heard of them before and didn't know anything about them. To a kid from Arizona they're kind of the opposite of those instant ice packs!
From RFK stadium we caught a shuttle which took us to just a few blocks from the National Mall. We got to the national mall and waited...and waited...and waited...and tried to stay warm in the process.
The children's choir was a really beautiful introduction to the day's events. Nothing like singing "America the Beautiful" or "My Country Tis of Thee" or "My Land is Your Land...Your Land is My Land" with 2million people on the national mall!
Everything after that is kind of a blur. Lots of flag waving, cheering, soulful amens and "mhms", chanting O-BA-MA and singing "na na na na hey hey hey good bye" to Bush.
Following the inauguration ceremony we went to go find a bite to eat. This proved to be a much more dramatic task then either of us could have ever predicted. Food options were limited, everything had crazy lines and we had no idea where to go! Literally hours later we wound up back at the national mall and got hotdogs before heading back to RFK stadium to catch our way "home" to Duke.
The whole thing was absolutely incredible. To witness and be a part of history like that is a pretty surreal experience. Arguably the best $20 (thats how much my bus ticket was) I ever spent in my life.
On the night of January 19th I found myself running from commitment to commitment, as you might expect from me by now. We had a game that night at North Carolina State University...and what a game it was. Desperate for a win after opening conference play 0-3, being in the midst of a 4 game losing streak and trying to rally around their coach (the now late Kay Yow...another post on that later...and yes, I seem to say that a lot but one day it'll happen), the Wolfpack pushed us to our second overtime of the season. We won the game, went back to our locker room and immediately began writing cards of well wishes, thoughts and sentiment to Coach Yow.
Once we arrived back at Duke, I finished up my managing duties, came back to my dorm to squeeze in an hour or so of work, packed my "stuff" and was right back out the door to catch the bus to DC. I left the dorm wearing a pair of turquoise pantyhose, with gray stirrup pants (come on, you remember those from the 90s?) over them, a pair of black athletic leggings over top, and finally a pair of jeans. I also wore an under armor long sleeved shirt with a long sleeved t-shirt on top and my hiking books. With me I brought a fleece, a hoodie, a winter coat, ear warming head band, a hat (thanks Nicole!), a pair of hiking socks, a pair of cotton gloves and an old pair of my mom's driving gloves (from the 70s when she lived in NY!), and wind breaker pants. Can you say L-A-Y-E-R-S!?
We got boarded the bus just after 12-midnight and were on our way to the nation's capitol! Some hours later we stopped briefly at a rest stop before arriving at RFK stadium. As we got off the bus, the Duke chaperones gave us hand warmers! I'd never heard of them before and didn't know anything about them. To a kid from Arizona they're kind of the opposite of those instant ice packs!
From RFK stadium we caught a shuttle which took us to just a few blocks from the National Mall. We got to the national mall and waited...and waited...and waited...and tried to stay warm in the process.
The children's choir was a really beautiful introduction to the day's events. Nothing like singing "America the Beautiful" or "My Country Tis of Thee" or "My Land is Your Land...Your Land is My Land" with 2million people on the national mall!
Everything after that is kind of a blur. Lots of flag waving, cheering, soulful amens and "mhms", chanting O-BA-MA and singing "na na na na hey hey hey good bye" to Bush.
Following the inauguration ceremony we went to go find a bite to eat. This proved to be a much more dramatic task then either of us could have ever predicted. Food options were limited, everything had crazy lines and we had no idea where to go! Literally hours later we wound up back at the national mall and got hotdogs before heading back to RFK stadium to catch our way "home" to Duke.
The whole thing was absolutely incredible. To witness and be a part of history like that is a pretty surreal experience. Arguably the best $20 (thats how much my bus ticket was) I ever spent in my life.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
Details later...but for now:
pictures of me and my friend Michael at Obama's Inauguration!!!!!
pictures of me and my friend Michael at Obama's Inauguration!!!!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Some Catching Up To Do...
I suppose I owe everyone an apology for neglecting this blog for so long. I've got a few minutes of down time so I figured I'd post what I can now and will finish what will probably shape up to be roughly the length of a novel later tonight before I get on a bus to go to DC (more on that later in this post!).
Since the last time I wrote I finished my first semester of college. None of it was particularly difficult--at least not the academics--but there is something to be said for making the adjustment and making a seemingly foreign place your home. Since being back, Duke feels a lot less foreign and a lot more like home.
I managed a 3.75 GPA for the semester, of which I'm pretty proud. Juggling basketball, frisbee, class, getting to the gym (if you haven't seen me since I left in August be sure you buy your tickets to the "gun show" coming to Phoenix in May 2009!), Freeman Center and Hillel stuff and just life in general (college kids are supposed to be social creatures, after all!) sometimes proved to be a challenging task, kept me pretty busy and occasionally up past my bedtime (I'll post on this some other time).
Following my only final exam on December 11th, I was with the Duke Women's Basketball team through our game against then-third-ranked Stanford University. For those who don't know or didn't catch it on ESPN...we pulled quite the upset and kicked some Cardinal behinds! I was excited to see "the cameron effect" in action as All American center and 80% free throw shooter Jayne Appel went 4-12 from the line (you're tellin' me!) in just one uncharacteristic stat line from the game.
Upon my return home I spent as much time as I could just soaking it all in. I spent ample time with friends and family just enjoying being back in my conmfort zone. I "painted for peace", went to the ASU-Stanford WBB game with my dad and Barbara, went ice skating, celebrated my birthday, brought in the new year, played lots of "Mexican Train" (its a dominoes game), ran with my cross country teammates, grabbed lunch with some of the women I know from Girls For a Change, enjoyed a Holly family game night, met with my breakfast crew, just to name a few shenanigans...
I arrived back in Durham on January 4th just in time for sorority rush and Duke's home game against Temple. Yes, I know what you're thinking...I was rather surprised myself! Ultimately, I decided to rush because 1) everyone said that you met a lot of people, and with everyone being settled into their respective routines and not quite being comfortable with where I was socially and who I knew on campus, I figured it would be a great way to put myself out there some more. 2) I found myself being pretty torn about it and figured that if I didn't do it I'd likely regret not checking it out. 3) I made a promise to myself back in August before even arriving at Duke that I was going to be open minded about opportunities on campus and that I was going to take advantage of everything in front of me. In light of this vow to myself, not rushing simply based on stereotypical sorority stories or because I never thought I would seemed to be close minded and arbitrary. I wanted to be able to make an educated decision about greek life and my college experience. 4) Everyone says Duke sororities are different, in part because they don't live together. Ultimately, I completed rounds one and two before dropping out. Dropping out was a good decision, but so was rushing.
Since then, classes have started. I'm taking a required freshman writing course, second semester calculus, the second economics course (intermediate microeconomics) and history of modern philosophy. I'll dedicate a later post to detailing the courses, professors, materials, etc. I have the *pleasure* of having classes at 8:45am four days a week...and an actual pleasure of having Thursdays off.
Duke Women's Basketball has had another marquee victory over ACC rival Maryland and we currently find ourselves ranked fourth in the AP Poll with only one loss on the season.
While on the topic of Duke Basketball, our men's team has put on some nice spectacles. I had the fortune of watching Stephen Curry of Davidson in person and also a victory over Georgetown. We are currently second with only one loss on the season. K-ville is set up and if you're lucky you're staying warm while camping outside of Cameron for 5 weeks just to get in to the Duke-UNC game (look out for another post dedicated to k-ville).
Last but not least, I will be leaving for our nation's capital in less than two hours. OSAF (office of student affairs something or other) is chartering a bus to DC for just $20/student. It's a midnight to midnight turn around trip which will allow me to spend my day on the mall and at the parade to celebrate our newest president's inauguration! Definitely details on my trip complete with pictures following my safe return home.
All in all, I hope this post finds you doing well and that your New Year is off to a fabulous start. Things here are busy busy busy but you know I wouldn't want it any other way!
In light of MLK day, I'll conclude this post with two quotes by none other than the Dr. himself:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"
and pertinent to the current state of events in the middle east
"Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity...Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality."
Since the last time I wrote I finished my first semester of college. None of it was particularly difficult--at least not the academics--but there is something to be said for making the adjustment and making a seemingly foreign place your home. Since being back, Duke feels a lot less foreign and a lot more like home.
I managed a 3.75 GPA for the semester, of which I'm pretty proud. Juggling basketball, frisbee, class, getting to the gym (if you haven't seen me since I left in August be sure you buy your tickets to the "gun show" coming to Phoenix in May 2009!), Freeman Center and Hillel stuff and just life in general (college kids are supposed to be social creatures, after all!) sometimes proved to be a challenging task, kept me pretty busy and occasionally up past my bedtime (I'll post on this some other time).
Following my only final exam on December 11th, I was with the Duke Women's Basketball team through our game against then-third-ranked Stanford University. For those who don't know or didn't catch it on ESPN...we pulled quite the upset and kicked some Cardinal behinds! I was excited to see "the cameron effect" in action as All American center and 80% free throw shooter Jayne Appel went 4-12 from the line (you're tellin' me!) in just one uncharacteristic stat line from the game.
Upon my return home I spent as much time as I could just soaking it all in. I spent ample time with friends and family just enjoying being back in my conmfort zone. I "painted for peace", went to the ASU-Stanford WBB game with my dad and Barbara, went ice skating, celebrated my birthday, brought in the new year, played lots of "Mexican Train" (its a dominoes game), ran with my cross country teammates, grabbed lunch with some of the women I know from Girls For a Change, enjoyed a Holly family game night, met with my breakfast crew, just to name a few shenanigans...
I arrived back in Durham on January 4th just in time for sorority rush and Duke's home game against Temple. Yes, I know what you're thinking...I was rather surprised myself! Ultimately, I decided to rush because 1) everyone said that you met a lot of people, and with everyone being settled into their respective routines and not quite being comfortable with where I was socially and who I knew on campus, I figured it would be a great way to put myself out there some more. 2) I found myself being pretty torn about it and figured that if I didn't do it I'd likely regret not checking it out. 3) I made a promise to myself back in August before even arriving at Duke that I was going to be open minded about opportunities on campus and that I was going to take advantage of everything in front of me. In light of this vow to myself, not rushing simply based on stereotypical sorority stories or because I never thought I would seemed to be close minded and arbitrary. I wanted to be able to make an educated decision about greek life and my college experience. 4) Everyone says Duke sororities are different, in part because they don't live together. Ultimately, I completed rounds one and two before dropping out. Dropping out was a good decision, but so was rushing.
Since then, classes have started. I'm taking a required freshman writing course, second semester calculus, the second economics course (intermediate microeconomics) and history of modern philosophy. I'll dedicate a later post to detailing the courses, professors, materials, etc. I have the *pleasure* of having classes at 8:45am four days a week...and an actual pleasure of having Thursdays off.
Duke Women's Basketball has had another marquee victory over ACC rival Maryland and we currently find ourselves ranked fourth in the AP Poll with only one loss on the season.
While on the topic of Duke Basketball, our men's team has put on some nice spectacles. I had the fortune of watching Stephen Curry of Davidson in person and also a victory over Georgetown. We are currently second with only one loss on the season. K-ville is set up and if you're lucky you're staying warm while camping outside of Cameron for 5 weeks just to get in to the Duke-UNC game (look out for another post dedicated to k-ville).
Last but not least, I will be leaving for our nation's capital in less than two hours. OSAF (office of student affairs something or other) is chartering a bus to DC for just $20/student. It's a midnight to midnight turn around trip which will allow me to spend my day on the mall and at the parade to celebrate our newest president's inauguration! Definitely details on my trip complete with pictures following my safe return home.
All in all, I hope this post finds you doing well and that your New Year is off to a fabulous start. Things here are busy busy busy but you know I wouldn't want it any other way!
In light of MLK day, I'll conclude this post with two quotes by none other than the Dr. himself:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter"
and pertinent to the current state of events in the middle east
"Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist, its territorial integrity...Peace for Israel means security and that security must be a reality."
Sunday, December 7, 2008
This is What I Do When I Should Be Studying...
Well, a little detour never hurt anybody, right?
Now, tell me that doesn't look like me!
Friday, December 5, 2008
ONE
That is, one paper revision and one exam before I've completed one semester of college. Today was our final day of classes, which is a bit of a relief!
At any rate, it's been a while since I last blogged--and for that, I apologize. Here's the newest from Durham:
1. Check out this article on from ESPN.com by Graham Hays about the Duke Women's Basketball Team: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=ncwexperts The season is underway and we're currently 5-1 after last night's victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. We have another home game on Sunday against Michigan. We've encountered some obstacles as two of our point guards (including our starting PG) are currently out with injuries, but the team is relentless and continues to work hard.
2. I made a brief visit home over Thanksgiving and had a really wonderful time. Mostly, it was good to see familar faces--I got to catch up with dear friends, laugh a lot, stay up late a lot, and eat delicious home made food...what could be better?
3. Moments ago I informed my mother that I intended to rush. *Imagine the reaction I got!* At Duke, we have deferred rush so that freshmen can adjust to college life before deciding if they want to be in sorority or not. I'm not sure if I'll end up pledging but I'm keeping my options open and am looking forward to meeting new people.
4. I rang the 5pm church bells at Duke's Chapel. My Renaissance music class visited the chapel to get a tour of the bells and to watch them be played (they are played daily at 5pm).
5. I registered for next semester's classes...but I'll save that for another post!
6. The dorm is infested with holiday spirit--Christmas lights in the hallway, in people's rooms, decorations on doors, cookie making parties...you name it! It's quite a jolly place.
That about covers things for now...if you're in town in December for the holidays I'd love to see you while I'm home so shoot me an email and we'll be in touch.
At any rate, it's been a while since I last blogged--and for that, I apologize. Here's the newest from Durham:
1. Check out this article on from ESPN.com by Graham Hays about the Duke Women's Basketball Team: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=ncwexperts The season is underway and we're currently 5-1 after last night's victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. We have another home game on Sunday against Michigan. We've encountered some obstacles as two of our point guards (including our starting PG) are currently out with injuries, but the team is relentless and continues to work hard.
2. I made a brief visit home over Thanksgiving and had a really wonderful time. Mostly, it was good to see familar faces--I got to catch up with dear friends, laugh a lot, stay up late a lot, and eat delicious home made food...what could be better?
3. Moments ago I informed my mother that I intended to rush. *Imagine the reaction I got!* At Duke, we have deferred rush so that freshmen can adjust to college life before deciding if they want to be in sorority or not. I'm not sure if I'll end up pledging but I'm keeping my options open and am looking forward to meeting new people.
4. I rang the 5pm church bells at Duke's Chapel. My Renaissance music class visited the chapel to get a tour of the bells and to watch them be played (they are played daily at 5pm).
5. I registered for next semester's classes...but I'll save that for another post!
6. The dorm is infested with holiday spirit--Christmas lights in the hallway, in people's rooms, decorations on doors, cookie making parties...you name it! It's quite a jolly place.
That about covers things for now...if you're in town in December for the holidays I'd love to see you while I'm home so shoot me an email and we'll be in touch.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Blue Stained Faces...They're Normal When You're a Duke Student
It's true.
If you see someone walking on the quad and their face is tinted blue, its obvious what they were up to. No questions necessary. Clearly they were at the night before's basketball game.
Here's a curve ball for ya though: If you see people walking around today with a stained blue face, they probably just auditioned for a coke zero commercial.
And before you ask that question which is on the tip of your tongue, just think about it for a minute. Would I, die-hard-sports-fanatic-and-spirited-loud-cheerer, really pass up an opportunity to be a crazed duke fan on a national commercial (and make $150 for it)?
That's what I thought.
If you see someone walking on the quad and their face is tinted blue, its obvious what they were up to. No questions necessary. Clearly they were at the night before's basketball game.
Here's a curve ball for ya though: If you see people walking around today with a stained blue face, they probably just auditioned for a coke zero commercial.
And before you ask that question which is on the tip of your tongue, just think about it for a minute. Would I, die-hard-sports-fanatic-and-spirited-loud-cheerer, really pass up an opportunity to be a crazed duke fan on a national commercial (and make $150 for it)?
That's what I thought.
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