Well, it is officially my senior year. I am not sure if I have come to believe that to be true though. I am currently on my porch writing, doing homework, and listening to some of my favorite music in shorts and a sweatshirt, which is my all time favorite outfit. The weather has been absolutely beautiful this week so I have been staying outside as much as possible.

Not only do I get to wear my favorite outfit, but I have been drinking my favorite drink…pumpkin spice latte (for all you Starbucks lovers you know my excitement). But what is even more exciting than all of those things is the fact that it is 45 days until HOMECOMING.

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Hey there!

So we are a little over a month into the Spring semester — my fifth here at OU — but it definitely does not feel like it! Time is flying by, and the snow breaks we had definitely sped everything up! I, of course, enjoyed those snow days as much as the next person, and I admire and respect the fact that OU consistently sided with student safety when making the decisions about whether we would have class. But I will say that at one point, I told a friend of mine that you know you love your major when you are disappointed that class is cancelled!  Read more

This summer I could be here!

I hope to study abroad this coming summer in Peru!! Just a few minutes ago I submitted the last portions of my application on the OU Education Abroad website. Needless to say, I’m excited. It’s crazy to think that just a few months from now the time to board a plane will have come and I’ll be off to South America.

Counting on official acceptance to the program, on June 16 my study abroad experience will begin in Lima, Peru. This OU program, titled Journey to Latin America, is just one of several OU Journey Programs offered by this university.  Designed exclusively for OU students and taking them to places all over the world from China to Italy to Latin America, OU’s Journey Programs give you a broad introduction and study into the cultures and locations that they visit.  All class work is done in English, so no prior language knowledge is required! I’m working on becoming fluent in Spanish and hope to have a more intensive language study abroad experience sometime in the future, but know that I’ll still be able to practice my Spanish this summer while in Peru. I can’t wait for the experiences that await me! Besides spending time studying in Lima, this trip will take me to Machu Picchu, Cuzco, the Amazon Jungle, and other locales! I’ll be earning class credit the entire time! Read more

Hi there! It’s been a long while since my last blog, time for a serious update! Life has been crazy lately! I cannot believe that it’s already December and finals are almost here! Between classes, school work, and life, you rarely have a break for some “me time.” When you get those moments, take them! They are few and far between.

Other than classes, I’ve been keeping busy with various activities. I’m on Winter Welcome Week exec this fall, and we are so busy planning events for the first week back from winter break, but it’s one of my favorite activities! We meet every Monday and have a good time planning WWW 2011! It’s so much fun, we all joke around with each other, but some how we get the job done. I’m definitely ready (even though Christy French, WWW Chair, may not be…) for the first week back from break to be here to see all of our hard work pay off! It’s going to be awesome. Then again, I’m ready for a nice and long break, so Winter Welcome Week, you don’t have to be here just yet!

Regular season football is over, and now it’s time for some post-season fun! This past weekend was the last Big XII Championship ever, and we beat Nebraska, one of OU’s biggest rivals and the team responsible for disbanding the Big XII Conference. I was there, cheering on the Oklahoma Sooners in my crimson and cream, and it was one of my favorite games of season! My other favorite game was the one at Mizzou, even though we lost. My best friend and I made the trip all the way to Columbia, Missouri, for College Game Day and the game, and even though we didn’t come back with a win, the trip was definitely worth it! Katy and I met Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, and if you know me, you know I could NOT pass up a photo op with Corso and Herbie! (Now all I need is one with the ESPN love of my life, Scott Van Pelt! Someday, someday.)

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Hello everyone!

So we are winding down the Fall semester here at the University of Oklahoma! It is amazing how fast time goes when you are in college! One second you’re in your first classes and the next you are studying for finals! But they always say that time goes by fast when you are having fun!

I promised in my last blog that I would post a bit about my freshman experience. Since I can remember, I wanted to go to OU. It was the only school I applied to, which must mean it is amazing! I wanted a university that opened up many opportunities both academically and in my community. I am kind of a community service nut, so that aspect of it was very important to me! My freshman year I was privileged enough to be accepted into the President’s Leadership Class. It is the most renowned leadership organization for freshmen! Approximately 100 incoming freshmen are accepted through their involvement in high school. So seniors, KEEP WORKING HARD!!! This is an amazing opportunity. Not only did it allow me to meet so many amazing people who had the same passions as I did, but I was also able to participate in so many great things such as a retreat down by Lake Texoma and Big Event! We also got to have dinner at President Boren’s house (or Papa B as we know him) and also dinner with the governor.

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While Fall is by far my favorite time of the year, it also happens to be one the busiest times! I am fortunate enough to be highly involved in every organization that I am passionate about, but this means that sometimes I get overwhelmed.

First, some advice for college is getting used to using a planner.  I have to have my planner with me at all times; if I don’t then I have no idea what needs to be done for that day and what commitments I have.  So BUY A PLANNER NOW so you get used to keeping up with one.

Now, like I said I love this time of year, but I am now experiencing the feeling of the end of the semester.  When you come to college you will understand this feeling, trust me.  This feeling makes me want to shut down and not do anything but watch the Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family, but I can’t do that.  Today, there is a football game, but I am skipping the last football game to catch up on life 🙁 . This past Friday I got to attend some very cool workshops facilitated by JC Penny Leadership Program–this is a program through Price College of Business.  Basically, it acts as the liaison between classes and the corporate world. At any rate, I got to go to a workshop on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Franklin Covey, a Wall Street 101 presentation, and a Time Warner Media Presentation.  While these did take up my entire day, they were interesting and helped me to grow as a leader.  So my Friday was a workshop day; therefore, I get to spend my Saturday working on homework, Boomer Blogs, and preparing for some big interviews on Sunday.

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Feel free to judge me, but I am already in the Christmas spirit. It’s 10:30 and I am living the dream while listening to Josh Groban’s Christmas CD. Does that make me a grandma? Maybe. Am I ashamed? Not a bit. I realize that there are 50 days until the actual day but I’m a fan of starting my celebration at the conclusion of October. Since I am a vegetarian, Thanksgiving doesn’t really hold all the splendor that it might for most people, so I tend to skip right over it to the happiest day of the year — CHRISTMAS. I truly think the world would be a much happier place if we would all live life as though every day is Christmas, like Buddy the Elf.

Now that I’ve got my Christmas spirit out there, I can go on to tell you about the exciting opportunity I had this week to host Senator Joseph Lieberman during his time on campus! Senator Lieberman was passing through Norman while attending a couple events in Oklahoma City and I had the chance to serve as his host with my friend Stuart while he spoke to OU students. As a member of Crimson Club, we have the wonderful honor of spending time with guests of the President and showing them all that OU has to offer. I got to spend time with Sen. Lieberman and his wife before he addressed students and faculty about the need for a U.S. presence in Afghanistan, a strong stance on Iranian nuclear proliferation and a unified effort to combat Chinese economic control, emphasizing the vital importance of bipartisanship. His speech and my conversations with Sen. Lieberman were enlightening and opened my eyes to a lot of issues I often forget about in the craziness of college life.

Through opportunities like this one and by attending the lectures that we have frequently on campus, I have had the chance to interact and hear from a number of our country and the world’s leaders about issues have an impact on the national and global scale. As a college student, it is often easy to get sucked into academics and campus life and forget about the big world out there that we are all part of. I have learned during my time at OU  how important it is to be informed in politics, economics, and world issues, even if that isn’t the focus of my major. There are opportunities every week here on campus to broaden your intellectual horizons and learn about the world and what the future holds. Next year when I graduate, I know I won’t just leave OU with a diploma but with a broadened view of the globe and as a more dedicated and informed member of society.

Hello Readers!

Wow, so I cannot believe how fast these past weeks have gone by! And I realized I haven’t blogged lately…my sincere apologies! So what have I been up to lately?! Oh you know, EVERYTHING! This past week wrapped up my second round of tests and they went well! 🙂 I also started my online History class this past week, which is adding to the craziness! However, one thing I will say while I’m on that note is how it is really nice to come in with as many credits (like from AP tests and the sort) as you can, so you can knock out your gen-eds as fast as possible! Unfortunately, I didn’t score high enough on the History AP test (hahaha OH WELL!) so instead of taking it at OU, I just decided it probably be easier and cheaper to take an 8-week online courese through my community college back home. So yeah, I’ve been reading up on Native Americans and all the European settlers this past week– how fun.
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Reading: Tomás Rivera’s And the Earth Did Not Devour Him
Listening to: STS9

I’m currently in the air flying home from Orlando, FL, where I spent the weekend. Why was I in Orlando instead of in Norman enjoying all the homecoming festivities? Well, as first vice president of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society, I had the opportunity to attend ALD’s national conference. For free.

At the conference, I was surprised to find that OU was famous in the ALD world. We won several awards, and our faculty advisor, Dr. Alice Lanning, was named outstanding advisor of the year. I’m constantly surprised to discover just how respected the University of Oklahoma is.

If you want to attend a university that you can be proud of in every facet, choose to be a Sooner. We truly have it all.

The University of Oklahoma: We have it all. I’m sure you have heard this tagline on many OU Recruitment items but I assure you, it’s more than just a saying — it really is true. During my senior year, while I was looking at OU as a potential college, I was definitely swayed by the diversity and opportunities available at OU. I feel that my college experience has included a variety of adventures, opportunities, people, and experiences that I would not have ever encountered elsewhere.

Before I get into too many details, let me tell you a little about myself. The typical details first: I am a  junior majoring in Microbiology with minors in Chemistry and Medical Humanities. I have big dreams of attending medical school and pursuing a dream career involving patient care, health policy, medical research, and dealing with public health abroad. I arrived at OU from Alva, Oklahoma — a small town in northwest Oklahoma (it’s about 3 hours away from Norman). On campus, I am involved in a cornucopia of  activities. Some of my favorites are CAC High School Leadership Conference, Global Medical Brigades, the President’s Leadership Class/Crimson Club, and my sorority. I also love attending lectures on campus and spending a large majority of my time on the fourth floor of the Bizzell Memorial Library (although I am actively searching for new study spots).

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