The Numbers Just Don't Add Up!

Hello all, I am starting to feel it. The slow, steady creeping feeling that can only mean one thing. Finals and the end of the year are lurking just around the corner. Yes, we still have a couple weeks of classes left, but that doesn't mean that there is still time to relax. It hit me last night at chemistry lab when we were reminded that next Monday is our lab exam, and shortly after that we have all the others. These last few weeks are really strange in that they make up a small portion of the semester, but they represent up to 40% of the class grade sometimes. Math can be tricky, but this seems a bit odd!

 

In all honesty, I have a bit of trouble stressing out about schoolwork. Some would envy me for this "problem," but it can be a curse at times. I tend to procrastinate because I don't have that nagging feeling to get me going. So we'll have to see how these next few weeks go; stress may be mandatory. 

 

On Sunday we filmed the commercial footage I mentioned last week. I had so much fun dancing with all the other folks and doing a little acting as well. They gave us all free pizza, which got everyone excited, and those in charge seemed to be genuinely pleased with how it all turned out. So in the next couple weeks, watch for a link, I'll be sure to post it up here.

 

I mentioned earlier how I tend to procrastinate; here is proof. Not only is this blog late, but I also have to write a 5-page paper that is due tomorrow, which I have not even started thinking about yet. So I guess I had better get on that. I hope you all have a great week and wish me luck with these upcoming challenges.

 

Peace,

Collin

Sore Feet

Hello all. I'm sorry, I guess it has been a while since I updated the ol' blog. So here we go.

 

Easter break was great. I spent time some quality time with my family. I saw my sister kick some major butt in tennis, my older brother was back in town, and we visited my grandparents for the Easter holiday. It was short, but sweet.

 

This week has gone by pretty quickly. There has been a lot to do. I have fallen behind in my readings a little bit, so I am playing catch-up. There was also a paper due for my Paideia Capstone class. It was a rather frustrating undertaking. I was having trouble gaining momentum when I started, so I ended up scrapping it twice and rewriting it. But I finally finished it and it was a relief to turn it in.

 

It is hard to believe, but we only have a few more weeks before finals are upon us. It is very exciting because that means summer is almost here, but it is a little unnerving as well, considering there is still much to do before I even think about finals. In addition to the stress of finals I have to keep in mind that I must move out and leave town early for a Wilderness First Responder (wilderness first aid) class I am taking in Iowa City at the end of May. So I will have my plate very full for the next few weeks. But that's what it always is like, and that's okay by me.

 

This weekend was pretty fun. On Friday, SAC Diversity, one of the branches of the Student Activities Council, brought in an Irish band called An Dochas. The music was really lively and fun, just like most Irish music. They played amazing instruments, too, including a set of Irish bagpipes, which was the highlight of the evening for me.

 

Last night we had a celebration for four of our friends who had April birthdays. We cooked a bunch of food, danced like mad, and just enjoyed each others' company. The four birthday girls were international students, and the international students tend to be some of the best cooks on campus so I ate way too much, but it was all very enjoyable. 

 

Today was also a very interesting day. The photo bureau on campus is putting together a Luther commercial that I agreed to be part of. It involves a lot of dancing and music, so today we had a four hour practice during which I learned some sweet dance moves. I was a little nervous going in because I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had fun the entire time through learning dance steps that the dance groups on campus had prepared. I am not going to give too much away about the commercial, but when it is done, I hope to put a link to it on here so I can share it with all of you. 

 

That is about all that has happened over the last week or so. I hope you are all doing very well and I will talk to you soon!

 

Peace,

Collin

Dancing, singing, and bowls.

It is cold and snowy in Decorah, which is good because there was and still is much to do this weekend, and it would be hard to finish everything this weekend carried if I were to be distracted by warm, sunny weather. And, boy, has it been a busy week and especially weekend.

 

I had a chemistry exam on Friday that involved some preparation, but the rest of the school week was pretty normal in terms of workload. This next week is going to be a little different. I am finishing up a lab report for chemistry lab, I have a couple of papers that will need to get written, another paper I must plan for and start researching, and I get to top it all off with a hefty botany exam on Thursday. Wish me luck!

 

However, there have been a lot of positive things happening this weekend. On Friday, I went to the final Center Stage Series concert in the Center of Faith and Life. It was the New Zealand String Quartet and Richard Nuuns. I had seen the quartet while living in Dunedin, New Zealand, so it was a nostalgic experience for me. They are fantastic musicians, and this time they performed with Richard Nuuns, who is an expert in traditional Maori (New Zealand native) instruments. It was fascinating and very entertaining. Saturday was a busy day. I went to my friend's junior vocal recital, and was amazed by his talent. There are so many good singers and musicians at Luther. I have a hard time keeping up. After that, I went to a performance done by a group of guys from Guatemala and Mexico. In May, there was a large immigration raid in Postville, Iowa, which is only a stone's throw from here. It was a very chaotic, painful, and in my opinion, poorly handled occurrence. These guys decided to tell their story in a play form in order to explain to people the terrible things they had to live through and hopefully shed some light on the crooked immigration policies in our country. It was very eye-opening. I have spent a bit of time with a few of the guys who performed, so I had a vague background of their stories, but it was shocking to hear it in its entirety. They are truly amazing individuals.

 

Saturday night was a little less heavy. It was the first Highlandville folk dance of the season. Each month, a great band called Footnotes performs in a small schoolhouse in a town called Highlandville which is about 15 miles north of Decorah. They play folk music and we all dance waltzes, polkas, two-steps and others until our legs are too tired to hold us any more. I have been going to these events consistently for the past few years and it seems to have transformed more into a gathering of younger people. There were lots of Luther students, as well as Decorah High School students. It was such a great time dancing and having fun with all those wonderful people. I cannot wait for the next one.

 

Finally, today is going to be another busy day. Another couple of my buddies have their junior recital, so I will undoubtedly go to that. Pretty soon here I am going to head over to the Center for the Arts for an event called Empty Bowls. It is a fundraiser for a couple agencies dealing with world hunger. Potters from around the area come together to make hundreds of bowls to sell for $20 dollars, which goes on to these organizations. Local restaurants donate soup and bread to fill those bowls. So it is a meal that goes toward a good cause. I have gone the last two years, and the soup and craft are amazing. There is music, good company, and a pleasant atmosphere. It is incredible what people do with their talents. 

 

So that is what my life has been like for the last few days. Hopefully this next week will be as enjoyable as the last. I wish you all the best. If you are getting snow, keep warm. If you are getting sun, send it our way. Take care.

 

Peace,

Collin