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

Spring Break

Hello everyone. It has been a great week for me, mostly because of the brief break from school, and all the adventures that came with my time off.

 

As I mentioned before break, we were planning on heading out to Aspen, Colorado to enjoy some spring skiing. This was a trip that I helped organize as part of my duties as a leader of Luther's Backyard Wilderness Pursuits. We left on Saturday at 5:30 am, drove all day long and arrived in Aspen around 10:30 that night. It was a long haul, but definitely worth it. The next three days we skied Snowmass and Aspen Highlands enjoying 4" of snow on the second day and a whopping 13" on the final day. We then made the long journey home.

 

We had a group of 15 fun, easy-going students come along. It was really great getting to know some new people and learning more about friends and acquaintances. On top of that, one of my best friends from Durango, Colorado (where I worked this summer) came to snowboard with me the last day. It was fantastic seeing her again, and she was lucky enough to come when the powder was perfect. We were fantasizing about the upcoming summer and the time on the river we are aching for already. 

 

This break was unique in that I got the opportunity to help create an opportunity for students to do something a little out of the ordinary (being from Iowa) and also to see it come alive. It is really neat how Luther provides so many opportunities not only to take part in activities such as this, but also help make them available to others. It gave me a sense of responsibility for the fun other students were having, and it made it even better that I could enjoy it with them. 

 

I hope that spring time is welcomed by all of you. And I apologize if you did not have any time off this last week and I am tempting or teasing you by describing the fun I have had. I am sure your time will come. Have a great week everyone, and I will talk to you soon.

Peace,

Collin

Spring is here

Hello everyone, I hope I find you in good health and spirits. It is warming up here in Decorah, and the warmth brings a few things. First, all the people that had been hiding away inside their warm dorm rooms are coming out to enjoy the fresh spring air. Bikes are now out of winter storage, people are tossing frisbees again, and I finally got to set up my slackline again! In addition to the outward migration, spring is a sign of something many people are excited for: Spring Break.

 

In just a few short days, students will be heading away for a whole week of relaxation. Some are heading home to spend time with friends and families, whereas others are taking trips to places far away from home. There are student groups heading to Georgia, The Dominican Republic, Louisiana, Mississippi, and of course, Colorado. Like I mentioned before, I will be heading out to do some spring snowboarding in Aspen, Colorado, and could not be more excited to do so. However, there is still much to get done before break. 

 

This week before break is also a time of midterms, which is surprising in itself. It does not feel as though the semester should be half over already. But it is here and with it comes last minute cramming and stress due to procrastination, lack of attention, or any other not-so-honorable practice. However, I seem to have it pretty easy this time around. I have only one midterm because my three other classes are either not requiring a big test, or we have already had some sort of exam to cover this requirement. 

 

I do, however, have to aid in working out any last-minute details for our BWP trip. Because I am one of the leaders taking this group out to Colorado, I must help organize the hotel stays, the lift tickets, and the transportation, not to mention the funding. Most of this has already been taken care of, it is just a matter of tying all loose ends up before departing on Saturday.

 

The next time we speak, I will hopefully have some good news about our break and some pictures to illustrate the fun had. I hope this fine weather is making you all feel refreshed and I urge you to spend time outside. Reintroduce yourself to nature.

 

Peace,

Collin

 

p.s. There was a speaker by the name of David Abram who came to Luther on Thursday night. He prepared an amazing presentation about how humans are becoming disconnected to the natural world and no longer see ourselves as part of it. It was really fascinating and inspiring. So I hope you all will do some research on him and the Alliance for Wild Ethics, and take his advice to reconnect with nature (you've got a lot in common:)).

Energy and Community

Hello everyone, here's the news from Luther College.

 

Friday was the end of the Energy Evolution. This is a campus-wide event that lasts for a few weeks and promotes energy awareness and conservation. There were all sorts of events, from blackout movie screenings to energy audits of rooms, as well as contests with great prizes for those dorms and floors that showed great initiative in conserving energy. Larsen hall, the dorm in which I live, managed to reduce energy consumption by 14% during the Energy Evolution month. Some halls did even better. 

 

It seems as though there has been a shift, and it is most noticeable in the college-aged generation of today. There is such a drive for people to take action in order to understand and combat the negative effects of over consumption, dirty energy (coal, oil, etc.), and the lifestyles many of us lead that are hardly sustainable. It is a beautiful thing to see; heaps of college students running around campus, turning off lights and promoting wise use of electricity. This sense of energy awareness is definitely a large part of Luther's community and set of ethics. Not only is it present in the students, but large steps have been made to reduce the tremendous carbon footprint that a college community of this size leaves. From upgrading old architecture and energy systems and green building techniques to exploring the possibilities of wind power and biomass heating; Luther is doing its part to manage its emissions and sending a positive message about sustainability and possibility.

 

We learn from events such as Energy Evolution that each individual plays a part in the larger picture. We all must make some contribution to work towards a sustainable future. Change out those incandescent light bulbs, take shorter showers, buy second-hand items. It is not difficult, but it does require a conscious effort. It's up to you.

 

I hope everyone is well. All comments or questions are welcome. If you want me to write on a specific topic, or want to know more about something I have already written, don't be shy. I would love to hear from you.

 

Peace,

Collin

The Plight of the Student

It's that time of the semester already. I am getting bogged down with studies for upcoming exams. I have a botany exam tomorrow, followed by a chemistry exam on Wednesday. In addition to that, I have had the never-ending load of readings, lab reports, and other homework. It is nothing unexpected, but it is also nothing to be grateful for.

 

This kind of perplexes me when I think about it. Why is it that we, as voluntary students, decide to complain about the workload that accompanies the role of student? I decided to come to Luther College to pursue a degree in biology. How could I possibly complain in any way about having to do work to expand my mind in ways that I desire, or to obtain fascinating nuggets of knowledge in my field of study. It seems almost exactly opposite of what I should be doing; that is, thanking professors, faculty, staff, my parents, and whomever else made this opportunity possible for me. I understand this all in theory, but it is a bit more difficult to rationalize all this when I must sit in my room studying photosynthesis until wee hours of the morning. Oh well, it will undoubtedly benefit me in the end.

 

So that is where we are at currently at Luther College; the first wave of exams and due dates. It is the authentic initiation back into "real life" on campus after the lull of J-term. I must admit, I am still in that mode a little, so I am struggling to make this new schedule and set of commitments work. However, I feel as though I am having an easier time understanding and engaging in the material which I am studying. It may be because of the set of classes I am taking, or it may be because it is still early in the semester. Either way, I hope to maintain this momentum for the rest of the year.

 

I hope I find you all in good health and spirits. Enjoy the coming of spring, even during those moments when it is still very wintery. 

 

Peace,

Collin