My capstone class after our symposium (ignore the devil eyes…)
It’s been quite a while since the last time I blogged, but now school has started up again and with winter break that gives me something to write about. So first, a quick recap of finals and the holidays. I gave my capstone presentation and I think it went really well! I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of familiar, smiling faces in the audience. At first it made me really nervous to share my research with people that weren’t strangers to me, but in the end, the support of my friends boosted my confidence and helped me to give a presentation I’m really proud of. And I think my capstone advisor liked it also – I aced the class! And I managed to pull out two other A’s as well – I’m looking forward to getting another Scholarship Pearl for my Theta pin (a reward given in my sorority for each term of straight A’s).
Thanksgiving went well (yes, I ate some pie…) but it was kind of lonely being on campus alone for a few days once everyone left after finals. So, I was really excited to have one of my roommates back when winter training started for swimming. Winter Training went according to schedule – lots of eating, swimming and sleeping – nothing terribly exciting. We did get to go bowling as a team (although I won’t share my score – bowling isn’t my strong suit) and I went ice skating on a day off! I haven’t been on ice since high school and I only had one wipeout that day. I’m gonna call it a success. Other than swimming, I spent the remainder of the holidays with my family in South Dakota, adjusting to a new home and a new town after my parents moved during the summer. I also got to spend time with my cat, Moo-Moo and our new puppy, Pogan. He’s pretty fun, but he does like to shed and tear holes in my clothes….here’s hoping this is just a phase.
After a few short weeks at home, it was back to school and of course, the Polar Vortex. The extreme weather made the start of a new term a little less exciting, but it was still great seeing everyone back on campus after nearly a month and half, even when you had to guess who’s who by their jackets and scarves! This term I’m taking my final course for my psych major (cognitive psychology), a Sex and Sexism seminar and an art history class on Modern Art. So far all the classes are pretty interesting and I think I’ll learn a lot from each of them. Considering I’ve spent a lot of time taking courses required for my majors and minors, it is certainly nice to have some courses I’m taking just out of pure interest.
Outside of classes, life recently has been swimming and sorority oriented. We’ve already had 3 meets this term and my times aren’t the fastest they’ve ever been, but they’re really close, and I’m gearing up to (hopefully) drop lots of time at our Conference championships in 3 weeks time. I’m sure they’ll be updates on that.
The chapter at Formal Recruitment.
Just some of the new Thetas on Bid Night!
But perhaps the most exciting part of the term has been formal recruitment and welcoming 16 new members to Kappa Alpha Theta! Formal recruitment happens at the start of each winter term and it is where the sororities meet girls interested in Greek Life and through a mutual selection process, welcome new pledges to the chapter. I’m so incredibly excited for all the new Thetas – I think we have an amazing bunch and couldn’t have asked for more wonderful ladies! Bid Night, where we found out which girls accepted their bids was as crazy, silly and fun as ever with songs and bonding games, and since then it’s been great slowly dragging girls to meals and hangouts to get to know each of them better.