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Spring Break and Virginia Indians
Mar. 9, 2014—For spring break this year, I had the opportunity to spend a week at the Monacan tribal center in Amherst, Virginia. The Monacan Indians are an eastern woodlands Siouxan tribe, and today they live around Bear Mountain. "We're here to help spread the knowledge that the Monacans and the other Indian nations are still alive and trying to preserve their culture. We can help educate those around us."
LGBTQI “Safe Zone” Training for Allies
Feb. 25, 2014—This week is the Vanderbilt Office of LGBTQI Life’s Ally Days, and today I attended a Safe Zone training workshop to learn about personal and cultural identities, privilege, and what it means to be an Ally. It also serves as professional development for leaders and future employers. My favorite part of the session was a...
The 21-Hour Day
Feb. 24, 2014—Yesterday marked a milestone for my college career: my first all-nighter. After a rock-climbing trip with WilSkills, I had 12 hours to research and practice a 9-minute extemporaneous speech for my public speaking class. There are many excuses I could give as to why I had yet to begin researching for a speech I knew...
Rock-Climbing with WilSkills
Feb. 23, 2014—My first two WilSkills trips (Backpacking III and IV) involved a 40-pound pack and lots of walking, but my third trip involved ropes and scaling rock faces! This past weekend, I joined the great WilSkills for an excursion to Red River Gorge in Kentucky. I had never climbed before, not even in an indoor gym,...
Gathering a Drop of Water: A South Africa Summer
Feb. 20, 2014—In preparation for this summer's OACS Global Service project in South Africa, our group met for the first seminar.
Warren and Moore, Here I Come!
Feb. 11, 2014—Room selection for Moor College Hall at Kissam. As a result of a random lottery, I am the proud resident-to-be of a single in the currently under-construction residence hall at Vanderbilt University. And the best part is that I will still have the option to live at Kissam as a junior and senior.
A WilSkills-Wonderful Weekend
Feb. 10, 2014—This weekend, I had yet another WilSkills adventure. In a group of eleven, I backpacked the Spence-Russell Loop and part of the AT to Mollie's Field Shelter, a fifteen-mile round-trip. We hiked through rushing mountain streams, through frozen snow and through low clouds. We gave each other nicknames and threw snowballs.
The Dean’s Book Club
Feb. 6, 2014—Since December, I’ve participated in the Dean’s Book Club on two occasions. The first book, a slim volume of poetry called Maybe the Saddest Thing by Marcus Wicker, confused me with its plenitude of hip-hop and pop culture references. There were a few poems, however, that I enjoyed, even though I knew I was missing...
Wilderness Skills 101: Backpacking
Feb. 2, 2014—This past weekend I joined nine other Vanderbilt students for a romp in the North Carolina woods. In short, we drove to Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, hiked Saturday and Sunday morning, and then returned in time for the Super Bowl/homework.
Blair Salon Series: Singer-Songwriter Night
Jan. 18, 2014—This is my second time attending the Blair Salon Series at Dean Wcislo’s House. This particular Friday night was just as wonderful, and perhaps even better, than last time. When I attended in October last semester, the theme of the evening was “fairy tales,” including a piece from the musical “Into the Woods.” Tonight’s theme...