About Our Bloggers

  • Ben Donlon

    Ben Donlon
    Hometown: Danville, KY
    Intended major: biochemistry
    Hobbies: sports, being outside, and hanging around with friends

    Chandler Gies

    Chandler Gies
    Hometown: Louisville, KY
    Intended major: business
    Hobbies: playing guitar, cycling, art

    Janae Wiggins

    Janae Wiggins
    Hometown: Louisville, KY
    Intended major: communications
    Hobbies: hanging out with my friends, playing sports and reading

    Bryan Moore

    Bryan Moore
    Hometown: Dawson Springs, KY
    Intended major: political science
    Hobbies: I love to read, be involved with theatre, be with friends, listen to music, and be involved in and watching sports

    Sarbrina Huffman

    Sarbrina Huffman
    Hometown: Louisville, KY
    Intended major: business

    Alex Riker

    Alex Riker
    Hometown: Owensboro, KY
    Intended major: undecided
    Hobbies: tennis, singing, shopping, going out with my friends and writing

    Alyssa Freund

    Alyssa Freund
    Hometown: Rhinelander, Wi
    Intended major: chemistry
    Hobbies: dancing and acting

    Laura Arns

    Laura Arns
    Hometown: Winchester, KY
    Intended major: psychology
    Interests: music therapy

    Belinda Casanova

    Belinda Casanova
    Hometown: Louisville, KY
    Intended major: engineering
    Hobbies: In my free time I like to write (short skits and movies), sing-along with whatever is on the radio, act, sleep, eat, and watch "South Park."

    April Riles

    April Riles
    Hometown: Madisonville, KY
    Intended major:
    Hobbies: writing poetry

    Brittany Lay

    Brittany Lay
    Hometown: Louisville, KY
    Intended major: chemistry
    Hobbies: running and dancing

    Beau Campbell

    Beau Campbell
    Hometown: Grayson, KY
    Intended major: biology
    Hobbies: mountain biking, water skiing, snow skiing, football, basketball

    Justin Oursler

    Justin Oursler
    Hometown: Somerset, KY
    Intended major: engineering
    Hobbies: tennis, golf, computers, hanging out with friends

Orientation Photos

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June 30, 2008

The Start of Something New

I attended the sixth orientation session on June 16 and 17.  For the most part I liked orientation because you got to meet new people and get geared up to start college.  The first day is so long because you start early and end late and all the activities aren't always fun. But, the SOSer you are assigned to really help make it more fun because of all the personality they have.  Also, they probably know how you feel because they have to do this all summer long. There is alot of sitting and listening to others talk but as it gets later in the day that's when the fun begins.  My favorite part of day 1 was the Real World skits and the orientation jam.  On day 2, it's another early morning but this day is mostly all about fun.  You have the cardinal challenge and you get to register for classes before you go back home.  I loved the SOSers because they were fun and very outgoing and they made you feel comfortable in your group.  They also did a
good job of answering questions about the campus and just anything in general.  Because of orientation I'm really excited to start school this fall.

Janae Wiggins

June 25, 2008

Raise Some L

I got up bright and early (quite, quite early) Monday morning. I never really knew what to expect from orientation, but I most definitely had my reservations for both the program and the University of Louisville as a whole. Thankfully, I am done with orientation. But not for the reasons you would assume. I am glad that for the rest of the summer while I will still be uncertain about what is to come, I will know that I made the best decision possible for my education--- my future.

I have so much to say about orientation, but since no one wants to read an endless blog, I will remain brief and highlight the major parts of the program. From the moment I hit campus, I felt it, that strong sense of CARDINAL spirit. C-A-R-D-S! GO CARDS! I was a little apprehensive and nervous after seeing the SOSers acting so sporadically and unreservedly, but after seeing several smiling faces and a few familiar people, I was ready and back in my comfort zone. I was assigned a room in Miller Hall where I will live this fall and my SOS group was the John Jacob Jingle Jamie Giles group--- da, da, da, da, da, da, da. Members of our group were in no order: Sam Denney, Hannah Pruitt, Ryan McKinney, Aubrey Abott, Maegan Careck, Andrew Carter, and Adria Schwarber. Hey guys!

Being in the Honors A&S group was so great because I met so many people and became friends with future classmates who were so different, yet so similar and accepting to me. Jamie was by far an amazing leader, and our group was full of funny, talented, interesting people. We were so close those two days literally (we didn’t want to split up for Cardinal Challenge). I hope to stay in touch in some regard with each of them this fall. And did I mention Cardinal Challenge??? It was a bust! We got SEVEN points. That’s right, seven. We won one event and failed miserably at most everything else. Sorry, Hilarie .

At orientation, I got more information than I could ever need (or so I say until I do need to know something completely random). The SOSers and staff were all friendly and professional and sincerely welcomed me to campus. Scheduling and such seems to be complicated, but the advisors and SOSers were very well informed and able to help us quite effectively and QUICKLY. I personally got a great first semester schedule and love the fact that for once my schedule is comprised of classes that I WANT TO TAKE! I’m majoring in Political Science and minoring in Theatrical Arts. I was made aware of so many opportunities on campus and hope to be involved in such programs as Student Government, Drama, and anything else that could be fun.

So, in short… orientation was great. I am now finally convinced that the University of Louisville is right for me.  You may ask what the best thing about OUR university is and I am sure 9 out of 10 orientation goers would say--- the diversity of people. I wish I had more time to meet everyone, but in such a large campus setting such is not even feasible. But, I know for sure the people I met and was around were quite amazing. That’s right Ryan and others, all of you all were great to be around and entertaining EVEN IF the imaginary line and quite some distance separated our beliefs. Hahaha. That’s the great part. At U of L, so many different thoughts and beliefs are present and none should be dismissed lightly. I for one plan to challenge myself to think and consider others’ viewpoints and urge you to do the same over the next four years. Respect each others’ beliefs, but make your own decisions. In short, I would like to say a few more things. As such, they follow:
1.    Feel free to keep in touch and add me on facebook
2.    Look for me in the SGA and Drama in the future
3.    Keep your dreams
4.    Have a great SAFE summer and get ready to RAISE SOME L!

Bryan Charles Moore

Nothing like running on an hour of sleep...

I’m rather tired I decided I would go on and fill in anyone who wanted to know about all the stuff that went on over the last few days at University of Louisville’s orientation session 7.

The first thing when I think about the overall feel of those at orientation throughout the two days went sort of like this: tired, bored, tired, bored, tired, bored. This was mainly because of the start time being at 7:30 and for some even earlier (if you had to take a math placement test you started at 7:00). Even some people that I met who lived in Louisville were running on less than three hours of sleep, and I think very few were running on more than six hours. So I would stress to those of you who are planning on going to orientation in the future GET AS MUCH SLEEP AS YOU CAN!

Although that was the overall feel of the orientation here is how it went down. After getting lost because mapquest sucks, I walked onto the campus and like the three times before, it felt like home. I was nicely greeted by two SOSer’s, and even though one asked if I was there for orientation, which I thought was pretty obvious since I was carrying a sleeping bag and a big duffle bag, I just laughed it off and said yes. After being directed to the sign-in place I signed in and went up to my room, met my roommate, and went back down for the start of the orientation session.

When we all gathered in front of Miller hall the SOSer’s came out and started doing chants and cheers that were a little weird but just going with the flow I soon joined in. After our warm-ups we were split up into our groups. I was put into a group of about eight, my SOSer was named Dorcea and as a group we were Dorcea’s Diamonds. We were introduced to the game that they like to play which I kind of thought taught us something wrong but oh well it was fun. Each team had something that went along with their name the object of this game was to steal others teams while not letting anyone steal yours. The punishment: doing the “ I’m a little tea pot” dance in front of everyone.

The first day to me was consumed of nothing less than boredom. We basically spent six hours in a room being told about things such as “financing your college” and “campus security”. These things not only were originally boring but these things were already taught to us at least twice through campus tours and information sent to us by U of L. The only break of boredom was during the lunch session were you could mingle with fellow students while dining on a less than glamorous lunch. After lunch it was back to the info sessions were we learned about anything from the REACH program to preparing how to get into graduate school. These sessions were less than enjoyable but at least we were aloud a choice on what we wanted to listen to, basically we got to pick our own poison. Supper was a lot like lunch and then the parents were gone and the SOSer’s had us all to themselves. The real stuff that we really needed to know was told to us through a skit called the real world. In the skit they explained some of the real things they we would have to face in college, like racial differences and date rape, which turned out to be a really eye opening experience. After we got done with the real world skits we were allowed to do a few different activities. We could go to the Red Barn for a dance, go play other games such as corn hole or Rock band, or go to the game room and play some pool. This was one of the more enjoyable times just based on the fact we weren’t forced to do a specific activity. This free time allowed me at least to meet some people while walking around the campus and shooting some pool. The finale of the first day came at 10:45 when we met back up with our SOSer’s and talked about the plans for day two, registration.

Day two started off exciting because my phone died during the night allowing the alarm not to go off, but luckily I woke up only 30 minutes late so I only missed the back and neck massages, oh well. The second day was registration day, a day in which I was looking forward. The day started off filling out a survey at Strickler Hall. After that we broke the entire group into halves, Group A and Group B. Group A (my group) went to sign up for classes while Group B did cardinal challenge. We first met with our advisor to decide what classes to take. The advisors did a great job and made everything run really smoothly. Once we had our class options we went to the library to actually put them in our shopping cart. Once we were done both groups switched and we competed in cardinal challenge in which if you came in first you would get to register 20 minutes ahead of everyone else. The cardinal challenge was fun but unfortunately my team came in second. We all went to lunch which was a lot like the first two meals and then we were dismissed by majors to register. Once we were registered for classes we were allowed to leave.

After getting home and having the chance over a two hour drive to reflect upon the last couple days I have decided that what I had just participated in turned out to be  a very good experience. Although most of the time was spent with boredom and complaining about being tired, I met a lot of people. These people not only were my friends throughout the orientation process but hopefully will turn into friends for the next four years and who knows maybe a lifetime.

Ben Donlon

Choosing to become a Cardinal.

When I was little growing up in Michigan many would assume, I was a Wolverine fan. And yes, I was but not before I was a Cardinal fan. This is where my sister and I were first thought about. Louisville, is where we ended up moving to after Detroit. Louisville is my home. My parents met, dated, and was married while they attended Louisville. And did I also mention how my uncle went there too?? So of course, with the family history involved in University of Louisville and the city...I was for sure going to go there?? Well it really wasn't that obvious. I loved University of Louisville but I wanted to go somewhere far away. I visited many schools, applied everywhere, and had intense conversations with counselors and parents until I made up my decision about college. I ended up choosing U of L. It wasn't because of all the "family history" or just because it's close to home (I'm living on campus anyways..KURZ HALL REPRESENT!!!) It was because I loved the school. Every college I visited, I always compared it to U of L and all the colleges never really came close. U of L's campus is wonderful. Walking around the campus in Fall and Winter, you can just feel the school spirit. The faculty is friendly and so are the students.  Being a "little red bird" as April said is what I wanted to be.

Off to Orientation.
I can't lie. I was excited for orientation. I think everyone can admit that. =)

First day!
My first impression was....wow these SOSers are way too HAPPY!!!! But as I looked around, I realized I wasn't the only one who thought that which allowed me to really start talking to people I never met before. Of course, this happiness continued throughout the day but my follow classmates and I continued to laugh about it which allowed us to become closer. All the information meetings and skits really gave me alot of insight into college life.  So listen to them...even if they are long and boring.  When you get to choose information meetings to go to. Don't just choose the ones your friends are going to because I went to the Graduate school one and the lady was extremely nice and helpful. I also went to MAKING THE CONNECTION. This meeting was my favorite thing.(So if you got invited to go, GO!) Chris was the one who ran the meeting and he made it very casual. You got to talk to other Porter Scholars and instead of just talking about academics and what not, we talked about food, teachers, weekend nights, rushing and scheduling. It really made me excited. My Porter Scholars buddy in the meeting was terrific. She was everything I wanted to be. Pre- law, sister, and participated in a hella amount of clubs. She was cool. And she wasn't the only Porter Scholar who was cool, there was many other who just sat down and talked to me like we were good friends. 

Night time!
Well Tim(My SOSer) did us a huge favor and held are 1045 meeting at like 900 so we got to stay around campus socializing and not get interrupted. It was cool. The dance was kind of lame...but i was just fun to sit around and chill with people not in your group. After, the 1045 meeting your allowed to do whatever. So do something. I was cooling downstairs. I talked to some SOSers who were very helpful like Andrew and there was another one but I forgot his name. And I also talked to the Miller Hall check-in student who had a friend with him. These people knew what classes to take and which teachers to look for. Get the upperclassmen knowledge as a freshman! After that, I chilled in this girl's dorm..who I just met and talked with her roommate. It was fun. It wasn't fun sneaking back into my room trying not to wake my room mate(because I still didn't get to meet her yet) But she was up and we stayed up talking until way to late....

Day Two
I was ready to register but we had to wait what it seemed to be forever. Advising was fun in the College of Business(the building with the Asian figure of a Cardinal sculpture) and getting my class organized to be registered for was easy. I think I made it to hard on myself but my SOSer was very helpful. Anyways, after the long wait and the ridiculous games we had to play. It was time to register. I was nervous but all my classes were there. I was an official student!! Yay!! So this seems like it would be the end but no...it wasn't. I forgot to talk to my adviser about my A.P.  credit. No harm here. I went back talked to another adviser. And they told me other options of classes to look for. College of Business Rocks!!

So some last thoughts.
-Food wasn't that bad..It was a definite upgrade from high-school.
-Miller Hall...well it wasn't like any Hilton but it did do. Especially because you know other freshman is sticking it out with you.
-SOSers---some of them are real cool.
-MAKING THE CONNECTION...show up! and enjoy!
-Meet new people...let loose. This isn't high school anymore... =)

This is Sabrina from orientation of June 9 & 10 College of Business... Official Cardinal! and Porter's Scholars!!

Deuces!!....See you at the Game...(C-A-R-D-S!! CARDS!!!!!!)

June 23, 2008

3:47 pm / day two

             So i just got home from orientation. There was no time to write anything today. I woke up late and had to run over to fill out the college questionnaire. I woke up past 8 and breakfast was at 7:45. My SOSer had called me twice and my roommate was gone (though he had been gone since the night before, no idea where he was all night). So i called up OJ and changed then ran over to Strickler.

             After we filled out the questionnaire we went over to the Red Barn for the Cardinal Challenge. It's a series of competitions involving UofL trivia, physical, mental and team challenges. Team 7 made it to the Finals but since we didn't do extra stuff though we knew our stuff better than the other team, we lost in a tie breaker. Still it was great fun.

             College of Business to further discuss scheduling, the proper procedure, met with academic advisors, and set up our class schedule. Then we headed over to the SAC to have lunch and met with a lot of the RSO's (Registered Student Organizations, the activities, groups and Greek houses). I signed up with a couple religious groups and a pro life organization, the L-Raisers, and the SGA (Student Government Association).

              Headed over to Houchins to get a student ID. A very simple procedure, though the photo turned out with me looking sickly pale (heroin shade), and a weird pouting bottom lip situation. Back to the SAC evaluated OJ and then went over to fully complete scheduling. There were some problems because of time restraints and this being orientation session 7.

                  It was a largely effective event. The staff was great, the provisions and facilities were more than adequate and everyone was very helpful. Loved it. I feel very oriented and prepared for the experience.


Chandler Gies

June 20, 2008

7:46 am / day one

Just checked in, my cousin’s girlfriend was manning the desk so that was kind of weird. I’ve seen several people I know, so familiar faces is something that is working out. No idea who I’m rooming with. I took the math compass test, pretty sure I failed in record speed. Mainly because I was finished and others who had been there before me were still working, and that test was supposed to take over ½ an hour. S I think I missed the maximum number pretty quickly.  I’ve gotta head to the courtyard, silly wi-fi isn’t working up here.

6:21 pm / day one

                It’s been a pretty good day. The SOSer’s are exactly like camp counselors, only this group is trying to allow for a fun time in a stressful environment rather than a fun environment in a relaxed setting.  The lectures and seminars have been pretty boring though informational.  I thought I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to major in and also what I was using as a minor. But now I’m pretty confused about it. I guess it’s just the reality of “what will bring more success?” The meals were decent. But it just seems like they are going out of their way to make someone sick. First Mexican food and then for dinner Italian. The mascot game is getting pretty heated. But OJ’s Oscar is safe sitting next to my laptop. We still have to get our hands on that lunchbox.  So far it’s been very informational. The fun stuff is supposedly about to begin a bit after 7. Something about a “Real World” skit, and then latter a dance in the Red Barn, many are skeptical, especially after 7 or so years of awkward school dances.

                I’m now really looking forward to college life, activities, new people and opportunities.

11:10 pm / day one

                So the “real World” skit was great. It was funny and exciting but I was also dramatic and thought provoking. Afterwards we had several choices on what to do. Afterwards we went into Davidson and did an exercise to see how people felt about certain racial and ethnic issues. We could go hang out at Miller (our dorms), go o the SAC and play Pool and Ping Pong, there was a dance at the Red Barn, smoothies at the Interfaith center, or play ping pong, snack and show our skills on Rock Band at the Baptist CM(?).

                First I went up and shot some pool for awhile, everyone seemed to be meshing and getting along famously. But I got tired of being the worst player so I headed downstairs. I was going o check out the dance but they were playing Solja Boy, so that ended my interest. So I went into the BCM and watched them play Rock Band. The drummer decided to leave so I took over. I’m not very great but with practice I’d probably do better. Then I played the vocalist and sang “Paranoid” and “Blitzkreig Bop.” It was very fun. Plus I was playing with people I’d never met before of semi-similar beliefs.

                Then we had our final wrap-up with OJ (our SOSer), in the kitchen at Miller. We discussed what we’d learned and what we appreciated. But then the ice machine started building up pressure and sounded like it was going to explode so we filed out and went to our areas of rest.

GREAT DAY! But also a LOOONG day.

Chandler Gies

June 18, 2008

Oh The Places You’ll Go

The college decision process started out very difficult for me. But as soon as I stepped foot onto U of L’s campus and took a tour of the school, my decision was already made. When asked, I couldn’t really explain why I chose the University of Louisville, that was, at least, until today. My orientation was June 9th and 10th. I can honestly say that the experience was entertaining, unusual, kinda crazy, boring, needed and appreciated. The SOSers were amazing, friendly, helpful and outgoing.  If they didn’t know the answer to something, they found it. I’m not gonna lie and say that every part of orientation was amazing and fun. Parts definitely put some people to sleep, but what do you expect when you have to sit in a cold auditorium and listen to someone talk about financial aid. Some parts just can’t be made exciting. However, the rest of orientation is really what you make it. Be outgoing and honest especially with yourself. If you’re worried about say something, ask about it, because chances are 90% of the other students are just as worried. Don’t stress too much about your classes. There’s always next semester. Volunteer for things, even if you don’t know what you’re about to do and have fun with whatever you do. If you’re interested in a certain activity, make yourself known to that group. There are so many different things to do at UofL so take advantage of those activities and find something that interests you.  Put yourself out there, make a fool of yourself, and stand up for what you believe, even if you’re standing alone (chances are you won’t be though).

Orientation gave me the answer to the question I’ve been asked multiple times since I’ve decided to go to the University of Louisville. Now when someone wants to know why I chose to go to UofL, I can confidently say why. The University of Louisville offers so many activities to get involved, the students and staff are friendly, the variety of classes available makes it easy to find something for me, and I feel like there is always someone there that I can go to for any reason. Walking onto the Louisville campus for my first visit made my decision of where to go; orientation confirmed that I made the right decision. I am so excited to go back in August and can’t wait to find out what college has in store for me.

Alex Riker

June 4

    Okay, today's been... interesting. The home computer has a virus that won't even let it boot up. I was going to print out the directions and where we were supposed to register and all that this morning. So much for that. At five in the afternoon my uncle and I set off for U of L, thinking we'd be there at about 7 with the rush hour put into play. Somehow we avoided the rush hour, but there was of course still the whole thing of not knowing where to go. Thankfully we had gone to the Accolade and Open House days earlier this year, so we at least knew the best way to the University. But there was still the problem of which building to go to. We went to the SAC and I went in to ask the first university person I saw where the orientation stuff might be. No signs had been seen yet.
    The rec. person had no idea an orientation was even going on. He tried his hardest to get me in contact with someone that did, but all that could be gotten on the phone was the Orientation office telling me they would get back to me within two days if I left a voicemail, and the Admissions office referring me to the Orientation office. This makes sense, but was annoying even so. After a while of driving around we spotted a sign near an information booth, almost pointing to it. But the booth was closed. I looked more closely and it finally led us, with the help of other signs, and with no help from Parent Orientation signs, toward the Miller Hall. The back of it. Going around the corner I saw a guy holding the door open and asking some other passers-by if they were there for Orientation, saying with their "yes" that they were at the right place. I went to the car, got my things, waved my uncle goodbye and headed into the dorm.
    I didn't see the same guy again. Instead there was another behind the counter that asked me my name and explained the two keys and the funny-looking grey thing on the keychain (to get in the building after everybody had checked in). I got to my room, and immediately figured that I would go get my laptop checked out with a computer center, as I had had problems with the memory earlier, and had to anyway get set up with the network and the required software (talked about in some of the pre-orientation mailings). So I go back down, and ask where I could find the building. That was simple enough.
    I got to the center (south IT center, in the Miller Building, not the same as the Miller Hall) and it was almost deserted. For that matter, there weren't many people on campus at all. Guess there weren't that many early arrivals. The one person I did see in the center helped with getting my computer set up with the wireless internet, and suggested a particular anti-virus software to use. I install this, and head back to my dorm, an hour later, to find it still deserted. Oh, well.
    By this time it's about 8:30. I had been at U of L two hours, and the official time for checking in for early arrival was over. It seems I am going to be sleeping alone tonight. I think. There's a sheet on the bed at the moment that wasn't there before, but that's all... don't know what's going on there. Anyway, I go out and decide to play volleyball. They had a couple games going for the early birds, but I couldn't find them. I instead found a group of summer school engineering students, mostly juniors. Yeay for the guys. I suck at volleyball. Too bad. I'm there until almost 11. I get back to the dorm and still find it deserted, this time not really including the lounge, which had a few people watching TV and things of that nature. Hanging out and talking. I was ready to go up to my room, though. At my room I found no ethernet cable except the one that was working the phone. I felt like I was stealing, but after the person behind the lobby desk said it was okay I used it anyway.
    The dorm network connection is more secure than the wireless one. Wireless can't really be gotten on the second or higher floors of the dorm. When I connected the first thing it did was want me to install Clean Access Agent. Now, this is only one of three programs required for the network. I had already installed Odyssey Access Client, and had heard of the Symantec AntiVirus, but the computer center guy had given me something else, AVG. Well, Clean Access Agent installed and thenceforth decided to make my computing experience a living hell. Or nightmare. Or something. It didn't recognize AVG. It wouldn't let me online except on certain school sites, in the interest of getting the right software. Anyone out there reading this, please do yourself a favor and install it before you get here. It's free on the school's tech store website, under free downloads. I was given a timeout period. An hour and a half. Okay, I can do this, right? Just one little download and I'll be fine, right? No. It would not download the first couple times I tried, even after the almost half an hour to find it in the first place, and when it finally did download, my system was scanned and I thought I was home free Clean Access Agent decided to inform me that my Windows Updates were out of date. I had updated my system a couple hours before. So I tried to get it to run the updates again. No, it said. Error really long number says that something is wrong that won't let me install them. I tried the Microsoft troubleshooter to no avail. An hour and a migraine later, I gave up. I am now writing this, wondering why there's a sheet on the other bed and contemplating how it would feel to be on those of my own. Another plane's just passed by overhead. They're kinda loud. Pretty frequent, too. Must be near an airport.
    Bathroom's fine. Community bathroom. I don't think I saw curtains or anything around the showers. This may be a problem. I think the "flush" signs over the toilets might indicate almost anything. I hope the reminder isn't that necessary.

June 5

    Okay, I don't even know where to begin on this one. I wish I had had time to write some of this down, or even to think. Craziness. I'm in Hillary's Hulas. We're all honors A&S students. I guess this makes it easier for advising purposes. It's cool to be in a group with people in the same advising section. You get to meet the people most likely to have classes with you. Another aspect of being in a group was the mascot. This concept is supposed to get you engaged, albeit in thievery. The mascot for our group was a hula hoop. I held it. Holders of mascots had to have their particular one in one of their hands, at all times, or another group would steal it. Once stolen, you could expect at the next major meal that your group was going to have to do something particularly devious (standing on chairs singing and doing the motions to "I'm a Little Teapot" comes to mind). I never let go of mine. I was bodily jerked around by people trying to get it. When I say it gets crazy, I mean it.
    Bombarded. That's how I feel at the moment. Though the last couple hours have been better. And not to say the bombardment wasn't a strange kind of sadistic fun, but I prefer the nice quiet of the patio by the art building, surrounded by flora and fauna, with the water gushing out 3 portions of an in-ground fountain. Sun dappled makes it better, as I had found out in Accolade when I had fallen in love with the spot, but by the time I got there it was dark. Still wonderful. But that was sort of an on-my-own thing, nobody went with me, even probably on that side of campus with me, as there was a dance going on in the Red Barn, Rock Band being played in the Baptist Youth Center and smoothies being poured in the Interfaith Center. Somehow none of those really anchored me. I didn't feel the click. So I went exploring. Or rather I may as well have been for all the time it took me to get to the sought-after fountain. I have no sense of direction. Thankfully after I get somewhere all I have to do to get back is look for the tower. Tallest thing on campus, makes it easy. If only getting everywhere else was that easy.
    So I've had the offerings of the REACH program pounded into my head, and expect somehow that the same will happen tomorrow. I've been to advising, or at least the more group-based portion for honors students, and have a general idea of what I'm doing there. Sort of. The site for the major requirements is helpful in this regard for more specific things. Irony that this network would allow me to do this and not to get onto my email, or onto the course catalog. Irony. I have gotten my Cardinal Card with the ugliest picture of me on it ever I think as of now. I could have taken the math placement test. Thank goodness I didn't have to. People with math ACT scores of 26 or below are the ones that can benefit from such, really, to challenge their placement they would otherwise have. I have a 27. Highest math class bracket.
    I cannot express the sheer relief, especially the appreciated benefit of having more time to eat breakfast, or to sleep in this morning. I slept. Or tried. Blasted fact of my waking up at 7 every morning for no apparent reason on a normal basis, and suddenly the time is 6:30. Why I got up at that time I have no clue, except maybe anticipation of the day, particularly meeting my roommate. It turns out she had actually dropped off her stuff the previous night, and I just hadn't noticed her bag in her closet. She had gone to spend the night in the hotel room with her mom. I went outside at 7:15ish, having given up sleep and showered in the bathroom shower that did, after all, have not only curtains but thick concrete walls separating them. Wonderful shower. Good luck with the separate hot and cold knobs. Hard to master when you're used to one knob for both. There's Dial soap in a dispenser in each, so if you forgot your body wash you're still okay. No panic. Not slimy on the floor or anything like you get in some camping area showers. However, there is the nice little fact of there being really no in-between area. A small shelf within the shower is all you have to hold clothes, towel, and bath supplies, hoping they don't get too wet (they didn't, just point the nozzle away from the area)... unless you like streaking in public to the bench just outside the shower area to get your stuff. Not so much for me. I hope, for my sake even more than yours, that you don't like doing such, either. Yeay dorm life. This brings to mind the poster they have in the lobby that states what to do about these sorts of things. You shouldn't miss it. It's entitled "The Naked Roommate".
    Eat breakfast. By lunch I was starving. They will have you walking everywhere, on the campus walk (exceedingly abbreviated for the honors A&S people- by that meaning walking really fast) or otherwise. Try to remember how you get places. Look around at each stop, ahead and behind you, so it will look familiar when you try going the other way. In other words, use the same conduct as if you were on an unfamiliar backwoods hiking trail. Try not to be too dependent on other people for directions. At night when you most want them, there might not be anybody else there. When in doubt, head toward the tower. It's right next to the SAC, Etscorn Honors Building, the Floyd Parking Garage, the Interfaith Center and probably a couple other things that I just didn't notice as much. And, oh, it's decently near Miller Hall and that other hall that starts with an S that others are staying in. I think.
    I thought the lunch was good, but I like pretty much any food so don't mind me. Some people said it was bad, and actually the admissions dept. head apologized for it. It seems nobody else has to worry about having oriental food. The next meal was something in the order of fried chicken, which, because of my body's low tolerance for some kinds of fat, was actually worse for me. I couldn't eat anything but the dessert. Irony. Oh, well. Cooking for the masses. I guess my hunger wasn't helped by the whole fact I hadn't eaten dinner the previous night. Starving. Anything tastes good on an empty stomach.
    A funnier part of the day was with the free session periods I had, with the one giving me candy a lot because of my ability to answer their questions (the REACH session), but the other the guy that was supposed to head it didn't show, so the SOSers came in and took over. They made it a discussion period, but since people didn't have enough questions to fill up the time it ended up disintegrating into a YouTube watching session. Yeay for George Washington. And Will Farrell and baby/toddler. This did not prove a complete waste of time, no matter how it may seem. We got a glimpse into frank, honest college life from college students who were showing us what they actually did on their spare time. Also they did make an effort to answer any of our questions first. It was just we didn't have many.
    There's another airplane. The SOSers say you get used to them after a few weeks, to the point of not even noticing them unless you're trying to talk to somebody outside when one passes. I think I'm starting to get used to them. That last one wasn't so jolting as the ones last night. Even then it didn't stop me from sleeping. Sleep. Good idea right about now.

June 6

    Today was a rollercoaster. That's the best way to describe it. That's probably the only way to describe it. It began with a whirlwind of breakfast provided by the University and eaten at the front of Miller Hall, then going through the morning info. session. We then to advising, getting personalized help, learning how to schedule, how to register for classes and such. Honors courses were approved to take, and we did everything to register except press the button to send the request. We couldn't do that until later. Now, I can't say any details, but you really do need to pay attention to what your SOSer and everyone else lets slip about the school. Try to remember as much as you can about everything. Ask questions. Learn history. Learn the fight song. There will be a game to win priority registration. Not a game show, like you might think, but almost a fail-safe where everyone is mixed up into equally sized groups made up of all the advisory groups and you may actually learn very little-known facts and superstitions. The game is called the Cardinal Challenge. That's about all I can tell you. Either way, it's a pretty fun experience. Be spirited. It helps. A lot. Even if you're faking it. Fake it well. My team won because we could do this.
    Before advising, however, we went to two rather disorienting things. First thing was a survey, not in the traditional sense as it wasn't anonymous, to the point that if you did it the letter inside said that it would be attached to your record. This isn't exactly put very much in focus, however. It seems nobody wanted us to realize that our answers might actually affect us. We were, however, not required to take the survey. But not doing it is like we might have something to hide... really a nightmare for anyone used to statistics ethics. Also the whole atmosphere of the room was almost intimidating. It was quiet. Too quiet after the hustle and bustle. And although they were friendly enough, it was like the guy that picks your pocket smiling and talking innocently so you don't notice. Nasty feeling, just in the back of your mind. Nasty.
    The next thing notable was a presentation. It was meant to make everyone understand both sides of the departure story, parent with child leaving and student anxious to start a new journey. For me, however it was an emotional moment. I tried to keep it inside, and succeeded for the time being, but the fact of the matter was that however innocent the purpose, it emotionally stabbed me. My father died when I was eleven. He and I had lived in Woodinville, Washington across the country and for the most part with no real contact with any other relatives. After he died, I moved here to Kentucky to live with my aunt, uncle and two cousins. We haven't really gotten along since. I still believe they'll probably have a party when I leave. And I know you're asking yourself, "What about the mom?" Well, about that. She has Schizophrenia. Scary stuff. She still thinks of me as I was when I was one or two and my dad and I left Virginia, her and the rest of my family. So this drama thing with the viewpoints of the average parents and child on leaving for college, well, it made me again envy others. The weird kind of envy for somebody else's pain because of what had to be for there to be pain at all. I was trying to hide behind somebody else for the letter picture. It wasn't overly hard. I'm average height and there are plenty of taller people than me. That and the fact I don't think that individual faces could be seen quite that well. But I didn't want to be seen. I was crying. And there was no time for the alone time I needed to get over things. I just needed a few minutes, maybe even a short walk. But we didn't have time. After lunch, we had the Challenge and I was able to recover through distraction and finally through victory.
    From then on I felt better. We registered, it only taking really a few seconds after I got to the computer because none of my classes were really that close to being full and I was registering five minutes earlier than everyone else. After this everybody not in the Cardinal Covenant was able to leave. I, however, am Cardinal Covenant, so I still had a meeting I had to go to. In another hour and a half or so. I went into the Strickler building where it was going to be held and put down the stuff I had been carrying around, and went in search of jobs for work study. We had been told that we were responsible to find our own. I went to the A&S office, as the Student Advocate had suggested, got an application, also getting one from the REACH center in the Strickler building. By this time it was back to the meeting, and food provided us by REACH.
    As it turns out, the Cardinal Covenant program is really a REACH effort primarily. The meeting will answer any and all questions, including that pesky one of whether people with a full ride should bother. If that includes you, then this is your answer- unless you are absolutely and positively sure of you’re graduating in 8 semesters, then you should do this. The program goes for 10. Take a look at the stats. Few people graduate in four years. Even then, it's hard to pass up this kind of insider's networking. The people really want to help you, and with there being so few people in the program, they have all their attention focused on you. They will help you as much as they can.
    Well, if you all have been patient enough to read all this you will probably do well in school anyway, and I hope it's been entertaining if not informing. This is Laura Arns, signing off.

June 11, 2008

A Home FAR Away From Home

"Why UofL…?  Isn’t that a long way away?"

I chose UofL for a few different reasons.  Believe me it wasn’t easy.
I had four schools lined up and three of them were UW schools (University of Wisconsin).  But my choices went like this: UofL, UW-Madison, UW Stevens Point, UW-Eau Claire.  Now I think that Rhinelander, WI is small and secluded, with a lack of diversity. There are only a handful of people who are not white.  But I also have family here.  So when everyone asks me if the only reason I came here was to get away from my family, that’s not true because I am moving here to be closer to some family.  I mean they aren’t going to be ‘all up in my buisness’ but they will still have my there for a home cooked mean and an actual bubble bath.

"I didn’t want to leave campus the second day.  Can you believe that?"

The first night there I just thought that everyone there was only being nice to me because I’m able ten and a half hours away from home.  But the stuff we had to do for evening entertainment and the next day made me feel like people wanted to get to know me.  I have different opinions because of where I grew up and I like coming here and learning about different people.  i could never do that at home.  But anyways, I felt like people weren’t judging me like they did in High School.

"Do that class thing on your own time."

My adviser was so nice.  I felt like she could have told me what I should have taken my first semester because I’m in a completely new place and don’t know what in the world is going on.  And even though I actually took notes during the advising time on the first day, I had no idea what I needed to pick on the second day.  Really it didn’t help because I have two classes that I may end up not having to take because of AP tests so my schedule can still be changed if I don’t need them anymore.  Sitting at that computer was probably the worst thing I have ever done in my life.  I apparently had it all good but something didn’t feel to right about it.  I was at my computer for well over an hour trying to maneuver my way though the classes and make sure everything sat right with me.  But really there was only one way my class schedule would work out and I had to make sure no one got in the way of that.  Of
course my team lost the cardinal challenge so I didn’t get to hit my ‘checkout’ button for my ’shopping cart’ of classes until 30 other students ahead of me did that very same thing.  I got all my classes though.  Some people I know didn’t and had to stay there longer to make everything work out.  But we do have all summer to figure out our class schedule and make it work out just the way we want it to.

C"ampus is easy to get around… If you know where you are going."

And I do.  Really its not that hard to figure it out.  Some of the buildings look the same and they are not all labeled like they should be, but if memory serves me right, I found both where to meet with my SOSer and my resident hall that I will be staying in the fall.

"Get involved…"

Just imagine them telling you that over and over and over…

And don’t laugh… It’s a serious matter.  But apparently there is something for everyone to do.  And if there isn’t you can make something up.

"Tips: (Yes I am that nice)"

1. Watch out for the food.  You might even want to bring your own snacks.  You will get hungry.

2. Stay awake.  This is your chance to learn about what is going on in the fall.  You don’t want to miss something important that you will need to know for the second day or even for the fall.

3. Be excited to be there.  Not only does that earn you earns you Cardinal Cash which earns you prizes.  And just think for most people this is really the first time being away from home and ‘you want
it to stay that way,’ right?

4. Bring something cool to wear.  And I mean something that your not going to be sweating in all day.  It gets hot on the walk and while you dance.

5. Bring a water bottle.  The number of water fountains located around campus on your walk is zero.  your going to want some every now and them.

6.  Get there early.  The math test doesn’t take long but you don’t want to be the last one taking it while everyone else is finding out what to do for the day.

7. ‘Always have a hand on something.’

8. Be a DIVA!!!  YEAH EVA!!!

9. Don’t stomp on the Bird.  Stomp the Cats!!!

10. Know what everyone is talking about.  If not ask questions.

Alyssa Freund

June 06, 2008

Why a Red Bird?

Forever I said I wanted to go to an HBCU like Spelman or Howard, but then I realized I rather live comfortably than have to struggle in college (even if it is supposed to be the norm) so I decided to stay in-state.  So where in state?  Definitely not UK, there’s nothing about the school that is appealing to me and it would be completely opposite of my HBCU dream.  I thought maybe Western, but I wanted to get away from the people I already knew and most of the people from my high school class are going to WKU.  I went to “Accolade” at UofL back in August and there my mind was officially made up.  As I sat in the auditorium, I got a feeling that I was meant to be there (as cheesy as that sounds).  When I got home I jumped on the computer to submit my application.  I didn’t apply anywhere else because I didn’t feel I needed to…I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a “little red bird”.

Off to a Bumpy Start
Let's see...my freshmen orientation started off pretty bad.  I had forgotten to print out my parking pass and since I live two hours away, I ran around Louisville trying to find a printer until my mom and I just gave up.  I ended up being late to orientation where I found out I really didn't have to print out the pass because I could do it on campus.  After walking for nearly ten minutes in the blazing heat and almost getting misdirected by a crooked sign, my mom and I were anxiously greeted by some of the staff.  I was then escorted by my favorite alumnus, Mr. Errol Wint, to help me get my bags in my room (which was on the 4th floor…elevator not included!!) and then to Strickler Hall for the "Welcome." 
 
The Basics
The "Welcome" was a lot of fun.  The SOSers gave out stacks of Cardinal Cash (that I made sure to grab) which helped me win a red flash drive that had UofL stamped on it (and it matches my laptop).  I also liked the play that the SOSers put on...and I must say, seeing Sam Jones in tights was very interesting.  =] The morning however, was filled with a ton of valuable information.  We learned to get involved, to take advantage of programs such as REACH, appreciate free food, and most importantly…DON’T STOMP THE BIRD!!!

Yummy in the Tummy…or Not
Speaking of food...it was actually better than what I expected, but it wasn't the absolute best.  Lunch the first day was pasta and it was really good, but it started going downhill after that.  Dinner was pork tenderloin, it was okay, but the green beans and macaroni made up for its lacking.  We were also supposed to have pizza as a late night snack, but it was ordered for the wrong day and many were left pizza-less.  There were a few people, like myself, who ended up ordering their own pizza.  Breakfast was definitely a disappointment because once gain the early bird got the worm. By the time I made it down stairs for breakfast, the only thing left to eat were these titanium hard granola bars, yogurt, and a piece of fruit.  All of the orange juice was gone and the only thing left to drink was coffee. Regular or Decaf anyone? Eww!  I hate coffee.  Lunch seemed like it was missing something.  The only things to eat were broccoli, baked potatoes, and salad. 

Evening Entertainment
The dance that was held on the first night was fun because it put everyone there on common ground and you could tell that people were less reserved and friendlier.   It’s strange to think that that was like my “first college party.”  Afterward, everyone hung out downstairs in Miller and we all got a chance to get to know each other a little better.  During the day, we were so busy that we missed out on opportunities to really talk to each other, so it was great that we were able to connect with people that night.

True Story
The “Real World Skit” and the “Breakin’ it Down” sessions were two vital tools used during orientation because they made us think about what we are going to encounter.  Students that come from small cities or are just sheltered may not think about who or what is on a college campus; such as sexual orientations, people of various races, the potential violence, std’s, etc.  The sessions reminded us to not be judgmental but open-minded to these things and to expect the unexpected.  I really liked the “Breakin’ it Down” session because I don’t mind expressing my opinion and I love to talk and the session gave me a chance to do just that.

ALL HAIL to Team Awesome
Registration for me was easy.  I had already gone through a course of studies catalog a month before orientation so I knew what I wanted to take and what I would have to take.  My advisor (Matt Church) was very helpful too.  When we went for advising I had the “Add Classes” page open in one window and ratemyprofessor.com in the other. =] I was able to build my schedule to my liking and with professors that had nothing but smiley faces (shh).  Being a part of “Team Awesome” a.k.a. “Team 6” was of great advantage too.  Our group worked as a team should and we dominated in the Cardinal Challenge!!  I snagged the bonus point needed to get our team into the final round by knowing the names of two SGA officers and while we waited for other groups to finish their challenges I taught my team the fight song.  Our exceptional performance of the song led us to victory and we were rewarded by being able to register for classes first. 

Ready, Set, Fly!!!
This little red bird is ready to set flight!  I was already ready to leave home, but orientation has made me even more eager to start at UofL.  There’s so much to do on campus that I can’t wait to get involved in, like the Society of Porters, ABS, Theta Beta, and maybe even a sorority. =] I’m pretty excited about starting classes too and I hope to meet all my professors before classes start.  I feel really good about my upcoming transition.

GO CARDS!!!

April Riles