My classes are getting in the way of my extracurricular activities.

Hi there everyone! Sorry it's been a while- I've been pretty busy this week. I had a retreat, a PLEDGE council meeting, an article due for the newspaper, work, a Study Buddies Meeting, Voice Lessons, Choir, Quiz Bowl meeting, Sang in Chapel, Hosted a prospective student overnight, Swing Club, attended a debate, went to a concert and had 2 applications due this week (so far). And, oh yeah, homework.

I don't know if this is just a Gustavus phenomenon, but it seems like everyone is always running from one extracurricular activity to the next. Is it just me, or is it starting to seem like classes are becoming overshadowed by our Extracurricular Activities? I know everyone always says "school comes first", but does it really? How many times this week have you not done your homework because you were too busy the night before, running from meeting to dinner to debate to meeting? I know I have. Or maybe you are the type of person who just sacrifices sleep in order to fit everything in. I find that basically everyone in class ends up either exhausted or they didn't do the homework. Sometimes both. Healthy.

Maybe it's just the stress of the new semester, but I'm starting to feel like I'm drowning here. And there's no way I can give anything up. What will my grad school/job application look like if it doesn't include enough volunteer time? or arts credits? or leadership roles? or writing experience?

Is it just me, or are our Extracurricular Activities taking over our lives?
-Darcy

“Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy.” – Benjamin Franklin

Hello all.
For those of you who live under a rock and haven't been out lately, it's snowing like a banshee out there! Windy, fresh, deep snow.

Inevitably, along with the weather, comes those who approve of it and those who don't. Now, I'm not going to make this a complaining session about how bad the weather is, because I love snow! I truly love living in the great state of Minnesota and everything that comes with that-both the good and the bad. But some people out there do not appreciate the definite seasons that come with living in the state of lakes. I'm not going to say that those people should move, or that they should not ever complain about it, because that would be completely ridiculous. Part of being human is being able to complain; mind you, that is nowhere near the basic defining characteristics of humanity, but it is one of the innumerable.

I respect you and your ability to complain. That being said, I may not want to sit there and actually listen to your sob stories about how you had to walk 600 meters in snow piled halfway up your shin because to be completely honest, I think it's pathetic that it's something you feel compelled to complain about. There isn't anything you can do to change the weather, but if complaining about it makes you feel better, I do hope you can find somebody to listen to your complaints. Maybe your stuffed animal? Significant other? Parents? (I'm sure they'd love to hear from you!) Now, if you’ve got a story about how you were trekking miles and miles back from somewhere and encountered a bear that was so hungry it decided to chase you up a tree and you had to stay there for a couple hours before it finally let you down, only to follow your tracks/scent and thus sneak up on you while cautiously moving across the icy patches of sidewalk, and start an insanely hilarious (yet sad) story about your escape from the bear’s grasp, I would love to hear it. Honestly, I would. Or you can tell me a less interesting story, and I may pretend to pity you while staring blankly off into space.

I also will not pity you if (while living in MN) you lack the supplies needed to adequately survive a Minnesota winter, and fail to wear most or all of the necessary items for your outing. These include, but are NOT limited to:
-hat
-mittens (waterproof is nice)
-heavy parka (also preferably wind and water-proof; thick, puffy, huge-not necessarily small and form fitting for style, because usually they aren’t sufficient, however if you are able to find one that encompasses all warmth/other needs AND is stylish, more power to you!)
-warm boots, landing well above the ankle (again, don’t worry about style here, either)
-snowpants (again again, the style thing…everyone looks like a numpty when wearing snowpants so don’t even worry about it.)
-more mittens (for when the other ones get soggy)
-long underwear
-scarf/neck/face warmer (optional)
-hood (I personally this is a much-too-often overlooked piece of gear, they are quite useful for many weather types!)
-warm, thick socks (wool sometimes preferred; multiple pairs most likely necessary for multiple days)

So wear what's right. And if you're not sure about what's will be good for the day, bring extra stuff! If you fail to wear the appropriate items, I will, again, not take pity on you. Sorry. You should have looked out the window. Or checked the temperature on the crazy amount of technology we have constantly available to us. But it’s up to you.

So. Moral of the story is: Wear your coats, hats, mittens, and boots. Or don’t. But if you decide not to, don’t complain.

And please don’t plead ignorance.

Practice Makes Perfect

I thought that Anna brought up a really good point in one of her questions posts. Are people born good at something or is it practice that makes them good at it?
I think that practice really does make perfect. Have you ever noticed that people are really good at things they like? Well, if you like doing something you are going to practice it more and get better at it, right? So that would indicate to me that practice is really the thing that makes talent. Obviously, there are some instances where talent is obvious from a young age. And some people are born tone-deaf or have no rhythm. BUT then that makes me think that maybe those people who are tone-deaf were told that they were tone-deaf from a young age, and therefore decided not to practice very much. Maybe if they were born tone-deaf but had encouragement and the right voice instructors, they would be able to develop into a great singers. But we will never know, will we?

My relevant story involves my turbulent relationship with math. When I was in 2nd and 3rd grade, time tests were a really big deal in math class. And I sucked at time tests. (If you don't know what a time test is, its a whole bunch of math problems on a sheet of paper, and you have like 60 seconds to finish as many as you can.) I could figure out the answers if I had time to do so, but for some reason my brain just couldn't work quickly enough to please my teachers. So I was put in 'special' math classes, where they would specifically work with me on my quick math skills. Even that didn't help, though. It just didn't fit the way I learned. I was basically told I was bad at math from a young age. But I wasn't, and I'm still not bad at Math. I just learned differently, and according to elementary school Math teachers, that was wrong.
Now, let's talk about English. From the 1st grade, I have been in enriched/advanced/gifted&talented English classes. I have always been a great reader, and I started at a young age. I've been told many times that I am a great writer, and I have never really had trouble with English classes.

Consider this: I fulfilled the minimum math requirements in High School and immediately quit math. But I took 5 English classes my senior year of High School, way more than were required. In fact, over the course of my 4 years of High School, I took every English class my school had to offer except two. I am in College now, and I am going to be an English Major.
Do you think if I had been told I was really great at Math my life would be completely different? I don't know.

What do you think? Is talent something you're born with, or is it encouragement and practice that causes you to excel at things?

Darcy

Questions 3 - 5

3. How does one become a saint? And also, how does one nominate someone for sainthood?
I know it has somehting to do with miracles and being dead, but I'm not completely sure.

4. What is it in people's brains that makes them more "naturally inclined" towards certain areas of acadamia (ex. the arts, numerical subjects, etc.)? Is it solely practice in that area or does it also involve a certain part of the brain that makes you "better" at it?
I realize that while it is possible to become quite good at something one was not especially brilliant at to begin with, one still may not particularly enjoy that subject. (We tend to most enjoy the things we are good at.) Which leads me to my next question.

5. What determines what a person likes and dislikes (in broad terms)? Nature? Nurture? Hormones? Culture? Religion? Brain size? I don't know, you tell me.

Keep your brain questioning,
-Anna

Forever - is composed of Nows - (Emily Dickinson)

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in 'forever' that we forget about the 'now'. (And sometimes, vice versa.) As a college student who needs to declare a major next year, I find myself thinking more and more about the future. Nowadays, you basically NEED to have your life planned out by the age of five, because most occupations are so specialized. You can't just major in underwater basket-weaving and then after college decide that you want to weave baskets ABOVE water... you'd need a different degree for that.

Here is a quote for enjoyment and thought-provoking purposes:

"Did you know that for pretty much the entire history of the human species, the average life span was less than thirty years? You could count on ten years or so of real adulthood, right? There was no planning for retirement, There was no planning for a career. There was no planning. No time for planning. No time for a future. But then the life spans started getting longer, and people started having more and more future. And now life has become the future. Every moment of your life is lived for the future—you go to high school so you can go to college so you can get a good job so you can get a nice house so you can afford to send your kids to college so they can get a good job so they can get a nice house so they can afford to send their kids to college."
— John Green (excerpt from the book Paper Towns)

Maybe I'll double major: Underwater basket weaving and Terrestrial basket weaving. That should cover it.
-Emily

Homemade is Best

What is it about homemade food that makes it so much better than boughten, highly processed food? Does it really taste better or is it just what we grew up learning?
I just ate my last homemade chocolate chip and M&M cookie that I had in my room. Despite its slightly dry and crustiness, it was absolutely delicious and far better than any boughten cookie. There's something super appealing about homemade food. Sometimes I get sick of caf food because it just doesn't taste like my parents' homemade cooking. I think, growing up eating a large portion of homemade food has affected my taste buds and mentality about food in such away that I regard homemade food as healthier, and better tasting than other foods. It probably is in most cases. When I can taste the ingredients in food and know that it's not just artificially flavored, it makes the food so much more enjoyable.
Furthermore I think being able to cook is a skill that everyone should have. "Anyone can cook", but not everyone can cook well. If you're not a skilled chef and your passion isn't cooking, that's okay. I do however recommend that you know how to make a few good homemade things. It's a useful thing to know.
Licking my lips after a delicious homemade cookie,
Ashley

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank

I've been really charitable lately. I spent part of my J-term organizing a Silent Auction to benefit Children's Miracle Network (cmn.org) and bought something at that auction; I recently bought two pairs of Toms shoes, therefore donating two pairs of shoes to children who need them (toms.com); I also got a red thread, which helps victims of sex trafficking (redthreadmovement.org); I adopted a soldier with my roommate, Zoe (Adoptaussoldier.org); bought mittens to benefit Habitat for Humanity; Created a Kiva account so I can lend money to people who need it around the world (Kiva.org); and spent my Saturday working at a Feed My Starving Children food packing event here at school (at which I bought this really cute bracelet that provided some 37 meals to starving children).

Most of this is just coincidentally happening at about the same time, but I think it also helps that I worked full time all through J-term, so I have a bunch of money. It's so much easier to be charitable when you have money.

All of these good actions got me thinking about how easy it is to be charitable in the world now. Feed My Starving Children came to us, and I just had to walk across a parking lot to get there. People table for the Red Thread Movement outside the Caf, so I can be charitable on my way to lunch. People make facebook events inviting us to send them money through the POs and we will get some mittens! How convenient! Maybe it's just the environment at a small liberal arts college that we want to help people, but I don't think it's exactly hard to help the world outside of Gustavus either. I mean, I ordered my Toms online and so could anyone else.

And then that made me think about why people do good things for the world. And I thought about all the things I've gotten for my charitableness. A bracelet, a red thread, 2 pairs of shoes, a 8x10 print... I got paid for the organizational things I did for the silent auction, and my boss offered to pay my for working at the Feed My Starving Children event too. When you loan someone money through Kiva, you eventually get paid back. Not to mention that I got to feel really good about myself. So... do people buy Toms because they want a pair of shoes or because they want to help people who need shoes? Maybe both.

I recently read a book which talked about the religious tradition of tithing. The point of tithing 10% of your income (or whatever percent) is that you are supposed to feel the loss but recognize that it is OK and it is helping people. It helps make you less selfish. Nowadays, when you do something charitable, do you feel the loss? Do people really care about helping the world or do they need to get something out of it for it to be worth their time and money?

-Darcy

You Can't Frolic Through A Forest of Baby Trees.

I was eating breakfast with a few friends (has anyone ever made the observation of how similar Reese's Puffs look to dog food?) and we were talking about someone's Adolescent Lit class. They're reading "Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret", which is essentially a preteen bemoaning the late coming of adolescence. Someone at the table mentioned how all of the guys in the class must feel embarrassed to read this book, and I was thinking.... why?

What makes a book an exclusively "girls'" book or exclusively "guys'" book? True, the aforementioned book does discuss many feminine issues, but there's no reason that males can’t get something out of it or enjoy reading it. There seems to be a weird standard or expectation when it comes to things like books (and movies, clothes, and many others). I mean, it appears to be perfectly "acceptable" for girls to enjoy and/or be obsessed with Lord of the Rings, James Bond books/films, etc, whereas if you reverse the gender roles, it’s thought of as uncomfortable or odd.

This is in no way a blanket statement though. I know that some men are manly enough to proclaim, “Yes! I do enjoy a romantic comedy every now and then!”. This stereotype is being reversed even as I type. However, it still exists.

On a side note, I enjoy frolicking in forests, especially in the winter time while it is snowing. Imagine though, if your school decides to grow a new deciduous forest on campus. How would you frolic through baby trees?

One cannot.

-Emily

Is Bigger Better?

I was reading a book for one of my classes, it was about the post-American World, how all of the other countries are experiencing a rapid growth while the United State just kind of sits here. At one point the author tells the readers to look around us. The tallest building is in Tapai but a taller one is being built in Dubai, the richest man is Mexican, the biggest plane was built in Russia and Ukraine, the largest factories are in China, and the list goes on and on. The author's point being The United States just 10 years ago used to be at the top of many of these different categories. I can't help but think, is that such a bad thing? Does it really matter which country has the largest building? Or where the richest man lives? Or where the largest factories are? I don't think it matters. We should be concentrating on efficiency rather than size. Is it really that important to have large building or planes? We shouldn't be competing with other countries for titles such as these, but instead seeking to achieve unity and an effeciency in technological things to preserve the world. This may sound really cheesey and all "save the environment", but I really do believe it's not about who has the largest factories, rather it's about how well we can work together to make achievements globally.
But that's just my two cents.
-Ashley

This person has walked THEIR goat today. Have you?

I must give the credit of finding this excellent photo to my dear friend, Katie (@ University of Nebraska, Lincoln).  She thought it fit our blog, and it does!  So I am posting it.    Everything about this picture is great.  The boots, the facial expression of the goat-walker, the (what I believe to be) cheese balls in the ziplock bag, and the leash with a poop bag holder thingy on it, just to name a few awesome things. 
Thank you, Katie!  :)
Your Very Own Champion Time-Killer,
Anna

Question 2.

Who was the first person to eat an egg?

Seriously, though.  Who was the first Homo sapien to look at a chicken that just layed an egg and think, "Hey!  Look what just came out of that chicken!  I wonder if it tastes good..."

Disclaimer:  I have nothing at all against eggs or chickens.  They are nutritious and quite delicious when cooked properly.  This question is meant to be asked in all innocence. 
I'm sure that many animals have been eating eggs for almost all of history, but who was the first current human to think that eating an egg would be a good idea?  And how did they think to cook it (or not)? 

Innocently wondering,
Anna

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

             I’ve always regarded blogging as an art form of sorts, one that I have neither an aptitude for, nor the least bit of experience in.  But here I am…writing on a blog- so bear with me.  Well, here goes:

Upon trudging out of bed at the ungodly hour of 6:30 this morning, the first seemingly coherent thought I had- after cursing the world for having the conception that morning was EVER a good idea- was a quote by Oscar Wilde. "Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast” (He seems to have the right idea).  But unfortunately, class starts at 8:30. So although I have the support of a notable playwright on my assertions, it seems that academia and society once again have the upper hand.  With this, day two of second semester (I refuse to call it “Spring Semester”…have you been outside recently?!?) commenced.  Surprisingly, with the exception of bitter cold and the inevitable morning, the day seemed to go rather well.  Classes are interesting, heavily laden with homework, but intriguing nonetheless.  I’m also happy to inform you all that my Anthropology prof knows the word yes (more updates on this to come). 

            Upon reading over what I’ve written thus far, I’ve noticed that I seem to complain- a lot.  Certainly, I’m not the only one who is sick of the weather and finding it difficult to get back into the swing of studying, but this really isn’t an excuse.  Because even more than the fact that it was cold today, even though I woke up far earlier than I would have liked, and even though the mass of my backpack could contend with that of an overweight toddler- life is filled with beauty.  Yes, this is cheesy- but it’s true.  So often it comes in the most unexpected ways.  Such as the patch of sunshine I encountered while walking to practice in the music building (which resulted in a fleeting, but glowing warmth), or the way the snow sparkles, or something as simple as the laughter of friends.  Or maybe- just maybe- true beauty lies in the salad bar on the days when feta cheese is served.  I think that I’ve rambled enough for one day, so I’ll leave you with this: It may be dark, cold, and too early, but life is too short to spend it complaining.  Take time to find beauty in the little things in life- you might be surprised at what you’ll find.

Until Next Time,

Zoë 

Rice Cakes

Hello there world. For those of you who don't know, I am currently on the tail end of a Metabolic Detoxification. On Thursday I will be able to eat real food, but for now I can eat: Fruits and Veggies, Fruit Juice (with no added anything), water, "medical food" (this shake thing that smells like spicy oatmeal) and.... rice! (Added back to my diet today!) So I am currently sitting here drinking a Juicy Juice and snacking on... a rice cake. And not the good kind with caramel or sugar or even just salt. Nope. I am eating a Gluten Free, Vegan, Whole Grain Brown Rice Rice Cake. (Special thanks to the good people at Lundberg, whatever that is...)
And the thing about these rice cakes (I'm on my 2nd at this point) is that they literally taste like nothing. I swear, they are the least flavorful thing ever invented. Which leads me to the question: Why the hell were rice cakes invented?!?
Perhaps travelers on the Oregon trial were desperate for an easy-to-transport flavorless snack. Or maybe they were invented to fill the stomachs of starving, flavor-hating Irishmen during the potato famine. Or perhaps they were invented by the people inventing Metabolic Detoxifications so they could turn a profit on the smallest flavor-investment possible! I sense a conspiracy!
In any case, whoever thought that this would be a good idea was crazy. I have literally no idea who would want to consume 70 flavorless calories unless of course they were starving to death (much like I am now). These are probably the hardest things in the world to market. Which I guess is why you don't really see commercials for "New Extra-Bland Flavor Rice Cakes". You do see commercials for rice cakes covered in sugar. Which sounds really good right now. Anyway, the point of my little rant is that if you were planning on investing in a bag of Lundberg's Gluten Free, Vegan, Whole Grain Brown Rice Rice Cakes... I would suggest that you not.
Instead, you should invest in these delightful Rice Chips I found, also thanks to the good people at Lundberg. The rice chips are covered in sea salt and are incredibly similar to potato chips. They are wheat free, gluten free and AWESOME. Seriously, I will probably keep eating them even after Thursday. The Rice Cakes will not be so fortunate.
Enjoy something bland today. In honor of all of those starving, flavor-hating Irishmen. 
Darcy

Question 1.

What do ya'll think of me just posting some of the random questions I ponder some days?  You think it's a good idea, yes?  Ok, then I'll do it! 
I will title each question with the next consecutive number, and in the end (if there is one...) we can see how many there are!
So here's the first one:

What did people do to procrastinate before modern technology?  (modern technology = cell phones, internet (...yes, this means Facebook and YouTube), computer games, portable music players, stuff like that) 
I feel like one answer to this may be that people didn't procrastinate as much!  Therefore, more work would be completed in a more timely manner.  Here's my theory:  In current times, people are attached to everything everywhere, with cellular telephone devices and computers and whatnot, so they bring them everywhere.  If you don't have that to bring with you, then when one needs a distraction they would perhaps stare off into space or out a window, or read a book, or listen to their casette tape.. (or whatever they had).  Or, they would just take a quick break and then get back to work.  Hence, more work would have potentially been completed in a given amount of time.  So.  This means that I'm going to try my hardest to put away my computer, phone, music, etc. when doing my studies, in hopes I will be more efficient and productive.  So don't be mad if I don't respond to a text, ignore your call, or other means of trying to get hold of me; it doesn't mean I don't want to talk to you, it merely means I am most likely attempting to be ultra productive.  Unless you never hear back from me, then it might mean I don't want to talk to you.  ;) haha.  Not really but really...
For all my loyal listeners,
Anna

And also grapes.

This blog will also include the topic of grapes.  Because we make raisins.  In various places around campus.  Shhhh!  So if you ever see a grape anywhere, don't move it!  Haha. 

Anways.  There's not really much to say, except that today was the first day of second semester!  I think all went well for everybody, which is a good thing.  Campus is full, again, after being barren during January Term... "What are all these people doing here?" "Going to college...?"  Yup. 
Put glow in the dark stars on the ceiling of our room today, so that'll be sweet.  Can't wait to turn out the lights.  ;)
One thing I would like to say is that I think Johnny Cash is underrated in today's society.  He has many clever songs, such as "A Boy Named Sue" and "One Piece at a Time" which I think are enjoyable to listen to.  If more people actually bothered to listen to something other than current radio hits or iTunes' top purchases, people could discover there is an entire world of music out there! 
Also, I think people should stop hating on Justin Bieber.  But that rant will be saved for another day.
Well...here we are, and there went the first day. 
Written especially for all you loyal followers by yours truely,
Anna

Well...here we are.

Yup. This blog will be about oranges, goats, and the daily ramblings of a few college students stuck in the arctic.

Have you walked YOUR goat today?