Bicycle Rope Maker

This Spring semester I had the chance to be in an International Health Class.  Instead of being a boring class filled with reading text books and listening to lectures, we focused on getting hands on experience by actually solving issues that affected a village in Paraguay called Ascuncion.  Because our projects were designed to be implemented in a real community with real people, I think it made us all try a little harder.  BYUI sends a few students and faculty to the village every year or two to implement the projects that students have recently been working on.  Then, they come back to the university to tell us what worked, what didn't, and what we can still improve on.

Our project:
The last group of students that went down helped design a bed that could easily be build there.  Beds are important because there are bugs that live in the dirt that can cause diseases in the people.  Most people in this village are too poor for a real bed, and even if they had a real mattress, it would probably become infested with bugs and/ or get moldy etc.  Instead of using rope to make a weave to sleep on, they found a way to connect plastic garbage bags together because it was cheaper.  The problem came because the plastic bags would stretch out in time.  They decided to try and make rope with twine they had.  They were able to accomplish this, but it took approximately 8 people, 8 hours to hand braid the rope to go on the bed.  That's 64 man hours!  Our task was to design a rope-maker that could be built in a third-world country from supplies they would have easily available to them.

We went through a lot of brainstorming sessions and trials and errors and eventually we came up with the design for our bicycle rope maker.  I won't go into the details of all the problems we encountered building it...but there were a lot.  And we overcame every obstacle so it worked beautifully in the end.  We were able to spin all the rope needed for the bed in about 10 man hours.  Even more motivating to us was the fact that we decided to enter it into the school's Research and Creative Works Conference.  Sadly they placed us in the Junior Engineering category so we were up against the engineering students but we still managed to place 3rd out of the 5 or 6 teams in our division.  That's quite an accomplishment for some health science kids!

This is my wonderful group.  It's a good thing we all liked each other or it could have been a really long semester.  The poster is made of rope of differing materials.  We used yarn (red), toilet paper (white), thread (green), crepe paper (yellow), twine (brown) and baling twine (black, and what we used for the bed).  You can make rope out of anything!

This is all the rope we made for the bed.  We got faster as we went and if we had made it as efficiently at the beginning as we did at the end it probably would have taken less than 6 man hours to make it all.

The main side of the rope maker is designed to spin the twine separately, first.  We used anywhere from two to ten lengths of twine/yarn/ thread in the first phase to create a strong base.  They were twisted by simply turning the pedals of the bike.  If you sat on a chair you could actually pedal it like a bicycle but we preferred just turning the pedals by hand.  

The second part of the rope maker was made by using another bike.  We attached the two parts of the rope on the other side and spun that side to twist the two individual pieces together to make a rope!  We could adjust the space between the two bikes to be about as long as we wanted if we wanted to make a longer rope.

 My certificate!  We win!  Well, at least we didn't lose...that counts as a win for us.

Midterm Update

I'm just glad this is my last semester.  Can I tell you a secret??  I think I'm getting senioritis.  This canNOT happen.  I have waited four years to graduate with a bunch of little stars next to my name and I can't throw it all away this last semester!  But it's soooooo tempting.  I have two tests tomorrow.  Haven't started studying for either.  I just want to watch movies and go on walks and bake banana bread and brownies.  Not good.  Also not good for my I'm-getting-married-and-supposed-to-be-getting-skinnier look.  Ask me if I care.  Only a little.

Wedding update.  I'm in the process of booking my photographer.  We got engagements back and I'm working on getting announcements made and printed.  My mom is working on stuff back home.  Not really sure what's going on there but I'm sure it's just fine.

Life is good.

Presentation Practice?

So, yet again I prove to the world that I am not the greatest student that's ever lived.  You think I would've learned not to procrastinate assignments by now.  Think again.

Actually, this time it's not so much procrastination...I just always have this "everything is going to turn out great" philosophy for things like presentations.  This means that I do not really practice them beforehand.  I don't time them.  I don't do anything.  I just go for it!

In the past, this has worked just fine for me.  Tomorrow, I'm thinking the class might eat me alive.  But I just can't make myself legitimately practice.  I'll probably do a trial run but I doubt it'll make much of a difference.

Whatever.

It's not like it's my final for the class.

It's not like this is my only class for the semester so if I don't get an A I will really consider myself a failure.

Whatever.

Such is life.

No practices.  No redo's.  Just go for it!

Catching Up

Why is it that I never blog when I actually have legitimate things to blog about?  And then a month has gone by and I keep putting it off because there is just wayyyyy too much to write about that I can't pick.  I think I'll have to settle for another list of sorts.  This will not be an interesting post, just informative.  For all those who care what I've been up to.

-I'm back in Idaho living at Kensington Manor, where I lived last spring and summer.  I only knew one of my roommates (from last Spring) and the rest were all random.  It's weird how I went a year and a half living with people I knew and the past year and a half I always get brand new ones.  It takes getting used to.
- I left some luggage on the shuttle coming up to Rexburg :(  Thankfully it was just a plastic bag with only a few things in it but I lost a nice pair of jeans, my favorite new sweatshirt, a dress and all my makeup (not like I wear a ton but STILL I went the first few days of the semester makeupless.
- I am working THREE jobs this semester.  First (as always), the admissions office.  I am still a coordinator there where I am in charge of hiring new students, training the current ones, putting together schedules, organizing trainings and everything else I used to do before.  There are two other coordinators with me so thankfully I don't have to do all of that on my own!
     -Job #2: The Wellness Center.  I'm only working here 7 hours a week so it's not a ton.  I do wellness assessments on the students and employees here that consist of things like blood pressure, muscle strength and endurance, cardiovascular fitness, body composition and blood cholesterol.  At the end of the semester I am also responsible to organizing an employee breakfast for BYU-Idaho.
    -Job #3: Kensington Manager's Assistant.  This is also a new job for the semester.  I do a lot of office work as far as filing, placing charges on people's accounts, helping with clean checks, cleaning the lounge and community laundry room, other office work and random things the manager needs help with.
- I have only one class.  Research Methods and Evaluation.  My professor started the first day of class by telling us she was just barely hired and hasn't written a research paper since she graduated college 20 years ago.  Perfect.  This will either be a super easy class or a super hard one...I'm not really sure yet.  I'm leaning towards easy though.
- I was called as the Relief Society President again.  This is take 2 for me in this calling and I'm determined to do a better job than I did the first time.  There are definitely things I wish I would have done better so here goes nothing!
- I am on the Student Services Council again this semester.  I did it last spring but not fall because I didn't have time.  I am the leader over the bookstore section.  We are in charge of doing surveys for the bookstore, organizing a few promotional events, maybe doing some secret shopping...I don't really know yet, I have a meeting with the bookstore tomorrow to figure out more what the heck I need to be doing.
- My roommates are pretty fantastic yet again.  Everyone at work thinks Annalise and I had some sort of falling out since I moved out of my apartment with her last semester but we most certainly did not.  They were great roommates, but I had promised a roommate from Spring, Cindy, that if I were here winter I would room with her.  So I am!
- I found my bag I lost on the shuttle!  It was at the lost and found on campus.  I love BYU-Idaho.  And I love my BYU-Idaho sweatshirt.
- I have bought and eaten wayyyyyy too many chocolate chips since being here.  They are my weakness.  But when you find your favorite brand on sale for $1.78 a bag it is hard to resist!
- I've spent more time on the phone this semester than in the last year.  Whoops.  It'll be worth it someday.
- I've missed my Peru kids...a lot.  One year ago I was there meeting them and holding them and learning their names.  Gosh, why did that have to be so great?!
- My room has managed to stay relatively clean.

I'm out of things to say.  I'll try to be better at blogging....

Too Good

Sometimes life just gets a little too good for my own good.  Lately I've struggled so much with having to decide between way too many fantastic options.  As soon as I decide something, another great option pops up.  It's never ending!  And yesterday ANOTHER option was presented to me.

After work I decided to stop by the office of one of my professors to thank him for the semester and let him know I really enjoyed his classes (I had two from him...Kineseology and Health Appraisal and Prescription).  Well, right there, on the spot, he offers me a job working for him next semester!  I was slightly stunned because I didn't think things like that would ever happen to me.  A professor that likes me enough to offer me a job???  How do I get so lucky?!  Sadly, I had to turn it down because I already have two jobs on campus for winter semester and the school won't let me work on campus more than 20 hours.  Lame-o rules.  He did tell me to contact him at the end of the semester and see if he's looking for someone for spring because if there's an opening he would love to work with me.

I was thisssss close to taking it and leaving my beloved Admissions Office.  It would be GREAT to have an in with a professor who has lots of connections and resources which would really help me around graduation.  At least my second job for winter is with the Wellness Center on campus (I don't even remember if I've blogged about that or not....) and he does quite a bit with them and with our training so I will still be in contact with him throughout the semester. 

On a side note, I just aced my last final.  I seriously did NOT think it went that well as I was taking it.  There were quite a few questions where I went back and forth between two answers but I guess I got lucky and picked all the right ones this time!

Now on to packing and cleaning.....gotta love the end of the semester.

Hey there, Library Chair!

I'm tired.  My stomach is growling.  I've been on-campus, in heels, for 13 hours.  I've been sitting in this plastic library chair for almost four hours.  I love finals.  I need to go home.

Burnt Toast

I don't usually have freak-outs.  I'd like to think I'm a fairly stable person who can control her emotions.  I don't really get sad or depressed, I just get slightly more stressed than usual.  I rarely cry and if I do it's for 2 minutes and then nothing else comes. 

Well, Monday was kind of a break down day.  The first in quite a long time.  I don't even know what it was.  Well, it was a lot of little things added up.  My roommate likes to call them "burnt toast" days.  A day where even burnt toast will make you cry.  Stress was just piling up on me from school and life.  Trying to figure out what to do next semester, where to live, if I should take classes, where I should work, etc etc etc.  From the moment I got to work that day I was stressed and bitter for no reason at all.  I just didn't want to talk to any more angry parents and students.  Then, I almost started crying in my sewing class because I couldn't get this stupid sample piece to look right and it was seriously not a big deal at all.  Burnt toast.  And then I had a total meltdown at home and of course, a girl from a group had to come pick some stuff off and my eyes were clearly red and puffy.  Now she probably thinks I'm a crazy emotional girl.  I'm not.  Honestly, I can't even remember the last time this happened.  I don't even think I had a freak out in Peru ever!

But now I'm done and over it.  I think I'm back to normal.......

There's a week left of school and classes are winding down.  Thankfully, two classes ended on Tuesday but I still have quite a bit of work left in the others.  I just had my lab kinesiology exam and that was....interesting.  Thankfully it was a partner test and we convinced him to pick our partners for us.  I HATE picking groups for things.  I feel like I'm picking my grade and I'm always sure I'll pick the worst person in the class.  Also, it's like picking teams for gym class and no one likes being last so it's just easier if the professor picks.  I think my partner and I did decent but definitely not my best test.  On the upside, I have a 97.3% in the class so I can afford to miss a few points :)

In a week it will all be done.  I didn't think I could do another semester but I will be back in the winter.  Yup, no China.  Don't ask me why.  Don't even talk to me about it.  I'm upset that I'm not going but it just was not responsible for me to go right now.  Maybe sometime in the future.

Peace out, boy scout.

  

Peter Pan Syndrome

Anyone who's anyone and reads this blog knows that I'm terrible at making plans for live and deciding what I'm going to do.  Well, let me introduce you to one more option....go to China!!!

I'm starting to think I'm just running away from growing up.  The closer college graduation gets, the more I want to extend the college experience.  I mean, who wants to grow up anyway?!  There's all sorts of....responsibility.  Yeah, not ready for that yet.  

How about taking off for five months and going to Asia?  I could see the Great Wall of China (cross another wonder of the world off my bucket list), visit another continent (bringing my total to four), experience yet another amazing culture, meet some more adorable ninos (no idea how to say that-- or anything for that matter-- in Chinese) and a slew of other great things.  Why not?  It's not like it's super pressing to finish my last semester of school.  And once I graduate I'm going to feel obligated to be an adult.  This pre-graduation stuff is great.  I can explore the world!  Stay tuned.  No plans are set in stone until they are set in stone.  And even then I can change my mind.

I'm falling in love with these kids as we speak...

Tired, but Not Dead.

Wow, what a week it has been!  I swear, I say that every week and so I'm sorry for everyone that reads these posts and hears over and over how busy my life is.  And then sometimes I sit and think "you know, you  probably aren't even that busy...you sure do waste a lot of time."  But let me tell you something.  Sometimes, wasting time is the best use of your time!  After a long day, it feels really good to sit on the couch and read a newspaper, or drink a glass of water, or watch a dumb youtube video (although I can't really do that now because the internet is out at my complex...).

So, let me document this week for you.

Monday: Wake up at 4:00.  Drive to IF at 4:30.  Work in IF from 5:00-10:30.  Drive back to Rexburg and work from 11-2 at my normal job.  Class from 2-6:30 with a small break in the middle because I was stinkin' tired and skipped half a class to snag a nap.  Local high school musical (Beauty and the Beast) from 7-10.  Get to bed around 11:30.

Tuesday: Wake up at 8:30.  Blood testing for a class at 9:20.  Work 11-2.  Devotional 2-3.  Class 3:15-4:15.  Library/ sewing lab/ homework/ take-home-monster-test until midnight.

Wednesday:  Wake up at 4:15.  Drive to IF and work from 5:15-10:30.  Back to Rexburg to work 11:30-2.  Class 2-4:15, group meeting 4:15-5:00, class 5:00-6:30, library for homework, trip to the store and to get some sweet potato fries, in bed at 11:30.

Thursday: Wake up at 7:00.  Class 8-9:30.  Work 10-1.  Nice little break until class at 3:15.  Now I'm at the library.

Anticipated Friday:  Wake up at 7:30.  Work meeting 9:00.  Work 11-2.  Class 2-4:15.  Job interview 4:30.  Wait in utter anticipation until Alexis gets into town around 7:00 and party with her for as long as I can.

Now, for those still reading (which I'm surprised if anyone is since reading a schedule has got to be the most boring thing ever) I am going to take some time to expound on a few of the activities this week.

--The early morning job I had on Monday and Wednesday was working with a company down in Idaho Falls who was doing wellness testing on their employees.  They were tested for their cholesterol, blood pressure and BMI which would determine how much their insurance would cost.  My job was to talk to those who had abnormal results and educate them on how they could reduce their blood pressure, cholesterol etc.  It was actually fun and most people were very pleasant.  The funniest thing about this is that I've had two people ask me "did you need any special training to be able to do that?!" and my reply was "welllllll, it is what I study in my major" hahaha  Health Science people.  I learn about health.  So yes, I've had about three years of training to be able to tell people that their LDLs are high and they need to cut back on processed and fast foods :)  I think the best part of this job was just the experience to actually work with clients.  It's given me confidence to say "yes!  I do know something!"  So much of what I've learned seems like common sense to me because everyone has a body and everyone knows to eat their fruits and vegetables, but most people don't know WHY.  It's great to feel like I've actually learned something useful in college.

As a side note, I think everyone should look into having their cholesterol tested if you haven't recently.  I can interpret your results for you free of charge, too! (For any BYUI students... you can get it done for $15 at the wellness center and the health center)

--I had been looking forward to seeing Beauty and the Beast all weekend at the high school.  I don't think I've seen a high school production since I was in one and I was just in the mood for it!  So I dragged Nathaniel along with me and we ventured to the outskirts of Rexburg.  Apparently the whole town had heard it was a great show and showed up trying to get into the last show.  We didn't have our tickets already so we had to stand in a massive line, just hoping to get in.  It was an extremely close call but we got in when there were only 8 tickets left!  Once we got in the theater, we realized there were only single seats left haha  So we grabbed two that were right behind each other.  Someone must have prayed for us that day because the family next to me had a child get sick in the first 10 minutes and they left so we ended up being able to sit next to each other (and during intermission I picked up the program they left on the floor only to discover that their daughter really got sick and they had used the program to cover it up...gross).

--A job interview?!  Am I thinking of leaving the admissions office and all of the wonderful people there??!  HECK NO!  I love that place.  BUT I'm trying to get a second job for winter semester working at the wellness center.  I volunteer there an hour a week this semester and they're hiring for quite a few positions for the winter.  If I get this job I will end up dropping about half my classes for winter so I would become a full-time worker (2 part-time jobs) and a part-time student (taking between 4 and 7 credits...I haven't decided yet).  Anyway, I'll keep ya'll posted on what happens there.

Welp.  That was a long and boring post.  I think I can safely say that maybe 1% of everyone that reads my blog actually took time to read it all.  I hope you aren't too dissatisfied with the waste of time it was.  Although blog reading is quite a favorite waste of time for me....

Bragging and Complaining

Literally all I can think to blog about right now would be school or work.  They are seriously the only things I do with my life these days!  So I'll take a minute to brag and a minute to complain and then be done for a bit.  My apologies for never having anything fun to read anymore.  I've had the fun sucked right out of me this semester.

Brag: I'm kicking butt in my Kinesiology class.  I've got a 97% when the average is a 77%.  I have the 3rd highest score out of 63 students.  BOOYA!

Complain: There is a buttload of memorization for the class that I don't particularly enjoy.  You don't want to see the stack of flashcards I have.  Flashcards with not just a word on the back, but with multiple sentences.  It's disgusting.  But then it's kind of cool when you can answer questions like "what muscle do you use when doing a pull-up that you don't use when doing a wide grip chin-up?" and "how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"  You know...the important things.  Also, the last test took me 2.5 hours.  "Quizes" take a good hour.

Brag: My job is so much better than your job.  We had a soup graze last week.  Heaven.  I looooove winter for the sole reason that it's soup season.  I also have some of the best coworkers ever.  They're hilarious.  My boss is hilarious.  I'm hilarious.

Complain: Yesterday I had a women yell at me on the phone for like ten minutes.  She kept telling me how ridiculous BYUI was and then we were screwing everyone over and no ones likes us.  I was in the middle of telling her she may want to consider a different school if she didn't like how we did things and she hung up on me.  Great first phone call of the day.

Brag: I stepped foot in Peru exactly 10 months ago today.

Complain: I stepped foot back in America exactly 7 months ago today and miss Peru and the people so much.

Brag: I have a bomb-diggity blog.

Complain: Basically I forget I have it and never write anymore and my life is going to shambles because of it.

Time Flies...

Argggggg.  The past month and a half have been overwhelming.  There's been so much I've wanted to blog about that I just haven't done any of it.  It's too big of a task.  Too much has happened.  Here's a quick rundown of my life this semester...

- Laptop charger broke so I now live on library computers...part of the reason I don't blog is I feel guilty blogging while in the library...
- Got the second highest score on my kinesiology exam last week!!
- Went to General Conference
- Sewed a pillowcase and pair of pajama pants
- Stayed at the library way too late, way too many nights
- Ate too much chocolate
- Ran in the Temple to Temple Relay
- Had a Peruvian dinner
- I go Spanish Stadium Singing every Sunday now...it's good for my soul
- Went on a blind date
- Make peanut butter banana bread
- Still working in Admissions as a Coordinator and loving it
- It's starting to get cold out....
- Mailed in my absentee ballot for Mr. Mitt!
- Lost my ipod and had it found outside in the grass by the apartment maintenence man...what a blessing
- Watched the presidential debates
- Homework (have I mentioned that yet??)
- Working out not quite as often as I wish
- Slept on the couch because I didn't want to put my laundry away that was covering my bed
- Touched a one-day-old placenta in my women's health class

Sorry I couldn't make up my mind which tense the list should be in.  It's late and I really don't have time to even be typing up this lame list.... maybe in the future I'll actually get around to posting pictures from these events...maybe

Mocktail 3.0

It was the best of times (first Friday of the semester), it was the worst of times (summer is now officially over) and it was Mocktail time.  I feel like I've done an adequate job describing these in past semesters so if you're unfamiliar with it or you just want to check out old pictures click here.

And if you want pictures of this semester's bash, just keep scrolling down.  (PS- I go to BYUI and have great friends.  No alcoholic beverages were present at this party...and, if you look closely, most of the glasses are empty...we just carried them for fun)

 You know I always bring the classiest treats.  Top: Lemon cupcakes with strawberry frosting and a raspberry on top.  Bottom, brownie bite with frosting and a mini Reese's cup on top.

Rockin' our sunglasses.

The Limanites

My new roommate, Whitney

Hank, always looking classy

Dallin, no longer the Clarke newbee

I had to drag Nathaniel to the party, but secretly he had fun

Alec and Myles

Roommate picture

Photobombed...

Four amigos

Our gracious host, Travis

Ohhhhhh Casey...it's a familiar picture (see below)

Cheng

Noelle and I trying to look classy...don't know how well that worked.

Sarah, Annalise and Nathaniel talking about their horses...or something classy like that.

And So It Begins!

What is beginning, you may ask?  Well, school, for one.  And, more importantly, late night blogging to avoid homework!!  It's only the second day and I'm already procrastinating.  Uggg.  Here's what I've decided would be the perfect semester.  Take 8 credits.  Work 20 hours.  Still play.  It's a beautiful plan. 

The problem with school is that there is too much to do in too little amount of time.  I love my classes, I really do!  I love everything I'm learning, even the hard stuff.  But with six classes all fighting for my time, I can't give any of them the time they deserve and the time I want to give them.  If I could take three classes instead, I would be a much happier girl.  Sadly, they didn't design college like that and they want you to graduate in four years.

Here comes the second sad part of my story....I might be a super senior and take 4 1/2 years to graduate.  Nothing is set in stone yet, I have to see what times classes are scheduled for in the spring, but it's a very real possibility that two classes I need to graduate will overlap times and I will have to extend one more semester.  I was really hoping to be out of here in July, but seeing as I have no definite plans for the future, does it really matter if I graduate when I'm supposed to???  Oh life.  Oh the possibilities.

Here's how the semester is shaping up. 
     Kinesiology- Practically the hardest class you take as a health science major
     Health Appraisal and Prescription- I have to have a "client" to work out the entire semester
     Health Promotion Methods- Lots of projects but no tests, that's a plus!
     Women's Health- Probably more busy work...I think I already know most of the information.
     Clothing Construction- This one is for fun :)
    Pastry- DROPPED.  It was going to be way too much stress for me to handle this semester.  So I added a religion class in its place.  This could be what sets me back another semester. 

Okay, now I'm going to go act like a student and do some homework.  I shall post about the new job at a later time.  There will be lots of nights to procrastinate!

The Current Bane of My Existence

Bane: a person or thing that ruins or spoils.

Group projects.  Don't they ruin everything?

Allow me to vent for a moment.  Just a moment, and then I'll stop.  This might be a lengthy moment, but if it were short, I'd actually have to start working on homework soon.

Soooooooooo...I have this group project.  It started the first week of the semester.  Basically, this group project is the entire class.  In a nutshell, we have to design a health promotion program.  This includes assessing our target population to make sure there's a need for a program, finding more data and research to back up the need, creating a program, putting together a marketing plan, a budget, goals and objectives, etc.  The only thing we don't do is actually implement the program. 

As I said, we've been working on it since week one.  The way the class is designed though makes it so that you feel like you're right on track for the first month and a half and then the last three weeks are just crazy.  The project is due on Monday and it definitely is CRAZY.  Especially when you're in a group of four people and only two of you are doing most of the work.  And now we're to the point where I don't even want the other girls to do anything because they have no idea what's going on AND the assignments they've had so far have either a) not gotten done in a timely manner or b) been done halfway or are just plain sloppy.  Uggg.  I'm so grateful at least one other person in my group is putting time into this!!

Here are my biggest issues with the two weak links (rude, but true).  

1) Most of our classes are "lab days" which just means that you have that time to work in your groups.  There have been other days though that are lecture where the professor explains how part of a project needs to be done.  The two rarely come to those lecture days which leaves the other girl and I to take notes, understand what's going on, and then take our group time trying to explain it to the ones who were missing.  This would be another reason their work isn't any good, they weren't in class to see what he wants!  What's worse is that I'll talk to them the day before and they'll say "see you tomorrow!" which would lead me to assume that they mean they'll be in class the next day since I've never just seen them around randomly.  But apparently, there's some hidden meaning in this phrase because they don't come to class and I don't "see them tomorrow."

2) They never volunteer to do anything.  Arielle and I will start saying "oh, I'll do that" or "I've already got that started so I'll just finish it" or "I already did that" and they'll just sit there....waiting for us to tell them what to do.  Both of us have just done things so that they'll be done and neither of them have put forth any effort to do something unless it was asked of them.  And we've both redone their stuff a few times because it wasn't professional or complete (one girl told me today she'd make sure her part looked cute.  I said "no, we need it to look professional.  You need to put it in Cambria font, size 12 like the rest of the project).  Today, we went to the professor to ask him some questions and get feedback on what we have done and they just sat in their desks, checking their phones, not really caring I guess.  

3) How do they think this stuff is getting done?!  Are they totally oblivious to the fact that some of the things we've done have taken HOURS to put together.  I've contacted multiple people to set up interviews, taken time to prepare questions and go interview them and spent hours creating marketing posters, a curriculum, calendar and more.  The other girl has typed up PAGES of interventions, goals and objectives as well as put in way too much time doing research for it because the others never did research to give to her. 

I could go on.  

I actually really like this project.  It reminds me of when my siblings and I would play "work" when we were younger.  It could be a fun class and I love our project and what we're doing.  I just wish I only had to do a quarter of it and not half.  If it was my only class, I probably wouldn't mind.  But seeing as I have three other classes, I can't really put all my time into this one.  I know the other girls are busy but WELCOME TO COLLEGE AND SUCK IT UP.  You signed up for this.  Don't think you're any busier than the others.  We all have jobs, we all have classes, we all have social lives and we all have this project that needs to be turned in by 4:00 Monday afternoon.  

Come 4:00, I will be one happy camper.

104% Senior

Two tests in two days and I've scored 104% on both.  That's how I roll.  Tomorrow I have a beast of an Anat & Phys test that I should be studying for.  I think I would pee my pants if I pulled a 104% on that one as well (this teacher gives bonus, so it's possible!!...just not likely)

As a side note, I registered for classes today and it's the first day of registration!!  That's reserved for people with 110 credits or more.....oh my goodness where has time gone?  When did I get that many credits?!  When did I become a senior?  Anyone have ideas for what I should do with my life, because I'm pretty much stumped.  And as a sad side note, I think I'll be here three more semesters instead of two like I was planning.  Being a super senior for one semester won't be that bad, will it???

Also, I was thinking how old people seemed when they were juniors and seniors in college.  When I was younger I saw girls in my ward/ stake go to college and was totally baffled when they weren't married their first year away.  I couldn't believe they could make it that far into college without getting married!  Oh boy.  I sure am glad I don't put the same judgments on myself as I did them haha  I'm perfectly content with the single life at the moment.... but I won't turn down any dates either :)

Confectionery Midterm

This looked so much better in person...the lighting is really weird in the pictures.  The base is made of candied orange peel held together by pulled sugar with a sugar cage glued on top by more sugar.  Inside are caramel hazelnut truffles covered in colored white chocolate.  Pulled sugar curl on the side.  

Sadly, right after these pictures were taken, part of the sugar cage broke.  I guess things like this are meant to be enjoyed and then destroyed!

Grades

I kind of obsess about them and I know that's not a good thing.  Every semester I try to be better and focus on learning instead of grades but I just can't.  It's engrained in my brain that good grades equal success and I don't think it's leaving anytime soon.

With our online grade book I can see each grade for an assignment and how I compare to the rest of the class.  If I'm not in the top few it's kind of a big deal.  I can still get an A and be upset if everyone gets a higher A than me.  Now, it's not like I have no life outside of my grades or this has totally consumed me, but I do take them seriously.

Let me tell you how this semester stacks up.

Looks like I have all As again, right?  Wrong.  The bottom three classes (Nutrition through the Life Cycle, Epidemiology, Foundations Capstone) require a 93% to get an A which I have surpassed.  The top class- my baking class- requires a 95% for an A.  Just short.  I'm seriously hoping he rounds up the score.  My fifth class (not pictured) is a mystery.  He has given us NO grades/ feedback/ scores at any time in the semester so I'm going on faith that I did enough to get an A...I had one for midterms.

In other news, I am home, in Ohio, now and I have a million and a half things to do to prepare for Peru.  The biggest would be mastering the Spanish language....

Blog Update 12/23-- Grades were posted yesterday and my professors were merciful :)  4.0 for the semester...can't do much better than that.

I Graduated!!!

My name is in the program and everything!  I now have graduated from BYU-Idaho with my Associate of General Science, Magna Cum Laude.  Only three more semesters and I'll have a bachelor's :)

Two stars...not as good as three but still something to be proud of!

Elder Quentin L. Cook, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was the key speaker.

Plus, my roommate, Alexis, actually graduated with her bachelor's degree in Child Development...I don't have a picture with her so you'll have to take my word for it.

The Skinny on Skinnies

Fine, I'll put in my two cents on this whole skinny jeans hoopla.  For those who are not familiar with BYU-Idaho, we have an honor code that we agree to live by when we accept admission to the school.  This includes refraining from alcohol, tobacco and premarital sex, having a curfew, being clean shaven and yes, a dress code.  All students MUST agree to this code before coming here.  This code is not church-wide, it even differs from the honor code at BYU in Provo, UT (brought to fame last year with the BYU basketball team).  This is an honor code specifically for students of BYU-Idaho.

Recently, there have been issues with the dress code.  It's probably the part of the honor code that gets the most crap from students.  Why?  Because clothing is how we identify ourselves.  We follow trends or we rebel from trends.  The colors we wear reflect our mood.  The brand of our clothes shows how wealthy we (or our parents) are.  Our clothing lets the world know that we woke up early and took time to get ready or we just rolled out of bed and barely made it to class in something other than what we slept in.  People get defensive about their clothes and most do not find it amusing when others tell them how to dress.

The thing is, when we came to BYU-Idaho, we agreed to dress a certain way.  We agreed to no shorts, capris or flip-flops on campus.  I'm sorry if flip-flops are the only shoes you own but you need to get some new shoes.  I'm sorry if your definition of a knee length skirt included skirts that come two inches above your knee but you need to get some new skirts.  You don't have money for that?  Then why did you agree to come to a school you have no clothes for?! 

I'm getting off-track (hooray for cracking an admissions joke in the middle of my blog).  Skinny jeans.  Where do they fit in the honor code?  Personally, I don't like skinny jeans.  They don't look good on me and I highly doubt I will ever purchase a pair for myself.  I do not find them particularly attractive but at the same time, I'm not bugged when other people wear them.  The honor code does state that clothing should not be formfitting.  Skinny jeans are one of those articles of clothing that can go either way.  There are jeans that fit your leg and then jeans that suck the life out of your leg.  Another formfitting article would be leggings.  Thick tights, if you ask me.  These are popping up all over campus and I've had enough of them.  They are about the formfitting-est things you can wear. 

Is BYU-Idaho saying that skinny jeans are of the devil?  What about shorts and flip-flops?  NO THEY ARE NOT!!  They are merely saying that skinny jeans do not comply with the honor code as it is laid out.  This means you do not have to repent for wearing skinnies to the store just like you don't have to repent for wearing flip-flops to the beach.  Skinny jeans are not of the devil and they do not induce sexual thoughts (as some of my peers have suggested), they are just not in compliance with the honor code!  Wear them out and about, just not to class.

If you ask me (and no one is, but you're reading this so technically you were looking for my opinion), I'll tell you I'm glad the university is finally doing something about this epidemic sweeping campus.  I don't think the administration really thinks skinny jeans are causing moral problems on campus.  I think they are seeing the students wearing leggings and other non-real-pant articles and then drawing the line at skinny jeans because the students obviously can't think for themselves as to what is appropriate.  The enforcement is in place for those who struggle the most.  Laws are created for the weakest of us and that's what this is.  If girls don't watch their skirt length I would venture to say that in the next few semesters they'll go from knee length to mid calf.

Some people might be taking the skinny jean thing too far and I can definitely see how some people are going to be offended by the new enforcement.  There needs to be some mutual understanding between students and administration at the beginning because it's been accepted up until this point.  I do not agree with stopping skinnies cold turkey because, truth be told, many girls only own skinny jeans.  This should be something the administration makes clear will be fully enforced NEXT semester after everyone has had time to ask for new pants for Christmas.

I have no idea if any of those ideas flowed together at all and I apologize if they didn't.  Basically, I'm glad someone is stepping up and giving some set standards.  Even though we're all raised in the same religion there are different ways to interpret things.  Maybe the girls wearing short skirts never learned where the knee was actually located, or their parents thought it would be funny to switch the word "knee" with "thigh."  Really, that's the only thing I can think of.  The enforcement is needed because if one person can wear leggings than another thinks they can and there's a whole downward spiral.  Side note- same principle with sweatpants on campus and those pants that are not quite pants but a little longer than capris (which are also skinny).

I love BYUI and I have no problem living by the standards I agreed to.  I'm sorry for those students who did not understand what they were getting into when signing the honor code.  Luckily, they're not being kicked out of school or otherwise mocked.  They're getting a nice reminder of what it means to hold up their end of a deal and be obedient. 

In four years you can leave BYU-Idaho and wear whatever the heck you want.  If you can't wait that long then leave.  There are plenty of other students who would give anything to be receiving the education you are and would happily abide all aspects of the honor code.

Roasting Marshmallows

Last spring, the library grilled hot dogs and gave everyone walking by a free one for National Hot Dog Month.  

I got free hot chocolate (with mini marshmallows) earlier this semester for listening to a 30 second spiel (yes, that is a real word) about the new chemistry tutoring which I will never use. 

Today, I roasted two marshmallows on my way to class for no reason at all.  The students working the roasting pit even spoke with British accents.

I love BYUI.