In loving memory of those victims of the Virginia Tech shooting, you are on our minds and in our hearts.

The picture is of OU’s vigil held in the honor of those lost in the tragedy.  The mood around campus was pretty sullen when word spread about the shootings.  Mostly fear that something like that could actually happen on our campus.  We actually had a little scare on Tuesday where the campus shut down, but thankfully it was a false alarm.  Such an insane thing to happen, but those at VT are definitely on the hearts everybody.  As our student body president said, “We are all Hokies today.”

Sorry it’s been so long since a post, it’s been quite a busy couple of weeks.  We last left off at spring break, it was very relaxing but I don’t really have any wild and crazy pictures for you.  I went home and spent time with my family who I miss dearly.  There fore I’ll talk about something a bit more exciting. However, I do have some good pics for you this time! 

THE BIG EVENT!!! Yay, doesn’t it already sound exciting? The big event is an event OU puts on where all the organizations, Greek houses, and clubs on campus come together and do community service projects around the area.  I signed up with my PCS group and our project was actually a lot of fun.  We woke up entirely too early on a Saturday morning (it was like 9 ha-ha) and drove into Moore.  Awaiting us was a wooden play ground that needed to be re-stained and re-mulched.  We ladies and a few guys took on the staining while the BYX’s guys (the fraternity helping us) took on the mulching.  Of course, it was cold, slightly raining, and almost miserable but I met a ton of cool people and surprisingly had a really good time.  The end product made it worth our while.

So..Check out the pics of the BIG EVENT and there is also a shot of D-Bo and me.  PCS met with President Boren at his house and he showed us around.  He is such a rad president. Seriously.

With the presidential candidates already beginning their campaigns to win office, the last few weeks on the OU campus have been flooded with political figures.  Only at OU can you see former Vice President Al Gore AND former President of the United States George H.W. Bush speak within one week of each other.  Thankfully, I managed to get seats to both events and I must say they were totally worth the long lines.

Just days after winning his Oscar, Al Gore shared the same slide show seen on his movie (An Inconvenient Truth) with a HUGE audience at the Lloyd Noble Center.  I waiting for a freaking hour outside when everybody rushed the doors the second they opened and we had to run to get a good seat.  I must say, he was a very charming and very well spoken individual.  He knew how to poke fun at his misfortunes and that was nice... I really enjoyed watching this presentation first hand, I think it really was a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Now, many of my friends were shocked to hear that I went to see H.W. Bush speak because of my very um... passionate views about his son’s presidential decisions.  However, his last name did not keep me away from seeing a former president speak, and honestly, I could not be gladder that I went.  The president and historian David McCullough shared a conversation in front of over a thousand people discussing everything from the president’s personal life to policy decisions.  I really respect him and his work as president.  He definitely has much more charisma and personality than another Bush I know.  Okay that was the last one I promise…

Anyway- spring break is soon and I’m going home! YAY! Expect another post with new pictures… until then, I have much studying to do!

Oh, it is so good to be back.  As much as I enjoyed being home for a month, it feels really nice to be back at OU and to see all my friends.  I know I have yet to post and school has been back on for a month now, but I’ve been busy getting back on track so do try to forgive me. I guess I could fill you in on what has happened the past few months of my life…

After much hard work and focus, I rocked my finals and ended up with a really nice GPA for the first semester.  All that stress and late nights paid off I guess.  Then I relaxed for an entire month at home in Tulsa with my family.  There is just nothing like your own bed and your mom’s cooking.  Oh and the semester kicked off with a bang! I got stuck in Memphis, TN because of the fantastic ice storm that attacked Oklahoma with a fiery vengeance and arrived in Norman a day after classes started.  I really struggled to get back on schedule.  I continued to staying up until all hours for no reason at all.  Luckily, the girls on my floor and I became such better friends through out finals, and now I way more people willing to stay up with me.  I have come to the realization that I live on a floor full of insomniacs.  We have no problem talking all night and going on adventures at midnight like Wal-mart (please check out our cart- if buying 10 boxes of cereal doesn’t make you a college student, I don’t know what does) and Denny’s. 

And now, before I even knew it, I am already studying for tests, mid-terms, and getting wayyyyy behind in my readings.  This semester is flying by.  I hope a lot of things for the semester, that I get more involved, that I try harder in school, and that I really take advantage of everything that is offered to me.  We’ll see how it goes… and as always.. I’ll keep you posted. 

Can you smell it? OHHHH the smell of finals in the air.  The constant look of distress upon every student you see.  The long nights, and many many diet cokes, cookies, and study groups.  The cram sessions are great and the lack of classes are even better.  Not to mention I have finally acquired what I have heard so much about, crunch time insomnia.  I have spent the past week staying up until ungodly hours (like 4am) every night, going to class, and finishing my day by taking what my roommate and I call comas, or really long 4 hour naps.  I wish I could say I stay up studying, but really I stay up playing on facebook, looking at websites, and talking to friends.  With so little time left before the semester is over, I feel like school really isn’t school. 
Despite the stress, finals time is exhilarating. I guess what I like about finals is that everybody is in it together, and stressed together, so you know your not alone!  Our extended weekend last week really added to the enjoyment.  TWO DAYS OFF! Who would have guessed it?  The snow was beautiful, covering our already incredible campus in a blanket of white.  I took pictures of the snowfall but due to my being sick for a week- which the sickness seems to be going around-, I did not get to play in it so pictures of snow will just have to do.  Although I heard the south oval was a mess with freshmen enjoying your old fashion snowball fight! So, as the snow melts, I realize I really need to get studying.. don’t worry, I’ll let you know how finals go!

Happy Halloween!! So, turns out.. Halloween is kind of a big deal in college.  Everybody spends outrageous amounts of money on questionable outfits and goes out.  I on the other hand, chose to stick it to the man and spent a grand total of eight dollars on my costume.  I was a vampire to a party the weekend before and it was pretty fantastic.  My fangs were the coolest part.  Then I made cat ears and went as a black cat on the actual day. Look at the pictures for my awesomeness!  Halloween fell on a Tuesday this year so I had the pleasure of walking around campus and seeing some awesome people dressed in outrageous costumes.  I saw a MAN dressed as a playboy bunny (keep in mind it was definitely thirty degrees out) and a robot.  Luckily, I had my camera phone and managed to get a picture of the robot.  Seriously, where else in the world can you find a robot walking around campus?  Man do I love Halloween!

I LOVE COLLEGE! It is entirely too much fun.  Norman is really starting to grow on me, regardless of its moody weather.  I’m from Oklahoma, so I’m really used to how crazy the weather is here, but it is hysterical to see people from other places, like California, freak out when it starts storming and the tornado watches go up.  Us Oklahoman’s just sit back and laugh at how afraid they are because we know when to start worrying.  It is so funny..

I finally managed to move beyond the campus boundaries and explore a bit of Norman and The City!!  A group of friends and I went to eat at Outback, which I’ve had never eaten at until coming here.  Everybody is pretty obsessed with it, and now I kind of am to.  It’s so yummy!  The picture is of me and my friend Abby, she and I devoured that plate of cheese fries.  After dinner, we drove to Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma City. That’s where all the clubs, restaurants, and hang out places are and saw movie The Departed at one of the nicest movie theaters I’ve been to in a long time.  The movie was awesome and I defiantly plan on heading out there again!  There is seriously so much to do around here.. I’m not really sure how anybody could get bored! 

“Because of this man, we are reminded that one person can make a difference, one person can indeed impact the lives of hundreds of thousands, as he did.” –President Boren

Wednesday night, a group of friends and I walked down to the auditorium, not really knowing what to expect.  There had been a buzz around campus about the ‘Hotel Rwanda’ guy coming but I really didn’t know the story all too well.  I went anyway, thinking that this maybe a once in a lifetime experience that I should take advantage of. 

When we got to the auditorium, there was a line stretching down the walkway.  I was shocked at how many OU students and Norman residents came out to welcome Mr. Paul Rusesabagina.  Luckily, we were able to grab front row seats… on the floor, but it was better than nothing at all.  And just when I thought the theater was filled to the brim, I saw the curtains on stage come up and students filling in the entire back area of the stage. 

President Boren introduced Paul Rusesabagina, and with a standing ovation, he came out.  It really was such an incredible moment.  The ENTIRE auditorium stood up and applauded.  I got totally teary eyed just seeing it.  I’m just not used to kids my own age being so passionate and caring so much about something.  This was by far one of the proudest moments I’ve had since being at OU. 

He then came out, told his heroic story, and encouraged all students to call out for change and said, “We need not to remain standing by, but begin standing up.”  It’s definitely much harder in high school to stand up and believe that change is possible but college makes change a reality.  Mr. Rusesabagina’s visit to OU was not coordinated by staff or faculty, but by an incredible STUDENT-LEAD organization called Students Working Against Darfur (SWAD).  Change is possible and there are many organizations on campus working together to make those changes happen.  I love that about OU.  That there are students here not only to study, but to make a difference in the world.  Paul Rusesabagina’s lecture was so inspirational and if you ever get the opportunity to see him speak, take it.  I promise, it will motivate you to stand up!

So, I moved in!  Contrary to what EVERYBODY says about move in, it wasn’t all that bad!  I got here early so I skipped out on the crowd and there were plenty of volunteers to help us out.  My dorm room looks awesome and I love my suitemates.  They are both really cool girls.  I’m not gonna lie, we got a premium room expecting it to be a bit roomier but no.. OU has tiny dorm rooms.  But hey, it forces me to get outside of my dorm room and meet people. 
Speaking of meeting people, I decided not to rush so my making friends process has been a little slower than most peoples.  Starting classes helped a lot with meeting people and Sooner Orientation Weekend has so many opportunities available to meet tons of people.  I went to casino night on Saturday night of my first weekend here and that was an absolute blast! The Union Programming Board and CAC put on tons of events all the time and they are a lot of fun. 

Finally classes started and they are much different than high school.  I love all of my classes.  I decided to take 16 hours which are filled up with mostly basics courses.  My favorite classes are probably Arabic and Expository Writing.  Arabic is just a really awesome language and a super fun class.  It’s not nearly as difficult as I thought it to be.  Expository writing is an awesome class to really improve your writing skills.  I took the Gossip and Urban Myths emphasis course and I’m really enjoying it.  Tomorrow I have my first college test ever in psychology.  I’m pretty much freaking out…

On another note, I did have an amazing moment today.  I walked across the lawn and it feels like fall around OU right now.  In the shade, its so cool and people are just lounging around trying to enjoy the weather before Oklahoma gets crazy on us again.  I looked over and saw this guy sleeping, or laying down, I’m not sure which but he was just there and he looked so peaceful.  I maybe unsure about a lot of things about OU right now, but I know for sure that the campus and the atmosphere are one of a kind. 

Two days until move in day!! I'm so excited i don't know what to do with myself. I guess i could start packing. I just went through all of the SOW stuff (Sooner Orientation Weekend) and they have some really cool stuff planned out for all the freshmen. I'm looking forward to the Camp Crimson Reunion. I went to camp sooner and it was one of the most fun weekends i've had at a camp. We spent most of the time hanging out with our small groups and getting to know tons of people. And if you thought graduating meant no more dress up dances, think again. On our final night at camp we got dressed up in our decade outfits and danced all night... no really, all night. Camp Crimson got me really pumped about my first year at OU and i just can't wait to get started! Time to pack up, move out, and see what OU really has in store.

When you apply to OU, they suggest applying for the freshmen scholarships and almost everybody does. Well, there are two organizations for presidents scholars, the President’s Community Scholars (PCS) and the President’s Leadership Class (PLC). The scholarship offered is 1000 dollars.  I got PCS and it’s a really great group.  We meet every other Tuesday night and talk about different types of things that will really make our experience at OU a special one.  PCS scholars are also required to complete fifteen hours of community service. The community service we have to complete is really easy and usually something worth while, so if you get offered the scholarship take it!  It will be worth it in the end..

I recently did my first set of hours at the buddy walk.  The buddy walk is a fundraiser benefiting Down Syndrome.  All we had to do is go to the Bricktown Ballpark, which is in OKC, and hang out with some awesome kids for a few hours.  I worked at the carnival games and handed medals out to the little kids that finished the walk.  It was so much fun and if you get a chance to work it, definitely go.  Here is a picture with one of the little kids that played at my game booth.  His name was Joshua and we hung out for a while.  He was so adorable!!