The challenge? Make a video like this one, sharing 50 random facts about yourself/things you've done.
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So even though I don't go to the same school as you guys (something tells me we won't have any classes together :(( *pouts* ), I still thought I'd post my schedule =)
Monday 9:10-10:00 Linear Optimization 2:10-3:00 Programming Languages 3:20-4:15 Vanderbilt Symphonic Choir* Tuesday 9:35-10:50 Principles of Operating Systems I 1:10-2:00 Statistics Laboratory 2:35-3:50 Artificial Intelligence Wednesday 9:10-10:00 Linear Optimization 2:10-3:00 Programming Languages 3:20-4:45 Vanderbilt Symphonic Choir* 5:30-7:20 Computer Recording Technology Seminar Thursday 9:35-10:50 Principles of Operating Systems I 2:35-3:50 Artificial Intelligence Friday 9:10-10:00 Linear Optimization 2:10-3:00 Programming Languages 3:20-4:45 Vanderbilt Symphonic Choir* Sunday (Yes, you read that right :) 6:30-8:15 Steel Drum/Pan Ensemble 17 hours... Perhaps a few changes, but I need the hours to graduate! *I really would love to be in this choir, as it's open to the entire Vanderbilt community, but it's audition only- and I'm a bit nervous to audition. I hope I get in! :) Monday
8:00-8:55 Film Production Workshop 10:20-11:15 Scriptwriting for Film & TV 11:30-12:55 Honors English 300 (Reames) 3:00-4:20 Film Adaptation 5:30-8:15 Creative Nonfiction Writing Tuesday 2:20-3:40 World Cinema 4:00-6:30 World Cinema movie screening Wednesday 8:00-8:55 Film Production Workshop 10:20-11:15 Scriptwriting for Film & TV 11:30-12:55 Honors English 300 (Reames) 3:00-4:20 Film Adaptation 4:40-7:00 Film Adaptation movie screening Thursday 2:20-3:40 World Cinema Friday 10:20-11:15 Scriptwriting for Film & TV 11:30-12:55 Honors English 300 (Reames) *17 hours...I will most likely drop one of these classes. Shelby: A variety of cute flowery, pink, or adorable pokemon Amy: Electric type Pokemon Sara: Water type pokemon Anna Beth: Normal type, mostly because it's what the cat-like pokemon were. I also chose Skakoth (the sloth-like pokemon) over Mankey because Mankey is angry and mean. Jill: Fire type, obviously. I also have to admit it's the first one I drew and my favorite. Amber: Ground type. This one I had to think about, but I settled on ground type for you because it's a mix of cute, but tough. Sanaa: Random assortment. I was going to include Mr. Mime, but he/it kind of freaks me out.
Yeah. That just happened to me. So I thought I'd share it! This song just popped up on my Facebook feed by a friend, and I just happened to look it up and listen to it. Wow. I can't believe one track can have that much awesomeness. Plus, the beginning is hilarious. Trust me. It's worth hearing. At least, to me it is, so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Then, after you enjoy it, be shocked like I was that it's only just a bonus track off of the album... and not actually on the album. Jason Mraz - "I Never Knew You" Hello, Americans! As the resident Brit on this blog, I thought I'd inform you that this week marks the celebrations of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Okay, so I'm not (technically) British, but I still love the Queen! Queen Elizabeth II was born 21 April 1926, and is now 86 years old. When she was born, she was 3rd in line for the throne, but after the abdication crisis in 1937, her father was crowned king. He died unexpectedly when Elizabeth was only 25 years old. She was a young wife and mother who had never expected to be Queen, and now she has reigned for 60 years! After Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, Elizabeth II is the second longest-reigning monarch, and she is the 40th monarch in England since William the Conqueror. These and other fascinating tidbits about our beloved Queen can be found on the official Diamond Jubilee website. http://www.thediamondjubilee.org/60-facts-about-queen Also, I highly recommend watching ABC's coverage of the Jubilee events:http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/05/abc-news-celebrates-her-majesty-queen-elizabeth-iis-diamond-jubilee-with-unprecedented-access-to-the-royal-family-and-celebration-concert/ One more thing: today was the River Thames Boat Pageant. Look, there's the Queen! Here's what I do during class (these are my best doodles). Yes, I was thinking of Amy when I drew the mermaid.
By Anna Beth
First off, I have basically the best parents ever. Somehow, they managed to raise me with high expectations for my academic performance without pushing me or pressuring me to be something I'm not. I guess it's always been the way they're proud of me when I do achieve that has made me want to succeed. That, and I've always wanted to succeed for me. I don't want to let anybody down, including myself. But over the years, it became easier and easier to let myself down. In elementary school, getting good grades was something that just happened. I got a ton of awards; I got chosen to read a poem I wrote in front of the entire school; I was one of three DARE essay contest winners in the fifth grade. In middle school, the classes got a little tougher, but I still came out on top.Once I got to high school geometry, though, I learned the meaning of stressing over grades. Every year it was something. Chemistry, AP Biology, etc. I always pulled through with A's, but middle school and high school had taught me that there were plenty of the "smart kids" who could rack up the A's. Imagine my disappointment at learning that there were other, more involved, more outgoing, more noticeable kids who could perform just as well as I could academically. Sophomore year, I learned that I was in the top 5 in my class. Oh--the realization dawned on me--this was a competition. I hadn't been comparing myself to those other "smart kids" for nothing. They were my rivals now. I had to hold onto that spot with an iron grip, not because I wanted the recognition so much as because now I knew I had it. To have it and lose it would be far worse than never to have had it at all. But I can't pretend that that spot was a driving factor for my perfectionism. It had been there a lot longer and it has lingered past high school. I remember thinking that once high school ended, so would my internal pressure to be the highest achiever. Because in high school, I was building a resume'. I was showing the collegiate world what I was made of. I was in it to win it. And win it I did. WKU gave me a hefty scholarship, and my duty was done. I remember thinking that college would be so much harder than high school, that getting straight A's would be unachievable, which was sort of a relief to me. But so far I have managed to maintain that lifelong 4.0 that has given me such a sense of fulfillment. Until now. I am going to get at least one B this semester, and no, it's not because I went to Europe and became a party animal. I took Writing 482, Writing Workshop. It seemed to be an easy class: turn in some pieces of writing, critique classmates' work, just the same as the writing classes I've taken at Western. And probably, if I were at Western, I would have an A in the class. But the professors over here do grade harder; I'm not just saying that. And with writing professors it's always a gamble for what kind of writing they consider good. All I know is that I've gotten B's on all the assignments I've turned in. It's infuriating because it's not something I could have studied for; it's "Here's my best writing. This is as good as it's going to get." British Studies is a horse of a different color. It's a course that involves crazy studying, presentations, group work, and a term paper. And I may get a B in there, too. I've gotten A's on my presentations, most of the small quizzes, and one of the exams. I got a B+ on another exam, and there's one more coming up. And I'm horrified to see what I got on my term paper. [It's not that I didn't try, but I could have tried harder. I did submit a partial rough draft and got a critique on it, which is more than many of the honors students did. And I (sort of) worked on it for a while, as opposed to many who started the weekend--or even the night--before it was due. I think it was decently written (Sara read it and thought so, too). But, like I said, in retrospect I think there are things I could have definitely done differently to make it better.] Over all, though, I've put a lot of work and effort into British Studies, and it has shown. But do you see what I did there? "Which is more than many of the other honors students did," "as opposed to the many who...." Comparisons. Just like the comparisons I made last night at the fancy dinner, when others received awards for leadership, academics, writing, etc. Of course I had to compare myself to the very few people who were recognized for their achievements. Am I really that arrogant, that I have to be disappointed when anyone outperforms me? That I have to feel like I've let myself down? That I feel like I've fallen from some former glory? Yes, that's what perfectionism leads to: arrogance, jealousy, senseless comparisons. It leads to a lack of confidence, a sinking feeling in one's stomach, and a bunch of time wasted worrying. But since when was anyone expecting me to be perfect? A friend of mine pointed something out about the WKU Honors College students here at Harlaxton. She said that we seemed to be way more focused on our grades in class than actually learning anything. We don't ask questions because we're curious or interested; we ask if this will be on the test. Of course I didn't deny it. I didn't even feel ashamed of it. We do what we have to to get the grade. But isn't that the flaw in the education system? I was talking to another friend who pointed out how warped all our (our as in everybody's, not just WKU kids') perceptions of grades are. C is supposed to be average, yet everyone treats anything below a B like it's an F. And, come to think of it, that is pretty crazy. So I've rethought my responsibilities as a student. Going into next semester, in which I'm taking basically all major/minor specific classes, this is especially important. Because responsibility #1 is to concentrate on actually learning. Responsibility #2 is to put forth my best effort. And responsibility #3 is to maintain the grades I need to keep my scholarship. So of course I'm still going to try to get the highest grades I can, but it will be because I'm engaged in what I'm learning, I'm giving it my best shot, and I'm motivated to keep what I've earned, not because I have to achieve the highest levels of academic perfection or else I lose my self-respect. And really, in a few years grades will be irrelevant anyway. I'll graduate, get a job, and it'll be a whole new ballgame. So the thought that I'm only as good as my last report card is probably one of the most ridiculous lies Satan has ever put into my head. What is even more ridiculous is the fact that I've listened to it all these years. But I think a lot of us listen to it. And we need to stop. Now. We need to break these chains of perfectionism, because the only perfection we'll ever know is in heaven with Jesus. And--thank goodness--that doesn't depend on anything we can do. It's all up to God. Without Him, we're all insignificant. And so I'll quit talking now, and leave the rest to scripture: Philippians 3:3-143 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Inspired by Sara and Jill's discussion of a picture being worth a thousand words, my challenge--for anyone who dares to accept it--is to choose a picture, any picture, and write exactly 1,000 words about it in the form of a story, poem, description--whatever. GO!
--Anna Beth By Anna Beth
Yes, yes, I’m obsessed. It’s unhealthy. I know. That being said, I’m going to spread my obsession by talking about The Hunger Games even more! It’s list-making time. So in honor of the recent release of the official movie soundtrack, the following are my top 5 favorite Hunger Games related songs that aren’t affiliated with the movie. Here we go… #5 Safe and Sound Pop-Punk cover by TeraBrite Of course I love T-Swizzle, but TeraBrite’s take on this song brings a whole different feeling to the lyrics: a really hardcore, kick-butt kind of feeling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9p7rRd4oTs #4 Freedom in Panem by Alex Carpenter The title track from Alex Carpenter’s Freedom in Panem album made the list because it not only has a catchy chorus, but also a pretty sweet video. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7JhBDfNNFE CAUTION: SPOILERS FOR CATCHING FIRE AND MOCKINGJAY in the video. If you haven't read them, just listen; don't watch! #3 Burn by The Design Hey, the lead singer may not wear pants, but that’s okay (well…) because this song will rock your pants off. Also, beware, it’ll be stuck in your head for hours and make you want to go out and start a rebellion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmm2tpf6rPo #2 I Wanna Go (Hunger Games Parody) by WinterSpringPro Okay, okay, I'm kidding. But I'm not. Just watch it and try to tell me it's not the funniest thing you've ever seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoHfCW-O2yA #1 Girl on Fire by Arshad *melts in a puddle on the floor* Perfection! THIS. SONG. *melts again* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRSvoKoU3kk And after that glorious climax, here is the falling action: honorable mention! Surprisingly enough, there are a lot of songs about The Hunger Games. And a lot of them are really good. So my other two favorites, up for honorable mention (because top seven is not as cool as top five) are… Real or Not Real by All Caps LUUUUUUUUUUKE!!!!!!!…and it’s a good song. MORE SPOILERS...like completely...it's one big spoiler! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MC2iiRp0I8 AND Reaping Day by Alex Carpenter The live version makes me smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5PxacP7-is ***Okay, really they shouldn't, since some of them are about more than just the first book. But they're awesome! |
What's this?Sometimes (approximately once a week) you feel like blogging. But what about those other times when you feel like writing a poem, drawing a picture, or making a list? Well, now that goes here! Archives
March 2013
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