Class of 2013: Freshman Blog

La Bella Vita

Posted by Becca K.

I’ve been thoroughly spoiled. It was long walks on the Ponte Vecchio, unlimited gelato, homemade pasta, historical buildings and five hundred year old works of art every day for the three weeks I spent in Florence, Italy during intersession. I was taking a Renaissance art history class there along with 13 other girls. The class was led by two professors who are currently in the midst of completing their dissertations in art history here.

  

I came to Hopkins this year thinking I would take some art history classes and then based upon my experiences with those, possibly consider a major or minor in History of Art. While it’s true that I enjoyed taking Intro to European Art History first semester, the course left me questioning whether or not this was a true passion of mine. I recognized that art history is one of those subjects that is not for the fainthearted—art historians love what they do, and they live and breath studying works of art and their historical contexts. In essence, art history isn’t one of those majors or minors that people tend to pick up on a whim.

   

Traveling to Italy and taking the art history intersession course changed my perspective entirely. I went from enjoying art and art history, to having a whole new appreciation for it—the trip allowed me to identify (maybe even confirm) where my academic passions lie. I enjoyed the long hours we spent at museums and galleries for class, discussing the history behind works by Raphael, Duccio, Giotto, Caravaggio, Da Vinci, Botticelli, Ghiberti, Pisano, Michelangelo, Titian, Pontormo, Masaccio, Masolino, Brunelleschi, Vasari and the like. It was interesting to compare the works of art we saw and learn about how various artists influenced the styles of their contemporaries. After studying a few of these pieces at the end of my Intro to European Art History class (the class covers just up to medieval and a little bit of early Renaissance art), I found it fascinating to see many of them, previously only available to me as photographs in a textbook, in real life. There was so much more to be gleaned from these works in their actual setting compared to a small textbook photograph. For example, Titian minimally primed his canvases and used loose brush strokes with his oil paint, creating an impressionist style that can only really be seen in person. I discovered that such artistic conventions are only readily apparent if you are interacting personally with a work of art—experiencing it. As cliché as it sounds, I was able to see all of these works literally come to life before my eyes! It’s a hard feeling to describe, but you feel eerily connected to the artist and the people of the time period who once gathered around a particular piece of art when you see it in person. Much of this art was used for liturgical practice, so being in those churches and near those paintings took on a whole other meaning. 

 

In Florence, I was just like the rest of the American tourists—amazed, inspired—completely in awe of the beauty of the Italian people and their culture. Everything about Italy and its art was inspiring—how did these artists learn how to master such painting techniques with few examples preceding them? What piqued their interest in the masterful creations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome? How did they erect such massive buildings (decorated with heavy masonry and imported marbles) with such limited technology available to them? How did they create such elaborate frescoes on soaring ceilings, while still managing to maintain a sense of proportion? Many of these questions were answered as I visited important sites and museums in Italy…many spurred new questions for me. The Renaissance is a fascinating period in history to study.

 

I was fortunate enough to take a weekend excursion to Rome the first weekend and another trip to Paris the second weekend of our course. In addition to those places, we traveled to Siena as a class (an hour train ride from Florence) and the Loire Valley (two hours outside of Paris, in the French country). In Rome, we saw the Vatican Museum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Roman baths at Caracalla, and the Coliseum. I personally appreciated the fact that Rome has impressive art spanning from antiquity to post-Renaissance. I also enjoyed that fact that the city is bursting with life and vibrancy at all almost all hours. It really is a city that never sleeps! Our hotel was at the top of the Spanish Steppes, a prime location in Rome, near some really amazing restaurants (trattorias, pizzerias, you name it!). The shopping was remarkable. My extra suitcase that I was forced to purchase can attest to that all by itself…

 

I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad for intersession as a freshman. It was truly an eye-opening experience, and I left Italy not only sad that to be parting from my beloved carbohydrates (YIKES), but delighted to have learned so much over the course of three weeks. I’m back in Baltimore, taking the second half of my Intro to European Art History course, and the material I’ve learned in Florence could not have been more relevant. My Introduction to Museum: Issues and Ideas class has also been so much more interesting now that I have been to just about a billion “museos” and “gallerias” over the past few weeks. I’m going to miss the “bella vita” in Italia, but my bella vita here at Hopkins is just beginning!

Ciao and thanks for reading! -BK

Art Brigade

Posted By: Becca K.

Bonjour(no)! I’m currently blogging from the fabulous city of Paris, and I just arrived yesterday night from Florence, Italy. My friend and I are here in Paris for a three-day weekend. It’s back to Florence on Monday, where we are taking an intersession course through Hopkins on Renaissance art history. It’s been a fascinating class, and it’s been so neat to be learning about art in its original setting (Think museums and piazzas for classrooms…perfecto!)

So besides feeling the need to dispel those rumor about a lack of a social scene at Hopkins, cutthroat competition between students, etc., etc., I wanted to address another huge myth. Some people assume that Hopkins students aren’t well rounded and are generally under involved in nonacademic activities. This is far from the truth, and if anyone indicates otherwise, it is likely because they have not yet taken advantage of what Hopkins has to offer in the extracurricular realm.

I personally became involved in a community service organization last semester called Art Brigade—you may have read about this in some of my previous blogs. The “club,” which is too new of a project to be officially considered a club by the university’s Center for Social Concern (CSC), was founded by junior Andrea Nelson. Andrea noticed that while we had numerous community service clubs on campus, none of them focused on the visual arts in particular. She consequently took it upon herself to gather a few of her friends and those who were interested and begin a weekly program of JHU students supervising creative arts projects for the students at Tench Tilghman Elementary School (located near the Johns Hopkins medical school campus). 

It’s been wonderful having the opportunity to be involved in Art Brigade. When I found out about the club through a friend, I was thrilled that something was being done in the community to foster a love for creativity and artistic expression. As a child, I grew up loving art, and I was fortunate enough to be immersed in an environment that supported this. I was also fortunate enough to have all the tools I needed to create art. In retrospect, I can’t imagine having had a childhood without drawing, creating, thinking innovatively, and expressing myself freely. And I certainly can’t imagine any other child growing up without such means of self-expression.

That being said, Andrea couldn’t have chosen a better name for her club. The word “brigade” connotes a sense of urgency and has successfully underscored the fact that it is the community’s duty (our duty) to promote youth awareness for the visual arts. Every Tuesday at Tilghman with the rest of the Art Brigade girls has proved to be such a rewarding experience. A new art project is planned for each day we visit the school, and a circulating schedule of after school students was created to provide a sense of consistency and allow Art Brigaders to get to know the students well. The children are adorable, and the most rewarding part of being involved in Art Brigade is watching their enthusiasm for art blossom and seeing their creative minds develop. 

Getting back to the point…I guess that was kind of a failed attempt at dispelling the rumor, since I only provided one example of an extracurricular student activity at Hopkins. But the bottom line is that Art Brigade is one of many—there is a wealth of similar types of organizations at Hopkins (and not so similar types). The list is endless, and it’s nice to be a student at a university where students take such initiative—not only in terms of their academics.

Thanks for reading! Ciao! -BK

New Years Resolutions 2010

Posted By: Becca K.

1. Cherish every moment spent with family, friends, and other loved ones. They are the ones that keep you going each and every day.
   
   
2. Surround yourself with positive people. They will bring positivity to your life. Avoid negative people and negative situations—trust me—they are so 2009!
   
   
3. Explore new interests—take classes that you are interested in but that aren’t necessarily pertinent to your major. This is what makes for a well-rounded education.
   
   
4. Know your strengths. Discover what you are good at, and how this can be applied toward a passion, toward a major, toward a career.
   
   
5. Stay healthy (food). This includes avoiding late night trips to the FFC, Char Mar, etc. It seems as if the minute you get to college, a fourth mealtime is automatically added to your daily routine. Don’t let that fourth meal creep up in your day! (or night). Fight it off with ninja concentration! I might add that it also doesn’t help that I keep a designated “food drawer” always fully stocked right next to my desk—it’s much too tempting to reach in during study time. This drawer needs to be purged of its junk food contents. 
   
   
6. Stay healthy (exercise). There’s no excuse for not getting that heart rate up when the Rec Center is so close to the AMRs! I’m going to pledge to go to the gym around three times a week. I’ll let you know how that’s going in approximately 4 weeks...
   
   
7. Become best friends with MSE Library. I feel like my level of focusing in terms of studying is considerably better whenever I’m in the library.
   
   
8. Cut the coffee. And the caffeine. And the sodas? I’ve totaled up all the money that has been faithfully put towards my worrisome caffeine addiction.  (well, okay, not really—I’ve calculated an exaggerated figure to scare myself away from caffeine). A $3.00 latte a day for 365 days adds up to $1,095.00! That’s money that could be well spent on NOT fueling my caffeine addiction. And perhaps the 365 days are a little extreme, but all the coffee shops on and around campus have definitely been quite the temptation. As far as sodas go, I should really consider cutting down on the Diet Dr. Peppers…those are probably far worse than coffee.
   
   
9. Time management—it really is possible. Next semester, I vow to manage my time well. This means completing assignments (yes, even SAAB ones) in a super timely fashion and far before a deadline. I feel like deadlines should scare me more than they actually do. This also means managing time between academics and social activity. This semester will welcome a variety of new events on campus, such as lacrosse games, Greek events, and Spring Fair. It’s imperative that I make time to sample a little of each!
   
   
10. I saved 10 for CELEBRATE 2010! A little lame, I know. But all puns aside, I want to make freshman year a year to remember. I’m halfway through my first year at Hopkins, and can’t wait for what’s in store in the coming year. Happy New Year, everyone! May 2010 bring you much joy, good health, happiness, prosperity, and peace. 
    

  

Thanks for reading! -BK

Things can change in an instant...

Posted By: Becca K.

Hello, blog readers. It’s been a while since I have posted and I apologize for the delay in blogging. 

 

My finals week and the culmination of my first semester at Hopkins has taught me a great deal about myself and about how quickly events in our lives can change us. I’ve decided that I absolutely loved my first semester at Hopkins—the classes I have taken, the friends I have made, the professors I’ve gotten to know, and the city that I have come to call home. I admit though that the last few weeks here before the break were some of the hardest that I’ve had to cope with ever in my life—and being over 1,200 miles away from home required me to manage the hardships I encountered on my own.

 

I was tested at the end of the semester in a way that I’ve never really been tested before. The night before my first Hopkins final exam, I received a phone call from my mom and found out that my dad had suffered a myocardial infarction (MI), more commonly known as a heart attack. He was okay, she said, but he was in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital and was forced to undergo a stent to remove the 90% blockage from his artery. When I heard the words “dad” and “hospital” in the same sentence, my mind essentially shut down and I was suddenly incapable of registering anything else.

 

I was overcome with emotion—my mom tried to convey to me the news calmly, but I could sense a tinge of unease in her voice. My sister and family friends were waiting with her at the hospital, but somehow I felt guilty for not being with her during such a difficult time. As it turns out, my dad had been transported to the hospital the previous evening in an ambulance after complaining of intense back and chest pains. We were so fortunate that he had the foresight to make the phone call and sense that something was not right early on—in doing so, he avoided something potentially fatal. 

It was obviously difficult finding this out when I was far away and only able to give a few words of reassurance and support through a cell phone. I heard the voices of my family, and could sense their concern, but could do little to comfort them. Until the very moment that I was back at home and with my family, a feeling of uncertainty constantly followed me around like a black cloud—I just wanted to know once and for all that everything was going to be ok.

It was tough to go through my first set of final exams in light of all that happened—but if anything, it drove me to work harder and focus more. In retrospect, experiencing this while I was in college has made me a much stronger person already. I now appreciate every moment I spend with my family and have learned never to take anything for granted. As the saying goes, things can change in an instant—sometimes those things are entirely within our control, but unfortunately, at other times we can only watch and wait and let certain events in our lives run their course. It will not be an easy transition back to Baltimore for second semester, but the challenge will continue to mold me into an independent, more resilient person. 

Until next time, and thanks for reading. -BK

Hooray for the Holiday Season!

Posted by Becca K.

Hey y’all! It’s reading period here at Hopkins, and all of us have been studying for finals—that’s not too say that everything is static here on campus. It’s really beginning to feel like the holiday season!

As a Texan, I am eager to report that Hopkins’ first snowfall occurred this past Saturday  (Exclamation mark times infinity!!!). Surprisingly, my mom called me a week earlier telling me it was snowing in Texas of all places! Dang it, Dallas, you beat us to the chase. That it was snowing Texas of all places before Baltimore is beyond me—of course, that would happen when I no longer lived there. Thanks, weather.

Anyways, the snow was absolutely beautiful! Large, fluffy snowflakes blanketed the trees, the lawn of the quads and the roofs of buildings on campus. None of that messy ice stuff that we used to get during Texan winters. The view from our dorm windows was without a doubt postcard worthy. (See Greco’s blog post—he is a photography superstar!) My two other warm-climate-accustomed friends, one from New Orleans and another from Los Angeles, were faced with the overwhelming dilemma of footwear choice in such weather. Now this is quite the serious conundrum: Rainboots? Ugg boots? No boots? Kimber, the New Orleanian, decided on the very weather-appropriate flip-flops (also known as Option #3: no boots). We tried to act snow savvy, but a combination of our mixed-up footwear, conflicting outerwear, and Californian Kelly’s inquiry of “Do I carry an umbrella in the snow?” suggested otherwise.

In addition to the fairly early snowfall, the fifth annual “Lighting of the Quads” ceremony on Monday helped usher in the holiday season and spread holiday spirit here on campus. Many students came together in front of the MSE Library to enjoy hot chocolate, cider, and donuts, as well as listen to holiday jingles sung by a few of our many amazing student a cappella groups. Everyone watched as President Daniels ceremoniously “flipped the switch” to turn on the holiday lights that now illuminate the quads. What a cool tradition!

 

  

Monday was also our last day of classes. There’s been a lot to do in terms of final papers, final portfolios, and final exams, but I’ve realized that these final evaluations are necessary in ensuring that we are prepared for our second semester courses.

I wrote my final paper for my Introduction to European Art History class on this crucifix (Crucifix with Mourning Virgin and St. John the Evangelist, artist unknown, c. 1270-1290) and learned so much in the process. I hadn’t written a major research paper since my junior year of high school, so it definitely required me to review the whole research paper format and learn the somewhat different procedure for writing analytical art history papers. It took me a while to get in the groove of how to do research for a paper, but once I did, I found that I actually enjoyed the process. Here is a picture of the crucifix that I chose to write about:

 

It is housed in Baltimore’s own Walters Art Museum, and it was awesome having such accessibility to this remarkable piece of art.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Thanks for reading and until next time… -BK

Back to Dallas, Home of the "Sole Mates"

Posted by Becca K.

Howdy from Texas, y’all! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. I’m here in Dallas visiting for the break—I’ve been working at the Dallas clothing boutique where I worked throughout high school, hanging out with family and friends, and eating a worrisome amount of leftover pumpkin pie (à la mode of course) whenever the opportunity presents itself (always). You’ll find it quite coincidental that on my return flight from Baltimore/Washington International Airport to Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, I ran into Daniel R., assigned to the seat directly across the aisle from me. So weird! He was on a connecting flight to Little Rock. Here Daniel is being camera shy (we decided this iPhone picture would be our proof that we sat next to each other): 

 

Note: Approximately 10 minutes after this photo was taken, Daniel slept the rest of the 3 hours and 35 minutes of the plane journey. I should have gotten a picture of that—how hilarious would that have been! But before he fell asleep, we talked Hopkins Interactive blogging, holiday break anticipation, and how he lost his jacket at the coat check at the David Guetta concert in D.C. the night before. It was nice to have some SAAB company on the way home…you should check out Daniel's blog if you haven’t already!

Overall, it’s been wonderful being back at home—it’s nice to be back in my own room. Although I must admit that it is way too clean for my tastes. What happened while I was gone, Mom and Dad?! My bed was actually made, and believe it or not, the floor was visible. It’s also been nice seeing “old” friends from high school, and exchanging stories about college experiences thus far. It’s seems like all of my high school friends have been loving their respective colleges so far, which is great to hear. We picked up right where we left off, and I’m glad not too much has changed in that sense.

First stop in Dallas the day I flew in? Mexican food—a food essential for me and something that I haven’t come across too much of in Baltimore. Even if I did, it probably wouldn’t pass the test considering I am a food snob with exceptionally high standards in the Tex-Mex arena. They say “no pain, no gain,” and I certainly had to work for my enchiladas. As it turns out, while I’ve been gone for a grand three months, my parents relinquished their non-athletic lifestyles and decided to join a walking group that’s training for a half-marathon. They call themselves the “Sole Mates” (so cute!) and they all wear their coordinating jerseys to boot.

 

I was pleasantly surprised and amused that my parents joined this—my mom basically bought her first pair of tennis shoes when she started to train, if that provides any indication of her level of athleticism. My dad played tennis in college, but I’m still convinced this is going to be pretty major for him. Getting back to the point of the relation of this story to the enchiladas, I ended up flying into DFW airport and shortly thereafter being dragged on a 5 mile run around the new Dallas Cowboy’s stadium with the fabulous runners of “The Sole Mates.” (My parents are the walkers, not the joggers). Then, I went out for Mexican food with the ‘rents and ordered three cheese enchiladas. I swear they have never tasted so good!

Being back in sunny, non-sludgy, 65-degree weather was also enjoyable! It was becoming part of my routine for a while there in Baltimore to wear my rain boots and parka almost every morning. Anyway, it’s back to Charm City tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it! I miss my roommate and my classes and my Audrey Hepburn poster hanging in my room. I miss my JHU friends and our frequent walks to the FFC. I’ve loved being at home and catching up with my family, but can't wait for all the exciting things in store for me at the Hop.

Thanks for reading!  -BK

Rain + Hot Cocoa = Feeling bloggy

Posted by Becca K.

Hey y’all! It’s raining like crazy and I’m in my room with my nose halfway immersed in a piping hot mug of hot cocoa—totally put me in the “blobbing” mood. (Note: the “blob” reference only makes sense if you read my last “blob.”) I’ve been reminiscing about my first semester here at Hopkins—it’s so surreal to think that there is only about a month left remaining, only a few weeks until I pack up and visit Dallas for Thanksgiving, and it’s already about that time to start picking my second set of courses for next semester. All of this has got me thinking about what my general impressions have been of my first semester at Hopkins. I have decided that all of the people I have met here are extraordinarily interesting. All of my friends and housemates are so different, yet we all get along well and create this kind of a dynamic bunch. I’ve really enjoyed my classes and getting to know some of my professors, and have come to love the college academic schedule. Much of your academic success here heavily depends on your ability to time manage, and I think I have learned a lot already because of that. In college, your social life, academic life, and extracurricular activities all occur within one realm, and as a result, you are really forced to budget your time carefully and prioritize. No one is here to tell you what you should do, what you must do, or what the “right thing” is to do—that’s up to you to decide, which is why I think many people find themselves growing and maturing especially during their college years. Ok, so that was a slight digression. I’ve noticed that there has been a major deficit in my blogs thus far—what I think is often difficult to glean from these student blogs is what classes are like. I’ve gotten pretty caught up in sharing about weekends, student activities and other recreational stuff, that I haven’t yet had the opportunity to describe my classes. With the semester drawing to a close quite soon, now’s probably a good time to share some details about my first semester courses…

Intro to European Art History – Professor Kessler
This class has been so intriguing. The class covers art from pre-history all the way to the medieval period. I have learned about art from Ancient Greece (specifically, sculpture and architecture from the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods), Ancient Egypt, Assyria, Rome, and Byzantium. There are an impressive variety of renowned museums in the Baltimore/Washington area, and being able to go to these museums and see pieces of art from these time periods in person has enriched my learning experience. For instance, for my first paper, a formal analysis of a chosen work of art, I went to the Walter’s Art Museum in Mt. Vernon and wrote about the work of art as it hung right in front of me. Not many college students have that opportunity!

Studio Drawing I – Professor Hankin
I took Studio Art my senior year of high school and loved it. I have always enjoyed studying art as well as creating art, and I took this with the intentions of experiencing an art class at the college level. Professor Hankin has helped with my technique a lot, and I’ve enjoyed the variety of mediums we’ve been able to work with. We are just wrapping up our unit on portraiture. Here’s a conté crayon piece that I just did last week of a live model:

An Introduction to Neuroscience – Professor Hendry
It seems sort of random that I chose to take this class, being a History of Art and Writing Seminars pre-major, but I felt that it would be useful to understand the science behind the inner workings of the brain. The course description seemed interesting, and although this doesn’t have a lot to with my major, I’m happy I decided to take it. Professor Hendry is super interesting, and his passion for the subject comes through during his lectures.

French Conversation and Composition I – Ms. Caroline Bertron
I knew I wanted to continue French in college. This class is definitely a contrast from French courses I’ve taken in the past, with less emphasis on grammar and more emphasis on writing and reading skills. Additionally, we’ve learned more about idiomatic expressions and slang (“les argots”) in the French language. Writing weekly “commentaires” on readings from authors like Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau has been a useful exercise in improving my reading comprehension and analytical writing.

Fiction/Poetry Writing I – Mr. James Wooden
This is the introductory course in a series of courses required for the Writing Seminars track. We’ve read a range of poems and short stories by authors like Nabokov, Fitzgerald, Eliot, Dinesen, Carver, and Welty. I like the way the class is structured—we alternate between units on fiction and poetry, where we read a piece, then write one of our own. On Fridays, we workshop each other’s poems or essays. We’ve covered everything from sonnets, to ekphrastic poems to first person monologues.  

Hope I provided some insight. Thanks for reading! -BK 

Felloween and more!

Posted by Becca K.

My roommate Kimber was talking to her grandmother about her brother’s blog, which prompted her grandmother to respond, “Now how do I see this blob of his?” Anyway, totally random piece of information, but I thought this was hysterical so I figured I would share. Goes to show you how new this whole “blogging” concept is…or shall we say “blobbing?” Precious.

Well I hope everyone’s had a sufficiently spooky and fun Halloween. Did everyone have fun dressing up? Any ridiculously crazy costumes spotted out there? For Halloween this past weekend, my friend Ashley and I dressed up as Hopkins football players (yes, contrary to popular belief, we do have another sport here besides lacrosse). Kelly had the brilliant idea of being a football! I thought we looked pretty legit, with the black under our eyes and the wristbands and everything. We got creative and thrifty and ended up lucking out with a 100% free costume!

Like many Hopkins students and other Baltimoreans, my housemates and I went to Fell’s Point, an area in Baltimore where pretty much everyone and their dogs gather for a giant costume fest. It’s kind of like a small-scale parade, where decked out Halloween enthusiasts walk around the square, people-watch, and take pictures of cool costumes. We had a fun time spotting some really interesting get-ups. (Tiggers, Pikachu, Moses, a hot dog, Waldo from the Where’s Waldo books, just to name a few). Total nostalgia when I found a Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleader to take a picture with! I have to admit that although she wasn’t from Dallas, she definitely got the look down, tacky 1980s blue eye shadow and all. Our football jerseys were compliments of the football players on the first floor of Royce house—so shout out to them!

Before Halloween, the past few weeks were a little busy, even in the wake of midterms. I had a paper, a test, and lots of reading. But the longer I have been here, the more I have come to realize that no matter how busy Hopkins students are, they certainly manage involve themselves in outside clubs and activities. If an activity that interests someone has not yet been created on campus, students here never hesitate to take the initiative to start it up. I mentioned the community service club I’m involved in, Art Brigade, in my last blog, and this club typifies that sense of initiative here. The president of Art Brigade noticed that although we have many community service projects for tutoring children in the Baltimore school district, very few focused on fostering an appreciation for the visual arts. She received funding for the club and now has more members than she could have asked for. I feel like the vast array of student activities here is something you have to discover for yourself—you can really feel the affect of these organizations when you are a student on campus and able to attend a culture show, sign up for a club at the Student Activities Fair, or go on a community service trip. Hopkins offers so much outside of the “classroom,” and that’s something major that enriches and broadens our educational experiences. My friend Dia is on JHU Kranti, a co-ed Hindi a cappella group that performed this past Friday for the South Asian Society at Hopkins’ (SASH) “Masti” show. (There are EIGHT different JHU a cappella groups to choose from). Kranti performed along with Josh, the female fusion dance team, and Shakti, the classical Indian dance team. They were all fabulous. Not to be modest or anything, but we made Dia a pretty awesome banner. Our house decided to attend the SASH show together and had a blast!

Well I guess that’s all I have for now. Thanks for reading and more “blobs” to come in the very near future! -BK

Weather: It's All Relative

Posted by Becca K.

I got a phone call from my dad the other day. He wanted to know how things were going at college, and he told me all about his snazzy yet random trip to Vienna. He then told me (and I quote verbatim) that it was “absolutely freezing” back at home in Texas. Apparently “freezing” was 65 degrees. Wow.

It was the real definition of cold here in Baltimore a few days ago (I hope you’re reading this, Dad). The leaves have changed colors and hay bales (kitschy or cool?) adorn the usually sunny Beach (that’s the lawn area where people hang out, show off their cute dogs, and hope to in turn find cute people). A hot chocolate machine has been well received by students who dine at the FFC. And guess what? Halloween is in 18 days! With all these changes underway, it’s really beginning to set in—like the other bloggers, I’m in awe of how quickly that first month here at Hopkins has passed by! Most of us have already undergone a wave of midterms. 

In case you were wondering, I’m still loving it here at Hopkins! The weather has enabled me to for the first time wear “fall” designated clothes, and I have come to realize that unlike at home, fall and winter clothes do not simply mean summer clothes layered with a light jacket. Like Tyler, I think I am beginning to become better acquainted with the city of Baltimore—I’ve found more reasons to get out and explore what’s beyond the gates of the Hop as I’ve been here longer. And while schoolwork has been quite demanding, life doesn’t stop because of a few tests or papers. I just recently became involved in “Art Brigade,” a community service club where you teach art to elementary children in the Baltimore public school district. Seeing a different area of Baltimore was an eye-opening experience, and I met the most adorable little kids at the school. My friends and I also planned an outing to the Inner Harbor this weekend. You could say we bought enough at Urban Outfitters to have part ownership of the company (“retail therapy” at its best), but that’s an entirely different story.

We celebrated my birthday a week or so ago. My roommate and friends surprised me with not one, but two ice cream cakes for my big one nine! Allow me to include the extremely important detail that one of the cakes was football-shaped. 

Another friend Chloe surprised me with tickets to the Regina Spektor concert in D.C. We took the MARC train on a Wednesday night to D.C., and due to our exceptional planning skills (newsflash: trains don’t run after 11:30 pm there), ending up being faced with a $100 cab back home. Needless to say, our bargaining skills were put to the ultimate test. The concert was so worth every penny though. Regina’s music (Oh, you didn’t hear? Regina and I are on a first name basis now…) is even more amazing live. Any other Regina Spektor fans out there?! Overall, my birthday festivities were certainly a testament to how much everyone here rocks.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for today. I can’t wait to call my dad when it’s legitimately 32 degrees outside in Baltimore and tell him how much it’s “absolutely freezing!” It’s funny how things are all relative. I think I’m in for a rude awakening this winter. Thanks for reading! -BK

To New Beginnings and ENFJ's

Posted by Becca K.

Hi there!

I wish I had a cool epigram or something equally amusing to zap you into my blog and keep you entranced, but I don't... so I'm just going to start with...surprise!...an introduction.

My name is Becca. I’m from Dallas, Texas and attended The Hockaday School, a private all-girls school, for a whopping fourteen years before coming to Hopkins. Currently, I’m a Writing Seminars and History of Art pre-major (we don’t formally declare our majors until second semester). Interesting and/or random facts about myself? I’m left-handed, I used to be on a nationally-competitive Indian folk dance team, and according to an online personality test I just took, I’m a “ENFJ” personality, also known as the “extrovert.” Intriguing. As of now, I’m wondering how legit those online tests are. I’m not about to complain, though, because Oprah and Barack Obama are both ENFJ’s as well. So this is what we do for leisure at Hopkins—just kidding!

I was definitely nervous when I first arrived here in Baltimore. Dallas is over 1000 miles away, and I met a majority of my good friends from high school when I was like four. Also, telling people you meet for the first time that you attended an all-girls school for fourteen years is like telling them that you still have an invisible friend named Magic. Just not cool. But making friends here has been an awesome and surprisingly easy experience: my roommate rocks, I have friends that are—gasp!—boys and girls, and in college, you really get to know these people on a whole new level because you live with them. Pretty neato.

So far, I am loving the Hopkins life! I live in the AMRS in a double, which is great because it’s near the FFC (the freshmen eatery), the Freshman Quad, and most of my classes. It’s also known to be one of the more “social” dorms, but I feel like just about every dorm is social if you make the effort. My roommate is also from the South, so we bond daily by reminiscing about exclusively southern concepts like fried chicken and sweet tea.

Balti is a pretty righteous city. It’s got all the perks of a large city, but it’s not about to swallow anyone up, and it definitely carries that small town charm. There are tons of quaint little non-chain restaurants, coffee shops, and cafes, which I adore—this city has character, y’all! I am also appreciating the whole idea of “public transportation”—something I was deprived of as a Texan. My friends and I recently took a weekend excursion to Washington, D.C. via the Amtrak and had a blast. It’s great having the capital just a short train ride away!

And to save the best for last, you’re probably curious about what sort of classes I’m taking. I’m in Intro to Fiction & Poetry (the introductory course for the Writing Sems major), French Conversation and Composition, History of European Art, Studio Drawing I, and Intro to Neuroscience. Evidently, my courses really run the gamut. But Art History and Studio Drawing have really complemented each other so far, and it’s been cool challenging myself with Neuro.

Well, I’m out of words. Thanks for reading and a special shout out to all you other ENFJ personality types out there! -BK