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February 03, 2010
One of These Things First
I wrote the beginning before the start of the semester...
As I write this, I am on the train on my way back to Baltimore. While I’m excited to be back and see all of my friends, I’m a bit sad to leave home. It’s kind of crazy to think that there is very little time left that I will spend at home. I mean, considering I get a job when I graduate I will have vacations but never a whole month of relaxation. Luckily, I was able to spend most of my intersession relaxing. I did accomplish some things, and in fact secured an internship for the spring. I will be working in a Congressman’s office on Capitol Hill. After writing quite a few cover letters and even some networking letters, I feel much more prepared for the future than when I had left school in December. Now, I just have to wait it out until its closer to the time when I can actually start working. It’s a bit frustrating when I see postings for really great jobs, but they are all for hire immediately. Patience is a virtue, and I need to employ it more often.
Now that I'm here...
Well, things have just taken off with a world wind. It seems like my schedule is booked every single day whether it be because of a friend's birthday or the Student Activities Friday Night Fair. I have in fact, started my jobs so I commute to D.C. on Fridays which is quite fun. While commuting isn't necessarily the most joyous experience in one's life, one can easily take solace in the shared nature of it. I'm already starting to recognize the people on the train and feel sort of kin to those I pass as I walk from Union to the Hill. The actual substance of my work has been interesting as well. I get to take calls from constituents and write down their opinions. Let me say as someone who doesn't like answering phones, if you want to work on the Hill you have to get over that feeling immediately. Right away I was put to the test. They explained the situation to me and how to work the system that I would record the constituent's message in, but what do you do when someone actually calls? Will I have to defend my views on health care or explain how I feel about jobs in Wisconsin...when I don't know a whole lot about Wisconsin. Well, luckily, most people that call just want to leave a message. Sometimes they are very sweet and are supportive of the work of my boss and sometimes they want to complain and announce that they will not be voting for him. Occasionally, you get someone who wants to talk and talk and talk. After initially being nervous, I decided I truly enjoyed this. It's fun to hear the different perspectives and know that this is how government works. Soon, I will be advancing to letter writing and other activities. I can't wait!
One last political thing, I would like to mention before I wrap this blog up. Yesterday, Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times spoke at Hopkins as part of the Foreign Affairs Symposium. Despite the snow, a bunch of us braved the weather to go see him speak. In fact, most of the people I recognized at the event were those who regularly read the NY Times Opinion section. I thought his speech was very engaging. I have to be honest, I typically have a policy that if dislike the way an event is going I shouldn't force myself to stay. As such, I have walked out of many speakers before because well, they just didn't grab my attention. In accordance with this policy, I was prepared, sitting in an aisle seat, just in case. Luckily, I found his speech to be really really great. Not only was it worth sitting through, but it was almost worth buying a book. If the line wasn't extremely long, I would have really enjoyed a signed copy. He began by saying that the last time he visited was Hopkins was with his son for a college tour. "How do you like Hopkins?" he asked. *Soft cheers*. "Okay, I"m going to assume you guys weren't ready...how do you like Hopkins?" *Loud cheers and applause*. That is how he began, and from then on he remained funny, heartfelt, and inspiring. The underlying message of the entire speech was that gender inequality is the issue of the century. All of the stories he told us had something to do with women and girls being persecuted, and what one can do about them. He discussed gender mutilation and a girl who survived to become one of the premier surgeons working to correct the violence. He spoke about educationand a young African girl who grew up to go to Connecticut College. After discussing about eight different stories, he wrapped the speech up by saying that we should all work to find a cause larger than ourselves. It is only with this understanding that there is a greater meaning to life that people can achieve happiness. The sentiments were lovely, but I wasn't entirely surprised as many of his columns maintain this same focus. How can we find this cause? By going outside our comfort zones and most of all, by traveling.
Well, that's the latest update from snowy Baltimore. It's supposed to snow again on Saturday so hopefully I'll have a chance to go out and play. Until next time...
January 17, 2010
Sky Blue Sky
As intersession ends, I'm gearing up for my last semester at Hopkins. While many of my classes are undecided, there is one that won't change. By taking the philosophy seminar, I will finally complete my major here at Hopkins. I'm not planning on going to graduate school for philosophy so this could feasibly be the last class I take in analytic philosophy. So in an effort to reminisce upon all the good times we've had, I've decided to write this blog on my decision to major in philosophy and the program we have at Hopkins.
I don't remember exactly when I decided to major in philosophy, but I do remember when the idea occurred. I was speaking with a college counselor about my favorite subjects and how I loved learning about history, politics, english, psychology and even enjoyed math on the rare occasion. After a bit of discussion, my counselor mentioned that a major like philosophy could offer the opportunity to synthesize the topics and allow me to pursue many of my interests under the auspices of the same broad major. Considering that philosophy is etymological broken down into a love of wisdom, it is only appropriate that the discipline allows you to delve into a variety of subjects in the hopes of increasing wisdom. But at the core, the study of philosophy is not just about gaining knowledge of other subjects but examining knowledge itself. It is the study of reason, understanding, and existence.
Philosophy is typically classified as ancient or modern, with many different subsections. As an undergraduate philosophy major at Hopkins, one must take both a class in history of ancient philosophy and history of modern philosophy followed by a class in each of the following groups of topics 1) logic, philosophy of science, philosophy of mathematics; 2) philosophy of the mind, theory of knowledge, philosophy of language, metaphysics; and 3) ethics, aesthetics, and political philosophy. The two history of philosophy classes combined with the 3 aforementioned classes make up 5 of the total 12 classes you need to major in philosophy. The last predetermined class is the undergraduate philosophy seminar, which I will be taking this spring. This year it is called Morality of Law and will be taught by Professor Moyar, my adviser. After completing those classes, you must take 5 more electives. As long as 6 of the total 12 classes are 300 level or above, the philosophy major can be completed.
Besides those general guidelines, you really have a lot of options with which classes you are able to take. In fact, in the past when I've been registering for my courses and discover classes in other majors that seem philosophical, I've been able to approach my adviser and ask if I can receive credit for them. Most of the time this has been worth it. I've taken The Social Contract and Its Discontents, a political theory course in the political science department, as well as Western Intellectual Thought (1200-1500) which was a course in the history department. They also frequently offer many cross-listed courses in the Humanities Center which can apply to philosophy as well. One such course that was called Do Miracles Still Occur? which I believe was cross listed with philosophy, anthropology, and possibly even German and Romance Languages. There are great opportunities within the department and even outside the department to pursue one's interests.
One of my favorite philosophy courses was Bioethics which allowed us to discuss and debate a variety of subjects from patient/doctor relationships to end of life care. Professor Hillary Bok would discuss the topic while frequently posing questions to the large lecture of students. It was great to so candidly what can sometimes be seen as tense subjects. I really enjoyed the lecture as well as the papers we had to write which were more argument-based. One for example was on organ donation and whether competent adults should be allowed to donate body parts and organs while still living. Another was on the case of misattributed paternity and whether or not a woman's partner should be informed the results of a paternity test. While many philosophy courses are more abstract often discussing one philosopher's conception of knowledge or understanding of existence, this class offered a way to apply the skills we learned from writing logically coherent arguments to practical issues of the day.
Philosophy is grounded in logic, and many philosophers were brilliant mathematicians. For example, Gottfried Leibniz invented the infinitesimal calculus. With such history, it is considered very important to develop strong logical foundations for one's arguments, even supporting them with mathematical proofs. My History of Philosophy and Geometry class allowed us to examine a variety of philosophers' mathematical groundings and reasoning. We studied Euclid, Hobbes, and even Berkeley. My final paper ended up being on George Berkley's objections to the infinitesimal calculus, in which I actually used math to prove points. Crazy, huh?
In the end, many people do ask me why I decided to major in philosophy. After all, I love politics and am not going to pursue a graduate degree in the subject, what does this major offer me that others don't? Is it really worth the time I spend in the library agonizing over Spinoza's arguments while attempting to sort out the Ethics, talking through the intricacies and acting crazy while attempting to search for a thesis? The answer is a most definite yes. Not only have I established a solid understanding of many classic works and can now make appropriate references during high-minded dinner parties, but I have become a stronger thinker and writer. The importance of a logical argument and the methods of examination reviewed and studied with repetition allow me to apply what I've learned in whatever I choose to pursue. Reading Descartes' Meditations in First Philosophy has enabled me to understand the strict and rigorous methods of doubt needed to prove the truth. If I decide to go to law school or even if I become a political speech writer, I am confident that I will be able to apply my skills in order to achieve success. And, it's not just me that has jumped on the philosophical bandwagon. Make sure to check out this New York Times Article entitled In A New Generation of College Students, Many Opt for the Life Examined. Until next time...
December 31, 2009
Come As You Are
2009 will forever be known as the year that I became an expatriate. I so easily forget that the majority of this year (from January until the end of August) was spent outside of the country. I rode a bike to the market every other day and went to classes in historic buildings such as the VOC former headquarters of the world's first multinational corporation (the Dutch East India Trade Company). Among other things, I made a new city my home, turned 21, and completed my second to last semester at Hopkins. I can't believe I only have one semester left. Everything in my life seems pretty up-in-the air. I have no idea what I'll be doing next year, but I don't really care. Things will work themselves...at least that's what I keep telling myself.
After I finally finished my papers on December 23rd, I was able to relax for a short period of time before heading to my neighbors to make our annual gingerbread house and gum drop trees. Pictures of the final product areforthcoming. Christmas Eve and day were both relaxing and fun. It was just my parents and my brother and sister, so it was low-key. We spent Christmas Eve watching Inglorious Bastards; everyone except for my Dad had seen it in theaters, but we willingly watched it again. It was especially nice since I have the habit of falling asleep during every movie that starts after 8 pm. I didn't miss a thing. On Christmas, my family saw Avatar in 3D which was pretty awesome. Not what I expected, but nice. I would definitely recommend it. Any story that has a big speech like Independence Day, the Patriot, or Braveheart gets me every time.
Since then, I've been in and out with little time to spare, but it's so nice to be home. As much as I love my apartment, I love being in my house which is always cozy and warm with the fire on. Despite my homebody mood, I spent a couple of days in Newport, Rhode Island and went up to Boston for a short time. It's nice to be back in New England, but boy its been cold. In Newport, my family had to forgo the Cliff Walk, for fear of freezing.
Luckily the weather will be a good excuse to spend the rest of my break reading favorite books and watching new movies. Most ofall, it won't give me an excuse to avoid job applications. Forced to stay inside, I'm going to write a bunch of cover letters and essays so that I can apply to many positions while I have some free time. I might schedule a few informational meetings and hopefully go back to school with a clearer sense of what I will be doing. My next few days will be exciting as I plan on taking the train to NYC to visit quite a few friends. When I get back, it's down to business with applications galore. So I'll leave you with this short update for now. I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year and a lovely holiday break.
December 19, 2009
Wake Up
Well, I am home. Sadly, I'm not done. After finishing a 12-15 page paper yesterday, I've moved on (just started) this 10-15 page one due.....Monday! It's been a rough finals period, but I think all of my hard work is paying off. Even with all work, I've still managed to have some fun.
In fact, last Saturday I went to a holiday sweater party. My friends and I went to Value Village, a thrift store nearby, in search of the perfect outfit to wear for the party. In the end, we all ended up with something that matched our personalities. One got a knitted vest with the words "Joy" and "Peace" sandwiched between christmas trees and candy canes, another ended up with a black tshirt with colored chirstmas tree light bulbs on it. Two other friends bought blue sweaters (one whcih was completely sparkly) which they were going to decorate and put menoras on with felt. I ended up with a Christmas blazer, to which I dolled up with a Christmas tree broach. The blazer was green with red plaid and a black velvet collar. I wore it with red tights and a silver shoes. All decked up. Sadly, you can't see the full effect of my outfit in this picture below.
That's all the time I have for now. One last paper and then I will be done!
In the meantime, here is a playlist I made up of songs to listen to when stressed and writing. It's a random grouping, somewhat influenced by the fact that my music is in shambles after my computer decided to take a vacation.
Friday I'm In Love--The Cure
1901--Phoenix
Wake Up--Paolo Nutini (cover of The Arcade Fire song...which will also make this list)
There is a Light That Never Goes Out--The Smiths
Wake Up--The Arcade Fire
Empire State of Mind(feat. Alicia Keys)--Jay-Z
Gimme Some Salt--Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Come As You Are--Nirvana
Zero-- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bad Romance--Lady Gaga
Don't Let Me Down--The Beatles
My Girls--Animal Collective
Barely Legal--The Strokes
Who Do You Love--The Doors
I've Seen All Good People--Yes
Come Sail Away--Styx
Take a Bow--Muse
Go Out and Love Someone--Pogo
After Hours--The Velvet Underground
This, in addition to my Glee Pandora station has saved me. Well, I need to get back to writing! Until next time...
December 05, 2009
Crimson and Clover
Just wanted to write a short and mini-update since I will probably be living in a cave for the next two weeks. Fall finals are upon us. Unfortunately, I am typically blessed with the most horrendous final schedule. I'm not saying that its worse than anyone elses, but just that out of all the possible combinations of schedules I could have with my exams and papers, I usually get the least desirable one. So faretheewell, for I may be out of commission for a while.
Essentially, I have over 30 pages in papers to write and 3 exams in 2 days. One paper is on Monday, Tuesday I have a final from 2-5 and then 6-9, and then the next morning (Wednesday) I have a final from 9-12. Finally,on Thursday I have another paper due. The key is to be calm, but still assertive.
I always find finals period to be an interesting and strange time. In fact, I feel like a lot of bonding goes on during this time. People are stressed and are all going through similar experiences. There is a lot of group studying and a lot of fun study breaks. Every year its different, but despite how much I dislike finals, I know that looking back I will laugh at the times I created crazy videos in the library or the times I went out to a bar to meet friends even though I was supposed to be starting a new paper. I know I sound crazy and nostalgic, but its true. There's a pervasive energy that cannot be ignored. Well, now that I've droned on about the beauty of a fleeting moment, watch this video for a light-hearted end to a stressful day! You can observe some of my productivity by watching this jib jab of my friend Allison (left) and fellow SAABer Jess (right). Until next time...
Click Here! (to watch the entire dance)
November 26, 2009
November 11, 2009
Fevered
"I cannot go to school today"
said little Peggy Ann Mckay.
"I have the measles and the mumps
a gash, a rash, and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry.
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox.
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut, my eyes are blue,
It might be instimatic flu."
Or...it might be the swine flu. I must apologize for the delay in posting. This Shell Silverstein poem I felt like is an appropriate or rather ironic introduction considering that today was the first day I was finally able to go to school in a week. Since last Monday night, I have been incapable of functioning. Monday afternoon, I started feeling terribly and was in bed by 7 p.m. A full week later, I am feeling fine, but still battling tiredness. I am a victim, like about 300 other students on campus, of the swine flu. Onset was fast and recovery somewhat slow, requiring lots of catching up in school and other activities, but its much better than being sick.
To be perfectly honest, being sick in college is not fun. I would put it at the lowest of the low for enjoyable activities. Sure you get to miss classes, but you have to fend for yourself combating thirst and boredom during a time when the prospect of standing up seems like too much of an effort. The morning after I determined I was not well, I unwillingly dragged myself to the Health and Wellness Center under the ill conceived notion that if I had the swine flu and it was within 24 hours of the initial symptoms, I could receive tami flu and combat this annoying virus with the help of medication. Unfortunately, Hopkins is following the CDC's general principles and not giving tami flu to anyone unless he/she has a preexisting condition that makes him/her susceptible. I was healthy enough that the doctors had faith I could battle this virus on my own. So, that's just what I did. Actually, I did it with the help of the best mother in the world!
On Tuesday, when I was diagnosed with the porcine virus I called my mom on the phone and booked her ticket to Baltimore. I previously had a terrible experience sophomore year when I suffered from pneumonia during finals. Not having anyone to take care of me and being too weak to even make tea left a distinct impression. To prevent a repeat of the past, my mom decided to come and save me from what could have easily been a week of misery. It was the best and the worst time. I absolutely hate being sick, but having my mom there made it so much better. It was also quite lovely because I had a week of home cooked meals and when I finally could sit up and didn't seem like I would be the Typhoid Mary of Hopkins, I invited friends over to join me for an hour-or-so for a home cooked meal.
Being sick really makes you realize, who will help you when you are down. Seriously, now I know who I can count on. My friend Allison brought me ginger ale and movies, my roommate made me soup and tea, and others texted and offered to help. I truly appreciated the effort and I suppose the happy ending of this unfortunate story is that I feel very loved. So, now I'm focused on making up all of the work I missed in the past week. Professors have been largely understanding, but its hard because it really was a full week of work. I have to keep plugging away one assignment at a time and do it on my new schedule that requires me to be in bed by 11:30 (recovering from illness makes you tired). Well, better move on to my next assignment. Until next time...
October 27, 2009
They say it's your birthday
Well, this will be my fourth and final birthday post. It's really amazing, I started Hopkins when I was only 17. This minor fact didn't hit me until my recent birthday festivities began with a cupcake celebration at work. They mentioned how young I was when I first started. Wow, time really does fly. This years birthday was a major accomplishment, I am twenty-one and American laws cannot hold me back any longer (well, to a certain extent)! After being abroad for nine months, you think it would lessen the excitement of finally being able to walk into a bar. Honestly, it didn't. I was still thrilled to finally be legal. Now I can explore Baltimore on a whole new level. My friends were super excited as well, since I'm one of the last people to turn 21 I can finally join in on the party and meet up with friends downtown like a normal adult. So, with such an important year, I wasn't going to sit around and wait for it to happen. I'd like to think we celebrated in style.
To begin with, one of my best friends who attends Boston College flew down and visited me for the big day. Since my birthday was a Wednesday, we decided to stay local for dinner and stick with tradition, hence our lovely dinner at Gertrude's in the Baltimore Museum of Art. Before dinner, my roommate insisted we get my first legal drink (in America) at Tapas Teatro, a cute tapas place located next to The Charles
Theater. Supposedly, they have the best sangria in Baltimore. Katie, Danielle, and I took a cab over for this quick little endeavor before cabbing it back, straight to the restaurant for dinner. It was so much fun, many of my friends showed up. Not only did I have my friend Katie visiting from out of town, but my other friend Kristen came from D.C. and Julie visited from Loyola (a college slightly farther north of Hopkins). It was a fantastic dinner. We toasted with champagne and ate great food;
what more could a girl want? There is only one correct answer to that question: cake. Therefore, after dinner, we resigned to my apartment where Danielle had baked me a fabulous looking cake--double chocolate with nutella. Everyone sang happy birthday and I was entirely happy to celebrate with so many of my close friends.
On Thursday, I skipped town with Katie to spend the afternoon in D.C. My time as an expatriate clearly had an effect, it took me a bit to remember which block my favorite restaurant was on and where exactly the Circulator stopped, but after an hour or two I had it down pat. It's been
about a year since I've been back, but I did once live in the city. We had such grand plans to visit museums, but with our time we only ended up grabbing lunch with a friend before heading to Georgetown to do some shopping. A couple of boutiques and a long stay in Urban Outfitters and we were set. I had promised another friend we would attend her birthday celebration at a club called, Red Maple, so we had to be back in Baltimore somewhat early. Luck was on our side, we made the right train, connected on the right shuttles, and quickly had time to stop at my apartment to change before once again running out to grab a shuttle downtown. I was quite pleased we were able to get out on the town and celebrate with Tapas before heading off to the lauded Brewer's Art. We left just in time to grab the last shuttle back to Hopkins and went to bed after a long and exhaustive day.
about a year since I've been back, but I did once live in the city. We had such grand plans to visit museums, but with our time we only ended up grabbing lunch with a friend before heading to Georgetown to do some shopping. A couple of boutiques and a long stay in Urban Outfitters and we were set. I had promised another friend we would attend her birthday celebration at a club called, Red Maple, so we had to be back in Baltimore somewhat early. Luck was on our side, we made the right train, connected on the right shuttles, and quickly had time to stop at my apartment to change before once again running out to grab a shuttle downtown. I was quite pleased we were able to get out on the town and celebrate with Tapas before heading off to the lauded Brewer's Art. We left just in time to grab the last shuttle back to Hopkins and went to bed after a long and exhaustive day.
The penultimate part of my celebration was Friday. After my morning classes, I met up with Katie, Josh, and Lauren to go downtown and show her the Inner Harbor. We walked around, stopped off at Gallery Place to peruse the shops and then walked by the water to take some pictures with the dragon paddle boats in the background, an entirely necessary 
activity for any out of town visitor. Once again, we had other plans later in the night and needed to come back to campus at a reasonable hour. The very last element to my birthday was the mini-party I hosted in my apartment before departing and heading downtown to a bar in Federal Hill. Coincidentally, it was Young Alumni Weekend so we thought it would be a good idea to head to this bar that was sure to be filled with Hopkins people. I truly had a wonderful time and was so happy to spend the day with my friends. Not bad for my final birthday in college, not bad at all. I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out whether it be the people gathered in my apartment for cake, the party, or running into old friends at the bar downtown. It's just once again a reiteration that everything in college is slowly coming full circle. I honestly believe my favorite memories at Hopkins were my freshman year birthday and now, my senior one. Sometimes, things work out perfectly. Okay, that's all for now. Until next time...
October 05, 2009
Talk of the Town
After being away for so long, I feel like I've forgotten how to live. Everyday norms are a stretch for me. For instance, it is now October and I should be wearing a jacket. I'm not biking anywhere...I don't have to anticipate that biking will make me warm. I should have a jacket. It's things like this that are slightly frustrating. I was freezing walking home today, but I suppose it is only of my own doing. Luckily, in spite of my inability to function as a normal adult, I was invited to attend President Daniel's inauguration. So my roommate and I took the trek over to Shriver on a beautiful sunday afternoon to go see his "installation". Seriously, that's what they call it as if, rather than announcing his presidency they are molding him into a statue that will stand on the lower quad. Well, I must say the installation was pretty nice. The highlights were speeches made by the President of the University of Pennsylvania, Amy Gutmann as well as a former colleague at the University of Toronto, Michael J. Trebilcock; and Justice Rosalie Abella, a Supreme Court Justice from Canada. I couldn't contain my laughter. Every speaker was extremely engaging, and to top it off they were all wearing hilarious robes. President Daniels had it the best overall. He was sitting in a throne like chair that was designed specifically for inaugurations. It was glorious. Overall, it was quite an event with celebrities like Ben Carson, Senator Ben Cardin, and Mayor Sheila Dixon. After wards, we proceeded to the tent outside where they had cheese, champagne, and best of all cake! The cake was really awesome looking with each layer a text book representing one of the many schools that comprise our university. I'm very happy I decided to attend.
I have taken part in many other festive events since that day and have a few coming up very soon. Fellow blogger, Lauren C. had a wonderful birthday party with lots of pink, silver,and white balloons, my friend Megan turned 21 and had a great dinner at XS, and finally my friend Michael had a party in honor of his home state Minnesota. As you can tell, its been a busy time for me, and this coming week I turn 21! Yet with my social life rapidly expanding, I've been working hard to keep up with my homework. Most of my midterms are over and I have one this coming week but overall I've survived the worst. It's a great feeling. The sad part is that as I've been so terribly busy I have not been able to relax in my apartment nor learn the art of cooking. I have become a baker. Jess K.
and I made a fabulous cake in the shape of Minnesota in honor of the party. It was kind of amazing with white chocolate chips representing the 10,000 lakes and then letters written out to spell our friend's hometown--Chaska. It was fun to make, but I need to start cooking main dishes...or dare I say soups?
So lately, the thing that's been consuming my life is my work for JHU Politik. For those of you who don't know, JHU Politik is the only weekly, nonpartisan, political newspaper on campus. It is really a wonderful publication for both readers and writers. You can contribute as much as you want or as little as you want, and typically people are able to write about the topics that interest them most. I am a managing editor, but the boys who started the paper are all abroad this semester so my fellow managing editor, Morgan, and I are essentially the Acting-Editors-in -Chief. Although, I must say after watching the documentary The September Issue, I think it would be quite fine to be called the Editor-at-Large like Andre Leon Talley of Vogue. The title entails that you not just edit and direct but also contribute stories. Since I"m trying to keep up with my articles, its only fitting. But, I'll probably have to work on getting that one approved. In the meantime, I'm going to shamelessly plug the paper and link you to the latest issue(here) as well as another issue of our third volume(here) in which I write an opinion piece on the liberal leadership in the House and the Senate. Anyway, I highly recommend you reading the paper and signing up for our email list by going to jhupolitik.com. Until next time...
September 23, 2009
The Circle Game
"I'm Jackie, a senior philosophy major from Connecticut." I can't tell you how many times I've introduced myself in the past couple of weeks and stumbled across that statement in the past two weeks. But slowly, I've come to accept it...and dare I say, even take pride in it? I mean, it's not all fun and games. I freaked out a few times over the summer and in the past couple of weeks about what I'm going to do come June, but for now I take solace in the fact that everything seems to be coming full circle.
My first night back at Hopkins I met up with my freshman year roommate; we grabbed sandwiches and ate at our favorite, secret spot on campus. It was the perfect beginning of what I hope will be, a perfect ending year. We talked about our futures and the fact that while she knows what she will be doing for the next
two years, the fact that I don't is perfectly okay. Furthermore, I'm not alone. While many of my friends have jobs some with humongous salaries (not that this is important), many are like me slowly wading into the undetected waters of the future. While these pressures remain nagging in the back of my head, I don't want them to be the focus of the year.
My goal is to make my senior year better than my freshman. And why not better than sophomore or junior you might think? Well, my former-roommate and I decided that freshman year was pretty perfect. We achieved the level of ridiculousness that some can only dream of and enjoyed life as college students. It was about exploring new ideas, trying new things, and above all emerging as confidant individuals. While I will always deny that my personality has changed in college, I will acknowledge that certain qualities have further developed. For example, I've become more outgoing. This example is a testament to the fact that the years you have in college, living on your own, really do affect you. You have room to breathe and best of all dictate your own life. As my sister and brother went off to college a few weeks ago, I reiterated one of my favorite Emersonian quotes, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you've imagined". Reflecting upon my time at Hopkins and my freshman, sophomore, and junior years individually, I concluded that they all have uniquely contributed to the life I have made for myself as I strive to confidently in the direction of my dreams. Freshman year--I became more outgoing adjusting to life on my own, Sophomore year--I tried new things and became a bit more daring and careless, and Junior year--I accepted change in all ways while learning more about society around me. I am eager to see how senior year will fit into this framework and what, when looking back upon the year I will unofficial theme for the year will be. For now, I just want to appreciate every little moment I have left. The other day I was walking home from a meeting on campus and had the urge to text my friend and say, "Our campus is so beautiful". The quiet solitude of the white marble columns on the breezeway contrasting against the orange Baltimore sky couldn't be more pretty. Until next time...
Jackie - We've Moved!
- We've Moved!Our blogs have moved! Keep up with the newest updates and changes to the Hopkins Interactive blogs at our new blog central: http://blogs.hopkins-interactive.com/jackie/..
