Murphy's Law Gone Right

Paper Bag

This week has gone by so quickly that I almost forgot to write this blog!  I have been very busy this week, but I cannot quite pinpoint why.  Maybe it's because I could feel the pressure of the midterm I will have this Thursday, or the paper that is due next Monday?  Maybe it was because I committed myself to quite a few TV shows including Grey's Anatomy and the new show, Gossip Girl.  I just love the clothes in Gossip Girl and I found out that on the CW website it tells you where to find the clothes .  Oh, and I must say Congratulations to the Red Sox who won their division!!!

This week will definitely be a love-hate week.  I have midterms and papers, but on the other hand, it is my birthday week!  My family is coming to visit me this weekend so I'm really looking forward to it.  One thing about my birthday that I am not looking forward to is being 19.  I love being 18, but being 19 borders 20, and 20 means a new decade.  18 gives you a little leeway.  Well, I guess my next blog will be the new 19-year-old me, so you can look forward to that.  Well, my original plan for this blog was to interview my friends and ask them what their favorite class is and why, but since I didn't realize until 15 minutes ago that I needed to write another blog today, I didn't get around to it.  Hopefully, you won't mind if I write about the classes I'm taking instead.

Greek Philosophy:  So far this class has been really straightforward.  We have been discussing the Presocratics. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how much you like philosophy), because the Presocratics didn't have any surviving texts, we have only been reading fragments about the Presocratics by other philosophers like Aristotle.  It seriously limits the amount of reading there is, but leaves their ideas open to interpretation. I have found the class to be very interesting thus far.  I especially like the Professor (Richard Bett) because he promotes discussion about these philosophers while conveying main ideas.

Contemporary International Politics:  I love this class!  It is taught by Professor David who is the Head of the IR/Political Science Department and it is just so fascinating.  He lectures the whole time, but the way he does it is so organized, that it is easy to follow.   Your hand is cramped by the end of the class, but you feel like you have learned so much. He often fits historical events into a specific type of political philosophy, which I personally find to be fascinating.  Little does the professor know, but he could be shaping my future foreign policy. 

History of East Asia:  This class started out with a bang, but has since slowed down.  Maybe its because I'm not that into Confucius, but lately for me, it has been dull.  I liked in the beginning when we were learning about the East Asian Civilizations and how their language developed and spread throughout their respective areas.  I'll update you with more about this class later aka post Confucianism. There is a philosophy called neo-Confucianism too, that I'm sure we will cover.

Bioethics:  The reading for this class is great!  We focus on one issue and then the reading has different opinions on the specific issue.  We have read about the different type of doctor/patient relationships and debated about which is the right one, whether it is right to have gene therapy and alter a human's genes, and whether abortion is immoral or not.  I find section to be more interesting than lecture because you get a chance to actually discuss the material.  In lecture, there is some discussion, but its much more intimidating to raise your hand in front of 100 other people than just the 10 in your section.  Professor Hilary Bok is really entertaining.  She always presents funny examples to support and/or oppose specific ethical ideas. 

Microeconomic Theory:  This class is basically like microeconomics, but uses calculus to apply specific numbers to the problems.  I actually think that the title of this course should be Microeconomics, while the micro class I took freshmen year should be called Microeconomic Theory.  If only because this year, I feel like we are actually doing microeconomics by using specific numbers and applying them to everyday life, whereas last year, we learned a lot about the theory behind shifts in demands and indifference curves.  I like the Professor for this class as well.  It is his first year at Hopkins after teaching at The Wharton School for the last couple of years.  You can tell he really enjoys economics and is really enthusiastic about the course.  Anyway, speaking of Micro Theory, I better get back to studying.  After all, I have a midterm on Thursday!

Before I go, I just wanted to explain the title of my blog.  To be honest, I recently became obsessed with this song and couldn't think of anything better for my title.  BUT!  It does relate to something I want to say.  Since Hopkins has a really active Environmental Group on campus called HEAT there have been a lot of improvements in order to conserve energy and make Hopkins more Green.  This can be seen at Charles Street Market where we now take our groceries in paper bags, rather than plastic ones.  Until next time...

How Good it Can Be

Another year and another post!  I am very excited to be back, both blogging and at Hopkins.  I feel great and optimistic in regards to just about everything, but in particular my suite.(The abstract picture is a kandinsky that I bought for the kitchen of our suite).  I feel like I will better manage my time, eat better, explore Baltimore more, and just enjoy life.  As a sophomore, I have so many more choices.  I can choose where I want to eat, whether it 's at Nolan's, Levering, FFC, or I can also cook for myself.  I can close the door and study in my own room; I can study at my tiny kitchen table, at the study room on my floor, or anywhere else on campus.  I also have to say I'm thrilled that I don't even have to leave my building to go to the gym.  In Charles Commons, there is a small gym with treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes.  It's great if you don't want to walk to the gym in the rain, snow, or at night. 

So move-in was a general success.  After a week of unpacking and packing all my belongings, I made it to Baltimore.  It was great because volunteers unloaded everything from my car and put them in these big brown bins which were delivered to my room.  Such an easy move-in really made the process so much better because when it comes to unpacking you're not totally exhausted after moving all of your bins and boxes.  I can't thank the volunteers enough for the immense amount of help they provided, it was really great.

One interesting event that I attended last week was called The Taste of Baltimore.  My RA, Hayley, who is really nice, organized for my floor to attend the event.  It was held in Camden Yards, and it was cool to see the ballpark empty.  You paid an entrance fee and then had to buy food tickets which you could spend at a variety of yummy food stands.  Besides getting to try great food, the money you spent on the food tickets went to charity.  Subsequently, many local businesses and restaurants had stands.  I got to buy and eat Berger's cookies, which are a Baltimore specialty, clam chowder from Legal Seafood's, and some great gelato.  It was really fun and I was happy that I got to meet some of the people on my floor. 

On Sept 18th I attended the Johns Hopkins Constitutional Forum, which occurs every year on or around Constitution Day.  To be perfectly honest, I did not even know that September 17th was Constitution Day.  Clearly, my high school civics class made a great impression upon me.  Nevertheless, the speaker was Jeffrey Rosen, a professor at George Washington Law School and legal editor of the New Republic.  The focus of his lecture was on the Robert's Supreme Court and whether it is on a collision course with America.  I found it to be very fascinating, especially considering my future aspirations in government and law.  I was very impressed with some of the stories he told about interactions with Chief Justice Roberts, Associate Justice Stevens, and Associate Justice Kennedy.  He basically said that the court should not be considered the Roberts court because it is Anthony Kennedy's final vote that has caused so many 5-4 decisions.  His stories were funny, informative, and overall entertaining.  I was happy that I decided to attend.

After one year at Hopkins, I have learned so much.  I am more confident in everything that I do.  I knew to buy my expensive books early and online so as not to be shocked by the amount of money they cost at the bookstore.  I knew where to sign up to get cable and I knew where the buildings are so that I could get to my classes easily and without stress (that's not to say that I didn't end up getting lost on the first day because I looked up my discussion section classrooms instead of the lecture halls).  I am full of optimism and feel great!  I can't wait to see what the coming year will bring.  Until next time...