a thorough life update :)
By Tamika Whitenack
Three fun facts:
1) I managed to get approximately 10 bug bites in the 10 minutes I spent planting 1 tree
2) Walking into my room greets me with a smell vaguely reminiscent of swamp detritus
3) One of the stalls in the bathroom has a constant puddle on the floor, and most of the other stalls require holding the handle for 20+ seconds in order to flush
So those are the bad things going on in life...
But overall, I'm so happy to be back! I've been thinking a lot about how different it feels to be a sophomore. I feel much more comfortable and normal to be on campus. I'm more self confident, I feel like I belong, and I'm not questioning the purpose of college every night before I fall asleep (instead, I'm questioning the mechanisms of higher education that perpetuate capitalist soceity for my Education class! much more fun hehehe)
The reason I've waited so long (it's been a full week and a half since I returned to campus!) to blog is because I wanted to get my schedule settled in order to be able to fully update everybody. Indeed, my schedule is 95% set now, so that is very exciting! And very busy, I predict that I won't be writing quite as much this semester as last year.
To sum up last week: I arrived safely into JFK Sunday morning, after actually managing to sleep on my red-eye. This made my move-in day less horrible than usual. I successfully got myself to Poughkeepsie, onto Vassar campus, and into my new room! I'm still in Raymond house 4th floor, and am actually just a few doors down from my old room. I have a single, and it's definitely a bit small, but I like it and enjoyed organizing and decorating. The photo wall and the cranes are back up, along with my new addition of fruits and vegetable sketches. Sunday and Monday were settling in days, and then Tuesday was the start of classes and the start of busy, busy routine at Vassar life.
This semester I originally planned to take five classes, but after going to all of my classes once, I decided that I wanted to drop a class and instead do community-engaged-learning (also called field work) with the Poughkeepsie Farm Project. This decision was a little difficult for me, as I do not like to "give up" on things and I admit that I can't do everything. However, I really want to work with PFP because it will continue the sort of work I did over the summer, and give me more experience in an area that I'm heavily interested in. I was also a little bit stressed about having 5 classes, most of which are reading and writing heavy. As a result, I went ahead and dropped Global Feminism in exchange for a half-credit of PFP work. I have no regrets yet! I spent my first day as an intern yesterday weeding in the garden, which was quite peaceful and satisfying. It's been raining a lot lately, so those pesky weeds came out no problem!
My other classes are Spanish, Education, Environmental Science, and Sociology/Environmental Studies.
Spanish is a challenge: rather than teaching us grammar or vocabulary explicitly, it's a class about islands and theory that is taught in Spanish. We discuss concepts such as colonization and islands of the mind and lots of theory/ideology stuff related to islands, but in Spanish! I was a bit intimidated after the first day, but my mind is starting to go into Spanish mode a little better now. My plan is to do as much extra practice as I can outside of class–Netflix in Spanish, speaking with my dad on the phone, and maybe reading? Also, my newfound running buddy just spent a gap year in Ecuador, so I'm hoping we can converse in Spanish whilst running.
My Education class is called Issues in Contemporary Education and it is like the intro course for the department. I love it so far! I'm sure I'll talk more about it in the future, but all the readings have been easy to digest and good for discussion. We've talked about capitalism and schooling, the purpose of schools for children's needs, and the idea of separate schools for African American students posed by DuBois. I think this class will make me think a lot, and about topics I'm interested in.
Environmental Science is the intro class as well, and my only lab class this semester. So far it has been pretty basic, but not boring. We are focusing on streams and urban effects on streams.
My ENST/SOCI class is called Racism, Waste, and Resistance. I read 360 horrifying pages on the rubber industry in a book called Devil's Milk. We talk about environmental racism and the problems in the US, as well as globally, and it's really quite depressing but also good to think about and relevant to issues I care about.
As for extracurriculars, I will primarily be involved in 3 groups this year: Asian Student's Alliance, Vassar Food Community, and Asian American Studies Working Group. Everything has started off well so far, and I really like the other people I'm working on leadership teams with. We had our first ASA meeting today and got to meet a lot of first-years! Our Food Community event on Saturday was a make-your-own-granola bar sort of thing, and that also went well! I made a peanut-chocolate-raisin version and a ginger-turmeric-coconut version. Asian American Studies Working Group has some exciting plans for the semester too – hopefully a speaker series of professors!
Oh! Also, I'm continuing my work at the ALANA Center. We have a bunch of new interns this year, so I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone. I'm still really grateful that I had ALANA my first year and I'm very happy to be back with the Center.
I'm no longer playing in the Wind Ensemble, but I am continuing with flute lessons. I'm hoping to work on this piece: Chaminade Flute Concertino. I really love it and would love to be able to play it! Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Gn_FpTXD0
Of course, I have to continue with exercise! My running plan has been going really well, especially since I found someone new to run with. I feel great! I've also resumed Pilates two mornings and yoga one afternoon, and am trying to swim at least once a week. And, I'm joining an intramural soccer team! I'm excited to see how that goes.
The Deece hasn't changed much, except for the tragedy of no more peanut butter! Apparently allergies were a concern so we no longer have it...I'm quite sad because it means I can't make my favorite PB, yogurt, and raisin combo. So I may have bought a jar of peanut butter for my room....hehehe. I've been eating lots of spinach again though, so that's good. Also, hoarding fruit. As in, 30 pieces of fruit....
I think these are the main updates of life at the moment. I will have more fun and activity/experience specific blogs in the future, but I just wanted to paint a picture of the main ways I'll be spending my time this semester for everybody. Yay!
Enjoy some pictures:
Three fun facts:
1) I managed to get approximately 10 bug bites in the 10 minutes I spent planting 1 tree
2) Walking into my room greets me with a smell vaguely reminiscent of swamp detritus
3) One of the stalls in the bathroom has a constant puddle on the floor, and most of the other stalls require holding the handle for 20+ seconds in order to flush
So those are the bad things going on in life...
But overall, I'm so happy to be back! I've been thinking a lot about how different it feels to be a sophomore. I feel much more comfortable and normal to be on campus. I'm more self confident, I feel like I belong, and I'm not questioning the purpose of college every night before I fall asleep (instead, I'm questioning the mechanisms of higher education that perpetuate capitalist soceity for my Education class! much more fun hehehe)
The reason I've waited so long (it's been a full week and a half since I returned to campus!) to blog is because I wanted to get my schedule settled in order to be able to fully update everybody. Indeed, my schedule is 95% set now, so that is very exciting! And very busy, I predict that I won't be writing quite as much this semester as last year.
To sum up last week: I arrived safely into JFK Sunday morning, after actually managing to sleep on my red-eye. This made my move-in day less horrible than usual. I successfully got myself to Poughkeepsie, onto Vassar campus, and into my new room! I'm still in Raymond house 4th floor, and am actually just a few doors down from my old room. I have a single, and it's definitely a bit small, but I like it and enjoyed organizing and decorating. The photo wall and the cranes are back up, along with my new addition of fruits and vegetable sketches. Sunday and Monday were settling in days, and then Tuesday was the start of classes and the start of busy, busy routine at Vassar life.
This semester I originally planned to take five classes, but after going to all of my classes once, I decided that I wanted to drop a class and instead do community-engaged-learning (also called field work) with the Poughkeepsie Farm Project. This decision was a little difficult for me, as I do not like to "give up" on things and I admit that I can't do everything. However, I really want to work with PFP because it will continue the sort of work I did over the summer, and give me more experience in an area that I'm heavily interested in. I was also a little bit stressed about having 5 classes, most of which are reading and writing heavy. As a result, I went ahead and dropped Global Feminism in exchange for a half-credit of PFP work. I have no regrets yet! I spent my first day as an intern yesterday weeding in the garden, which was quite peaceful and satisfying. It's been raining a lot lately, so those pesky weeds came out no problem!
My other classes are Spanish, Education, Environmental Science, and Sociology/Environmental Studies.
Spanish is a challenge: rather than teaching us grammar or vocabulary explicitly, it's a class about islands and theory that is taught in Spanish. We discuss concepts such as colonization and islands of the mind and lots of theory/ideology stuff related to islands, but in Spanish! I was a bit intimidated after the first day, but my mind is starting to go into Spanish mode a little better now. My plan is to do as much extra practice as I can outside of class–Netflix in Spanish, speaking with my dad on the phone, and maybe reading? Also, my newfound running buddy just spent a gap year in Ecuador, so I'm hoping we can converse in Spanish whilst running.
My Education class is called Issues in Contemporary Education and it is like the intro course for the department. I love it so far! I'm sure I'll talk more about it in the future, but all the readings have been easy to digest and good for discussion. We've talked about capitalism and schooling, the purpose of schools for children's needs, and the idea of separate schools for African American students posed by DuBois. I think this class will make me think a lot, and about topics I'm interested in.
Environmental Science is the intro class as well, and my only lab class this semester. So far it has been pretty basic, but not boring. We are focusing on streams and urban effects on streams.
My ENST/SOCI class is called Racism, Waste, and Resistance. I read 360 horrifying pages on the rubber industry in a book called Devil's Milk. We talk about environmental racism and the problems in the US, as well as globally, and it's really quite depressing but also good to think about and relevant to issues I care about.
As for extracurriculars, I will primarily be involved in 3 groups this year: Asian Student's Alliance, Vassar Food Community, and Asian American Studies Working Group. Everything has started off well so far, and I really like the other people I'm working on leadership teams with. We had our first ASA meeting today and got to meet a lot of first-years! Our Food Community event on Saturday was a make-your-own-granola bar sort of thing, and that also went well! I made a peanut-chocolate-raisin version and a ginger-turmeric-coconut version. Asian American Studies Working Group has some exciting plans for the semester too – hopefully a speaker series of professors!
Oh! Also, I'm continuing my work at the ALANA Center. We have a bunch of new interns this year, so I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone. I'm still really grateful that I had ALANA my first year and I'm very happy to be back with the Center.
I'm no longer playing in the Wind Ensemble, but I am continuing with flute lessons. I'm hoping to work on this piece: Chaminade Flute Concertino. I really love it and would love to be able to play it! Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Gn_FpTXD0
Of course, I have to continue with exercise! My running plan has been going really well, especially since I found someone new to run with. I feel great! I've also resumed Pilates two mornings and yoga one afternoon, and am trying to swim at least once a week. And, I'm joining an intramural soccer team! I'm excited to see how that goes.
The Deece hasn't changed much, except for the tragedy of no more peanut butter! Apparently allergies were a concern so we no longer have it...I'm quite sad because it means I can't make my favorite PB, yogurt, and raisin combo. So I may have bought a jar of peanut butter for my room....hehehe. I've been eating lots of spinach again though, so that's good. Also, hoarding fruit. As in, 30 pieces of fruit....
I think these are the main updates of life at the moment. I will have more fun and activity/experience specific blogs in the future, but I just wanted to paint a picture of the main ways I'll be spending my time this semester for everybody. Yay!
Enjoy some pictures:
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| new home! |
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| manufactured natural beauty |
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| more |
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| MORE! |
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| dinner feat. veggies |
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| my friends bureau decor: dolphin eats jesus |
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| sunset lake! |
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| streams on campus |
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| this used to be a big hole but now its a rain garden thing? |
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| first run to the walkway over the hudson! |
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| bridges and buildings |
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| the walkway |
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| more nature |
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| theres so many trees |
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| coconut turmeric ginger |
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| choco pb raisin |
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| first stir fry |
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| a series |
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| yum |
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| yum |
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| feat. veggies and couscous and disappointing black beans |
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| fruit for dayz |
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| this garden <3 |
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| first baking: pb brownies |
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| appreciate my produce !!! |
hi i have the exact same whiteboard and swear I will blog soon!
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