[Sorority Stuff] Initiation Day!

Since I explained all about Initiation and present-giving in this post, I won't go into all the details this time around. This year since I'm a senior, I helped with conducting the ceremony, and thus I had the opportunity (via rehearsals), to really get to pay attention to what exactly was being said. When I was being initiated, I was far too nervous to really focus, and last year I just sat in the audience, so I never really focused on the words. Try it one time, though, it's actually kind of moving if you think about the different promises and oaths being made (and that's all I'll say about that ;)). 

Anyhow, my little had to go home all that weekend, so it was up to my big and I do the aforementioned present-giving. She crafted most of the basket and whatnot, but we handed it out to my g-little (pictured above!). Since it was so cold out, we opted to keep the present giving inside Freddy, but we did go out to take some pictures later.

We were really tired.... 

And, of course, I finally got a picture with my new member class. I feel so old!

Hope everyone enjoyed their own initiation days!

Might Be Obsessed with This...

Catchy song, favorite movie remake... Don't tell me you don't love this!

[Book Club] An Intellectual Heartbreaker

NEVER LET ME GO

Kazuo Ishiguro

I've been wanting to read this book for quite a while. I'm not ashamed to say I only learned about it because of the movie staring Keira, Michelle, and Andrew. For some reason or another, I never quite got around to buy or borrowing the book from the library. Well, earlier this semester when I was picking up a book for class, I got to wandering the shelves and looking at all the novels needed for different English classes, and I stumbled across the very book I'd had on my "To-Read" List for ages. I picked it up and in a week or so later, I was beginning to be late for class or other engagements because I needed to keep reading. It wasn't a particularly suspenseful book, but it was the kind of book where you wanted to know how the characters went from point A to point B and why. 

Basically, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth grow up in the idyllic boarding school of Hailsham where they are told repeatedly just how special they are. They experience classic trials and tribulations of friendship, not fitting in, dating, and more but there is an underlying twist to the whole plot. From terms like "carer" and "completion" and "donations," you get a sense that something is off until Ishiguro slowly reveals the true nature of the characters and Hailsham. 

Definitely a fantastic read! Pick it up and don't be silly like me and wait for forever. Ishiguro is a genius.

[Tips & Tricks] Student Loans

So today I had my student loan exit counseling (just another reminder that graduation is creeping up around the corner), and I started to learn a lot about Student Loans that I probably should have paid more attention to when I was signing off on them. However, I was not unprepared, I'm just simply now a lot more well informed of my loans (and what I have to pay back). And, now that I'm nearing graduation and wishing I had paid more attention and paid back even a little of my loans ahead of time, here is my extensive blog post outlining what you ought to know about student loans and tips to make it a little less stressful when graduation hits you. So first, basics.

DEFINITIONS:

• Stafford Subsidized Loan- This is one of those government loans you probably had to accept at the beginning of each semester. The government will cover the interest on these loans as long as you are still fully enrolled in a university. They will start collecting interest at about 3.86%.
• Stafford Unsubsidized Loan- This government loan is another one you probably had to accept at the beginning of each semester as well. The government does not cover the interest rate of these loans. During my time, the interest rate accrued was at 6.8%, however most recently it was lowered to 3.86%. So yes, right now, I have accrued over two thousand dollars in interest.
• Private Loan- This loan is not through the government, but through a private company. My last year of college, I took a loan out with Sallie Mae. You definitely ought to remember going through this since you had to fill out the online work and have someone co-sign it for you. Sallie Mae's disadvantage compared to government loans is its higher interest rate at about 8%. 

Raise Your Hand...

...if you sobbed. Sobbed like a little baby.

On the Printing Press...

Forewarning: Be prepared for some serious English-nerding out right now. 

The before!

So, one of the things I have been a part of majorly during my time at WC is being an editor of Treason, which is a foreign literary journal that prints roughly once a year. It is meant to be a translation of works from famous foreign authors or translations of original work from students at WC. I joined the editing team my freshman year when my roommate told me about it on a whim. By my sophomore year we had some really cool submissions, in Korean, in code, in classic Spanish and French... I really wanted to revamp the journal and give it a breath of fresh air, so I added some things and changed some things. Unfortunately printing has always been a bit of an issue. We had it printed on plain, white card stock that year, and while it looked beautiful it didn't have the same feel I was hoping for.

Anyhow, this year, I applied for and was very luckily awarded a Jacoby Endowment grant from the Rose O'Neill Literary House for $1,000 to work on Treason. I have been steadily collecting submissions and soliciting all my foreign-language speaking friends to compile a journal, and I have been beginning to plan how exactly I want the journal to look. My grant is allowing me to use the Lit House printing press to print the cover and back page as well as create a gorgeous broadside to place in the middle. Right now, my friend is designing an illustration around the theme of discovery for it. 

As part of my stipend I have been attending a letterpress workshop with Mike Kaylor on Tuesday evenings, and let me tell you something. I have fallen in love with it. He showed us the basement with all the different fonts, and I had this urge to print everything and anything! It's so much fun, and there is a lot that goes into it. Right now, my workshop project is putting together a little illustration to send to my friend in Philadelphia. We did a rough print before at our last workshop, and I am (im)patiently waiting over spring break for our class this Tuesday to print a final version. Can't wait to show you all!

The After (so far!)

P.S. Yes, I do realize I forgot the "the" between Man and less! 

[Sorority Stuff] On Becoming a G...

You know, like a gangsta... Obviously.

A few Fridays or so ago, the City Family welcomed our newest member! Meaning my little got her own little, and that makes me a G-Big! Haleigh already fits into our family perfectly, and I can't wait for us to all hang out more this semester (including a road trip to Disney World!). 

Yule, Whoops, I Meant Birthday Ball

So, every year my school throws this huge celebration to honor George Washington's birthday. I mean, it really goes all out. While my favorite year was freshman year, which was an Alice in Wonderland theme, this year wasn't too bad. I mean, you can't go wrong with Harry Potter! It's also a lot of fun because a ton of alumni come back to visit. More so than homecoming or any other big WC event (maybe even graduation!), Birthday Ball is a big deal here. And, for once, I actually like how my pictures came out! I couldn't go last year because of swimming championships, so I was pretty excited to be able to this year.

All in red!

Fam a jam :)

My dress was from MICHAEL Michael Kors, and it was the most comfortable thing ever. And yes, if you're wondering, I was totally Gryffindor!

Church Etiquette 101

Link

So, one of the things that really irks me about churchgoing today (and is a factor in me being frustrated by the experience) is the complete lack of etiquette these days. I'm Catholic, and I have always had a very traditional view about how one should behave and act within a church setting. As my mom used to say, "God gives you everything, you can be presentable for an hour under His roof." Guys, my family isn't even that religious! I consider myself to be religious on my own terms, but I'm certainly not uber conservative about it. However, I am floored every time I go to church to see how much "Sunday's best" has fallen to the wayside. Here are some do's and don'ts to going to church.

DO: Be on time. It is extremely disrespectful and absolutely disruptive to arrive to church late. You might interrupt the procession or at the very least be the awkward stander looking for a seat.

DON'T: Wear sweatpants, sweatshirts, T-shirts, yoga pants, pajamas, or sneakers to church. Just. No. Why? Why?! 

DO: Wear something appropriate to church. I'm not asking for heels and a full get-up, but looking like you put some thought into your blouse is all. 

DO: Be hygienic. Church pews can be in close quarters, and nothing makes an hour run longer than armpit smells or a lady with too much heavy perfume.

DON'T: Fall asleep in church! Obviously, but geez!

DO: Follow the procedures of your church with respect. Kneel when you must kneel, stand when you must stand, sit when you must sit.

DON'T: Eat the Eucharist if you haven't been through communion. It's awful!

DO: Sing! Come on, church is the one place no one is going to yell at you for your voice. 

DON'T: LEAVE BEFORE THE PRIEST LEAVES AT THE END OF MASS. After communion? Before he proceeds down the aisle? No, no, no, no, no! You can wait an extra fifteen minutes to leave. This is the biggest form of disrespect I have ever seen in my entire life.  

That's it! A small, comprehensive list. I hope churchgoers take an upturn in the coming years and show up looking more presentable and respectful!

[Sorority Stuff] Ritual Week

So this week is National Ritual Celebration Week for sororities across the country (and world, I suppose), and I thought I'd be a little cheesy and do a little something for it here. Obviously, I can't tell you ZTA's rituals (they're top secret and may involve the blood of sisters' past), but I can explain their importance a little bit. Rituals are what bind every chapter, every new member class, and every girl from the time of our founders to the newest member that accepted her bid. They're the most sacred part about being in a sorority--that's why we dedicate a week to celebrate them.

Anyhow, my National Office did a cute thing with our creed, so I thought I'd do the same thing with girls from my chapter illustrating the various points. In a cheesy way, I really love ZTA's creed. The woman it paints is the kind of person everyone should strive to be.

To realize that within our grasp, in Zeta Tau Alpha,

lies the opportunity to learn those things which will ever enrich and ennoble our lives; 

to be true to ourselves, to those within and without our circle; 

to think in terms of all mankind and our service in the world; 

to be steadfast, strong, and clean of heart and mind, 

remembering that since the thought is father to the deed, 

only that which we would have manifested in our experience should be entertained in thought; 

to find satisfaction in being, rather than seeming, 

thus strengthening in us the higher qualities of the spirit; 

to prepare for service and learn the nobility of serving, thereby earning the right to be served; 

to seek understanding that we might gain true wisdom; 

to look for the good in everyone; to see beauty, with its enriching influence; 

to be humble in success, and without bitterness in defeat;

to have the welfare and harmony of the Fraternity at heart, 

striving ever to make our lives a symphony of high ideals, 

devotion to the Right, the Good, and the True, without a discordant note; 

remembering always that the foundation precept of Zeta Tau Alpha was Love, 

“the greatest of all things.”

Happy Ritual Week from the ZTA GB Chapter!

What I've Been Up To...

So, February is three days over, and I've barely had time to realize it... I've been busy! I'm not sure with what exactly, it's really not glamorous or picture worthy. Some rough patches, some fun patches, some patches that involve me hunched over a computer screen clicking away at my thesis. There have been fun moments, though! And yesterday I actually got done work at 5 and managed to veg out and watch the Oscars. I have a few posts that I'm just going to swing forward in either the next few hours like a nerd or the next few days because I have OCD and don't like blog posts having the same dates. For now I'm just updating to let you know I'm alive and enjoying this unexpected snow day with chocolate milk, my little, and an ice pack on this very stiff neck.