Field Trip

I enjoyed this assignment. I got to visit my roommates pages and some of my close friends. But I don't know everyone in the class so it was fun to look at their pages to get to know them too! What I found most interesting was Ran and Laura's blogs. They're both non-LDS students and I think the insights they have are way cool. I really learned alot reading about their lives. Ran impressed me with his diligence to do well in his school work. And Laura's ability to realize what BYU's honor code means to people in the real world and her ability to appreciate the education we receive here. I thought their views were really interesting and now I hope to really get to know them better.

Resistance

The area of most resistance I've faced most at BYU this semester is my own tendency to believe that I can't do hard things and that obtaining a Dance Education Major and Math Education Minor will be impossible. My math classes are so hard and fast paced and my dance major is so competitive. I have dealt with this issue by prayer, diligent scripture study, good friends, and faith that with the lord all things are possible. There have been so many times that I've wanted to just buckle down and give up on all my studies and just let my test score be what it will be. But then I remember that if I try my hardest the lord will help with the rest and that in the end if i've kept his commandments everything is going to turn out just the way its supposed to. :) So I shouldn't fear. But here's where we get to the part where I analyze how I can do better, because I do fear. I don't always live with a motto "Happy go lucky" so if I could just keep the larger perspective in sight more often then I wouldn't fear as much.

Halloween

This halloween was really fun! I enjoyed my evening but it definitely wasn't the best. I missed my old high school friends that I loved dressing up with. We were always so creative! No matter what we did we had a blast! This halloween was really mellow and uneffectively planned so rather wimpy. My favorite halloween was my jr. year of high school. My friends and I all dressed up like old people and then pretended to be old for the whole night! We carried a a little table around with us and chairs and would park outside our closest friends houses and pretend to drink prune juice and play kanasta instead of saying "Trick-or-treat" Our little charades and skits were our treat to the people who lived in the home! We didn't break character all night though! We even drove 20 miles under the speed limite driving from house to house! I've never had so much fun! The best part was when my mom took pictures at our house. My friend danny had some suspenders on that were a little too loose. They slid off his shoulders and ended up hanging off his waist. Well when my mom snapped the first photo he was bending over setting up the table with his backside to the camera. and sadly we no longer have this picture but it caught him with his suspenders riding right up his tushie! haha I think i about wet my pants when I saw the picture! haha I don't know if i'll ever have a Halloween quite as good.

hard work...sigh

"You have to stay on your feet and keep moving if you are going to keep light in your life."

I really enjoyed this piece of advice that President Hinkley gave. And its something i definitely find true in my life. I have actually been thinking alot about this lately because I have been so inspired to improve myself lately that I am constantly reciting the vision of who I want to be in my head, so that i always know what i'm working towards. I was thinking about what i really wanted in life when i was deciding what i wanted to do with my time the other night. I could either go hang out with my friends and be completely unproductive, or indulge myself in some good study and maybe some other activities that help me find myself and grow spiritually. I found both this options ridiculously rewarding as weird as that sounds. I wanted to be friendly and serve my friends and laugh and play with them. Create inside jokes that would make college life and life with my roommates better. But i also wanted to do well in my studies and suceed in school and feel accomplished. But being a friend to those around me would make me feel accomplished too. But then I decided, i really haven't studied as much as I should the past few months (which is unlike me actually) and I haven't worked as hard as I thought i could be. When i began to think about what I want to be i always think of the people I admire and why I admire them so that I can shape myself to those qualities that make those people admirable. And hard work and self mastery and humility are really somethings that make the people I admire stand out. I love being friendly but the connection people make about me being the life of the party last night will only last about 2 days whereas the impression and example of my hard work will leave a longer lasting impression. Therefore I find getting homework done more important because of its longer lasting effects. The light that i want to share and for other people to see is what I'm working towards and Pres. Hinkley has taught me that hard work will help me develop that light.

I have danced all my life and have put in a lot of hard work to increase in this talent. We had Dance Education Major audition this past weekend and I was absolutely terrified. It is a very hard program to get into. I decided the weekend before that I wanted to try out and then didn't put the solo together till the night/day of. I was out of shape and really sore. Odds weren't good. But I made it. and i know it was because of all the hard work I've put into dancing throughout my life. There were so many times I would try and cheat and make class as easy as possible, or just sleep in and not go to class completely, i mean come on! Tights are not fun to put on! usually that was what i was mostly avoiding :) but now I'm a dance education major as a freshman and I can attest that with the lords help anything is possible and that hard work does pay off.

Education in Zion

I visited the exhibit in the JFSB on Friday afternoon. There was no one there and is was very peaceful. I was excited to get my backpack off for a moment. It's so heavy! The only thing i have to say about the exhibit is the chairs could definitely be more comfortable. Felt like every bench or couch I sat on needed to be broken in. I just wanted to turn around and slam my fist into it a couple times or jump on it....just to give it that worn in comfy feeling.

Anyway I really enjoyed the part of the exhibit that focused on the formation of the seminary. It surprised me that it was really organized around 1912. I had no idea it'd been along that long! And it was really a way to get more students an education and religious experience combined. The academy's the church had set up were not fulfilling the need of all students and lots of families could not afford it so the creation of institutes and seminaries came in. Seminaries before institutes.

There were two quotes on the wall that were really meaningful for me. I don't remember them word for word but i remember their principles. The first was about theology, and how it can be analyzed and found in every aspect of life. I find this so true, almost everyday I relate like 5 or 10 things i do in the day to the gospel and how it effects my life. Knowing and growing up in the gospel has led me to be able to recognize the lords tender mercies which are everywhere. The small reminder of his love through these small miracles help me continually think theologically and it really blesses my life because it helps me keep my life on the path that's conducive to the spirit.

The other quote was about how there is a genuine sincerity found in those that study the gospel of their own free will in their own time and how the speakers heart was thrilled everytime he heard of someone doing so. I think part of really appreciating education is being able to learn how valuable it is that you can be pragmmatic in stepping forward and learning more in our continually learning life. Going the extra mile to learn all you can about the gospel is a tremendous thing I can definitely work on. But i believe I do have a testimony on how beneficial it is.

Homecoming Week

I loved Homecoming Week here at BYU! I didn't know if it was going to be anything like high school where the kids went to the game, the dance, and a parade but all the other activities were poorly attended. Not here! Wahoo! I love school spirit and it makes me feel so proud to go to a school with kids who are willing to get up and go have fun and support their school! I attended the True Blue Football and I volunteered at the Student Honor Association "RESPECT" day activity, I volunteered at the tailgate party before the game I attended, I attended the "Homecoming Spectacular" and performed with my Folk Dance Team in the parade saturday morning.

I loved last week so much! It was so awesome and it provided me some major growing experiences in all the service I got to render. I work in the Human Resources department in the BYUSA office and my job was to get volunteers recruited to staff the homecoming events. My partner Riley and I spent the weekend before homecoming going around the apartments at Wyview passing out flyers to try and inform people on the way they can go about getting involved. I met so many new friends doing this! It was so fun!

I spent alot of time in the office calling people and asking if they'd like to help staff an activity and most people were really excited and willing to help. I have learned that people really do want to volunteer and get involved they just need a little push and direction to know the way about going about that. But I also spent alot of time, over 15 hours, doing the biggest arts and craft project i've ever seen! I helped put together decorations for the Enchanted Dance at Thanksgiving point. No one believed the decorations would be done in time because it was such a huge project that required alot of work and there was no committee put together for just setting it up together so we had to make a makeshift team of volunteers to put the cardboard pieces together. It was really fun though! Frustrating at times because the instructions were confusing..who even knows what a "fronds" is or which side is the "corrugated" side? Not I, sugar pie.

The other service opportunity I really enjoyed was getting the opportunity to serve some friends on my Folk Dance Team. The male class rep in my class broke his leg! So he couldn't dance in the parade so I had the kids sign a card for him and then delivered it to him. Another dancer needed help solidifying the parade routine steps and I was given the opportunity to help her with the steps and spend some time getting to know her. It feels great to know I can help someone and that I do.

I loved the tailgate party! I've never been to one before and I absolutely loved it! The j-dawgs were one thing but the job we got assigned was incred too!! My friends and I got to paint faces! I got dang good at it too. That's the other thing with the volunteering I did last week, my friends were so supportive and so willing to come and help! It was amazing how supportive they were and I was so blessed to have them there with me; I am very grateful for them.

The last thing I remember volunteering at was the SHA noonday activity out on Brigham Square on Friday afternoon. We got to be in charge of activities for students that would help build team work, inform people of the happiness the honor code can bring, and to help students realize the importance of Respect. If they learned a new principle from one of our activities they got a free t-shirt and that was fun to give out. Who doesn't love a free t-shirt :)

The last activity I want to mention was when I hiked the Y for the first time in my life this week. I didn't get to go up for the lighting of the Y but i just went in the middle of the night with some friends I randomly met. They were so kind and friendly. I loved being around them. Homecoming has brought me so many great blessings! I LOVE COLLEGE! I LOVE BYU!

General Conference

The "welcoming correction" talk that I'd like to focus on for this blog is the one that was given by Elder Worthlin on learning to just laugh and the things that happen in life that could make us frustrated. I found this one to be particularly profound for me because I can get easily frustrated and upset, easily flustered because i'm so impatient and to irrational at times. If even the slightest adjustment happens to my plans for the day I can sometimes get very edgy. But Elder Worthlin beautifully spoke of how we just need to learn to laugh and enjoy life more and focus on things in more of a positive light then negative. Life is going to go one no matter what so we might as well laugh and enjoy ourselves when mishap happens then allow anxiety to over take us and bring us down.

"once a cougar, always a cougar"

At our little tour around the hinkley visitor center i was very impressed by the size and grandeur. also by the love and commitment brother isaak had for the place. it made me want to visit more often and get involved in the activities because it obviously affects peoples lives. I was impressed with the memoirs found throughout just the living room. i was impressed by all the hard work put into making the building what it is. and i'm grateful that we don't have to dress up like cats and what not like the freshman did back in the 50's ( i noticed this on a picture in the main hall.)



the thing that will make me always a cougar is my involvement in the school's campus activities and service opportunities, as well as my involvement on dance teams. Right now I am a program director of Volunteer Placement at the BYUSA office. I love my job! I spend 4 hours a week serving in the office and I love it! I make the greatest friends, learn new skills and really help others. I am also a member of one of BYU's folk dance teams. I am the class representative and very excited to be able to perform in the Homecoming parade and Christmas Around the World Dance concert. Being on a team will link me to BYU and after my experience of learning other cultures dances with others and working together as a folk dance club I will feel so proud. Proud enough to return to every Folk Dance Concert I can when I'm graduated and no longer performing. Already I feel a certain pride. Speakin of pride, that is definitely something that ties alumni to their former schools. And most pride is created by way of athletics! BYU football games are incredible!

As an alumni my responsibility will be to give back to the school that provided me with a great education. My mother and I are already alumni and already a part of a foundation set up by my great grandfather that gives out scholarship monday. They meet every october in the Hinkley Building so I'm very excited to attend. Assuming i don't have class during their luncheon.

This Semester

My parents are probably sick of hearing me tell them how much I love college. "Whatever" used to be my overused phrase but now "I love college" definitely is. But really, seriously, i'm so estatic to be here! I love my social life first and for most. I love being able to go out and play with anyone at anytime. I love my roommates: I definitely didn't expect my roommates to be as wonderful as they are... no offense to them. I didn't expect myself to have so much fun doing simple things. I didn't expect so many opportunities to be offered to me at BYU. There are so many ways to get involved. I didn't expect involvement in activities to be as big as it is on campus, I am super excited about how involved and willing to serve people are on campus. Because ya know, in high school, there would be clubs but everyone joined them and paid their dues but never were really that involved. The purpose of joining the club was just for a college resume, but there really is a spirit of service on BYU's campus.

As you know, I LOVE COLLEGE, but that doesn't mean life is always easy peasy or hunky dory. The things that are more difficult for me then I thought would be are my sleep schedule, eating habits, and time management. I play way way way way way too much!!! I get all my homework done, but passing classes means passing tests, which means lots of extra study besides just doing the busy work. In high school I could do all the busy work and that would help me learn the material. I have to make a mental and physical effort to really succeed at school here, it doesn't happen just by osmosis. And I really struggle staying awake in classes, I do not get enough sleep. I mean i arrive home and get in bed before my roommates alot of the time but still they get home pretty late so that isn't saying a whole lot for me.

If I could change anything about this semester thus far it would be that I want a personal math tutor and a better math t.a. And I wish I could change the fact that I party too much. And really its all just a matter of self mastery. I wish I was more disciplined and could control my urges more. I procrastinate homework so bad on the weekend that i end up doing it on Sunday and I really really really detest doing homework on Sunday. Not because i'm self righteous or anything but just because I really need a day where I don't have any school obligation and can just focus on catching up with my family, my spiritual well being, and church. But I wouldn't change a whole lot about my BYU experience thus far, its been pretty darn spectacular!!!

My BYU Adventure

Friday night last week, my two roommates, Jen and Josie, and my imaginary roommate, Angela, ( she sleeps on my couch, eats my food, but doesn't technically live in apt. 228) and I went on the most fascinating adventure!! It was a hard thing to get started though, Angela was asleep on the couch and I had to coax her off the couch and out the door by placing a trail of cheerios on the ground that led to the door... She almost fell for it but then slipped to the ground and face planted it! Ha ha it was ridiculously funny.

Once on campus we visited the Hinkley Visitor Center first! They had some great rooms that were full of some of the comfyest chairs on the planet! Haha I know where I'll be watching devotionals :) They had some great historical pictures on the wall, my favorite was that of the freshman in the olden days, They had to wear cat ears and whiskers around campus for some initiation of some sort, boy i'm glad we don't have to do that.

Then we got lost in the basement of the HFAC! It was ginormous and i swear we were going in circles! Everywhere looked the same! haha but the highlight of the basement of the HFAC was the bulletin board, found somewhere in the maze of hallways, that we all signed our names onto just to be funny like the rest of the kids who thought they'd put clever little doo dahs on the boards. Lol felt like jr. high all over again, writing on walls and things that weren't meant to be written on.

Then we took pictures of some amazing sculptures outside the MOA. We tried to mimick the awkward pose of the little dancer scultpure. Haha some guy ended up asking if he could take a picture of us taking pictures of each other, that was cool. We then explore the JFSB stairs, haha that was intriguing but my favorite part of the adventure was definitely the Eyring Science Center! There were so many hands on activities and amazing things to read about in the lobby! But the telescopes on the observation deck were absolutely fascinating! We got to look at jupiter and three of its moons! We got to see the moon up close and in detail threw a really large telescope! I had always wanted to stare through a telescope that large in scale! So that was way cool!!

Something I would definitely recommend everyone should try at night on campus is to slide down the library hill! When the weather is just right and with a good running start you can make it all the way down on your stomache or side! haha its also fun to roll down!

Bloch Talk

I really enjoyed visiting the Museum of Art. I hadn't ever been in that building before and I love art history and just art in general so going to visit that painting was a good excuse to go. My only complaint was about having to drag our backpacks to a bin to be stored away during our visit... that was just different.

Staring at the picture for ten minutes wasn't really enough time for me to come up with my own interpretation of everyone so we stayed a little over 15 minutes. In that small amount of time I can conclude that I am most like the man 2nd in from the left that has an expression of deep concern on his face. He stands in the background, pressed back by a gathering crowd but gazes straight forward with worry.

I, unlike him, don't have that many wrinkles...let me just make that clear. And I really am not a huge worry wart, but something I do worry about is others abilities to see what kind of miracles Heavenly Father can place in our lives, especially through Christs atonement. I feel the greatest joy from recognizing tender mercies and love coming from my Heavenly Father and it worries me that others do not recognize his love. That they are too low in spirit that they cannot feel the peace and comfort he can bring.

This teaches me about being a disciple-scholar in regards to worry and care for others. To be a disciple-scholar one needs to be able to care and feel for everyone. To not be selfish and think of themselves but to worry about the welfare of others as well.