Creating Emory Memories

Relay For Life

2009-04-09T15:53:00.004-04:00

This past Friday night, I participated in Emory's Relay For Life. For those who don't know, Relay is an overnight event that different cities and colleges hold nationwide. It raises money for the American Cancer Society, spreads information about cancer prevention, and is just a fun time! Emory's lasted from 7pm till 7am on the outdoor track. Different campus groups and clubs set up tents and booths around the track, offering food and/or games for a donation. At least one person from each club is supposed to be walking around the track at all times.

I walked for my sorority's team. Each team was assigned a different country for which to decorate their tent. We got Madagascar.

Doesn't that just screeeam Madagascar? We thought so. Our fundraiser was henna tattoos, which actually were pretty popular.

I stayed till around 12:30. I walked a lot, played some frisbie, played (and lost) a round of "punch pong" (AKA beer pong, but with Hawaiian Punch), decorated a cookie, participated in a "frozen T-shirt" concert and danced the Conga, Macarana, Chicken Dance and other cheesy songs that I haven't heard some my Bat Mitzvah days. There were also a lot of performances from student groups, including a capella, modern dance and some really neat Indian dancing. Sadly, I didn't win any raffles this year, but last year I won a coupon for free Yoforia (an AMAZING frozen yogurt place - like Pinkberry in NY - near campus).

Overall, it was a really fun night. I LOVED how much turnout there was; I saw nearly all my friends show up for at least a little while.

Here are some pictures (stolen from friends) from last year's Relay:

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Before I end this post, I have to give a shout-out to my friends reading this blog. Hi Kate and Karla! Both of them have told me how amused they are that I'm doing this.

Now I'm off to a passover seder with some friends. Happy passover to anyone celebrating!

Opus says...

2009-03-30T17:15:00.005-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS ACCEPTED STUDENTS!

I've heard that all regular decision applicants can now check Emory's decision on Opus. So, Congrats to all accept-ees!

Though I, and the great majority of my friends, LOVE Emory, I realize that many potential students have other great college options to consider. Don't take this decision lightly, but also pleeease don't go crazy with stress. Just do some research and then go with your gut; you'll likely end up chosing the place where you'll feel most at home for 4 years.

If you haven't done so yet, I strongly encourage you to visit Emory. Maybe you'll even get me as your tour guide! Go here: http://www.emory.edu/ADMISSIONS/visit/visit-schedule.htm. During the month of April, there will also be several panels for accepted students, in which current students will take questions from the group and mingle with everyone. Attending a class, looking at the 3D views of the rooms online and even just exploring the Emory website will also be extremely helpful in making your final decision. If you know what you want to major in, visit the department's website. Look up campus on google-maps to get a feel of the surrounding area. Read all my blog entries and ask me a gazillion questions. Join the Emory 2013 group on facebook, and ask current student questions and/or get to know potential classmates. And, then do similar research for all your other colleges. And THEN, I hope to see your smiling face in August.

I'm very excited to welcome more people into the lovely Emory Community!

Oh... but also, don't give up hope if you've been waitlisted. The year I applied, not a single student was accepted off of the waitlist. However, the last two years, many students were. It really just all depends upon how many accepted students decide to enroll. I suggest you research Emory, so that you can be prepared to accept or decline a possible enrollment offer.

By the way, the above picture was taken by yours truly in the spring of 2006. I already 100% knew that I would be attending (since I applied Early Decision), but just wanted to visit the campus again.

A major decision

2009-03-27T14:39:00.002-04:00

My first few months at Emory, a typical introduction to another student involved three questions:
1. Where are you from?
2. What hall do you live on?
3. What's your major?

I easily gave quick and concise answers to the first two question, but struggled with the third. A typical conversation went like this:
curious Emory student excited to meet me: So, do you know your major?
me: wellllll...
CESETMM: I'm double majoring in anthropology and political science, with a history minor.
me: Wow. Wellll, I'm considering English, Poli Sci, Journalism, Jewish Studies, Psychology and Sociology. Oh and possibly History. Or Religion.
CESETMM: Whoa.

Clearly, I was confused. I went to a public high school where we didn't have courses in many of the subjects that Emory offers as a major. I hardly knew what Sociology was, but it sounded interesting. I liked my one high school government class and my one human behavior class, so I added PoliSci and Psychology as possibilities. Writing for a newspaper or being a TV anchor sounded cool, so Journalism was added to the list.

Though many of my peers knew exactly what they wanted to dedicate their four years towards studying, I didn't feel too much pressure to decide. Emory students aren't required to declare their major until their 2nd semester sophomore year. And, exploring many different classes wouldn't hurt me; I knew that those credits could all count towards General Education Requirements.

So, my first year, I took a variety of basic intro courses and somewhat more specialized courses in Sociology, Psychology, History, Philosophy, Dance, Political Science and English. Though I enjoyed the majority of those , none felt quite right. My classmates who were majoring in the subject of the course all seemed so passionate about the material. Learning all about it seemed to come natural to them, whereas my interest was slightly forced.

By the time fall 2007 rolled around, I felt a bit frustrated. I looked at the course atlas and realized that I had already dismissed nearly every major. Then, I saw creative writing. I had forgotten that Emory offered that! I loooved writing short stories and poetry as a kid. In 2nd grade, I swore that I would become an "a-four and illumastrator." So, I decided to take a course entitled "Into to Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry Writing." I wasn't hopeful that it would turn into a major, but I figured it would at least be fun.

And fun it was! I actually found myself not just not dreading class, but I was excited to enter the classroom every week. Plus, my writing received great reviews from my classmates and my professor. I had found my major. Just to be 100% sure, I took another CW class the next semester - Intro to Screenwriting. I loved that too, and after just a few weeks, I officially declared my major.

Here are a few details about the Creative Writing program:
- Majors are required to take 5 CW seminars and 6 courses in the English department
- This is also a minor offered.
- Seminars include intro, intermediate and advanced courses on fiction and poetry. Depending on semester, there's also classes in non-fiction, screenwriting, play writing, novels and more.
- Seminars are super small. They are all capped at about 16 students with a full-time professor. Most of mine had been smaller (including intermediate fiction with 7 students).
- The professors are all fantastic; super approachable and amazing talents. I honestly haven't heard anything bad about any of them. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about any other department that I know of.
- Professors realllly take the time to get to know their students personally and as writers. They work overtime to help students fine tune their personal writing style. A large portion of class time is spent work-shopping your writing. The whole class will read your work and comment on it. It may sound scary, but its ridiculously helpful.
- Fun fact: all the CW professors I've had have insisted that we call them by their first name. So Bruce, Jenna and Lynna are great.
- Seminars are all once-a-week classes, lasting three-hours. It may seem long, but I personally LOVE this format. It's great for classes that are mostly discussion based. And don't worry - you'll get at least one 5-10 minute break.
- Guests speakers come nearly every week to read to students and staff. These are often famous authors and poets, or young writers whom students can relate to.

If you're interested in creative writing, I suggest you explore the department's website - http://www.creativewriting.emory.edu/. Other majors - go here: http://college.emory.edu/departments/

I'm soooo glad to have found a major that I truly love. Now I just have to figure out what I want to do after college. I've been hard at work applying for summer internships.

Gaaahhh, I can't believe that I'm about to be a SENIOR! College goes by way way waaaay to quickly. Hmm, maybe I'll write a post about this phenomenon soon.

Why Emory?

2009-03-21T01:29:00.006-04:00

So, perhaps you're reading this blog because you want to know WHY you should attend (or just apply to) Emory. Sooo, I present to you my essay on the subject. Word-for-word, this is what I sent to the Emory admissions office when I applied waaay back in November 2005.

Afterward, I'll tell you if my thoughts on the school turned out to be true.

WARNING: It's quite an abnormal essay. What can I say? - I was a creative writer even before I chose the major.

Ready for it? Get set! Read!:

By now, you probably have noted the absence of a valuable metal spoon from Cox Hall and uncovered evidence that helped you trace its disappearance to one particular weekend this past June. While the "borrowing" of an eating utensil was not exactly the sort of soul-awakening, light-bulb shinning impact I had envisioned myself making upon Emory University, my dream school, I am well aware that it was, nonetheless, quite significant. Please allow me to shed light on what, in the annals of Emory history has become known as "Spoonagate." Simply said, the crafty culprit who committed the dastardly deed is none other than Mitch Tandet, my dad.

To recap the facts leading up to the odious offense, it took place on the first day of my family's visit to Emory. The instant we walked onto the campus, I realized my actual experience there would differ drastically from any I had anticipated. I had imagined a world of chaos: cars and bicycles vying for parking spaces, half-asleep students dashing towards open classroom doors, and weary admission counselors handling the overwhelming influx of visitors whom we would be among. Instead, I found myself surrounded by students and faculty whose mood was upbeat and exciting; everyone was willing to welcome me, if only for a few short hours, into their Emory community. I identified with their warmth and their refreshing personalities, that were laid-back and enthusiastic, and so like my own. As we walked towards our awaiting guides, my parents' playful winks and knowing smiles indicated that we were all on the same wavelength. It is easy to see that thoughts of the ill-famed incident had yet to enter my dad's head.

Two female guides embarked with us on a private tour -- one a bubbly Texan and the other, an intellectual New Yorker. Their personalities may have been contrasting, but their styles were strikingly similar. When we spoke, they answered all my questions about the numerous aspects of Emory in which I was interested. They were trying to impress me, and boy, did they! I, Jodi of a million questions, could not think of one of my queries that remained unanswered. I realized that I had unwittingly followed the advice of Simon and Garfunkel and strolled the grounds until I felt at home. I was hooked; in fact, the very buildings seemed to be calling, "Come on in, Jodi!"

It was when I entered Cox Hall with my parents and our tour guides that Spoonagate occurred. My dad went off to purchase a mid-afternoon snack and returned with a metal spoon in his yogurt; plastic spoons were unavailable. This became a bit of a dilemma as I wanted to immediately explore further Emory buildings and he wanted to finish his fruity treat. It was then that my innocent, strawberry-yogurt loving dad decided to take the yogurt, along with the now infamous utensil, with him, never realizing the ramifications his harmless act would engender.

I believe that the disrepute that surrounds the spoon and its abductor has gone on long enough. To that end, I am enclosing information about the now notorious Spoonagate that will lead an astute leader to its whereabouts. That I am doing so is a testimony to my desire to attend Emory with a clean plate, fork, knife and spoon. The spoon, in fact, never left the Emory campus; it is alive and well and living at one of the foremost bagel spots that serve students of Emory, and at which I hope to spend many happy hours studying and socializing. I hope this reinstates my dad to acceptable status and me to the top of the list of Emory hopefuls. Should you choose to do the latter, I assure you that you efforts will not have been made in vain, as I am confident that I will be an exemplary student.

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Let me provide a critical analyst of my own work (I'm tired of analyzing Shakespeare):
- People don't need to compete for parking spaces; there's plenty. Semester passes are just expensive. And almost no one rides a bike.
- I...I am now often a "half-alseep" student when going to class.
- The admission counselors like organizing the tours. (Hi Jamie! *waves*...one of them reads this. I'm not sucking up though. They already admitted me. The counselors are actually kind of hilarious.)
- I DO like to think that us tour guides are welcoming, enthusiastic annnd chill.
- Most of the buildings are quite purdy...with their Italian Renaissance architecture. But some are surrounded by construction, which I don't love.
- Plastic spoons are always available now! Yipee! I think Cox Hall was being renovated when I visited, so they were out.
- I would write this essay MUCH better now, courtesy of my writing experience. Just sayin'.

The moral of the story? Take risks with your essays. Just be honest and make the "why (insert school name here)" essay specific, so the counselors KNOW that you wrote it just for that school. It certainly does not have to be as odd as mine though.

And to those of you who already applied and are waiting to here back on April 1st, GOOD LUCK! Although I applied Early Decision, I know the stress of waiting for a decision well. Back in my day (wow...I sound like a grandpa) I had to wait for Emory to send me a snail mail letter. None of this fancy schmancy online notification stuff. Talk about stress. I sat for several days in my living room - since it had the best view of the mail box - and would jump anytime I thought I heard a car drive by. When I finally got the letter and felt that it held a CD (which I'm not sure if they still give out), I tore it up and started laughing hysterically. I was just so happy and in disbelief. Many people cry; I couldn't stop giggling.

Most importantly, good luck in making YOUR decision. As always, I'm just a comment away if you have questions or concerns.

Give me a break!

2009-03-18T18:54:00.003-04:00

I went to FLORIDA for Spring Break '09! Whoooo!

That would be a lot more exciting if Florida wasn't simply home. In fact, I wanted to go out-of-state for college to get the heck away from my always-summer-and-ridiculous-humid-resulting-in-crazy-frizzy-hair-and-hurricane-threats-but-no-fun-snow-days state. But I do admit that I've developed a greater appreciation for South Florida since I started living in the state above.

I went home this year on Friday, the 6th and stayed until Sunday, the 15h. There was no class Monday-Friday. I played with my parents' Wii fit, went shopping for a upcoming sorority formal dress, worked on some summer internship applications, saw Slumdog Millionaire (which I loved, loved, loved) and of course, spent some quality time lounging on the beach. It was very nice and relaxing. In my opinion, Spring Break is the PERFECT amount of break time; Thanksgiving is far too short and Winter Break is way too long. After a week, I've had enough lazy time to feel satisfied yet I'm also glad to go back to Emory.

In terms of what most students do over Spring Break - it varies. Many people go back home, travel with family or go on adventures with friends. (And yes, Florida is an extremely popular vacation spot). Several Emory student groups also offer "alternative spring breaks", in which any student can sign up to volunteer in an area of need - such as building homes in New Orleans or tutoring children in Chicago. It's just a half-hour drive to the Atlanta Airport. And by the way, I adore the Atlanta Airport. There's a ridiculous number of food options, it's the Delta hub so I can find flights at anytime super easily, and indoor trams transport you from terminal to terminal. Some people hate the size (it's the busiest airport in the world, literally) but it's easy to navigate.

OK...back to internship applications. Hollar at me with ANY Emory/general college questions!

Classes

2009-02-22T15:31:00.008-05:00

Oftentimes, when people think of "college life" they forget that involves a little something called class. Though the Emory experience involves MUCH more than scheduled meeting times of education, they are surely an important part (and what you parents are paying for!)

Since Emory's student body is so diverse, no class schedule could be considered "typical". But I'd like to give you at least some idea. Sooo, I present to you my class schedule for my 6 semesters here. I also included my guesstimate (guess/estimate) of the number of students that were in the class, as well as my main reason for taking the course.

Freshman - Fall
Eng 101 - Expository Writing (fulfilled the freshman writing requirement - 18 students)
Math 111 - Calculus 1 (Math/computer science requirement - 30 students)
Phil 100 - Into to Philosophy (humanities requirement - 25 students)
Soc 101 - Intro to General Sociology (I was interested in sociology - 45 students)

Freshman - Spring
Dance 123R - Modern Dance 1 (It fulfilled 1/3 PE course requirements, plus I used to dance and missed it - 20 students)
Hist 232 - Making of Modern American: US since 1877 (History requirement - 30 students)
PE 101 - Personal Health Education (a required class for everyone, about 250 students since everyone had to take it. But everyone also has a weekly discussion group with a Public Health grad student and about 15 students)
Pols 120 - Intro to Comparative Politics (International studies requirement, plus I was interested in possibly minoring in polisci - 25 students)
Psyc 110 - Intro to Psychology: Psychobiology and Cognition (I was interested in psychology - 125 students)
Psych 190 - Freshman Seminar: Psychology and Pseudoscience (I was extremely interested in the course description, plus every freshman is required to take a seminar - which oftentimes isn't in their major/minor - 11 students.)

Sophomore - Fall
Eng 270 - Intro to Creative Writing: Fiction and Poetry (Interested in the course/subject - 15 students)
JS 169 - The Arab-Israeli Conflict (Interested in the course and the Jewish Studies program - 90 students)
Psyc 205 - Child Development (I love kids - 45 students)
Span 201 - Intermediate Spanish I (Language Requirement - 12 students)

Sophomore - Spring
EDS 201 - American Education (Interested in the course - 25 students)
Eng 378 - Creative Writing: Intermediate Screenwriting (I was interested in the course, plus I wanted to make sure that I wanted to become a Creative Writing major - 15 students)
Jnrl 201 - News Reporting and Writing (Interested in journalism - 12 students)
Span 202 - Intermediate Spanish II (Language Requirement - 17 students)

Junior - Fall
Eng 212 - Readings in Popular Literature and Culture (for my major - 18 students)
Eng 370 - Creative Writing: Intermediate Fiction (for my major/interested - 8 students)
JS 205 - Biblical Literature (for my minor/interested - 15 students)
PE 194 - Stress Reduction and Flexibility (PE Credit - 23 students)
JS 370 - Topics in Jewish Religion and Culture: Holocaust Memoirs (for my minor/interested - 18 students)

Junior - Spring
Eng 311 - Intro to Shakespeare (for my major - 19 students)
Eng 371 - Creative Writing: Intermediate Poetry (for my major/interested - 14 students )
JS 370 - Topics in Jewish Religion and Culture: Religion and Medical Ethics (for my minor/interested - 13 students)
Phys 116 - Intro Astronomy w/ Lab (lab science requirement - 38 students in the lecture, 20 student in the lab)

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'd LOVE to know if anyone is reading this!

...and now I'm off to start watching the Oscar's Red Carpet with some of my sorority sisters. I just can't resist judging beautiful celebrities on their dress choices.

Emorytube

2009-02-16T21:36:00.002-05:00

Sooo, I'm away for a few days due to a family emergency but I just discovered that most amazing thing! EMORY'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL! http://www.youtube.com/emoryuniversity

The idea that we have a youtube channel really brings a smile to my face. Take that David After Dentist (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs) and Charlie Bit My Finger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM)! (Fine, the secret's out - I am a frequent fan of the 'tube).

Now I just have to watch all the Emory vids and try to spot myself.

I'm back!

2009-02-12T20:19:00.002-05:00

I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. I actually tried posting in earlier January, but kept receiving odd error messages. Hopefully, this works now! I've missed writing on the blog.

Anyway, let's talk LEARNLINK! Learnlink is my current obsession and has been since I was freshman. It is Emory's online community, run by a server called First Class. Besides receiving personal e-mail and academic announcements, Learnlink also includes:

*"Conferences" for every club and class you're in
* Emory Announcements, where students can post about activities, meetings, performances and any events around campus
* Career resources
* Lost & Found postings
* Classifieds
* Textbook exchange
* Syllabus database
* Discussion on professor and classes, so students can decide what classes to register for (kind of like our own ratemyprofesor.com)
* The ability for students to create their own conferences (friends, their freshman hall, lab partners...any group!)
*Instant Messaging and instant group chats

It's hard to fully explain unless you see it, but student LOVE love love Learnlink! It makes communicating with friends, classmates, club members and even professors and faculty super easy. It's also extremely well organized. Little red flags pop up every time a new message appears. Every member of the Emory community has an e-mail address. You don't actually have to remember everyone's address though; simply type in part of their first and late names...and suggestions for their full name appear.

I recently wrote a poetry collection for my Intermediate Poetry class. While trying to think up ideas for poems, I explored Learnlink. I also searched online for different forms of poetry. Then, it hit me...I would write a poem about Learnlink!

Here it is:

Ode to Learnlink
Thy kind DUC computer so bright and my tiny hands so ready
A beautiful blue and green oval, my eyes catch thine splendor
Fingertips mount on the keyboard, I type with care. Keep steady
A six-letter surname, a complete user ID thus it render
Stroke my password out in precise rhythm with passion
Access be granted, a bright white rectangle forms in greeting
Oh mailbox! Oh conferences! Oh glorious glorious flags in red!
Activities, greetings and news of the hour laid out in such fashion
Thy entertainment and sense of community is never ever fleeting
Behold! A ting my ears do hear. A new message hath arrived in a thread!

Total time used: 32 weeks 7 hours 51 minutes

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I never write in Old English, but thought it was appropriate to properly express my love.

Greek Life

2008-11-23T20:47:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, I woke up at 7:00am. Not only was it a Saturday, but it was 19-degrees outside (and as you can see my last post, I have a hate-hate relationship with cold weather). I didn't have an exam to desperately study for, no relatives to pick up from the airport for a visit, and certainly no desire to deprive myself of sleep. No, no...I woke up at an hour that I've rarely seen since high school - let alone on a weekend - to help with sorority recruitment! And I couldn't have been more excited.

Both sorority and fraternity recruitment are "deferred" at Emory, meaning that it isn't until the spring semester. But although freshman cannot join sororities yet, we had a practice day yesterday - called Novemberfest - in which all interested girls go inside each sorority lodge to meet the members. This year, I'm a 'Pi Chi'. That means that I am assigned to a freshman dorm and I am in charge of advising all its residents about Greek life and the recruitment process. I LOVE doing it. My sorority is so very special to me, and being a Pi Chi is my way of giving back; I get to help several dozen girls find the sorority that is the best match for them, even if it's not my own.

Since I hope to give readers of this blog a glimpse into my college life, here are a few key facts and observations about Emory's Greek system:
* About 30% of Emory students are members.
*It is NOT stereotypical. We aren't all blonde party girls with their daddy's credit card in one hand and a martini glass in the other. Most of us like to have fun, but we also plan many philanthropy events, value each other's friendship and are serious about our academics.
*There is NO hazing.
*Greeks have a higher average G.P.A. than the overall student body average.
*Members easily have time to be involved in many other student activities.
*Sorority girls are NOT just friends with their "sisters". I have non-Greek friends, as well as friends in other sororities.
*Sorority and Fraternity events are open to ALL students - not just other Greeks.
*It is NOT like the ABC Family show Greek.
*Members don't have to live in the lodges or houses. The 3-year-old sorority complex (pictured above) is like a long townhouse, with each section belonging to a different sorority. I live there and love it. The fraternity houses are HUGE and look like Victorian mansions from the outside.

I'm so thankful for Emory's sorority system, as I doubt I would have joined one at a bigger state school. It sounds cheesy, but it's given me a large group of girls whom I'm proud to call my "sisters" and it makes campus feel more like a home. But since there are SO many other college activities and Atlanta events, Greek life is far from the only social option. It just happened to be a great one for me. There's not much else that would get me up with a smile before sunrise!

Brrrr!

2008-11-18T17:39:00.003-05:00

I just ran up the stairs of my dorm, threw off my winter coat, and got into bed to snuggle with my Disney princess throw blanket and laptop.

Ladies and gentleman, it is FREEZING in Atlanta.

According to weather.com (AKA my best friend), it is currently 39 degrees fahrenheit and "feels like" 31. Yes, yes...I know from high school science that 39 is not technically "freezing" but it sure felt like I could have gotten frostbite out there! What happened to the 60 degree weather of last week? I am one of the few people who came to Atlanta for colder weather, but now I find myself longing for Thanksgiving in South Florida when I'll likely travel to the beach in shorts and flip-flops with my family.

Oh wellll...those are the weather sacrifices one makes to attend their otherwise dream school! I'll survive these next harsh weeks by hibernating with a warm coat, dorm heat and lots and lots of hot chocolate.

OAR!

2008-11-09T21:14:00.008-05:00

Emory holds a fall band party every year that's free for students. Last year's made national news - not because it was exceptionally amazing, but because the stage collapsed and the show was canceled.. AKON, who created the insanely catchy (and classy!) song "Smack that" had his workers setting up the stage when it somehow broke. Whooops.

This year's was MUCH better. One of my absolute favor bands, O.A.R. performed! You might know their songs "Love and Memories" or (my personal fav) "Crazy Game of Poker." As someone who doesn't know a heck of a lot of bands, I was super excited. I wound up just a few feet from the front. After a bit, my friends I felt a bit too squished so we moved back from the crowd and still had an amazing view. It was a lot of fun dancing around with friends and mingling with other students. The lead singer laughed at us for simply smiling and waving up at him. Some other students crowd surfed, which terrified me, but it was easy to move away from them and no one was hurt.

In other news, have you heard that we have a new president? I watched the election coverage with several friends and we all danced around the room for several minutes after the announcement. I walked outside later and could hear Obama's speech blaring from many TVs. And, my professors all enjoyed talking to us about the historical aspects of the election in class on Wednesday. My Jewish Studies professor described attending MLK's "I have a dream" speech, which honestly sent shivers up my spine. Though most people I talked to shared my happiness with the result, McCain supporters didn't seem to feel alienated. They comfortably expressed their views in a rational (not angry, ignorant or mocking) manner.

Oh and before I head off to read my classmates' creative writings stories, I'll mention a (in my opinion) interesting story. Wednesday night, my "Holocaust Memoirs" professor, Deborah Lipstadt, invited the 18 students of the class over for dinner. Profesor Lipstadt was involved with a trial against a Holocaust denier, which made national headlines in 2000. We all knew that she's a renowned historian and author, but it's easy to forget because she's so down-to-earth and easy to talk to. After chatting over humus, pita and fresh veggies, she left us for a few minutes to prepare her homemade lasagna. We all began to look around the living room, which was covered in fun gadgets and artwork from around the world. One boy in our class suddenly gasped. Propped up right behind him, was a framed letter signed personally by Bill Clinton.

Emory professors often literally write the books, but they still have a clear passion for teaching and interacting one-on-one with students. I didn't originally apply here for that reason, but its given me even a greater appreciation for my school.

McBama, OCain '08

2008-11-02T20:41:00.003-05:00

Election Day is almost here...and I cannot believe it. Emory students vary in both their political ideologies AND how much politics interest them, but nearly everyone is excited for Tuesday!

Here's what I've been seeing lately:
- An "Obama Voting Party Bus" sponsored by Emory Students for Barack Obama COVERED in Obama pictures, slogans and fliers. It's been taking students to and from the polls for early voting in Georgia
- Daily postings from friends on Learnlink conferences (it's an amazingly addictive Emory-only e-mail/conference system) reminding everyone to vote and register
- E-mails and facebook status with funny election related videos. (have you seen this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX40RsSLwF4 or this: http://www.hulu.com/watch/36863/saturday-night-live-couric--palin-open#s-p4-sr-i1?)
- weekly editorials about the election in the Emory Wheel (emorywheel.com)
- predictions from Emory poli sci professors

Since this school year started, other students have been encouraging each other to vote and make informed decisions. CSAmerica, a nonpartisan political interest group, stood around campus for weeks making sure everyone who passed was registered. There's been viewing parties for all the debates, endless discussion groups with students and faculty, and fliers spread around the mail center about absentee ballots.

I'm not voting on Tuesday, since I mailed in my absentee ballot to dear 'ol Florida 2 weeks ago. But, many of my friends are seriously excited about standing in line for hours at the polls. And at 6:00 we all plan to start partying together at Rock The Results! The Student Government Assosciation and College Council are having FREE FOOD, games, raffles, music and prizes all around a big screen with the news results on our field. Hopefully most students will walk around smiling and not in tears. But we're fairly diverse in our views, so both emotions are bound to occur.

I'm just hoping to get some sleep Tuesday Night! I have a few papers due for Wednesday classes, but I'm not at all procrastinating so I can concentrate on the news.

Well, I have to go. I'm planning carpools for a free Ben & Jerry's scoop and Starbucks coffee. (Both are free for voters nationwide Tuesday!) Mmmmm. Choosing my ice cream flavor may be harder than choosing a president... (Phish Food and Half Backed have equally excellent qualities that will be great for the future of my taste buds.)

Intro + Halloween

2008-10-31T19:45:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween from the A-T-L!

Hi, I'm Jodi. I'm a Emory College Junior from Coral Springs, Florida. It's an hour north of Miami beach, just south of Boca Raton. You probably have grandparents or other older relatives who live by me. Around campus, you'll frequently find me walking backwards. I'm not crazy; just a tour guide. And, I'm proud to say that I've only tripped and fallen once! It's an acquired talent. I'm also involved with Greek Life (sororities, not the country), Emory Hillel (Jewish campus organization) and Volunteer Emory (umbrella organization for philanthropy clubs).

I'm majoring in Creative Writing, with a minor in Judaic Studies. Yes, I realize that the my major may give readers hope that the writing of this blog will be...well...creative. I hope to not disappoint, but please excuse my attempts at humor.

Write now (pun intended, I warned you about my humor), two main events are on nearly every student's mind: Halloween and Election Day.

Halloween at Emory is really fun! I had dinner at the student buffet (The DUC - Dobbs University Center) and the entire area was decorated in orange and black. There were special Halloween themed desserts and some employees were decked out in full costumes! There was also the annual pumpkin carving contest, where students vote on their favorite pumpkin creation (made by other students). My English professor handed out candy yesterday at 10 AM. Many of my friends are going to costume parties or haunted houses, plus a few are enjoying nostalgia by trick-or-treating in local neighborhoods. There's also a large group collecting cans to donate to homeless shelters, instead of asking for candy.

One of favorite Halloween stories took place last year. My Spanish professor was awarding extra credit to any student who wore a "Espanol related" costume to class. I decided to be daring and actually wear an outfit.I settled on Penelope Cruz since we share the same birthday. I wore a pretty dress and name tag. I thought I would be the only student to actually wear a costume, but when I walked into class EVERYONE was decked out in creative outfits! There was a soccer player, salsa dancer and bullfighter. One student even wore a pinata around his waist and taped candy to his chest. I feel in love with the Emory spirit that day. We aren't afraid to have fun and look silly!

This post is getting a bit long, so I'll stop and post later this weekend about an even scarier event - Election Day! I'm really excited about Tuesday, especially with all the campus events planned.

Throughout the year I'll be posting about Emory events, campus observations and some of my own fun stories. I might even share a fun tale or two about tour guiding. Come to campus and YOU may stare in one! Outside of this blog, I write a lot of fiction, but my love for my school is very very real.

Please feel free to comment with any questions or thoughts!