Intro + Halloween

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!