go blue samantha g

Oh yes...another survey

2008-03-20T13:54:00.001-04:00

So I am the first one to tell you how much I hate those surveys people email out that says their favorite color, and the last TV show they watched. On the other hand, I think you're probably getting really tired of me just writing paragraph after paragraph of what's going on in my life. Therefore, this is my "Survey so that my blog doesn't get so boring that you stop reading".

Lasts
What did you do last night? Helped set up for casino night, an event run by the RA's and Hall Council. Then I went over to the basement of the Union to study for the night (PS where the food is? That's not the basement…there's this crazy computing lab underneath that I recommend to anyone). I went with a friend, and normally we get sidetracked by Youtube videos or just talking and laughing, but last night was a focus night because I have a six page paper due Friday!
What was the last thing you ate? Last night was italian night in the cafeteria. Normally it's spaghetti with marinara or alfredo sauce. I was so surprised that we had pesto sauce! Pesto is my favorite dish back home, so I just loaded up. I also love the garlic bread here (note to students and parents: learn to love Italian night), and we had marble cake for dessert
Name the coolest thing you learned last week: In my anthropology discussion, we watched a slideshow to debate gender versus sex. It used to be that gender and sex were the same thing, however now we know that sex is biological and gender is cultural. That being said, it was really crazy to pick out the drag queens, the hermaphrodites, and the women that looked like men but were actually women.
When is the last time you had fun? Yes, contrary to popular belief, we have lots of fun in the Honors Program here at Michigan. I've been pretty busy with homework this week, but my friends just went out for a late night Steak and Shake run. I think the last time I had fun was this weekend, when I went to see our friends in an a capella concert. It was an absolute blast, and they sang some of my favorite songs.
Rewind one week: What were you doing? I had the opportunity to go to the top of the Bell Tower and play the carillon. We also took a tour of Hill Auditorium. Apparently, Hill is the third most acoustically perfect performance hall in the world, only to Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. I got to stand at the top and whisper down to the stage, and we had a conversation that didn't require a microphone and spanned 3,575 seats! Then we all went underneath the biggest bell and took a picture of all 20 of us there. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done.

Favorite…
Study Place: This totally depends on what I'm looking for. When I'm going with my friend, like I said before, we go to the Tap Room or the basement of the Union. But if I'm looking to pound out a paper in complete silence, then I love the Law Library's Reading Room. I don't get wireless there because I'm not in the school of Business or law, so it's nice to not have any distractions. Last semester, though, I spent almost all my time in the Graduate Library, because they have these cubicles called carrels that are perfect for solitary study.
Local Food: Back in Midland, we don't have Noodles and Company, and I personally could eat their Pesto Cavatappi until I died. If my friends ever tire of it, though, they just run to Potbelly's or Jimmy John's nearby and we all meet someplace else to eat.
Source of Physical Activity: My kickboxing class, held up at the CCRB (Central Campus Recreation Building), is every Friday afternoon. It's a great chance for me to get rid of all my anger from the week and start the weekend anew.
Hideout: The Law Quad is the most beautiful place on earth. I love walking into the quad and watching people walk their dog, or couples holding hands strolling down the stone. If it's raining, I hide under the Lawyers Club area and just smell the fresh rain air. Even though it's "for" law students, everyone is welcome, and seeing as I will never be a lawyer, I take full advantage of my ability to use it.

Next…
Fall: We register for classes in three weeks! I'm so ready for the summer, but fall means one thing: FOOTBALL GAMES! While we didn't snag Terrelle Pryor, we have one more reason to despise THE Ohio State University. Now that I'll be a sophomore next year, we purchased our tickets this week, and I've never been so happy in my entire life! For those of you coming here, sometimes football is enough. The atmosphere and electricity in the Big House and on campus in general for those nine weeks is insane, and while it's not the only thing that makes me love this University, it's a pretty big factor :) For the record, I'm totally kidding. You should be here for more than just football.
Weekend: This weekend is Easter weekend, and my friend Richard is in a modern dance show that I'm going to go see Friday night. Saturday is going to be a day of relaxation and scrapbooking, because I need it. Class has taken a lot out of me. Next next weekend, though, I'm going to CHICAGO with other South Quad residents to see WICKED! And shopping in Chicago is of course, top notch
Class: My disease class is tomorrow. We just finished polio and are spending an entire day to discuss literature reviews. Each of us picked a day to turn in a literature review based on a book on epidemics. My book was about drug addiction, so tomorrow my peers will pick apart my writing and discuss the change from infectious epidemics to psychological epidemics (aka noone's dying of smallpox, now they're dying of drugs and alcohol)
Time: The semester will be wrapping up, so you can all look forward to a beautiful list of tips for becoming a freshman, or prospective student :)

In the meantime, if you have any questions, my email is samgreen@umich.edu . I check my email 100 times too many each day, so you're guaranteed an answer within 24 hours!

Until next time (come to Campus Day!),

Samantha

Hitting The Usual Wall but Pushing Right Through...

2008-03-04T02:01:00.005-05:00

I guess I never realized it, but according to my parents, I normally burn out around this time of the year. One day after spring break, I don't think that any of that has changed, but I have. Before you stop reading because you think this is just some rant about school, I promise there's a point to it.

I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. I love diseases, but I'm not sure if that means the doctor's life or a public health career is right for me. Now that I'll be a summer orientation leader (if you've been accepted, pay your deposit and come visit me!) in addition to Campus Day, I'm discovering I love being involved in University organizations, and I'm not sure if that's the kind of career I would enjoy most. And finally, I love South Quad Hall Council and Phi Sigma Pi and the programming opportunities that come with it, so maybe that means I want to find a job as a programming coordinator.

Ideally, there's a job programming events about disease awareness on UM campus. But as long as we're honest, that's probably a long shot.

The best part is, as burnt out as I feel, and unsure of where I'm going, this University is perfect for me. I'm meeting with my academic advisor tomorrow to talk about my classes, my future, and all the other extracurriculars and stresses in my life. Switching to this advisor that cares so much about me as a person and not as a name on the computer screen means alot, and that's something I didn't get as much of in high school.

I've found a job this summer as an Orientation Leader, but I have weeks available to shadow at the hospital, sit in on Public Health summer classes, and continue working with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. This summer I get to figure out who I am and where I want to go with my life, and it's all been provided by this city and University. I'm not sitting around houses with my high school friends, but instead building upon the friendships I've found here, as many of my friends are staying for a spring term. Knowing that this summer I've found the best of all worlds (No Hannah Montana reference...but I came close) is one of the things that makes me smile even when the weather is this dreary.

I'm staying up late to work on papers for my history of disease class or anthropology instead of last year's AP Bio and Psychology. This year, though, I'm not working to get into the college of my dreams. I'm working to graduate from one of the best universities (and the third best public university) in the country.

Last year, if my friends were feeling it, I had no idea. This year, we're all sharing the brunt. We're realizing we didn't do the work over Spring Break that we probably should have, but we're all in this together (High school musical anyone? I couldn't resist). We're all staying in the basement of the Union until they kick us out, and we're all taking naps in the middle of the day. We know that this happens at every university, and that beyond our group of late night studiers, there are thousands more joining us across the country.

And this year, feeling burnt out doesn't feel so bad.

Greek Life. Campus Day. Stress!

2008-02-12T11:02:00.001-05:00

Wow I cannot even believe that I have time to put this up right now, but that's ok.

Things are absolutely insane right now! I'll start with the basics. First, I rushed and got a bid into Phi Sigma Pi, an honors community service fraternity that I and currently an initiate for. On Bid night, I was so nervous I couldn't handle being in South Quad, so I went over to the Michigan Union to study. At 9 PM, I got a call asking me to come back to South Quad, only to find my friend Sheshe being carried in after being kidnapped (They came and covered her eyes and carried her down to the lounge where it was held). It was such a fun night!

So far we've had our first meeting, initiation, and some other fun bonding events, and I absolutely love the friends I've made. I knew I didn't want to be in a social sorority because I didn't want to live in the house, however this was the perfect option for me to join this kind of brotherhood without too much obligation housing wise, etc. Above is our picture from initiation and the huge cookie cake for our initiate class :)

Also, it's hard to believe that Campus day has begun. For those of you coming in the upcoming months, I am excited and hope you're looking forward to it as well. Campus Day is such a great opportunity to see the campus and talk to current students to get a truly honest opinion as to what is going on here at the beautiful U!

Yes. It's cold outside. I like the fact that our residence halls have so many things there that I never really have to leave the building except for classes. That being said, this is such a crazy week! I have two exams and two papers due by Thurday, so I'm starting to freak out! I love this pressure, though, because it requires me to manage my time well, which hopefully will make me more successful down the road (let's keep our fingers crossed? thanks :).

Well I wish I would write more, but it's time to get back to this chaotic world.

Until next time (come to Campus Day!),

Sam

The beauty of living in a residence hall...

2008-01-24T12:44:00.001-05:00

There are no words to describe how much I love living in a residence hall. Having at least 100 people at your fingertips, you're bound to find a friend (or two or ten or fifty :).

This Saturday we had a male beauty pageant, Mr. South Quad. Like I think I've written before, South Quad is broken up into 8 houses. Each sent a representative, along with a Mr. Hall Council and a Mr. Multicultural council. Being an emcee and a planner, I didn't think that ANYBODY was going to show up. Imagine my surprise when over 250 people came in through those basement doors! The pizza was gone in an instant, the heat was almost unbearable, but it was a blast. The boys had funny talents, from lip-syncing Kelly Clarkson to playing Rockband to dress in unitards and reading bedtime poems. We asked them really random questions, too, like how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Overall, Mr. Huber house won, a guy that had been in South Quad and paid his dues that it was a perfect prize to send him out of South Quad on. Just look at the pictures above...res hall life doesn't get any better than this :)

Sunday was ResHall Feud. Basically it was all 16 teams competing against each other Family-Feud style. Between myself and three of my friends, we got a team together and showed up to West Quad to compete. After a seemingly lost first and second round, we pulled out narrow victory by one point. The questions were hilarious, everything from college vacation spots to country artists to food at a circus to famous georges. Once we got a fan club together (two of our friends came with a sign), we started to DOMINATE the competition, blowing the next two teams away and advancing to the finals!

The final round was so intense. We had really hard questions and it was neck and neck until the end. Thank goodness my friend Tony is a movie buff, because the question was the top 4 movie with sequels. He hit that button so fast, then named Star Wars. My friend Nieri gave Lord of the Rings, and Spencer gave Harry Potter. We still were missing the number 3 answer, and I was so torn between Shrek and Spiderman. I pulled out Spiderman though...and we swept the question! It was a perfect end to the competition.

My first campus day was yesterday too! For those of you that are starting to see my face, feel free to say hi and let me know you actually read this (motivation to continue writing crazy and interesting stories :)

Until next time...Keep it classy,

Samantha

Time flies when you're playing sports...

2008-01-15T10:26:00.000-05:00

The word intramurals is probably the coolest word ever invented for college kids.

If you're reading this, I just want to mention that no matter wherever you end up for school, end up playing Intramural Sports.

This week we began our Winter Season. I am playing on an all girls team for Mini Soccer (which is kind of a culture shock seeing as it's 3-on-3 and I spent all fall playing with guys). I'm not going to lie that we got creamed (10-0), but it was so much fun. At one point, they scored on us in the first ten seconds of the second half, and the girls and I could do nothing but laugh.

Mini-soccer, however, is not my first sport. Yeah, I played fall soccer on a co-ed team. Actually, I started out refereeing soccer, and one of the refs I worked with offered me a ride back to my residence hall (five minute drive? twenty minute bus ride? you do the math). We were talking about playing, and he had formed a team with his fraternity but was short girls. Two days later, I was playing with his frat brothers (who I must say, I've still kept in touch with) and all of their friends. Making friends with juniors was a great way to start the year (Find friends with cars...you don't want one, but it's nice for someone to have access to one).

Post-Soccer, however...there was Flag Football! My friend Christine loves to use the word Creeper, and so our group of friends started a coed team and named ourselves...what else? The Creepers. We survived a couple of forfeits, but eventually we got to play! I was sick the first game we played, but our playoff game I was the quarterback. See, Michigan has this rule that evey other play must involve passing with a girl so that boys don't completely dominate.

I almost feel the need to set the stage as well. It is the Monday after Thanksgiving. There is an inch of snow falling. It is about 10 degrees outside. There is no grass on the fields anymore. Just mud. So half the team has cleats and the other half doesn't...making it even more slippery.

Long story short, we lost. But I got a touchdown and ran for three first downs! Back in Midland, if girls played football, it was tackle without pads (and basically a way to beat each other up). It was so awesome to have an opportunity to try a sport i'd always wanted to, and the opportunity to play with my friends was a blast!

I can't wait for our next mini-soccer game, and we'll be starting inner tube water polo soon! Can you tell I'm looking forward to it already?

Speaking of sports,I also got the opportunity to play basketball in Chrysler Arena!
(see above). Well, not actually. My friends are in a coed service fraternity and so we went to help clean up the arena. Let me tell you, I never believed that cleaning could be so much fun!

Not to mention the less-mentioned sports. One night my friend Andy and I missed a water polo game and passed by the volleyball courts, only to become so engrossed by the game we stayed for the entire thing! Everytime the girls score, their cheering section shouts in rhythm "point mi-chi-gan!". And there are two adults who are so die hard they have their own signs and are known for their love of the sport and this team (wchih won, by the way). I'm sad I discovered it so late but I am SO excited to go back!

So the point of this story is. Sports are amazing. Whether it's intramurals, going to a basketball game, or helping to clean up after a big sports game...not only are they a great way to meet people, but a great opportunity to avoid the freshman 15 (which yes...can be prevented).

Well, I'm off to class and another soccer game tonight...for those of you accepted here, I hope you're coming to Campus Day in the upcoming months (that way you can put a face to my blogging)! It's an awesome opportunity to discover what the University is truly about (and it's how I decided this was the Perfect place for me).

Until Next Time,

Sam

A new semester means a new mix of fun and learning...

2008-01-10T10:20:00.000-05:00

I can't believe we're back here in Ann Arbor and beginning a new semester! It's so nice to be back here with all of my new friends, catching up.

So a new semester means new classes. After exactly one week of classes, I picked an awesome selection. First, I'm in statistics 35o, which is introductory stats. The nicest part of this is that half of my hall is taking this class, and we've already been busy sharing books, working together on homework, and just talking about what we like and don't like about the class. My professor is really interesting, and I love the smaller lab sections where we have an opportunity to use the computers to analyze the statistics.

Then, I'm in cultural anthropology 101, and my professor is crazy! Every morning when I walk into lecture, he's playing some kind of song with the word Anthropology in the title, and he always has some fascinating story to complement whatever definition he is teaching us. My discussion section is also nice. For every big lecture, there is a smaller discussion class of normally about 20 students. My discussion, though, has only 15 kids! Every Wednesday we meet and discuss either the book we've read (an ethnography of crack dealers) or some other aspect of anthropology that we all found interesting.

My next class is Great Books 192, a continuation of the Honors English classes that it is recommended that we take. I'm not sure I ever mentioned this, but my discussion leader (which we have twice a week) was a former member of the KGB (aka the Russian Mafia) and he always has crazy stories to tell, whether it deals with his adventures in Germany, his schooling in Russia, or just how much he dislikes local companies in Ann Arbor. For the first time in my life, I can proudly admit I have yet to fall asleep in his class, a true testament to how interesting he makes the class (I loathe English).

Last but not least is my favorite class, History 196: Deadly Disease in US Culture. It's a first year seminar (the Uof M offers over 75 of these seminars which are taught by a professor in class sizes of 20 or less) that looks at epidemics. Yesterday we read about smallpox and when the Europeans came over to convert the natives, then debated from the perspective of the natives (that maybe they should convert in order to stop the disease, or revert back to old rituals and maybe reverse the onset of the disease), and then from the Europeans (that the missionaries were not doing their best to convert the natives, as well as the guilt from recognizing smallpox and never informing the natives). Now, normally I'm not a fan of history (I'm defnitely a science girl), but class was so fascinating that I cannot wait until my next class!

The craziest part of my semester is that I know somebody in every single one of my classes. Whereas last semester I walked in and knew nobody, I've slowly made enough friends that even without planning, I've found people to hang with during discussion and lecture. Granted, I'm really excited to make new friends and get to know some acquaintances better, but it's exciting to think that in a school of 40,000+ students, the campus is still small in the sense that you've never out there alone on your own.

This week has also been a blast because it's "syllabus week", so while there's some assignments, it's a pretty light load of work. That means my friends and I have been able to hang out, work out, and just have a good time together before we have to start buckling down pretty hard. My friends and I are taking a Hip-Hop class through UMove, which is the department of kinesiology, and it's really fun and different. Even though we're not the best, we still have a blast because we're together. It's also a great opportunity to get a workout in a fun way. We're also on a mini-soccer team for intramurals which starts next week, and even if we lose every game, at least it'll be fun to play together.

As always, I'll keep you informed on classes, activities, sports, and the general happenings of dorm life! (I promise it's way more interesting and fun than it may seem...the food is even edible1)

Until next time,

Sam

Dance Parties are better in College...

2007-12-20T10:24:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe I am on the cusp of exams and I’ve been here an entire semester! From Welcome Week to football games to late-night study sessions, these past four months have been the craziest and best months of my life! This weekend was so amazing too. Let’s recap the life and times of dorm life…

I have had so many papers due these past two weeks plus a couple exams that it was time to take a break. Being the Vice President of Taylor House (there are 8 houses in South Quad containing 1200 students!), we decided to have a semi-formal masquerade. The Wednesday beforehand, we had a mask decorating party in my lounge and a lot of people stopped by to get their creativity on. Friday was such a hectic day. After turning in two papers and taking a final “quiz” in my biology lab class, I went back to South Quad and grabbed dinner with all of my friends. We started setting up around 6, and had the place looking beautiful by 6:30 just in time for all of the girls and the formal committee to start getting ready!

The dance started officially at 8 PM, and the party really got started by 8:30. From the YMCA to “Crank That”, we partied all night long. Even though Taylor House (a “house” within South Quad) only has about 200 residents, everyone was invited to come and we had a ton of people show up! There was unlimited food, and it was a blast.

The next night, my friend invited me to his fraternity’s black and white semi-formal. After pushing through general chemistry homework and studying for my final chemistry lab exam, my friends and I piled into my room and helped my friend Sheshe and I get ready! Finally, we were all dressed up and headed over to hang out and watch the Heisman Trophy presentation (Not gonna lie that I am one of the biggest football fans ever!) at one of the brothers frat house (Whether the fraternity/sorority is community based or social, Greek life is a great opportunity to meet other people with the same interests as you).

The dance was held at the Michigan League, and it was beautifully decorated. We hung out all night and danced the night away. I met great new people (seeing as I wasn’t part of the fraternity), and some of them have even become good friends. To be honest, that one night has convinced me to rush my friends’ fraternity (it's coed and community service-based)!

I’m finally done with exams…and we ended our semester with great news! Welcome to our new coach Rich Rodriguez. With him coming in, I see another great season in September!

Welcome to the coolest thing you'll ever read...

2007-11-28T13:25:00.000-05:00

Hello future Wolverines!

My name is Samantha, and if you’re reading my blog, then over the course of your high school career (yes, career…as I was always told, school is your job J ), you’ve made many great decisions. First, you’re looking at the best school in America as an option for your college plans. Second, you’ve strived academically and socially to give yourself the opportunity to excel at a university with as high a caliber of Michigan. Third, you chose my blog to read, and that alone means you are amazingly awesome J.

I am a freshman here at Michigan, and I have to admit that twelve months ago, in your shoes, I was NEVER coming to Michigan. I’m from Midland, which is about two hours away, and I wanted to get the heck out of Michigan in general, get away from my high school friends and any ounce of familiarity in my life. In February, I visited that other college down the road (in East Lansing…still need another hint? It begins with an M and ends in SU) and was convinced it was perfect for me. But one Friday in April, I attended Campus Day. Five hours later, I walked out of my last presentation asking my dad for the checkbook because I wanted to make my first deposit immediately. I can’t pretend that I had no anxiety about whether I made the right decision, but since stepping foot into Ann Arbor, I have no doubt in my mind that Michigan is where I belong.

There are so many things I love about Michigan. Being in the Honors College, I’m in a much smaller “college” within Michigan. The Learning Communities are such a great opportunity! Having all of my friends take Great Books 191 along with me (an Honors-required English class) is kind of nice, because I don’t have to worry about everyone having fun with me…we’re all suffering together. It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and this is my second visit home (my first being Fall Break, a 24-hour hiatus to visit my mom post-surgery). If I want to, I can see my friends from home, but with over 40,000 students on campus, I never have to.

Over the next five months, I’m here to tell you what it’s like to be a freshman, because let me tell you, it is SO much different (and BETTER) than I ever imagined. I pictured nerdy honors kids that holed up in their room every night, and I found amazing friends that I play Taboo and Catchphrase with at 2 in the morning. Enjoy a piece of my life, because life is always exciting and the good times never stop rolling!

Until next time,
Sam