Signs It's Over

I take off for a relaxing week in the Green Mountains in the morning, the First Years roll in on Saturday, and Jim Zielinski & Counselors are shipping out to visit prospectives all over the globe. These plans all look good on paper, but it's easy to wonder how I'm sure summer is over. It's only mid-August! But the calendar isn't lying. It's no trick of the light. It's over. Here's how I know:


Exhibit A. I'm out of toilet paper. Not to mention that this isn't even my bathroom anymore. Summer housing on campus has been vacated. I'm back on Porter 3rd where I belong.



Exhibit B. Travis has completely bugged out. He is pictured here in the room where all the mailing/magic happens, but since this was taken he has moved on to his post as an Orientation Leader for New Student Days. One might say he went postal with the end in sight, but that would be a bad pun on too many levels for this late date in August.



Exhibit C. I'm exhausted. I've been running all across the Midwest searching for good ice cream (no, Dairy Queen does not count). I finally found the Dairy Haus. It's just down the road in Rockton and the homemade fare is worth the dough. This picture shows Lucy '07 and Rachel '08 enjoying their dinner the way every child dreams they will when they're all grown up. Truth: I bought Lucy the ice cream as a bribe for her help with my big move across campus this afternoon-- easily the wisest four dollars of the summer.



Exhibit D. Our fearless leader (Sue) has turned into a Who.



Exhibit E. We've come full circle on the blog. You know the show is over when you see the Grand Casali Fountain at rest in the freshly-painted Gold Key Office. Brandi is ready and waiting, prospies.



Exhibit F. Among all these low-quality pictures of this week, it might be difficult to spot the irrefutable evidence that summer is toast. So, in case you need some more concrete proof we've still got people manning the phones, here's a stealth photo of The Boss, still chained to his phone to answer your questions! I risked my life to snag this shot.

If all this wasn't enough proof that this season is on the way out, I'm afraid I've run out of clues for you. I've got a bus ticket and a boarding pass tucked into my wallet and that's enough for me. I'm "publishing" this and signing off. Hope you all had a great summer, we sure did. Please e-mail, visit, or instant message us anytime. Summer is over, but the Admissions Office is open year-round.

- Julia

And a river ran through it...

but it starts as a trickle...

Students are slowly returning to campus in spurts, flowing smoothly across their Beloit stomping grounds with fresh energy. For those of us that have been here for a while, the returning faces spark not a small bit of excitement, for we know that life is again breathing itself back into the campus and college community. Yet, new faces sprinkle themselves throughout the waves, unsure and still slightly confused, that feeling of drifting that First-Years often experience. Never fear, they will find what they will, with us as their guides if need be.

Regardless, I'm ready for school to start, classes to begin, clubs to meet, and experiences to continue. Summer has been fun, but summer can be tiresome and finally we return to the place of our own, the place we call home.

I guess I could be rambling, but in many ways not. This is the beginning as all points are, and off I go on another adventure.


Travis...

Those End of Summer Blues

The first waves of RAs are arriving for training today. Over lunch, I saw friends from the house packing up and moving out. While I don't move across the street to Porter Hall for another week, the signs of the impending shift are everywhere. After work today, I am headed to the bookstore to drop some cash on as many used textbooks as my hands can hold. So, things are changing. We've been blogging about it for weeks. It's time for us to present a solution:



Yes, I'm talking about picking up a new hobby. It's a last-ditch effort to salvage some feeling of accomplishment from the syllabi-free months, but it's not the worst use of time. Myself, I'm learning harmonica via laptop. It kills a lot of afternoon hours when the creek is too high for a quick dip and the sun is too hot for a casual stroll. Above, you see Michelle "Longlost" Casali and I faking skills way back in June, but these day I'm making a sincere effort, and progress. I've been reading up online and practicing diligently. In all seriousness, I'm starting to feel like I'm getting somewhere with this old knicknack.

So, turn up the jazz. Crank the blues. August is hot and sticky. Welcome to harmonica season!

- Julia

Living On The Cheap

All summer long, my friends and I have been grilling out, inheriting leftover foodstuffs from people coming in and out of the residences with various programs, and generally eating anything we can find. We are summer workers and we are not on the food plan.

During the academic year, especially when I've got running, being on a meal plan is a no-brainer. It makes sense to cook for myself during the summer when I have time to be cheap and forge around Woodman's for the best deals, but this just isn't the case during the regular year. Besides, it's lovely to go to Commons at the end of a long day and sit down with all of my friends. Being on a meal plan is hardly all about food.

More than any other kind, I love free food. Admittedly, the photo at the top of this post (featuring Julia Leavengood Boxer '07 to my left) was taken at a Dairy Breakfast in Wallworth county where admission was five dollars. Such social events are well worth the cash in my book, but I won't say the syrup wouldn't have tasted sweeter if the grub had been gratis.

The point of this entry is to encourage all prospective/college students to go to the websites of their favorite chain eateries and join the birthday clubs. Now. Get on the mailing list, kiddos. Hoard the weekly promotional coupons. When you're paying tuition, these pieces of paper are the golden tickets to a world of luxury. Yes, there are certain establishments that will give you a free dish on your B-Day, but only if you've signed up on the site. My favorite carb-toting chain (born in Madison), will give you a regular sized dish of noodles for nada, if you're willing to put up with the rest of their junk e-mail. I recommend using an old e-mail account to collect the onslaught of coupons, but mostly I just recommend signing up.

And now, after giving out shameless advice in promotion of coupons, what can I have to say for myself? I'm kind of stingy, but I know how to eat well. Plus, if you're not taking advantage of Dairy Breakfasts and Free Cone Days, you're just plain missing out.

Catchphrases: Cooking is fun. Food is good, free food is better. Eat more kale. Cowabunga.

- Julia

The Final Countdown *cue music*

Hey guys. This is it. It's the end. It's been great, and I hope you've enjoyed my random comments on this blog. Tomorrow is my last day in the Admissions Office. Probably not forever of course, but as a paid employee, I'm shaking the dust of this office off my feet and moving on to...not bigger/better things, but different. RA training starts in about two weeks, so I'll be putting my skills to good use making the campus a better place to live. Yay.

Since I have no real news to report (other than the fact that the heat has officially escalated from stifling to soul-crushing), I thought I'd wrap my summer blog up with a little something that combines two of my favorite internet phenomenons: LOLCATS and Oscar, the nursing home cat who predicts residents' deaths by curling up next to them.


That's my last contribution to the Beloit Summer Blog. Enjoy the rest of your summers. For those of you who are incoming first-years, I might run into you in a couple of weeks (yeah, you're excited, admit it) and if you're prospective students, come visit campus! It's pretty sweet.

Kisses,
LDM

Things have been figured out... and broken

So I talked to Residential Life today and I will be moving back on campus. It's a relief to know that I will have somewhere to live in two weeks. Now I just have to go through all my stuff, pack more efficiently and take a bunch of stuff home.

I've also gotten a lot more excited about coming back to school. Maybe it's because I've made a lot of great friends this summer. Maybe it's because I watched the Devil Wears Prada and got really excited about going shopping for new school clothes. Or maybe it's because I'm excited about decorating my new room.

The downfall? I broke my toe last night. Well, actually, this morning. Around 1am my friends wanted to play ultimate frisbee so we did and I broke my toe because I was playing barefoot. Now I have to go in and see the trainer and explain this to my new coaches. It happens I guess.

*Brandi

Julia Goes To The City

This weekend I decided to go to Chicago and walk amoungst the rest of the world. Things are awefully quiet around here on the edge of August and the weekend train pass is awefully cheap. A trip into town was the perfect antidote for a weekend that I would otherwise have spent napping on the Effigy Mounds rereading Harry Potter's fate.

So, early Saturday morning, my friend Lucy and I took the Metra line into Chicago and wandered around the Lincoln Park Zoo. We strolled the waterfront and Michigan Ave and did the touristy thing all the way from the Garden District to the steps of the Art Institute. There, we met a couple Beloiters for dinner and made our way to Grant Park to see the boat parade for Venetian Night. The boats "dressed up" as Chicago's greatest moments this year. There were a wide variety of blues brothers, Cubs fans, and dancing cows holding lanterns on deck as the yachts passed. We even saw Poseidon the Parade Master (pictured in the background, sorry about the photo quality):



On Sunday, I returned to Chicago by myself to be brave and stuff in the presence of large buildings. My new favorite is the Chicago Public Library-- eight stories of BOOKS!!



In any case, the library was closed when I got there and I have yet to go inside. It's big though, right? Several blocks east of the library, it was a gorgeous sunny day and I was thrilled to be out of Beloit for a taste of that smoggy, city air. I spent the day picnic-lunching on apples and brie, reading from park bench to park bench. I have to confess that I ate dinner at nowhere special (just the usual, Panera), but I am deeply in love their Tomato Mozzarella Salad.

At the risk of painting the wrong picture of Beloit's finest, please see Karen Baumann '10 (below) being intimidating in Panera. She was trying to scare me into giving up a tomato or two, but it was my birthday. I don't share tomatoes.



AND for the benefit of those of you who have been reading all summer, I have posted the following photo of a large fountain a couple blocks off of VanBuren. Thanks for sticking it out! Look for a best-of-midwestern fountains entry to appear in this blog in the near future.



In addition taking this weekend as an opportunity to get out of town, I was also able to pose with Ceres (below)-- my favorite summertime gal. While all this travel was a great diversion to plan and execute, I am most excited about the return of, well, everyone. Tomorrow is the start of August. Ceres and I are ready for the next adventure.



- Julia

Hey All!

Just wanted to share with you some of the exciting things I've been doing recently. This past weekend was a blast. My girlfriend's mother flew into Milwaukee and we picked her up on our way to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. My girlfriend's mom's father's brother (confusing I know) owns a summer house up there with his wife and they love to go boating and fishing out on Lake Michigan and Green Bay.

We got in to Sturgeon Bay around midnight on Friday and slept in a really cool loft bedroom in their trailer seasonal home. The next morning we got up and hopped on a couple little red mo-peds and scootered around Potowomac State Park. It was my first experience riding such a contraption and has instilled in me a deep appreciation for these fun little toys.

Afterwards, we hopped in my girlfriend's mom's father's brother's boat (again confusing) and hit the water, greeted with bumpy waves and blistering sun. Regardless of excessively thorough sunscreening, we couldn't escape the ultraviolet bombardment of a gloriously sunny day. With swimming, tubing, observing and relaxing (complete with a sighting of a wide circling B2 stealth bomber) it was a wonderful day on the water.

Upon returning to shore, we showered dressed and headed out to view the hilarious musical antics of the American Folklore Theater about 45 minutes north of Sturgeon Bay. The show that night featured "Belgians in Heaven," that proudly ordained cheese curds, buoillon and beer as the three most important staples of a happy existence with love taking second place in the pecking order of the heavenly plan. Extremely enjoyable on the whole with talking chickens and French painters turned hics.

On Sunday, I decided I'd be all macho and run a bit. What I anticipated was a nice jog around the Potowamac State Park, a picturesque escepade along the shining blue water. Well, I got all that along with 8.5 miles of slow burn. My legs ended up like jelly and me like a sloth upon my return to the house. Nice scenic run though.

That afternoon, we headed to the the Door County Natural Museum to see some interesting exhibits of stuffed deer, tweeting bears, old fashioned roller skates, and minature ice huts for those possessed Wisconsin winter fishermen. Nice exhibit though it lack a bit of flow and order, most of the pieces being donated and kind of thrown hapharzardly among related items in display boxes placed next to anything but related displays. Anyway, it was entertaining to perch in the drivers seat of a 1940s firetruck and sing along to the "Door County Serenade" but not necessarily something to write home about (wait a second...).

This morning we hopped in the car and drove the 4 hours or so it took to get back to Beloit so I could work this afternoon. Oh happy weekends...

Cheers!!!
Travis...

My List

Like Laura, I am going to make a list to see if I can get myself out of this rut and ready for the school year. Like Julie said, I will be joining up with the volleyball team again. I cannot figure out if that is something that should go on the list I will now make.

1) Volleyball will start; the sport that I have worked on so hard over the summer. I am excited to play.

2) Cool events for Gold Key will keep me busy at work.

3) New students are on campus and ready to meet me!

4) The fall. It is great, isn't it Laura? It looks especially beautiful on Beloit's campus, too.

5) Friends. Figuring out which ones actually care, and which ones can be moved to the trash.

6) New classes. New people. New professors. New topics. A chance to get my grades up, although I will never be able to beat Michelle or Julie.

7) I'll be an upperclassmen.

8) I'll be working with CELEB and have an internship.

9) Working on my portfolio is getting me really excited as well.

10) And I've decided shopping is very necessary to put me back into the school mode. So, day trip, to West Towne Mall in Madison, is a must. With friends, of course, right by my side!

*Brandi

I can has classes?

Well hello all! To continue Brandi and Julie's recent posts regarding the rapidly-approaching beginning of the school year, I thought I'd pitch in my two cents as well. I'm not going to lie (and anyone who knows me well at all will not be surprised at all by this), I love the first day of school. I did when I was in third grade, sixth grade, and twelfth grade, and even as my FINAL year of college looms heavily on the horizon *gulp* I still find myself eagerly anticipating August...mmm...28th! and the official start of the 2007-2008 school year. I've listed the reasons for my jubilation, since for some reason I feel more accomplished if I compile lists than if I just type into giant paragraphs.

1. Summer's not over quite yet. I still have to go on a vacation of sorts (there's a memorial service involved, but it's still nice to get away!) for the first week of August.
2. I get to go to IKEA and SuperTarget and plan out my room/apartment decor.
3. School clothes shopping. Since I have to actually invest in items that will be post-grad-work-place appropriate, I'll be relying on the old "spend more, buy less" adage regarding clothing.
4. I can get started in my newest post as RoundTable editor-in-chief. My pet projects are waiting in the wings, eager to be fleshed out in print.
5. Classes are fun. I enjoy learning. Nerdy, yes--but whatever, that's what my parents are shelling out the cash for after all.
6. SCHOOL SUPPLIES. Nothing beats shopping for school supplies, I swear. Even if I do most of my work on the computer now, I still pick up at least a few important-looking binders and a new set of pens just to have the chance to walk around the school supply section and even give in to the temptation to buy the sheets of shiny stickers my mom never let me have. I always buy crayons, too.
7. Door decorations. As an RA, I have to be creative and decorate the doors to my residents' rooms, or apartments as it were. Since we usually make them after a long day of training, everyone is a little delirious by that point--which really adds something to the fun!
8. Fall begins! My favorite season (not only because my birthday is October 3rd!) in Wisconsin--the campus is so pretty and there's nothing like that crisp fall air!!
9. People who have been abroad are coming home! After months of being without my core group of girlfriends, we're going to be living and/or working together and living it up during our senior year *gulp again*
10. Folk'n'Blues Festival in September--one of the great traditional Beloit events that draw lots of people from both on- and off-campus.

Ok, I could actually go on and on. I won't, but please note that it's not just the summer that is exciting and fun at Beloit--there's a lot to look forward to after August! (Except for January and February. No one looks forward to them.)

~Laura DM

kaBAM!

That, friends, is the sound of the sophomore slump crashing into that vulnerable spot on the back of my neck just under the skull base. It's a freakin' avalanche.

As Brandi alluded to in her last post, there has been quite a bit of talk over envelope-duties about the upcoming academic year at Beloit. For Laura, working out the printing schedule for our campus paper, "The Round Table," is heavy on her mind. There's also a special academic project on her plate that looks like it may turn into a Senior Thesis. (She's kind of intimidatingly busy.) For Brandi, the focus is just getting pumped to get back into classes and getting back to her team. Travis is facing the switch back from academics and life abroad to regular campus life AND the whole the-end-is-in-sight syndrome known best by those facing their final year at a liberal arts college. Impressing the heck out of me with her motivation, Kristen seems to use most of her extra time planning events and checking out resources for a club she is helping to lead for Fall Semester.

Naturally, these focused coworkers of mine have got me in kind of a panic. I'm a creative writing major trying to pull together the papers to hop on a plane in January to spend a semester hiding out a university in France. All these prepared people are making me anxious to get back to the grindstone.

Without the crunch of due dates and a class schedule, my summer brain is left idle to wrap itself around how to spend my birthday on Sunday or training for Cross Country season or reading all the books left on my list for the summer (Anna Karenina, here I come) or whatever other shiney thought floats through my radar.

I can't believe I miss the stress of the academic year.
I can't believe we are already in the dregs of July.
I can't believe I gave in and got addicted to coffee.
I can't believe there are still more envelopes at my feet, waiting to be stuffed. I swear, when I finally leave three years from now, there will be no empty envelopes left in the state of Wisconsin.

Stay hydrated kiddies-- the sun is shining.
- Julia

Takin' Control

I decided to take control.

I am meeting with a lawyer today to get the contract written up so we can get a co-signer. There is still the issue of not having any apartments still available, but I'm sure it'll work itself out.

I have enough money in my bank account for me to survive to the next paycheck, and I might even be able to pay my cellphone bill.

Now I have to get ready for the fall semester. Talking to Julie and Laura yesterday I know how to prepare. I have to go shopping. I know, it sucks, but it must be done.

And if I organize my crap in my room, send stuff home that I don't need, I'll be a happier person.

I thought of all this while I was out on Whitewater Lake yesterday. I freed myself. I had fun. I took pictures. It was great. I took off work. I didn't get back until about 11:30 and then hung out with my friends that I had left back on campus. Sometimes, it's good to be home.

But, I have decided, next summer will not be spent in Beloit. I love it, but I need to get away for a summer. I'm excited about where I might be headed, but that is a ways off.

*Brandi

Bills. Bills. Bills. and Apartments

So I'm looking for an apartment, but I can't find one in which I don't need a co-signer. I don't know what to do because in one month I will have no place to live. If I could just find a co-signer! I don't like talking about this it makes me so depressed.

I just got my cell phone bill and that makes me upset as well. I don't like bills. I wish that I could just have an endless supply of money. But then again everyone feels that way, hopefully.

Most college students have these worries, though. They just come at the worst time. We're already busy enough trying to secure a good education so we can get a good job with good pay. We study all night, play sports, try and have a social life and maintain friendships that are going to stand the test of time because friends are what gets you through times like these. Then on top of all that you still have to worry about money. I can't wait to get in the real world where all this crap will finally be worth it. I may still have to study all night, play sports, try and have a social life, but at least then I will get paid.

*Brandi

Dude, for serious

Ok Miss Julie "Death Eater" Heney...I finished it, ok? Sleep deprivation clearly is no longer a factor in my delayed completion of Book 7. So here I sit, exhausted, but happy and with a sense of closure. Having avoided Internet spoiler pop-ups for the past three days, I am happy to say that I was properly surprised by the end--or at least many of the final moments in Harry Potter's saga. And to echo Miss Heney's comment (that Dark Mark prickling yet?? Oh wait, it WON'T anymore, that's right) J.K. Rowling can have all of my money.

p.s. This weekend, I went to Indiana to visit some of my flatmates from my semester in Dublin. For clarity's sake, I'm just going to list all of the things that I did:
1. Arrived at midnight Eastern time with ELEVEN hours of traveling (bus/train) under my belt.
2. Went to an Indianapolis house party and supervised a bonfire in a parking lot (phone books provided most of the tinder).
3. Went to bed at 5 a.m., got up at 10 a.m. Saturday.
4. Ate delicious food prepared by my friend Jess's mother Pam, who also grilled me about post-graduation plans almost to the point of tears on my part.
5. Sat by a pool and took a nap on a cabana chair.
6. Went to a microbrewery festival.
7. Bought Harry Potter.
8. Went out until 4 a.m., went to IHOP at 4:10 a.m.
9. Got on the train (miraculously) at 6:00 a.m.
10. Arrived in Beloit at about 2:30, tired and happy.

That's all, folks. The summer of ridiculousness continues...

Love, Laura DM

A Love Note

Dear Jo Rowling,

You rock. Way to be. Thanks for a great final installment and you're welcome for all the whopping loads of dough you're making off of schmucks like us. You (and Harry) can have all of our money. It's over, Jo. You win.

Thanks again for a whirlwind weekend of reading on the Effigy Mounds and down in Indiana and out on the East Coast and down home in Texas. We're all back in Beloit on this Monday morning and we couldn't be more proud of you.

Love,
The Basement Gang
Middle College
700 College Street
Beloit, WI 53511
USA

P.S. Ok, ok so we lied. Laura is still using her summer brain and hasn't finished her first read-through. She's still greatful for your work-- we swear. It's a good book. Kudos, again.

Because All I Talk About Is Food & Sleep

It's finally raining around here. After a week of unrelenting heat, things are finally looking gloomy again. We all know what this means: better sleeping weather.

Last week was so dry the blackberry crop died in the thicket. A couple friends suggested we run out by Turtle Creek, hoping to pick a few, but boy were pickings slim! We scrounged a few cups out of the bushes, but it was mighty disappointing on the whole. And while I didn't get to eat many berries, the mosquitoes got a feast out of me. Evenings like that almost make an argument for DEET... almost.

Despite the crunchy blackberries, the zucchini crop has been remarkable! There is a stand at the Farmer's Market that has been selling fifty-cent zucchinis the size of my arm-- had it been attacked by a swarm of angry horseflies-- for the last couple Saturdays. I promise this is no exaggeration. As with the big (in all senses of the word) mailing we are working on, these zucchinis make me feel as though I'm shrinking. It's great to watch the good people of Beloit stumble away under the weight of so many pounds of dirt cheap vegetable. Even if you don't need to go to the Market for the food, I highly recommend people-watching.

So, the weather may be dreary, but there is plenty of zucchini bread to make and recipes for fritters to try. Ta-da.

-Julia

Riverfest and Night Tours!

Hey all...welcome back from the weekend--I hope it was restful for everyone! We, the basement trolls of Middle College here at Beloit have begun the notorious, practically legendary Viewbook Mailing (dramatic drumroll) today, which involves stuffing giant envelopes with giant materials. It makes me feel like I'm shrinking or something because everything we're working with is about twice as big as a normal mailing. But, on to the important stuff...like...

Riverfest! As a child of small-town Iowa, I grew up going to town and county fairs in the summer: feasting on elephant ears and funnel cakes and everything-you-can-fry-up-and-put-on-a-stick, honing my bingo skills at the bingo tent, holding hands with middle school sweethearts on rusty carnival rides. Many of you surely know what I mean. But Beloit's Riverfest is a whole new level of carnivalesque fun--it's a heck of a lot bigger than Mt. Vernon's Heritage Days, for one thing...and Heritage Days, while always memorable, never hosts bands like Steppenwolf and Blue Oyster Cult AND Cheap Trick all in the same weekend. Remember my earlier post raving about the lineup for this year? Yeah, well, I actually made the effort to go as opposed to just sitting on campus listening to the not-so-far-off strains of "Don't Fear the Reaper"...and it was a blast. My sister, who's going to Vassar College in the fall came up for the weekend with her boyfriend, which was a ton of fun. I gave them and a few others a late-night tour of the campus on Saturday night, and just had an all-around great time. New Court Theatre, Beloit's summer stock semi-professional theatre company, has their show "The Foreigner" up right now (my boyfriend's in it! Whoo!) and it's pretty hilarious. So there's just a lot happening in Beloit right now, clearly. I wish I had pictures from Riverfest to post on here but the security guards actually emptied the batteries out of my sister's digital camera at the gate (she got them back later), so you'll just have to picture slightly aging rock stars with long hair and tight pants sounding not so bad here on the banks of the Rock River! I definitely got a much-needed dose of rockin' out, so now I can return to my non-groupie real life once again.

All right, back to the grindstone...

~ Laura DM

Pittsburgh, PA

I have had quite the week. Last weekend. Let's start there. Camping with the volleyball team. Any members who were close got together and we went up to a lake in Argyle, WI. We set up tents, floated on the lake, and caught up. Some of the new girls were there and we made friends.

I got back on Sunday and on Monday at 4 in the morning I left for Pittsburgh for a conference. The flight was good, I slept through it. The people at the conference were great as well as the content of all the information. The best thing was that my very good friend was in Pittsburgh working so I met up with him on Tuesday. He's a union organizer and absolutely loves it. So we sat around catching up, watching the all-star game, and talking about our jobs and things. It was so great to see him... and he's coming to visit me in a few weeks!

That's it. Tonight my best friend is coming to visit, along with a friend from Milwaukee! Then there's Riverfest. Don't worry, there will be pictures and stories to be told on Monday.

*Brandi

T-8 Days And Counting...

Laura and I just called down to the Turtle Creek Bookstore and reserved our copies of the final chapter of HP and the Deathly Hallows. We're dancing. We're spinning. We're college students and we read for fun.

Dork out people-- it's PotterMania!

- Julia

P.S. We don't usually dance this much. Okay, so maybe we do, but today was our second Summer Visit Day and this development was the lift we need to keep on truckin this afternoon. All of the prospectives have dispersed and everyone in the office seems to have lapsed into a pleased sort of sunny-Friday-lull. Incidentally, if you are a prospie and you want to get the scoop on Belwah and eat lunch with us, there is one more Summer Visit Day to come on August 3rd. We would love to meet you. Until you arrive, I think I'll nap.

This Is Not A Complaint

Good luck making any sense of this entry. You have my sincerest condolences as I've decided to model this entry after my current attention span. Yup. Here's a taste of what my coworkers have to deal with today:

I have stopped sleeping. It is too hot. I can't take it anymore.

This is not a complaint, simply me acknowledging that the world is hotter here this time than I can reasonably bear.

I've stopped scrounging quarters in the name of laundry in favor of hoarding them for iced coffees down the hill at the Pleasant Street Coffee House.

(I'm buzzed on cold java-- you see now that this could not possibly be a complaint.)

I've just cleaned the basement hideout where we Admissions workers stuff your envelopes with treats and informational brochures. It is rarely orderly, except after trips to the Post Office. Seeing clear desk space is calming. Maybe I can clean myself to sleep tonight. Perhaps enough Windex-ing will lower the humidity in my corner of the French House, although this is both doubtful and illogical. In the words of Winnie the Pooh, "Oh, bother."

I am also sad to report that I have forgone all environmentalist instincts in favor of standing in front of said fridge to cool myself to what I can only hope is a more sleep-conducive body temperature. Were I paying the power bill, I suspect my environmentalist side would win out more often in such situations. Until I foot the charge, I will refridgerate my legs. No one can stop me.

Holy cow, it's time to end this dribble. So, friends, it is wicked hot as we approach mid-July in the Midwest and I have had it up to my knees in the mini-fridge. I hope all those who read this get a full night of sleep. I know I certainly won't.

Hopefully Drowsily,
Julia

P.S. Happy Birthday Anacelia Saenz-- unofficial volunteer tour guide of the week!

Hey there... I don't know about you guys, but i'm pretty much stoked for the last harry potter book!! I just reserved myself a copy (or rather, planned who to borrow it from) and i can not wait to find out how it ends!! Also, the movie is coming out tomorrow, or wednesday. I can't remember, but it's also exciting. I'm trying to convince my guy friends to go with me, and they keep talking about the poor story line and the general not-goodness that is the Potter obsession. I suppose as a lit major i should admit that i don't put Rowling on the same level as Faulkner or Fitzgerald. But still, Potter doesn't claim to be literature... it's a childrens book, and a great one at that. Plus, we have now watched Daniel, Rupert and Emma grow up, and they continue to be more and more attractive (in my opinion). With the exception of Harry's haircut, i am looking forward to the movie immensly. I suppose that's all. To all you HP fans in the world, i give a resounding "Yipee!!"

Happy (belated) Independence Day!

Hi guys...since it's been a while since your lovely crew of Summer SOIs did any updating of the blog, I thought that I would go ahead and wish everyone a happy-though-late Fourth of July! The holiday was nice, although a little quiet on my end...I spent the day relaxing and then hung out with friends/co-workers that evening. Since this is the last year the rooftop of Chamberlin (our soon-to-be-demolished science building) is going to be open for firework-viewing, I thought I would definitely take advantage of it and go up to watch the fireworks display over the Rock River. The show was nice, pretty typical smallish-town style, but the company was great and the weather was great--it's been SO HOT here the last few days...if you're planning a campus visit, schedule it for some time before noon, otherwise I think you actually really run the risk of collapsing...

In other news, my best friend/roommate Zeva is coming up for tomorrow night, which I'm incredibly excited about! She was abroad in New Zealand last semester and I was gone in Ireland in the fall, so we only got to see each other briefly for like five hours when she picked me up from the airport in December. And there's another performance of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" which I think Travis mentioned in an earlier post...that's happening on Saturday at a favorite Beloit establishment, the Bop, great excuse to go downtown and order pitchers of Coors Light and listen to Phil sing great songs. So, I swear that NEXT WEEK I'm going to start in on my special project in earnest...

We're sorry to say goodbye to one of the greatest Admissions workers on the planet today...Michelle is leaving to be a camp counselor (this was known all along, she didn't just up and quit or anything) and we're going to miss her like mad. Hopefully she'll steer clear of any sturgeons which may be lurking on the UW-Parkside campus...

Which brings me to my next and final point: STURGEONS. They can grow 6-8 feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds...and they have a penchant for HURLING THEMSELVES ONTO BOATS AND JET-SKIS AND TAKING PEOPLE OUT. OH MY GOD. Love, Laura

MAIL!!

At the risk of sounding simple, one of the biggest thrills in my life is receiving mail. I realize that the USPS keeps raising the price of stamps, but the small cost can be supplied through a solid collection of pocket change, as I have discovered through practice.

Today, I checked my campus mailbox at lunch and found that over the last week I had accumulated:

4 postcards from Beloit friends across the country
2 letters (or as I like to call them, love notes)
2 packages (containing among them: 3 CD's, one lobster claw harmonica, two bars of chocolate, and one particularly fine sequined shamrock hair elastic)

I'm not going to say I don't rely pretty heavily on e-mail to keep in touch with the world outside Beloit, but the joy of finding your mailbox overflowing is incomparable.

P.S. Julia Heney
Beloit College Box #1298
700 College Street
Beloit, WI 53511

P.P.S. I like chocolate.

Packing Up

So I don't remember doing much Friday evening. We hung out, and it was pretty uneventful. Saturday I woke up, walked downtown to the farmer's market and bought some ugly earrings, which I think I can make look cute. Missy, by best friend, did not like them. My mom picked me up and I went home for the day. We went shopping and then had margaritas. Yum!

Sunday morning was beautiful. Missy came over and we began a game of frisbee golf on campus. At the first hole we ran into Ryan, a good friend of ours, who bicycled the course while we played. About two holes later we realized we would rather walk to 4th Street Cafe, a great breakfast place. By this time it was already noon, but breakfast sounded good. So we walked. Later in the afternoon Missy and I went out on Renee's boat, which was perfect. The sun was shining! We then drove to Janesville to go to Perkins for the last time.

Not last time ever, but the last time to see Casey. Casey works there, but she is moving to Sheboygan. Casey got off work at 1 last night, or this morning I guess, and works at the Perkins in Sheboygan at 9. Missy and Casey left last night to make the drive at 2. Anyways, the point of that is to say that my two best friends moved away from me last night. They are starting their own life, and I couldn't be happier for them! But I'm going to miss them so much.

*Brandi

Small furry things

I can't believe I neglected to mention the absolutely BRILLIANT way we spent our Sunday afternoon last weekend. Some background info, first of all...my boyfriend Jim and I live in an apartment a few blocks away from campus across the street from our friends Carl and Melissa Stoltz (YES, they're married!) who have two cats, Milo and Jax. Sometimes we cat-sit for them and the cats are absolutely adorable. Well, both of them came from an animal shelter about half an hour away from Beloit, and it turns out that they have "Adoptathon" days in the spring and fall when their "kitten quota" has been surpassed. WELL. One thing led to another, and Carl and Mel invited us along as they went to check out another cat and look into becoming perspective foster kitten parents. MIND-BLOWING. There were about 50 kittens (separated into nice roomy cages of course) scattered around the building, and we were allowed to pick them up and play and listen to their tiny little mewing noises. This was incredibly overwhelming, as my brain has only so much "wee furry" capacity and so I kind of overloaded on preciousness. But it was TOTALLY worth every minute. It looked like the majority of the kittens were getting adopted, too, which was fantastic. Woot baby kittens!! Just another event to add to the ever-expanding list of summer activities in Beloit!

Until next time, then...I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm headed back home to Iowa for Saturday night for my dad's birthday--we get to see "King Lear"--WOOT!

~Laura DM

A Note From New England:

Above: This is the view from Camel's Hump (Mt.) and is in no way a glimpse of Wisconsin. This is my homeland. Let there be no confusion. Wisconsin is pretty because it is flat. From where I am now, the view is, well frankly, curvacious.

Speaking of where I am... I am writing this post from my kitchen in Montpelier, Vermont. It seems wierd to blog outside of the 53511 zip code, but I couldn't keep myself away. This is my big vacation week home and just for the occasion, it is hot all over the US of A-- even here out east in the Green Mountains.

It's late in the afternoon, well over 90F, and our freezer is out of popsicles: holy tragedy boondog! Despite the conditions, I felt this trip was a good opporunity to report in on travel and the whole visit-home-deal. My older sister goes to a school just 4 hours from home. For me, Beloit is a 22-hour drive from my front door. This week marked the rare occasion my sister and I are home at the same time. Naturally, the fact that she has access to my parent's fridge anytime she's got the gas money has been on my mind. Since the popsicles disappeared from the icebox, I have been less intrigued by her convenient proximity. My life is evidently governed by food.

Anyway, I am not sure where this blog is going, but it is being typed very slowly. You see, I've got this ice cube in my mouth and one wedged between my ankles. Needless to say, between juggling them and pondering the best way to say "gee, it's nice to be home, but golly do I miss old Belwah already!" my typing has suffered. There, I think I've done it.

So, I will end this brief departure from Beloit Life and continue it when I'm back in the loop. In summation: the journey home was easy, the cookin' is a treat, and it's nice to get reaffirmation that Beloit is somewhere I want to be. I love being home, but I also love know I'm heading back to the Midwest on Sunday night!

Stay cool, cucumbers!
-Julia

So... To the posting of current events. As of last Tuesday, I joined the 'tattooed peoples club'. Third try is the charm. It hurt an awful lot and now it itches like crazy, so my advice is don't get one unless you're really, really serious. In other boring news, I am spending a lot of my time doing nothing this summer! After work, I work on making a permanent butt-groove in my couch while watching many episodes of Buffy and Angel. I keep trying to read books of literary merit or writing stories or scholarship papers, but every time I try, I end up with web comics, naps, or silly chick flicks. I have severely caught up on movies I haven't seen, and I'm selling all my possessions on eBay (but buying at least twice as many!) Its kinda nice, but most of the time I miss having some intellectual stimulation. I suppose classes will start before i realize, so I wont complain. Sorry for the boring tirade, and I can only hope your summers are a bit more eventful!

~Kristen

Chowhounding in Beloit

So this very evening, I will be having dinner with a few good friends at a restaurant called Hanson's Tavern. I have never been to Hanson's before but have heard rave reviews. These reviews have usually been raving about the hamburgers so, being a vegetarian, I never really put much stock into them. I am still quite intrigued about this place, though.

Reason being: when I ran a Google search on Hanson's to determine where it might be located, one of the first sites to pop up was from chowhound.com. I had just read about this wonderful website yesterday. Seriously--yesterday! Coincidence? Well, you decide . . .

It was in an essay by Calvin Trillin from his book "Feeding a Yen" (Do you like food? Do you like reading? Then read this book about food. It's a-okay!) From what I gather, if you're serious about good food, chowhound.com is the place to go for suggestions.

Anyway, so bumming around on this website, I found a couple mentions of Hanson's, leaving me curious to see what other hidden restaurant treasures I have yet to discover in Beloit. Regardless, I'm now pretty stoked to see what this place has to offer.

So it seems the summer is still ripe with adventures, and I won't even have to leave town. Excellent.
--Michelle

Trip to Chicago

So I went on a trip to Chicago this weekend for a friend's graduation party. We took the VanGalder bus down to O'Hare, where my friend's dad picked us up. We hung out with friends from the area that night and on Sunday went to his grandma's house for his graduation party. Sunday was just a lot of people I didn't know drinking and playing bags. We drove back on Monday.

I ran a few errands on Monday, which was nice, and then watched a movie with a few guys from the house I am living in over the summer. I came into work this morning wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt and black pants. That was pretty stupid, considering today is the hottest it has been yet this summer. Ouch!

Organizing my room and getting things situated a figured out is my priority right now. I am trying to get an apartment for next year and finding a co-signer is the hardest thing I have ever done. I want to get the paperwork done, but I have to wait to see if my dad would co-sign. He wants to "talk" about it first, which means that he wants to lecture me before signing. It's understandable, but I really want to get this paperwork done, because we might not even be able to get the apartment if we wait much longer.

The drama!

*Brandi

Parties, Family, and Friends

So I'm waiting on my computer to get fixed and I just want it back so bad. I have to way to check my email at night, and I can't talk to my friends online. Worst of all, I just want to work on my websites, and I can't. That makes me mad.

Then last night I went home and spent the night with my sister. My mom and stepdad went out of town because they are on vacation this week and my sister was alone. So being the amazing sister I am I went and hung out with her. My aunt made us dinner and talked all night. I felt bad because I wanted to leave to go play volleyball. I'm not home very often, so when I do go home I like to help my high school volleyball coach with open gyms. So I did that last night. I played volleyball and had so much fun.

I am really excited, though, to hang out tonight with my best friend. Hopefully in a clean room, playing video games or something. I also need to help my other friend, who is getting kicked out of her house, and my teammate/other friend is coming to hang out tonight after interviewing candidates for the new softball coach. Therefore, tonight is going to be a night spend in the company of my closest friends.

*Brandi

Calendars frighten me

So today I looked at the date on the calendar next to my desk, and the fact that it is already almost July really freaked me out. Where, I wonder, did all the time go to devote to all the things that I've been planning on doing this summer? I mean, good God, before I know it I'll be standing/sitting on the banks of the Rock River listening to the sweet guitar-ing of "Don't Fear the Reaper" and bidding farewell to friends who are only working in Beloit for the first part of the summer. Let's face it, once July 15th or so hits, it's all downhill after that. In my hometown we have a fair called Heritage Days (dodgy carnies and all!) which is always held the second weekend in July, and it always seemed to usher in the beginning of the end. Riverfest is like my Beloit summer version of Heritage Days. Ack. But with Steppenwolf and Blue öyster Cult instead of carnies.

In typical Laura fashion, I've taken on two extra projects this summer to exercise my academic brain (come November I'll be lamenting schoolwork--now I can't get enough! Go fig) and my weekly schedule is actually filling up. One of these projects is transcribing interviews from local Beloit citizens as part of a project which is actually going to expand into a course this fall. The really crazy thing is that there are two professors teaching it: Amy Sarno, who's a personal favorite of mine, and Darren Kelly, who's a Dublin-based professor who--THIS is the crazy part--was on the faculty of my study abroad program in Ireland. *head explodes* It is a small world, after all.

Well, that's all for now--everyone in the Midwest/other warm places, try to stay as cool as possible! ~ Laura DM

Oh Hedwig...

Last Friday night, myself and about 15-20 of the Beloiters on campus went down to Club Impulse and saw some recent graduates put on a production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Produced and directed by Savvas Mourtzis, it was a marvelous show full of heartbreak and confusion, with the occasional power chord thrown in. Hedwig was played by Phil McNasser, a friend and brother of mine in Phi Kappa Psi, who, bedecked in the drag of the appropriate tastes, revealed the sad, sad tale of his, the life of Hedwig.

It's really, really cool to see productions like this, especially from recent graduates. It shows an inspiration and pursuit of passion that I know I have hoped to develop here at Beloit, the fruits of are plainly seen in student efforts such as this.

Sorry that this must be brief but a tour awaits!


Tschuess!
Travis...

Thank You XKCD. If you can't read it here, check it out at http://www.xkcd.com/c59.html

My Piercing Weekend

So, I'm sure you all read about Kristen's attempt at getting a tattoo, well... I got my tongue pierced. I was hanging out with my friend Renee this weekend, who is from Beloit and attended UW-Whitewater for a while and is transferring to MATC this fall. All weekend we hung out at her house located on the Rock River. Friday night there was a boat accident while we sat by a bonfire. Saturday I was in the pool, in the river, or on her boat. After getting all tired I wanted to go shopping. We went to Janesville and I bought shoes. Out of nowhere she wanted to get her eyebrow pierced, so we drove to Whitewater, to a place that will do as many piercings as you can stand for $20. When we got there I asked the man about tongue piercings and if they hurt or not. Well, Renee immediately said that she would pay for it if I got it... and before I knew it I was rinsing out my mouth with mouthwash, having a clamp on my tongue, and being concerned with the amount I was drooling. So, I got my tongue pierced. Now it just needs to heal, because it's getting a little annoying and uncomfortable.

*Brandi

So... 4:30pm on Friday came, and I steeled my nerves to go and tattoo myself. I had been thinking about getting a tattoo for about 2 years, and I figured the time had finally come. I head downtown, with three friends, all hyperventilate-y about my impending experience. (I should add that i have a pretty big fear of needles and pain). By the time we get there, I am ready and excited to get me tattoo... only to discover that they are closed for the weekend.
I'd like to call it a coincidence, but i don't think i can. Many months ago, my cousin and I decided to get tattoos. Admittedly, this was completely on a whim, but we figured we were big girls and could handle it. Same tattoo parlor, same trepidation, same fear, and in the end, same "Closed" sign. You can imagine our disappointment then, amplify it a couple times and that was my disappointment at my second closed sign.
So, today (for the third time), I will go to the tattoo place, I will get all nervous and excited, and if I find the place closed...I will be very angry.
Here's hoping!

~Kristen

Wow. Looking forward to a calm and relaxing weekend is one of the most happy things I can think of. Filled with sleeping in, Kingdom Hearts, relaxing with fellow Phi Psis and generally just unwinding.

That's not to say that this past week hasn't been filled with some interesting occasions. Life here in the Admissions Office is picking up and in the past week we've averaged about 3 tours a day. I've met a number of really interesting prospectives interested in everything from Business to Art to Theater to Psychology to Arabic. They all were really awesome and fun, interested in everything under the sun. There were even a few fellow roleplaying folk (Vampire, D&D and Changling ROCK!!!)

So, yeah. Julia mentioned the wonderful bagels provided wonderously by Stacy and I second as witness of Brandi's creamy revelations. You learn, do and eat something new everyday, or so it seems. Miraculously there seem to be a couple left of which I may need to partake before the day is through.

I'm thinking I may see 28 Weeks Later this weekend. Anybody have any thoughts on the movie? I saw the original 28 Days Later a couple weeks ago and found most of it to be rather enjoyable (though the ending through me off a little bit...) We shall see.

Also, if anyone likes a good, classic read, I'd suggest the Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. It's a fictional layout of her philosopy of Objectivism and the importance of egotism. It's been quite a controversial topic since its first publication but definitely worth a look.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!


Bis Spater!
Travis...

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl

This morning, our beloved Stacy Clay brought in a bag of bagels from Bagels & More (my favorite downtown Belwah haunt). To supplement the treat she purchased some cream cheese, a natural choice for anyone who has ever eaten a bagel.

So, I was sitting here at the front desk, answering your parents' questions, and debating what I'll make for lunch in a couple hours, when Brandi came over all in a fuss, bagel in hand.

"Do you like cream cheese?" asked the shaking Beals.
"Yes, why?" I asked.
"Oh, I've just never had it before," said Brandi.

Twenty-year-old Brandi then had her first cream cheese experience here in the front hall of Middle College. She glowed brighter as the schmeared bagel quickly disappeared.

Since taking her first bagel-and-cream-cheese sampling, Brandi has declared her undying love for the condiment. She'll probably never have a plain bagel again-- and who can blame her?

If you've never had cream cheese, we here at Beloit College Admissions highly recommend it. The next frontier for Brandi: coffee!

- Julia

Getting Things Ready, Volleyball and Softball, and Creativeness

Ok. So I am pro-active. I have an idea. I go and get it done. I call people back as soon as I can. Etc. Well I do a few things on campus during the year, and the summer is the only time I can catch my breath and find the time to put together another great year.

First things first with that. Michelle and I scheduled events to do in the fall with the volunteers we manage. We changed email systems and have been updating contacts and setting up template emails. We made a list of summer projects and have been making excellent progress on them. I will put up pictures of the new office as soon as I get my computer back. Anyways, the second thing I have to organize is my things for Kappa Delta. I am the leadership chair, on the standards board, and as SET leader. Basically, I have to plan things for the group to do, or take part in on campus. I also have to review the rules of KD. I have to do the same type of thing for BAAC, which is the Beloit Athletic Advisory Committee. I made us a club and now I have to make sure we can make it through our temporary status. I have to plan a big event, and soon. I also want to update our frisbee golf course on campus so that all incoming first years will know what the course is. I need to take a responsible beverage course and possibly get my bartending license. I also want to get my motorcyclist license and get an apartment. Lots of little things to do, and the biggest of them all would be me cleaning my room. Ouch!

So the past couple of weeks we have been looking for volleyball and softball coaches, and I'm excited about the process and the new coaches. We already hired the new volleyball coach, but I haven't met her yet, and they are doing interviews for the new softball coach yesterday and today. I'm excited about which one will be best and meeting both new coaches. Summer workouts suck, btw.

Now, for the creativeness word I threw in the title there. Well, I finished painting the office and just hung bulletin boards yesterday. On each of them is the name of the coordinator whose board it is. I put my name up and the name of the new coordinator. I also am apparently creative in the gift I am giving my dad for fathers day. I'm excited about working on that soon.

Gosh! Now I can't stop thinking about cleaning my room. I need to have a better system or something. I need to buy things. I need money... Oh! We get paid on Friday! Awesome! Because I think I'll be heading to Chicago this weekend.

Anyways, sorry about the babble.

*Brandi

Country Mouse, City Mouse, Beloit Mouse

Last weekend, Michelle and I decided to take advantage of Union Pacific's $5 weekend passes and head into the windy city for Blues Fest. The festival is free free free and fills five or six stages throughout Grant Park. Speaking of easy on the wallet, I spent two great days in Chicago (we came back to Beloit to sleep in our own beds dans la maison francaise) for under $20. Ah, the beauty of a picnic lunch!

Coming from Montpelier, a "city" of 8,000 Vermonsters, Beloit's population of 35,000 is big by my standards. Still, life on campus is pretty quiet when you hold it up next to hubs like Chicago and Madison. Needless to say, campus during the summer is even quieter! I suppose our motivation for the trip was to see some people. Lots of people. As many people as we could find with our country mouse eyes. After a month on a campus without my social fix from Student Activities, visiting speakers, and my near, dear friends, I found campus too quiet for my taste. So, Michelle and I went to Chicago to be part of the crowd.

After a quick stop at the Farmers Market to pick up lunch supplies, we drove down to the train station in Harvard, Illinois to the peaceful sound of tires on Colley Road:















After two hours on the train and thirty minutes of walking the streets to the whiffs blues drifting up from the waterfront, we found ourselves smack in the middle of the hubbub:















The best thing about living in the Midwest (next to the fried cheese curds) is the ease of public transportation. It gives you cheap access to Milwaukee and Madison and the big city itself. There are few things as satisfying as an afternoon under the trees in Grant Park with a couple friends, a loaf of zucchini bread from the Beloit Farmers Market, and live blues! We found a couple great spots to sit throughout the day. Here is the view from where we sat behind the SoCo stand:















While relaxing in the shade was a wonderful break, things around here are only speeding up. I'm headed back into Chicago to visit a couple friends next weekend and then it's off to Vermont to visit my family and before long it's the fourth of July. The warm season for Midwestern adventuring has just begun...

- Julia

Summertime...and the livin' is easy...ON THE WALLET!

I discovered yet another reason to be excited about being in Beloit in the summer: Snappers games! For those of you who may have ever doubted about how much fun a minor league baseball game might really be, prepared to be amazed. For one thing, the price is pretty much unbeatable: on Tuesdays (College Night) it's a dollar admission with a student ID, and a dollar for EVERYTHING after that...as in, dollar beers (with ID of course), dollar hotdogs, dollar candy bars, dollar etc. GENIUS. I had a serious flashback to the high school days of night baseball games, sitting on those hard metal bleachers and shoving handfuls of David sunflower seeds into my cheek like a hamster. A bunch of Beloit students ended up going, so we sat in the nosebleed section (not really nosebleed, since Telfer Park is pretty cozy) and hung out and chatted and made a valiant effort to actually concentrate on the game! Since I've been getting a lot of questions about town/college relationships, going to these games seems like a great way to get off campus and spend some time among Beloit residents.

In other news, I'm taking Friday afternoon off and jaunting around Iowa and Wisconsin for Friday and Saturday! I have to go home to replace a lost license (lost physically, not like taken away by the cops) and then Jim and I are spending Saturday in Madison with my parents (yeah, I know, sickening) bumming around and sitting on the Monona Terrace and eating ice cream! Should be a fun, quick trip!

~ LDM

And now for something completely different...





So, Beloit Science Fiction and Fantasy Association has weekly live action role playing(larp) sessions during the school year. For those of you who like to act, improv, dress up, or just be a big gaming dork, this is the awesome place for you.
~Kristen

So, I'm sitting in the Admissions "Lounge" area, and I am amazed at the comfort of the couches. I mean, if you were to pick a school based solely on how comfortable your bum was when you visited, this would have to be the one. They're all really nice looking too, in a green, gold and red color scheme that in no way resembles christmastime. I'm impressed.

In other news, our summer language students came to campus on Saturday. Having the CLS (Center for Language Studies) students makes the campus seem more active and alive... before there weren't enough students left to form a soccer team (that may be a slight exaggeration). Regardless, it's nice to see new, intelligent faces on campus.

On that note, I'm really excited for the new freshman class! In part, this excitement comes from the fact that when they arrive, I won't be a freshman anymore. The summer is a weird sort of middle area... I've completed my freshman year but haven't started sophomore year, I don't know what to call myself. From now on, when visitors ask, I'll just tell them I'm stuck.

Alright, I've posted. I feel accomplished.
~Kristen

Do you know what's wonderful?

...a calm, bright day sitting in the lounge of the French house with a book exploring both the adventures and misadventures of Robert Langdon after three days of overcast skies and thunderheads...


A really good weekend...

Pridefest and Goggles

So I went to Pridefest in Milwaukee this weekend. It was a blast. I have never seen so many drag queens in my life. We got there around 5 and just shopped and walked around. As it got later the dance tent became the hip place to be. My friends had a great time and I was so happy for them. They were all in couples or looking to be in one, while my boyfriend was in Chicago. My best friend's girlfriend asked my best friend to marry her since there was a church group there that was performing ceremonys on Sunday. I was planning on driving back on Sunday for it, but they ended up not going through with it, because one of their parents didn't really approve of them doing it so early. I agree, but it really isn't my place to say anything.

There were tents all around selling rainbow colored items such as boas, hats, flags, etc. At one tent they were selling those knock-off designer sunglasses, and the deal was buy one, get two free. So my friend bought one and me and another friend got the free pairs. Guess what I chose... Ok, I'll tell you. I got goggles. Yes. Goggles. They're awesome and I promised my best friend that I will wear them during my softball games next year.

Ooo... I also got a new phone this weekend, finally. That is pretty much what my weekend consisted of. Cool, huh?

*Brandi

Hey Friends~
So, it is friday. It is friday, and in about an hour my weekend will begin. And, while other people are planning cool trips to Chicago or dancing the night away, I intend on wearing pajamas and eating ice cream all weekend. (with a possible break for the farmers market). A few weeks back I went to the library and rented 9 movies... i managed to watch 7 of them before their 10 day rental expired. I feel like i may be one of the laziest people ever, but its really kind of nice. During the school year I'm busy-- I seem to thrive on activity so I try to pack it all in. Next semester I'll have four classes, three jobs, two club positions, three meals a day, and homework. I think it will be busy enough to compensate for my lazy summer.
On the downside, I'm not reading as much as i'd like to. Ah well, such is life.
I apologize for the lameness of my post. To make up for it, i give you a monkey.

~Kristen

Monkey:

Netflix

So once upon a time, a couple of years ago, I heard mention of a new movie mail-order service called "Netflix." This company would, amazingly enough, send you movies THROUGH THE MAIL directly to your house and charge no late fees, and plus they have a GIANT movie database that offers really super obscure films like Italian films from the 1600's. Heh, not quite, but an ample selection nonetheless. In any case, I only just rediscovered how awesome this service is, and how handy it is for college students who a) don't have transportation to go to the video rental store, and b) are bad enough about returning movies on time that late fees can add up and force you to avoid Family Video for months waiting for their computer system to crash so that you'll be deleted out of their customer database forever. And this summer, it's been the perfect chance to sit around and catch up on all those great movies or tv shows that I haven't had a chance to watch for one reason or another!! Including: "The Queen" -- see it, for real. Helen Mirren is a genius and eerily dead-on as Queen Elizabeth in the days after Princess Diana's death in 1997. Also, "Weeds" is rapidly making its way up my list of great TV shows -- Mary Louise Parker is fantastic as usual and the story line is amazing and maybe a little too plausible? Makes you wonder about suburbia, if you weren't already a little suspiscious. Also, the opening song is great.

Take these reviews as you will, and as always, have a good night!! ~ LDM

How Annie Chun Assaulted the Rug

For the next three months, I am living in the French House in a large single that shares a bathroom with one neighbor. Summer living dans la maision Francaise is cake. Like many special interest houses on campus, most rooms in the French House have hardwood floors. Granted, they've seen a foot or two, but they're more pleasant to have under your toes than carpet on a hot day.

Anyway, as one of a handful of students who stuck around for the summer, I inherited a lot when my friends hit the road. The residence halls here usually have one box in a common space designated by the RA as "give-and-take" for recycling clothes and stuff that just needs to move on to someone else on campus. Between my friends and these overflowing boxes, I came into possession of an armchair, 26 packets of Easy Mac, a bag of nutritional yeast, a new box of iodized salt, many craisins, a fan, more oatmeal than I could ever hope to consume, and a half-gallon of Vermont maple syrup (a highlight, to be sure). Also belonging on this list is a large rug. While I love the hardwood floors, I must confess that I was pretty excited when I got the rug. It's just so pleasant! I suppose the total inventory would more accurately describe it as blue and stained and note that it smells a bit like someone's cat, but as of last night, it also smells like Annie Chun.

To backtack a bit, I should explaint that I am off the meal plan and cooking for myself all summer long. Some nights, this means baking and marinating tofu with veggies and rice. Other nights, this means convincing Michelle to collaborate on your basic pasta-with-tomato-sauce shindig. It's nothing fancy, but we do juice fruits and veggies when they come our way. Still, there are nights when I want nothing other than to wait two minutes for my Annie Chun to be heated to perfection in the microwave and be done with the whole food thing.

To tie this all together for you in one messy sentence: I was eating my Annie Chun Teriyaki Noodle Bowl last night, sitting on a borrowed rug watching "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," when I spilled sweet Annie's good cookin all over this magic carpet and my feet (although my toes are not the point). So, after work today I will bike to Cub Foods and buy some carpet cleaner and send a prayer to some higher power that the smell of cheap Asian food will vacate my crib before the scent spreads to my bed. G-ross.

In conclusion, here's my good advice to everyone, everywhere: don't spill things. It's a big hassel to clean up, not to mention a painful way to say goodbye to a hot bowl of Annie. Plus, it makes you feel stupid. No one likes feeling stupid. I beseech you to take this obvious directive to heart, but also to keep your bowls at the table, friends. Heck, if you've got to, cover your furniture in plastic. It's the only safe way to eat!

-Julia

Somewhere between the lines lies a place we call reality.

Two Gentlemen of Verona

Sometimes Beloiters like to study,
Sometimes we like to relax,
Sometimes we like to put up shows
And make each other laugh.

Enjoy these pics from Beloit's productions of Two Gentlemen of Verona that went up last November!

Peace,
Travis...

weekend; random thoughts; cute photos

Heyo!! Hope everyone had a good weekend...I pretty much sat around and watched episode after episode of "Sex and the City" and "Scrubs" until I finally freaked out from too much inactivity yesterday and went for a long run/workout. Now my abs and legs are sore, but I was able to eat one of those new delicious waffle bowl sundaes at Dairy Queen without feeling guilty about it. Every summer, after about a week of saying "mmm, no homework for me!" every night after work, I realize how much I depend on school year events for providing me with distractions and entertainment. Predictably, I'd foreseen this wall of impending boredom and I've already taken measures to combat it. First of all, I extended a special project I'd been working on with my advisor this spring. It's on the role of the city in the literature of James Joyce and James T. Farrell, and the due date for the final draft of my 20-page paper is August 1st. Pretty exciting stuff. Also, Jim discovered this blog called "Cute Overload" and so he's been sending me photos that look like this:

Yeah. I know. I can't even deal with the cuteness. Oh, and I found this one too, which is getting my vote for Beloit's new mascot:

*Head explodes* "Overload" is pretty accurate.

Rats. Thinking about the special project makes me realize how it's already June and how quickly this summer will probably go. Pretty soon though I get to see my friends Zeva and Steve--Zeva will have just returned from her spring semester in New Zealand and I can't wait to see her!! Luckily we're reprising our sophomore year and living together again in the fall. I somehow managed to get the sweet deal of RA-ing the Clary Street apartments, which means not only do I get a giant single, but it's also with three friends of my choosing. And a brand-shiny-new kitchen for cooking! Still can barely believe my luck in getting that spot.

Ok, I think I've pretty much exhausted my blogging capabilities for today. Have a good Monday afternoon/night everyone! ~ Laura DM

The Summer so far...

Well, I've settled back into the Beloit life, from the pretty campus, to friendly people, to the unpredictable weather. It's not much different from before I left for Austria in January yet still subtley so. The campus has changed a bit, like actually seeing grass in a field of mountainous dirt that has become the new Aldrich Field, to random trees that seem to have just disappeared, to the huge, fenced-off hole behind Chamberlin where the foundations of the new Science building have begun to be laid. Then there are the people. People change while you've been gone for six months, attitudes and situations, faces change as do connections. This hasn't actually been a problem at all, if anything it's been a great improvement in relationships and friendships. I've changed as well, though still realizing exactly how and in what ways. I feel more concious, more aware of both myself and my capabilities, of my place in both the immediate surroundings and the greater journey of my life. I've gained a sense of purpose, a focus and contentedness that I've never felt before. We'll have to see how far that can go.

It's been nice again to hang with my brothers in Phi Kappa Psi, explore the surrounding towns of Rockford and Janesville, become integrated into a fun and comfortable team in the Admissions office, finally get everything out of storage and organized in my French House single, and above all, spend many wonderful hours with my girlfriend who stuck with me through my six months abroad. Quite refreshing.

Last Thursday, Adan, Morgan and I drove down to Rockford for Thrusday night swing dancing shenanigans. It's been a long time since I've had a chance to just dance, especially with someone like Morgan who actually knows what she's doing. In Vienna I took the opportunity to attend two of the Viennese Balls, learning Viennese waltz and watching the Debutants, but it was very much a different flavor and overall somehow not the same.

This weekend was really a whirlwind of activity, from driving to Elgin, IL for a highschool graduation party, to getting everything into my room, to being stuck in the rain while running along the Rock River, to practicing voice again in the second floor of Pearsons, with its beautiful accoustics and peaceful decor. Then the rain began to pour and the campus is alight with glistening blades of grass and leaves as the clouds move away towards the horizon.

It's the start of another week. I think there's more dancing (tango) down by the river tonight. There's a class offered weekly I believed for free that is often taught by a professor (and friend) from Beloit, Darrah Chavey, and his wife. Should be fun. Maybe I'll watch a little Evagelion before I go down there. Hmmm....

Anyway, that's all for now!


Bis spater.
Travis Barrett...