Virtual Field Trip

Because I am an extremely bored procrastinator who doesn't want to work on research papers, I took the time to look at a lot of our classes blogs. Not going to lie though, it was extreeeeemely boring! Maybe the blogs I read just had nothing interesting to say, or maybe I'm conceited and only want to read about myself! Who knows. At any rate, I had to force myself to read the entries and pick out something I liked. One of the more memorable blogs was Marcus Callisters, since he's just a freak (in a good way, meaning he's unnaturally smart) so I enjoy listening to his arguements and such. I especially liked his Halloween blog, since going off to a remote corner and pounding out the piano is exactly the sort of thing I would do! Yay Marcus! For all who want to read his epic tale, go to: pointlessreflections.blogspot.com











Wow....this is probably the shortest blog I have written yet. Ah well

Resistance

I think the fact that I am doing this blog at 1:30 in the morning, and have class at 9, is a testament to one of the biggest problems I have been having. Basically, my body clock is wacked and I like to be up late and night and sleep during the day. I wouldn't classify myself as a night owl- liking to stay up late, but rather a full-blown nocturnal mammal. I seriously like to stay up at night and sleep during the day when everyone else is around. I don't know why. At home it was easier to stay on at least some form of schedule because my parents were there to make sure I got up and went to school and didn't stay up till 4 or 5 in the morning. Now that I am on my own however, it gets more difficult because I'm doing whatever I want, whenever I want. So I usually end up sleeping a lot during the day - whenever I can, and staying up through ridiculous hours of the night, unable to sleep. This is hard because I have classes early in the morning that generally run all day, and if I go to bed late I can't sleep in and am therefore extremely tired. I have been trying to get myself on a more regular schedule, but I could definitely be working harder on it. Knowing that my schedule is only going to get more hectic as the years go on is a good motivator for me to get myself into the habit. I've been working on keeping myself awake during the day - for example after or in between classes, when I am feeling tired. Instead I try to go and do something else, even if it's not really anything productive or useful, just staying up and trying to wait till night helps.

Another thing I've had a lot of trouble with is eating! Back home my mom was always there to get on my case and regulate what food was kept in the house. But here, I can go just about anywhere and buy something to eat, make whatever I want for dinner, and have all sorts of junk food available. It's a bad bad thing!! I like to eat - however I do not like the consequences it has on my body. So I have had to really discipline myself to not buy something whenever I feel like it, but rather only when I am actually hungry or know I will not get the chance to eat for many hours. It's been tough, but to help make things easier, I try to not keep too much food in the house because that is where my biggest challenge is. Often I eat just because the food is there. So if there's not really anything to eat, I don't eat. Also I am constantly chewing on gum since that at least partially helps to occupy my mouth and keep me from snacking on things. I also like to write little notes to myself and stick them on the wall to motivate me. So far I think I'm doing a pretty decent job.

Halloween

Originally, I had planned on doing absolutely nothing on Halloween since for the last few years I have stayed home to hand out candy, my sister was doing something with her boyfriend, and my "best" friend here was going to be gone. But on Wednesday, a friend of my sister's ate lunch with us and, upon finding out I had no plans, asked if I wanted to go to the silent movie Phantom of the Opera because he had an extra ticket and kind of needed a date! I hesitantly agreed, figuring it couldn't be too bad and really, I had nothing else to do. Since Wayne (the dude) was dressing up, my sister & I figured I should probably have some sort of costume. Originally I was going to do Ugly Betty so we went to Walmart to find some red glasses, but upon passing the costume section, I saw a Batman suit and instantly fell in love. We tried multiple other outfits, but in the end I desperately wanted to be Batman & bought it. Friday night came and I was getting ready but as I tried to put my awesome suit on, I discovered that it was terribly short, as I should have expected seeing as it was made for a 10yr old boy, and not a full-grown, tall, 18yr old girl. After panicking slightly, I got out the trusty scissors and began making adjustments in various critical places. Finally I got it to fit decently enough for me to be comfortable for a few hours on campus. At 6:30 Wayne came to get me, and let me just say, he loved my outfit. We went to the Pita Pit for a bite to eat, where we ran into some missionaries "dressed up" as twins and had a great time joking around and eating. Then we went to the HFAC and watched Phantom of the Opera. I thought it was going to be pretty lame (how cool can a SILENT movie, especially a silent MUSICAL, be after all?!). But it actually ended up being soo much fun! The old-school movie was awesome - especially with Lon Cheney's wire/fishhook makeover, and the participation of the audience was soo funny. At one point when Christina yawns, some guy in the audience managed to time a yawn perfectly - it actually looked like they had put sound in for just that one part of the movie! Afterwards we got frosties and stopped by a dance party. After discovering we weren't having any fun there, we went to Wayne's house, where I met his cousin & wife, and some of their friends. I was also privileged enough to see their "Harry Potter" closet under their stairs. Then we played a couple rounds of fooseball (I schooled him) before I decided it was getting late. All in all it was a really good date and we had a lot of fun just joking around. Not my usual Halloween night, but still a good night. Below are some pictures of my costume!

The Armpit hole I had to make so I could lift my arms...

My Batman Muscles

The hole I had to cut in the bottom so it would stretch tall enough

Batman's legs were still significantly shorter than mine. Good thing the booties just had little velcro straps...

Work Wisdom

My favorite part of these reading selections was from President Hinckley's "Inspirational Thoughts" in the March 2006 Ensign. I liked how he compared the value of work to the muscles and how if you don't use it, you become weak and cannot grow. This thought struck me because as an athlete, the growth and development of my muscles is important. If I am out of shape, I can get hurt or fall behind the other players. The same is true for the other aspects of my life. If I don't strive to gain a better testimony, it will begin to falter and I could lose my faith. When I neglect my studying and put it off for more fun things, I suffer the consequences and get bad grades. If I don't work hard at developing my talents, I lose them and it takes even more effort to get back to where I was. I have to constantly be working hard to improve myself in everything I can and raise my expecations, so that I can become the best version of myself.

Whenever I felt jealous of someone else's talent's or success, my mom would always say to me: "The harder you work, the luckier you get." And I have found this to be so true all the time. If I don't put in the effort or time, I am not going to do a good job. The people who 'get lucky' or have success are the ones who worked the hardest, it is not just a coincidence. For example, one year I did not prepare very well for a piece I was performing in a festival competition, and I ended up getting second place. It was upsetting for me, and then I realized that I had not worked to get a first, so naturally I did not earn one. With diligence and effort comes success.

Education in Zion

My favorite part of this exhibit was titled "From Academy to University." This section was all about the origins of BYU as an institution and the people who were key components in making it the success that it is today. It highlighted the time and energy and true sacrifice required to establish BYU. Featured people included Maeser, Brimhall, & Heber J. Grant, among many others who also worked hard to build up this cause.

I really liked this part of the exhibit because it made me really think about how hard it was, all the effort people put in to this, so that students could myself could get a quality education. I have always sort of taken my schooling for granted and reading these things got my attention, and I realized that I should be grateful for how easy I have it, and take full advantage of all these opportunities I have available to me! Within this section, I particularly liked the display on Florence Madsen Jepperson because of all her efforts towards BYU's music program. I always sort of took for granted the things that were already established before me and never fully appreciated how hard people worked to set up these programs and institutions for the benefit of others. I think we need to remember the efforts of these people and be grateful for what they have done for us, giving us the opportunity to be here today and gain some of the best education possible.

Homecoming :D

The first Homecoming event that I went to was "Hike & Light the Y." I went with Steven Mitsuda & Katrina Smith. IT WAS HORRIBLE!! On the previous Friday, at rugby practice, I had gotten tackled or been part of a ruck or something, and my knee had been slightly hyperextended. It wasn't that bad, but definitely noticeable. So, someone had told me that this hike was quite easy and enjoyable, so I figured "Why not, I can handle easy!" So, Hike & Light we go.



It was a nice night, I was with friends - everything was going perfectly. Until we started hiking. This was no Bear's Hump (super easy hike near Waterton, AB, Canada) but rather a slackers Everest! I was doing fine until about 1.5 turns, when my knee gave in - he just couldn't take it! At first I tried to ignore it and have a good time, but eventually the strain became too great and I had to stop. I rested for a good 30 or more seconds and then started climbing again, Steven & Katrina faithfully by my side. It wasn't long before I was forced once again to stop by the edge and take a minute to rest my knee. I felt bad, holding my friends up, and I urged them to go on, but they assured me they didn't mind. This went on for the rest of the trail, with my stops becoming progressively more frequent and longer. The pain was excruciating! But I had to finish, I had to get to the top & screw in that dang lightbulb! I persisted, trying to be optimistic on the outside, hating every second & cursing this stupid mountain on the inside. Finally, though, we made it to the Y and found some vacant bulbs. We sat for a good half an hour, chatting, enjoying the view, waiting for the rest of the unfortunate souls who had gotten sucked into this torturous journey to reach the top. It was a beautiful night, and we had a good time getting to know each other better. At long, long last the ceremony began and eventually the Y was completely lit - it was an exciting tradition to be a part of!

The walk down was much better - still very jarring on my knee, but without the added struggle of going uphill. Though it was a significantly treacherous ordeal - what with the rocks, steep terrain, and all but complete darkness. The was more than one occasion with someone tripping and falling down rocky path. WHAT IDIOT THOUGHT OF THIS?! But we all made it safely down, I suppose. The hot chocolate was much appreciated - we had a great time standing around drinking it while watching a man try in vain to turn off the alarm in Cosmo's van! All in all, it was a pretty sweet night. Including the shuttle home, which included Steven squashed into the side of the floor and a trip to the CONE.


I also went to one of the Homecoming Dances with Steven - "Enchanted." It was a very cold night! But we had a good time - the girls all got crowns ;) We had 3 couples - we had a very delicious dinner before the dance (prepared by the boys!), had a good time laughing at other couples at the dance, and then relaxed with ice cream while watching SNL clips. It was a lot of fun. I can't think of a clever line to end off...

Conference Correction

Although I did not get to see as many sessions as I would have liked (my family was visiting), I did especially like Elder Christofferson's talk on Saturday afternoon ("Come to Zion"). It really struck me when he talked about the saints being a "beacon of righteousness" to help those who are searching for the blessings & comfort of Zion. I realized that most of the time I am just concerned about myself and thinking "What do I need to do better?" or "Am I being a good example?" I never actually reach out and try to help someone, try to bring them into the 'fold.' Sometimes I might include someone in our activity, or ask if they need help, but often times it is just not to seem rude and isn't actually sincere.

Elder Christofferson read from Doctrine & Covenants the Lord's explanation for the failure of the saints: they had not been obedient to his requirements, and had not given aide to the poor and afflicted. This sent a jolt down my spine! Sharing with others and being selfless is a big weakness of mine. I tend to hold on to all my things, whether I need it or not, or even want it! I am constantly trying to be more generous and help those in need, because I know that I have been abundantly blessed beyond what I deserve. So when Elder Christofferson read that scripture it really got me thinking, since I want to do all I can to return to live with our Father in Heaven!

I really listened to when he talked about not judging the early saints, and instead reflecting on our own lives. Perhaps we are more like those rebellious saints than we think? The words that stuck out to me most were "contentions" and "envy" because they describe me perfectly. More often than not I was involved in an arguement with one or both of my little sisters, usually about something dumb or insignificant. And I was constantly jealous of everyone around me - my sister for her voice, my friends' skinny-ness, other girls athletics, even tiny things that no one else would really care about. Hearing this talk, I had to take a step back and ask myself "How am I doing?" Because the Lord's people must be unified in order for Zion to be extablished, and my thoughts and actions certainly aren't working towards that goal. It really made me re-evaluate myself and determine to work harder at that.

I really liked this talk, because it is something that is so crucial for the Saints in these last days! The Second Coming is getting nearer every day, and we need to be doing all we can to establish Zion and bring the faithful together. Elder Christofferson addressed this issue effectively, made you want to do better, to be better. This is our greatest objective in this life, and we should place it at the top of our priorities, not set it aside for the missionaries or another day. It needs to be done now.

"Y" the Y?

I truly loved seeing all the 'memorabilia' donated to the centre, such as President Hinckley's own shovel and Sister Hinckley's chair. It added a nice effect, in addition to making the building more meaningful. The obvious effort and attention that went into the creation of this magnificent building is astounding. I had never been in there before, but it was just as I had expected - beautiful and inspiring - just like President Hinckley.
"Once a cougar, always a cougar" ... I will be honest, I have not found myself to be too attached to the BYU community yet. I have been missing home and struggling with the complete changes in my life, so I suppose I've been a little too self-involved. But when I look around myself, I realize what a truly great place I am in and how lucky I am to be here. The people are friendly, happy, and adhere to the same high standards. It is comforting to see. These things make me proud to be at such a fine institution. As part of Freshman Academy, I am finding it easier to adjust to college life, making friends, etc. So this experience is a huge blessing to me and I am grateful for it! In future years, I hope I will be able to get more involved in the BYU community - whether in a volunteer group, as a peer mentor, or just attending special big events. I want to make it feel more like I truly belong, and I believe being involved will do that. Also, being here at BYU gives me a big responsibilty. I realize that I need to uphold the Honor Code, to be a good friend to all, and to be an example for future BYU students. This is a big job, and an important one. It will take constant effort to live up to the expectations and examples of previous students, something I hope to be able to do. And I hope I can continue to be an example for BYU for many years to come, to be an advocate and promote it's great qualities, aiding in spreading of the gospel and quality education.

Inventory

As a "homebody," I generally like to be at home, around my family. I would much rather sit at home with a book & watch my mother in the kitchen than go hang out with my friends. Strange for a teenager, I know. But I am very attached to my family and I don't like being away from them. So to come all the way to Utah for school was a big leap for me! I was terrified of leaving, and I thought I was going to be beside myself with homesickness. But I have been very pleasantly surprised to find that I truly haven't missed them any more than if I gone to EFY for a week. Admittedly, the first week was rough, especially since school hadn't started and I had nothing to occupy my time. But as the school year has gotten under way, I have filled my days with various things that prevent me from ever missing/thinking about my family too much. I actually thought I would be spending all my time curled up in my room just crying and calling home, but that is not the case! I am constantly doing something - reading textbooks, writing notes, taking quizzes, organizing sacrament hymns, rugby practice, or even just watching a show online. So I guess I do spent a lot of time in my room, just not the way I had expected. . . This is definitely better than I had dared to hope!

There are a couple of things that are different/harder than I had expected. For one, everyone I know told me that it would be so easy to make friends down here, that I would have too many friends than I knew what to do with. I was told people just randomly started up a conversation and by the end you were exchanging phone numbers and setting up play dates. I suppose this is true to a certain extent, but it's not quite how people described it. I will sit by someone in a class and we can talk and get along and things but at the end we go our separate ways and I never see that person again because the class is so big! It is sort of sad when you meet someone that you kind of like and think 'Hey I'd like to be friends with them!' And then that's the last you see of them. . . That has happened a couple of times. I was also quite disappointed to find out how far I REALLY live from campus! We have friends back home who are @ BYU and they told us Wyview was a 20min walk to the centre of camps. That is a blatant lie! It takes me a good 30minutes to walk from my house to my first class in the JKB. Sheesh. The only good thing is that it is good exercise for me, which is crucial to my health (I am a diabetic). Plus I now greatly admire people who don't own cars and walk everywhere!

If I could change one thing about my experience here @ BYU so far, I think it would be one of three things: I would either move my family down here, be able to have the same experiences closer to home, or drag a friend down here. I think if I had someone who was a true friend (MY OWN AGE!) then I would look forward to school a lot more. Even if we weren't in any classes together, it would be nice to have a lunch buddy or just see someone around campus. I think I would also rearrange my schedule a little bit. All of my classes this semester are on MWF, excluding the homework lab on Thursday afternoons, and it can get a bit tiring. And then on TTH, I basically have nothing urgent to do and it feels like my entire day is wasted. So I would probably change things up a bit.

BYU Adventure

Today I dragged my older sister along with me and went to explore the campus craft store! I didn't even know there was such a thing until I mentioned to her that I needed an adventure and she suggested I go there, a place she had just recently discovered. I realize that some people might think that was the most boring thing ever, but for me it was quite exciting. I love cute, crafty items - whether I buy it as a decoration or make something myself (Note: I said nothing about talent.) So to find out that this little shop with all its nifty items was a pretty good catch for me! "Campus Craft & Floral" was a quaint store, with a homey atmosphere. It was definitely not one of those places where you walk on your tip toes making sure you don't accidentally knock something over. Rather, you felt relaxed, as if you had just entered an old friends home.

My sister and I are both avid scrapbookers, and while this small section was no Scrapbookers Paradise or Michael's (not sure if those are Canadian...) it was definitely a happy moment to know that we could obtain basic supplies from a nearby source.

There were so many fun things to look at that it was hard to keep from flitting around, jumping from one display to another. But my favorite thing to see was likely the Halloween setup. I absolutely love holidays and just seeing decorations or posters gets me excited. (Honest-to-goodness, I start listening to Christmas music by October. In fact I played some on the piano just today...) So anyway, to see the adorable display at the front of the store was a thrill. The child-sized 'trick-or-treating' bags made me think of my little niece and nephews going out together and being astonished at being given free candy all night! I can't believe I'm going to miss that this year. There were various witch and monster decorations - small and perfect for decorating a college apartment! Which got my sister and I thinking of our mom - she had some wacky Halloween decorations, including a huge creepy spider web/spider that always hung in the front entryway. We had a good laugh over that. Then I saw the cookie cutters and that really got me excited - to make halloween cookies (my favorite thing to make!). Steph (sister) and I had an interesting time trying to figure out what some of the shapes were supposed to be! Overall the Halloween things were a bit of a jump start to my holiday excitement.

Basically, it was a grand old time looking around and things that the two of us love. To be honest, we both got so excited that we couldn't believe neither of us had our wallet on us. We are definitely going back in the near future (and probably multiple other times) to make a few (??) purchases. Below are a few pictures...(in backwards order..)


Halloween Display


Scrapbook corner



Scrapbooking!



Trying it on for size..



Vinyl Board

Here we go..

Bloch Talk

I personally think that at this point in my life I most resemble the small child in the background of the scene. She (for I like to think it is a girl) has an aura of complete innocence about her, and yet a curiosity that compels her to look on at the miracle being performed. In some ways I too am like this. Having lived a sheltered life, as it appears the child has due to the mother’s protective arm, I am oblivious to much of the happenings in our world. Moving out on my own (perhaps going to the market for the child) forces me to realize that there is so much more than I ever knew. As a result, I find myself eagerly watching everything I can. Yet the girl is depicted as being rather shy (to me), not wanting anyone to see her looking; standing just outside the spotlight. I have lived a huge majority of my life like this. I am curious, intrigued by what is happening around me, but don’t want anyone else to watch what I am doing. I want to learn, but not be noticed. The shy little girl in this situation reminds me exactly of myself.
I am ashamed to say that the same characteristics I previously described also apply to my being a disciple-scholar. I would like to be adequately learned in all aspects of knowledge, but find that I am held back by my own personal insecurities. I don’t want to ask questions that everyone else may already know the answer to, and risk sounding dumb. My mind tells me I will never be the best, so why bother trying? What will people think of me if I reach out to someone in need, someone who doesn’t have luxuries that I do, someone different? This is what I must change about myself, what I need to do better at. To mirror Christ’s actions, I must mirror His attitude – that of humility and meekness. I need to ‘be in the world, but not of the world.’