I had a wonderful first-holiday-away-from-home, enjoying the wonders of extended family this Thanksgiving season. Favorite tidbits were getting ALL the visting-with-grandparents time to myself, finally going to a Bed, Bath and Beyond, sleeping eight hours a night, eating home-cooked and non-dining hall food, and catching up with my life-long friend Leah!
Today consisted mainly of working on my final draft for my Medill project, which is actually coming along rather nicely. I just need an interview (really, just a sentence) with the Northwestern police that I'll get Monday morning, as soon as they'll let me talk to them, and then I'll read it outloud one final time.. and then submit it to the CMS system and be done! Except for my final presentation, which is just talking and easy to get ready.
Another incredible highlight of my weekend was talking on the phone to Marina, Diana, and Vika! Ahhh.. so much fun. I miss my friends a lot.. and it's fun to realize that but a great moment was leaving campus and realizing that I missed Chrissy, Suz, and Tricia too! I used more texting this weekend than I have since I've gotten here put together, probably. :)
I'm watching the ending of Return of the King with Papa on TV right now.. and remembering being obsessed four years ago.. I still know it by heart, though. Fun times..
"My friend.. you bow to no one!"
"And thus it was that the fourth age of Middle Earth began.. and the fellowship of the Ring, though eternally bound by friendship and love.. was ended. Thirteen months to the day since Gandalf sent us on our long journey, we found oursevles looking upon a familiar place.. we were home."
You know a story is a real classic when you find parallels to it in your life no matter when, where, or who you are.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Today I went to the University of Chicago and I successfully did not get mugged, shot, accosted, or (most importantly) LOST! Yes, I think Jackie is officially a grown up now that she can take the El, transfer to a different line, take a bus an unknown number of stops and pull the stop cord at the right time (go figure, American buses are SO complicated!!), walk to a campus she's never even seen before, successfully find the university's Student Center, interview her people, find a Starbucks to interview non-students AND find her way back. All by herself. To places she's never even seen before, let alone found. Yes, I am very proud of myself.
And I also have a lot of work I should be doing. I just wanted to brag a little bit about my success. I still can't believe I didn't get lost and I never got on the wrong train.. amazing.
And I also have a lot of work I should be doing. I just wanted to brag a little bit about my success. I still can't believe I didn't get lost and I never got on the wrong train.. amazing.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Medill Final Project
The end of the quarter is rapidly approaching, which means it's time to write long papers, study for finals, and, of course, spend countless hours doing my final project for Medill. On Thursday, I spent no less than 6 frantic hours on my computer trying to come up with a good topic because in journalism, a good idea can make or break your story.
Today, though, after a good night's sleep and a talk with the RUF intern Randi, things started coming together. The story has to be something that is backed with numbers and something that is relevant today, an idea where I can access official studies and talk to official people. My idea? Campus crime and safety.
I hope to compare the crime rate at three universities- Northwestern, Loyola University, and University of Chicago- both with each other and with the crime rate in the areas surrounding the campuses, to see if a higher crime rate in the area around campus actually results in a higher crime rate on campus (although the logical answer is yes, my preliminary research has shown me that that is not the case, as the crime rate at Northwestern is actually higher than the crime rate at University of Chicago- and Evanston is certainly more peaceful than the south side of Chicago). I hope to interview students at all three universities, talking to them and figuring out how safe they actually feel and if their safety is proportionate to the statistical evidence.
My professor approved it, so I'm going to go ahead and go for it! Of course, some things can change along the way, as it always is with stories.. so we'll see how it goes.
So for a Saturday, today was a highly productive day. I'm off to dinner and then to see an on-campus showing of Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court!
Today, though, after a good night's sleep and a talk with the RUF intern Randi, things started coming together. The story has to be something that is backed with numbers and something that is relevant today, an idea where I can access official studies and talk to official people. My idea? Campus crime and safety.
I hope to compare the crime rate at three universities- Northwestern, Loyola University, and University of Chicago- both with each other and with the crime rate in the areas surrounding the campuses, to see if a higher crime rate in the area around campus actually results in a higher crime rate on campus (although the logical answer is yes, my preliminary research has shown me that that is not the case, as the crime rate at Northwestern is actually higher than the crime rate at University of Chicago- and Evanston is certainly more peaceful than the south side of Chicago). I hope to interview students at all three universities, talking to them and figuring out how safe they actually feel and if their safety is proportionate to the statistical evidence.
My professor approved it, so I'm going to go ahead and go for it! Of course, some things can change along the way, as it always is with stories.. so we'll see how it goes.
So for a Saturday, today was a highly productive day. I'm off to dinner and then to see an on-campus showing of Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Marriage and other items of business
I received a marriage proposal today. That's right, a young man informed me that he was desperately in love with me and asked me to marry him. My answer? I'll think about it. But I feel that I might agree to it.
Oh, yes, I forgot to mention.. my young suitor is four.
My job at the Child Care Center of Evanston is a lot of things, but it is never boring. From being bowled over when I walk in the door at 11 with shouts of, "Jackie's here!!" to talking active boys into taking naps, to assuring little girls that yes, I am their friend, my 10 hours a week are literally filled with laughter and tears (though the tears aren't on my part. Not yet, at least.)
Today, when I walked in the door, I immediately had to settle a confetti fight between Ferran and Sophere (Ferran later was the one who asked me to marry him). Then, I had to convince a hysterical Payden (3- definitely on the younger 3 side) that ladybugs were not going to hurt him, not even a little bit (he reminded me a little of my cousin..). He later got so excited with the idea of conquering the harmless bugs that he stomped around the classroom announced, "I eated a ladybug!" (Which was not true, as he could not come anywhere near them without going into hysterical screaming) During lunch, I told Adam that throwing rice is not allowed. When I was passing seconds, Amber (3) informed me numerous times that, "We don't want to hear any 'me, me, me,' right Jackie?" Needless to say, Amber loves telling other people what to do. In preperation for naptime, I sang "May there always be sunshine" countless times, in three languages and actually succeeded in teaching the words "solnze," "nebo," "mama," and "ya" to Alice, Faith, and Luc, my three most attentive listeners. During naptime, I got tired of putting Axel (a usually well-behaved boy) back in his cot- he kept crawling under the table and poking Adam, to see if he was sleeping (which he usually was). And in my last hour of work, I gave voice to the animal crackers we had for snack, tied 20 pairs of shoes, monitored the brushing of 20 sets of teeth, and taught everyone the "Universe Yoga Stretch" (apparently, a very simple stretch in which one bends the knees slowly and then springs out into a jack position. Payden fell in love with this immediately and showed everyone the "oomibers" stretch countless times.). Upon leaving, I was tackled by all of my lovely children, wanting to know where on earth I could possibly be going and pleading for me to come back right after.
So after this wonderfully refreshing day at work, I left to go back to the real world where problems couldn't be solved by a hug from a teacher, where tears were so much harder to dry, and where friendships were so much more complicated than just the question, "Jackie, you're my friend, ok?"
But that's ok. I like it here.
Oh, yes, I forgot to mention.. my young suitor is four.
My job at the Child Care Center of Evanston is a lot of things, but it is never boring. From being bowled over when I walk in the door at 11 with shouts of, "Jackie's here!!" to talking active boys into taking naps, to assuring little girls that yes, I am their friend, my 10 hours a week are literally filled with laughter and tears (though the tears aren't on my part. Not yet, at least.)
Today, when I walked in the door, I immediately had to settle a confetti fight between Ferran and Sophere (Ferran later was the one who asked me to marry him). Then, I had to convince a hysterical Payden (3- definitely on the younger 3 side) that ladybugs were not going to hurt him, not even a little bit (he reminded me a little of my cousin..). He later got so excited with the idea of conquering the harmless bugs that he stomped around the classroom announced, "I eated a ladybug!" (Which was not true, as he could not come anywhere near them without going into hysterical screaming) During lunch, I told Adam that throwing rice is not allowed. When I was passing seconds, Amber (3) informed me numerous times that, "We don't want to hear any 'me, me, me,' right Jackie?" Needless to say, Amber loves telling other people what to do. In preperation for naptime, I sang "May there always be sunshine" countless times, in three languages and actually succeeded in teaching the words "solnze," "nebo," "mama," and "ya" to Alice, Faith, and Luc, my three most attentive listeners. During naptime, I got tired of putting Axel (a usually well-behaved boy) back in his cot- he kept crawling under the table and poking Adam, to see if he was sleeping (which he usually was). And in my last hour of work, I gave voice to the animal crackers we had for snack, tied 20 pairs of shoes, monitored the brushing of 20 sets of teeth, and taught everyone the "Universe Yoga Stretch" (apparently, a very simple stretch in which one bends the knees slowly and then springs out into a jack position. Payden fell in love with this immediately and showed everyone the "oomibers" stretch countless times.). Upon leaving, I was tackled by all of my lovely children, wanting to know where on earth I could possibly be going and pleading for me to come back right after.
So after this wonderfully refreshing day at work, I left to go back to the real world where problems couldn't be solved by a hug from a teacher, where tears were so much harder to dry, and where friendships were so much more complicated than just the question, "Jackie, you're my friend, ok?"
But that's ok. I like it here.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Insane Moments of College:
- oversleeping and RUNNING to German class and being out of breath and un-showered, but on time
- teaching small children how to pour milk and clean up after themselves
- freaking out and freaking out and freaking out again, and having to deal with stuff on my own and not being able to call my parents because they're sleeping
- having ice cream for dinner because of aforesaid freak out
- when 2 o'clock in the morning is really not late at all
- mixing up something that happened with Suz and with Marina.. which means my friendships ARE going somewhere
- obsessing about everything with Chrissy and Tricia
- being able to cry on Suz's shoulder
- going to support Jeff's acapella performance as ALL of Chapin and screaming our heads off and then posting ourselves on youtube
- reading the same sentence probably no less than 500 times because I'm trying to talk and read and write at the same time
- going to parties that end with fire alarms being pulled
- sleeping until noon
- watching stupidly crazy movies until four o'clock in the morning and thinking they are, if not actually acceptable, at least sort of funny
- study breaks = singing parties
ahh, college.
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